Indian Weekender 24 October 2014

www.iwk.co.nz24 October 2014

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The Celebration Continues

24 October, 2014 Vol. 6 Issue 14 | www.iwk.co.nz

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The Celebration Continues


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Here’s an extra reason to celebrate Diwali. Send us your stories or photos of your family and friends enjoying the Festival of Lights, and the two top entries will win 10 grams of pure gold each (plus one runner up will win 5 grams of gold).

Send your entry to [email protected] with your name and address. The entries will be judged on 3 November 2014 and the winners notified on 7 November 2014.

Happy Diwali from everyone at ASB.

Succeed on.

Terms and conditions apply. For more details visit asb.co.nz/diwali.

asb.co.nz/diwali

2014 Diwali message from Rt Hon John Key

Happy Diwali.

The Diwali Festival of Lights is a celebration that brings together New Zealanders from all walks of life.

I always enjoy attending Diwali celebrations. The delicious Indian food, exciting performances, and warm and welcoming spirit make it a wonderful family occasion. I hope you enjoy this year’s Diwali celebrations.

Diwali is an important celebration for both Indian New Zealanders and New Zealanders of all ages and ethnic backgrounds.

It is an opportunity to recognise the growing contribution our Indian communities make to our success as a nation.

As Prime Minister, I value the strong relationship the National-led Government has with our Indian communities.

National will also continue to work hard on the issues that matter to New Zealanders.

Over the past six years we have been transparent and straightforward about our decisions and the direction we have taken, and we will continue to do what we said we would do.

I am optimistic and ambitious for all New Zealanders. I hope you enjoy celebrating Diwali, best wishes for the year ahead.

Rt Hon John KeyPrime Minister

DIWALI GREETINGS


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HOW WE CELEBRATE?We Eat. We love. We Pray. And that’s how we usher in the festivities¡¡ Paula Ray, Maya Shivam and

Swati Sharma

There are many important things in life. Learning, growing, loving and exploring

are things that each of us should take time out for. Celebrations add excitement and to live a life filled with regular doses of celebrations – big or small - makes it worth living.

We celebrate a variety of causes. But when celebrations are coupled with festivals, they somehow become brighter and more joyous. They become the reason for friends and family members to come together, to dress up, to shop, to cook, to eat together, to dance to popular tunes. Indian Weekender decided to take on a journey to find out how we Kiwi-Indians celebrate our festivals away from our home country. It turns out, be it India or New Zealand, we like to celebrate and we do it in all its glory, pomp and splendour. We don’t hold back, whether it is shopping, dressing, eating or simply partying. In our special feature, we bring you some aspects of the big fat Indian celebration and accounts of festivities from some of our readers. Needless to say, the underlying flavour of the feature still remains Diwali.

Ankit Kumar Ahir, Mt RoskillNavratri is the biggest festival of the year for

us Gujaratis. Even though we are far away from our country, I always celebrate this festival. While in India I used to fast on all nine days. But here everyone is busy in their work. Still I do fast, not for all nine days, but at least for one day during Navratri. Different temples and community associations organize Garba and Dandiya during the festival days. I go there with

my friends and enjoy the dance. I offer puja and aarti for all nine days at my home. Other than that, Diwali is also a major festival. I light diyas at home on Diwali. We don’t usually get leave from work to

celebrate the festival on the exact day. But like this year, when we get a long weekend, I usually go out with my friend and we party.

Manpreet Kaur Bains, New LynnFor me Diwali and our Ten Guru Sahibs’

birthdays are the major festivals of the year.

Although our work schedule doesn’t allow us to celebrate all festivals like we used to do in

India, whenever I get a chance I try to make the best of it. On

Diwali, after finishing work I go to

G u r u d w a r a Sahib at

Takanini, w h e r e

w e

l is ten t o

G u r b a n i and Kirtan.

We light diyas, we have langar and

then at the end, watch amazing fireworks. I also go

shopping with my friends. Festivals are the only days when we get a chance to meet our people, our friends and families here in Auckland. With such a busy schedule, it is big thing for me if I get time to go to Gurudwara on

a festival day.

Ekta Singh, New LynnAs my brother and his family live in

Auckland, I visit them on festivals. We cook different dishes and enjoy yummy food, like we used to in Mumbai. I am originally from Nepal and I do not have a strong bonding with other people here as I had some bad experiences in my early days. I feel shy getting along with new people. It takes me time to trust them. I have made very few friends in three years of being in New Zealand. But I love partying with my ‘very few’ friends. I love Holi, the festival of colors, and I miss the Indian way of celebrating these festivals.

Gaurav Naik, New LynnMy way of celebrating festivals is ‘hostel

type’. We are six roommates at our home and all are from different parts of India. Though I am Marathi from Goa, most of my friends are north Indian. So together we end up celebrating almost all festivals. The major festival of the year for me is Ganesh Chaturthi. I am completely vegetarian for all five days of this festival. Unlike the rest of the year, I offer prayers regularly on these five days. My roommates have become my family here. We make sweets at home, enjoy music and dance. I am a chef and always busy at work. I don’t even get a chance to visit the temple. In three years I have been to the temples only twice.

One thing that I think also limits the festival celebration options here is the fact that community organisations do not focus on other festivals other than Diwali. There are other major Indian festivals too like Holi, Vaisakhi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga puja. The council celebrates Diwali on such a large scale, so we end up celebrating only that festival. If not council, then at least community organisations must focus other festivals too. If they celebrate those festivals, then it is limited to their network only. There isn’t much publicity and hence we miss those celebrations.

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LEGAL ASSOCIATES

Sachin Sen, organiser of Puja Sangha Inc.Durga puja is our festival and we mainly

spend it by cooking together and eating together. Our Puja Sangha group was formed by Bengalis from Bangladesh and what comes as a novelty is the intermingling with Calcutta-based Bengalis. I came to NZ in 1996 and we started our puja from 1997. In those days, we had about 40-50 families and now we are reduced to four or five families; most of them have moved to other countries. We got the Durga idol from Calcutta. Since there is no immersion, we continue to worship the same idol.

One weekend we celebrate Durga puja and the following weekend Probasee and Nandan associations celebrate puja. This way we get to visit each other’s festivities and also have the celebrations over four days.

Kranthi Naraharisetty, Auckland CentralI am originally from Hyderabad and we

celebrate three days of Deepavali. We actually do Laxmi puja on Diwali. We follow our customs just as we do in India, very religiously. But, unlike India, we cannot put diyas outside the apartment; we have to keep them inside. Yes, we light traditional clay diyas.

Arijit Chakraborty, Mount AlbertFestivals to me are all about eating. I try to

attend some Durga pujas and Diwali celebrations in Auckland. But my friends and I invariably end up at restaurants. On Durga puja we did go to a puja, but it was not interesting enough. So we went to an Indian restaurant and merrily gorged on yummy food. At Auckland Diwali Festival, we loved the panipuris and dahipuris. Yes, some of the performances were good too.

Soby Bernard Thomas, secretary of Auckland Malayali Samajam

For the last 15 years, we have been celebrating Malayali festivals in Auckland. Initially, it was a challenge to establish our identity and our culture. That stage is over. Now we are part of the multicultural fabric of Auckland. During

festivals, we look back at our cultural roots and follow customs. Our celebrations fit in with our work culture. We struggle to find time and stretch ourselves. But the basic purpose of these celebrations is to teach our kids about our culture, understand our values, even if it means we need to skewer our schedule a little bit.only. There isn’t much publicity and hence we miss those celebrations.

Sachin Sen, organiser of Puja Sangha Inc.Durga puja is our festival and we mainly

spend it by cooking together and eating together. Our Puja Sangha group was formed by Bengalis from Bangladesh and what comes as a novelty is the intermingling with Calcutta-based Bengalis. I came to NZ in 1996 and we started our puja from 1997. In those days, we had about 40-50 families and now we are reduced to four or five families; most of them have moved to other countries. We got the Durga idol from Calcutta. Since there is no immersion, we continue to worship the same idol.

One weekend we celebrate Durga puja and

the following weekend Probasee and Nandan associations celebrate puja. This way we get to visit each other’s festivities and also have the celebrations over four days.

Kranthi Naraharisetty, Auckland CentralI am originally from Hyderabad and we

celebrate three days of Deepavali. We actually do Laxmi puja on Diwali. We follow our

customs just as we do in India, very religiously. But, unlike India, we cannot put diyas outside the apartment; we have to keep them inside. Yes, we light traditional clay diyas.

Arijit Chakraborty, Mount AlbertFestivals to me are all about eating. I try to

attend some Durga pujas and Diwali celebrations in Auckland. But my friends and I invariably end up at restaurants. On Durga puja we did go to a puja, but it was not interesting enough. So we went to an Indian restaurant and merrily gorged on yummy food. At Auckland Diwali Festival, we loved the panipuris and dahipuris. Yes, some of the performances were good too.

Soby Bernard Thomas, secretary of Auckland Malayali Samajam

For the last 15 years, we have been celebrating Malayali festivals in Auckland. Initially, it was a challenge to establish our identity and our culture. That stage is over. Now we are part of the multicultural fabric of Auckland. During festivals, we look back at our cultural roots and follow customs. Our celebrations fit in with our work culture. We struggle to find time and stretch ourselves. But the basic purpose of these celebrations is to teach our kids about our culture, understand our values, even if it means we need to skewer our schedule a little bit.

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Red Black OrangeIt’s ladoos over chocolates for Indians during Diwali¡¡ Rahul Vaishnavi

Despite stiff competition from attractively packed imported chocolates, fancy

cookies, cakes, and muffins on every Diwali, branded traditional Indian sweets - a market estimated at Rs.49,000 crore ($8 billion) - have not only managed to hold on to their own but have witnessed a steady rise in sales due to an expanding market, rising incomes and, most importantly, the emotional value associated with them, outlet owners say.

Sweets like kaju katli (sweet cake made of cashew nut powder and sugar), patisa (sweet flaky cakes of gram flour), mysore pak (sweet small cakes made from butter, sugar and gram flour), badam halwa (fried flour cooked with sugar syrup and ghee and topped with almonds) and gulab jamun (fried dough balls soaked in sugar syrup) are high on the preference list of Indians this festive season.

“All types of barfis, especially kaju barfi along with patisa and gulab jamun, are selling in good numbers as they are premium sweets and also have a long shelf life of around 15 days,” Deepta Gupta, executive vice president of sweets and savouries maker Bikanerwala

Foods, told Media. Gupta acknowledged the rising market

share of sweets like cookies, cakes, dougnuts, and the latest rage - macaroons - that are being sold by several upscale bakeries all over the city

and have particularly caught the fancy of youngsters who may find the traditional Indian sweets boring.

“But the market is expanding and there is space for everyone. Moreover, the branded sweets market has increased by around 30 percent this Diwali season as compared to last year,” Gupta added.

“Moreover, laddoos will always have an emotional bond with

Indians as compared to chocolates as mithais (sweets) are a part of our culture,” he said.

However, growing at a CAGR of about 25 percent, India’s chocolate industry size is currently worth about Rs 5,000 crore and is likely to cross Rs 7,500 crore mark in the next couple of years.

Besides, India’s per-capita chocolate consumption is hovering at about 100 grams and urban centres account for 35 percent of the chocolate consumption in the country.

Cadbury is leading the pack with about 70 percent market share followed by Nestle, Amul, Ferrero Rocher, Toblerone.

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Red Black OrangeDiwali dressing: Ditch Anarkalis, try cleaner cuts

Floor-length and flared Anarkali suits have been a rage in fashion circuits for a while.

This festive season, go for a change and glam up your wardrobe with more defined A-line kurtas, pants or kurtis with skirts.

The reason why anarkalis were appreciated heavily till last year was because it served great

on the Indian body types, but the mindset is shifting towards more clean cuts and patterns, feel experts.

“Anarkalis are big no this season as no one wants to buy such cuts this season. Go for A-line and asymmetrical kurtas as they are back in trend,” says designer Samant Chauhan

But be very careful when choosing the outfits.

“While choosing the A-line silhouette, a person can look for the appropriate sized flare and ease, especially the cut. A person can easily skip dupatta with an A line-kurti, and instead opt for flared bottoms to add feminine character to their look,” says designer Swapnil Shinde

“Tunics with high slits also look great when paired with flared palazzos and skirts, and a sharara would add more feel to the traditional look. However, a person with a larger size, should avoid high slits and lot of flare, and should go for straight fit trousers or salwars,” he added.

If one is not satisfied with the above options, then try A-line Jaipuri skirts with short kurtis instead of churidars and anarkalis.

“Such dressing will give you a beautiful and sober look,” says designer Reynu Taandon.

While the shades of white has been predicted as the favourite colour

for the forthcoming season, but keeping in mind the fascination

for colours amongst Indian women, one can

experiment with bright hues like blue, orange and pink.

However, avoid overdoing everything!

“Overdoing your look is a gone trend. Women nowadays prefer tone on tone embroideries, lighter

colour tones and palettes. Experimenting

with colours like ivory, overall metallic look in

gunmetal, vintage champagne, gold and silver, metallic tones of

dull copper and olive, can give you a subtle yet elegant look,” said designer

Pam Mehta. In terms of the

fabric, go for georgette over chiffon for an

A-line kurti, as it has heavier fall. Also, silk and net can be tried.

And yes, festivity does not only mean clothes -- it also means choosing the right accessories.

Big chunky karas (broad bangles) with ghungroos, customised head pieces,

haatphools, crystal belts, arm

bands and chand-balis add to the look and make your outfit complete. Also, branded clutches, Indian potlis and pouches with vintage embroideries add that zing to your outfit, said Mehta.

So what are you waiting for? Try these quick tips from designers and don’t forget to smile – that is the best accessory a woman can wear.

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Red Black OrangeThe diya and its avatars¡¡ Paula Ray

No festive fabric is complete without the decoration of lights, especially so if

it’s Diwali. Patterns are created by colours, motifs or in combination with other customary artefacts of worship.

Traditionally, clay diyas formed the crux of such decorations. Children would sit around and make diyas out of clay and paint them in bright colours. Then the elders would fill them up with oil or ghee and roll wicks out of cotton wool, place them in the diyas and light them after sun-down.

This practice was very soon replaced by readymade diyas bought from the market. Every year, a few weeks before Diwali, the market would be filled with diyas of every size and painted in every possible colour combinations. They made things easier on festive days – all you had to do was buy them, fill them up with oil, place a wick (also bought readymade) and finally, place the diyasto design patterns.

Soon after, the ghee and the wick became

too cumbersome to deal with and got replaced by tea-lights. Instead of ghee, the tin tubs would be filled with wax and a wick would sit securely in the centre. The best part of tea-lights was the fact that you could place them inside decorated pots or candle holders. This

prompted the market to invest on innovative holders – decorated in fancy colours,

shapes and sizes – rather than the tea-light itself. All you did was

buy the holder of your choice, place the tea-light inside it

and light it to complete your decoration.

Cut to the present. Tea-lights are too risky. We don’t want fire around us when children are running around and having fun. So now we have LEDs.

They run on battery and can be waterproof. The LEDs themselves come in different shapes: sticks, floral, revolving, etc. Or you can simply place an LED in the shape of a tea-light inside one of those holders. To retain the touch of the yore, the holders are sometimes even made out of clay. The variants are endless;how you combine the alternatives, reflects your unique aesthetics.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

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Travellers Diwali – Top six places to celebrate¡¡ Maya Shivam

Diwali in India is celebrated over a period of five days to honour the “triumph of good over evil”. It also marks the arrival of the Hindu New Year. The five days constituting Diwali are Dhanteras, Chhoti Diwali, Badi Diwali, Goverdhan Puja and BhaiDooj. If you plan to travel during Diwali then you must remember one important point. The quintessence of Diwali can be experienced only if you participate in the carnival with the local people. The top six Diwali destinations are:

The capital city of India can be a little overwhelming at the best of times and during Diwali is no exception, which makes it a fascinating experience, a treat for the senses.Diwali in Delhi starts from Dussehra itself. Visit any market place and you will find banners and placards everywhere. The major commercial centres of Delhi get packed with shoppers and shopping offers. People start to splurge on new clothes, gifts, fruits, sweets and firecrackers for the preparation of Dhanteras and Diwali. Delhi is possibly also the food capital and you can indulge in the any yummy treat that your heart desires. The numerous shopping malls also come alive and are immensely decorated.

The Golden Temple of Amritsar is draped with brightly lit diyas on the Diwali evening making it an extravagant spectacle for the onlookers. The reflection of the diyas on the water creates a truly magical environment. The planning of the festival starts, however, weeks in advance. Each house is decorated with leaves, flowers and other pretty items with rangolis featuring on the entrance. All the locals prepare various sweets and dishes to share them with friends, relatives, neighbours and community. The Diwali night sees spectacular fireworks lighting up the night sky. Also known for its food, you see the locales enjoy different foods everywhere and the air is filled with aromas that are truly difficult to resist.

Am

rits

ar


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SPECIAL FEATURE

Jaip

ur

Vara

nasi

One of the cherished moments of your life will be to have a slice of Pink City’s version of Diwali. The city, a popular tourist destination

is decorated in all the available colours found in a dreamer’s palette. If you explore the highly embellished markets, you will find at least 2000 different varieties of earthen lamps in the form of deities all over town. Handicrafts, firecrackers, gift items, and local traditional clothes also flood the marts during Diwali. Each year, notably, a contest is held to award the best-decorated market.

A beautiful city to visit at any time of year and a major trading centre, Jaipur is abuzz during Diwali. In Jaipur Diwali starts with great fervour on Dhanteras, as Dhanteras is the day of Kubera, the Lord of Wealth, he is worshipped along with Lakshmi (the Goddess of Wealth). People in Jaipur flock to markets to buy metal objects as it is considered auspicious; anything goes from gold coins, jewelry, electronics to cars. The celebrations then reach a peak on Diwali day (or Amavasya) and continue until Bhaidhuj.

Considered by many to be one of the most spiritual places on earth,Diwali in Varanasi is just beautiful. The ghats come alive with diyas that are lit

and then floated on the Ganges. This just adds to the atmosphere in this already beautiful ancient town, making it one of the best places to see Diwali. Varanasi can be an experience of a lifetime – a journey for the soul.

It is even worthwhile visiting Varanasi after Diwali, as they celebrate this festival in a unique way. The festival of Diwali culminates on KartikPurnima (the day of the full moon) which falls fifteen days after Diwali. This occasion is called Dev Diwali (“the Diwali of the Gods” or “Festival of Lights of the Gods”) and is celebrated with much pomp and pageantry.

More than a million earthen lamps (diyas) are lit on the steps of the ghats that line the bank of the river Ganges, right from RavidasGhat at the southern end to Rajghat. Locals decorate their houses with oil lamps and rangoli (colored designs made with powder and wheat flour) at their front door and firecrackers are exploded at night. There are also processions of decorated deities on the streets of Varanasi. The lamps are set afloat on the Ganges. It really is a magical experience to watch.


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SPECIAL FEATURE

Mum

bai

Kolk

ata

The city that never sleeps - is an exciting city to visit at any time of year, but it really does come alive during Diwali. Located on the Arabian

Sea, there are plenty of great vantage points to watch fireworks including Marine Drive. The entire market area in South Mumbai is lit up and a great place to witness some frenzied buying and selling. Even the large shopping malls across Mumbai are brightly decorated, and if you visit them on the actual day of Diwali make sure you dress up.

There are also plenty of places to see where the lamps and lanterns are actually made and sold.

Needless to say, that a country like India with its rich and diverse cultural heritage is a visitors’ paradise anytime of the year, but what better time than Diwali to visit and immerse yourself in the festivities.

“Shyama Puja” or “Kali Puja” is Kolkata’s answer to Diwali. The date of the puja coincides with Diwali. According to the Hindu mythology, “Kali”

is treated as the “Shakti” (i.e. the goddess of Power). During the puja, which generally takes place at midnight, people decorate their houses and do beautiful rangoli patterns at the entrance of their house to welcome the Goddess and try to appease her with live offering of lamb or buffalo. The “prasad” (i.e. food offered to the deity) is then shared among the devotees. A day prior to the puja, little candles, diyas, and small-decorated electric bulbs, light up the “city of joy.” On the day of the puja, firecrackers cover the sky displaying a fascinating array of fireworks.

Information collated from traveliq.com and travelmike.com


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NEW ZEALAND

Best Wishes for a Very Happy Diwali and a Prosperous Hindu New Year.

May your lives be filled with Health, Wealth, Happiness and Prosperity.

From Dr Kanti & Mrs Ranjna Patel and all of us at Nirvana Health Group

NEW CLINIC OPEN NOWETHC Takanini

30 Walters Road, Takanini (near The Warehouse)8:30am – 6pm (Mon - Fri) | 9am – 1pm (Sat)

New patients welcomeFree consultations for enrolled children aged 17 and under

Free ACC consultations • No appointment needed

For more info call: 274-7823 or visit: www.ethc.co.nz

SOUTHAirport Oaks 149, Kirkbride Road, Airport OaksBairds Road 160 Bairds Road, OtaraChapel Park 160 Chapel Road, Chapel ParkClendon 459 Roscommon Road, ClendonDannemora 1 Redcastle Drive, DannemoraDawson Road 124 Dawson Road, Chapel DownsEast Tamaki 275 East Tamaki Road, East TamakiHill Road 7 Hill Road, ManurewaMangere Bridge 41 Coronation Road, Mangere BridgeMangere Town Centre 10 Waddon Place, MangereOtara Mall 120 East Tamaki Road, OtaraTakanini 30 Walters Road, TakaniniTe Puea Marae Clinic 34 Miro Road, Mangere BridgeWeymouth 235 Browns Road, Manurewa

CENTRALGlen Innes 5 Mayfair Place, Glen InnesOtahuhu 15 - 23 Station Road, OtahuhuSandringham 546 Sandringham Road, SandringhamSylvia Park Level 1, Shop N215, 286 Mt Wellington Highway, Mt Wellington

Mt ROSKILLMt. Roskill 445 Richardson Road, Mt RoskillStoddard Road 20 Stoddard Road, Mt Roskill

WESTLincoln Road 131 Lincoln Road, HendersonRanui 421 Swanson Road, RanuiWai Health Clinic Cnr Edsel &C atherine Streets, Henderson

“Unity is strength”The New Zealand Indian Central Association

(NZICA) established in 1926 with three Branches of Indian Association throughout New Zealand has now ten Full Branches, one Associate Branch, five Associate Members and one Probationary Associate Member. Members of NZICA Inc. have worked relentlessly in the last 88 years creating a good living environment for Indians in New Zealand.

Having an established track record of 88 years existence NZICA Inc. takes the lead role in association with all other Indian groups to raise collective voice for the wider Indian Community. Recently NZICA Inc. had a united voice against the racial comments by Wellington DJ, Changes to cremation laws by Auckland Council and had also arranged Kiwi Indian Conclave to have a dialogue with the political parties on various issues of National interest by Indian Community. All these events were arranged with various Indian organisations / groups and News media to raise a united voice.

Be self-respectful and voice your concerns about any discrimination’s. Get support for Immigration, Superannuation, Law and Order, Safety, Health and Welfare or any other related matter. Be responsible, responsive and participate in feedback process for any Legislation and above all be a part of the change that you want to see.

You may reach NZICA by becoming a member of any of our branches or associate members namely Auckland Indian Association, Pukekohe Indian Association, Waikato Indian Association, Country Section NZ Indian Association, Bay of Plenty Indian Association, Taranaki Indian Association, Central Districts Indian Association, Wellington Indian Association, Christchurch Indian Association, Manukau Indian Association, Punjabi Cultural Association, NZ Kannada Koota, NZ Telgu Association, NZ Probasee Bengali Association, Muthtamil Sangam, Auckland Marathi Association and Malayali Samajam

Important issues dealt with through the years such as Immigration, Race relations, Discrimination, Human Rights, Health And Welfare, Law and Order, Promotion of Indian Cultural Events, Suppression of white league, Portability of retirement pension, Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI), Political representation in NZ, Equal Opportunity, Indian TV in NZ as well as Indian News Media Newspapers and radio broad cast.

In the current census Indian community has grown up to 160,000 comprising of people from all states within India. NZICA Inc. encourages all the people of Indian origin to enrol themselves as members of Indian Associations or groups and raise a collective voice.

For more information please visit our website – www.nzindians.org.nz

For any further information please contact General Secretary NZICA

Email: [email protected], Phone: 022 399 0322

The Gita goes to New Zealand ParliamentMahesh Bindra, first Indian MP from New Zealand First, was sworn in as Member of Parliament today. It was a proud moment for every Kiwi-Indian, as he held the Hindu scripture ‘The Gita’ in his hands while swearing in and taking the oath in Maori language. Bindra is among the three Kiwi-Indians leaders who made it to the Parliament this year. We look forward to more representation of our community and improved engagement at the national level.


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MAYORALDRIVENews from the Counci l

Simpler hearings tools to be developed for navigationHelp is at hand for submitters to the

Auckland Unitary Plan hearings who are having difficulties understanding and navigating the hearings process.

The Independent Hearings Panel considering the more than 9500 submissions – and a further 3500 further submissions – says it’s important that the process encourages everyone to be involved.

One mis-conception is that submitters can only take part in the hearings process if they have legal counsel, expert witnesses and evidence.

The chair of the Independent Hearings Panel, Judge David Kirkpatrick, said this most definitely is not the case and while this was explained in documents on the Panel’s website, it needs to be highlighted.

“We want it to be as simple as possible for submitters to participate,” said Judge Kirkpatrick.

“The Unitary Plan process is big and complicated – it’s a complete review of the regional policy statement, four regional plans and seven district plans – but submitters can keep it relatively simple if they want to.”

This will all be available by the end of October.

Panel staff are available to help submitters with questions and guidance through contact at [email protected] or 09 979 5566

Auckland Council gets its teeth into Kai Auckland

Hundreds of people across Auckland are sitting down to share community meals

this week as part of the launch of Kai Auckland.Kai Auckland is being led by Aucklanders

who have collectively identified healthy, home grown food can nourish their communities, is more budget friendly, creates connection in their neighbourhoods and will help solve food scarcity.

These people and their community groups want to connect, share and grow a stronger, healthier, more equitable food system through a number of initiatives including food hubs, school programmes, access to local food and enterprising opportunities and activities where people can eat and celebrate food.

“Auckland Council is happy to be supporting Kai Auckland because this city is facing significant food related social problems including hunger, poor nutrition and obesity,” says Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse.

“Better knowledge about food can lead to adults and children eating well, performing better in their lives, connecting with their neighbours and feeling better about themselves.”

Around 20 community groups and individuals took part in the Kai Auckland community meals launch held to coincide with International Food Day on October 16th.

Air Quality Bylaw to tackle air pollutionAuckland Council’s Regulatory and Bylaws

Committee adopted a draft Air Quality Bylaw today to tackle Auckland’s air pollution. The proposed bylaw has been recommended as a way of meeting national air quality standards, as required by the Government.

In winter, 75 percent of Auckland’s air pollution is due to fine particulate emissions (PM10) from open fires and old, non-compliant wood burners. The inhaling of fine particles - which can lodge in the lungs - has raised the level of respiratory illness in the region, a surprise to many who thought that vehicles or industry pollution was to blame. The proposed Air Quality Bylaw will focus on the management of indoor fires to reduce the emissions of these fine particles into our air.

“It is hard to comprehend that the warmth emanating from that wood fire we enjoy on a cold winter night is the cause of serious health issues. By concentrating on the air pollution culprit in winter - indoor fires - we

will not only achieve cleaner air, we will be well on our way to meeting national air quality standards,” says Calum Penrose, Chair, Regulatory and Bylaws Committee.

The committee held a robust discussion about the various i m p l e m e n t a t i o n

timings of the bylaw and Councillor Penrose was pleased with the resulting recommendation of prohibiting both open fires and older wood burners (pre-2005) in October 2018. This will allow homeowners and landlords time to consider alternative heating sources.

All regional councils are required to monitor air pollution levels to ensure particle concentrations are within National Environmental Standards for Air Quality (AQNES) requirements and that we identify any areas - airsheds - where air quality may exceed standards. The Ministry for the Environment now requires all councils to meet the AQNES standards with no more than one exceedance per year in a region by 2016.

The bylaw is expected to be tabled at Auckland Council’s Governing Body meeting later this month. Calls for public submissions will begin on 10 November.

NEW ZEALAND


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POWER COLUMN

Less talk, let’s start building houses

The government and numerous experts say the housing crisis is complex. No it isn’t.

What they have failed to do is focus on the need to address supply and demand.

Buzzwords like social housing are being used by the government as it focuses on its end goal of privatising state housing. It has no time for a practical and worthwhile solution.

The government has not added to the supply of houses in its six years in office and they have done little to reduce demand – immigration is at a record level.

What is needed is an urgent solution with tens of thousands of housing being built.

We must do away with the negative talk. We need the will to solve this quickly. In wartime and after catastrophes we have demonstrated we can take quick action. The lack of housing is a crisis that needs similar attention. Tens of thousands are waiting for state houses and thousands are renting because of the ridiculously high house prices.

And the housing crisis is hitting a cross section of New Zealanders – not just people out of work, but many two-wage households.

In a decent society like New Zealand there is no place for workers and their families to be forced to live in a car or for children to be ill because their home is of a poor standard. The

taxpayer bears the cost of dealing with the consequences of poverty, better for us to pay the cost upfront of housing everyone. There will be a massive, positive spinoff.

A decent home makes it easier for a person to pick themselves up in life.

New Zealand First wants to see a big build of houses. Jobs will be created – not for migrant workers, as has happened in dairying and the Christchurch Rebuild, but jobs targeted at Kiwis who want to learn a trade or who need the confidence that comes from being part of the workforce.

Industry will get a huge boost, at all levels, from planning, supply and delivery of materials to trade work.

A new supply of houses will reduce housing

demand, relieving pressure on out of control housing prices.

Only good can come when every New Zealander has a decent place to call home.

Winston PetersNZ First leader

Opening of Parliament

It’s great to be part of a strong, stable National-led Government. I’m particularly looking

forward to the opening of the 51st Parliament next week (20-21 October) when I will be sworn in along with 59 other National MPs.

The opening of Parliament signals the start of a busy time leading up to Christmas as the John Key-led Government gets on with the job of locking in the gains our country has made in the past six years.

The formal opening of Parliament, with all its pomp, will be carried out in two ceremonies. On Monday (20 October) the Chief Justice, the

President of the Court of Appeal and the Chief High Court Judge act as Royal commissioners and declare Parliament open on the Governor-General’s behalf. MPs will be sworn in and the Speaker elected.

The next morning (21 October) is the State Opening of Parliament at which the Governor-General will give the Speech from the Throne in the Legislative Council Chamber. The speech outlines the National-led Government’s legislative and policy plans for this term.

In the afternoon MPs begin the Address-in-Reply debate in the House. In this 19-hour debate Government MPs will reiterate our plan to support growth, more jobs and higher incomes, and provide opportunities for New Zealanders and their families to get ahead.

It’s great to see that two of our 14 new MPs will lead off the debate with their maiden

speeches. List MP Chris Bishop will move the Address-in-Reply and Taranaki-King Country MP Barbara Kuriger will second it.

National’s priorities for this term include working for Kiwi families by investing in teacher quality, free doctors’ visits for under-13s, extending paid parental leave, and helping more Kiwis into their first home.

The KiwiSaver HomeStart Grant will double support a first home buyer can get if they are buying or building a new home, which will encourage the supply of more affordable new housing.

We also want to increase the provision of social housing for the most at-risk, low-income New Zealanders, with community housing providers playing a bigger role.

It’s important to lift our long-term growth rate and we’ll help do this by continuing to

diversify and build productivity in the economy. This includes passing the Employment Relations Bill to ensure flexible labour markets that create more jobs for Kiwis, and reforming the Resource Management Act to provide more certainty, timeliness, and cost-effectiveness in decision-making.

We will work for local communities by continuing to supporting more Kiwis from welfare to work because full-time, sustainable work is the best way to lift families out of poverty. We’ll continue to reduce crime, and invest in better roads, broadband, and public transport.

National’s clear plan is about working for New Zealand, delivering sustainable economic growth, and helping households get ahead.

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi National List MP


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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

Retailer therapyOperation Dukan and related workshops conducted by New Zealand Police advise retailers on how to deal with robbery and burglary

¡¡ Paula Ray

What should I do at the time of a robbery? Can I defend myself? Can I detain the

offender if I managed to restrain him? Why do criminals target small businesses?

These are some of the questions discussed at a recent workshop conducted at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre by NZ Police, New Zealand Indian Central Association (NZICA) and Auckland Indian Association Inc (AIAI).

Speaking about the workshop, Nanette Nathoo, NZICA and AIAI, Law and Order Crime Prevention Chairperson, says that there were several exercises carried out to make people aware of how a crime can be committed, as well as how to deal with the situation when it happens.

In fact, during the workshop a hands-on experiment was carried out, whereby one of the participants (who is actually one of the organisers) suddenly snatched something from the room and ran away. He had been sitting there all through and so nobody had expected it to happen. After he ran away, the organisers asked to identify the person/ robber – in terms of his clothes, shoes, features, eye and hair colour.

Bhikhu Bhana, a community advisor, says, “This was extremely enlightening and informative. The mock exercise conducted in the session helped us learn some very helpful techniques to combat robberies. It would benefit not only business owners, but also general public. It was good that the workshop had a good participation from the Kiwi-Indian

community. The police were very obliging and now they have an ethnic police on their staff.”

This workshop was in tandem with Operation Dukan that is being conducted by Counties Manukau District Police. The operation is being carried out over four weeks in three phases: Initial Engagement, Safety Seminars, Re-engagement. “The response to date has been excellent and we have had positive engagement with the retailers,” says Sergeant Gurpreet Arora, District Ethnic Services Coordinator, Counties Manukau.

During this operation, ethnic police officers with language and cultural capability, are engaging with ethnic retailers, especially dairies, liquor stores and minimarts, throughout Counties Manukau District and provide crime prevention information to retailers. The retailers attended

Retail Safety Seminars conducted at Manukau Police Station on 13th and 14th October, 2014. At present, the police officers are engaged in seeking feedback till 24th October, 2014.

The purpose of the initiative is to re-establish trust and confidence amongst retailers, provide safety awareness, reassurance. “Through our workshops, we have impressed upon the retailers that they can approach the police whenever necessary and be confident of getting help from us. We have tried to build their trust and confidence in us. We have distributed several DVDs, which contain seven videos of ‘how to make your business a safer place’, among the retailers. These videos are also available on YouTube (www.youtube.com/getbanz). Nearly 2,000 posters on crime prevention have been handed out to retailers. We have also offered to give crime prevention advice in person,” says Sergeant Arora.

“The police are doing a great job,” adds wNathoo. A crime prevention booklet that was handed out to all participants at the workshop

is now being translated to Gujarati. A similar workshop will be conducted in Wellington in the coming weeks.

Raj Mishra, a community leader, who attended the workshop says, “There was so much to learn. Before attending the workshop I didn’t even know the difference between robbery and burglary. A burglary is committed when somebody snatches cash or goods. But when they are armed and they threaten you with it, it is termed robbery.”

Pravin Dahya, a retailer, feels his most valuable takeaway from the workshop, was the advice to remember the clothes, shoes, height, look and other physical features of the person committing the crime. “Take a peek at the person, but remember not to stare,” he adds.

Counties Manukau police personnel advise retailers within their zone (top); Nanette Nathoo, Jessica Phuang and constable Rob at a workshop held at Mahatma Gandhi Center (above)

Advice to retailers:Assessment of retailer’s shop floor layout and teach them the importance of CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design)• Installation of CCTV• Strategic positioning of front counter • Good lightingc inside the store• Installation of burglar alarm• Clear shop windows• Strategic height of stock shelves

Follow COOP strategy: remain ‘Calm’; ‘Obey’ what is told to you; ‘Observe’ what is happening around you; ‘Preserve’ the details of the criminal and his/her acts. If you give these details to the police, it helps them act on the situation much faster.


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The Ancient Indian Caste System¡¡ Mahesh Bindra

NZ First MP

I am going to talk about the Indian Caste System tonight. While I have taken care to

do a fair bit of research, there may be aspects of my speech that some members may not necessarily agree with, or may find inaccurate. It is a beauty of modern day democracy that I have the right to express my thoughts, as much as the others have the right to. It is hard to put a finger on the time period when the Caste System would have started. There are some historians who think it would have been around 500 BC while there are others who differ. The ancient Hindu scriptures called the Vedas, describe a Kshatriya’s (Warrior’s) Dharma (Duty) which leads us to believe that the System is actually older than some historians think!

Whatever may be the case, one thing is clear that the Caste System was designed with the purpose of providing the society with an effective and efficient system where tasks were allocated according to Castes. I think the ancient Hindus were excellent administrators (Even Gods had portfolios!) Goddess Laxmi is the Deity for wealth and prosperity and Goddess Saraswati is the Deity for knowledge, education and fine arts. (Woman Power!)

The top layer of the social structure were the Brahmins also loosely known as Pandits. The modern day slang Pundit (Subject matter expert) is derived from the same word (Pandit). The Brahmins were subject matter experts, educators, religious workers, mathematicians, scientists and more often than not, advised the Rulers in the field of Policies, finance and governance.

A prominent Brahmin in the modern day India was Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the First Prime Minister of independent India.

The Rulers usually were from the Caste called the Kshatriyas. The Kshatriyas were the soldiers, the Land owners, the administrators and were entrusted with the responsibility of not only protecting the geographical borders of the state but also enforcing government policies and maintaining law and order.

A prominent Kshatriya in the modern day India is.......Me. Admirals even in today’s day and age come from that just kidding.... Most Generals and the third layer of the society was no less important than any other. They were the Vaisyas. They were the businessmen, traders and to a certain extent the crafts men. Their role was to keep the economy of the state going while creating wealth for themselves.

A prominent Vaisya of our times is Laxmi Narayan Mittal who has become an inevitable fixture of the Forbes magazine and is rumoured to be wealthier than the queen. He owns the biggest and the second biggest steel business in the world. I think Goddess Laxmi has been more than kind to him!

The lowest strata of the ancient Hindu society were the Shudras. Their role was to perform all the menial functions for the society and they were generally discriminated against, when there were educational and other learning opportunities. The Shudras also were not allowed entry into some religious institutions. Sad but true.

The most prominent Shudra of modern day India was Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar who wrote the constitution of Independent India.

Ladies and Gentlemen, This was just a brief overview of a very vast, complex and ancient system. The debate about whether that system is relevant today has been going on for decades and the politics and economics of this system is a mammoth subject by itself.

Once again in closing these views were the result of years of “living” the system, not fully understanding or agreeing with it. Today’s reality is that we as a party, believe in fairness and equality for ALL New Zealanders, regardless of their Caste, Race, Colour, Gender or Socio Economic Status.

Jai Hind

Story of UNICEF’s innovative work to make India Polio-free¡¡ Shweta Luthra,

UNICEF Representative

I shared the story, told through pictures, of UNICEF’s work in India to eradicate polio.

Before Universal Immunisation Programme

in 1985, polio crippled an estimated 200,000 children in India each year.

As recently as 2009, India reported almost half the world’s cases. But in 2014 India has been certified polio free after three consecutive years of zero polio cases. This is the journey from 200,000 to Zero- long, hard and challenging journey but very fulfilling in the end.

The presentation shows the number of innovations that were made to reach out to every child in the country. The presentation shows how the vaccines travelled -by foot, road, boat, cycle, bus, autorickshaw- to ensure that polio drops are administered to all children. Besides polio booths, the vaccines were given at homes, on the street, in trains, on highways so that no child is missed.

It is an amazing victory for children of India. But the journey doesn’t end here. All this work will continue even in coming years to keep India polio free.

Uses of term ‘Brown’ in contemporary South Asian diaspora culture¡¡ Dr Nabeel Zuberi,

Sr Lecturer, Auckland Uni

My research focuses on the uses of the word ‘brown’ in recent media and

cultural production by South Asians in the US, UK and Australasia. The examples I chose for my talk were the hip-hop trio Das Racist from Queens in New York City with their song ‘Who’s that Broooown?,’ the Chicago-based actor FawziaMirza and her web sketch comedy series ‘Brown Girl Problems,’ and the stand-up double act Fear of a Brown Planet, formed by Australians Aamer Rahman and Naseem Hussain.

In the post 9/11 context of surveillance and racism directed at ethnic minorities, the category of ‘Brown’ captures a sense of fun and irreverence in its cultural engagements with the politics of identity and difference. ‘Brown’ can signal political affiliations and alliances beyond ethnically, nationally and religiously categorized South Asians, beyond to other people of colour, such as indigenous peoples, refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants, and Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender people.

The term ‘brown’ also reflects often with sharp comedy on how ‘South Asianness’ of various kinds is turned into products and marketed for consumption in western nations.

Portrayal of women in Hindu mythology¡¡ Ranjana Patel

Director, East Tamaki Health

Today, I am going to give you some of the insight into women in the Indian Culture.

I must clarify that I am giving you something from my heart, something that has been taught to me, something I have seen and learned from. I am a third generation Kiwi and grew up in NZ when perhaps there were only about 150 families in Auckland.

My grandfather came to NZ in the early 1900s, my father and uncle attended the same primary school I attended- Bayfield School in Herne Bay.

I was born in a fruit shop, in a joint family and there were 11 all together in the home. I have been married 40 years and have three amazing children and even more delightful six grand-daughters and one grand-son growing up, India was far far away and so trips were few and far between. This is my perspective and not necessarily that of all Indians.

I believe we all live by some sort of values and culture. We are taught these things, either by seeing our whanau actions or we are told stories, which bring a perspective we form ourselves of what we believe culture is.

Culture to every individual has a different meaning. The importance of women is taught in many ways, from seeing your mother run one of the two fruit shops we owned, to seeing the auntie being the main care giver to us all.

When the shop was sold, mum set up a home industry of Samosa/Vatana and savory snack.

These are the people that help set your perspective on life.

I have in the past for five years spoken at MIT to the social development course and am astounded at the perception of the status of Indian women.

Speakers Series at Auckland Diwali FestivalOver the two days of celebrations at Auckland Diwali Festival 2014, we had eight speakers who shared their wealth of knowledge with the audience. The speakers included Ranjna Patel, director - East Tamaki Health; Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, National MP; Mahesh Bindra, NZ First MP; Shuchi Kothari, Sr lecturer- University of Auckland; Dr Nabeel Zuberi, Sr lecturer- University of Auckland; Shweta Luthra, representative of UNI-CEF; Dr Sekhar Bandopadhyay, Director- New Zealand India Research Institute; and Sam Malafeh, CEO- Ntec. Here are excerpts from some of their talks.


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Editorial

Indian Weekender is published by Kiwi Media Group, 98 Great South Road, AucklandPrinted at Horton Media, AucklandCopyright 2014. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

Indian Weekender Volume 6 Issue 14Publisher: Kiwi Media Group LimitedManaging Editor: Giri Gupta | [email protected] Editor: Paula Ray | [email protected] Editor: Maya Shivam | [email protected]: Swati Sharma | [email protected] Chief Technical Officer: Rohan Desouza | [email protected]: Mahesh Kumar | [email protected] & Business Development Manager: Gaurav Gupta - M: 021 292 4519 | [email protected] and Marketing Manager: Leena Pal - M: 022 015 1971 | [email protected] Accounts and Admin.: Farah Khan - P: 520 0922 | [email protected] Sales and Admin Support: Alpana Gupta | [email protected]

Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication

From the desk of the Managing EditorWe were walking a few inches taller and a few inches above the ground with pride on

reading the headline in a leading Indian News Channel that said “Modi Tsunami, Not Wave”. We are very sure that Indian Weekender was the first to call the Modi phenomena a tsunami and had a whole issue dedicated to this iconic Prime Minister. Needless to say, imitation is the sincerest form of falttery and we are flattered.

The latest election results from two major states, Maharashtra and Haryana, clearly indicate that the people of India are voting for change. Quite evidently, Modi is not letting any hopes down by his charisma and the genius of the way he operates. He can almost be called as blessed with the Midas touch. If he continues at this rate India will soon be called “sone ki chidiya “ again.

We hope all our readers had an absolutely wonderful Diwali with their family and friends. Clearly it seemed like the whole of New Zealand had been celebrating with us and most of these big and small celebrations are now coming to a close. What a fantastic Diwali this has been, specially the lead up to it with the many aces for India starting from our Mars Mission, Modi’s overseas visits, India’s performance in the Asian games, the Make in India and Swachh Bharat missions. India and Indians are definitely on the upward and onward and I am hoping all our readers have started this new year with the vigour and optimism that catapults them in the direction of their dreams.

Our three Indian MPs have now well and truly been sworn in to the Parliament and as a community we can look forward to achieving newer heights.It was indeed a proud moment when Bindra was sworn in to the New Zealand Parliament with his hand on the revered Bhagwad Gita wrapped in saffron.

It seems even at Indian Weekender the season’s celebration are drawing to a close (although we are good at always finding reasons to celebrate). Our forthcoming issues will focus on other news that our Indian Movers and Shakers are making around the globe. For this issue, however, we focus on the bright and colourful ways that we Indians celebrate, what we wear, what we eat and how we party. Our new section Glitterati will be the equivalent of the famous (infamous) Page 3 and so if you are having a party that you think is high on fashion, fiesta and all that glitters - we invite you to send us your pictures and write to us about it. We would love to feature you.

Addressing the graduating class at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Prime Minister Modi said to the students, “Don’t make life so serious, deal with problems and go ahead.” Wise words - this is true for all of us. When we are assailed with problems, the first thing that disappears is our laughter. But victory lies in laughing your way to success. Never let problems bog you down. I hope that this festival season is full of laughter and smiles for each one of you and may the echo of your laughter resonate and continue to light up your life and those of your dear ones through the year ahead.

Giri Gupta

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

New Zealand and India: a historic relationship

The government of New Zealand has recently announced its policy to make India

“a core trade, economic and political partner” by 2015. One should recognise however that this is not a relationship that has just started developing. Indeed, to what extent the antiquity of this relationship can be pushed back in time is a question that continues to baffle historians.

Take for example, the mystery of the Tamil ship bell in the collection of Te Papa, our national museum in Wellington. It is believed to have been cast around the year 1450. It is not displayed on a regular basis, but on special occasions only. One can see its picture on Te Papa’s website. It was found by Rev. William Colenso between the years 1836 and 1840, when it was being used as a cooking pot by a Maori family in the village of Tamatarau, near Whangarei.

The antiquated Tamil script on the bell has been deciphered and translated as “Bell of the Ship of Mohaideen Bakhsh”. So the question is, did this Tamil ship actually reach the North Island in the fifteenth century? Possibly not. More probably, the bell was brought in one of those numerous English East India Company ships which came from India with merchandise and men. And this points to another interesting story.

As recent doctoral research by Todd Nachowitz of Waikato University shows, this maritime connection between the two countries goes back to at least the second half of the eighteenth century, that is, when initial European exploration of Aotearoa had just begun. A close look at the log books of the ships that were coming here reveal that the first Indians to arrive in New Zealand were the two Muslim laskars (sailors) – Mahmud Qasim (born in Pondicherry in 1755) and a young

Bengali called Nasrin (aged 16 or 17). They came on board the Saint Jean-Baptiste, a ship of the French East India Company, under the command of its captain, Jean François Marie de Surville. What is important about their visit is the date: they came here in December 1769 – the same year when James Cook’s Endeavour first reached the shores of New Zealand. Both of these young sailors later died in Peruvian waters on their continuing voyage in April 1770.

This startling revelation by Nachowitz at the recent New Zealand Indian Diaspora Convention, organised by the New Zealand India Research Institute at AUT in July 2014, pushes back the beginning of New Zealand-India connections by over forty years. More about that historic connection later.

Professor Sekhar Bandyopadhyay <[email protected]> is the

Director of New Zealand India Research Institute. He is a historian and an award-

winning author.

n cademic

ccountProf Sekhar BandyopadhyayDirector of New Zealand India Research Institute

- Alvin Toffler

The funny bone @ Indian Weekender

The first Indians to arrive in New Zealand were the two Muslim laskars (sailors) – Mahmud Qasim (born in Pondicherry in 1755) and a young Bengali called Nasrin (aged 16 or 17)


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OPINION / EDITORIAL

Firecrackers: A few seconds of joy has untold health hazards¡¡ Shweta Sharma

Pravir Sen cannot wait to buy firecrackers for Diwali. But worry dawns on his father

thinking of the health hazards like lung and skin infections and burn injuries that firecrackers bring along with only a few seconds of joy.

Noting an increase in the number of respiratory problems and burn injuries during Diwali, health experts advise caution while celebrating the festival of lights.

“I do not want to rob my son of the happiness the festival brings - which in his case is brought by firecrackers and sky-shots. But, I do not want him to be exposed to any hazardous effects such crackers are known to produce...I am in a fix,” Kapil Sen, the seven-year-old’s father whose son suffers from respiratory problems, said.

According to health experts, a few health concerns that Diwali brings along include: acute asthma attacks; chronic lung diseases; bronchitis in patients who are allergic, causing severe dry irritating cough increasing in intensity while speaking and at night; apart from eye and nasal irritation and damage to the eardrums.

“Especially those who have chronic lung disorders should continue to take their regular medications. These patients may need to increase their medication and this requires a regular visit to the doctor before Diwali,” Vikas Maurya, senior consultant, respiratory medicine, interventional pulmonology, allergy, and sleep disorders, BLK Super Speciality Hospital, said.

Maurya added that such patients should

avoid places with heavy cracker pollution and use masks and ear-plugs on venturing out.

Experts also suggest that loose clothes like saris, frocks and anarkalis and those made inflammable material should be avoided at all costs.

“Don’t fire a cracker in the hand and keep

young children and senior citizens away from crackers. Young children should play with crackers in the presence of parents and seniors only,” B.M. Abrol, ENT Specialist at PSRI Hospital, said.

Abrol added that perishable sweets, especially made of milk and khoya, should neither be eaten nor gifted - as they are made

much before the festival.Highlighting the side effects of Diwali,

union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan in an Oct 16 email to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung urged him to ensure that the national capital celebrates a noise-pollution free Diwali.

His email referred to a July 2005 Supreme

Court order that had banned the bursting of fire crackers in residential areas.

In his email, the health minister, who is a well-known ENT specialist, said that firecrackers, apart from causing noise pollution lead to many physical diseases in people of all age groups.

Rajesh Chawla, senior consultant,

respiratory and critical care, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, cautioned people against wearing synthetic and loose clothes.

“Keep a first aid kit handy. If you get burns then put it under water. Keep eye drops with you all the time. People with respiratory problems should keep their inhalers close by and try and stay indoors,” Chawla said.

For skin rashes, he suggested exposing the affected area to water and then applying Betadine ointment.

“If it gets worse show it to a doctor,” he added.

Doctors agreed that not consulting them and keeping the wound exposed is one of the biggest mistakes people commit in case of an untoward incident.

“Using home remedies as suggested by nearby people who are not doctors could be a recipe for disaster. Please reach any nearby hospital’s emergency department immediately to avoid subsequent complications or problems,” Abrol said.

Agreed Maurya, who said: “Not consulting with the doctor and not revising the medications are the biggest mistakes people tend to sometimes make.”

“Secondly, ignoring regular medications as well as precautions and self-medication are another set of mistakes”.

To sum up, all doctors were unanimous in stating that a cracker free Diwali is a healthy Diwali.

Shweta Sharma can be contacted on [email protected]

Modi Tsunami, not wave¡¡ Maya Shivam

Describing the electoral victory in Maharashtra and Haryana as “two more

steps towards Congress-free India”, BJP chief Amit Shah said “The results have proven that like a tsunami, the Modi-wave is demolishing all opposition.” He said this victory has shown that “Mr. Modi is the undisputed leader of the country”. The unstoppable BJP duo continue to roll across the length and breadth of India with Modi as the flag bearer and Amit Shah as his prime charioteer and strategist.

Election after election, they have come together to script one victory after another. Whether it is the general elections, when the BJP wave swept across areas where it was a non-entity, or the assembly elections now, Modi and his team have picked one state after another as trophies.

The latest regions to have handed them their vote of confidence are Haryana and Maharashtra. In Haryana, the win is clearer and thus sweeter, but also more vindicating because it is for the first time since 1966 when BJP contested on all seats and emerged as the single largest party, leave alone one with a simple majority. From its 4 in 2009, to over halfway - the Haryana win is historic.

Clearly there is disenchantment with the old way of politics as prominent figures like Chautala and Savitri Jindal have been forced out. And also the fact that people have not bought into the emotional appeal of the incarcerated leader Om Prakash Chautala.

Depending on the way you look at it, the reasons for this could be numerous. Factors could include anti-incumbency, desire for change, internal dissent in the Congress, corruption charges especially related with land deals . The single major reason, of course, seems to undoubtedly be the “Modi Tsunami”, which has transcended all caste and clan affiliations that have long governed voting patterns in the state mostly voting Congress in the past. At the end of the day, people were looking for change and seem to have clearly backed Modi’s campaign, which centered around development, pro-active governance

and greater opportunities for the youth.The same emotion seems to have found

resonance in Maharashtra where the angst of the people against the Congress-NCP government in power was even greater. The plethora of scams including Adarsh Housing scam, irrigation scam and allegations linking the Pawar family to the Lavasa project had embittered the people. Worse was the unbridled spate of farmer suicides caused due to crop failure and inability to pay back loans.

BJP should be proud that it has for the first time emerged as the single largest party in Maharashtra, though it was always a prominent

player in the state, unlike in Haryana. Yet, things could have been even better - had the BJP and Shiv Sena maintained their alliance, the two would have swept the state.

Nevertheless, Modi – addressed 24 rallies in the state and that seems to have paid off. Though Shiv Sena has won substantive seats, voters seem much less impressed by the politics of name calling than the constructive language of growth and development. This would probably be for the first time since 1999 when Sharad Pawar would be out of government from both Centre and state and that’s perhaps the reason why the NCP has already declared its outside support to the BJP.

In terms of performance, BJP has pulled off a few surprises and done better than expected. BJP’s performance in urban areas like Mumbai and Thane also indicates the appeal the party holds for the urban voters, and especially the youth. Also, North Indian and other non-Marathi residents in the areas of Maharashtra seem to have backed the BJP, as opposed to the exclusionist tactics adopted by the Shiv Sena. In this regard, bad news only got worse for Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, which has been shrinking in size and impact.

All in all though, the credit for the wins in both Haryana and Maharashtra goes undisputedly to Narendra Modi. Whose name now acts as a magnet that attracts electorate, cutting across classes, communities and castes. Therefore this force can no longer be contained in a word called “wave” and commands to be likened to a tidal wave - the Modi Tsunami.


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FIJI

Special tribute to overseas workers¡¡ Arvind Kumar

Fijian workers on overseas missions were accorded special mention at the Fiji Day celebrations last week.

President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau urged all Fijians to celebrate the sacrifice and commitment of all our men and women serving overseas. In his address to the nation marking Fiji’s 44 years of independence, the head of state said that our servicemen and women may be far across the seas, but they remain close to us in our hearts and we must pray for them as well as for their families here in Fiji.

“On this Fiji Day, let us celebrate their sacrifice and commitment, along with that of all our other men and women serving the people of other nations,” Ratu Epeli said.

“Our peacekeepers and police officers not only on the Golan heights but in Iraq, Liberia and South Sudan; those Fijians serving in other armed forces around the world; our civilian volunteers working in schools, hospitals and clinics in our Pacific neighbors; and all those Fijians working in countries further afield.”

His Excellency added that the families of those Fijians serving outside the country should be proud of their dedication in putting the needs of others before their own.

“Because that is the essence of Fiji day. A time to put aside our individual concerns and think about our nation and what it means to us all,” Ratu Epeli said.

“I appeal to you all to be patriotic, to have a true sense of pride about our nation no matter what we do or where we are.”

Ratu Epeli was accorded a 21 gun salute that was followed by a parade by members of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces which was witnessed by more than a thousand Fijians at Albert Park on October 10.

(top right): Fijian President Ratu Epeli Nailatiku inspects a guard of honour at Fiji Day celebrations last week

(right): Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama arrives at the Fiji Day celebrations.

>>

Khaiyum back as A-GA last minute change in Cabinet before the swearing in of the new

Parliament sees Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum resuming his role as the Attorney-General.

A government statement issued this morning stated Mr Sayed Khaiyum sheds the role of Minister for Industry and Trade and Minister for Tourism, which will be taken up by Faiyaz Koya who was appointed as the Attorney-General after election.

The switches in the portfolio will see Mr Sayed-Khaiyum taking up the AG and Minister for Finance portfolio.

Prime Minister Rear Admiral (Ret) Voreqe Bainimarama said in the statement that the change had been made because of the heavy workload of Mr Sayed-Khaiyum’s other portfolio of Minister for Finance.

“There are two of the most important ministries in Government, they need specialist attention and a full-time minister,” he said.

“Faiyaz Koya will take charge of the Governments vital export effort - a key objective of the current Parliament term and also has a solid background in tourism as a former board member of Tourism Fiji and the Fiji Hotel Licensing Board.”

Rabuka reminds Fijians of legacy Former prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka has reminded former scholars

and students of Queen Victoria School to cherish and preserve the values that the two institutions — the Fijian chiefs and government made 107 years ago to lay the foundation of building their school.

In his address at yesterday’s QVS Chapel Golden Jubilee celebration, he called on them to be committed to their calling as servant leaders of this nation, hold on to the values that this nation was built on and the values that the school was built on as well as the values the chapel was built on.

“Only when we hold tight to these values can we contribute to the continued radiance of this country and its people and be true to our motto — Floreat Fiji,” Mr Rabuka said.

“We must cherish the values that those two institutions saw in their desire to build a permanent place of worship 56 years ago, that gave rise to the building of this magnificent chapel and its dedication 50 years ago.”

He added that as leaders they should continue to espouse the values of goodness and service based on a firm foundation of faith in God.


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FIJI

Who gets what in new line-up?¡¡ Arvind Kumar

A total of $3.4 million will be paid out to the Government’s 20-member ministerial

line-up in salaries and allowances. The salaries, inclusive of all allowances, were set in the Parliamentary Remuneration Decree 2014 last week.

According to the decree, the President will receive a non-taxable salary of $130,000, while the Prime Minister will receive a salary of $328,750.

The Minister for Finance portfolio carries a salary of $235,000 while the salaries for Ministers for Health (Jone Usamate), Minister for Education (Dr Mahendra Reddy) and the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport (Pio Tikoduadua) will receive $200,000 each.

The decree also sets a salary of $185,000 each for the other 10 ministers with the five assistant ministers slated to receive $90,000 each.

Other salaries include $150,000 for Speaker of the House, $120,000 for Leader of the Opposition and $50,000 each for members of Parliament.

However, Parliament must also take into account prevailing economic conditions based on evidence from an authoritative source and may set a lower remuneration level. The decree allows Parliament to determine by resolution the remuneration paid to the President, Prime Minister, Cabinet ministers, Leader of Opposition, Speaker of the House and members of Parliament. The amounts set by the decree

fix remuneration until any parliamentary resolution.

The decree also states that when determining salaries Parliament must have regard to:

* The need to achieve and maintain fair relativity with the levels of remuneration received by persons in the private sector;

* That the salaries must be competitive so that persons of the right calibre are not deterred from stepping forward to lead the country;

* The salaries should reflect the ethos of political service which entails making sacrifices;

* The salaries must be transparent with no hidden components or perks; and

* The need to be fair to the taxpayer and to persons whose salary is being prescribed.

The decree further states that setting allowances and benefits will be determined by recognising the need for public understanding the core of the work of persons or members of Parliament and the services required to enable them to carry out their roles and functions.

Here’s who gets what:* President ($130,000) and Prime

Minister ($328,750) 1. Free furnished residence with all services

and staff.2. Official car with driver.3. At Official residence, completely free

fixed telephone (including installation) and official mobile phone.

4. Internet connection at residence.5. Superannuation - FNPF contribution.6. Four weeks leave per annum, which must

be compensated if not utilised.

7. Local travel - Free accommodation and meals for all local travel.

8. Overseas travel - First class travel and may be accompanied by spouse.

9. Overseas travelling allowance - UNDP subsistence allowance plus 50 per cent together with $300 per day incidental allowance.

10. All medical costs to be reimbursed for local or overseas medical treatment as required.

* Cabinet Ministers ($185,000)1. Official car with driver.2. Official mobile phone.3. Internet connection at residence.4. Superannuation - FNPF contribution.5. Four weeks leave per annum, which must

be compensated if not utilised.6. Local travel - Free accommodation and

meals for all official local travel.7. Overseas travel - Business class travel for

official meetings8. Overseas travel allowance - UNDP

subsistence allowance plus 50 per cent together with $250 per day incidental allowance.

* Assistant Ministers ($90,000)1. Official car with drivers.2. Official mobile phone.3. Internet connection at residence.4. Superannuation - FNPF contribution.5. Four weeks leave per annum, which must



official meetings8. Overseas travel allowance - UNDP


* Speaker ($150,000)1. Official car with driver.2. Official mobile phone.3. Internet connection at residence.4. Superannuation - FNPF contribution.5. Four weeks leave per annum, which must

be compensated if not utilised.6. Local ravel - Free accommodation and


official meetings.8. Overseas travel allowance - UNDP


* Leader of Opposition ($120,000)1. Official car with driver.2. Official mobile phone.3. Internet connection at residence.4. Superannuation - FNPF contribution.5. Four weeks leave per annum, which must



official meetings.8. Overseas travel allowance - UNDP


* Members of Parliament ($50,000)1. Accommodation allowance for meetings

of Parliament or Committee, if the member permanently resides at any place more than 30 kilometres away from the place of the meeting of Parliament or Committee, then the member shall be entitled to:

* an allowance of $150 per day only if the member stays at a hotel at the place of the meeting of parliament or Committee or;

* An allowance of $50 per day if the member does not stay at hotel at the place of the meeting of Parliament or Committee.

2. Travelling allowance for meetings of Parliament or Committee, if the member permanently resides at any place more than 30 kilometres away from the place of the meeting of Parliament or Committee, then that member shall be entitled to cost of travel by the most direct route to and from the meeting.

3. Committee sitting allowance for Committee sittings on days other than the sitting of parliament, the member shall be entitled to an allowance of $80 per day, provided however that the total amount payable as Committee Sitting Allowance in any one year shall not exceed $15,000.

4. Superannuation - FNPF contribution.5. Overseas travel - Economy class travel for

official meetings as approved by the Speaker.6. Overseas travel allowance - UNDP


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INDIA

BJP wins on its own in Haryana

This Robin Hood Army feeds the homeless¡¡ Shilpa RainaEvery Sunday, at around 8.30 p.m., a group

of volunteers in green t-shirts heads out in different directions with packed food like vada pav, khichdi and parathas to serve homeless people sleeping under the open skies in the Indian capital- New Delhi.

This is not a government initiative, but a collective effort of two friends who have collaborated with different restaurants and eateries in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Bangalore to “serve the poor and destitute” through their Robin Hood Army, a four-month-old initiative in these respective cities.

Even though, as of now, they are doing this only once a week, they have plans to make it a daily affair in the near future.

What is noteworthy here is that they don’t take “waste” food but “leftovers” to feed the needy. Some of the eateries have even decided to prepare fresh food for such people.

“When we started, we were just six people in the team. But from the very beginning we were clear that we won’t be serving these people waste food. We requested the eateries to give us leftovers,” Anand Sinha, 27, one of those behind the initiative, said.

“Some of the eateries were so excited with this concept that they chose to prepare fresh meals for us,” he added.

Gurgaon-based restaurant Kebab Xpress provides them 100 fresh vada pavs, while late-night delivery service Midnight Munchies provides fresh khichdi and parathas, among a few others doing their extra bit to join the initiative.

The idea is modelled after a similar organisation, “Re-food” in Portugal, which helps to end both hunger and food waste in the country.

It was Sinha’s partner Neel Ghose’s volunteering stint at this organisation that made them decide to replicate the model.

“We used to do this earlier but on a much smaller scale,” Sinha said, adding that Ghosh and he have been friends for the past five years.

The two in the past had distributed food among destitutes.

To plan the entire operation, they started from Delhi.They first drove around the city to identify areas of operation and initially zeroed in on flyovers in the Ring Road area, the AIIMS Metro station south Delhi and the Nizamuddin area, among others.

“Then we got in touch with a few restaurant owners, spent time with them to make them understand how their role would give something back to society,” said Sinha, who is the founder of pressplaytabs, which targets the travel and entertainment space.

After getting the eateries on board, they decided to make a Facebook page to post pictures and share their vision - and also give a credible face to their initiative.

The idea worked and now they have around 40 volunteers from different walks of life who accompany them in collecting and distributing food packages.

After receiving overwhelming response from Delhi, they spread their campaign to the other cities. In total they have around 120 volunteers in the five cities.

This collective effort has enabled them to feed around 1,600 homeless every Sunday in the five cities, but Sinha revealed they want to make it an everyday affair because “one Sunday is just not enough”.

“We all are working people so it becomes very difficult to do this activity every day. But with the kind of support and encouragement people have shown through our Facebook page, we would like to organise a bit more and do it on a daily basis,” he said.

Their name is a twist on the English who, folklore has it, robbed the rich and distributed the booty among the poor. Sinha said the initiative is an attempt to show “how individuals can make a difference in society if they want to.”

While people of his age spend time in partying over the weekend, Sinha admits he might be “missing out on the fun”, but in the same vein feels that his work provides him and his partner with equal happiness and greater satisfaction.

Jagjit Singh Kandhari, chief operating officer of Kebab Xpress, said they want to send across a social message among the corporates to do their bit for a social cause that might make a bit of difference in the lives of others.

“Every individual should participate or volunteer in initiatives like these. If our endeavour can feed an empty stomach, we are happy to contribute more,” Kandhari said.

(Shilpa Raina can be contacted at [email protected])

Centre to bring ordinance to re-auction coal blocksThe union cabinet has recommended for

presidential assent to an ordinance that would allow re-auction of 214 coal blocks.

This was done to resolve issues arising out of the Supreme Court cancelling allocations of those coal blocks last month.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said: “The cabinet has recommended promulgation of an ordinance to the president in order to resolve the pending issues arising out of a Supreme Court judgment quashing allocation of coal blocks.”

As per the ordinance, the cancelled coal blocks will be put in a pool for auction to end-users in the three core sectors of power, steel and cement, the finance minister told reporters here after a cabinet meeting.

The government has also left an enabling provision in the ordinance by which it can decide on additional commercial use at a later date, he added.

Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal said companies being investigated for irregularities in allocations will also be allowed to bid in the e-auctions but the mines will only be for captive use.

The auction floor price will be determined by a committee to be constituted, he said.

“Coal India has 200 mines where no work has happened. E-auction will expedite production from such mines,” said Goyal.

Jaitley said the aim is to conduct the whole process in a transparent manner through e-auction without any discretionary powers of the government in the matter.

“The entire mess the UPA government left behind would be cleaned up in next 4 months,” Jaitley said.

Most of the mines in question are located in the Eastern region and the revenue from the auctions would go to the states concerned, the finance minister said.

The revival of mining in this case would be a “financial empowerment and eastern states” and “lakhs of people would get employment”, he said.

While actual users of steel, cement and power from the private sector will bid for the blocks, state-owned organisations like NTPC and state electricity boards will be allocated blocks as per their requirement, Jaitley said.

Mining interests of Coal India, present and future, will be adequately protected and the original 1973 Coal Nationalisation Act remains, he said.

Currently, nearly $20 billion tonnes of coal is imported and this can come down if the mines start production after the e-auctions, Jaitley said.

The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) of India created history in Haryana by getting a clear majority on its own for the first time and said that it would

form the government in Maharashtra too where it finished the single largest group in a hung assembly but has been offered support by the NCP.

The Congress was humiliated in both Haryana and Maharashtra which it had been ruling for two and three consecutive terms respectively. For the first time, the Bharatiya Janata Party got a clear mandate in Haryana, winning 47 seats in the 90-member assembly with a 33.2 percent vote share. The BJP Parliamentary Party Board met in New Delhi Sunday evening to discuss chief minister probables for Haryana and Maharashtra. The party later announced it would send senior leaders Rajnath Singh to Maharashtra and Venkaiah Naidu to Haryana to take a decision on the chief ministerial candidates.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, general secretary J.P. Nadda said he would accompany Rajnath Singh. On the offer of support from the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party, Nadda said no call has been taken yet. The names doing rounds in Haryana include Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh activist Manohar Lal Khattar, state BJP president Ram Bilas Sharma and party spokesperson Abhimanyu. Other names were of leaders, who did not contest, including union ministers Sushma Swaraj, Rao Inderjit Singh and Krishan Pal. Congressman-turned-BJP leader Birender Singh is also in the running.


21

Red Black Orange NEWS in BRIEFCoal block scam: CBI registers fresh caseThe CBI has registered a fresh case against Jindal Steel and Power Ltd. (JSPL) and

“unknown” public servants in the ongoing coal block allocation case, an official said, adding searches were conducted in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh.

The case has been registered against JSPL for exceeding lease of coal mining from one of the blocks of Gare Palma IV coal block.

“The allegations pertain to irregular mining lease beyond the approved area, excess coal mining, sale of coal, sale of coal fines and rejects, and irregular consumption of coal in new extension plants,” the CBI official said.

JSPL has been booked for cheating, criminal breach of trust and sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

With this, the number of cases lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over the coal blocks allocation has gone up to 36.

The case relates to the coal blocks allocation during 1993-2005.

Bangalore girl to represent India at Miss Universe

Noyonita Lodh from Bangalore, who was crowned Yamaha Fascino Miss Diva

Universe 2014, will compete in Miami for Miss Universe Jan 25, 2015.

The 21-year-old believes in women empowerment. The Yamaha Fascino Miss Diva Universe pageant finale was aired Sunday on Zee Cafe.

Former Miss Universe Lara Dutta announced the winners on the grand finale, which was judged by Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, former Miss India and actress Esha Gupta and designer duo Shantanu and Nikhil.

Delhi’s Alankrita Sahai was crowned as Yamaha Fascino Miss Diva Universe 2014 first runner-up and Bangalore’s Asha Bhat as Yamaha Fascino Miss Diva Universe 2014 second runner-up.

Each winner will get a fund worth Rs.10 lakh for their respective international pageant.

Cabinet approves highway project worth Rs. 1,476.56 croreThe government Saturday approved

upgrading of the Chandikhole-Dubari-Talcher section of the national highway in Odisha under the National Highways Development Programme (NHDP) phase three at a total outlay of Rs.1,476.56 crore.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) which met here today approved the development project which will have a total length of 133 kms.

The project will be executed in engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode.

Metro project in Ahmedabad clearedThe central government Saturday cleared a 35.96 km metro rail project in Ahmedabad.

The first phase would connect the APMC to Motera Stadium and Thaltej Gam to Vastral Gam.

The total project of the cost would Rs.10,773 crore, of which Rs. 1,990 crore borne by the central government, said a statement.

The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.“The proposed two alignments are expected to provide much needed connectivity to the

commuters and would traverse through some of the densest and traffic congested areas of Ahmedabad,” the statement said.

“It will considerably reduce traffic congestion and will bring in fast, comfortable, safe, pollution-free and affordable mass transportation system for the people of Ahmedabad,” it added.

INDIA


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Indian-American named to lead US civil rights division

Indian-American lawyer Vanita Gupta has been chosen to lead US justice department’s civil rights division charged with enforcing laws that prevent discrimination and inequitable practices in housing, education and employment.

Named Acting Assistant Attorney General Wednesday, the first South Asian American lawyer to get the job, is expected to be nominated by President Barack Obama for the permanent position in the coming months.

“Vanita has spent her entire career working to ensure that our nation lives up to its promise of equal justice for all,” said Attorney General Eric Holder announcing her appointment.

“Even as she has done trailblazing work as a civil rights lawyer, Vanita is also known as a unifier and consensus builder. She has a knack for bridging differences and building coalitions to drive progress,” he said.

“I am certain that Vanita will serve as a

sound steward of this critical division,” Holder said.

Prior to joining the justice department, Gupta served as deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union and director of its Centre for Justice. Previously, she was an attorney for its Racial Justice Programme.

Over her career, Gupta has earned a reputation for working closely and collaboratively with law enforcement, departments of corrections and across the political spectrum to advance smart policing and criminal justice reforms, according to her official profile.

Through her work with the ACLU, she has been involved in reform initiatives around the country pertaining to federal and state policing, sentencing, drug policy and criminal law.

Her recent work has focused on building a bipartisan consensus to end overreliance on incarceration.

Gupta began her career as a lawyer with the NAACP Legal Defence and Educational Fund. She has also taught civil rights litigation and advocacy clinics at New York University School of Law since 2008.

She received a BA, magna cum laude, from Yale University and JD from New York University School of Law.

Her first case involved leading an effort to win the release of 35 defendants in Tulia, Texas, whose drug convictions and lengthy sentences were discredited by the work of Gupta and the legal team of private bar attorneys she organized.

Ro Khanna closes gap in hot Silicon Valley race

As a new poll showed Indian-American Rohit ‘Ro’ Khanna closing the gap in the Congressional battle for Silicon Valley, he vowed to focus on the community’s key concerns - education and the economy.

“With the polls tied at 38/38 percent, this is the best pick up opportunity for an Indian American in the country,” said the former Obama administration official challenging veteran fellow Democrat seven term incumbent Mike Honda in the Nov 4 election.

“Ultimately, the choice in this election is clear: We can rest on our laurels as the innovation capital of the world and watch new jobs and opportunities go elsewhere. Or, like those who built Silicon Valley, we can roll up our sleeves and get to work,” he said in an email interview.

Khanna’s campaign pollster found in a survey of 400 likely voters last week the two tied at 38 percent with 24 percent undecided - a big turnaround from the 20-point lead Honda held in June’s primary vote.

But Honda’s campaign disputed the figures saying Monday that its own internal polling -- a survey of 500 likely voters, conducted Oct 7 through 12 -- showed 42 percent support to Honda to Khanna’s 27 percent, with 31 percent undecided.

Amid the duelling poll figures, Khanna exuded confidence. “I’m feeling very good about where he stand in the race,” he said. “We’ve always been an underdog, but a recent poll has us tied at 38-38 (percent).”

“That reflects a sense of urgency from voters who want effective and accessible leadership in Congress,” he said claiming his campaign had galvanised the Indian-American community.

Khanna has also won the backing of Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer and Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg in the California constituency that’s home to tech titans Apple, Yahoo, Facebook, Intel and eBay.

“I’m running for Congress because Silicon Valley needs a Congressman who will bring a different approach to governing - someone who will build bipartisan coalitions to get things done. Someone who will lead on issues, not follow. Someone who will be engaged and show up in the community,” Khanna said.

Khanna said he was also “very proud of the Indian American community’s increasing participation in the Democratic process.”

The Indian-American candidate said he was encouraged to see the warm reception to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit.

Indian-origin scientist creates bio-based ‘smart’ materialAn Indian-origin scientist from the University of California-Berkeley in the US has taken

proteins from nerve cells and used them to create a ‘smart’ material that is extremely sensitive to its environment.

This could lead to new types of biological sensors, flow valves and controlled drug release systems, including micro-fluidic devices that can handle and process very small volumes of liquid such as samples of saliva or blood for diagnostics.

“We created a new class of smart, protein-based materials whose structural principles are inspired by networks found in living cells,” said principal investigator Sanjay Kumar, associate professor of bioengineering.

Madison Square like event planned for Modi in SydneyWith Prime Minister Narendra Modi set

to visit Australia for the G-20 summit in Brisbane in mid-November, efforts are on to ensure his charisma overwhelms the Indian diaspora there like at New York’s Madison Square event.

Expected to be participated in by over 15,000 people, the Sydney event is being hosted by the Indian Australian Community Foundation (IACF), a coalition of diverse Indian-Australian organisations, to welcome the Indian prime minister.

“The Sydney event is the only community address that Prime Minister Modi will be delivering during his Australian tour. It holds significance as it is occurring when an Indian prime minister is visiting Australia after 28 years,” Ramyavaran Ramaswamy, one of the main organisers from IACF, said.

“Within three days of opening registration, over 250 community organisations have registered to be a ‘Reception Partner’ for the event. In many other senses, it will be bigger than the Madison Square event of the US,” he added.

Modi would be participating in a two-day G20 Summit starting Nov 15. It will be followed by the community reception in Sydney Nov 17 during which Modi will address the Indian Diaspora. He will address a joint parliamentary

session in Canberra the next day.IACF will organise the event with the

support of hundreds of groups representing the Indian diaspora’s broad spectrum of cultural, linguistic and charitable organisations, Balesh

Singh Dhankhar, the IACF spokesperson, told media over phone from Sydney.

“The huge enthusiasm of Indians living in Australia for Prime Minister Modi and the much talked about Modi Wave in elections has encouraged us to organise such an event in a short period of time,” he added.

The event will be participated in by members of the Indian diaspora, top members of the Australian polity and eminent personalities from different areas like academics, business and sports, said IACF chairperson Nihal Agar.

“Though we have got less than a month’s time to prepare, we are working hard across many areas in seeking sponsorship to ensure a successful event. The Madisan Square organisers are believed to have got over two months time for their arrangements.”

Then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had visited Australia in 1986.

Modi’s visit follows Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s Indian tour in September when the two sides sealed the historic deal to sell uranium to India.

I’m running for Congress because Silicon Valley needs a Congressman who will bring a different approach to governing - someone who will build bipartisan coalitions to get things done.

INDIA ABROAD


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FEATURES

Kill a pest and karma’s going to get you¡¡ Nury Vittachi

A tiny lizard has been clinging to the wall behind me for two hours. I want to change

the TV channel but I feel I ought to at least ask him, right? Yeah, I know it’s irrational but I’m human. A scientist friend tells me that irrationality has been proven by experts to be the default state of Homo sapiens. Or my family, anyway.

On the morning of writing this, a female of my acquaintance ran screaming from her room after finding a terrifying intruder inside. An ant. “So, how big is this ant,” I asked, before making rash promises to roll up my sleeves and deal with it. It turned out to be regular ant-sized, so 99.99999 per cent of the room by cubic capacity was still available for her use. But she wanted to be alone, so I went in and firmly escorted the ant out of the premises. It went quietly.

Humans, I believe, should not kill bugs. Not for religious reasons, but because they get back at us. They have karma on their side, you see.

Every month or so, there’s a report in the newspaper about some guy who tries to kill a bug but instead accidentally destroys his home (it’s always guys, a fact which surprised me, but not any of the women in the office: funny that). The Seattle Fire Department recently sent out a Twitter report that a man tried to kill a spider using a spray can and cigarette lighter but instead caused $60,000 of damage to his house.

This reminded me of the ultimate bug-

killing accident that took place in Japan a few years ago. A man was annoyed by a mosquito in his car. He emptied a can of bug spray trying to get it. Then he lit a blowtorch. The car went up in flames. The garage went up in flames. His house went up in flames. The rest of the street was in danger. Had firefighters not arrived, we could have lost Japan.

As for the bug, I’m sure he flew off posting pictures of the burning building on the insect equivalent of the internet with the words “EPIC FAIL” on them.

I just forwarded this story to the young woman recovering from the trauma of having her space violated by an ant and she told me about a recent incident in Britain, also involving

danger at home. A man installed a designer crystal doorknob in his house and it amplified the sunshine, starting a blaze.

What do these news reports teach us? The moral is clear. If you commit a heinous sin against The Universe, such as the attempted murder of an innocent bug, or the shameless spending of actual money on a designer crystal doorknob, then cosmic justice will ensure that you will pay a horrible price.

On reflection, I think it’s wise to stay on the right side of The Universe. After all, cosmic justice makes life fair, right? So I am going to wait until the TV cooking show I am watching ends before changing the channel, unless the contestants are asked to cook lizards. Okay with you, gecko?

Nury Vittachi is an Asian based frequent traveller. Send ideas and comments

via Facebook

Celebrating success at NZTC India Graduation Ceremony

Sunday 12th October marked a very special day for the New Zealand Tertiary College

(NZTC) team as they joined their new graduates and their families to celebrate their success at the fourth and largest Graduation Ceremony in Mumbai.

The hard work and dedication shown by all 30 graduates throughout their studies was commendable and will contribute to the lives of young children, families and communities across India through the effective care and education of next generation.

Selena Fox, Chief Executive of NZTC, commented,“We pride ourselves on our commitment to our early childhood profession and it is extremely rewarding to see our passion, values and vision for the future of young children shared by all our graduates.

The success we celebrate at this, our largest

Graduation Ceremony in India to date, is testament to the hard work of our graduates here today and we extend our thanks to the families who have shown their support and encouragement.”

For Ilham Bharmal, studying for a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) with NZTC India was an experience that she has benefitted from significantly. Sharing her story at the ceremony, she explained how engaging she found her studies.

“The learning process becomes more complex and enriching at each stage. I took up a job with my son’s preschool as the course nearer completion and received lots of accolades from the parents as well as the seniors. NZTC made a good preschool professional out of me and I have great respect for the institute and quality of the course.”

Similarly for Dimple D’souza, who wanted to turn her love for children into a rewarding career in early childhood education, completing her Certificate in Early Childhood Teaching (Level 6) provided her with a platform to fulfil her dreams.

“Not only has my study made me more confident but it has enriched me in my journey of learning and given me a better understanding of early childhood education, its importance and provided me a base for my future endeavours.”

If you would like study a specialist early childhood qualification at New Zealand Tertiary College in New Zealand, please contact one of the help team today on (09) 520 4000 or alternatively by emailing [email protected].

Humans, I believe, should not kill bugs. Not for religious reasons, but because they get back at us. They have karma on their side, you see.

Corrigendum: In our 17th October, 2014, issue, page 6, we had inadvertently omitted the following information: Along with two sons, Shivani Arora has a daughter named Sonam, who was the ‘Master of Ceremony’ at the first-ever Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame.

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2014 Annual New Zealand Sangam Sports and Cultural ConventionNew Zealand Sangam’s annual Sports and

Cultural convention will be held from 7th to 9th November 2014 at Mangere Centre Park Stadium, Mangere, and Auckland. The official opening ceremony will take place on Saturday 8 November at 10.00a.m followed by a typical Fiji style team parade and float procession.

Over the last 2 years, the NZ Sangam community has provided a good taste to the Indian community with fun packed family weekend at there annual conventions. This year is going to be no different says Event Chairperson Pranesh Gounder. “We have an exciting weekend planned and again we are all geared up for a weekend full of fun for the entire family”.

The Sangam convention is an annual event that is organised for members of Sangam and families and friends to showcase Sangam heritage and culture in New Zealand. The weekend event welcomes your whole family to enjoy a wonderful day out with non-stop fun, entertainment coupled with sports competition in soccer, volleyball and golf.

There are participants from Auckland, Waikato and the Hawkes Bay Manawatu region competing at sports segments. NZ Sangam Idol Contest and Awards night takes off on the evening Saturday 8th November 8.00pm at Mangere Centre park, the Idol Contest is a

competition showcasing both traditional South Indian and contemporary dance and music. The evening will also be celebrated by recognising

and awarding inspiring members and associates for their service to

Sangam.It is anticipated that a

large number of audience and spectators from a cross section of the Auckland community will be in attendance and no doubt this event will become bigger

and better in future.2014 NZ Sangam Golf

tournament will be happening on Sunday 2nd November. This event is

open to all Sangam and Non Sangam Golfers with prizes available for both categories. For details or registration to the Sangam Golf tournament please contact Krish Krishna 021717161 or Ravi Rajan on 027 5423371.

Further information on the Sangam Convention can be obtained from the organising chairperson Pranesh Gounder 0211578903 or Vicky Goundar 0272924266.

2014 NZ Sangam Convention7-9 November 2014Mangere Centre Park Stadium101 Robertson Road, Mangere, Auckland

EVENTS

Waitakere Diwali: Even rains couldn’t dampen the spirit Waitakere Indian Association celebrated

its 15th Diwali last Saturday at the Trusts Arena in Henderson. Thanks to the Trusts being the largest Diwali Indoor Arena in Auckland, the show was well sheltered from the pelting rain that set in as the day progressed.

The programme started off at 11am with a Hawan Pooja on stage to bless the occasion followed by Kirtan and Bhajan by Auckland’s budding talents which set the tone for the rest of the day. The Bollyworx crew from Mount Roskill got the crowd on their feet with their energetic dance aerobics and the School Dance competition that followed signified one why we have been holding Diwali for all these years. The groups representing their Schools put on some magical performances and it was wonderful to see the large number of non-Indian participants encouraging their parents and peers to a get involved with the Indian culture.

In the mean time, the craft and food stalls were also busy attending to their customers which also stretched beyond Indian community.

Waitakere’s publicity machine has been working hard to bring other communities to the Diwali festival to share our culture with and to educate about the Universal message of Diwali and it was refreshing see these communities represented well amongst all our traditional Diwali goers.

As the chief guest, the official programme

was kicked off by Mayor Len Brown and the distinguished guests and newly elected MP’s were treated to a stunning performance of the Ganesh dance by the Indianz troupe. The distinguished guests also took part in the traditional singing of the National Anthem and Aarti along with the students of the Waitakere Hindi School which was a testament to this Diwali’s focus on balancing the modern with the traditional aspects of Diwali.

Continuing with this tradition, the evening programme began with Hare Krishna’s group ISCKON who performed an English depiction of the story of Diwali in the Ramayan. This item kept its audience spellbound and was a great reminder to the younger generations about the story of Diwali and why it is celebrated.

The crowd who had battled the rains to celebrate Diwali were not disappointed and the rest of the night continued with a number of amazing Bollywood items including displays by Aaja Nachle, Indianz, A Touch of Bollywood , Trinity dance group and Azhar’s dance Troup. Being an indoor show, the crowd was treated to a seated display of some of the best acts in Auckland.

The stage performances finished up with the energetic crew from Nachda Punjab, who as usual had the crowd on their feet and ready to dance the night away. They had to be coaxed outside in time for the Fireworks extravaganza which included some Diwali designs that have never been seen in Auckland and a finale that left the audience cheering. The drizzle didn’t dampen anyone’s spirit and the warmth of the Diwali spirit ensured the crowd had a fantastic time and went away smiling.

Diwali @ SIT

From top: (left to right) Manjalina Jayasinghe, SIT CEO Penny Simmonds and Invercargill Mayor Shadbolt start the festivities with the auspicious lighting of the candles; SIT students performs to celebrate the festivities

School Children performing at the Diwali Function; (From Left to Right) Naveen Prakash (President WIA), National list MPs Parmjeet Parmar and Alfred Ngaro, NZ First List MP Mahesh Bindra, Chief Guest mayor Len Brown (centre) Third from right Anilesh Kumar (Project Manager) 2nd from right Sunil Chandra, publicity manager, far Right Shalveen Ballu.


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GLITTERATI

Humble Dharam

Bollywood superstar Dharmendra was in Auckland recently and he stopped by to have lunch at Cemix director and co-publisher of Indian Weekender, Bhav Dhillon’s house. A select few were invited to the lunch, including Giri Gupta, the other publisher and managing editor of Indian Weekender. After savouring a sumptuous spread, the invitees and the host family got busy posing with the star. But there was one person who sat quietly through it all, observing the buzz around him. Suddenly, the star himself walks up to this person and asks: “Kya aap mere saath photo nahi khichwayenge? (Will you not click a photo with me?)” This silent spectator was none other than Giri Gupta.

All that glitters and more...

Manisha Anand, contestant Mrs India NZ 2014

Niti Mahindroo, Manisha Anand and Shailjah Khan

DJ Charlie and DJ Areeb

Bollywood Affaire Diwali bash at Skycity-Club 21

Having a party? We would like to hear from you.

Reach us at [email protected]

and get featured on Glitterati


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How to fi nd out more and provide feedback:Online: www.AT.govt.nz/NewNetwork

In person: Come along to an event

In writing: Fill out the feedback form in the West Consultation Brochure (available at our events or from libraries, service centres and local board offi ces)

By phone: Call (09) 366 6400

What do you think? Give your feedback, from 21 October to 1 December 2014, on proposed changes to bus services.

Help us improve bus services for West Auckland

5057_10.14_AT

We are making changes to bus and train services in West Auckland, including Helensville. These current bus services will change: 04X, 07X, 09X, 11X, 13X, 15X, 048, 049, 060, 061, 070, 079, 080, 081, 082, 085, 087, 090, 091, 092, 093, 095, 097, 113, 115, 121, 130, 135, 136, 145, 149, 153, 154, 156, 224, N05, N13.

*** These proposals do not affect the services which have been in effect from 3 August 2014 in Green Bay, Titirangi, Blockhouse Bay, Wood Bay, French Bay, Tanekaha, Laingholm and Kaurilands.

Date Location Time

Sunday 26 October Avondale Markets 8am to 12pm

Tuesday 28 October New Lynn Interchange 2.30pm to 6pm

Thursday 30 October Henderson Interchange, Council Airbridge 2.30pm to 6pm

Sunday 9 November Te Atatu Peninsula Markets 7.30am to 12pm

Tuesday 18 November Westgate Bus Interchange 2.30pm to 6pm

Sunday 23 November Hobsonville Point Markets 9am to 1pm

‘Chakravyuh- Lethal circles’

¡¡ Swati Sharma

Indian community is growing rapidly in New Zealand and discovering new ways to make the community proud. Another reason to feel proud has been provided by NU Sindhu Art academy (NSAA) with their first cinematic presentation, ‘Chakravyuh - Lethal circles’, a film produced in New Zealand.

Recently, NSAA held the screening of the film. The event was hugely successful. The preview screening was attended by cast and crew, and some renowned members of the Auckland Indian entertainment community like Vijesh Nangia, Shailesh Prajapati, Chirag Solanki and Rupal Solanki.

The audience was mesmerised by the story, and the twists and turns kept them guessing for the two hours. The performances from the lead cast were highly appreciated, especially Monica Nangia’s performance as a criminal-minded housewife. Dialogues and production values were also cited as some of the best that Hindi audiences have experienced in New Zealand.

Words like ‘fabulous’, ‘fantastic’ and ‘amazing’ were used liberally to describe this first attempt to make a Hindi film for New Zealand audience. All attendees left the screening proud of what had been achieved in this first of its kind venture.

This is the first time that a Hindi film has been conceived, shot and presented for Indians

in New Zealand. Scripted, cast, shot and directed in New Zealand, ‘Chakravyuh - Lethal Circles’ is a gripping story about the risks we take and the consequences that follow.

The film is written, directed and produced by Kapil Asrani, who is also playing a police inspector’s role in the film.

The film will have four shows in Auckland:• 8th November 6 pm - Hoyts Sylvia Park• 9th November 4 pm - Hoyts Sylvia Park• 15th November 6 pm - Hoyts Sylvia Park• 16th November 4 pm - Hoyts Sylvia Park

ENTERTAINMENT


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ENTERTAINMENT

Accompanied by:

Manjit Singh (Tabla - Rhythm School of Music)

Samir Bhalodkar (Samvadini)

1st November 2014 • 6.30pm • Mt Albert War Memorial Hall, 773 New North Road, Mt Albert, Auckland

Presents

An evening on enchanting

and many more styles from the heartland of Benaras

GOLD SPONSORS EXCLUSIVE MEDIA PARTNERS

Available @ or call 0272435353, 09 5348000

Tickets $20

SUPPORTED BY

Diary

‘Kuch Kuch...’ gave me everything I have today: KJo

“Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” gave college friendships and romance a new cinematic language in Bollywood. It’s been 16 years since Karan Johar’s directorial debut hit the screens, and the filmmaker credits it for everything he has today.

The Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukerji-starrer, which was a hit courtesy its story, cast, acting, songs and humour. It established a huge connect with audiences of all age groups, making the country’s youngsters crazy about colourful friendship bands and the ‘COOL’ chain that the actors sported.

“16years ago...#kuchkuchhotahai.:..the film that gave me everything I have today...indelible memories,” Karan tweeted.

Shah Rukh also thanked the team of the film. “KKHH. Thank u Karan Kajol Rani Jatin

Lalit & everyone who made the film happen. And of course Tom Uncle (Yash Johar),” he shared on Twitter.

Celebs click ‘Pink Selfie’ Bollywood celebrities and fashion

designers have shown their support towards a ‘Pink Selfie’ campaign for breast cancer awareness.

Actresses Aditi Rao Hydari, Nargis Fakhri and designers Manish Malhotra and Nishka Lulla have come forward to back the initiative by Ogaan Cancer Foundation and Elle Breast Cancer Campaign during October, which is designated as the Breast Cancer Awareness month.

An Instagram post by actress Nargis Fakhri reads: “I am wearing pink to support Breast Cancer Awarness Month with @elleindiaofficial. It’s very important to get yourself tested as early detection provides a 98 % chance of full recovery and can save lives. #pinkSelfie.”

It’s a unique initiative wherein all through the month, celebrities will be wearing pink and clicking ‘selfies’ to create awareness for the disease.

Intelligence, guts required to be in a man’s world: SRK on Farah

After working under his friend Farah Khan’s direction in “Main Hoon Na”, “Om Shanti Om” and now “Happy New Year”, superstar Shah Rukh Khan knows what qualities make her a success in the male-dominated Hindi film industry.

“Farah has a lot of self-confidence, which is amazing. Whenever I think that I will direct a film, I find myself lacking the self-confidence. Also, unlike her, I don’t have the clarity,” Shah Rukh, who feels he can imbibe the quality from Farah, told reporters.

“I genuinely think every world has a male-dominated area. It requires intelligence and guts to be in a man’s world and say it like it is. Farah exudes power. I think women are respected here, but the kind of respect she garners, is quite amazing,” Shah Rukh added.

Their forthcoming project also features Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani, Sonu Sood and Vivaan Shah.


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FEATURES

From the desk of I am Woman

Get the most out of life – 12 golden rulesEverybody wants to get the most out of life. When work and responsibilities seem to get in the way – leaving you exhausted and unable to do anything interesting or fun – then resentment and frustration can build up. These can be real killers of relationships, peace of mind and our overall optimism. It therefore becomes important to take time out , step back and reassess your situation. Here are twelve important things you can do to take the power back into your own hands -

Know what is important to you and what you want to achieve.

There’s no right or wrong answer but if you’re going to get the most out of YOUR life, be clear on what that means to you. It’s ok if you are happy with where you are and just want to achieve peace of mind. You just need to be clear on what you really want.

Slow down.Put away those devices, look around you

and interact face-to-face with people around you. Bask in the simple pleasures. You don’t have to always be on the move, doing, always hurrying, always looking for “more.” Getting somewhere two minutes sooner is not going to make a difference but it does make the drive more stressful.

Be you. Don’t compare yourself with anyone else.

People succeed at what they love because they WANT to do it and they do anything to succeed at it. Follow your bliss because life is not about the next promotion or having more. You are amazing exactly as you are. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!

Don’t give in to comfort.Stretch yourself. Be uncomfortable most of

the time, and you will be LIVING. Comfort usually equates to settling for something easy and mediocre rather than going all-out for something thrilling and fulfilling. It’s not easy to quit your day job to pursue a passion or walk up to an attractive stranger and introduce yourself but if you don’t, you will sit in your comfortable living room, regretting all the things you did not do. Push yourself – expand your limits constantly.

Don’t overthink. Do.Like Napoleon said, “Take time to

deliberate, but when the time for action has arrived, stop thinking and go in.” Wasting your life waiting for the stars to align, or the conditions to be perfect… is just that – wasting your life. Dive in before you know how to swim. Push yourself, challenge yourself, and stop agonizing over “what if.” Things could just as easily go awesomely right as they could go wrong so snap out of your analysis paralysis and take a chance on something.

Change your perspective.Seeing yourself through another person’s

eyes is illuminating. Be open to alternative points of view – because YOURS isn’t the only one, and it’s not necessarily the right one. If

you close yourself off from newer thoughts and ideas, how will you grow and develop?

Express gratitude.Being grateful for everything – the

good, the not so good - all of it – is the key to happiness. Express thanks every day and to really supercharge this practice, remind yourself WHY you are grateful for something or someone. And don’t forget to be grateful for adversity since it is your greatest teacher and full of indescribably powerful blessings.

Nurture your relationships.Humans aren’t meant to go through life

alone. Dreams need the cooperation of other and life is much sweeter when you have people to share your road. Appreciate people around you and don’t hesitate to let them know how much they mean to you.

Embrace failure.Failure is one of life’s greatest teachers.

So is pain. If it weren’t for unhappiness, struggle, pain or frustration, would we ever do anything to improve our lives? No – we’d be comfortable. We’d exist, but never truly live.

Develop and share your talents.You have them for a reason. Remember

that you are unique, there is no one else like you. The world needs what you have to offer! Recognise your strengths and never let go an opportunity to polish yourself by sharing your uniqueness with the world.

Say “no”.Do yourself a favour, learn the art of saying

NO. Its no use putting yourself through things and experiences that drain you or make you feel bad. And say yes more often to things that make you feel good.

Make time for yourself…to meditate, or pursue a passion, to spend

down time with a loved one – anything to soothe the mind, uplift the spirit and rejuvenate the body!

Your life is what you make it. You alone can make the choices, and yes, some of them will be intensely uncomfortable and scary if you’re aiming to get more out of life. Expect the best of yourself, reach high, and don’t worry about tomorrow. It maybe important to remember though that in order to change anything the change needs to begin with you. Remember – “If you always do, what you’ve always done – you will always get what you’ve always got”.


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EVENTS

Jagad Guru speaks“Jagad Guru speaks” returns to television

every Thursday, on Face TV (Sky 083) which screens nationwide.

This TV series will, as previously, be very appealing to many in the Indian community. Jagad Guru is a paramahamsa in the line of great acharyas known as the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Sampradya, in ancient Vedic tradition of Vaishnavism.

Deep knowledge, humility and devotion to God, the qualifications of the actual lover and representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan, are evident in the person of Jagad Guru Siddhaswaruapananda Paramahamsa, a disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivendanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.

Jagad Guru sees and embraces the Supreme Person, Bhagavan, heart to heart, and motivated by compassion for all souls, he works tirelessly and selflessly to help others

revive their own original love for God, as well as communicating the message of Godhead, world wide. When heard and appreciated, this beautiful timeless message is life changing. As Sri Krishna says to Arjuna:

“Just try to hear the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.”

“In this world, there is nothing so sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge. Such knowledge is the mature fruit of all mysticism. And one who has achieved this enjoys the self within himself in due course of time.”

Bhagavad Gita [as it is] 4:34,38So be sure to tune into “Jagad Guru

Speaks”. Let your friends and family know too. After all there is nothing else like it on television.

HELP LINEAlcohol drug helplinePhone: 0800 787 797 or (03) 379 8626Email: [email protected] [email protected]: http://www.alcoholdrughelp.org.nzServices: Free confidential information, insight and support on any problem, issue or query you have about your own or someone else’s drinking or drug taking.

Depression HelplinePhone: 0800 111 757 or (04) 917 0060Emails: [email protected]: http://www.depression.org.nz/Call the Depression Helpline to talk to a trained counsellor about how you are feeling or to ask any questions.

Mum2Be HelplinePhone: 0800 855 066Email: [email protected]: http://www.health.govt.nzServices: Provide you with contact details for Lead Maternity Carers in your area. If you’d like to talk to someone about your pregnancy, call Pregnancy Counselling Services on 0800 PREGNANT (0800 773 462).

LifeLine AotearoaPhone: 09 5222 999 or 0800 543 354Website: http://www.lifeline.org.nz/Working Hours: 24 hoursFace to face counselling to those in need for issues including psychological & emotional distress, financial and work issues, marriage and family problems and with callers who are lonely, ill, depressed or the victims of violence or abuse.

WHAT’SOnNZ Sangam Convention 2014Date: 7-9 November 2014Time: TBCVenue: Mangere Centre Park Stadium, 101 Robertson Road, Mangere, Auckland2014 NZ Sangam Golf tournament will be happening on Sunday 2nd November. This event is open to all Sangam and Non Sangam Golfers with prizes available for both categories. For details or registration to the Sangam Golf tournament please contact Krish Krishna 021717161 or Ravi Rajan on 027 5423371. Further information on the Sangam Convention can be obtained from the organising chairperson Pranesh Gounder 0211578903 or Vicky Goundar 0272924266.

RangrasiyaDate: 1st November 2014Time: 6:30 pm onwardsVenue: Mt Albert War Memorial hall, 773 New North Road, Mt Albert AucklandOn the occasion of Diwali, Migrant Heritage Charitable Trust Inc (regd) is proud to bring to you an immensely popular and talented artist Dhanashree Pandit Rai to New Zealand. Dhanashree is one of the leading exponents of the THUMRI form of music and her repertoire, besides khayal, consists of thumri, chaiti, hori, kajri , sawan, jhoola etc. Vocal: Dhanashree Pandit Rai, Tabla: Manjit Singh (Rhythm School of Music), Samvadini: Amir Bhalodkar. Tickets for $20 available from 1st October 2014 at: Yogiji’s Food Mart, 26 Carr Road, Mt Roskill, Auckland. Contact: Yogijis - 624 5757 or Varsha 0272435353

Indian Classical Dance- Lecture/DemonstrationDate: Sat 25 Oct 2014Time: 11:00am – 11:30amVenue: Onehunga Library, 85 Church St, OnehungaCome one, come all to a lecture/demonstration on Bharatanatyam, an ancient Indian classical dance form, by Nutan Bhat. People of all ages are invited. Free Admission

Chakravyuh- Lethal Circles (The Movie)Date and Time: 8 &15 Nov 6 pm 9 & 16 Nov 2014 4 pmVenue: Hoyts Cinema, Sylvia Park, AucklandNU Sindhu Art academy (NSAA) has come up with their first cinematic presentation, ‘Chakravyuh- Lethal circles’, a film wholly produced in New Zealand. This is the first time that a Hindi film has been conceived, shot and presented for Indians in New Zealand. Scripted, cast, shot and directed in New Zealand. The film will have four shows in Auckland.

Auckland Library Diwali 2014Date: 12 - 26 October Venue: Multiple locationsDiwali is the annual festival of lights. In Auckland, public Diwali celebrations take place across the city and the event is marked as a major festival by Auckland Council. Auckland Libraries celebrates Diwali every year with a region-wide programme of henna workshops,

music and dance demonstrations, special story-times and much more. To find a library near you visit: http://www.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/EN/Events/Events/pages/diwali2014.aspx

Pregnancy Yoga ClassesDate: Every WednesdayTime: 5:30pm–6:30pmVenue: East West Organics, 34 Portage Rd, AucklandThese gentle Transformation Hatha Yoga classes will enable you to help your body adjust to your pregnancy, to help you to strengthen your muscles for carrying your baby and birth, this will also help with readjusting back after the birth of your baby. Classes are only available for those over 16 weeks into pregnancy and you will need to check with your midwife or Doctor before coming to the classes.


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FEATURES

‘I want to be like Aishwarya Rai’Sharon Verma, Miss India NZ 2014, runner-up, talks about her dreams, hopes and triumphs¡¡ Paula Ray

Indian Weekender: What made you choose to participate in this pageant?Sharon Verma: To gain confidence and interact with participants of different age-groups, and also to make new friend. Most of them are in university already, while I am still in school. I won the Miss Teen South Auckland-India crown and got selected for Miss India-NZ competition, which is a mix-up of all age-groups, starting 16 yrs of age.IWK: What is the significance behind the title Miss India NZ?SV: Anyone of Indian ethnicity can participate in it. It gives them a platform to showcase their talents. Being Indian and a New Zealander made me proud to be associated with it.IWK: The Single best thing that has happened so far?SV: Taking part in so many events. I performed at Aotea Square at the Auckland Diwali Fetsival, at the Unievrsity of Auckland Diwali Festival, including the Air New Zealand and ATEED Diwali launch event a few weeks ago. This weekend, I will perform at a Rotary Club event in Viaduct. All of these experiences give me a bigger platform to explore. They also give me an opportunity to meet people and make an informed decision. IWK: Single most difficult challenge you have faced so far?SV: It is trying to keep up with school work and take part in events. The latter tends to get you side-tracked. It is important to keep good grades at school. Balancing the two becomes a challenge.

IWK: Most important lesson learned:SV: Right after the pageant, I had to wake up every day at 4.30 am to study, come home and study after school, study in the weekend - to make up for time lost. The events are a good opportunity, but they sidetrack me. The most important lesson I have learned is to be responsible to myself.IWK: Who has been the biggest influence of your life?SV: Mum, because she kept pushing me to try

and do it. During events, she was always there n kept reminding what comes next. She teaches me perseverance. She keeps saying: “You can do it. Don’t be scared. It’s ok. Don’t forget your studies.”IWK: Your role model:SV: Dad, because he was in Fiji till he was 18 or 19 years of age. He lived there with his mum and family; his father had passed away when dad was younger. He migrated to NZ by himself to study engineering. He was already married to

mum by then, but he managed to stand on his own feet. He achieved everything by himself. It was big risk to take.IWK: Your favourite actress/ model:SV: Aishwarya Rai! I want to be like her. She is so beautiful. I’ve heard that she doesn’t care about makeup brands, rather uses ordinary makeup.IWK: What are your plans after you finish school?SV: I want to study medicine at University of Auckland or Otago University. I want to become a GP. However, I don’t want to lose modelling and keep it as a hobby. I want to achieve my goal. My dream is to become a doctor, right from childhood.IWK: Tell us about that one dream that you want to be realSV: Apart from becoming a medicine doctor, I want to become an Indian actress in Bollywood. I want to definitely become Aishwarya Rai (laughs)!

Sharon Verma, Model

It is important to keep good grades at school. Balancing the two becomes a challenge.


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FEATURES

MELBOURNE APARTMENTS

* Full details of Prize Draw Terms and Conditions, Migrant Banking Package eligibility criteria and a copy of our Reserve Bank Disclosure Statement are available at any ANZ branch or at anz.co.nz. ** Offer valid only for funds transferred by Personal, Business and Private Banking customers to India or Fiji between 1 and 31 October 2014, using ANZ Internet Banking ‘Send Money Overseas’ service (Registration may apply). ANZ International Money Transfer Terms and Conditions, and overseas bank charges apply.ANZ Bank New Zealand Limited. 10/14 17112IW

We wish you and your family a very

Happy Diwali!

Win one of three great prizes! To celebrate, we’re giving you a chance to win one of three great prizes. To enter the draw, just take up two or more products from our Migrant Banking Package in October. (Customers already on this package who have two or more products will automatically be entered).

Grand prize: $1,001 cash deposited in to an ANZ transaction account.

Runner-up prize: $501 cash deposited in to an ANZ transaction account.

Second runner-up prize: $201 cash deposited in to an ANZ transaction account.

Special limited time online offer.

Plus if you’re sending money online via ANZ Internet Banking to India or Fiji in October, you’ll pay just $7 – saving you $11 on the normal fee. (Conditions apply).**

Call us on 0800 269 296, visit us in branch or anz.co.nz/diwali for more details.

Indian Weekender 24 October 2014

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Transcript of Indian Weekender 24 October 2014