Indian Weekender Vol 5 issue 15

www.iwk.co.nz6 December 2013

1

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6 December, 2013 Vol. 5 Issue 15 | www.iwk.co.nz

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The Pulse of Kiwi Indians


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World Muslim Forum is an international body channelized by various governments around

the world. Auckland saw its first meet in the country in the form of a day-long conference at Aotea Square in the heart of Central Business District. Department of Ethnic Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the main host of the conference. The event was attended by several high profile dignitaries and representatives of Muslim Organizations.

In her opening speech, Minister of Ethnic Affairs Ms Judith Collins addressed the issues to eliminate suspicions and stereotypes after the 9/11 attacks in the United States in 2001.

Ms Collins said the country needs to maintain social cohesion with Muslims, because it is evident what happens in other countries when that isn’t successful.

“We also know that all people in New Zealand, whether they’re Buddhist, whether they’re Christian, or various denominations of any of those, that it is really important they don’t feel that they’re not part of New Zealand.”

Keynote speech was delivered by Irfan Yusuf who is a social commentator, author and memoir.

Islamic Association president Dr Anwar

Ghani said acceptance of Muslims is increasing but there is room for improvement.

Dr Ghani said a recent survey shows

65% of people who were spoken to thought Muslims contributed positively to the culture and economy of New Zealand, and while that

is good, the figure should be higher.Forum participants also discussed the

significant contribution Muslims bring to the economy, such as the Halal meat market worth about $US2.3 trillion. Ms Collins said the potential for the Halal meat market in New Zealand is immense.

The Meat Industry Association says New Zealand exports meat to 120 markets and of those 75 take halal product.

TV3 Journalist Ali Ikram delivered closing speech in which he addressed various issues Muslim community is facing in New Zealand. At the same time it was also highlighted that New Zealand being one of the most peaceful country in the world is at the forefront on integrating Muslim and establishing positive relationships with Muslim world both in the form of trade and cultural exchanges.

NEW ZEALAND

Syed Mujeeb QSM

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200 kilometers in 2 days and achieving Ambassador status.

The Ride to Conquer Cancer benefiting Cancer Society Auckland, is a 200, 2-day cycling journey that Jatin embarked on to fight cancer. It was a challenge in a number of ways, but with my bike, my helmet, and your generosity, Cancer sufferers will improve their quality of life !

This Ride and fundraising will just help those who are affected, either themselves or loved ones with cancer in finding a cure for this horrible disease.

Please support my next 2014 year Ride to Conquer Cancer by making a donation today. Proceeds will support ground-breaking cancer research funded by the Cancer Society at the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre (ACSRC), based in the University of Auckland and will directly impact the lives of thousands of people going through cancer treatment. For my 2014 year Cycle Ride please visit: http://www.conquercancer.org.nz and select Donate.

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“We also know that all people in New Zealand, whether they’re Buddhist, whether they’re Christian, or various denominations of any of those, that it is really important they don’t feel that they’re not part of New Zealand.”


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IWK Bureau

Hindi emerges as the fourth most common languageLatest census shows signs of a changing New Zealand

The biggest news coming from the latest census results show that Hindi is now the fourth most common language in New

Zealand, after English, Māori, and Samoan.Two-thirds of the country’s Asians live in

Auckland, where almost one in every four Aucklanders (23.1 per cent) is Asian, up from 18.9 per cent in 2006.

Asians are also significant minorities in Wellington (10.5 per cent) and in Canterbury and the Waikato (both 6.9 per cent).

“The New Zealand population is aging, with the latest census results showing the median age of the population is 38 years, just over two years older than at the last census seven years ago,” Government Statistician Liz MacPherson said.

Although the overall population was higher in 2013, at 4,242,048 people (up 214,101), there were fewer children (under 15 years) than in 2006. Meanwhile, the number of people aged 50–69 years showed a large increase.

One in eight Kiwis (11.9 per cent) is now Asian, up from 9.2 per cent seven years ago. Following the end of official “white New Zealand” policy, which kept Asians under 1 per cent of the population throughout the period of European colonization, in the 1980s, a dramatic influx from Asia started.

“As well as being older, the New Zealand

population is also now more diverse, with an increasing Asian population, in particular,” Ms MacPherson said.

The 2013 Census results show that the total number of dwellings (occupied and unoccupied) increased by just over 118,000 since 2006, to reach over 1.7 million. Nearly 30 percent of this

increase was in the Auckland region.While there are more dwellings, a lower

proportion of households own their homes. “The rate of home ownership fell to just under 65 percent at the 2013 Census, compared with almost 67 percent at the 2006 Census,” Ms MacPherson said.

The number of unoccupied dwellings increased sharply since 2006, up more than 26,000 (16.4 percent). “Almost 40 percent of this increase was in Canterbury, probably because of people leaving their dwellings after the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes,” Ms MacPherson said


5NEW ZEALAND

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India’s new High Commissioner to New Zealand is sure to make his presence felt during his term in the country.

Ravi Thapar, 54, arrived in the country last weekend and immediately signalled his keenness to strengthen relationships – not just economic and trade ties with New Zealand but also with the local Indian community.

While Mr Thapar is looking at a better market presence for Indian companies in New Zealand, closer interaction with members of the community is a priority as well.

Mr Thapar, who has been in the Indian Foreign Service since 1983, wants to work closely with the Indian organisations in New Zealand to be able to tackle issues which affect students and people of Indian origin in general.

“We’d like to be open and keep track of this subject,” Mr Thapar told the Indian Weekender in Auckland on Sunday.

“We would do the best possible to help.“This is where Indian organisations here

can help, to dynamise themselves, we’d like to work with the associations on these issues. They can do the basic filtration, and identify issues in a tangible manner,” Mr Thapar said.

“More filtration is important, not just cultural issues, and if need be, things can also be brought up with the New Zealand government.”

On the Free Trade Agreement negotiations underway between New Zealand and India since 2010, Mr Thapar said all FTAs required through ironing out of issues and an “understanding of

nuances”.“We would not like to be guided by any

particular model New Zealand may have with other countries,” Mr Thapar said.

“The FTA must be country specific, both countries will have to sit down and work out issues of mutual interest and benefit.”

Mr Thapar reiterated that the current negotiations were progressing well, and “not at all closed”.

“There must be tangible advantage for both countries; this is the sentiment guiding our negotiations. The finalising of FTA depends on both countries.”

Mr Thapar, whose last posting was in

Lebanon, said coming to New Zealand was a welcome change from the Middle East.

“A priority for me is using the good office of the high commission to work with my Indian colleagues here who are familiar with local nuances, to solidify relations.”

On stronger trade ties, Mr Thapar said the issue was one of a two-way engagement. “It’s not only about a greater presence of India in New Zealand, but also of New Zealand in India.”

India boycotted the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka while New Zealand Prime Minister John Key attended.

Mr Thapar said every country was a sovereign and independent and India respected that. Therefore, India had no issues with Mr Key’s CHOGM attendance.

He highlighted India’s expertise in the agriculture sector, describing it as a “commonality”.

Mr Thapar stressed the importance of continued linkages in the fields of education, science/technology, and sports.

He is also keen for India to provide more expertise in yoga, meditation, and general stress management.

“Ancient Indian techniques can help keep the body fit and in good shape, and without investment too much in medical equipment. We could work in these areas too.”

Mr Thapar is an Economics graduate from India and later studied Law at Berkley, and did his Law post-graduate there. He has also served in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, San Francisco, Surinam, and Italy.

Thapar wants to forge closer community ties“There must be tangible advantage for both countries; this is the sentiment guiding our negotiations. The finalising of FTA depends on both countries.”


6 NEW ZEALAND

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New Zealand School of Education celebrate graduation ceremony at SkyCity TheatreThe Indian community saw some of its

own best and brightest walk the stage and receive their scroll amidst loud

applause and cheers from a diverse and multi-cultural mix of colleagues, friends and family. Brijesh Sethi, owner and director of NZSE, is himself a migrant; “Migrants understand the crucial value of education in succeeding in a foreign country.” A graduate of AUT, Brijesh has worked incredibly hard to create opportunities for NZSE students through fostering relationships and pathway opportunities between NZSE and AUT as well as Unitec. NZSE Students who study towards a Diploma in Information Technology (Degree Pathway Course) Level 6 are able to gain up to 2 years of credit at NZSE towards a Bachelor Degree programme in Computing and Information Sciences (BCIS) or a Bachelor of Computing Systems programmes at Unitec. These pathways are completely unique to NZSE. Students are able to enter directly into their final year at university after benefitting from the small class sizes, outstanding employment support and the caring and supportive environment the institute offers. This special relationship was very much reflected in the inspiring speeches delivered by Leo Hitchcock, AUT’s Programme Leader for Collaborative Partnerships and Prof Leon Fourie Executive Dean, Faculty of Creative Industries and Business Administration CIB.

Special guests Hon Chester Borrows, Minister of Courts, MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi and NZSE’s industry partners were also present to witness the graduation formalities and get a glimpse of potential candidates for upcoming jobs in the ICT industry.

Key Themes for the graduation were reflective of NZSE’s mission, vision and values. Embracing culture, ideas, diversity and difference; several exciting performances delighted the audience culminating in a

Polynesian / Bhangra blended dance mixing traditional music with modern beats.

A new focus was NZSE School of Design’s first Design, Animation and Photography graduating cohort. The city based School of Design, a recent addition to NZSE’s two campuses in New Lynn and Manukau, has served to further diversify the course offering. Opportunities have been created for students from different disciplines to learn from one another; blending strengths and

knowledge bases to create exciting educational experiences. The School of Design graduates have achieved outstanding employment outcomes with students designing for Britomart Hospitality, Fuji Xerox and contract freelancing.

The key to NZSE student success seems to be its strong emphasis on educational and career outcomes and the opportunity for internships undertaken whilst studying.

- IWK Bureau

Professional Financial Services now available in South AucklandProfessional Financial Solutions are currently

celebrating the opening of their South Auckland office in Manurewa which,

alongside the office in Mt Albert provides a wide spread across Auckland and even more convenience for their clients. The new office is fully operational and offers all of the financial services PFSL is well known for.

The opening of the new branch is a logical progression for PFSL. They have long been serving clients from South & East Auckland. Some clients come to them from as far as Hamilton. Thus Ravi and Rohit thought that it would benefit their clients to open a new office in Manurewa.

The business boasts a full complement of

services ranging from accountancy, mortgage and insurance brokering to most recently, Property Management. “It makes perfect sense” says Ravi, “that offering all of these services in one place saves our clients time and money, but most importantly we can fit our services around their individual needs. Our clients are purchasing investment properties or renting their homes out to move overseas, we provide them with mortgage finance, insurance and tax accounting and they would ask us to manage their rental properties. After too many requests to ignore, and to their delight, we opened our Property Management division headed by Lisa Loader, property manager with over 12 years of experience”.

Lisa Loader’s career in the property sector began in 2001, working with developers, investors, lawyers and lease properties. This provided the basis of her now, extensive knowledge in Property Management. After managing a small portfolio of rental properties in Pukekohe her career expanded into a busy boutique agency in South Auckland taking care of a wide range of properties from premium homes to the lower end rentals.

In 2003, from small beginnings, Professional Financial Solutions have gone from strength to strength, thanks to their client’s trust, goodwill and referrals. Today the company has 13 full time staff members. Ravi believes that a great deal of

the company’s success is due to the current and ex team members and is grateful for their contribution, he also doesn’t hesitate to mention the friends, real estate agents and solicitors who have supported the growth of the company.

With an experienced team comprising of chartered accountants, a mix of authorised and registered financial advisors, a property manager and administration and support staff, coupled with plans to bring a further two property managers, one mortgage and one insurance advisor on board next year, the clients of Professional Financial Solutions are well catered for and can rest assured that they are always updated with a fresh and innovative approach to their finances and investments.

Ms. Surya Phutane, Chartered Accountant is the Manager of Manurewa branch and can be contacted on her DDI 09-8469938.

Professional Financial Solutions – your financial ‘one-stop-shop’. 35 Morningside Drive, Mt Albert. Ph (09)846-9934

Level 1/203 Great South Road, Manurewa. Ph (09)266-3834

- IWK Bureau


7NEW ZEALAND

Bank of Baroda Chairman visits Auckland

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The Chairman & Managing Director of Bank of Baroda, India’s second largest public sector bank; Mr. S. S. Mundra was

in Auckland on 25th November in connection with the Board meeting of Bank of Baroda (New Zealand) Ltd. Mr Mundra is one of the directors on the board of Bank of Baroda (New Zealand) Ltd along with Dr Rajen Prasad Chairman of the Board, Mr Wenceslaus Anthony, Ms Ranjna Patel and Navin Upreti Managing Director.

During his one day stay at Auckland Mr. Mundra addressed a large gathering of customers and other eminent persons at Hotel Sudima Airport, Auckland. Mr Mundra thanked all the patrons and well-wishers for extending their support to Bank of Baroda in New Zealand. He expressed his satisfaction on the decent growth of the Bank in New Zealand. He was happy to know that the Bank has been able to deliver value to target segment and earning goodwill. Bank is gradually finding niches for its product and services. He assured that the parent bank will continue to provide the support to the New Zealand operations in terms of technology and guidance. According to him Bank of Baroda in India is playing vital role in economic development of the country and financial inclusion programme of Reserve Bank of India with a strong net work of 4400 branches in India. Highlighting the philosophy of Bank of Baroda Mr Mundra told that the Bank

of Baroda is always committed for its own growth and the growth of the customers. Bank of Baroda is a high tech and high touch bank. Prior to the address of Mr Mundra, Dr Rajen Prasad the Chair of the Board of Bank of Baroda (New Zealand) Ltd welcomed all the guests. The gathering was also addressed by other directors Mr Wenceslaus Anthony and Ms Ranjna Patel.

At the end Mr. Navin Upreti, Managing Director of Bank of Baroda (New Zealand) Limited thanked all participants for coming and attending the meeting.

It will be pertinent to mention here that next day morning Mr Mundra flew to Sydney from Auckland for official launch of Bank of Baroda’s Australia operations. Bank of Baroda at present has presences in 24 countries with 101 overseas branches.

- IWK Bureau


8 NEW ZEALAND

“It will take time but Rugby shall definitely rise in popularity in India!”

ECM0137_IW

You need to post your vote by Thursday 12 December to have your say.

Visit our websiteelections.org.nz

Freephone 0800 36 76 56

VOTING IN THE CITIZENS INITIATED REFERENDUM CLOSES ON FRIDAY 13 DECEMBER.

Tick yes or no, pop it in the envelope provided and post it in a New Zealand Post mailbox. Easy!If you didn’t get your voting paper in the mail, contact us now!

Ketaki Khare, member of the Indian women’s rugby team, is the first foreigner to be offered a place in the prestigious Bay of Plenty Rugby Union’s developmental rugby 7s program. She is the first woman rugby referee from India, and the first Indian woman to pursue rugby as a profession. She worked as a rugby development officer for the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union for one year before getting this training opportunity at BOP Rugby Union. In an exclusive interview with Indian Weekender’s Sumantra Maitra, Ketaki talks about her passion, her experience and future plans.

Where are you from? What made you interested in Rugby? Who inspired you? How supportive was family, in this body-contact and tough game?

I am from Pune, Maharashtra. I used to play Judo and wanted to learn Football alongside. I joined Khare’s Football and Rugby Academy (Kfandra) for football but rugby stole my heart the first day I played it- as it was similar to Judo but it greatly appealed to me that I could throw the opponents on the field (in Judo there are mats). I loved the physicality of the sport- loved the hits and tackles and scrums and line-outs!

There wasn’t much of an inspiration as such- as the sport wasn’t nationally played at that time. We had no opposition so for the first four years we played internal games during rainy season especially where we’d beat the crap out of each other.

Apart from making me shower first in the garage before entering the house and cribbing about washing the muddy clothes, my mum has been highly supportive as she herself used to play Kabaddi during her school days! My dad though an athlete himself, on the other hand threw a fit when he found out that I was playing football saying ‘girls don’t play football’, (though strangely he was ok with judo), so I never revealed to him that I was playing rugby until I got selected to represent India.

It was due to my dad’s sudden demise in April 2012 that I had to make a decision- to pursue rugby or take up a job as there was a need to support my family (he was a retired army officer). I decided to give rugby a final shot by going to Sri Lanka and my mother supported me through and through with this decision. She got a job as a principal soon after and continued to support me. I wouldn’t be able to follow my rugby dreams if it wasn’t for her.What’s your educational background?

I have completed my graduation in Arts with sociology majors and psychology and German as minors. I’m currently applying to Unitec and AUT for a rugby coaching bachelor’s degree.

Hope I get through!! If I do, then I can play and coach rugby for three whole years in NZ - a definite step towards my ultimate goal of becoming a top notch rugby coach.

What teams do you play for in India? How do you practice? How are rugby sessions in India?

I play for RFS Pune club- team in India and represent the national team. We at RFS don’t have our own ground. We practice on any surface that we can find as most of the grounds are monopolized

by cricket and they don’t allow rugby sessions on them. We hold contact sessions on front-lawns of players’ homes etc! We have sessions at 5:30 a.m, two-three times a week at a ‘ground’ that’s not level and is full of stones! We also have hill-runs once a while. I personally join the gym as do most of the other ladies but we don’t have rugby specific work-

outs - something that I’m going to definitely take back from what I learn during my time here in NZ! What brings you to NZ? How do you like it here so far? What are the differences between India and NZ? Did you meet anyone from All Blacks?

I have come to NZ for the BOPRU’s “women’s rugby 7s high performance player development program” which would enable me to get better and fitter as a 7s player through training sessions and tournaments. I love it here! I got the opportunity to play against the Black Ferns before they headed out to Dubai and that for me as an Indian rugby player is a very very treasured one! The difference is the weather and people! I don’t know where the people are at- there’s so few of them around! On a rugby note, the players are much harder and physical in their game and also their skill levels are much sharper and they understand the game better- some of them having played rugby since the age of 5 and being immersed in a rugby environment! Yes I met some of the ABs! I got to meet Frank Halai, Israel Dagg,Tony Woodcock and Steven Luatua here in NZ, I had already met the AB 7s players in Sri Lanka during the Carlton 7s when I worked there as a rugby development officer.

I cannot stress how important it is to mention the sponsors who have helped me cover travel and living costs incurred as that wasn’t included in my scholarship here. I would like to thank Kai Taraporewala- Tethys Ventures and Sir Ratan Tata Trust Foundation, and Fisher and Paykel, for their support in making this ‘New Zealand dream’ possible for me.What future plans for you? How do you think Rugby will eventually be more popular in India?

My near future plans- to keep playing rugby and representing India while working towards becoming a top notch, full-time rugby coach. Long-term plans definitely include going back to India, having gained sufficient knowledge, skills and experience around the world, to put it to use for changing the face of rugby in India. I feel that other sports are slowly gaining their rightful importance in the Indian society, it will take time but Rugby shall definitely rise in popularity!


9

Missing the typical Indian flavours of Ice Creams and Kulfi? Check out the new Indian flavours of ‘Subi’ brand

ice creams and Kulfi (frozen desserts made of sweetened evaporated milk) on offer from ‘Curry Mantra’ - a restaurant serving Mumbai style Indian food!!

Subis Ice Creams and frozen desserts - Kulfi was launched on Monday, 11th November at the hands of labour party M.P. and Ex. foreign affairs and trade minister Hon. Mr. Phil Goff .

This mouth-watering Kiwi Indian flavours of Subi’s brand of ice-creams and frozen desserts comprise of

‘ Meetha Paan ‘ (betel nut mouth freshener) which is unique and just one of its kind flavour which gives a taste of Pan which lingers in the mouth for quite some time and gives a feeling of full satisfaction after lunch or dinner !

‘Gulkand ‘ (Rose petal jam with fabulous rose flavour ), ‘Anjeer ‘ (Dry Fig flavour), ‘ Kesar-Pista ‘ (Saffron and pistachio flavour)and ofcourse the traditional ‘Real Mango’ flavor.

- IWK Bureau

NEW ZEALAND

Phil Goff inauguratesIndian flavoured icecreams

True reason behind celebrating Christmas

If you want to check out, please visit or call, Curry Mantra (Indian cuisine)

713-715, Richardson Road ( Next to BP Gas station )Hillsborough Phone: 09 6259101www.currymantra.com

The period of Christmas brings together a time of great joy to feel merry and with Christmas fast approaching, people will

soon look to flock around the malls to swoop great Christmas bargains or catch a great entertaining event around the city. In today’s society, we have become so accustomed to the events like Santa Parade, Christmas in the Park, Christmas party or Secret Santa at work that the true reason behind celebrating the Christmas is lost and has actually become a secret. Auckland’s Mercy Gates Christian Fellowship is an Indian church based in Mt Roskill who have dedicated this year to present a Christmas event which will distinguish how the society today has forgotten the true purpose of Christmas in the cloud of commercial power.

The day of Christmas marks the birth of Jesus Christ. Abel Boodle from Auckland’s Mercy Gates Christian Fellowship says, “People have crafted traditions and customs over centuries in such a manner as to hide the true verifiable realities of Jesus’s life and his birth. Christmas as it is celebrated today is badly in need of a radical reformation. What was at first a spontaneous expression of an innocent pleasure has been carried to inordinate excess. People contest with each other each year for the biggest, gaudiest and best dressed Christmas tree; and tell stories of Santa Claus driving a fully lighted herd of reindeer across the yard and over the house! People have moved far from the admiration of the simple shepherds, of the angels and the beauty of the heavenly host. Jesus, the Christ came to bring peace and the time of Christmas is to celebrate his

arrival to free us of debt of sin. This season is to understand that Christmas is just a starting point in the life of Jesus.”

The event explores two contradicting ideas between two individuals who have different perspectives about celebrating Christmas. After years of being exposed to commercial advertising and his contemporary views on life the antagonist is challenged about his views on Christmas by the protagonist. The antagonist is confronted with the biblical meaning of Christmas and why the event of the birth of Jesus Christ is only the starting point. The contemporary commercial views still dominate the antagonist as he contests and rejects the approach. What would make him change his contemporary views and understand the true reason of celebrating Christmas?

- IWK Bureau

A concluded event in Wellington on 2nd November 2013 with the help of Wellington Gujrati Christians, the event will seek to challenge your views on contemporary Christmas and why the true meaning of Christmas has been kept a secret. The first ever Indian Christmas in the Park will be held on 07 December at the Sandringham Reserve and followed by another event on the 15th December 2013 at Mt Roskill Intermediate School, Denbigh Ave, Mt Roskill. For more information contact Nevil Bulsari 0212352713, Abel 0211602078, Kanti Patel 021 779 699.


10

Recently, an orange envelope should have turned up in your mailbox. It contains the papers for you to vote in the citizens-

initiated referendum on asset sales. The question seeking your answer is:

Do you support the Government selling up to 49% of Meridian Energy, Mighty River Power, Genesis Power, Solid Energy and Air New Zealand?

Hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders signed the petition to force this referendum. It’s important that you have your say – a clear message needs to be sent to the Government telling them that it is undemocratic for them to sell state assets. That is, that they have no political mandate to be doing it. This is even more important with Genesis the next asset up for sale. The Genesis sale is proposed despite two previous power provider sell offs, Meridian and Mighty River Power, not bringing in anywhere near the income that the Government was hoping for. In fact, the Government descended to providing monetary incentives on the Meridian sale to induce buyers to purchase the shares because they weren’t

attractive enough on their own! These assets, built up by generations of Kiwi

taxpayers, are not for the Government to sell. They should be owned by ALL New Zealanders, not just the select few that can afford to buy shares. And remember the boast was that the shares were to go to ‘Mum and Dad’ investor and yet the low numbers buying the shares make a mockery of this claim.

Many in politics have a short term memory, for during the 1980s and 90s they sold assets such as Telecom, Bank of New Zealand, New Zealand Rail, State Insurance and Government Print. None of these assets were sold at their true commercial value. The National led coalition Government propped up by its Klingons John

Banks and Peter Dunne, have repeated their past mistakes of selling assets, but this time it has been our electricity generation system on the block. Many New Zealanders are worried that our power stations, hydro lakes, rivers and waterways will end up in foreign control.

New Zealand First is the only political party that has said since the beginning that if the Government did go ahead with this idiotic decision, then when we are in a position to influence the next Government, we would buy back the shares at a price no more than that initially paid for them.

Before National came to power, our welfare system simply expanded to meet demand, without investing in support to

get people into work, or preventing long-term benefit dependency.

We didn’t think that was good enough. After comprehensive changes through our welfare reforms, an average of 1,500 people are moving off welfare and into work each week.

Being off welfare and in work means a better life, better opportunities, and a brighter future for people and their families.

The welfare system will always be there to support people who genuinely need it. But we believe long-term welfare dependency can become a trap, leading to a life of limited choice and limited outcomes.

We’re helping people into work with subsidies for childcare and training, workplace support, and access to health and disability support services. Recent figures show the benefits of going from welfare to work. An average sole parent in South Auckland with two children under 13, working 15 hours while

receiving a benefit, would take home $750 a week. That’s $107 more each week than the $642 they’d receive on benefit – including the Accommodation Supplement and a minimal allowance for costs.

If they were working 40 hours a week on a minimum wage, they would be $190 better off at $833 a week with the Family Tax Credit, Accommodation Supplement and In-Work Tax Credit. The benefits of work for a single person are also clear. If they work 40 hours a week on

a minimum wage they will be earning $520 a week – about $200 better off than a single person on Jobseeker Support with Accommodation Supplement and minimal allowances.

It can be daunting to move off a benefit, and it can be tough putting yourself out there for

different jobs. But when someone offers you a job, it’s a

great confidence boost. And going to work brings a sense of pride and independence.

It also creates a positive picture for children of what their future could be – going to work and earning money. National believes people in employment can gain more skills, higher wages, and a better lifestyle. This also contributes to building a more competitive and productive economy for New Zealand – one of our priorities this term.

NEW ZEALAND

Winston Peters

That orange envelope inyour mailbox

Kiwis better off in work under National

It’s important that you have your say – a clear message needs to be sent to the Government telling them that it is undemocratic for them to sell state assets.

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi

The welfare system will always be there to support people who genuinely need it. But we believe long-term welfare dependency can become a trap, leading to a life of limited choice and limited outcomes.


11

I was at a wonderful school in my electorate recently: Owairaka Primary.

It’s in a low income community where you’d expect many of the children to be poorly-nourished, arriving at school without food, and struggling to focus and learn.

But you wouldn’t find a livelier bunch of children anywhere in the country.

That’s because the principal, Diana, has introduced a “Garden To Table” programme, where children grow their own food and prepare it with the help of community volunteers.

When I visited, children were serving vegetarian pizza, salad and banana muffins made with honey from their own beehives.

I’m a former teacher. I know gardens are great for maths and recipes for literacy, and both integrate with New Zealand’s world-leading curriculum. Not only are the children eating great food and having fun: they’re learning skills for life.

I’d like to see programmes like this offered in every low-decile school, and I’ll be pushing to have that added to my food in schools bill.

Unlike handouts, programmes like this promote independence in children, and involve families and communities in solving a shared problem.

New Zealand has 270,000 kids in poverty and the fourth highest obesity rate in the Western world. Consequences of this are serious: iron deficiency

anaemia, cellulitis, impetigo, kidney and bone disease, infections and pneumonia.

Research tells us that if you can lift educational achievement across a population even just fractionally, it pays huge dividends economically. New Zealand’s future success depends on us succeeding in keeping our poor kids fed with nutritious food and engaged at school.

Other countries have seen food in schools programmes pay for themselves in this way – and we’ll be able to measure our success by monitoring hospital admissions, school attendance and academic achievement.

Before I became a Member of Parliament I ran feeding programmes for children all over the world. In Somalia I ran one that at its peak was feeding 30,000 starving kids under five. I learned that there’s one thing that characterises a successful programme: the community owns it, contributes to it and eventually runs it. It needs to be temporary.

So I want to see parents and communities empowered to look after their kids instead of depending on a government feeding scheme. That’s what we should be working towards.

Twenty tonnes, the equivalent to three elephants, 30 cattle or 4000 cats has been collected in obsolete coins and

bank notes by Lions Clubs New Zealand project Heads Up for Kids.

This weighty milestone, made up of old New Zealand money, decimal and pre decimal, and foreign currency, old and current, has been reached with the help of New Zealanders across the country digging out their unwanted cash and donating at various collection points such as Resene paints or to Lions Clubs.

The money, collected and transported to Wellington by project sponsor Fastway Couriers, is sorted and processed for legal tender then used to fund education and development programmes for Kiwi kids.

“We’re delighted to reach this milestone – It just goes to show that every little old coin donated can make a big difference,” says Lion Club member and Heads Up for Kids currency processor Roy Peterson.

“We’re still processing the coins and banknotes, and estimate the value to be close to $500,000 in legal tender.”

Old and foreign currency has been donated from Northland to as far south as Bluff.

“One of the great things about Heads Up for Kids, it turns something people don’t use into memorable and life changing experiences for young people,

“We [Lions Clubs New Zealand] would

like to thank everyone who’s dug out and donated to Heads Up for Kids. This ‘unwanted’ currency will make a big difference in the lives of our young people,” says Mr Peterson.

- IWK Bureau

NEW ZEALAND

Food in Schools: My visit to Owairaka Primary

New Zealand Currency collection makes record weight of twenty tonnes

David Shearer

Heads Up for Kids is an ongoing project and aims to reach $1 million dollar mark. Donations can be made at any Resene Colorshop, selected New Worlds or by calling 0800 OLD MONEY.

The money, collected and transported to Wellington by project sponsor Fastway Couriers, is sorted and processed for legal tender then used to fund education and development programmes for Kiwi kids.


12 NEW ZEALAND

NEWS IN BRIEF

New campaign on Alcohol licensing on the way Kiwi motorists should have been paying less

Restricted fire season for Auckland from Dec 1

A new campaign was launched today by Auckland Council to advise residents of a change to alcohol licensing hours next

month under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act. Passed by Parliament in 2012, the new

alcohol laws include the introduction of maximum trading hours for all licensed premises nationwide from 18 December 2013. The new restriction requiring on-licenses to close at 4am and not re-open until 8am will affect up to 300 operators that currently hold 24 hour licenses in central Auckland. With the new closing hours beginning just a week before Christmas, the campaign focuses on Aucklanders still being able to “tell your life story” or “own the dance floor” – just earlier. It’s about planning your night out and thinking of how you will get home safely at a time when the downtown area will be

particularly busy as businesses wind down and friends meet up to celebrate.

The campaign, done in conjunction with Hospitality NZ Auckland, Auckland Transport and the Police, can be seen in bars, restaurants and on buses and trains. It also includes a handout card available in licensed premises and from Police that focuses on safe transport and Tiakina: to look after each other.

The change to operating hours also affects off-licenses such as supermarkets, wine stores and liquor outlets who will no longer be able to sell alcohol after 11pm or before 7am. All licensed premises with shorter hours – including off-licenses, bars and clubs – remain bound by their current license and cannot extend to these maximum hours.

- IWK Bureau

Aucklanders are being reminded that the restricted fire season starts again this Sunday 1 December.

Principal Rural Fire Officer Bryan Cartelle is asking Aucklanders to take a common sense approach and ensure that if they are lighting an open air fire in any rural area, that they have a permit from Auckland Council.

Mr Cartelle adds, “At this time of year warm, dry weather is on the rise so the fire danger levels across Auckland grow too.

“We’re advising people to take precautions when lighting fires to ensure they don’t spread, cause damage, become a nuisance to others or contain illegal materials such as tyres, plastics, synthetic materials or treated timber.

“It’s important fires are controlled and supervised at all times as the costs involved in putting out all fires may be passed on to the person responsible,’ he says.

The start of the restricted fire season is a timely reminder to check your insurance policy. You need to consider insurance of property for loss and replacement from fire, Public Liability Insurance, Forest & Rural Fires Act fire suppression insurance (particularly if you are in the bush or camping a lot).

For more information on the different levels of fire restrictions or other fire related queries visit www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz ‘rural fire’ or call 09 301 0101.

- IWK Bureau

Ki w i motorists s h o u l d

have been paying less to register their cars long before now, Labour’s ACC spokesperson Iain L e e s - G a l l o w a y says.

ACC has just announced it plans to cut levies – including vehicle levies - from next year.

“Paula Rebstock can make out she’s delivering New Zealanders some sort of pre-Christmas bonus, but she’s not fooling anyone.

“ACC charges have been unacceptably high since National created a phony crisis and imposed massive hikes, the result of which was a $4.9 billion surplus last year.”

“That surplus came out of the pockets of New Zealanders.”

“National deliberately pushed ACC levies up to support its privatisation agenda. As Judith Collins has now accepted, there is no way insurance companies could compete with ACC while levies were set at a fair rate.”

“Since National appears to have backed away from privatising ACC for now, there

is no need for them to keep levies artificially high.” “National has also driven a programme of cost cutting by denying t r e a t m e n t , cutting back on r e h a b i l i t a t i o n and home support and reducing access to compensation.

While there is room for levies to come down, ACC should also be focussed on making sure claimants get fair treatment.”

“The idea of imposing lower levies for safer vehicles has merit. However Labour is concerned that people on low incomes who cannot afford the newest cars will be penalised by the proposed regime. The way to improve the safety of our vehicle fleet is to make sure people have enough money to buy safe cars, not by penalising them for being poor.”

“Labour is committed to making ACC fair for everyone. New Zealanders should be paying fair levies and should expect fair treatment when they make a claim with ACC.”

- IWK Bureau

Prime Minister Key acknowledges Indian community contribution

The Prime Minister, Right Honourable John Key attended a dinner organised by

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, Member of Parliament and Pritipal Singh Basra, Chairman, Global Indians Interest Group of the National Party. The Prime Minister spoke fondly of the Indian community, our values, our positive attitude to life, our entrepreneurial skills and of skilled migrants from India who form an essential part of the New Zealand economy be in any sector from finance to business to computing or even politics.

The PM also praised Mr Bakshi for his commendable work in raising the profile of Indian community in caucus and Parliament.

The PM is highly optimistic about the future direction that New Zealand as a nation state is taking and looks forward to further contribution of the Indian community in progression of New Zealand.

Receivers and Managers appointed to Shivram Limited

Shivram LTD, operator of Nando’s New Zealand was placed into receivership on

Friday 29 November 2013.Nando’s Australia will support Nando’s New

Zealand restaurant franchisees to ensure there are continued operations during this time.

All restaurants will remain open and our customers will continue to see the great quality service and restaurants.

Nando’s Australia will work closely with the receivers to support all restaurant franchisees during this transition period.

Rare giant flower blooms in Auckland

A rare giant of the plant world has flowered for the first time in New Zealand, at the

Auckland Domain. The strange, unpredictable and beautiful

Amorphophallus titanum, which originates from the rainforests of Sumatra in Indonesia, has been growing at council-owned nursery and Wintergarden for around seven years.

The plant began opening at approximately 2pm yesterday (Saturday 30 November) and the bloom is expected to last until the end of today (Sunday 1 December). Public visiting hours have been extended to 8.30pm for today (Sunday) only.

Auckland Domain manager David Millward, of City Parks Services, says this is the first time the plant has produced a bloom, creating a good deal of excitement amongst his team and visitors to the garden.

“The titan arum, as it’s commonly known, can produce a single leaf the size of a small tree every year for seven to ten years before showing any signs of producing a flower.

Extreme climate to affect Indo-Pacific weather

Ongoing climate change and warming could increase the occurrences of extreme weather in the region of the Indian Ocean, climatologists say.

Australian researchers say a study of how climate change will affect an Indian Ocean oscillation pattern similar to the Pacific Ocean’s El Nino suggests if the world is allowed to warm uncontrollably these kinds of extreme events will become the norm by 2050, NewScientist reported Friday.


13

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Artist Impression Artist Impression

DISCLA IMER: *Based on ava i l ab i l i t y and p r i c ing as a t 10th November 2013. * *Based on ava i l ab i l i t y and p r i c ing as a t 10th November 2013, some res idences a re fo recas ted to re tu rn an 8% gross ren ta l y ie ld , however the average y ie ld i s fo recas ted to be 6% gross . Cap i ta l and ren ta l va lues r i se and fa l l accord ing to marke t cond i t i ons .Ever y P recaut ion has been taken to es tab l i sh the accuracy o f the mater ia l he re in a t the t ime o f p r in t ing , however, no respons ib i l i t y w i l l be taken fo r any e r ro rs o r omiss ions . The mater ia l he re in i s fo r gu ide l ine on l y and does no t cons t i tu te an o f fe r o r con t rac t . D isc la imer : A l l images con ta ined here in a re a r t i s t s impress ions and ser ve on l y to show the approx imate d imens ions and loca t ion o f Park Res idences . The images a re in no way an accura te represen ta t ion o f the mater ia l s tha t w i l l be used in cons t ruc t ing Park Res idences o r how i t w i l l appear on comple t ion , and they may no t be re l i ed upon as such by p rospec t i ve purchasers . The g lass façade dep ic ted here in w i l l be subs t i tu ted w i th compos i te c ladd ing and open ing w indows and ba lcon ies w i th ba lus t rades , as ind ica ted on the f l oo r p lans , however the des ign and ex te rna l appearance o f Park Res idences i s sub jec t to change w i thou t no t i ce . The f ina l bu i ld ing des ign i s a l so sub jec t to Auck land Counc i l approva l .


14 INDIA

Cadbury India to set up largest manufacturing plant in Asia-Pacific

Diageo plans to empower 27,000 women in India

www.national.org.nz

AUCKLAND OFFICE: Unit 1, 131 Kolmar Rd, Papatoetoe, Auckland

Ph: 09 278 9302 | Email: [email protected]

Postal Address: PO Box 23136, Hunters Corner, Auckland 2025

www.bakshi.co.nz

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi NATIONAL L IST MP

Cadbury India, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to set

up its largest manufacturing plant in the Asia-Pacific region in the state.

The proposed plant will be spread across 134 acres of land at Sri City.

It will be commissioned in four phases, the first phase with investment of Rs.1,000 crores will be functional by mid-2015.

The whole project is expected to be completed by 2020 and the plant, in the end state, will have an annual capacity of 250,000 tons.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy at a ceremony in Hyderabad.

Also present were state Minister of Major Industries Geeta Reddy and Manu Anand, Managing Director, Cadbury India Limited among other dignitaries.

Speaking on the occasion, N. Kiran Kumar Reddy said, “I am very happy to note that M/s. Cadbury India Ltd. have decided to invest in Andhra Pradesh. We are happy to invite M/s. Cadbury India to Andhra Pradesh for setting up their largest manufacturing plant in Asia-Pacific region.

“The proposed plant will be completed in four phases and will ultimately generate employment to about 1600 persons.”

Manu Anand, President, India and South Asia, Mondelez International and Managing Director, Cadbury India, said, “Key factors

for our choosing Andhra Pradesh was a favourable business environment, facilities and infrastructure at Sri City, access to a great workforce and the support of the Government.

“This plant will help us build on our success in India and ensure long-term business sustainability.”

Post completion, the facility will operate with High Performance Work Systems, which drive production efficiencies, energy saving, emission reduction and community involvement.

The multi-category manufacturing plant is expected to provide employment to about 1600 people in its end state.

The company already has plants in Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

- IWK Bureau

Diageo, the world’s largest spirits maker, aims to empower two million women, including 27,000

in India, under its five-year socio-economic programme in Asia Pacific region.

“Plan W aims to reach women of all socio-economic profiles through training and skills development to empower two million women in 17 countries in Asia-Pacific over five years,” the company has announced.

The plan has supported 15,000 women in Asia Pacific after it was launched last year.

Diageo announced two initiatives on Friday. The “Women in hospitality and tourism in Asia” conference, which aims to provide a platform for engagement and sharing of best practices for an audience committed to the cause of women’s empowerment through learning. It would be held on March 7, 2014 in Singapore to celebrate International Women Day.

The second initiative would be the “Women’s empowerment (WE) journalism awards”, which aims to recognise and honour outstanding achievements in the reporting on women’s issues across Asia Pacific, said Diageo, which has taken Hilton Hotel as a partner in the programmes.

“To date, we have launched 32 initiatives, in 12 markets, working with 17 partners and created a positive ripple effect that has reached 75,000 beneficiaries of these women,” said Diageo’s president for the Asia

Pacific, Gilbert Ghostine.In India, Diageo is working with the

British Council Young Women Social Entrepreneurship Development programme, which was launched in September this year.

The training program aims to build skills and capacity of 20 master trainers to train others, starting from Delhi.

Diageo’s second programme is Udygoni - a pilot project to build capacity NGOs to support women to develop micro-enterprises. It aims to build capacity of 7 NGOs in Delhi, to help women develop micro-enterprises by sharing business skills and training on starting and growing micro-enterprises.

Diageo’s third programme is Samarthanam Trust, which aims to up-scale an existing all-women call centre in Bangalore, to improve productivity and reach by training beneficiaries on technical skills and providing career counselling and placement support.

The first batch of 316 women has completed training. Most of these women are visually impaired or have physical disabilities. Enrolment for the second batch is in progress. The six month programme, which began in September, aims to train 1,050 women.

Diageo’s partner in Udyogini and Samarthanam is Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) India.

- IWK Bureau


15

The critical manoeuvre to place India’s Mars Orbiter Spacecraft in the Mars

Transfer Trajectory was successfully carried out in the early hours of Sunday, said the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

During this manoeuvre, which began at 00:49 hours, the spacecraft’s 440 Newton liquid engine was fired for about 22 minutes providing a velocity increment of 648 meters/second to the spacecraft.

Following the completion of this manoeuvre, the Earth orbiting phase of the spacecraft ended. The spacecraft is now on a course to encounter Mars after a journey of about 10 months around the Sun.

It may be recalled that Mars Orbiter spacecraft was launched into an elliptical parking orbit with a perigee (nearest point to Earth) of 248 km and an apogee (farthest point to Earth) of 23,550 km by India’s workhorse launch vehicle PSLV on November 5, 2013.

Following this, the apogee height of the spacecraft’s orbit was successively raised through a series of manoeuvres to nearly 1,93,000 km. Besides, health checks of the

MarsOrbiter spacecraft as well as its payloads

were performed. Since its launch, all systems on-board Mars Orbiter spacecraft are performing normally.

The spacecraft is being continuously monitored from the Spacecraft Control Centre at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bangalore with support from Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) antennae at Byalalu.

India launched its maiden Mission to Mars from Sriharikota in southern state of Andhra Pradesh on Nov 5.

The PSLV carrying ‘Mangalyaan’ blasted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota with an orbiter craft designed to orbit Mars in an elliptical orbit.

The Mars Mission was announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last year itself and if the mission is successful India would take a giant leap forward in space programme and perhaps beat China to reaching the Red Planet first.

- IWK Bureau

Archaeologists uncovered evidence of the world’s earliest Buddhist shrine linking

the life of the Buddha to a specific century.A structure unearthed at the sacred Maya

Devi Temple at Lumbini, Nepal -- a UNESCO World Heritage site long identified as the birthplace of the Buddha -- has been dated to the 6th century B.C.

A timber structure, found beneath a series of newer brick temples, with an open space in the center that links to the nativity story of the Buddha himself, the National Geographic Society reported Monday.

Previously the earliest archaeological evidence of Buddhist structures at Lumbini dated no earlier than the third century B.C., the time of the patronage of the Emperor Asoka, who promoted the spread of Buddhism from present-day Afghanistan to Bangladesh.

Tata considers launching Nano in another country

like Indonesia, where it doesn’t have the ‘stigma’ of being ‘the cheapest car’, and bring it back to India for a fresh start with a new image, according to Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata.

Tata, who stepped down as the Chairman of the salt-to- software conglomerate last December, said Nano could also be marketed as a changed product in Europe to tap interest on the car outside India.

“Maybe it (Nano) gets launched in another country like Indonesia, where it doesn’t have the stigma and the new image comes back to India. Or maybe as a changed product that gets marketed in Europe. There’s a lot of interest in Nano outside India,” Tata said in an interview on CNBC’s Managing Asia. Stating that Tatas are working on a refreshed Nano, he added: “A re-launched Nano with some of the differences that we’re trying to incorporate, yes I do...We are going to relaunch the car not as the cheapest car but in the image as it is.”

In an interview with PTI last year, Tata had said that the Nano was being ‘refreshed’ to realise its full potential, The Nano has failed to live up to the expectations after being hyped as the cheapest car to hit the roads. It sales have been dwindling despite the company’s attempts to reposition it. In the April-October period this fiscal, it clocked just 12,322 units as against 43,627 units in the year-ago period, down 71.7 per cent.

In October this year, Tata Motors launched a new version of the Nano with CNG and Petrol bi-fuel system options.

- IWK Bureau

INDIA

The Indian economy will benefit from the nuclear deal between Iran and the six

world powers, said a top official. “The recently commissioned deal between Iran and six world powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear programme in exchange for limited sanctions relief shall have far reaching impact on the Indian economy,” said President of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture Yahya Ale-Es-Hah.

He was addressing an interactive session organised by the MVIRDC World Trade Centre, Mumbai and the All India Association of Industries.

Yahya said, “India is the world’s fourth-largest oil importer and a major customer of Iran’s 1.7 million barrels per day of oil exports. The Indian government has had to drastically cut its energy

imports to comply with international sanctions targeting Iran’s financial and oil sectors.”

“However, the nuclear deal shall remove barriers on shipping insurance while ensuring imports of contracted volume of oil,” he said.

“India and Iran have enjoyed cordial relations since times immemorial. The two nations look forward to enrich their industrial and commercial relations in the years to come.

“We intend to target bilateral trade worth USD 30 billion by 2015. MOUs were signed between All India Association of Industries and Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines & Agriculture and MVIRDC World Trade Centre Mumbai and Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines & Agriculture to promote trade and economic cooperation between the two economies,” he added.

TATA to market Nano in Indonesia

Lord Buddha’s new birth year revealed

Indian Orbiter leaves Earth gravity; starts 300 day journey to Mars

Indian economy to benefit from Iran sanction lift


16

Indian Weekender is published by Kiwi Media Group, 98 Great South Road, AucklandPrinted at Guardian Print, AshburtonCopyright 2010. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

Indian Weekender Volume 5 Issue 15Publisher: Kiwi Media Group LimitedManaging Editor: Giri Gupta | [email protected]: Sumantra Maitra Chief Technical Officer: Rohan Desouza | rohan@ indianweekender.co.nzDesign: Desaign LtdAdvertising & Business Development Manager: Gaurav Gupta M: 021 292 4519 l [email protected] and Admin.: Alpana Gupta - P 213 7335 l [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

Editorial“Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants.”

– Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882 – 1945) Statesman and former President of USA

Thought ofthe Week

We have a new number: 09 213 7335

Bridie Witton

The Living Wage Movement

Census New Zealand:Signs of a welcome change

In a land of milk and honey, paradoxically, the ability for families to meet their basic needs is becoming increasingly difficult.

The long-held notion that New Zealand is a classless society where if you work hard, you can become anything, is quickly being disassembled.

The Living Wage Movement is an international demonstration which aims to connect community and faith based groups to address poverty and inequality. The Living Wage Movement Aotearoa shares the common goal of achieving a living wage for New Zealanders.

This is recognised as a necessary step in reducing poverty and inequality. The minimum living wage of $18.40 per hour before tax was set with reference to a household construct of two adults and two children, where one adult works 20 hours per week and the other works 40 hours.

Realistically, this figure varies over the country, and this is a basic minimum for a family to function and participate in their community.

This figure is not subject to fluctuations of rent or transport costs, and Newman says that these issues “need to be addressed by the government”.

The effects of low pay, and the intensification of inequality, are intrinsically tied to New Zealand’s poor placement in international statistics on poverty and inequality. Despite one of National’s first term policies in 2011 being to close the income and standard of living gap between New Zealand and Australia, New Zealand ranks 23rd out of the 34 countries in the Organisation for Economic Development. Staggeringly, one in six children are living in poverty.

But these are not the children of ‘dole bludgers’; 40% of these children are coming from households where one or more parent is in paid work or is self employed. Newman asks, “Where are the people who are earning below that line getting money to survive? Loan sharks? Family members?”

The struggle of families to make ends meet is being recognised by big businesses, whose acts of generosity tend to distract from the fundamental problem. An example of this is the Fonterra milk-in-school’s programme. Newman says, “feeding kids at school is a bottom of the cliff mentality. We need to

challenge the structures that lead to poverty”.In 2010 alone the richest 150 people grew

their wealth by 20% while wages moved by less than 2%. The top 1% of earners have more wealth than the bottom 60%. The distance between the rich and the poor is increasing at one of the fastest rates for countries in the OECD, yet wages are not shifting (and have not shifted in a long time) to meet the increased cost of living. Beyond the compelling statistical information, Newman says that a catalyst of the Living Wage movement is that in the current economic climate, people are desperate. Even charities are struggling to provide for the growing group of needy, she says “People are desperate. If we don’t think about how we structure wages we are never going to get out of poverty, nor give people a sense of dignity.” The growth of the ‘working poor’ is fundamentally tied to a lack of access to education. The ability to take on debt via a student loan is becoming a luxury for a privileged few, as the choices young people can make after school are limited to those that can bring in money immediately.

Newman says that “there is nothing sitting behind these families.” Therefore, school leavers are more inclined to enter the work force at entry level over continuing education, or enter industries that provide paid training, such as the trades or the police force.

Currently, the middle class bear the brunt of taxes, and are therefore subsidising the damaging effects of low pay on the community. A grassroots response to growing inequality is manifesting itself in businesses adopting a Living Wage policy. These include North East Valley Normal School in Dunedin and Tonzu, a family run Tofu business in Henderson. Tonzu has committed to providing a living wage for all it’s staff, and says it will cost $600 per week to lift everyone to $18.40 per hour. Tonzu says that they will find the money by cutting wastage and other costs.

Research shows that businesses who pay their staff more save money on training and induction processes, as well as notice a reduction of staff turnover, and absenteeism.

Since David Cunliffe and Grant Robertson have declared their support for the Living Wage, the movement is becoming a defining and dividing factor in political discussion.

- The opinion expressed here is solely of the author and not of Indian Weekender

The latest New Zealand census show winds of change. Asians are supposed to overtake the Maori in a decade if the current trend of growth continues. Hindi is now the fourth most common language after English, Maori, and Samoan. Other

trends include Kiwis are still lagging behind the rest of the World when it comes to new technology, and unemployment rates have increased.

The change in the migration trend is however noteworthy. Since the officially White New Zealand policy was discarded in favour of more open migration policies in the 1980s, New Zealand came a long way.

The Statistics New Zealand Census records show:• Of those born overseas, the People’s Republic of China was the second most common

country of birth (89,121 people), behind England (215,589 people). India was the third most common country of birth (67,176 people), ahead of Australia (62,712 people).

• Hindi was the fourth most common language in New Zealand, behind English, Māori and Samoan. Census figures also show a growth in the number of speakers of Chinese languages and Tagalog.

This is a welcome change. The fact that one can now proudly say that Auckland is a global melting pot of different

cultures can be attributed to the decades old fight for immigration reforms. Today, one can have a date in a Chinese Garden, have a quick Sushi during mid-day lunch break, and visit a Tandoori joint for a quick takeaway home for dinner. The contributions towards arts and culture, music, films, cuisine, education, and a lot more fields are praiseworthy, and are finally getting its due.

Research shows that changing trends in migration fosters a liberal thought process, an understanding towards multiculturalism, one which helps a young nation grow intellectually and materially. The various investments in business by various migrant communities, especially Asians and Indians help the economy of the region. It gives people more choice, it improves efficiency.

The different and diverse workforce improves in the labour mobility, generates wealth and builds capital. Most importantly, this intermingling of cultures gives rise towards an inclusive and tolerant society.

However, a lot more needs to be done. One can observe that migrant workforce is still not assimilated properly in the society and the distribution of high end jobs still monopolized among specific ethnicity. There are stories when a highly qualified migrant from India or China, with double, triple masters including one from a local university, and with a number years of work experience were denied jobs in big Kiwi organizations, just because they have a different sounding name. Due to lack of transparency in the selection procedures no one can raise a finger against these practices, however one can assume the institutional racism, bias and discrimination that is practiced with impunity.

Also Visa and work permit reforms are well overdue. There are working holiday visa schemes for citizens of Europe and North America, but not from India. New Zealand is losing a massive qualified talent pool that can come and work here in IT and other sectors where India is a world leader and New Zealand can have more tourists as well which will again improve the economy. Indians can also have valuable foreign work experience abroad, and do a little bit of backpacking; an experience everyone should have. Having common shared commonwealth history, New Zealand and India could be natural partners. We know Australia is making Hindi a compulsory language in schools, New Zealand can also follow that.

Well begun is half done. It is a good thing that New Zealand is showing signs of change, and maturity and slowly understanding the benefits of more proper, legal, educated migration. Hopefully this trend will continue, for a mutually beneficial future.

- Sumantra Maitra


17COMMENT

Shoikat Roy

Shashi Shekhar

Modi to lead India into adulthood

India shouldn’t be scared to play at South China Sea

While Narendra Modi saw in Vajpayee and in Shastri role models for the kind of Prime

Minister he would likely make, I see him in a class of his own.

The so called ‘polarising’ debate Narendra Modi is forcing on India sets him apart in a class of his own while reminding of a leader from a different century in a different continent.

The American republic that came into being in 1776 underwent a deeply polarising debate during the 1860s. In 1861 Abraham Lincoln became the sixteenth President of the United States at the age of 52. Lincoln belonged to the post-independence generation within the United States being born in 1809.

Lincoln’s primary adversaries from the confederacy like Jefferson Davis and Robert Lee also belonged to the post-independence generation of the United States.

In fact, it is only in the 1840s that one observes American Presidents taking office whose life experiences were shaped almost entirely by events after the American War of Independence. The 1840s were also about the time when most northern States in America had freed almost all slaves.

The two decades before 1861 marked many bitter struggles of a young republic, impatient to shed the burden of its history on slavery. Lincoln himself epitomised that anger and impatience in America as he sought to change its course by attempting to abolish slavery through the 1850s.

Abraham Lincoln as a politician in the

late 1850s in the years before his run for the American Presidency was described as a greater polariser by his detractors who felt that a Lincoln Presidency would result in the breaking up of the nation and civil war. Like Narendra Modi, Abraham Lincoln too was described as a ‘polarising figure’

even before he was elected to American Presidency. Polarised opinions on Narendra Modi that have become an everyday affair in India appear to be not very different from the polarised opinions the American Press saw in the 1860s with Abraham Lincoln being described as both an angel and a demon, a savior and a tyrant.

A welcome message from the New York Times in November of 1860 to newly-elected President Lincoln shows what a polarising

election campaign that was. A letter to the editor of the New York Times written on November 5, 1860 best captures the palpable anxiety and the polarised opinion preceding Abraham Lincoln’s election in a manner not too different from the anxiety and polarised opinion we are witnessing today in India over

Narendra Modi.When I look back at that conversation

in late 2011 and look at the rock show-like atmosphere in Narendra Modi’s rallies one thing becomes clear. Pollsters and pundits, politicians and commentators alike have underestimated the latent desire in India for a new kind of politics and leadership and how far ahead Narendra Modi was in his thinking. Narendra Modi has not only managed to change the vocabulary of the political

discourse but he has done so with a force of personality and with a lot of out-of-the-box thinking. Back then in late 2011, a Narendra Modi candidacy was a non-starter to most. Through most of 2012 and well into the first half of 2013 there was more column space dedicated to why Modi cannot become the BJP’s PM candidate than to any substantive critique of his politics or governance. In fact Op-Ed after Op-Ed argued how Modi was the “great polariser” and how his candidacy would damage India.

It is interesting that the young Indian republic also finds itself at a similar juncture in time in its evolution with a sharp debate over a Leader whose many detractors see him as a great polariser. Every young republic perhaps has to go through a near-death experience to rediscover the moral foundations that hold it in good stead for centuries to come.

The young American republic in less than hundred years of its creation had its moment of truth during the Lincoln era only to result in a more stable and durable republic. The Indian republic by comparison today is even younger than what America back then in the 1860s. This may be our moment of truth. The challenge ahead for Narendra Modi in what appears to be a polarised political landscape in many ways reminds of the challenges Abraham Lincoln faced more than a century ago in a different part of the world when he was called upon to lead his republic as it made a traumatic transition from adolescence into its adulthood.

- Shashi Shekhar is a blogger and political commentator for Niti Central.

India’s engagement with South East Asia since the inception of “Look East” has been driven by a dual desire to limit

China’s growing influence in SE Asia as well as expand its own strategic space by reaching out to regional markets in an era of economic liberalisation. Although successful to some extent in furthering trade and investment, India’s foreign policy with respect to the South China Sea (SCS) dispute has been sorely lacking in strategic coherence and devoid of definitive long-term objectives.

India’s presence in the SCS has been gradually increasing. Since 2000, the Navy has been involved in extensive “military diplomacy” in the form of international naval exercises, friendly visits and port calls by naval ships etc. India’s emphasis on freedom of navigation, resolution of the conflict on the basis of international law and the ‘centrality’ of ASEAN has earned it the goodwill of many ASEAN nations; most of whom, with the possible exception of Malaysia, see India as a benign actor capable of playing a positive role in maintaining the balance of power and ensuring the security of the region.

China, on the other hand, has tried to avoid multilateralisation of the dispute in order to maximise the power advantage that it will enjoy bilaterally with any ASEAN nation. It is a trend that has rung alarm bells in Tokyo and Delhi in light of their territorial disputes with

China. Similar concerns over China’s military high handedness in asserting sovereignty over the SCS has drawn many SE Asian nations closer to the US and India in order to balance Chinese power.

As a result, India’s stakes in the SCS are now not just accepted, but enthusiastically welcomed. The United States of America, as a part of its Asia ‘pivot’ and ‘rebalance’ has actively promoted the idea of the “Indo-Pacific” as a single region; and encouraged India to play a greater diplomatic and security role in the region. Australia has also stressed that they see a vital need for regional and

international powers like India to take an interest in the SCS in order to prevent misunderstanding and preserve freedom of navigation in the SCS. Japan, which has gradually begun to shed its military inhibitions

under Shinzo Abe’s leadership, has taken an increasing interest in the SCS, following recent clashes over its disputes with China over the Senkaku/Diaoyou Islands. Openly looking for allies to counter China, PM Abe proposed his “security diamond” – a four-way maritime alliance between USA, Australia, India and Japan to safeguard the maritime commons. The constraints of non-alignment

and expected Chinese responses have ensured that India’s response to such an initiative has been lukewarm.

India has several advantages, which it can leverage in its favour. As noted above, the strategic environment beckons for an increased Indian presence. Indian soft power has the potential to make great strides if utilised and harnessed effectively – India does not evoke memories of an imperialistic past while presenting a congruence of common interests with most ASEAN nations. A robust defence relationship with countries such as Vietnam, Japan and Philippines and greater economic and political engagement with the rest will give us a foothold in the larger Indo-Pacific, help secure our trade and energy interests, reinforce global norms on maritime traffic and increase our sphere of influence. Most importantly, we must first convince ourselves (rather than China) that broadening the spectrum of our international engagement, actually exercising our much vaunted ‘strategic autonomy’ and expanding our diplomatic horizons is beneficial to India irrespective of China’s displeasure.

Great Power politics in the South China Sea has but begun. And India must not be scared to play it.

- Shoikat Roy is a scholar, who published a longer version of this piece for Indian

National Interest Review

Polarised opinions on Narendra Modi that have become an everyday affair in India appear to be not very different from the polarised opinions the American Press saw in the 1860s with Abraham Lincoln being described as both an angel and a demon, a savior and a tyrant.

India’s emphasis on freedom of navigation, resolution of the conflict on the basis of international law and the ‘centrality’ of ASEAN has earned it the goodwill of many ASEAN nations; most of whom, with the possible exception of Malaysia, see India as a benign actor capable of playing a positive role in maintaining the balance of power and ensuring the security of the region.


18 INDIA

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, who addressed his first rally in Jammu after

being anointed as the PM candidate of the BJP, said there should be discussion on the issue of Article 370 in the state.

More than 1.5 lakh people, 10,000 of them Muslims – 4,000 from the Kashmir valley itself -- backed by the vibrant social media campaign, converged for the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi amid tight security in Jammu.

Article 370 of the Constitution grants special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the discussion should have been held to assert whether the section is benefiting the people of J&K or not. He said the discussions were been maligned with communal colours. He said India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru himself had said that with time it would lapse but is Congress ready to do so. India’s main opposition party will try to make Jammu and Kashmir a better state from its beggar status, said Modi.

“You have cried for a separate state for almost sixty years but what have you gained out of it? In the name of separate state, separatism has been encouraged. It would have been better that instead of a separate state, there was a revolt for ‘super state’,” said Modi while addressing the masses of Jammu at Maulana Azad Stadium here.

“The state government here has developed a habit of begging from Delhi. I am here to to tell you that we will try to make Jammu and Kashmir a better state from its beggar status,” the aspiring PM said.

He said that Atal ji (Atal Bihari Vajpayee) showed the way the J&K must be made into a

super state. He said Vajpayee changed it all when he came to the state after 14 years as the PM of India since before him no PM went there for 14 years.

“And your leaders are also there abroad. They neither like summers nor winters here,” Modi said.

He also attacked J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by saying that the benefits he received were denied to his sister for marrying outside the state.

“The rights and benefits Omar Abdullah got, has her sister got the same? No, because she married outside Kashmir,” the Gujarat CM said.

He said the fight is not between Hindus and Muslims.

“I am not talking about Hindus or Muslims I am talking about the people of J&K. Development comes when there is integration,” he said. “This politics of discrimination must end. Either some region or some community is treated with injustice,” he said.

Urging the people in the state, Modi said,”Speak in one voice and you will see neither the state or the Centre can suppress your voice.”

He said tourism is suffering here and tourists are going to Himachal Pradesh.

“Lot of films were shot here. Why could JK not get a film institute? Sadly they are not interested in development & progress,” he said.

“Should J&K not have IITs and IIMs? State or Centre are not interested in that also,” asked Modi. He also slammed the government for not raising voice over the death of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh, who died in Pakistan jail.

- IWK Bureau

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Saturday said she feels there is no ‘Modi effect’ in the upcoming Delhi

elections even as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi campaigned in the the national capital earlier in the day.

“No. He’s the leader of the BJP. Like our leaders come here, so he’s coming here. That’s all. For Delhi people, that when it comes to Parliament, there he may have an impact. But why should he have an impact on a local election,” Dikshit told NDTV.

Dikshit even said that Modi had failed to make an impact in Karnataka where his party recently lost, soon after he was anointed as the BJP’s PM candidate.

“He went to Karnataka and lost it. Every election is played on the circumstance of that state,” she said.

When asked if the Congress party was worried about Modi’s rigorous campaigning, the Chief Minister told the channel that “No, we’re not. And I say this quite emphatically. There’s a logic to it. People are logical. Please remember that. Don’t underestimate people. They understand and they know what they’re voting for and how they’re voting”.

Delhi will go to polls on Dec 4 and results will be declared on Dec 8. A record 74.85 percent voters out of the 40 million electorate cast their votes in Rajasthan as polling concluded on Sunday amid sporadic violence for 199 constituencies in the state to elect a new assembly.

The highest 85.52 percent turnout was

recorded in Jaisalmer, followed by Hanumangarh and Shree Ganganagar with 85.40 percent and 84.06 percent respectively in state.

The lowest turnout of voters recorded in Bharatpur where only 55.21 percent voters cast their votes.

In Ajmer 74.46 percent voting was recorded.Amid tight security arrangement, voting in

the state began at 8 am on Sunday.Some alleged booth capturing bids were

foiled during the day while a there was at least one incident of arson.

Both major parties BJP and Congress expressed optimism about their victory after the new high of voters’ percentage.

“Congress will win again with huge majority,” claimed Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

His rival Vasundhara Raje of the BJP meanwhile tweeted “People of Rajasthan have made a resolution for change by committing to Suraaj. Their hopes will be the base of a New & Developed Rajasthan.”

- IWK Bureau

Huge Muslim turnout for Modi rally in Jammu

All eyes on Delhi, Rajasthan Polls

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur received Japan’s Emperor Akihito and his wife

Empress Michiko as they arrived in New Delhi on Saturday.

The Emperor and Empress are on a six-day visit to India.

“Konichiwa! Emperor Akihito & Empress Michiko received on arrival in New Delhi by Prime Minister & Mrs Gursharan Kaur,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin tweeted on Saturday.

During their stay in India, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will meet country’s top leaders including President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

They will also visit Chennai city during their trip to India.

It is the first time that the Emperor and Empress of Japan are visiting the country.

The visit comes at a time when both countries consider the imperial visit to be a major event capable of giving further impetus to their growing partnership.

The visit is highly symbolic of potential future defence and civil nuclear cooperation. The royal couple will hold talks with a galaxy of Indian leaders, including President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid

Ansari, Manmohan Singh and Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj and participate in a number of events during their stay in New Delhi.

They will leave for Chennai on Wednesday. New Delhi’s invitation to the Japanese royal couple was extended almost a decade ago but the decision on the trip was taken a few months back after India-friendly Shinzo Abe took over as Japanese PM.

Former Japanese prime minister Yoshiro Mori is accompanying the 50-member delegation.

The prime minister had thrice earlier set aside protocol to receive visiting dignitaries - then US president George W. Bush in 2006,

Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in 2006, and US President Barack Obama in 2010.

The visit by the emperor, a rare occurrence, is symbolic of the “extraordinary maturity of relations” between India and Japan and would stress on the people-to-people and cultural manifestation of their ties, the external affairs ministry said.

Japan’s imperial system is a constitutional monarchy in which the monarch “reigns but does not govern”.

Under the Constitution, the Emperor is “the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people” and “shall not have powers related to government”

Historic visit of The Emperor and Empress of JapanIWK Bureau


19INDIA

Indian Airports to have full body scanners

The national airports operator Airports Authority of India (AAI) will soon install

millimeter-wave technology-based full-body scanners at two non-metro airports on a trial basis, sources have said.

So far, none of the 125 AAI-run and five privately-operated airports have such a crucial security equipment.

“We have received two full-body scanners from GE Corp of the US, which we are going to install at two airports on a trial basis,” AAI sources said. These scanners, which work on millimeter-wave technology, do not compromise with the privacy of a passenger, the sources said, adding, “We want to gauge the acceptability level of passengers before installing them across all airports.” The sources, however, did not name the airports where these machines are being deployed or a timeline for the installation citing security reasons.

Spain offers “Transfer of technology” to India in shipbuilding

Spain is offering to build ships and submarines for the Indian Navy in India with transfer of

technology. Spanish Ambassador Gustavo de Aristegui

told India Strategic (www.indiastrategic.in) here that Spain has had a long tradition of seafaring, leading the way for European countries to the Asia-Pacific and the Americas centuries ago, and

that Spain could rightly claim excellence in naval shipbuilding even today.

British Council launches 370 scholarships, single largest ever in India

British Council Kolkata on Friday hosted the ‘Education UK’ exhibition wherein the

‘Great Scholarship’ and ‘Great Career Guide’ were launched with 36 UK institutions across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland participating in the programme.

The initiative by the British Council was a part of the strategy to woo more of Indian students as with growing competition for the limited seats in the top universities of India.

According to a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore, there has been a whopping 256 percent increase in the internationally mobile Indian students in the period of 2000-2009.

This sharp rise is attributed to the lack of quality education available in the country and the challenging cutoffs posed by premium

universities.The British Council announced 370

scholarships worth almost one million pounds for 260 undergraduate and postgraduate courses exclusively for the Indian students, which also happens to be the single largest number of scholarships ever launched in India.

Ford India, Hyundai record sells in November

Automobile giant Ford India sold 12,050 vehicles in combined domestic wholesales

and export sales in November, up 19 percent over the same month last year.

Ford India’s domestic sales rose to 7,909 units in November, up 33 percent from 5,944 units a year earlier. Strong domestic demand for its products was enhanced by exciting festive offers that brought more customers into showrooms.

Exports remained steady in November at 4,141 units. “We are happy that we continue to register steady sales growth despite persistent market challenges as Indian consumers respond enthusiastically to our smart, fuel-efficient and dependable vehicles,” said Vinay Piparsania, executive director of Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford India. Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), the country’s second largest car manufacturer and the largest passenger car exporter, registered cumulative sales of 49,681 units for the month of November 2013.

The domestic sales accounted for 33,501 units and Exports stood at 16,180 units.

Rakesh Srivastava, Sr. Vice President,

Sales and Marketing, HMIL, said: “After the festival season market has been sluggish due to unfavorable macro-economic factors and the low market sentiments resulting lower customer enquiries.”

Tarun Tejpal Arrested

Ending a day-long court room drama, the Goa Police on Saturday arrested former Tehelka

Editor-in-Chief Tarun Tejpal after his anticipatory bail was rejected in the case of alleged sexual assault of a junior colleague inside a hotel lift here earlier this month during a high profile event.

A Goa sessions court denied anticipatory bail to Tejpal which was followed by his arrest on Saturday night.

Tejpal allegedly sexually assaulted a woman journalist of his organisation during the Think festival of Tehelka in Goa where ironically the participants were debating on issues like rape. The action of Tejpal is considered as rape under the new definition of the anti-rape law in India.

- IWK Bureau

NEWS IN BRIEF


20

Indian origin doctor performs lifesaving operation on Ernie Lively

An Indian-origin doctor in the US has performed a unique “life-saving”

heart procedure - that involves injecting the patient’s own stem cells into the organ - on Hollywood actor Ernie Lively.

Amit Patel from the University of Utah performed the historic procedure on Lively - ‘Gossip girl’ actress Blake Lively’s father - using new technique of retrograde gene therapy on a human heart to repair damaged muscle and arteries.

The 66-year-old actor has credentials that include a long list of TV and film appearances, including Passenger 57 and the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants.

He had suffered a massive heart attack in 2003, which left him functioning on half a healthy heart. As time marched on, his ejection fraction - the measurement of the percentage of blood leaving the heart each time it contracts - continued to decline.

Lively connected with Patel, director of Clinical Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering and an associate professor in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

Indian American appointed as President of S&P

A top Indian-American executive at Citigroup has been appointed president

of Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services.Neeraj Sahai, 56, will take his new role

at S&P from January 6, 2014, financial intelligence company McGraw Hill Financial said in a statement here.

He completed his master’s in economics from the University of Delhi, is currently head of Citi’s Securities and Fund Services business and also acts as chief fiduciary officer of Citigroup.

He succeeds Douglas Peterson, who became president and chief executive officer of McGraw Hill Financial on November 1. Peterson has taken over as chief executive of the parent company earlier this month.

Sahai has “significant experience serving global capital markets. His insights, leadership and background in driving growth,

as well as in risk, control and governance will be enormously valuable to Standard & Poor’s Rating Services, to market participants and to credit markets,” Peterson said.

Satya Nadella in race for top Microsoft Position

Satya Nadella, India-born senior Microsoft executive, is in the race among two likely

candidates whose name is being considered for becoming the next CEO of the world’s biggest software company, replacing longtime chief executive Steve Ballmer.

Born in 1969 in Hyderabad, India, Satya Nadella finished his schooling at the Hyderabad Public School, and earned his Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electronics and Communication from the Manipal Institute of Technology. He, like so many of the engineers at the time, then completed his engineering education abroad, with a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He then did a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Chicago.

Nadella is Executive Vice President for Cloud and Enterprise at Microsoft and was a member of the technology staff at Sun Microsystems before joining Microsoft.

Mumbai 26/11 commemorated in United States

The Indian-American and American-Jewish community in US held a commemorative

ceremony to pay tribute to the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

The commemorative event marking the fifth anniversary of the attacks was organised yesterday by the American India Public Affairs Committee along with the American Jewish Committee Asia Pacific Region.

Those gathered at the ceremony observed a moment of silence and lit 12 candles, one each for the number of sites in Mumbai that were attacked by 10 militants belonging to Pakistan-based terror group LeT during the three-day carnage in November 2008 that

killed 166 people and injured several more.Among those killed in the gruesome

terror attacks were several foreign nationals including Gavriel Noach Holtzberg, who was a rabbi and the Chabad emissary to Mumbai, and his wife Rivka.

Indian Consul General here Ambassador Dnyaneshwar Mulay condemned terrorism in all forms and said the scourge has no religion, caste or nationality.

“The gift of the 21st century is the word called terrorism. It is time that we come together in a stronger and more determined manner to fight terrorism so that we do not hand over this phrase to the future generations,” Mulay said.

He said India has been a victim of terrorism for many years but before the 9/11 attacks the world did not pay “enough attention” to the alarms India had raised at international forums on the growing menace.

Lakshmi Mittal’s address in UK second most expensive in the planet

Steel baron Lakshmi Mittal’s London residential address, Kensington Palace

Gardens, is the second most expensive street in the world, where the average price per square metre being $107,000.

The average price per square metre in Pollock’s Path, The Peak is $120,000, followed by Kensington Palace Gardens, London ($107,000).

Kensington Palace Gardens is also known as London’s “Billionaire’s Row”, where properties change hands for as much as ($195 million).

“Indian-born steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal owns number 9a and 18-19. And, if he ever needs to borrow a cup of sugar, his oligarch-next-door at number 17, Roman Abramovich, will surely oblige,” the report said.

Avenue Princesse Grace, Monaco was ranked third where average price per sq mt is $86,000; Blvd du General de Gaulle Cap Ferrat, France was ranked fourth (average price per sq mt of $79,000) and Patterson Hill Singapore ranked fifth ($42,500).

According to the recently released Wealth-X and UBS Billionaire Census 2013, the total real-estate holdings of the world’s billionaires is estimated at $169 billion, which equates to an average of $78 million per billionaire.

Indian American honoured in Germany for cultural Enlightenment

Denver-based Manick Sorcar has been honored for introducing the younger

generation in India and viewers in the West to Indian heritage through laser displays.

Sorcar was given a Special Achievement Award for Cultural Enlightenment, at the International Laser Display Association (ILDA) conference held in Aalen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

The citation stated that Sorcar was awarded “for exceptional merit in using laser display to celebrate India’s heritage, and to prepare the next generation by introducing a course on laser art and animation and establishing the Manick Sorcar Laser Animation Laboratory at Jadavpur University”.

Sorcar received the award from Dirk Baur, president of MediaLas Electronics GmbH.

Sorcar said he was doubly pleased with the award because it was an acknowledgement of his work to propagate Indian heritage through laser displays.

“Laser has been the painting brush of the 21st century with which spectacular, mind boggling atmospherics can be made. But I feel, laser can be more than that. It can also be the magic-pen or the media with which a message can be passed, a theme can be carried, a story can be told. Together, it can not only be a feast for the eyes, it can connect with people to illuminate a soul,” Sorcar told IANS.

“My laser shows are an attempt at that goal. Produced in English and based on stories or events from India, each is intended to be a cultural-bridge between East and West where the viewers are taken to the other side of the globe and introduced to the Indian culture in a grass-root level for a better understanding, harmony and world peace,” he added

In 2006, when Sorcar took his laser show to India, it was displayed at Kolkata’s Nicco Park, an amusement park. It ran for one month completing 78 shows.

Sorcar approached Jadavpur University to set up the School of Illumination, Science, Engineering and Design. The ‘Laser Lighting for Art, Animation and Entertainment’ course was accepted as a special application of lighting towards an illumination engineering degree. The lab and the classes were formally opened two years ago and Sorcar is a visiting lecturer.

Sorcar’s latest production “Swamiji”, a laser documentary on Swami Vivekananda, received an enthusiastic reception in India during its four-month tour across the country last year, where it was also nationally telecast. The laser show is currently on a tour across the USA as a fund-raiser for the SEWA International USA, a non-profit humanitarian organization.

In 2012, Sorcar, who prefers to call himself a ‘laserist’, retired from Sorcar Engineering, a Denver-based electrical engineering and lighting firm to devote his energy full time to touring laser shows with his production team. Sorcar credits his passion for narrating stories through laser displays to his father, the legendary magician P C Sorcar, whom he had assisted on stage, as a child.

- IWK Bureau

INDIA ABROAD


21

Education was the big winner in the recent 2014 Fiji budget announced by Prime Minister and Finance Minister

Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama.Free education for primary and secondary

school students, low-interest student loans, scholarships for top achievers, scholarships for special needs children and more pre-school centres are part of biggest slice of the budget cake.

In total education has been allocated a whopping $542.5 million of the total revenue of $2.7 billion for 2014 against an expenditure of $2.883 billion, with a deficit of $161.5m or 1.9 per cent of GDP.

Described by Bainimarama as “the budget for the people of Fiji”, housing needs were granted $19m – with $10m to help new married couples building and buy first homes; $5m for various squatter projects; $1.5m to build 36 PRB flats in Kalabu; and $2.5m for PRB Savusavu project.

The provision for operating expenditure is 1.802 billion.$1.13bn is budgeted for capital expenditure, this marks an increase in capital of more than $291m over this year and brings capital expenditure to about 36 per cent of total spending. This means more money for development projects and initiatives.

Some key components of this budget are increased allocations for education and infrastructure development, a graded pay rise

for public servants including the disciplined services, reduction in company and personal taxes, $15 million for the 2014 general election and more money for rural water, electrification

and health projects.The total revenue for the 2013 budget was

$2bn and a total expenditure of $2.3bn.

Arvind Kumar

Bainimarama’s budget with a bang

Open all days

5.30 pm to 10.30 pm

This includes a curry a naan, rice & glass ofhouse wine or soft drink

Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama’s 2014 budget has been greeted by political parties with a mixed reaction. It was a vote

buying budget, Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry said. “You can promise anything. It is the delivery that is important and this government has a record of not delivering on its promises.” He said the Bainimarama government budget sessions had become a meaningless exercise. “Government expenditure has not adhered to budgetary allocations and there has been no accountability or transparency in government’s financial dealings since 2009 when the Constitution was purportedly abrogated. “Budgets presented since then have had no credibility and are not sustainable.” The Social Democratic Liberal Party said the promise of $15m for elections did not automatically translate into free and fair polls.

Party secretary Pio Tabaiwalu also called on the international community to keep the pressure on for free, fair and transparent elections. “SODELPA requests the Prime Minister that before he goes on TV and announce a budget, he should first of all publish the Auditor-General’s report from 2006 to 2013. “This is what good governance and transparency is all about.” Fiji’s newest political part – the People’s Democratic party – has welcomed the $15m allocated for elections. Party spokesman Nirmal Singh said this showed commitment by the Bainimarama government to hold elections next year. The party also commended the increased allocation to education, health and social services.

“We also thank the government for the significant increase in civil servants’ pay. This was long overdue.” Singh said what was important now was the implementation of the provisions of the budget.

Health•$4.9m to refurbish CWM Hospital

operating theatres.•$3m on extension to CWM Maternity

Unit.•$7.3m to build new 55-bed hospital in

Ba.•$5.9m overhaul to Lautoka Hospital

Emergency Dept.•$1m to renovate Keiyasi / Valelevu

medical centres.•$4.75m to buy bio-medical equipment.•$600k to build 10-bed Makoi Maternity

Unit.

Power• $10mforruralelectrificationprojects.• $9.4m FEA grid extension.• $510k for biofuel plant developments.• $300kforrenewableenergyprojects.

Water• $9m to address metered water issues.• $10m to upgrade distribution networks.• $15m for waste water treatment

plants.• $2.6m for specialized equipment.• $670k for school water systems.

RoadingFiji Roads Authority gets an increasedbudget of $454.7m.

Elections• $15m allocated for General Elections

to be held next year.

WHAT’S UP• Cigarette / alcohol by 10 per cent.• Blank CDs (locally made) from $0-$1.• Blank CDs (imported) from $1-$2.• Airport departure tax from $150-$200.

WHAT’S DOWN• Duty on food supplements: from 32-0

per cent.• Agricultural items: 0 per cent.• Prefab homes: from 32-3 per cent.• Concrete products, iron panels: from

32-5 per cent.• Maritime vessel spares: 0 per cent.• Baby feeding bottles: from 32-0 per

cent.

AT A GLANCE

Mixed reaction from political parties

FIJI


22

A solid foundationDevika Rathore has a strong background in development and education with a Masters qualification and experienceteaching at primary and University levels. It’s young children though that hold a special place in her heart, and she loves seeing how they surprise her.

A different perspectiveDevika was eager to gain a new perspective on early childhood theory by studying in a different country. New Zealand appealed because of the bicultural aspect. “It was also important that I chose a country that was beautiful,” Devika says. New Zealand Tertiary College was recommended to her by several people in her hometown of Udaipur.

A new way of learningDevika had never studied online before, so she was pleased to receive a thorough orientation at the beginning of the course.

Her tutorial group was really multicultural and she loved getting into lively discussions with her classmates. The paper Devika most enjoyed was Communities ofLearning. “Because that’s how we as students were learning,” she explains.

A new insight Devika believes the most important thing Postgraduate Diploma in Education (ECE) students can do is to keep an open mind. “We all come with our own ideas, but you need to be open to others’ perspectives.”

Homeward boundDevika will be heading back to India next week. She’s hoping to put what she’s learnt into action as soon as possible. She’s not sure if she’ll end up working as a trainer of early childhood educators or if she’ll be the one teaching the children. One thing’s for sure though: her passion for early childhood education has been strengthened. Time well spentNowgraduated,Devikareflectsfondlyonher time as an NZTC Postgrad student. “I’ve loved meeting the fantastic lecturers. I’ve made friends from countries all around the world… some of them as animated as myself,” she laughs. “Truly, this year has been great for me.”

To learn more about New Zealand Tertiary College’s specialist early childhood qualifications, please call us on (09) 520 4000 or visit www.nztertiarycollege.ac.nz

‘Truly, this year has been great for me’Devika Rathore opens up on studying the Postgrad, making friends and learning online

EDUCATION

FOOD

Operating since 1996 we at the Gateau House have had one mission and that, quite simply, is to produce thefinestcakesandgateauxinNewZealand.

To achieve this we continually scour Europe for the very best recipes and the world for the very best ingredients. Ingredients like, premium chocolate from Belgium, superb European liqueurs, and fresh cream and fresh fruits of the season from right here in New Zealand. Over the years we have perfected our own unique methods and procedures to produce the very best products from these quality ingredients. These methods and procedures are uncompromisingly adhered to, for example we make all our products from scratch; we never use premixes.

We have selected the very best bakers and decorators and every day they work their magic to produce a range of indulgent and sophisticated delights that will make a real impact at any occasion. Try one of our cakes or gateaux and you will discover why, “the Gateau House is the Home of Excellence”.

For More information contact:309, Dominion Road, Mt. Eden, Ph: 09 630 7744www.gateauhouse.com

Clockwise from top left: Choc Fruit Supereme, KumaraRudolph Tiramisu, Mud Cake

Gateau House: The house of Christams treats

FEATURES

Follow and share stories from our facebook page: www.facebook.com/indianweekender


23

If you haven’t heard of, or been to, Maxwell’s Golf Retreat in Ramarama, then you have a great treat in store. It is only 30 minutes south of Auckland City on the Northern slopes of the Bombay Hills but is a world away when it comes to peace and tranquillity. It offers a peaceful setting at the end of a country lane with views out over the countryside.

The Clubhouse is the hub of the property offering a friendly non-threatening environment with coaching, indoor training facilities, fully stocked Pro Shop, Cafe, Bar, Conference and function facilities. The nine hole golf course is a challenge for all - with championship tee’s throughtobeginnerstee’sandisaffiliatedto NZ Golf for women and men offering 9 or 18 hole handicaps.

Maxwell’s is a popular destination for coaching (indoors and out), membership, meetings, functions, weddings, business events, social club outings, girls and guys day out packages. Kaye is well known within New Zealand golfingcircles, holding representative honours

for Auckland and New Zealand and three national titles. She also holds the record for the most successful interprovincial player in New Zealand.

Kaye has been coaching since turning professional December 1995 - teaching children, beginners and right through to the established golfer.

Kaye particularly likes coaching children and has no doubt that with the right temperament and support anyone can be a champion. As a previous multiple NZ champion herself, she knows what it takes. Kay tells us “Give me a child who is willing to work, can focus, be disciplined enough to develop correct technique – and we have all the ingredients to make a champion!”

Maxwell’s Golf Retreat is the perfect non-pressure environment in which to develop your game of golf. The ambience and surroundings are relaxed and friendly. Kaye’s dream 12 years ago to create the perfect Golf Retreat has come true!

Best kept golfing secret ready for playSPORT

“Gadimayan” a musical journey comes to AucklandMigrant Heritage Charitable Trust

Inc (MigHT-i) in association with Auckland Marathi Association

celebrated the festival of Sharad Purnima (known as Kojagiri, in Maharashtra) with a musical journey which depicted the life of mahakavi G. D Madgulkar.

Maharashtrians in Auckland enjoyed an evening with the Anand Madgulkar, son of the legendary poet G D Madgulkar popularly known as GaDiMa back home. An event brought back the nostalgia of the community.

GaDiMa is widely known for his creation of modern Ramayan in 56 songs under the name “Geet Ramayan”. The music for this epic was composed by Shri Sudhir Phadke popularly known as Babuji.

GaDiMayan kicked off with ‘Prabhat Samayo paatla’ which welcomes the start of the day and rising sun. These were followed by the first ever lavani written by GaDiMa – ‘mazya vhatacha daalimb phutala’. A marathi program on GaDiMa is incomplete without the evergreen lavni – ‘Bugadi Maazhi sandli ga’ which was sung by Vidya Teke, who has been known to Auckland audiences as singer par excellence. She did full justice to the song and was also appreciated by

the audience.Though the program was in Marathi, the

musicians came from all parts of India! On harmonium was Arun Khotkar, who is known for his versatility both as a musician as well as singer. On the other side was Manjit Singh on Tabla, Despite having never played a lavani before this, this classically trained tabla player soon had the audiences tapping to his tabla as well as the songs and never once did you feel that he has never played a lavani or bhavgeet in his life.

Accompanying them was the violin maestro Dr Ashok Malur, who despite being a Carnatic music player, switched gears easily to fill in the

music pieces with his wonderful renditions of the ‘bhavs’. Filling in was also the everpresent Hemant Thaker, whose keyboard brought the whole feeling of an orchestra. And completing the chorus and side Rhythm were Pramod and Mrunal Niphadkar.

Anand Madgulkar has been performing the ‘Geet Ramayan’ for the past 30 years. He has

performed close to 900 programs in India and abroad including USA, Europe, Qatar, Canada, Mauritius and even Australia. He is also a well-known writer and film maker. He has over the past 25 years written, produced and directed several documentaries,short films,television commercials and radio programs for the government and various private institutions.

The show was a fantastic experience to the full house and never was there a dull moment and it was a treat to listen to the soulful voice of Anandji and experience the journey along with him. The audiences were also treated to Masala Milk. A true reminiscence of Kojagiri!

IWK Bureau

FEATURES


24 ENTERTAINMENT

‘I am single till I get married’

‘Dosa truly changed my life’

Everybody knows Bipasha Basu is a health freak. But not many know how she motivates herself everyday despite having osteoarthritis.

Kalki Koechlin loves Dosa … and it’s not the South Indian food, but her adopted cat.

This is the second year that you are promoting ‘HCG Pinkathon - Run to Lead’, an all women’s run to spread awareness about breast cancer and the importance of being fit. Do you think women today actually ignore their health for the sake of their families?

Yes. Life is so precious. We as women, in different roles – mothers, wives, daughters, bind the house together. But it’s so important to love yourself. From the time we are born, we are taught to be givers. We kind of somewhere forget ourselves. It’s very important for each and every woman that she is precious for her family, and above all for herself. As a woman it is very important to look after your health and be aware.

Do you think India lacks breast cancer awareness?

That’s why events like Pinkathon are important. Breast cancer awareness is important for every person – man and woman. We keep thinking it can’t happen to us. But truth is, it can happen to anybody. So you have to be careful.

Would you like to associate yourself if a film is made on the topic?

Films are topical and they carry the message very strongly. If there is a film made on such issues, I would definitely like to be a part of it.

You are known for your fitness. But how much health awareness do you put on people in your family?

Being fit runs in the family. Let me tell you, this philosophy that I always talk about, I learnt it from my mother (Mamata). She has looked after three daughters. She is a homemaker, she provides for us, yet she always looks after her health. I have seen this since my childhood days

and I have learnt the mantra for being fit and healthy from her.

What about your sisters?

Every morning as I wake up and I am about to do something active, the first two calls I make are to my Didi (Bidisha) and my younger sister (Bijoyeta). I consciously talk to them. I have to say sometimes it is tough because everybody

takes one’s life for granted. My older sister has rheumatoid arthritis and I have got osteoarthritis. It’s not easy to have these problems at a young age and yet to be fit. But everyday I motivate myself and I try to motivate as many people around me – my friends, people I meet at gym, people I meet at work. It makes me happy to see a person get fitter in front of my eyes. It’s a way of life now.

What is the secret of your radiance?

I love running. When you run, you have happy hormones in your body and happiness shows on your face. That’s behind my radiance, I guess.

Who do you think is the fittest in Bollywood other than you?

I think all of them are fit. Akshay Kumar is the fittest.

Have you ever fallen headlong in love?

I am in love with everything.

Okay. Let me rephrase that. Are you single?

I am single till I get married.

- Trans World Features (TWF)

You are promoting cat adoption on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). What made you take up the cause?

The reason for me promoting the cause is my own cat Dosa. I moved to Bombay six-seven years back and was living in Bandra. At that time my roommate and I were going to buy vegetables in Pali Naka when we spotted two kittens, smaller than the size of my palms. There was no mother cat around. We went back to the same place the next day and found they were still there. We knew they were going to die if we left them on the road. At that time I did not have too much money, I was having difficulty in paying my rent and my roommate was no better off than me. Still, we could not help but take them up. We called them Masala and Dosa.Did you face any difficulty while maintaining them?

They were wonderful, beautiful cats. We did not have any problem looking after them, Actually, they were looking after us. After some time Masala ran away so we were left with plain Dosa.

How is Dosa doing now?

He is doing pretty well. He has now become

quite a celebrity cat. He has done a photoshoot for PETA. It’s like I am investing in him and in two-three years when I get tired of acting, I will send him to earn the bucks for me. But seriously, he has truly changed my life. He is always there for me. Dosa is a supercat – he’s cuddly, affectionate and a natural good looker.

Do you have a plan to adopt more cats or dogs?

Right now, I can’t adopt more cats as I have a small flat and I am travelling too much. But one day I hope to own a big house and adopt many, many dogs and cats.

You have always associated yourself with a social cause or other. Do you want to start your own non-governmental organization (NGO) someday?

I have not given it a thought right now. But it might happen one day.

Given a choice and chance, which field will you like to work on as a socially responsible person?

Education and environment are two things that really mean a lot to me.

You have been missing from the limelight for a long time. Where have you been?

I had been shooting three films this year … I had been shooting in four countries over the past eight months. I had been working really hard. I was in Sweden, in New York, in Detroit, L.A. (Los Angeles) and Delhi for shooting these three films. Now I am back. I am performing my play in December. So now you will see a lot of me.

Would you like to clarify the media buzz that’s doing rounds about your separation from your filmmaker husband Anurag Kashyap?

No. There is absolutely no clarification to be given from my end. Sorry.

- Trans World Features (TWF)


25

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26 ENTERTAINMENT

Bollywood DiaryAmitabh talks about women’s rights

Amitabh Bachchan spoke at the Penguin Annual Lecture 2013 podium on women’s rights. As a UN ambassador for the girl child, he talked about female foeticide and infanticide, of gender bias and of the country’s dismal female literacy levels. “Everyone can watch a Hindi film, but they cannot read a book,” he rued as he presented hard facts about state-wise literacy rates.

“I’ll try again to build a girl’s school,” Big B said as he appealed to the audience that “true equality will only emerge when the whole culture embraces the importance of girl child education”.

He spoke of trafficking, prostitution, acid attacks, dowry deaths, bride burning and more, questioning: “Whose blood is this?”

FOX goes mega with 28 releases in India

Fox Star Studios is about to release 28 films on the box office in 2014 in Hindi, English and Tamil as part of its ongoing campaign to capture vast swathes of the box office business in India.

Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star Studios says, “In doing so, the Studio is making a strong statement about scaling up and becoming a key player in the Hindi film industry as also working with diverse talent cutting across genres!”

9 Hindi films, 15 English films and 4 Tamil films are to be released which reveals that the partnership between Twentieth Century Fox and the STAR network will continue its strategy of partnering local players while continuing to release American movies produced by the mother ship.

The films will amount to “more than 1 every 2 weeks”, promised a press release issued by the studio.

Vidya’s Bobby Jasoos starts rolling

Born Free Entertainment’s next feature Bobby Jasoos, starring Vidya Balan, started filming on Nov 23 in the picturesque city of Hyderabad.

The film will be shot in one schedule, over a span of 55 days, amongst a host of never seen before real locations that stand testament to the vibrant and royal cultural history of Hyderabad, as it aims to be a summer 2014 release.

Producers Dia Mirza and Sahil Sangha

have put together a strong supporting cast that surround Vidya Balan in a pulsating, thrilling and most importantly heartwarming tale of a woman who’s solitary dream is to become the numero uno private eye of her community.

This includes Ali Fazal, Arjan Bajwa, Anupriya, Supriya Pathak, Tanvi Azmi, Aakash Dahiya and Rajender Gupta amongst others.

Bobby Jasoos also marks the return of Kiran Kumar who has been away from the big screen for sometime and the makers are more than excited to present him in a dynamic new avataar.

With Shantanu Moitra and Swanand Kirkire collaborating on the music of Bobby Jasoos, the music promises to be exceptional with melodies that are long lasting.

Deepika promotes Goliyon Ki RasLeela in Marrakech

Deepika Padukone, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali was present at the Marrakech International film festival in Morocco, to promote their film Goliyon Ki Ras Leela.

Deepika Padukone was striking in her mustard colored gown. With almost zero make up, Deepika looked graceful. Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika introduced the first film of the festival, ‘Goliyon Ki Ras Leela – Ram Leela’.

Former Bond Girl Michelle Yeoh in Goa International Film Festival

Former Bond girl Michelle Yeoh, promoted her documentary film Pad Yatra: A Green Odyssey, during the closing ceremony of the 44th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.

The 50-year-old Malaysian-Chinese actress addressed the audience before the screening of Pad Yatra, which she has executive-produced.

“This was a film waiting to be made. It gives a thought provoking message and narrates the lives of monks who are silently working for the betterment of the environment,” Yeoh said.

- IWK Bureau & Agencies

The cast and crew of Shahid Kapoor and Irrfan Khan starrer Hindi movie Haider faced protests during their filming on the

University of Kashmir campus in Sunday.Students staying in University of Kashmir

campus and came out and divested the Indian flag that was hoisted on the sets of movie, which was being shot at the Naseem Bagh area of the campus.

The students protested after the crew tried to hoist the Indian tri-colour flag in the campus as part of their shoot. Students also objected to actor Irrfan Khan smoking a cigar inside the smoke free campus.

While in the face of crowds Khan had to extinguish his cigar and the Indian tri-color flag was also brought down, later, two of the students who objected to the actor smoking were arrested by the concerned Police station Nageen, reports

said.When the news of the arrests reached the

hostels, scores of the students circled the set of the movie and protested, forcing director Vishal Bharadwaj, to call for a pack-up.

Later a large number of policemen used batons on the students and chased them away to the hostels, and locked hostel gates, witnesses said.

However many students later came out of the hostels and raised pro-freedom slogans in the campus.

As the situation got out of control, University proctor Naseer Iqbal facilitated the release of both the arrested students and promised a prompt action against the security personnel responsible for the action.

- IWK Bureau & Agencies

Juhi Chawla to star in a Hollywood movie which will be directed by Oscar winning director Lasse Hallstrom and produced

by Steven Spielberg. The movie is titled, ‘The Hundred Foot Journey’ and the film will be shot in Mumbai and France.

The film which is currently being shot in Mumbai, is based on an Indian family trying to settle down in a small village in France where

they own an Indian restaurant right opposite a French one which is run by Madame Mallory played by Helen Mirren. While the film’s male lead is Om Puri, Juhi will be seen playing the role of Om Puri’s wife.

The Hundred Foot Journey is based on the Richard C Morais’ novel by the same name and is co-produced by Oprah Winfrey and Juliet Blake.

Malang, of Dhoom three did a record as being the most expensive song in history to be prodced.

The dancers were put up in Mumbai for 20 days for training and the song was shot at the Reliance studios. The set itself took a couple of months for creation. Even the costumes for the song were elaborate and sourced from the US itself.

The budget for the song is roughly about Rs 5 crore plus. This includes the fees of the professionals hired, logistics involved for the same, costumes, elaborate sets and other miscellaneous costs.

‘Malang’ will feature Aamir Khan and Katrina Kaif in the video. Dhoom 3 is all set to release on 20 December, 2013.

Juhi Chawla to star in Spielberg produced Classic

Kashmir: Protests cancel ‘Haider’ shoot

Malang is the costliest Hindi Song in history


27

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Yoga by the Beach starting after Xmas!

During the holiday period, Professional Yoga, will provide yoga to relax your mind and soothe your body!

Where: Vellenoweth Green, Tamaki Drive, St. Heliers Auckland

When: Saturdays : 8 – 9 am28 December 2013 to 1 March 2014Wednesdays: 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm1 January 2014 to 5 March 2014

Cost: Offering/Donation

Hatha Yoga

When:Tue 3 Dec, 9:30am–10:45am Tue 10 Dec, 9:30am–10:45am Tue 17 Dec, 9:30am–10:45am

Where:Auckland Women’s Centre, 4 Warnock St , Auckland

Yoga in LifeElders class: Includes chair yoga with options for standing and deep relaxation. Also suited for people with limited mobility.

When:Tue 3 Dec, 2:00pm–3:00pm Tue 10 Dec, 2:00pm–3:00pm

Tue 17 Dec, 2:00pm–3:00pm Tue 28 Jan ’14, 2:00pm–3:00pm Tue 4 Feb ’14, 2:00pm–3:00pm

Where:Yoga in Life, 289 Konini Rd, Auckland

Bollywood Dance Nite

Come to Bollywood Dance Nite and dance to Bollywood beats at this family-friendly event.

Amma NZ is conducting this fund raising event to support St John Ambulance.

It will feature DJ Jimmy and an interactive choreography session. Plus there will be many spot prices to win.

Enjoy traditional Indian food, as well as stalls with inspiring books, gifts and henna.

WhenSaturday 7 December, 7.30pm-11pm

WhereGrey Lynn Community Centre510 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn

CostAdults $10, groups (up to 5 people) $40, kids

(under 10) freeBooking details

Email [email protected] for bookingsContact

Sethu [email protected] 0240 5212

Indian food at Mangere Bridge Village Boutique Market

Stalls include Blackwoods Artisan Breads, Neelus Indian Spices, Fun Halal Food, Ginza Teppanyaki, Dutch Pancakes, Kiwi Tucker, Cheltenham Cakes, Caitlins Cupcakes, Aroma-Soma plus a variety of crafts and entertainment for the children.When

Sundays, 9am-1pmWhere

Mangere Bridge Village, 30 Coronation Road, Mangere BridgeWebsite

Mangere Bridge Village

Indian Christmas Celebrations!Famliy event celebrating Indian Christmas for everyone! Events include Indian Dance, Bhangra, Garba and skits.

Where : Sandringham Reserve, Sandringham Road shops, Sandringham

When: 7 December 2013, 11 AM onwards

Farmers Santa Parade 2013

When: Sunday 24 November, 2pm (rain date: Sunday 1 December); Santa’s Party in Aotea Square from 3pmParade route: Mayoral Drive, Queen Street, Customs Street West and Albert StreetContact: www.santaparade.co.nz

Three Kings Carols by Candlelight

When: Friday 6 December, 7pm-9pmWhere: Three Kings ReserveContact: Call Sharon Sookur on 021 809 056 or email [email protected] information: Carol singing, stage entertainment, face painting, and snacks stalls

Waiuku Christmas Parade and Market

When: Saturday 14 December, 11.30am-4pm, parade starts 2pm

Parade route: The parade will start at the Waiuku Rugby Grounds on King Street and proceed down and into Queen Street. Up Queen Street where it will turn around in Court Street back up Martyn Street, into court and connect back on Queen Street and return back to the Waiuku Rugby Grounds.

Contact: Sharlene Druyven on 021 0827 5763 [email protected]

Carols in the Park

When: Friday 13 December, 5.30pm-9pmWhere: Central Park, Papakura Contact: Paul Kauri, 021583401 or [email protected]

Christmas Carols in the Courtyard

When: Saturday 14 DecemberWhere: HowickContact: Norman Sutton on [email protected]

Stockade Hill Christmas Tree Lighting

When: Friday 15 November, 7.30pm-9pmWhere: Stockade Hill, Ridge Road, HowickContact: Ali Bain [email protected] information: Music, singing and other entertainment, capped off with the lighting of the Stockade Hill Christmas tree

Manurewa Christmas in the Park

When: Saturday 14 DecemberWhere: Mountfort Park, ManurewaContact: Stephen Miller 027 453 2253 or [email protected] information: Event includes a fireworks display

WHAT’SOn

Christmas Special

20 December, 2013

Have you booked in your ad for the year end special?

Education Special

17 January, 201431 January, 2014

Get in time for the education specials

in January

Call 09-213 7335 to book your ad today. Or e-mail: [email protected]

X-mas Events

EVENTS


29

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FEATURES SERVICES

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30 ENTERTAINMENT

Ingredients

Method

TAWA PANEER CUTLET

• 100g- paneer ( grated)• 3- potatoes ( big boiled and pealed)• 1/2tsp- ginger paste• 1/2tsp- garlic paste• 2- green chillies chopped• 1/2tsp- amuchur powder• 1/2tsp- coriander powder• 1/2tsp- chilli powder• 2tsp-lemonjuice• ½ cup- breadcrumbs• 1/2cup- coriander leaves chopped• Salt according to taste• 1tbsp- oil

• Heat oil in a pan. Add ginger, garlic paste stir for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the gas.

• Add all the above ingredients to the ginger, garlic except the breadcrumbs.

• Mix everything together and with your hands roll themintoroundandpressintoaflatshapelikeatikki. Then roll this cutlet in breadcrumbs.

• Heat the nonstick tava or non stick pan. Brush the pan with little oil, keep the cutlet on it. When the cutlets are brown from both the sides they are ready to serve.

• Serve them with mint chutney.

Ruby’s KitchenBy Ruby Dhillon

RECIPE

Bullet Raja, a movie for desi action fansRajeshKrishnamurthy

What is it with the film makers of tinsel town? Why do I ask? Well, Two weeks ago it was “Goliyon ki

raas leela” now it is “Tamanche pe disco”. 2013 seems to have given birth to a totally new genre of films from Bollywood, that of the hyphenated kind. Get it? No? Well what else do you call films like Micky Virus (Comedy-thriller), Besharam (Action-Comedy) OUATIM-Doabaara ( Crime-Romance). Tigmanshu Dhulia’s latest offering “Bullet Raja” joins the list as being (Crime-Comedy).

Dhulia is an eclectic director from the new crop of directors who has given us such widely varying but totally gripping fares like Paan Singh Tomar, Gangs of Wasseypur, Sahib Biwi aur Gangster etc,.

Having tried his hand at something “zara hat ke” Dhulia’s casting of a fresh new lead pair (saif & Sonakshi) appears to have done the trick because the pair not only look good together but share a good sense of timing together that reflects well on their chemistry together.

Bullett Raja is yet another tale set in Uttar Pradesh. The story tells the tale of a Lucknow-based young man Raja Mishra (Saif). Raja Mishra is a regular bloke who goes off to the

dark side following a street fight. The fight marks the beginning of a life of ‘gundagardi’ for him and his partner in crime Rudra (Jimmy Sher gill) who make a sort of Jai-Veeru duo. The film meanders slowly in the first half trying to lay

down the basis of the story,it does pick up speed in the second half .

What works for Bullet Raja is crisp performances from the cast, Saif is good with his laconic comedy, Shergill intense and

funny at times. Jamwal continues where he left off in “Commando” with his kungfu-karate. Sonakshi does the best she can given the male dominated story. Raj Babbar and Gulshan Grover infuse their roles with the right amount of sleazy oiliness that defines people of their ilk.

The music is perhaps what lets the film down despite Tamanche Pe Disco which is climbing the charts. BR is a rollercoaster ride, with a bit khatta-meetha, LOL comedy and a little bit of everything thrown in

Verdict: 2 and half stars from me. Watch the movie if you want to see desi action, and loud dialogues. Bullet Raja is actually an out and out masala film that has nothing new to offer.

- Rajesh Krishnamurthy is a writer, columnist and film reviewer based in Auckland. His reviews are also available on his blog www.

matineefilms.blogspot.co.nz

MOVIE REVIEW


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Indian Weekender Vol 5 issue 15

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Transcript of Indian Weekender Vol 5 issue 15