Brisbane Indian Times - November 2020 by Australian Indian Times

A Division of Qld Multicultural Times Print Post Approved PP : 424022 1724 | ISSN 2652-6182

Volume 17, Number 3 Saturday, November 14th, 2020

As God is One, we respect all Religions

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Kamala Harris's Indian ancestral village celebrate her win as US vice president-elect Ms Harris's late mother was born in India, before moving to the US.

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India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Ms Harris's success as pathbreaking. Ms Harris is the first person of South Asian descent to be elected vice president.

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Free Home Loan Consultation After waking up to the news of Kamala Harris's election as United States' presidentelect Joe Biden's running mate, people in her Indian grandfather's hometown set off firecrackers, carried her placards and offered prayers. Groups gathered at street corners of the tiny village of Thulasendrapuram, population 350, reading newspapers and chatting about the Democrats' victory before

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moving to the temple. The lush green village is the hometown of Ms Harris's maternal grandfather, who had moved to Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu state, decades ago. A woman wrote in colour powder outside her home: "Congratulations Kamala Harris. Pride of our village. Vanakkam America."

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Inside

• Local News ..................................4-35 • Real Estate ..................................... 36 • India News ..................................... 40 • Fiji News ......................................... 42 • Entertainment .............................. 44 • Health & Well Being .................... 46 • Astrology ........................................ 48 • Business Directory/Classified ... 49 • Sports News ................................... 50

From the Publisher Welcome to our Diwali issue, hope the festival of lights brings your way bright sparkles of peace, contentment, joy, and happiness which stays with you throughout this year and in the years to come. May the lamp of joy remain illuminated in your life now and forever, happy Diwali. I share this wishes from the entire team of Chantex Pty Ltd covering all divisions, Globenet Realty, Brisbane Indian Times and Australian Indian Radio and Chantex multimedia Services. It is indeed a unique Diwali, many traditional aspects will be left out due to Covid 19 restrictions, fireworks have been

A Division of Qld Multicultural Times Published Monthly OWNERS / PUBLISHERS: Umesh Chandra OAM & Usha Chandra ADVERTISING: Charita Deshpande (Sales and Marketing Manager) 0430 193 715, sales@indiantimes.com.au JOURNALIST/ CORRESPONDENTS Ram Jattan (UK) / Thakur Ranjit Singh (NZ) Thilliar Varnakulasingham (NZ) Shalendra Prasad (Fiji) / Dhaval Vyas (India) Rama Gaind (Canberra) • ML. M. Nawaaz Ashram • Imam Muhammad Aslam • Pastor Joseph Dass • Haji Abdul Rahman Deen • Jitendra Deo • Nimisha Modi • Ranjita Pillai (Immigration Matters) • Peter Lane Rai • Awadhesh Sharma • Shailendra Singh • Gagan deep Tandon • Ravi Vastrad • Cartoon Corner: Merwyn Machado • Brian Sullivan (Photography) Address: PO Box 197, Taigum Qld 4018 Ph: (07) 3192 5188 Fax: (07) 3865 5864 E-mail: prod@indiantimes.com.au Subscriptions: 12 months 6 months Brisbane Indian Times is a monthly newspaper published in English. No material, including advertisements designed by Brisbane Indian Times, may be reproduced in part or who without the written consent of the manager. Opinions carried in Brisbane Indian Times are those of the writers and not necessarily endorsed by Brisbane Indian Times. Brisbane Indian Times will not be held liable for any advertising / editorial content - Advertisers supply / approve content therefore should any content be deemed inappropriate it is the advertisers / correspondents responsibility. While every effort has been made to capture the true likeness to colour printing is an art and therefore we cannot guarantee an exact matching of product to image. Refund / Credit is not given as a result of the previous mentioned. All corresondence should be addressed to: Brisbane Indian Times, PO Box 197, Taigum Qld 4018. Ph: (07) 3192 5188 Fax: 3865 5864 / prod@indiantimes.com.au

From the Editor: If you would like us to publish your letters, feedback, comments on any of our stories or suggest ideas columns or features, please send your submissions to: Brisbane Indian Times Suite 5, 2281 Sandgate Road Boondall Qld 4034 or E-mail: prod@indiantimes.com.au

banned in many parts of the world, Diwali is not quite the same without fireworks, but everyone is rightfully concerned about the environment, hence is looking after and caring for the environment we must refrain from use of fire crackers, it’s a small sacrifice for a huge environmental impact. Well the nail biting US elections are thankfully over, and history has been created with Kamala Harris "creates history" as the first vice president-elect of Indian descent, Harris -- daughter of breast cancer specialist Shyamala Gopalan from the southern Indian

city of Chennai -- paid tribute to her late mother, who "believed so deeply in an America where a moment like this is possible" in a national address with president-elect Joe Biden. Presidents Trumps action were rather embarrassing, the speech claiming that they were stealing the election raised eyebrows on a global scale. Ever since India was plunged into a nationwide lockdown in March, the country experienced an unrelenting increase in coronavirus cases, hitting a peak of almost 100,000 cases a day in early September. But its daily tally and death toll is now less than half of what it was, while the United States is now recording close to 100,000 cases a day. A Government-appointed panel has declared the peak had passed. Locally I must record special appreciation for Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Queensland for organising an especial celebratory hawan in my honour, I felt humbled and blessed with this kind gesture, APSQ became the first community organisation to hold any such function or event recognising the honour bestowed upon me by Federal Government with the conferring of the prestigious OAM. GOPIO Qld during its annual Diwali dinner presented a shawl of honour on this achievement. Talking about GOPIO I must congratulate GOPIO Gold for holding a classy and up beat business networking event at Hilton Surfers paradise. With limited numbers permitted under the current Covid 19 restriction, the event was sold out in a very early stage. I was privileged to take part in such an inspiring event. Indian migrants are among the top migrant taxpayers in Australia according to the latest figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Out of 112.3 billion income generated by migrant taxpayers, Indian migrants generated $18 billion in 2016-17, coming a close second to migrants from the United Kingdom who generated $21 billion. On our facebook live channel we have had some amazing guest, the focus is on current affairs and with so many passionate people out in the community doing such amazing work we have a role to play and that role, making our community aware of these amazing people and their wonderful community work. We have had such wonderful reviews, there many challenges which we are working through, some which we are able to rectify, others are more challenging as they are not in our direct control. We will strive to the best we can and apricate the support and encouragement of many communities. As we move towards the end of the year, please take care and stay safe, take care on the roads, and with restrictions easing there will be rush for people all wanting to get to the same place at the same time, place take extra precaution on the roads, and on the beaches, let us do our bit, If we are vigilant than the control measures will not be necessary, so finally it is up to us to the right thing. Our next issue the last one for this year will be the Christmas issue , take advantage of the specials and be ready for the new year, with that I will pen off. Until next month happy reading. Umesh Chandra OAM

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Generosity is the essence of World Vision sponsorships in India

By Rama Gaind

As I reflect on one of my visits to India to meet the two children I sponsor through World Vision in Australia … I take heart in these visionary words from Buddha: “Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.” So much has happened in the intervening years … and in 2020 … it’s not easy looking for positives under the current pressure environment with the global COVID-19 crisis. In the blink of an eye the world’s jet-setting ways have changed, impacting the way we live our daily life. On the other hand, one should never underestimate the difference you can make in the lives of others … and I take pride in contributing to being a change-maker for World Vision. I have seen, first-hand, the optimistic impact sponsorship has on small communities where some of the concerns – expressed by Mother Teresa – are successfully overcome: “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty”. You just have to care, be empathetic and be munificent. I’ve sponsored a girl and a boy for more than a decade, having been fortunate enough to meet and spend

some time with Mohini Mangal, then 15, Rehan Imamudin, then 10, and also meeting their families, friends and members of the communities in which they live in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Mohini is a homemaker who loves sewing. Rehan is studious and keen on sports. Nostalgia prevails as a long-time association with Mohini ended last year as she had completed her studies and wanted to join the workforce. I was then fortunate to sponsor another young girl Kajaal Sharvan, aged 10. Some day I hope to meet Kajaal and her family once the international travel restrictions end. Until then, patience will be a virtue. Affirmative reflections Over the years, I’ve maintained contact with my sponsored children through annual school progress reports and get updates on various community development projects in their region. To meet them was a rewarding and enlightening experience. It was a privilege to have seen the beneficial effects of the work being done by World Vision as it helped communities in need. Dr Josiah Daniel is manager of the Jaipur Area Development Project, a World Vision advocacy and empowerment program. The sponsorship effectiveness coordinator is Nitin Lall. Both were articulate when it came to explaining the farreaching benefits of their work. Mahender Sharma drove us into the Aravali hills to two different neighbourhoods where I met the Mangal and Imamudin families. All happy and thriving in

Mohini Mangal with World Vision’s sponsorship effectiveness coordinator, Nitin Lall, in Jaipur. Photo: Rama Gaind

Rehan Imamudin, 10, with program manager, World Vision office in Jaipur, India, Dr Josiah Daniel. Photo: Rama Gaind

I’ve sponsored a girl and a boy for more than a decade, having been fortunate enough to meet and spend some time with Mohini Mangal, then 15, Rehan Imamudin, then 10, and also meeting their families, friends and members of the communities in which they live in Jaipur. their environment, I felt overwhelmed by their heart-warming sentiments. There was a dynamic sense of purpose, of being cared for, and above all, of not being forgotten. Confidence was prevalent as they spoke about the various economic development assistance and education programs and the benefits experienced

by families and the local community. Their insight revealed how World Vision worked to provide the tools and resources to create more equitable societies for children so they can prosper and have a better future. Words of kindness reverberate from my previous trip: never mind the quantity, it’s the quality of service you give to a just cause that shows you care about other people. Also, I’ll never forget these words from a dear friend: “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. If the beauty of life is sharing, then you should never undervalue any assistance you can provide to help make this world a better place.” Through travel you not only meet certain captivating people living in inconceivable environments, but you also get to see some of the

Smiles all round among this group of young girls in the Jaipur community in Rajasthan, India. Photo: Rama Gaind world’s most captivating destinations. However, a sanguine outlook augurs well for the future. Mahatma Gandhi’s sage quote is opportune:

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”. Showing compassion is the ultimate expression of your highest self.

THE PRIME MINISTER OF EGYPT

Pastor Suresh Dass Joseph josephdass@optusnet.com.au

In Life we all have opportunities to see the losses, the setbacks, the betrayals as they are. But in any situation, instead of looking at the “Bad” in the “Bad”, we should be on the lookout to see the “Good” in the “Bad.” In the scriptures, we read that God has made everything good for its purpose. We should be happy not because everything is good, but because we choose to see the good side

of everything. Instead of fighting everything, we don’t like, the delays, the struggles, we should have the attitude that, in the end, it will make sense. When we live looking at the bad side of everything in Life, it is easy to live frustrated, upset, and defeated. You are limiting yourself from rising higher. Instead of looking at things that are working against us, we should see them as helping us reach our destiny. Romans 8v28 reads, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” That means the things that look like they are hindering us are helping us to rise higher. Airplanes fly against the wind to give it the necessary power to lift off the ground during take-off. But sometimes the bad season is taking longer; then

4 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

you have, to trust God and wait. God is preparing you for something bigger. This is what happened to Joseph in the bible (Genesis 35-41). He was betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery in Egypt. While working for his Master, Joseph was lied about, falsely accused, and put in jail. He had one bad break after another. But after thirteen years in prison, Joseph was suddenly made the Prime Minister of Egypt. During this time, we never read that Joseph was angry, bitter, and negative. He realised that God was with him, and in the end, he was going to arrive at his destiny. God was building character in Joseph and preparing him for this excellent task. Here are 3 things we can learn from Joseph. 1) When people reject you, they are not pushing

you down; they redirect you to something better. When Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, they thought it was the end of Joseph. But Joseph ended up in Egypt, where he became the Prime-Minister of the country. This was the hand of God, causing his brothers to sell Joseph into slavery so he could reach his destiny. Just like Joseph, instead of getting upset and worried about the dismissal at work, being terminated from the club, or expelled from the committee, do not see it as rejected but trust God that you are being directed to something bigger. 2) Bad things happening today could be paving the way for good things coming tomorrow. Life’s trouble and situations should be viewed as a process, just like the moon, which must go through emptiness phases to feel full again. Some people come into your Life

as blessings, who will love you as you are, be kind to you, encourage you, and provide for you. Then some can hurt you, belittle you, and betray you. Instead of blaming yourself and others, see these as experiences and lessons you have learned. Both good and bad things happen to us to build our character. Instead of getting bitter, we are to get better. When his brothers finally came to Joseph, they were afraid and worried about what Joseph might do to them. But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in place of God?” But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” 3) Do not fall into this trap that everything has, to be right before you can be happy. You may not understand everything that happens in Life, and you

don’t have to. But it’ll push you further into your destiny if you keep the right attitude. Instead of living offended, bitter, and negative, you are to say, “Lord, I trust You. I may not like it, but I believe You know what is best for me.” For Joseph, not everything was working out to be useful in his Life. But while working as a slave, he helped his Master run his house and his business. While in prison, he helped the prison keeper run the prison. Joseph kept the right attitude in a bad situation. After thirteen years of lessons and preparation, he was running a whole country! Today I am encouraging you to always look at the good in any bad situation. Trust God as He leads you through this journey while building your character and preparing you for something big coming your way. God bless you.

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in certain target sectors and have a high-income earning potential ($150,000.00 and above) will be given priority. This is just one of the many niche visa options in Australia which you may be eligible for. Migration Guru is always up to date with new visa options and changes to existing streams. Our initial consults are free, and we assist in exploring the options you may have available. Migration Guru has experienced and dedicated staff that aim to provide you with the best opportunity for success. Migration Guru has assisted a vast number of clients, in various and complex circumstances, including arranged marriages and de facto applicants. Migration Guru has more than 80 years of collective experience in the industry and a team of Migration Agents / Solicitors. With our vast experience and skills, we are able to provide accurate migration or legal advice based on our clients’ personal circumstances. If you would like more information regarding your visa eligibility, applicable visa subclass, or next steps, Migration Guru can assist you in navigating this process. Our team may be contacted by via email on info at migrationguru. om.au or by calling 07

3036 3800. Readers are encouraged to follow us on Facebook for all the updates to Migration Law https://www.facebook. com/migrationguru/ Migration Guru Pty Ltd, Level 18, 127 Creek Street, Brisbane, QLD. Phone: 07 3036 3800 Migration Guru Pty Ltd, 31002, 27 Garden Street, Southport QLD. Phone: 07 5606 6160 Migration Guru Pty Ltd, Level 1, 162 Macquarie Street, Hobart TAS. Phone: 03 6281 8008 Migration Guru Pty Ltd, Level 5, 490 Northbourne Avenue, Dickson, ACT. Phone: 02 6109 9110 Migration Guru Pty Ltd, Suite 160AC, Level 1, 1 Queens Road, Melbourne, VIC. Phone 03 6240 1930 Migration Guru Pty Ltd, 2nd Floor, KLJ Tower North, Netaji Subhash Place, New Delhi 110034, India Migration Guru Pty Ltd, Suite 8, Star Tower, Shahupuri, Kolhapur, Maharashtra 416001, India MARN 0324607, 1175591, 1382609, 1386041, 1683052 & 1466522. www. migrationguru.com.au Disclaimer: - The above article constitutes only generic information on migration issues, and does not constitute specific migration advice to any entity or individual.

Woolworths helps customers celebrate Diwali with expanded South Asian product range Monday, 26 October 2020: Diwali preparations are now made easier and more convenient with special South Asian products available in selected Woolworths stores across the country. Diwali occupies an unparalleled place in the hearts of people, and on this auspicious occasion, Woolworths has embraced the importance of the role food plays during Diwali by offering tailored products for the South Asian community, available in over 200 stores nationally and also online. The range of products includes snacks, spices, rice, atta flour and other cooking ingredients to help create flavourful special dishes during the festive period. These specially sourced products not only offer popular food items, but also provide great convenience to the South Asian community in Australia to help them prepare for the Diwali celebrations. Popular snacks such as Parle G biscuits and Parle

rusk, as well as much loved Chings Noodles are also available, providing the opportunity to easily enjoy these little treats for Diwali.

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Accompanied by popular beverages such as Red Label tea, Bru coffee, Kushi juices and MTR Badam drink cans, Woolworths has customers’

meal, snack and gifting needs covered this Diwali. Woolworths is offering special prices on key household ingredients such

as Daawat Basmati rice, Aashirvaad Whole Wheat Atta Flour, Amul Ghee, Katoomba Ginger & Garlic and Dhara Sunflower Oil,

used in everyday cooking. Woolworths General Manager for Grocery Food Ewan Shearer said; “We understand Diwali is an important time for family gathering, celebration and feasting. Our teams have been working hard to expand our South Asian product range and ensure customers have all the ingredients and products they need to celebrate. “For Diwali, we have the right variety of local and international products offering great value to help our customers during their busy preparations leading into the Diwali festivities. “On behalf of Woolworths, I would like to wish the entire community a very happy Diwali.” For more information on Woolworths stores that stock the Diwali range, visit www. woolworths.com.au/diwali. The Diwali product range varies from store to store and the Diwali Sale is available from now until Tuesday 17th November 2020, unless sold out earlier.

Happy Diwali

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On sale from Wednesday 4th November until Tuesday 17th November 2020, unless sold out earlier. Products and specials only available in selected stores. While stocks last. Visit woolworths.com.au/Diwali for store list. Woolworths Supermarkets: 1 Woolworths Way, Bella Vista, NSW 2153. Call: (07) 3192 5188 08_41200_CP041120NATBIT_BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES_380x250.indd 1

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8 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

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GOPIO Queensland Diwali Dinner GOPIO Queensland held its Diwali Dinner on 7th November at Indian Brothers Restaurant in Annerley. The annual dinner was a sold out success, though numbers were less than previous year , due to Covid 19 restriction , the restaurant could accommodate only 60 people for events and hence the sellout. GOPIO Queensland Diwali dinner was a more relaxed and fun filled atmosphere rather than a formal outlook, and everyone was relaxed and had a good time overall, the official singers for the night did a wonderful job Chandan das Ji and Manju ji entertained everyone with foot tapping evergreen numbers. Indian Brothers restaurant provides excellent food and service for these events. President, Rakesh Sharma, introduced his team members and used the occasion to honour Umesh Chandra OAM for his medal, the committee presented a shawl of honour to Umesh Chandra OAM. The fun filled night continued with lots of singing and dancing, the entertainment was sponsored by Cornerstone Law offices and the wine was sponsored by Brisbane Indian Times and Australian Indian Radio. Mayuresh Lande and Tanvi Goel were the MCs for the event.

GOPIO Gold Coast Networking function With Covid 19 restriction easing GOPIO GOLD coast were able to hold a highClass Upbeat business networking event. The event was held in classy Hilton, Surfers Paradise, one of the very few venues that could offer the Covid safe event plan. The event began with the networking drinks in the foyer, everyone was just pleased to be attending a

function in person once again. After the networking everyone moved into the main room which was set in a sit-down dinner style. The businesslike décor suited the event and was complemented by the professional presentation. The speakers very all very good the key note speakers were amazing and very thought provoking and

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After the networking everyone moved into the main room which was set in a sit-down dinner style. The businesslike décor suited the event and was complemented by the professional presentation. The speakers very all very good the key note speakers were amazing and very thought provoking and forward thinking. The futuristic approach and gauging the past practices leverage moving forward resonated throughout his very interesting presentation. forward thinking. futuristic approach

The and

gauging the past practices leverage moving forward

resonated his very

throughout interesting

presentation. President Pradip Gorasia and his event team did a wonderful job. Pradip encouraged attendees to become members. Umesh Chandra OAM outlined GOPIO’s international activities and prospective. GOPIO Gold Coast is a progressive organisation with dedicated and passionate members, well done Team Gold Coast.

happy Diwali Paul Scarr Senator for Queensland

Scott Morrison Prime Minister

Ross Vasta Member for Bonner

Authorised by A.Hirst, Liberal Party of Australia, Cnr Blackall and Macquarie Sts, Barton ACT 2600.

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Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Queensland

Patron Re’t Justice Pandit Devendra Pathik “Arya Ratn”

Trustee Mr. Sukarm Pal Singh

Trustee Mr. Mul Chand

President Dr. Sukhvir Singh

Samaj Havan Yajna Satsang at Queensland Vedic Cultural Centre

ईश्वर की शरण ओ३म ् ईश्वर की शरण में रहने वाला व्यक्ति सदा उन्नतिशील, तनाव मुक्त और आनंदित रहता है ।* मनुष्य अल्पशक्तिमान होने से, अपने सारे कार्य स्वयं पूरे नहीं कर सकता। उसे अन्यों से बहुत सी सहायता लेनी पड़ती है । अनेक सांसारिक लोगों की सहायता से वह धीरे धीरे उन्नति करता है । *सबसे पहले बचपन में उसे माता-पिता से सब प्रकार की सहायता मिलती है । भोजन वस्त्र निवास खिलौने नौकर चाकर प्रेम सुरक्षा तथा अन्य भी अनेक प्रकार के साधन उसे माता-पिता की कृ पा और आशीर्वाद से मिलते हैं ।* जैसे जैसे वह बड़ा होता जाता है , वैसे वैसे स्कू ल कालेज गुरुकुल आदि में उसके गुरुजन विद्या आदि से उसकी सहायता

करते हैं । पड़ोसी मित्र सहयोगी सहपाठी भी उसकी बहुत प्रकार से सहायता करते हैं । धीरे -धीरे वह और बड़ा होता जाता है , तथा जीवन में क्या करना चाहिए, कैसे करना चाहिए, अनेक विद्वानों के मार्गदर्शन से वह सीखता जाता है । जितने लोग भी उसकी सहायता करते हैं , उन सब की सहायता सर्वव्यापक सर्वशक्तिमान आनंदस्वरूप परमात्मा करता है । और परमात्मा उस व्यक्ति की भी सहायता करता है , जो बचपन से उन्नति कर रहा है । जो व्यक्ति इन सब सहायकों की सहायता लेते हुए, साथ-साथ ईश्वर की शरण भी स्वीकार कर लेता है , ईश्वर को अपना सबसे बड़ा मार्गदर्शक संरक्षक गुरु आचार्य राजा और न्यायाधीश आदि के

रूप में स्वीकार करके सब कार्य करता है , उसका बेड़ा पार हो जाता है । वह सदा उन्नतिशील रहता है , सदा प्रसन्न रहता

है , चिंताओं से मुक्त और सदा आनंदित रहता है । *जो लोग ईश्वर को नहीं समझते, उसकी कृ पा सहायता और आशीर्वाद को नहीं जानते, वे ईश्वर के आशीर्वाद से वंचित रहते हैं । और संसार में यूं ही भटकते हुए अनेक दख ु ों को भोगते रहते हैं ।* जैसे छोटी सी मछली पानी की शरण में रहती है , तो विपरीत धारा में भी वह आगे आगे बढ़ती जाती है । परं तु बहुत बड़ा हाथी भी यदि पानी की शरण में नहीं रहता, पानी की धारा की, विपरीत दिशा में चलता है , तो वह धारा विपरीत होने से आगे नहीं बढ़ पाता, बल्कि पानी के साथ ही बह जाता है । तो जैसे मछली, पानी की शरण लेती है , वैसे ही, यदि आप ईश्वर की शरण स्वीकार लेवें, तो आप का भी कल्याण हो जाएगा। ओ३म ् स्वामी विवेकानंद परिव्राजक जी

जीवन में सफलता- विशेष नियमों का पालन करना होगा

ओ३म ् यदि आप जीवन में सफलता प्राप्त करना चाहते हैं , तो आपको कुछ विशेष नियमों का पालन करना होगा। झूठे भाग्यवादी न बनें। सच्चे पुरुषार्थी बनें। आपने अपने आसपास के लोगों को कई बार ऐसा बोलते हुए दे खा सुना होगा, कि *मेरे पास टाइम नहीं है । अभी मेरा मूड नहीं है । लोग क्या कहें गे! यह काम मुझसे नहीं होगा। मेरी तो किस्मत ही खराब है इत्यादि।* वास्तव में ये सब वाक्य सफलता प्राप्ति के शत्रु हैं । इन्हें मन में विचारना और वाणी से बोलना बहुत ही गलत है । इन वाक्यों के पीछे गहरा मनोविज्ञान है । जो लोग झूठे भाग्यवादी हैं , वर्तमान के पुरुषार्थ में कम विश्वास रखते हैं , ऐसे लोग इस प्रकार के वाक्य बोला करते हैं , कि *जो भगवान ने निश्चित कर रखा है , वही तो होगा। ज्यादा शोर मचाने या भाग दौड़ करने से क्या लाभ?* ऐसे झूठे भाग्यवादी लोग जीवन में अनेक क्षेत्रों में असफल होते हुए दे खे जाते हैं । और इसके विपरीत, पुरुषार्थी लोग सफल होते हुए दे खे जाते हैं । आप भी निष्पक्ष भाव से विचार कीजिए, मेरे एक प्रश्न का उत्तर दीजिए।

*व्यक्ति कर्म करने में स्वतंत्र है , या परतंत्र? आपका उत्तर होगा, स्वतंत्र। यदि स्वतंत्र है , तो स्वतंत्र शब्द का अर्थ तो यही होता है कि, वह अपनी इच्छा से तथा अपनी बुद्धि से योजना बनाएगा; और यदि वैसा ही पुरुषार्थ भी करे , तो सफलता निश्चित रूप से उसके कदम चूमेगी।* परं तु ऐसे जानने समझने वाले और पूरी श्रद्धा के साथ परिश्रम करने वाले लोग, संसार में बहुत कम ही दे खने को मिलते हैं । और ऐसे ही लोग अपने जीवन में सफल तथा संतष्ट ु भी हैं । सारी दनिय ा में अधिकांश लोग इस ु बात को मानते हैं कि *जो हमारे भाग्य में लिखा है , वही मिलेगा। और जब समय आएगा, तभी मिलेगा। समय से पहले, और भाग्य से ज्यादा, किसी को मिलता नहीं है । इसलिए शान्ति से रहो। ज्यादा हो हल्ला मत करो।* इस कथन में जो शब्द हैं , वे सुनने में तो बहुत अच्छे लगते हैं । परं तु इस कथन में जो बात कही गई है , वह सत्य नहीं है । यह तो ठीक है , कि जो हमारा भाग्य है वही हमें मिलेगा। परं तु लोग भाग्य को समझते कहां हैं ? नहीं समझते। भाग्य

क्या है ? *जो सुख दख ु , हमारे ही कर्मों का फल है , केवल उतना ही सुख दख ु हमारा भाग्य है ।* परं तु जो सुख दख ु , जीवन में हमें मिल रहा है , वह सारा सुख दख ु हमारा भाग्य नहीं है । *क्योंकि वह सारा सुख-दख ु हमारे कर्मों का फल नहीं है । उसमें बहुत सारा सुख दख ु ऐसा भी है , जो हमें व्यर्थ में दस ू रों के अत्याचार अन्याय से भोगना पड़ता है । जैसे दस ू रों के झूठे आरोप, चोरी डकैती लूटमार हत्याओं आदि से प्राप्त होने वाला दख ु ।* अथवा हम अपने आलस्य प्रमाद से भी अनेक बार पुरुषार्थ नहीं करते, और अपना भाग्य उत्तम बनाने से चूक जाते हैं । इसलिए ऐसे भ्रान्ति उत्पादक वाक्यों को बुद्धिमत्ता से समझना चाहिए। हमारा भाग्य हमारे द्वारा बनाया गया है , ईश्वर ने अपनी मनमर्जी से हमारा भाग्य नहीं लिखा है । ईश्वर तो एक निष्पक्ष निर्णायक है । जैसे परीक्षक निष्पक्ष भाव से, विद्यार्थी के परीक्षा उत्तर पत्र के अंक दे ता है , अपनी मनमानी से नहीं। उसी प्रकार से ईश्वर हमारे कर्मों का निष्पक्ष भाव से फल दे ता है , अपनी मनमानी से नहीं। तो जो हमारा कर्मफल है , वही हमारा

भाग्य है । इसका अर्थ यही तो हुआ, कि हमारा भाग्य हमने ही बनाया है । *जो कर्म हमने चाहे इस जन्म में अब तक किया हो, चाहे पिछले जन्म में किया हो, वही सब हमारा भाग्य है ।* जैसे पिछले कर्म हमारा भाग्य है , और वह भाग्य हमने स्वयं बनाया है । ऐसे ही इस बचे हुए जीवन में जो हम कर्म करें गे, वही हमारा भाग्य होगा। वह भाग्य भी तो हम ही बनाएंगे। इसलिए सारी बात का सार यह हुआ कि, हमारा भाग्य हम ही बनाते हैं , कोई दस ू रा नहीं। तो हमारा पुरुषार्थ ही हमारे भाग्य का निर्माता है । फिर झूठे भाग्यवादी वाक्य बोलकर हम अपना भविष्य क्यों बिगाड़ें ? इसलिए सदा पुरुषार्थी बनें और अपने भाग्य को उत्तम बनाएं। झूठी कल्पनाओं से बचें। अपनी भावी उन्नति को खो न दें । अतः वे पांच वाक्य अपने जीवन से दरू फेंक दें । *मेरे पास टाइम नहीं है । अभी मेरा मूड नहीं है । लोग क्या कहें गे! यह काम मुझसे नहीं होगा। मेरी तो किस्मत ही खराब है इत्यादि।* तभी आपका वर्तमान और भविष्य सुधरे गा ओ३म ् स्वामी विवेकानंद परिव्राजक जी

PARENTING AND FAMILY – A VEDIC PERSPECTIVE - Acharya Dr. Satish Prakash Ji Social scientists will tell us that families are in crisis all over the world. Teenage pregnancy, domestic violence, divorce, school drop-out, generation gap challenges and other similar developments are bashing the foundations of marriage and family. A couple gets married today and some months, or years, later find out they are not suited for each other. They end up in severe disagreement and engage in domestic violence. Children experience severe tension at home and they carry that tension to school and to the streets. Poor parenting skills in squabbling parents spill over into an overall loss of values at home

and all these have adverse effects on children. Studies tell us that broken homes negatively impact the quality of life on streets and in neighbourhoods. MahaRishi Dayananda Saraswati Ji came and saw the state of affairs in India. Karl Marx, Dayananda’s contemporary, also saw the state of affairs in Europe. Both of them conceived of their own kinds of revolution to bring about reform in society. Marx targeted the youth of Europe but, unfortunately, his revolution has come to an end. MahaRishi Dayananda Saraswati Ji targeted the womb of India, and thankfully, his revolution, summed up in the word Arya Samaj, is still somewhat

12 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

alive. Dayananda felt that families are links making up the chain called society, and that reform in family automatically lends to reform in society. He used the Vedas to create specific guidelines on how to start families. It was his considered view that reform in marriage practices are basic to strong family foundations. Choosing a good partner requires

a meticulous examination of the profile of both partners. And, parenting begins from even before the time the child is conceived. He compared the conception of a fetus with the planting of crop seeds. Land needs to be properly prepared for crop seeds to germinate, grow and yield abundantly. In the same way, bodies of parents also need to be properly prepared to successfully lay the seed for a potentially virtuous child. Fetus conception in the human world is fundamentally different from fetus conception in the animal world. And so, MahaRishi Dayananda Saraswati Ji laid tremendous emphasis on the spiritual culture

of the sixteen Vedic Sanskaarsacraments and the five daily Vedic Yajnas. These two – Yajna and Sanskaar - make up essential guidelines in the science of creating a new generation. One of the principal tasks of Arya Samaj is to continue laying emphasis on Sanskaars and Yajnas. In view of what’s happening world-wide, the science of creating a desired generation needs to be taught and implemented. Implementing this science is the task of not only Pandits, but also social workers and all involved. We all must invest in the coming generations to ensure our survival ओ३म ् Acharya Dr. Satish Prakash Ji

Secretary Mr. Hari Chand

TreasurerMrs. Suman Chand

RET'D JUSTICE PANDIT DEVENDRA PATHIK 'ARYA RTN' 'Order Of Fiji' 90th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS Patron APSQ Inc

रिटायर्ड जस्टिस पंडित देवेंद्र पथिक जी ‘आर्य रत्न’ ‘आर्डर ऑफ़ फिजी’ 90th वां महत्वपर ू ्ण जन्मदिन समारोह बड़ी उपलब्धि

Significant milestone 90th Birthday celebrations,very well attended and successful program. Nine decades of memories, time for reflection. Experiencing life for nine decades means that highly respected Pandit Pathik Ji has seen and experienced a lot in his lifetime. Congralutations Very Happy birthday to one of the most incredible, most inspirational, most captivating 90 year old. All members are sending their very best wishes that’s wrapped up with all our love and we hope you enjoy many more beautiful years ahead of you. We wish you tremendous love, luck, and laughter may you only know the joy, peace and excellent health that comes with a life well lived. हार्दिक शुभकामनायें , बहुत बहुत बधाई जी ओ३म ् ईश्वर की कृपा आप सभी पर सदै व बनी रहे ओ३म ्

THE THEORY OF CREATION IN MANU SMRITI Acharya Dr.Satish Prakash Ji 1. In the beginning, in the period of grand dissolution, before creation took place, this universe existed in the shape of darkness, unperceived, destitute of distinctive marks, unattainable by reasoning, unknowable, as if immersed in deep sleep from all around. 2. After the period of grand dissolution, God – the Self-Reliant One, indiscernible to the naked eye – caused this Universe to become manifest. In so doing, He infused inexhaustible energy into Matter causing the great elements, and the rest, to evolve and become manifest. With this evolution, He dispelled darkness associated with the state of dissolution. 3. From Matter that was under His Control, God drew forth Mahat, Cosmic Intelligence that contained in itself both Sat [the material cause for subsequent evolutes] and Asat [the yet-to-evolve evolutes themselves]. From Mahat, God drew forth Ahankaar or Ego, the powerful sense of individuation. 4. The Creator caused to evolve the great mind that aids the Soul, all five subtle and gross elements rooted in the three qualities [Sattwa, Rajas, Tamas], and then, one by one in due order, the five cognitive and five active senses that grasp the objects of sensation. 5. Combining subtle particles of these six [the five subtle elements and the ego] which possess measureless power, with particles of their corresponding gross elements, God created all beings. These five verses above tell us the following: 1. God is the agental [efficient] cause of the universe. 2. Matter is the material cause of the universe. 3. The universe evolved over a period of time and passed through different stages; it just did not happen. 4. The universe constitutes dynamic realism. It is not a dream. 5. Before the universe became manifest, it existed in deep darkness. This is the darkness caused by a prior dissolution of all forms. Each cycle of creation is followed by a cycle of dissolution, which again is followed by a period of creation. Cycles of creation and dissolution follow each other endlessly and rhythmically ओ३म ् Acharya Dr. Satish Prakash .

HAPPY DIWALI Wishing you happiness and prosperity this Diwali.

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GUNJAN SAXENA-THE KARGIL GIRL: THE NEED FOR FEMINIST FATHERS TO EMPOWER THEIR DAUGHTERS GUNJAN SAXENA-THE KARGIL GIRL: WHEN FEMINIST FATHERS EMPOWER THEIR DAUGHTERS Putting aside anti-Karan Johar and nepotism issue in Bollywood, I was really impressed by this movie which was not a traditional war movie, but a fight for a woman for her rightful place in a very male dominated Indian Air Force. Despite all conflicting cases, India still remains a country where women are struggling to seek their rightful position Highly recommended movie for those who wish to empower their daughters, granddaughters and women to fight against discrimination against women in workplace and in community. Please read the review, see the movie and help stem out discrimination against women………….

Thakur Ranjit Singh, FIJI PUNDIT

FIJI PUNDIT does not normally do film reviews, unless it touches my heart and some raw nerves. Gunjan Saxena – The Kargil Girl did exactly that. “GUNJAN SAXENA (Janhvi Kapoor) is a Yash Raj biopic (biography) of one of India's first woman combat aviator, an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer who flew helicopter missions in the 1999 Kargil war and is attributed to saving some 1,000 (thousand) lives. Flight Lieutenants Gunjan Saxena and Srividya Rajan paved the way for others to follow. In 1999, Gunjan, a helicopter pilot at 24, became India's first woman combat aviator to fly Cheetah helicopters in the Kargil war zone. She was tasked with medical evacuations, supply drops, and mapping enemy position duties. The movie wages war against male chauvinistic patriarchal mind-set and discrimination against women. Here, the brother insists that his sister would suit as a stewardess and the mum worrying when her girl will find time to marry. She finds a friend in her supportive father who silently fights for her in every way possible. That is what I call a feminist father

who empowers his daughters. The movie starts with a shot in a passenger airliner where a child Gunjan wishes to have a window seat and the brother denies it. An understanding stewardess sees her interest and takes her to the flight deck which fascinates her and child decides to become a pilot. It reminds me of my daughter, Ragni Singh Chand (still retains father’s surname after marriage) who, like me, enjoyed reading Perry Mason’s courtroom tales in Earl Stanley Gardiner books of 1970s. She wished to be a lawyer from a very young age. And like Gunjan, she was lucky to have a feminist father, empowering her to reach her goals. Being in Fiji, to study law in New Zealand does not come cheap in 1999 and early 2000, but I did my best to see her graduate with Masters in Law from Waikato University, with the aim of one day sitting on the bench of High Court of New Zealand. However, Gunjan was in a conservative parochial India, fighting her own battles at the same time, in a male- oriented establishment in Air Force, where females were zero, and not meant to be, hence there were no female toilets or changing rooms. Despite anti- Karan Johar and the debates of nepotism in Bollywood, this is one inspirational movie about empowering our daughters. This is the story of Flight Lieutenant Gunjan and not about daughter of Sridevi and Boney Kapoor or sister of Arjun Kapoor or niece of Anil Kapoor. Therefore I recommend all mothers and grandparents to see this movie with the family to inspire their daughters to reach for the sky. I have recommended

Flight Lieutenant Gunjan Saxena, very ably played by a cool and childlike JANHVI KAPOOR. This movie proves that with determination and a supportive father, sky is the limit for daughters with a resolve to succeed.

Three generations of Thakur Family: Thakuraain Shashi Kala Singh (wife of author Thakur Ranjit Singh-left), Daughter Ragni Singh Chand (right) and Rania Roma Chand, granddaughter (Ragni’s daughter) at Navratri Garba at Ram Mandir, Auckland. Navratam is worship of our Devis. The daughters need to be empowered. Ragni is a lawyer, and Rania has learnt swimming, dancing and is enrolled in Taekwondo selfdefence classes.

PANKAJ TRIPATHI (father) with daughter JANHVI KAPOOR bonding together. All daughters need a feminist father to empower and help fulfil dreams of their daughters.

my daughter Ragni to show this movie to my granddaughter Rania Chand, and inspire her to fight all odds in a male - dominated society. If you think this is a war movie with all gore, blood and shouting divisive slogans on India and Pakistan, you are wrong. Despite all the main characters being soldiers, it is still about what it is being a woman in a man’s world trying to make space in a man’s dominated fields. This is not about war alone, but about a woman what she wants and can do that any man can do. This film is about war, but the scenes are not showing killing machines but the rescue operations by these human beings

who are saving lives. This movie is about sexual discrimination, and the fight by a gallant woman to reach for the sky. While there have been many Bollywood movies on and around sexual violence, rarely have we seen one which tells the tales of social conditioning in women's career choices, casual misogyny and extreme discrimination at the workplace with such accuracy and detail. Gunjan Saxena appears to have been well researched, which should tell you all you need to know about empathy. You do not have to belong to a marginalised social group (a female) to develop an understanding of their concerns.

You just need to listen and observe without prejudice, arrogance, the persecution and discrimination that affects so many in India and worldwide. Unlike other Bollywood war movies, this one treats the war scenes almost like procedural, which in itself is a quiet reminder that defence personnel in reality are human beings at work, not speechifying Hindi film heroes, who shout chest-thumping hatred against the enemy country. This movie recount an individual's personal story, staying determinedly intimate even in war scenes. It is not only about one remarkable woman, but about every remarkable woman that ever lived. Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl is a very inspiring and watchable movie about sexual discrimination on our daughters. It is a deeply

moving tale of a feminist father and his gutsy daughter who fights all odds to reach her childhood dreams of reaching for the sky. Hope our male-oriented society can learn that male chauvinism and discrimination are threat to progress and human development. And your own daughters and loved ones could be victims of this shortsighted prejudice. Hope we will be fairer, sensible and more compassionate to make a difference to the discriminated women in workplaces - and in everyday real lives. And more than anywhere, this is still very relevant in modern India today. [About the Author: Thakur Ranjit Singh is an Auckland journalist and a media commentator, and runs his blog FIJI PUNDIT. He is originally from Fiji. E-mail: thakurji@xtra.co.nz]

Listen to a deep and gentle call of Jesus inside your heart today. He said, “I am the Light of the world”. He did not say I am like a Light. He gives to all humanity complete assurance and confidence; to people who are searching in the their soul. His purpose is to lead all humanity to abundant Truth and Life John 10:10). Therefore, ask yourself this question; Do I really know the Living Light? Living Light is not a

philosophy or an idea of human imagination or tradi-tional practices. What is one of the Best definition of Light? Light is a Per-son, and a Living and Loving Person. That Person is completely defined and perfectly expressed through the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. Today, take time to ask yourself a simple and a humble question; “I am truly travel-ling in the way of Living Light ?”. And find your answer in the words of Je-sus Himself; Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World”. Therefore, we invite you to pray this with a sincere heart; “Dear Father God, today I thank you for your word that has touched my heart. I repent of my wrongs and I confess with my mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’ and I believe in my heart that Jesus died for my sins, God raised Jesus from the dead for my Mukti (Salvation). Now help me to know Jesus more and more so that I can grow in the knowledge of your grace and mercy. Teach me your ways so that I can be person who will learn to honour you and learn to love each other. Amen.

Jesus said “Arise and Shine…”

Key Verse: The Glory of Zion “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn”. - Isaiah 60:1-3 Dear Reader, We are excited to bring you the Good News of Great Joy. Our theme is simple and clear. It is to make God real and personal. And to make God a very Real Person so you can learn to know His nature and relate to Him. God is not an object or an image or imagination of human mind. God is a living and loving person. We find this amazing revelation in the pages of Holy Bible.

Keep reading with an open heart and a humble spirit. You will encounter your Creator. You don’t need a thousand years good works to earn your Salvation (Mukti). You can receive your greatest miracle ‘Mukti’ today. This is the confidence you can have in Christ alone. This month we focus our theme on “Arise and Shine”. Isaiah was a 8th Cen-tury BC, Jewish Prophet. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Isaiah wrote clear

14 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

and astounding message of the future events; including the precise details of birth and ministry of Jesus Christ. And Salvation of Human race through the Atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus calls all those who believe and follow His ways to “Arise and Shine”. Because the Jesus has redeemed the fallen humanity from the darkness and sin. Christ is the Light of the

world, and when someone welcomes Christ into their heart, they welcome a ‘Living Light’. The supreme purpose of ‘Light’ is to expel the darkness. The world we live in is a not a perfect and peaceful world. Just listen to any TV or Radio news, there is death and destructions. This is filled with dark-ness and evil. But, when we learn to ‘Arise and Shine’ through the grace and truth of Christ we can enjoy the journey of purpose driven life.

SAMARPAN MEDITATION AUSTRALIA Chaitanya Mahotsav 2020

Samarpan Meditation was founded by Shree ShivKrupanand Swami (Swamiji) in 1999 in India and in the past two decades this mission has spread to over 30 countries. Scores of people have learnt the simple way of meditation and gained the positive experiences. Swamiji has encouraged practitioners of this method to open meditation centres around the world where people can come and meditate and also learn about meditation, free of cost. To make best possible use of technology and under the guidance of Swamiji, an initiative called Join Collectivity Online (JCO) has been launched. As part of this initiative, volunteers have organised online meetings via Zoom where people can join in and meditate online together as if they were in the same room. For more information, please visit https:// joincollectivityonline.com/. Swamiji has placed great importance in meditating with a group of people because meditating for 1000 days by yourself is equal to meditating with 1000 people for one day. Followers of Samarpan Meditation consider Swamiji as the Living Saint of the 21st Century. Sampan Meditation Chaitanya Mahotsav (2020) “A 3 day divine celebration of pure consciousness” Samarpan Meditation celebrated Chaitanya mahotsav on the 7th, 8th and 9th of November. It was a live online celebration in the proximity of His Holiness Shri Shivkrupanand swami who is the founder of Samarpan Meditation. There were more than 1,00,000 people registered from all over the world to join and celebrate this online meditation event which includes online discourse by His Holiness Shri Shivkrupanand Swami, yoga session, cultural programs, experience sharing and yajna ceremony. “Chaitanya Mahotsav” Whenever the divine soul and a spiritual master (Sadhguru) have come on this planet, they have come in the form of a human-being and their physical body is just a medium. However, this medium also bring millions of soul who has been attached with him from their previous life & birth. Thats why incarnation of such a medium is a big spiritual revolution because with his incarnation, it is a beginning of a new era and celebrating such a divine cause in collectivity and to enhance our receiving of spiritual energies and vibration level. Through the joining and celebration of such divine event we can bring a balance not only on a physical , social and mental level but also within ourselves and to prepare ourselves for this journey we call it “ Chaitanya Mahotsav”.

it will help them experiencing a good meditative state. It is recommended for the beginners and for the people who have a series of thoughts since they wake up till the time they go to bed again. It was explained that once you start becoming balance and start staying in present then you will no longer be needing the yoga postures and breathing exercises to experience a good meditative state because once you start staying in present then the moment you will sit down for meditation you will go into a meditative state. Madhuchaitanya Magazine (Spiritual Content) Madhuchaitanya is a spiritual content magazine which is published every 3 months. It is purely based on the spiritual content and articles. It also comprises of beautiful meditation experiences from people across the world. It also contains details about the upcoming projects, events and celebrations by Samarpan Meditation. We can subscribe it from any part of the world and choose to get a delivery of a hard copy or you can get online subscription as well. you can take the details form the sampan meditation website. “Reading Facts Revealed” (telegraph.co.uk/news/health/ news5070874) According to the source mentioned above, Reading is the best source of reducing stress. In their survey they found out that Reading, Listening Music , Drinking coffee and walking helps in reducing the stress level in human beings.

However, Reading is the best source out of the 4 as it comprises 68% reduction in stress levels in a hunan being followed by listening to music with 61% followed by drinking coffee with 54% and by walking which is 42%. The most important ﬁnding from their study is when you read spiritual content & articles it relaxes the nerves and muscles and after you get deep into reading the spiritual articles not only it relaxes the nerves and muscles but also reduces the stress levels. Therefore subscribing to magazines like madhuchaitanya or any spiritual magazines can help you reducing the stress levels and they will also help you in bringing your attention in present. Samarpan meditation is practiced world wide free of cost and people with different ethnic, background and religion

experience the beneﬁts of sampan meditation on a physical, social, mental and spiritual level. During the discourse, His Holiness Shri Shiv Krupanand Swami mentioned about the change meditation can bring in one’s life. when we talk to people about meditation or talking about it people generally think its not practical since we live in the society and to practice meditation we have to leave the society and go to himalayas. This is a general tendency of people when it comes to meditation. In samarpan meditation, you don't have to go himalayas and leave the society because you can practice it by being at your place and most importantly there is no requirement or eligibility to practice Samarpan Meditation. Meditation is a process of merging yourself with the nature. You can start practicing Samarpan Meditation with the

way you are irrespective of the age, colour, gender, background and ethnicity. Kundalini Energy & Chakras (Energy Centres) : It is that innate divine energy that enters our body whilst we are in our mother’s womb. It enters through the crown chakra and passes through the central channel of the body, energising all the chakras (energy centres) and settles into the triangular structure at the base of the spine. Kundalini energy which is the basic life force lies dormant within the body after birth. This dormant divine energy within each of us can be awakened through spiritual practices and its unlimited energy can be unleashed once again. Necessity to awaken Kundalini energy : The kundalini energy is the vehicle for the expansion of consciousness , enabling the individual to fully develop his/her innate potentials

and experience the divinity within. Upon awakening, this energy travels upwards towards the crown chakra via the spine, cleansing and clearing blockages in the chakras in the process. This in turn facilitates spiritual progress and connects the soul to the universal consciousness apart from over all improvement in physical health as a by-product. Within Samarpan Meditation this energy gets effortlessly awakened simply through a pure wish made to a divine, selfrealised living master. Requirement & Practice : It only requires half an hour of your time from everyday life and while you are practicing meditation it should be without any expectations. Practicing Samarpan Meditation without any expectations will result in experiencing higher level of consciousness and higher vibrational frequency. Aura and Samarpan Meditation : Practicing Samarpan Meditation is not only limited to experience higher level of consciousness and higher vibrations but also it helps in strengthening your “AURA”. An Aura is an electro magnetic ﬁeld which is around your physical body and it also helps you in protecting against any bacterias, viruses, diseases and also from the natural and man made calamity. Therefore, practicing meditation not only uplift the conscious level from within but it also protects your physical body and well being. In precise, meditation helps you in building a healthy and a sound Aura.

Summary of Chaitanya Mahotsav : Every year Samarpan Meditation celebrates Chaitanya Mahotsav and due to the pandemic this year the celebration was online and more than 1,00,000 people registered for the online celebration. This celebration was live for 3 consecutive days and it was telecasted on media platforms such as Youtube & Facebook. Everyday at 6a.m (IST) the day started with the online meditation in the proximity of His Holiness Shri Shivkrupanand Swami. Thousands of people online meditated and experience the divinity of meditating with the living divine master which is really rare these days. Yoga & Breathing Exercises : There were online yoga sessions through which people learned about the basic body postures and breathing techniques which can help to go into a meditative state before they sit down to practice meditation. Practicing meditation is really hard for people who has a continuous and ongoing series of thoughts and therefore with the help of yoga and breathing exercises it will help them bringing their mind in present by narrowing down their thoughts and then they can sit down to practice meditation and not only that Call: (07) 3192 5188

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020 — 15

Lakshmibai – Jhansi Ki Rani Lakshmibai, Jhansi Ki Rani or the queen of Jhansi, was one of the main leaders of The First War of Indian Independence during 1857-58. Her childhood name was Manikarnika. She was fondly called Manu. She was born on 19 November 1828 in Varanasi. Her father was Moropant Tambe and her mother Bhagirathi Sapre. Her mother died when she was two years old. When Peshwa Bajirao II was exiled by the British to Bithur near Kanpur in 1817, Moropant’s father Balwant Rao accompanied Chimmanji Appa, the younger brother of Bajirao II, to Varanasi as an adviser. Moropant grew up in Varanasi and took over his father’s position as an adviser to Chimmanji Appa. In 1832, Chimmanji Appa died and subsequently Moropant, along with Manu, moved to Bithur. Bithur had a large Maharastrian community, the followers of the Peshwa. Moropant belonged to the Brahmin caste. He was engaged to take care of temples, shrines and religious activities. Manu spent her childhood in Bithur. Unlike many girls of her time, Manu got an education. She learnt to read and write, studied Sanskrit and some Persian, which was the court language of the time. She was outspoken and of independent mind. Since she had lost her mother, she did not have the conventional upbringing of a girl. Moropant was liberal in his thinking and did not impose restrictions that were normally considered typical for girls at that time. Tales are told about Manu’s friendship with Nana Sahib, the chosen heir of the Peshwa, and with Tantya Tope. Tantya, a young man with great interest in wrestling, was in the service of the Peshwa. They rode together, practiced sword fencing and war games. Their childhood connection played an important role during their later life. Manu became an accomplished horse rider and learnt how to use arms. As time passed, Manu became a teenager. Girls were married at an early age and Moropant was concerned about Manu’s marriage. At this stage, an opportunity appeared and Manu was chosen to marry Gangadhar Rao, the king of Jhansi. Jhansi is a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It lies in the region of Bundelkhand, which is divided between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The region is named after Bundel clans who controlled it during

the medieval period. According to a legend, King Virsingh Dev of Orchha gave Jhansi its name. He had grown old and was loosing his eyesight. When he looked at the settlement from Datia, a nearby fort, he said all he could see was Jhain-si (like a mist). His description of the place became the popular name of the town. During the reign of Aurangzeb, Chhatrasal, the chief of Bundels, led a revolt against the Mughals and conquered a large tract of land. He established his own kingdom, which he ruled from 1675 to 1731. In 1729, with the help of Maratha leader Peshwa Bajirao I, he defeated the Nawab of Farrukhabad, Mohammad Khan Bangash, who had attacked his kingdom. As a mark of gratitude for his assistance, Chhatrasal gave one third of his kingdom to Peshwa Bajirao I. The part bestowed to Peshwa included the town of Jhansi. Originally, locally appointed Subedars managed the bequeathed region. Later Subedars were unable to control it. In 1770, one of the best generals, Raghunath Hari Newalkar, was sent from Pune to Jhansi to govern the region. He was a capable administrator and ruled the region for thirty-four years. He abdicated his position in favour of his brother Shivrao Bhau. In 1803, a treaty was signed between the East India Company and the Marathas. According to the treaty, Shivrao Bhau was acknowledged as an independent ruler of Jhansi. After Shivrao, two more rulers governed the region. The last ruler passed away without an heir. In 1838, Gangadhar Rao, the youngest son of Shivrao, was chosen by the British East India Company to rule the region. The British East India Company had entered into India as traders and exploited the prevailing political instability in the country to its benefit. It emerged as an effective master of the large part of the nation after the battle of Plassey in 1757. The affairs of the Jhansi kingdom were in a mess when Gangadhar Rao took over its reign. With the help of the British, he restored normality in his realm. He had lost his wife, Ramabai and he was anxious that he did not have a son to succeed him. When situation in the kingdom stabilised, he started his search for a second wife. It was not easy to find a suitable girl of his caste in Jhansi. Bithur had a large Maharastrian community

16 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

so a priest was sent there to search a suitable bride. There, the priest met Moropant Tambe and sought his help in accomplishing his mission. Moropant showed him Manu’s horoscope. The priest inspected the horoscope and remarked that according to the horoscope the girl was destined to become a queen. Not just that, she was destined to bring immortal fame to her husband’s family. She would be a suitable wife for the king. Later a meeting was arranged for the priest with Manu in the presence of Moropant at the Peshwa’s court in Bithur. The priest was impressed with Manu and obtained her and Moropant’s consent for her wedding with the king. The priest returned to Jhansi and submitted the proposal to the king for his consideration to wed Manu. Gangadhar Rao consented. An engagement ceremony was held in Bithur with royal pomp and ceremonies. For the wedding, Manu was brought to Jhansi where the king provided a number of female attendants of her age to serve her. These girls proved to be of a similar temperament to that of Manu and played important roles during later events in her life. Wedding rituals were performed to solemnise the marriage of Manu with Gangadhar Rao in 1842. During the wedding, Manu shocked all present when she called out in a ringing voice, “Panditji, make sure the knot is tied tightly.” Manu was fourteen years old whilst the king was a middleaged person. Manu’s name was changed to Lakshmibai. Soon after the wedding, Gangadhar Rao invited

Lakshmibai’s father to Jhansi to settle and arranged a stipend for him. Moropant built a Krishna temple there and maintained it. He was thirty-two years old at this stage and remarried to Chimabai, who was just a few months older than Lakshmibai. It was Chimabai’s grandson Chintamani Tambe who provided much of the information about Lakshmibai’s personal characteristics to biographers. He had heard about the queen, from his grandmother. The king and queen led a peaceful life for sometime after the wedding. They spent time enjoying art and culture. On special occasions, they rode elephants and horses in processions. The king had a huge collection of books in his library. Artists were handsomely rewarded. The British granted the king full reign of the kingdom. However, the king was worried, as the queen had not produced a son. Lord Dalhousie, who was the governor general of India between 1848 and 1856, had formulated a Doctrine of Lapse. According to the doctrine, any princely state or territory under the direct influence of the East India Company as a vassal state under the British Subsidiary System would automatically be annexed if the ruler was either manifestly incompetent or died without a direct heir. The queen gave birth in 1851 to a baby boy who was named Damodar Rao. However, the baby passed away when he was only three months old. The king was totally shattered. His health deteriorated and during the Navaratri in 1853, he became seriously ill. His Newalkar relatives had come to Jhansi

during the Navartri celebration. Among them was a five-year-old boy named Anand. The king wished to adopt the boy. With consent of the boy’s father, an adoption ritual was performed in the presence of the British Agent. The adopted boy was named Damodar Rao. Soon after the adoption ceremony, Gangadhar Rao passed away. After recovering from the shock of her husband’s death, Lakshmibai maintained a strict discipline in her routine that included rising at 4am, worshiping Lord Mahadev and listening to Bhajans. She exercised regularly that included horse riding, sword fencing, wrestling and archery. She trained all her companions and several women from the town in these arts. They became famous as her Durga Dal. Dalhousie issued an order in February 1854 annexing the kingdom using the Doctrine of Lapse. An English administrator was appointed, and the administration of the kingdom was restructured. Lakshmibai was granted a pension of 5.000 Rupees per month. She was forced to vacate the Jhansi fort and relocate to the city palace. Intolerable excesses committed by Company officials in their dealing with her tormented Lakshmibai and her subjects. Discontent against the Company’s rule was simmering in many parts of the country. The introduction of a controversial rifle, Enfield Pritchett, provided the spark for the rebellion. The cartridges used in this rifle were smeared with the fat of cows and pigs. The soldiers had to bite off the rear of the cartridge to put it in the barrel. The biting of such cartridges was abhorrent to both Hindu and Muslim soldiers of the Company. Soldiers refused to use fat smeared cartridges that subsequently resulted in rebellion against the company’s rule. It started in Bengal and spread into Bihar and Awadh, and then in other provinces. In Jhansi fort, the Company’s soldiers rebelled and killed their foreign masters. The condition in Jhansi became precarious. In the absence of any functioning government, Lakshmibai, assumed her position as a ruler, the Rani of the kingdom. She stabilised the situation and moved to the fort, which was further reinforced. Life seemed quite normal in Jhansi during the period between September 1857 and February 1858. The British suspected that the Rani had supported the rebels.

After suppressing the revolt in Delhi and Awadh, the Company’s forces surrounded Jhansi and led a siege of the town. The siege continued for two weeks, and during this period heavy battles were fought between the warring forces. The Rani valiantly defended the fort but when she started to loose ground, she decided to leave it. Carrying Damodar on her back the Rani along with her supporters left the fort. Next day she arrived at Kalpi where she met Nana Sahib’s nephew Rao Sahib, Tantya Tope and other leaders who were also fighting against the foreigners. At Kalpi, a number of battles took place between Indian and Company’s forces. Rani led her army in the battlefield. In one of the battles, Rani Lakshmibai lost her much loved horse named Sarangi. She took another steed named Rajratna. From Kalpi, Indian forces moved towards Gwalior. Gwalior’s king, a supporter of the British, attacked them, but was defeated. Gwalior’s king fled to Agra. Company officials learnt from him about Gwalior’s situation. They decided to attack the Indian forces in Gwalior. A decisive battle took place near a fort at Kotah Ki Sarai on 17 June 1858. Lakshmibai, along with her female companion Mandar, was fighting the foreign enemies in the battlefield. During the fight, a bullet struck Mandar ending her life. Rani noticed her companion’s assailant and killed him with her sword. At that moment, a bullet whizzed through the air into her chest. She slumped on her horse. One of her generals named Gul Muhamad caught the horse and brought it to the hut of an ascetic, Baba Ganganath. The Rani breather her last murmuring “Har Har Mahadev”. Her final rites were completed and her body was cremated near the hut before enemy soldiers arrived. A monument at Gwalior marks the spot where she was cremated. It lies in front of the Phoolbag palace. Variations in details of Rani’s feats are found in folklores and tales. Lakshmibai’s story of valour has been told and sung by bards, poets and writers. The poem Jhansi Ki Rani by Subhadra Kumari Chouhan is one of the most recited and loved compositions. Subhash Chandra Bose named the women regiment of Indian National Army, The Rani of Jhansi Regiment. Lakshmibai remains an inspiration for patriots and especially for girls and women. Awadhesh Sharma

Wishing you and your family a

HAPPY DIWALI from our team in City Hall!

Cr Jared Cassidy Leader of the Opposition Deagon Ward

Cr Kara Cook Deputy Leader of the Opposition Morningside Ward

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morningside.ward@bcc.qld.gov.au

Cr Peter Cumming Wynnum Manly Ward

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 17

A worshipper is one who worships God through his desireless action – The Gita

The content of this article is taken from the satsang of HH Sant Shri Asharam Bapu Ji. Pujya Bapu Ji had addressed the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in September 1993, that was 100 years after Swami Vivekananda addressed the same parliament in September 1893. To awaken the cultural pride of India and to save the youth who are being ruined due to the lustful festivals like valentine’s day, in 2007 Pujya Bapu Ji initiated celebrations of Matri-Pitri Pujan Diwas (Parents worship day) on 14th February. Through his religious discourse, Pujya Bapu Ji always explained the spiritual and scientific significance of tulsi (basil) plant and argued countrymen to grow tulsi plants in every house. To save the countrymen from mental slavery and to redirect them from unacquainted to a beneficial direction, in 2013 Pujya Bapu Ji initiated celebration of tulsi poojan on 25th December. The whole world has now begun to understand the virtues and importance of the tulsi plant in the current Kovid-19 epidemic period, which Pujya Bapu Ji contemplatively wanted. Pujya Bapu Ji has always emphasized the necessity to follow rich Indian culture and always said that it is only the Indian culture and Sanatana dharma which can give the world happiness & peace. (Shrimad Bhagavad Gita Jayanti: 25th December 2020) Homa and havan performed by Vedic method, while sitting in the place of fire sacrifice and doing charity with an intention, is Dharma centric. All these are accomplished on the strength of the belief in dharma. Worshipping God in a temple or in solitude is Upasana centric. Spiritual disciplines like Aasana, Pranayam, yoga, etc. are primarily Samadhi oriented. Vedanta has different characteristics

from all three. It focuses on Tattvadarshan (Knowledge of the Truth). ‘What is Atman?’ Hear about it, reflect on it and contemplate it and eventually realise that ultimate Truth. This is the process of Vedanta. The Dharma, Upasana, Yoga and Knowledge (Jnana) that the Gita expounds is quite different. It is not a sadhana to be performed in a place of fire sacrifice, a temple, a mountain cave or on riverbank sitting in padmasan. The sadhana instructed in the Gita can be done even while doing daily activities. The religious exercises of Dharma, Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga described in the Gita are not merely a religious vow, or rites and rituals like homa-havan. The Yoga of the Gita can be successfully executed while being engaged in daily activities of life. The Karma Yoga of the Gita can be put into practice, even while cooking food, earning money or even doing office work. Oh! The Lord has claimed that you can practice the Yoga instructed in the Gita even while fighting a battle. You can remain unstained by war despite fighting. No dharma in the world is powerful enough to turn our public dealings internally, subtle and divine. The Lord has even said in the Gita (6.30) यो मां पश्यति सर्वत्र सर्वं च मयि पश्यति । तस्याहं न प्रणश्यामि स च मे न प्रणश्यति ।। “He who sees Me everywhere, and sees everything in Me, he never gets separated from Me, nor do I get separated from him.” Describing the marks of the devotee in the Gita, the Lord states in 14th verse of 9th chapter: सततं कीर्तयन्तो मां यतन्तश्च दृढव्रताः । नमस्यन्तश्च मां भक्त्या नित्ययक ु ्ता उपासते ।। “Always glorifying Me and striving, the men of firm vows, worship Me by paying obeisance to Me and being ever endowed with devotion.”

18 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

The Dharma, Upasana, Yoga and Knowledge (Jnana) that the Gita expounds is quite different. It is not a sadhana to be performed in a place of fire sacrifice, a temple, a mountain cave or on riverbank sitting in padmasan. The sadhana instructed in the Gita can be done even while doing daily activities. The religious exercises of Dharma, Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga described in the Gita are not merely a religious vow, or rites and rituals like homa-havan. God himself takes care of such devotees A devotee, according to the Gita, the devotee of God, is not indolent nor escapist. Arjuna, Uddhvaji, Ambarish, Lakshmanji, Hanumanji, Bharatji and others were single-mindedly devoted to God (with minds devoted to nothing else). Their glance did not stay on anything other than God. Still there was no place for indolence, escapism or timidity in their actions. Those dutiful devotees did such great works which cannot be done by ordinary people. Despite being engrossed in action, they remained exclusively devoted to God. Their duty consciousness was so firm. They were unconcerned about their achievements. Such is the supreme devotee of God, while being engaged in the service of God, is ready to embrace even death if it comes. God has himself said:

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन । “Thy right is to work only, but never to its fruits…” (The Gita: 2.47) Western culture says: “First deserve and then desire.” But Eastern culture, the ancient Sanatan culture and the knowledge of the Gita says: “Deserve only, no need of desiring.” The way a stone or a piece of iron or anything useful is preserved by us, the same way the devotee, fulfilling his duty, becomes a useful tool for God. There is no need of desiring the fruit of action for him. Antaryamin God Himself takes care of such a devotee. Society and nature are willing to serve such a devotee. Then why would such a selfless brave man of action be in need of desiring? He makes himself deserving by treading the path of selfless action. What does he have to do with the desire for fruit?

How to worship God through karma? According to the Gita, a worshipper is one who worships God, but not in a temple or a temple of the mind. He is neither an idol worshipper, nor a mental worshipper. He worships God through his action. He performs desireless action and that too with the spirit of offering it to God. An action which is performed ensuring no one gets hurt emotionally or incurs any harm or loss, becomes a sacrifice, prayer and worship. Only a devotee doing such actions is able to realise God fully. Without becoming involved in the hassle of living in a hut, on riverbank or in a forest, such a devotee attains spiritual knowledge simply by being engaged in worldly activities in the land of karma. Intermittently resorting to silence and solitude, he comes back to distribute the divine gift in society engaging himself sincerely in the divine

work of Self-realized men who make the dull and dejected world vigorous and brilliant. To listen Vedic/ knowldge stories or to listen 24X7 live divine Satsang, please search “Mangalmay live” on google, visit http://www. ashram.org/live or search “THE SBM STUDIO” on you tube. By the Divine Inspiration of Bapu Ji, the weekly sessions of Bal Sanskar and yoga are held in Brisbane. These sessions are aimed for the character, mental, intellectual, and spiritual development of the kids. The kids are trained to learn yogic mudras, techniques, yogasnas and pranayamas. These yogic techniques along with jap and meditation help kids in attaining virtues like righteousness and selfrestraint. The kids learn precious keys to develop intelligence and take advantage of chanting and meditation while playing and laughing. Please read more about our Vedic culture in the next issue of “The Brisbane Indian Times.” To know more about His Divine Holiness Bapu Ji, please watch this video. https://bit.ly/2uZvJuN For more info about Bal Sanskar and yoga sessions, to get a free copy of monthly spiritual magazine Rishi-Prasad in your mail box in Australia or to get free online subscription of Rishi -Prasad, please contact by email at bskamd@gmail. com or by WhatsApp/ phone to Ashok Attri and Anu Attri at +61 426 834 434 & +61 405 277 802

Community groups to benefit from $3.3 million cost-cutting plan Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner is helping hundreds of community groups reduce their running costs with a $3.3 million plan to help them reduce their water, energy and maintenance bills. Community, Arts and Nighttime Economy Chair Vicki Howard said the global coronavirus pandemic had hit our community groups incredibly hard, and that these tough times were being long felt. “We have waived the rent for all Council lessees and tenants until the end of 2020, but we know the water and energy bills keep coming, so we are launching a Resilient Clubs Program to help cut the operating

costs for our much-loved community organisations,” Cr Howard said. “This $3.3 million, twoyear initiative follows feedback gathered from residents as part of the Economic Recovery Taskforce Survey which found our community clubs and organisations were facing uncertain times due to the pandemic. “We will deliver maintenance works and upgrades at up to 180 sites to help cut water usage and costs, help more than 30 clubs install solar systems and energy efficiency measures to help cut their energy bills and provide additional support at community organisations

with a water and energy coaching program. “It’s great to see a lot of our clubs starting to reignite and thrive post coronavirus, and these new measures will not only help clubs now, but well into the future. “This multi-milliondollar initiative doesn’t deliver a short-term solution. We are investing in the tools to help these groups have reduced operating costs for many years into the future. “We don’t want to see our community groups go anywhere, so are doing everything we can to future-proof them and help them thrive. “The Resilient Clubs

Support Program will also have flow on effects to local Brisbane businesses like electrical and plumbing trades. We want these local upgrades to be delivered by local businesses.” This new program follows $11 million in COVID support, including $3 million offered through a community assistance program which provided not-for-profit lessees funding of up to $10,000 to cover operating expenses and maintenance works during forced closures. The three-category program would be available to select eligible community-leased facilities, including sports clubs.

Strength of diversity shown at 2020 Lord Mayor’s Multicultural Business Awards Brisbane’s most innovative and diligent business minds have been recognised at the 2020 Lord Mayor’s Multicultural Awards for Business. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner announced this year’s award recipients were: 1. Nick Xynias Young Businessperson of the Year: Aishwarya Somal, Emerson Family Law (Brisbane City) 2. Multicultural Entrepreneur of the Year: Peter Marinos, Big Michael’s Fruit and Vegetable (Rocklea) 3. Multicultural Businessperson of the Year: Canio Muscillo, Muscillo Romano Accountants ( East Brisbane) “This has been a harrowing year for all business owners. The Lord Mayor's Multicultural Awards for Business provides a chance to acknowledge and thank incredible leaders who are part of the fabric of our strong and inclusive business community,” Cr Schrinner said. “The dedication and resilience our three award recipients have shown throughout their careers is a reflection of our business community's tenacious spirit. It’s contributions like these that will help us see through the current economic crisis. “The Nick Xynias Young Businessperson of the Year award recognises energetic young leaders that contribute to the community and recipient Aishwarya Somal has embodied this in her role as a migration and family law leader that Call: (07) 3192 5188

also supports victims of domestic violence. “The Multicultural Business Person of the Year award recognises a community leader that has inspired others, with Canio Muscillo’s accounting firm focused on achieving success with business owners. “Determination and ambition were two attributes recognised in Multicultural Entrepreneur of the Year Mr Marinos, who worked tirelessly for over a decade to grow his food business.” Cr Schrinner said the awards event raised funds for the Lord Mayor’s Multicultural Business Scholarship Program and Mentoring Scheme, which would be instrumental in growing business confidence in the community during the pandemic. “It can be daunting for residents from multicultural backgrounds to pursue their business ideas in a new home city. This scholarship and mentoring program equips aspiring business owners with the knowledge they need to grow their endeavours,” he said. “We offered 189 business scholarships and mentoring scheme placements earlier this year and the program will be another layer of support we can offer to people starting or expanding their own businesses in Brisbane.” This years’ recipients: Nick Xynias Young Business Person of the Year: Mrs Aishwarya Somal, Emerson Family Pty Ltd, Brisbane City

“The Nick Xynias Young Businessperson of the Year award recognises energetic young leaders that contribute to the community and recipient Aishwarya Somal has embodied this in her role as a migration and family law leader that also supports victims of domestic violence. Aishwarya Somal was born and raised in Brisbane by Indian-born parents. She is married and a mother of two young children. After she became the sole Director of Emerson Family Law in 2013, she established Emerson Migration Law in 2015 and Global Pathways Education and Migration Services in 2019. She currently has a team of eight who provide advice on all aspects of Family Law and migration to Australia for both individual and corporate clients. She also works closely with women including victims of domestic and family violence. Multicultural Entrepreneur of the

Year: Mr Peter Marinos, Big Michael’s Fruit and Vegetable, Rocklea Peter Marinos was born in Brisbane and is of Greek heritage. Peter is 29 years of age, married and a father of two children - with another due in January 2021. He started the business, Big Michael’s Fruit and Vegetables in 2009 by borrowing his father’s ute and working seven days a week for over a decade. Through hard work and determination, he now has a fleet of over 14 trucks and a clientele of over 1000. Multicultural Business Person of the Year: Mr Canio Muscillo, Muscillo Romano (Muro), East Brisbane Canio Muscillo is a renowned Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Business Advisor of Italian heritage. Canio, with business partner Michele Romano, founded Muro in 2007. Muro is a Brisbane based accounting firm that helps business owners achieve financial success. With over 23 years’ experience in the accounting industry, he is highly involved in the business and finance community and is regularly invited to present at key industry events. The firm’s philosophy is that every business owner is an entrepreneur. By taking on risk, innovation is inspired, and new challenges are set -creating opportunities that lead to improvement and growth. For more information on the Lord Mayor’s Multicultural Awards for Business, visit www. brisbane.qld.gov.au

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Brisbane Residents encouraged to hit the suburbs for New Year’s Eve

Brisbane’s New Year’s Eve fireworks will not go ahead this year because of COVID-19 restrictions but there will still be plenty of sparkle in the city and suburbs. Deputy Mayor Krista Adams said the difficult decision was made in response to the State Government’s social distancing requirements in place because of the pandemic. “We know fireworks are a time-honoured New Year’s tradition but it’s about putting the safety and health of residents first,” Cr Adams said. “Traditionally nearly 100,000 people descend on South Bank alone for the fireworks, which is not possible this year due to social distancing requirements. “Social distancing is our best weapon against COVID-19 spreading, so this decision is in the community interest. “Like many other councils we’ve had to cancel fireworks events. Brisbane City Council is Australia’s largest, so it was an impossible challenge trying to manage social distancing if the event went ahead. “We know it has been a very trying year and everyone wants to blow off steam, and there will be plenty of alternative activities,” Cr Adams said. Families and friends can still ring in the New Year in their suburbs by supporting local businesses or enjoying one of the city’s many parks. “We may not have the traditional Brisbane fireworks display, but New Year’s Eve provides a great opportunity for families to reconnect and celebrate while showing their support to local cafes, restaurants or bars who have been doing it tough this year,” Cr Adams said. “Families can also enjoy one of Council’s 2100 parks, visit Roma

Street Parkland to enjoy free barbeque facilities, swim in South Bank’s free pools and dine in along the restaurant strip or picnic on the extensive greenspace.” South Bank Parklands is not able to host the usual New Year’s Eve crowds or Australia Day fireworks given 1.5m social distancing between all patrons. On New Year’s Eve there will be logistics in place to ensure if crowds do gather at South Bank, they will be managed safely, including an increased security presence. There may also be temporary infrastructure and road closures if required. “There will also be a special focus on social distancing, pool safety and first aid so that everyone can enjoy a safe and happy New Year’s Eve.” Residents who do visit are encouraged to celebrate at private functions within South Bank’s many eateries and retailers will also be offering dining packages. “Outside of these eateries, the Parklands will be alcohol-free for New Year’s Eve, with a focus on safety and security to ensure visitor enjoyment,” Cr Adams said. South Bank and Roma Street Parkland will continue to offer their free summer program including the Christmas in Brisbane program at South Bank and The City, and The Enchanted Garden at Roma Street Parkland. Residents can enjoy the Lord Mayor’s Christmas Carols at Riverstage on Saturday 5 December from 4pm to 9pm, with tickets on sale in November. For tickets and more information on Christmas or New Year events visit www.brisbane. qld.gov.au or www. Christmasinbrisbane. com.au.

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020 — 19

Prophet's Blessed Birth Prepared by M.Aslam All praise be to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala. peace and blessing be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad sallallahu Alahi wasallam. First of all we condemn all types of violence and we believe Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance. Our beloved prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallams teachings are of peace and tolerance. The prophet Sallallahu alaihi wasallam said the best of the believers are those whom others are safe from. We will talk about the prophets Mawlid as our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw) and definitely organising and partaking in mawlid program is rahmat and mercy for all of us. We say that Mawlid gatherings are an effective and efficient means for the purpose of calling people to sirate mustaqeem.and educate children, that these meetings give a golden opportunity that must not be lost, for every scholar and da`i to teach and remind the Nation of the Prophet of his good character, his way of worshipping, and his way of treating people. This is a way to make children love and remember their Prophet, in Mawlid Programmes. The Obligation to Increase the Love and Honor of the Prophet Allah asks the Prophet, Peace be upon him, to remind his Nation that it is essential for those who claim to love Allah, to love His Prophet: “Say to them: If you love Allah, follow (and love and honor) me, and Allah will love you” (3:31). The Mawlid of the Holy Prophet is motivated by this obligation to love the Prophet, Peace be upon him, to obey him, to remember him, to follow his example, and to be proud of him as Allah is proud of him, since Allah has boasted about him in His Holy Book by saying, “Truly you are of a magnificient character” (alQalam 4). Love of the Prophet is what differentiates the believers in the perfection of their iman. In an authentic hadith related in Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet said: “None of you believes until he loves me more than he loves his children, his parents, and all people.” In another hadith in Bukhari he said: “None of you believes until he loves me more than he loves himself” and Sayyidina `Umar said: “O Prophet, I love you more than myself.” Perfection of faith is dependent on love of the Prophet because Allah and His angels are constantly raising his honor, as is meant by the verse already quoted, “Allah and His angels are sending salawat blessing on the Prophet” The Prophet Emphasized Monday As the Day He Was Born

Abu Qatada al-Ansari narrates in Sahih Muslim, Kitab as-siyam, that the Prophet was asked about the fast of Monday, and he answered: “That is the day that I was born and that is the day I received the prophecy.” We quote again from Mutawalli Sha`rawi: “Many extraordinary events occurred on his birthday as evidenced in hadith and history, and the night of his birth is not like the night of any other human being’s birth.” These events and the hadiths pertaining thereto, such as the shaking of Chosroes’ court, the extinction of the 1,000year old fire in Persia, etc. are related in Ibn Kathir’s work al-Bidaya, Vol. 2, pages 265-268. We quote from the book Kitab al-Madkhal by Ibn al-hajj (Vol. 1, p. 261): “It is an obligation that on every Monday of Rabi` ul-Awwal we increase our worship to thank Allah for what He gave us as a great favor– the favor of sending us His beloved Prophet to direct us to Islam and to peace… The Prophet, when answering someone questioning him about fasting on Mondays, mentioned: On that day I was born. Therefore that day gives honor to that month, because that is the day of the Prop… and he said: I am the master of the children of Adam and I say that without pride… and he said: Adam and whoever is descended from him are under my flag on the day of Judgment. These hadiths were transmitted by the Shaikhayn [Bukhari and Muslim]. And Muslim quotes in his Sahih, the Prophet said, On that day Monday I was born and on that day the first message was sent to me.” The Prophet emphasized the day of his birth and thanked Allah for the big favor of bringing him to life by fasting on that day as is mentioned in the hadith of Abu Qatada. This means that the Prophet was expressing his happiness for that day by fasting, which is a kind of worship. Since the Prophet emphasized that day by fasting, worship

20 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

in any form to emphasize that day is also acceptable. Even if we change the form, the essence is kept. Therefore, fasting, giving food to the poor, coming together to praise the Prophet, or coming together to remember his good manners and good behavior, all of this is considered a way of emphasizing that day. (See also the hadith “Dying on Monday” below.) Allah Said: Rejoice in Allahs Mercy THIRD: To express happiness for the Prophet coming to us is an obligation given by Allah through Qur’an, as Allah said in Qur’an: “Of the favor and mercy of Allah let them rejoice” (Yunus 58). This order came because joy makes the heart grateful for the mercy of Allah. And What greater mercy did Allah give than the Prophet himself, of whom Allah says, “We did not send you except as a mercy to human beings” (Al-Anbiya’ 107). Because the Prophet was sent as a mercy to all mankind, that is why w have to rejoice. The Prophet Celebrated Great Historical Events FOURTH: The Prophet always made the connection between religious events and historical events, so that when the time returned for a significant event, he reminded his sahaba to celebrate that day and to emphasize it, even if it had happened in the distant past. This principle can be found in the following hadith of Bukhari and others: “When the Prophet reached Madina, he saw the Jews fasting on the day of `Ashura’. He asked about that day and they told him that on that day, Allah saved their Prophet, Sayyidina Musa and drowned their enemy. Therefore they are fasting on that day to thank Allah for that favor.” At that time the Prophet responded with the famous hadith, “We have more right to Musa than you,” and he used to fast that day and the day preceding it.

The Obligation to Know Sira and Imitate Its Central Character SEVENTH: We are asked to know about our Prophet, about his life, about his miracles, about his birth, about his manners, about his faith, about his signs (ayat wa dala’il), about his seclusions, about his worship, and is not this knowledge an obligation for every Muslim? What is better than celebrating and remembering his birth, which represents the essence of his life, in order to acquire knowledge of his life? To remember his birth begins to remind us of everything else about him. This will make Allah happy with us because then we will be able to know the Prophet’s sira better, and be readier to take him as an example for ourselves, to correct ourselves, and to imitate him. That is why the celebration of his birthday is a great favor sent to us. The Prophet Accepted Poetry in His Honor EIGHTH: In the time of the Prophet, it is wellknown that poets came to him with all kinds of works praising him, writing about his campaigns and battles and about the sahaba. This is proved by the numerous poems quoted in the Siras of Ibn Hisham, al-Waqidi, and others. The Prophet was happy with good poetry since it is reported in Bukhari’s al-Adab almufrad and elsewhere that he said: “There is wisdom in poetry.” Thus the Prophet’s uncle al-`Abbas composed poetry praising the birth of the Prophet, in which are found the following lines: When you were born, the earth was shining, and the firmament barely contained your light, and we can pierce through, thanks to that radiance and light and path of guidance. This text is found in Suyuti’s Husn al-maqsid p. 5 and in Ibn Kathir’s Mawlid p. 30 as well as Ibn Hajar’s Fath al-Bari. The Prophet was therefore happy with those who praised him because it is Allah’s order, and he gave them from what Allah was providing him. If we get

The Obligation to Increase the Love and Honor of the Prophet Allah asks the Prophet, Peace be upon him, to remind his Nation that it is essential for those who claim to love Allah, to love His Prophet: “Say to them: If you love Allah, follow (and love and honor) me, and Allah will love you” (3:31). together and do something in order to approach the Prophet, we are doing something to approach Allah, and approaching the Prophet will make Allah happy with us.

The Prophet Emphasized the Birthday of Prophets NINTH: The Prophet emphasized in his hadith both the day and the place of birth of previous prophets. Speaking of the greatness of the day of Jum`ah (Friday), the Prophet said in his hadith: “On that day [i.e. Jum`ah], Allah created Adam.” This means that the day of Friday is emphasized because Allah created Adam on that day. That day is emphasized because it saw the creation of the prophet and father of all human beings. What about the day when the greatest of prophets and best of human beings was created? The Prophet said: “Truly Allah made me the Seal of prophets while Adam was between water and clay.” This hadith is related by Ahmad in the Musnad, Bayhaqi in Dala’il alNubuwwa and others, and is sound and established as authentic. Why Bukhari Emphasized Dying On Monday Imam Qastallani said in his

commentary on Bukhari: “In his book on Jana’iz (Funerals), Bukhari named an entire chapter “Dying on Monday.” In it there is the hadith of À’isha relating her father’s (Abu Bakr as-siddiq) question: “On which day did the Prophet die?” She replied: “Monday.” He asked: “What day are we today?” She said, “O my father, this is Monday.” Then he raised his hands and said: “I beg you, O Allah, to let me die on Monday in order to coincide with the Prophet’s day of passing.” Imam Qastallani continues, “Why did Abu Bakr ask for his death to be on Monday? So that his death would coincide with the day of the Prophet’s passing, in order to receive the baraka of that day… Does anyone object to Abu Bakr’s asking to pass away on that day for the sake of baraka? Now, why are people objecting to celebrating or emphasizing the day of the Prophet ‘s birth in order to get baraka?” The Prophet Emphasized the Birthplace of Prophets A hadith authentified by the hafiz al-Haythami in Majma` al-zawa’id states that on the night of Isra’ and Mi`raj, the Prophet was ordered by Jibril to pray two rakàts in Bayt Lahm (Bethlehem), and Jibril asked him: “Do you know where you prayed? When the Prophet asked him where, he told him: “You prayed where Ìsa was born.”

The Ijma` of Ùlama on the Permissibility of Mawlid TENTH: Remembering the Prophet’s birthday is an act that all ùlama of the Muslim world accept and still accept. This means that Allah accepts it, according to the saying of Ibn Masùd related in Imam Ahmad’s Musnad with a sound chain: “Whatever the majority of Muslims see as right, then this is good to Allah, and whatever is seen by the majority of Muslims as wrong, it is wrong to Allah.” The same is true of all gestures that are similar to these, and we consider this to muster the general agreement of scholars, as opposed to giving up one’s food and drink other things related to one’s personal lot: to give those up is a most desirable thing, one of the marks of the righteous and among the manners of saints and gnostics, concerning which this verse was revealed: “They prefer others above themselves though poverty become their lot” (59:9). Prophet Muhammad (saw) was sent as an example for all and had the best conduct and manners out of the whole mankind. May Allah Ta’aala give us the hidayaat to love and respect Muhammad (saw) as well as follow his traditions and Sunnah.Aameen ya Rubbal AALAMEEN bijahin Nabiyyil Kareem.

Kamala Harris's Indian ancestral village celebrate her win as US vice president-elect CONTD. FROM PG 1

Most of them had gone to sleep by the time Mr Biden clinched the winning threshold of 270 Electoral College votes, making Ms Harris the first woman and the first person of South Asian descent to be elected as a US Vice-President. "For two or three days we kept our fingers crossed while the result was delayed," said resident Kalidas Vamdayar. "Now it's a joyful moment for us. We are enjoying it. We will celebrate with firecrackers, distributing Indian sweets to people and praying in the temple. We will request her to come here. She would have heard our voice and she may come." Tamil Nadu state Food Minister R Kamraj led about 100 people at the Dharma Sastha temple for a 20-minute prayer during which the idol of Hindu deity Ayyanar, a form of Lord Shiva, was washed with milk and decked with flowers by the priest. He chanted hymns after lighting oil lamps, and the villagers bowed their heads in respect. "Kamala Harris is the daughter of our village. From children to senior citizens, each one of us is awaiting the day she would take oath as the vice-president of the US," said Aulmozhi Sudhakar, a village councillor.

"Kamala Harris is the daughter of our village. From children to senior citizens, each one of us is awaiting the day she would take oath as the vicepresident of the US," said Aulmozhi Sudhakar, a village councillor.

Ms Harris's late mother was also born in India, before moving to the US at the age of 19 to study at the University of California. She married a Jamaican and they named their daughter Kamala, Sanskrit for "lotus flower". India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Ms Harris's success as pathbreaking and a matter of immense pride not just for her relatives but also for

all Indian-Americans. "I am confident that the vibrant India-US ties will get even stronger with your support and leadership." There has been both excitement — and some concern — over Mr Biden's choice of Ms Harris as his running mate. Mr Modi had invested in President Donald Trump, who visited India in February. Mr Modi's many Hindu

nationalist supporters also were upset with Ms Harris when she expressed

concern about the divided Himalayan region of Kashmir, whose statehood

India's Government revoked in August last year. Rights groups accuse India of human rights violations in Indiancontrolled Kashmir, where insurgent groups have been fighting for independence or merger with neighbouring Pakistan since 1989.

Stay aware, be prepared.

Brisbane City Council wants you to be prepared for severe weather like storms, flooding and bushfires. Visit Council’s website for practical tips to keep your family and property safe. brisbane.qld.gov.au

Call: (07) 3192 5188

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Be prepared Brisbane

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020 — 21

Arya Samaj Queensland What is Spiritual Growth?

we were children, we were simply told to behave and even think in a prescribed way. But, do we really experience spiritual growth – to understand this, we have to know what constitutes spiritual growth. Perhaps, all traditions are important step stones but spiritual growth occurs when the spirit grows and the ego shrinks. Any spiritual growth happens only in direct relationship to a shrinking ego : without a shrinking ego, there is no spiritual growth. Jitendra Deo President ASQ

Many

spiritual concepts, spiritual growth is a misnomer. In reality, the spirit does not grow or shrink : it is always the way it is. What is spirit anyway? It is that which knows that it exists. Other names for spirit are life force, soul, awareness or beingness. As religious people, we are involved with a certain amount of traditional, ceremonial, and dogmatic behaviour. We do it automatically, because when

Example of spiritual growth versus a growing ego: If we do a good deed selflessly without the slightest consideration of the rewards or fruits, as a result, we grow spiritually. If we do that good deed and feel proud or even simply good, we strengthen the ego. Tricky but logical, is it not? If the fruits of action do not affect the person, he is free from action. Why are we interested in spiritual matters? Why do we bother

to look for God? The answer if we are honest is that we are trying to survive , to save our soul and if possible, even our skin. There are always those who insist they have all the answers and there are also those who laugh at these statements without investing as much as a second thought. Maybe the answer closer is closer than we think and already known by the only person we know we can trust – our self. If we ignore the non essential and look for the essential, the real meaning, then all religious scripture and all religions do agree more than disagree. All religions have followers who seem to be more concerned with external matters but there are always a few who go deeper; they are called mystics, saints, self-realized and so on. When we study their writings they all agree in the most important points : there is God, that God can be found at the centre of our being and we can unite with God to become One. Essentially all scriptures agree in essence , but only when we

bother to look f deeper for the real meaning. Is there are spiritual comfort for the aged, terminally ill or anyone facing death ? We may draw strength from our belief systems. All religions including natural belief systems agree that life goes on and agree on existence of God. We may draw strength from science. According to science we cannot really say that we are able to destroy something or anything so completely that it fades into non- existence. We can only change the objects shape and condition. Even if we burn something and “destroy” its ashes, the object continues as energy and the awareness as awareness. The reason that awareness continues is that it did not develop out of dead matter or lifeless energy. Those materialistic scientists who laughed and promised proof that awareness is nothing but a by product of biological processes failed to do so. Other scientists are now confirming the wisdom of ancient sages and saints.

We may draw strength from personal experiences of others. There are more than a few people who have had outof- body experiences and returned from clinically dead to tell us about it. We may draw strength from real witnesses : Sages, Rishis, self realized persons and advanced yogis. We may draw strength from our spiritual exercises and personal experience. Try to become one with your object of devotion, concentrate fully on God, or simply love your inner self to a point that only pure awareness continues to exist and that leads to the inner bliss and beingness. Fear is the result of our identification with body and mind. Both will eventually cease to exist and are not needed for or well being. God Bless you all Adapted from APSA website article by Dr Raghwa Sharma Please contact President: Jitendra Deo 3273 3029 or Secretary: Sunil Dutt 5613 3410 for information on activities of Arya Samaj Queensland or log on: www.aryasamajqueensland. org/Facebook Arya Samaj Qld.

Diwali Greetings to all Arya Samaj Queensland wishes you all a very Happy Diwali and prosperous New Year. Diwali also known as Deepawali is the Festival of Lights is celebrated by Hindus across the globe primarily with rows of lights that illuminate the world on what is considered to be the darkest night of the year. During Diwali which marks new beginnings, lamps are lit to celebrate the triumph of good over evil. However, while the festival is celebrated for a variety of reasons, the main theme which runs throughout is the triumph of light over darkness. Lighting of Diya’s in those days because there was no electricity. So people lighted a lot of Diya’s. It is also believed that Diwali was originally a harvest festival. People would celebrate for one’s

Arya Samaj Qld Inc

We wish you all a very Happy Diwali and a Prosperous New Year Om Bhur Bhuvaḥ Swaḥ. Tat-savitur Vareñyaṃ. Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi. Dhiyo Yonaḥ Prachodayāt

blessings and prosperity at the end of a good harvest. To this end, celebrants would clean their homes in preparation of the day, dress in their finery on the day and take their produce for offerings to god

as thanks for another successful harvest usually by Havan ceremony. In addition to celebrating Diwali as a harvest festival, the day is observed as a memorial day for the movement’s founder,

Dayanand Saraswati. On Diwali day, the founder of Arya Samaj, Swami Dayanand breathed his last breath. . And as with tradition, the passing of a great soul like him is not mourned but celebrated. We normally light Diya’s but our reasons for doing so is really to celebrate Rishi Nirvaan for that’s the day that Swami Dayanand died. The festival of lights celebrates new beginnings and the festival is celebrated when Lord Rama and his wife Sita returned to their kingdom in northern India from exile after defeating the demon king Ravan. Thus the lighting of Diya’s and large firework displays by devotees are reminiscent of the celebrations which as the legend tells it, took place upon Rama’s return as villagers lit earthen lights to guide his path and set off their

own version of fireworks. Arya Samaj Queensland continued with Zoom Havan Satsangh every fortnight. Once the Havan Yaj is completed then Satsangh includes discussion on various Vedic principles and Vedas. The Bhajans form part of the Satsangh and one member also prepares a speech on chosen topic to articulate amongst members. Arya Samaj Queensland Inc has a website and all the details of performing Havan is provided. The Havan mantra’s in Hindi and English , utensils and ingredients required has been uploaded on the Arya Samaj Queensland website www.aryasamajqueensland.org. The files are downloadable and has full procedure for Dainik Yaj( Daily Havan Yaj). Our Facebook page Arya Samaj Queensland has the

video where the Havan is explained and performed to make it easier for people. Please visit website and Facebook page for further details or you can contact me on 0411 798 012. We urge people to perform Yaj for their well-being. We urge people to perform Havan if you can, do Yoga and meditation and look after yourselves. You can visit www. yogguru.com.au for information of Yoga and meditation. Please contact President: Jitendra Deo via phone:0411 798 012 or email: asq.president@gmail.com and if you wish to join ZOOM Havan and Satsangh the session is for 60 minutes. You can send email or PM in the messenger (Arya Samaj Queensland) or we have WhatsApp group as well and I will send you the link.

Just Like Magic - Sadhguru, Isha Foundation Questioner: If we want to achieve certain goals in our career or vocation, it really keeps us busy. So how do we make time for self-realization? Sadhguru: Let us first of all clear whatever ideas you or anybody may have about self-realization. Do you have a cell phone? Do you use a camera? Whatever instrument you use in your life, the more you know about it, the better you can handle it. The more you know about something, what you can do with it is greatly enhanced. If this is true with everything that we handle, is that not true with yourself? The more you know about it, the better you can handle it. So do not think of Self-realization as something that happens in a Himalayan cave. It did happen there also, but I want you to understand it from your context. Self-realization means just knowing yourself. How could it be against your vocation? How could it be against anything that you

wish to do in your life? How can you live an effective life without knowing anything about yourself? People are trying to teach each other how to be confident without knowing anything about the life process. Confidence without clarity is a disaster. Unfortunately, we think confidence is a substitute for clarity. Let’s say we blindfold you and ask you to walk around. If you are sensible, you will feel your way, here, there, and slowly you will walk around, touch the walls, feeling with your feet and hands. But if you are very confident and you walk without seeing, the rocks are not going to be kind to you. Life is not going to be kind to you either if you are confident without clarity. To perform your activity in the world, to be successful in whatever you are doing, to do anything well in your life, you need clarity, not confidence. So the more you know about yourself, the greater the things you can do with yourself. You can know

22 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

Self-realization means just knowing yourself. How could it be against your vocation? How could it be against anything that you wish to do in your life? How can you live an effective life without knowing anything about yourself? People are trying to teach each other how to be confident without knowing anything about the life process.

this mechanism inside out. If you know it inside out, it becomes like magic. Whatever you do will be

magic. If you sit, you can do things, if you close your eyes, you can do things, if you sleep also, you can do

things. If you are awake or asleep, you can still do magical things with this system, once you know it

inside out. Ranked amongst the fifty most influential people in India, Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic, visionary and bestselling author. Sadhguru has been conferred the "Padma Vibhushan" by the Government of India in 2017, one of the highest annual civilian awards, accorded for exceptional and distinguished service.

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The Importance of Prophet Muhammad and His Status as a Role Model The life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is full of countless examples that show his status as a role model for Muslim societies and individuals. His life is one that was dominated by a superior morality, good habits, noble and gentle feelings and superior skills, all of which are characteristics that help prevent people from getting entangled in a web of sin. The rich and the prosperous, the poor and the needy, the ruler and the ruled, the weak and the lonely, the conqueror and the victorious commander, the teacher and the student, the preacher and the mentor, the merchant and the craftsman, the employer and the employee - in other words, every sort of person can find truths in Prophet Muhammad's life that constitute an example for them to follow. Prophet Muhammad's status as a role model is an issue based on the Holy Quran and the sunnah. Islamic scholars, as with many other issues, have examined the status of the Prophet as a role model and leader not in a sectional framework, but from a unified perspective, and they have reached the conclusion that the best method is to

examine the verses of the Holy Quran that determine and demonstrate the status of the Prophet as a whole. For this reason, when discussing the status of the Prophet as a role model, issues such as believing in the Prophet, obedience to the Prophet, following the Prophet, and disagreeing with the Prophet also come to the fore. THE HOLY QURAN AND THE ROLE MODEL STATUS OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD In the Holy Quran the only verse that refers literally to the status of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as a role model is as follows: "Verily in the messenger of Allah you have a good example for him who looks unto Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much." "Verily in the messenger of Allah you have a good example for him who looks unto Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much." The Arabic word uswa (example) in the original verse means example or model that should be obeyed and followed. A person who follows another person's lead imitates that person; they follow their attitude and style. That is to say, they identify themselves with that person. In terms of Islamic faith,

usva, that is to say being an example or a role model, is an attribute that is found in those who possess goodness, beauty and righteousness. This verse shows the importance of Prophet Muhammad's sunnah in the lives of Muslims. As a matter of fact, the Quran clearly states that Prophet Muhammad has a superior character and demonstrates an exemplary life style. If one accepts that Islam is the final and perfect religion, then it would be inconsistent to not consider the life of Prophet Muhammad as an example for the Muslim community or to not accept his life as something that shapes and guides the daily lives of Muslims. For that reason, the life style and personality of Prophet Muhammad, demonstrated during his prophethood of 23 years, includes very significant provisions and principles for the religious, political, social and moral life of Muslim communities as a whole. The following hadith summarizes the statements found in the Quran: "The best of speech is unquestionably the speech of Allah. That is the Book of Allah (the Quran). The best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. Of

all matters, the most evil of things are those which are newly-invented (in religion), and every innovation is a deviation, and every deviation leads people to Hell" THE SUNNAH AND PROPHET MUHAMMAD'S STATUS AS ROLE MODEL Islamic scholars state that the terms sabil (road), sirat al-mustaqim (straight path) and Uswa al-Hasana (best of examples), which are mentioned in the Holy Quran, in the hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and in the words of his Companions, are words and terms that represent the concept of the Sunnah. All these terms indicate the path to be followed and the model to be taken as an example. The name of this road is the Sunnah, and it is collectively followed by the Companions of Prophet Muhammad and the believers. Johann Fück, who mentions the great cultural unity that was accomplished by Islam, believes that the reason for this is the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, who serves as a role model (al-uswatu'l-hasana) for every Muslim; he concludes: "Sunnah forms the face of Islam and gives it the characteristic features that

we see all around the Islamic world." At this point, how the Quran introduces and describes Prophet Muhammad and the status of the Prophet according to the Quran is of great importance to us. As a matter of fact, all the characteristics of a person who is an example and a role model must be known and thus their life can be examined in detail. The information on this subject must be accurately passed on to the following generations. The life of the Prophet is unique when looked at from this perspective. The Quran repeats many times that Prophet Muhammad is neither superhuman nor a deity, but that he is a human being. Prophet Muhammad verifies this truth over and over again. The conclusion of scholars on this subject, which is also of great importance for the role model status of Prophet Muhammad, is that every action of the Prophet is not necessarily related to necessity or good deed, and often only represents a routine action. This is because the Prophet practiced routine, good, or obligatory actions, but he never practiced sinful actions that are prohibited. All actions performed by Prophet Muhammad have

been examined, and if the indications show that this was an action performed to become close to Allah, that action is followed, otherwise it is not necessary to follow it. If the action was a routine action, people may perform it or not. This status as a role model is not only present in issues that are considered compulsory, but also in fields that represent routine actions. The exemplary and role model status of the Prophet have a quality that covers all types of Sunnah. Each type of Sunnah is right and there is no place for superstition in them. The role model status of the Prophet is not limited to merely worshipping or actions that are a compulsory part of the religion, a requirement, or examples of good morals. The Sunnah descriptions given by the hadith researchers are in line with the verses found in the Quran about his role model status and the orders and advice he gives in the Sunnah context; it is according to all these factors that general opinion is formed. "The Sunnah, whether it constitutes a base for a provision or not, are all the words, actions, teachings, characteristics, examples of the morality and personality of Prophet Muhammad."

Rotary Dinner 2020 - Fundraiser To assist people who have suffered As the world scrambles to respond to COVID-19, even countries with welldeveloped health systems are grappling with how to provide medical care for an overwhelming number of critically ill patients. The reality is, even some of the most prepared countries have not been able to cope. If the virus spreads rapidly in developing communities across the Asia Pacific region where health systems are already weak or under-resourced, an outbreak could be even more devastating. Despite the global attention on healthcare and the prioritisation of resources to combat infection and the spread of disease, we know that injuries from trauma, disabilities and other treatable conditions are still occurring.Best of all, the funds raised for Interplast’s will help provide life -changing surgical treatment to patients living with treatable disabilities such as cleft lip and palate, burn scars and severe hand injuries. Join us so that Interplast can continue to repair bodies and rebuild lives across the Asia Pacific region.

District 9630 Drought Appeal

Date: Friday 27th November 2020 Time:

6:30pm for 7.00pm

Dress:

Smart Casual

Address: Gambaro’s Seafood Restaurant

Complimentary beverage & soft drink 6.30 -7.30pm

Dinner : Cold & cooked local seafood, Roast Beef, Delicious Chicken & Vegetarian Meals. Fresh Salads and Desserts Galore + Cheese Platters.

Programme: Parking : Plenty of under cover parking at ‘The Barracks’ Caxton St, Petrie Tce 150 metres away Closing Time: 1.00am (Fees apply)

Tickets : $135 Individual Place $1,300 Corporate Table ( 10 ) $1,500 Corporate table + Luxury Accommodation for Hosts

RSVP 23rd November 2020 Bookings: rcarcherfield@rotary9630.org Mark Ledwidge (Treasurer) P: 3277 2687 Fax : 3216 6999 Ray Deen (Coordinator) E: moorestrackparts@iinet.net.au M: 0418 738 432 Ph: 3879 8476



Auction of Corporate Donated Items



Multi Draw Raffle

All Funds to assist: 

Rotary Interplast Program



Rotary Projects and Local Charities.



Fred Hollows Foundation Every Ticket Holder will be in the draw to win a mystery prize

The Rotary District 9630 Drought Appeal has been delivering aid to drought affected communities since early 2014, using our “Whole of Community” approach. This aid is broken down to 4 main areas:

Rotary Archerfield—has delivered in excess of 3,000,000lt of potable water to Stanthorpe

1. Voucher System 2. Family Community Days 3. Rotary Reading Assistance Programme 4. Delivery of potable water

The drought appeal has raised in excess of $1,000,000 so far. Rotary Clubs across the eastern seaboard

and their members, especially in our District, have been major supporters. However, many donations have also come from charitable Institutions, non-Rotary clubs and private sponsors. We are most grateful for this generosity and sincerely acknowledge and thank those who have given to the fund, whatever the amount. All funds raised are used in the provision of aid to drought-affected landholders & their communities. There are no costs, hidden or otherwise.

Donate to Rotary Archerfield — Relief Program Please make Payment to: Rotary Archerfield Project Account Bendigo Bank - BSB: 633 000 A/c : 168299501 Ref: ‘Company/ surname’

Payments: Rotary Archerfield BSB: 633 000 A/c: 168299501 Ref: Company/Surname EFTPOS /CREDIT CARD FACILITIES Available (fees apply) E&OE

24 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

Printed by the office of Senator Paul Scarr

PRIME MINISTER

MESSAGE FROM THE PRIME MINISTER DIWALI 2020 Warmest greetings to everyone celebrating Diwali, the Festival of Lights, it’s a special moment for people of many faiths. At the time of the new moon, on the darkest day of the month, Diwali carries a powerful message. It tells of how light dispels darkness. Most years, we often think of this dispelling of darkness as a theoretical concept rather than something that is experienced and overcome. This year, Diwali’s message has a special significance. Every nation on earth is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lives and livelihoods have been lost as we have witnessed the most dramatic shock in generations. Despite this, we have a common hope. Throughout 2020, despite our own fears, we have supported each other, encouraged each other, and stood with each other. We have drawn strength and inspiration from our medical professionals, teachers, cleaners, retail staff, police and Defence Force personnel and so many more who have responded to the crisis with compassion and professionalism. Around the clock, medical researchers are working on a vaccine – a vaccine that nations like Australia are committed to sharing. Yes, we have seen darkness this year, but the light is overcoming that darkness. There is light ahead, and there is hope. Australia is the most successful multicultural nation on earth and at this Diwali, I pay tribute to all those who have brought this tradition to our shores. I also acknowledge the hundreds of millions worldwide participating, including many close friends in India. I have been privileged to attend Diwali celebrations in the past, and remember those times fondly. While this year will, understandably, be different, I thank everyone who is celebrating for finding ways to celebrate while also keeping the community safe. At this Diwali, may the hope of our humanity that we have seen throughout this year, dispel the darkness and challenges of our times.

The Hon Scott Morrison MP Prime Minister of Australia November 2020

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020 — 25

THE CALL OF THE WILD: TRECKKING IN THE HIMALAYAS FROM: DHAVAL VYAS, VADODARA, INDIA

As the frontier of China, Nepal, Bhutan, India and Pakistan, the Himalaya is located in the south Asia, southwest to China, north to Nepal and Bhutan, northeast to India and Pakistan. Since the highest mountain ranges on the Earth is 2400 kilometers long from south in India to the east in Tibet, tourists come to these countries can see the Himalayas in different angles. Hindu scriptures say that in "a hundred ages of the gods" you could not do justice to the Himalayas. So where do mere mortals start? Knowing where to go in an area 10 times the size of France is daunting, especially when just getting there is expensive. Everest gets most of the headlines, but the Himalayas are vast, especially when you include mountain ranges west of the Indus – the Pamir, Hindu Kush and Karakoram. This 4,000km crescent, stretching from Kyrgyzstan to Burma, is a geography of superlatives – the highest mountains, the deepest gorges, tracts of wild forest, the rolling high plateau of Tibet plus, in Bhutan and the Indian state of Assam in the eastern Himalayas, some of the greatest biodiversity on the planet. Then there are the people. It is true that in some areas the Himalayas are wild and barely populated, but in most there is an incredible diversity of cultures that have adapted to surviving in an environment that can be exceptionally hostile as well as incredibly beautiful. These huge peaks are also the meeting point for three of the world's great religions: Islam in the west, Hinduism to the south and Tibetan Buddhism to the north. It's an incredibly dynamic region. New roads and airports are making some areas more accessible, while diminishing the appeal of others, like the famous Annapurna Circuit in Nepal. The walking itself is usually not too difficult, no more so than a normal – apart from the altitude, of course. It's the altitude, along with problems of travelling in one of the least developed regions of Asia and fears about hygiene, that put some people off. Staying healthy in the Himalayas is certainly more difficult than it is at home, but if you're used to walking and are cautious about gaining altitude then you're unlikely to have any problems. And the rewards are spectacular. The summer monsoon is much heavier in the eastern Himalayas than it is in the west, and so the most popular trekking periods in much of India, Nepal and the region east of there are April and October. Skies tend

to be clearer in the autumn, although it's colder too, but that's when Everest and other popular treks are at their busiest. If you want to trek in the summer holidays, then look further west. Zanskar and Ladakh, largely Tibetan Buddhist in terms of its population but politically part of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, are north of the Himalayan chain and enjoy much better weather in July and August. These are also the best months for K2 and the rest of the Karakoram, including Kashmir, and the Hindu Kush. The most popular trekking areas – like Everest, the Annapurna region and Ladakh's Markha valley – have a network of basic lodges to stay in, opening up these areas to independent trekkers who don't want to carry a tent and are on a more limited budget. It's also possible to reach Annapurna, or Nepal's Langtang region, by bus, without the need for costly internal flights. For those with a bit more to spend, there are off-thepeg itineraries from specialist travel agents in the UK. The best of these use good local outfitters and provide a guide, either western or a local who speaks good English. For those who don't want the hassle of organising transport and accommodation, this kind of trip is perfect – and for camping treks in remote areas, they're essential. You can also approach a local agent directly, which is useful if you have a group of friends who want to trek together. Since Nepal's civil war ended in 2006, the number of trekkers visiting the Everest region has more than doubled to 35,000 a year. At the height of the season, around 60 flights land at Lukla airport each day. The Sherpa town of Namche Bazaar, the gateway to Everest base camp and used for altitude acclimatisation, now has better mobile coverage than much of Snowdonia. So if you go in peak season, expect a crowd. If you have a group of mates who all want to see Everest, most companies will organise a private tour. World Expeditions is one of the biggest operators, running over 20 treks this year, with accommodation a mixture of camping and lodges on the classic standard trek to Everest base camp. An 18-day trek costs £1,650, which it can also arrange. Some of its autumn departures are already full, so hurry if you want to go in the diamond jubilee year of the first ascent. If you prefer a bit more comfort, there are now two chains of luxury lodges on the way to base camp, Yeti Mountain Homes and Everest Summit Lodges. We're not talking five-star

26 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

spas here, but an en suite bathroom and a hot water bottle are a big step up from standard lodges. Specialist trekking company Mountain Kingdoms offers a 19-day package starting at £2,245 that also offers nights at Kathmandu's stunning heritage hotel, Dwarika’s. If you're looking to beat the crowds, trekking guide Bonny Masson has this advice: "If you've got the time, do the original trek the British expedition took in 1953." This started in Kathmandu, but a bus will now take you to the end of the road just beyond the town of Jiri. The trail beyond is a tougher walk than the stages from Lukla, which most people now reach by air. "You'll get a better slice of life in Solukhumbu and the trails are quieter." Alternatively you can trek out of season, in December or February, when numbers are down and the trails are quieter. But you should be prepared for lower temperatures. Adventurous types can trek to the little-visited east face of Everest inside Tibet via the Kama valley, one of the least known but most beautiful approaches to the world's highest peak. Unlike the Nepalese side, this wild valley has hardly changed at all. In recent years, the visa situation in Tibet has been inconsistent, but that now seems to be settling down. Since Nepal's civil war ended in 2006, the number of trekkers visiting the Everest region has more than doubled to 35,000 a year. At the height of the season, around 60 flights land at Lukla airport each day. The Sherpa town of Namche Bazaar, the gateway to Everest base camp and used for altitude acclimatisation, now has better mobile coverage than much of Snowdonia. So if you go in peak season, expect a crowd. If you have a group of mates who all want to see

Everest, most companies will organise a private tour. World Expeditions is one of the biggest operators, running over 20 treks this year, with accommodation a mixture of camping and lodges on the classic standard trek to Everest base camp. An 18-day trek costs £1,650, which it can also arrange. Some of its autumn departures are already full, so hurry if you want to go in the diamond jubilee year of the first ascent. If you prefer a bit more comfort, there are now two chains of luxury lodges on the way to base camp, Yeti Mountain Homes and Everest Summit Lodges. We're not talking five-star spas here, but an en suite bathroom and a hot water bottle are a big step up from standard lodges. Specialist trekking company Mountain Kingdoms offers a 19-day package starting at £2,245 that also offers nights at Kathmandu's stunning heritage hotel, Dwarikas. If you're looking to beat the crowds, trekking guide Bonny Masson has this

advice: "If you've got the time, do the original trek the British expedition took in 1953." This started in Kathmandu, but a bus will now take you to the end of the road just beyond the town of Jiri. The trail beyond is a tougher walk than the stages from Lukla, which most people now reach by air. "You'll get a better slice of life in Solukhumbu and the trails are quieter." Alternatively you can trek out of season, in December or February, when numbers are down and the trails are quieter. But you should be prepared for lower temperatures. Adventurous types can trek to the little-visited east face of Everest inside Tibet via the Kama valley, one of the least known but most beautiful approaches to the world's highest peak. Unlike the Nepalese side, this wild valley has hardly changed at all. In recent years, the visa situation in Tibet has been inconsistent, but that now seems to be settling down. The most extensive of all mountain ranges, the Himalayas stretches across the lands of Pakistan, India,

Bhutan, Nepal and eastern China. Home to the highest peaks on the planet, it represents the courageous and vivacious spirit of these countries’ nomadic tribes. If you’re planning a trip to the Indian Himalayas, these are the things you need to keep in mind.

Check your timings The Himalayas is made up of dramatic topography, lush valleys and extensive cold deserts that stretch on for miles. Whether you’re planning a trip to India’s little Tibet, Ladakh or the last Shangri-la, Bhutan; the ideal time to explore the Himalayas is from mid-May to mid-September. However, the peak trekking season in the Indian Himalayas goes from March to June. Map an itinerary The popular trek routes in the Himalayas are well defined but for those who seek off-the-grid adventure, do your research well and check with the local authorities before venturing into the unknown.

ओ३म्

cordially invites you all to

Hawan Yajna Agnihotra has been an integral part of the Sanatan Vedic culture, it is not just a spiritual duty or ritual, it is a spiritually enlightening experience. Family groups can sit around hawan kund and give ahutis. Multi hawan kunds will be set up to allow more family groups to take part at the same time. Purohits and Purohitas will be there to assist and guide family groups. Hawan ingredients for use on the day will be provided free to all.

Venue : Queensland Vedic Cultural Centre 198 Learoyd Road, Willawong, Qld 4110 RIG VEDA

SAM VEDA

Gayatri Maha Yajna Sponsorship

For Yajna sponsorship please kindly contact:

Coordinator Dr. Sukhvir Singh - 0421 897 157 Mr. Mul Chand - 0428 466 698 Mr. Hari Chand - 0437 430 062 Mr. Dick Sen - 0450 025 542 Please pre-register your interest to participate in the Yajna so that organisers can make arrangements to adequately accommodate all. Bank : Bank of Queensland Acct Name : Arya Pratinidhi Sabha Of Queensland BSB Number: 124077 Acct Number: 22274433

YAJUR VEDA

ATHARVA VEDA

Refreshments and Lunch will be provided to all present

Havan Yajna ceremony is one of the most important rites laid down in the Vedic scriptures for householders and is part of the eternal Sanatan Vedic Dharm/culture. Yajna is the cornerstone of the Vedic way of life .The benefits of havan/agnihotra are multi-dimensional . ALL WELCOME

SRI SELVA VINAYAKAR KOYIL (GANESHA TEMPLE) BRISBANE (South Maclean)

Newsletter 166-38 Kaarthikai/Kārttika Month (mid-November 2020 to mid-December 2020) Festivals Dear Sri Selva Vinayaka devotees, Hindu Ahlaya Sangam Qld Inc (HASQ) cordially invites you to Sri Selva Vinayakar Temple Brisbane (South Maclean) for Kaarthikai /Kartika Month Festivals. Skantha Shashti Viratham starts/Sri Lalitha Sahastranama Stotram Chanting on Sunday 15 November 2020 Sri AyyapaSwamy Virutchika Rasi Masa Abishekam/ Kaathikaii Maasa Pirappu on Tuesday 17 November 2020 Kaarthikai Somavaram viratham on Mondays 23,30 November & 7,14 December 2020 Chathurthi Viratham on Wednesday 18 November 2020 Skantha Shashti Viratham finishes with Soora Samharam on Friday 20 November 2020 Thirukalyana Festival for Lord Murugan Vali & Devayani on Saturday 21 November 2020 Pirathosha Viratham on Friday 27 November & Saturday 12 December 2020 Sathya Narayanar Pooja/Powrnami Viratham/Sarvaalaya Deepam on Monday 30 November 2020 Pillayaar Kathai-Vinayakar Viratham starts on Tuesday 1 December 2020 Sankatahara Chathurthi on Friday 4 December 2020 Sri Vishnu Sahastranamam & Paaraayanam on Sunday 06 December 2020 Visit Brisbane Sri Selva Vinayakar (Ganesha) Temple and get the Blessing of Lord Ganesha. For further information please contact our Temple or the Secretary Mr: Surendra on Mobile-0407-753991

Temple Website: http://www.sriselvavinayakar.org Follow us on (click the icons): 4915-4923, Mt Lindesay Highway, South Maclean, Queensland-4280, Australia, Phone: +61 7 5547 7302

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020 — 27

28 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 29

The unicorn princess: Ektaa Bali My name is Ektaa Bali and I have been a midwife for the last 8 years (in Melbourne then Mater Mothers south Brisbane). I have always wanted to be a writer and finally decided that this year I would pursue that dream. I was writing a romance a romance novel when my niece in Melbourne, Sonakshi asked me to write a story about unicorns. Below I have attached the facebook post I made that got so much attention: When I was a little girl, there were never any stories about girls who were anything other than white. There was only Princess Jasmine, and she is the ONLY Disney princess, who’s story is actually about and named after the Prince! I never imagined that I would write middle grade (8-12 years) fantasy until my little niece, Sonakshi asked me to ‘Ektaa mausi can you please write me story about unicorns?’ And so I dropped the paranormal romance I was writing and wrote “The Unicorn Princess” instead. What started as a weird hilarious simple story about a witch with bats living up

her gigantic nose turned into something so much more. I just knew that if I was going to be a writer, it was going to be in a way that told little girls around the world, that no matter their skin colour or ethnic origin, they can be heroes and princesses too. There is a place for other races in literature, there is a place for little Indian girls, Chinese girls, African girls, you name it inside adventure

books. And NOT as the funny side kick, as the main character. Sonakshi the Unicorn Princess is Fijian Indian, like

the real Sonakshi she is based on. Not only is she from a niche minority group, her journey takes her across Australian Bushland and the Pacific Ocean to Fiji. I thought, literally every kids book I’ve ever read was set anywhere other than Australia, so why not set

mine here? Thank you Shobna Bali, Rachna Shankar and Rishta Kumar. For supporting me in the release of my first middle grade novel. Everyone who’s read it so far has enjoyed it and my editor even claims that it’s the best book she’s ever read in that genre. I’m not sure

whether to believe her or not, but it sure gave me the confidence to make this post about it! On the surface it’s about a girl who has inherited the ability to turn into the unicorn and a witch who really wants to capture her. At it’s heart, it’s about courage, friendship and forgiveness. It's out today as e-book and paperback. So if you know any little girls (or boys!) ages 7+ who might be interested in a daring adventure story set in their own homeland, check it out: On the day I made the post the novel was ranked in the top 100 in three categories on Amazon.com, including no. 2 in children’s fiction-royalty category. It has been very well received by the community as school teachers and parents know the importance of encouraging cultural diversity in children’s fiction. We have been featured in both the Fiji Times and Fiji Sun this weekend!

The Blurb of the book: Sonakshi is the first Princess of Macuata Fiji, to be born as a unicorn in hundreds of years. Kept secret and hidden in her castle in the Blue Mountains Australia, she tries to come to terms with her unicorn-self.

But it’s pretty difficult when she’s the only unicorn she knows! When the powerful witch Mankini kidnaps her friend Rowen, she and her loyal companion Kieran, know they must act before he is lost forever. Their quest leads them across dangerous Australian Bushland and over the Pacific Ocean to Fiji where Mankini lies waiting. But a terrible secret threatens everything Sonakshi thought she knew. It will take skill, wit and a bit of magic to get them through to the other side. There are mermaids, fae and kangaroos. But where there are friends, there are also foes. Danger and deception awaits. Things are never as they seem... Available as ebook or paperback on Amazon.com or Booktopia $15 https://www.amazon. com.au/Unicorn-Princess-1Ektaa-Bali/dp/064898303X/re f=sr_1_1?crid=2AMEJZYZMT 1E5&dchild=1&keywords=the +unicorn+princess&qid=1603 429587&sprefix=the+unicorn +%2Caps%2C352&sr=8-1 https://www.booktopia. com.au/the-unicornprincess-ektaa-bali/ book/9780648983033.html

North Queensland Townsville Telugu Community - Bathukamma Celebrations 2020

Indian Community spread increasing in Townsville, members of the Telugu community doing their best to follow the inherited culture here in Townville. Townsville City Council has always supported multicultural community events especially our traditional Bathukamma Celebrations in Townsville. Even though the Bathukamma Festival is Telangana traditional festival, every year women from all parts of India and local Australians also participate in Bathukamma Celebrations, this year it has been a different celebration due to COVID-19 restrictions. We were only allowed to gather up to a maximum of 40 people by the Queensland State Government for community

events. This year the Bathukamma Festival celebrations were restricted to the Telugu community follow COVID-19 restriction guidelines. At one stage we were about to cancel the event for this year, Our community member R V Rao inspired us to continue to practice our culture even with restrictions we should follow all guidelines and keep our festival going. Kovel Ratan has put in extra efforts to make arrangements, Kovel works and live far away from Townsville he still managed to get permission from the council, organized music, lighting, and other logistics. Raghava who is a creative and hardworking member of our community always amuse us with his

30 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

handicraft skills, Raghava made a 3 feet Bathukamma this year to encourage everyone to participate and enjoy Bathukamma Celebrations. Bathukamma is a ladies festival they share their stories in the form of songs and dance to the tunes. Townsville Telugu women always look forward to this festival every year. All the beautiful ladies dressed up in cultural saries

and decorated Bathukamma with extreme devotion. Food was amazing, it was a feast of Telugu delicious food. Kids’ dances were special as they took the initiative to sing and dance to our own cultural Bathukamma songs, this was our ultimate goal in organizing Indian cultural festivals in Townsville to pass our traditions and their values to our next generation.

Kavita ji

Call: (07) 3192 5188

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 31

Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Queensland Honours Umesh Chandra OAM

On Sunday 1st November Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Queensland Inc, held a Havan Yajna Satsang in honour of Umesh Chandra OAM, it was organised to celebrate Umesh Chandra’ s recognition as on of the 2020 OAM (Order of Australia Medal). Umesh Chandra is another Indian-origin recipient of OAM, who has been recognised for his significant contribution to the multicultural community of Queensland. He moved to Australia in 1987. Later, he was appointed the liaison officer by the state government to protect the interests of Indian students when they were facing a spate of violent attacks in the country in 2008-09. He was named the Citizen of the Year along with his wife, Usha Chandra, last year said the honour would inspire him to work more for the community. “These awards give us encouragement to do more. There is so much more that we need to do for our community. We have so many aged people, there are women who need upliftment and care and of course also the students. Vedic bhajans by Vijay Kumar followed the Havan

ceremony. President Dr. Sukhvir Singh President of APSQ welcomed everyone to the function. Congratulatory speeches were delivered by Councillor Angela Owen, Ms. Janeth Deen OAM, Vice president of Queensland Multicultural Council, Ms Saswati Basu Chatterjee – Bengali community – actress

and Actress. Secretary of APSQ, Mr Hari Chand introduced Umesh Chandra OAM and highlighted some of his achievements, he said that there was just far too many to list, he said they were very proud of his achievements and all that Umesh Chandra had for the

Queensland Multicultural Council. Alice Fernandes read a special message from Umesh Chandra OAM’s very close friend Dharmendra Chandra, Dharmendra has known Umesh Chandra since childhood they were in the same high school and were together in Chandigarh.

APSQ patron retired judge, Dr Devendra Pathik thanked Umesh Chandra OAM and sentenced him for lifelong community service, Umesh Chandra accepted and said, “guilty as pronounced”. Umesh Chandra Thanked APSQ for their kind gesture and said that they were the only community organisation

to hold such a function in his honour. Following the speeches Bhai Vijay Kumar sang a special song for Umesh Chandra OAM, the song was requested by Usha Chandra. Following the official program and shanti path, everyone moved out to the dining area for refreshments.

A Different Kind of Seeing If you can read this article you can see. So you should be very grateful as, 357,000 Australians, of whom 3,000 are children are blind or vision impaired. Marie Younan is one of those Australians and in her book “A Different Kind of Seeing. My journey she writes “ Those seeing live in the light, while the blind live in fog and half alive“. Marie knows what it is to be half alive for when she was a baby her grandmother accidentally blinded her. Born into an Assyrian Christian family in Syria in 1952 all her life she could only ever see a few vague shapes and colours. Even though she was one of 12 children, she lived

a lonely, internal life with no playmates or schooling as no one ,including herself,thought she could ever learn anything. She said

32 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

to herself “I will never read as I am blind “ fortunately her own strong faith in Christ helped her to face life's challenges.

Marie’s childhood was so different to the children at the Sharpe Memorial Blind School in Japura Uttar Ranchel State , India where

my wife and I have stayed on numerous occasions .Here children are educated and even play cricket with a ball that has bells inside. So they “see“ the ball differently -with their ears! Marie’s challenging life slowly changed when first her parents, moved to Lebanon but,because of civil war there, were accepted as refugees in 1975 to Australia. Then, as Marie was also a refugee, was able to live in Greece in 1976 and accepted to Melbourne in 1978. Since then she has painstakingly learnt to speak English,be literate in braille (the language of the blind) acted as an interpreter with refugees and counsellors at Foundation House

(Melbourne) and be physically mobile using a cane . What inspiring achievements!

What we have to learn from Marie is : Problems in life can be overcome. Be eternally greatful for your sight and health. Being a woman does not make you weak Having a strong faith in Christ will help in lifes challenges. This way we will begin to see life differrently! Review A Different Kind of Seeing. My Journey . by Marie Younan. Aus $24.25 Scribe Publications . Melbourne by Peter Lane Rai words 383

AISHWARYA SOMAL WINS THE LORD MAYOR OF BRISBANE’S NICK XYNIAS AWARD FOR YOUNG BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR 2020 As a community we are proud to share that our very own Aishwarya Somal has been awarded the Lord Mayor of Brisbane’s Nick Xynias Award for Young Business Person of the Year 2020. Upon being nominated for this position, Aishwarya submitted to a grueling 4-person panel interview with representatives from the Lord Mayor’s office where she was questioned about all aspects of her business and its growth. After subsequently being shortlisted as a finalist in the under 35s category, she was then fortunate enough to be named in the top 3 finalists. As we now know, Aishwarya took out the Award itself last Friday night at the Lord Mayor of Brisbane’s Multicultural Business Awards. WHO IS SHE Aishwarya is the sole Director of Emerson Family Law and Emerson Migration Law. Her passion for advocacy and her commitment to advancing the rights of the more vulnerable members of our society led her to practice in the areas of Family Law and Migration Law respectively. In 2013 she became the sole Director of Emerson Family Law. She established Emerson Migration Law in 2015 and Global Pathways Education and Migration Services in 2019 from inception and currently has a team of 8 staff. Along with her professional life, Aishwarya is married and is a very proud mother to two young children. Across both arms of her practice, she ensures a steadfast focus on a culture within the firm wherein clients always obtain comprehensive advice as to their entitlements under the relevant legislation. Particularly for our CALD communities, her aim is to create and uphold a culture where clients may be assured of comprehensive advice in relation to their entitlements under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) as well as their legal options under the Migration Act 1957 (Cth). Across both areas of law, the focus of her practice is to assist clients in relation to all facets of a separation, and particularly those suffering from Domestic and Family Violence, in protecting their interests under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) and the Domestic and Family Violence Amendment Act 2012. She regularly assists them in obtaining Protection Orders to ensure their safety as well as navigating the legal process Call: (07) 3192 5188

following the breakdown of their relationship. She has also assisted numerous victims of DFV navigate and make applications under the Family Violence Provisions pursuant to the Migration Act 1957 (Cth), both on the basis of judicially determined as well as non-judicially determined evidence. Due to the evident barriers surrounding access to legal services for victims of DFV from the CALD community, she adopts a culturally sensitive approach in empowering her clients in firstly identifying DFV incidents within their relationships and then determining an exit strategy which preserves her clients’ physical and emotional safety at all times. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT/ AWARENESS EFFORTS Aishwarya has also been an active participant in community awareness programs and has attended

and presented at several events in the Family and Migration Law arenas. To name but a few over the last 12 months, she has been involved with the Indian Women’s Health Expo at the Sahara House Domestic Violence Shelter, and the Bringing Cultures Together Event held by Queensland Police Service at which she was the supporting lawyer to their presentation. These events have been aimed at addressing DFV issues in a culturally inclusive environment where the subtle nuances of family relationships can be identified and addressed accordingly. In light of her knowledge and experience in this field, Aishwarya has earned the respect of QPS who regularly call on her for advice. As a result of these events, Aishwarya was introduced to the CEO of Women Empowerment and Leadership and has recently been involved in assisting in hosting zoom webinars

during Covid-19, which again involve the distribution of information regarding DFV and other social issues amongst CALD and Diaspora communities. These events have included information sharing regarding State Government initiatives surrounding DFV, Refugee issues and the interplay between such. She has also embarked upon broader peace building initiatives through her role as Peace Ambassador of the Universal Peace Federation and also in her capacity as Vice President

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of Women’s Federation for World Peace. Both UPF and WFWP are Non-Government Organisations which sit in consultative status with the United Nations ECOSOC. She has co-authored a written submission to the House of Representatives (HoR) Standing Committee on Social Policy & Legal Affairs INQUIRY INTO FAMILY, DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE. This submission identified and articulated particular ‘risk factors’ affecting CALD women which contribute to

their further marginalization in the Australian context. Further, concrete recommendations were provided for ways in which to best address the needs of CALD women in the family violence arena, both from the Family Law and Immigration Law perspectives. This award represents recognition of Aishwarya’s tireless efforts in the legal and humanitarian field and will undoubtedly provide a platform for her to effect further meaningful change in our community.

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020 — 33

Who, What, Where, When...

Mrs Archana Singh ji surprises everyone with her singing talent

Antaksahri time

Dr Neeraj Khanna , Dr Akshay Kothari family , Umesh Chandra OAM and Madhu Khanna

Dr Khanna family organised a high-end Diwali party at River Room of Stamford Plaza Brisbane

White Ribbon state conference and morning tea at Government house

“ICCI President Cav.Fillippo D’Arro, Usha Chandra and Umesh Chandra OAM at Italian Chamber of commerce annual Dinner and Awards

Minister Grace Grace also graced the occasion pictured with the “Tenor”

Trevor Evans MP at ICCI function

Another Citizen ship ceremony organised by Brisbane City Council and held at Brisbane Entertainment and Convention Centre, larger numbers were present due to easing of restrictions 34 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

Who, What, Where, When...

Navrathri celebrations at Shree Vishnu Maya Mandir North Maclean by Dharam Guru Acharya Pt Ram Harsh Tripathi Ji

Members of GOPIO Gold Coast and community leaders meet Indian High Commission Counsellor Narendra Rana in Gold Coast

Members of FICQ and community leaders meet Indian High Commission Counsellor Narendra Rana in Brisbane

Karva Chauth celebrated in traditional manner at Khanna Residence Call: (07) 3192 5188

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 35

Expert reveals how to negotiate rental or mortgage repayments 5/11/2020

CoreLogic Property Pulse

Is a structural shift in housing demand leading to a regional housing boom? By Eliza Owen, Head of Research Australia at CoreLogic

There has been a high level of interest as to whether the pandemic has spurred housing demand in regional markets of Australia. Housing market data is partially suggestive of this, especially across the largest capital cities. Rental value increases are positively correlated with greater distance from the CBD for the largest capital cities. The latest CoreLogic indices show growth across regional housing markets is higher than the capital cities in both quarterly and annual terms. The chart below shows the rolling annual change in dwelling values across the combined regional market, compared with the 5/11/2020 combined capital cities market. Values across the combined regional market increased 4.8% over the year, compared with 3.7% across the capital cities.

CoreLogic Property Pulse

The rate of annual change in combined regional dwellings has not outpaced the capitals since October 2019, when the largest Rolling annual in dwelling values to October 2020 capitals were movinggrowth through the end of a downturn. Through the COVID period to-date8 (March October 2020), values across the combined regional areas increased 1.7%, while Capital 2020 Citiesto Combined Combined Rest of State Regions the20% combined capital cities value fell 2.3%. The chart below shows the same trend across the states, with the exception of Western Australia. 15% In each state, inner-city markets are still showing relatively weak performance. This is because inner cities have historically seen greater 10% housing demand from renters, particularly those from overseas, or working in industries that have been acutely affected by the pandemic. 5% However, it is noteworthy that regional Australia has previously outperformed capital city markets based on cyclical patterns. Capital city markets generally have higher volatility, meaning returns are higher during upswings, and declines are deeper during 0% downswings. This is also evident in the rolling growth chart above. This-5% means that a snapshot of capital growth may not be enough to support the idea that structural shifts caused by COVID-19 have been the reason that regional areas have out-performed. -10% Sales data consistent trends Oct in demand. In the threeOct months Octhas 15 also not highlighted Oct 16 17 18 to October, CoreLogic Oct 19 modelled estimates Oct 20 suggest the growth rate in sales was 12.0% across Sydney, but a lower 10.9% in regional NSW. In Melbourne, sales volumes fell Source: CoreLogic 18.0%, while regional Vic saw a 3.7% uplift in sales. Sales data is also a difficult measure of demand through the pandemic, as sales have been highly volatile in response to social distancing restrictions.

Capital growth in dwellings - March to October 2020 What we learned from the ABS this week Combined regional market

Greater capital city market

Inner city SA4 region

Provisional data from the ABS shows internal migration patterns for Australia at the greater capital city and regional level during the first few months of the pandemic. Internal migration tracks the movement of people from one part of Australia to another.

NSW

VIC

QLD

TAS

Without this publication, greater capital city and regional movements for the 2019-20 financial year would not otherwise be available until next March. 3.7% 3.4% 3.3% In the June quarter, when Australia faced its highest levels of government2.8% stringency in response to the pandemic, the net loss 2.4% 1.9% 1.6% across the combined capitals of Australia was 10,500 people. This is a record low in net internal migration. An additional shift of people from cities to regions partially contributed to better performance in regional housing markets. 0.0%is likely to have at least0.3% N.A.

Quarterly net internal migration, greater capital cities combined 0

-2.3%-2.8%

-1.2% -2.3%

-3.7% -5.6% -6.9%

-2000

-6.7%

Source: CoreLogic

-4000 Media enquires contact: Jade Harling, CoreLogic Research Analyst – 1300 472 767 or -6000 media@corelogic.com.au

-8000 -10000

-10,484 Jun-10 Sep-10 Dec-10 Mar-11 Jun-11 Sep-11 Dec-11 Mar-12 Jun-12 Sep-12 Dec-12 Mar-13 Jun-13 Sep-13 Dec-13 Mar-14 Jun-14 Sep-14 Dec-14 Mar-15 Jun-15 Sep-15 Dec-15 Mar-16 Jun-16 Sep-16 Dec-16 Mar-17 Jun-17 Sep-17 Dec-17 Mar-18 Jun-18 Sep-18 Dec-18 Mar-19 Jun-19 Sep-19 Dec-19 Mar-20 Jun-20

-12000

5/11/2020

CoreLogic Property Pulse

Source: RBA

But migration from capital cities inCoreLogic AustraliaResearch has been persistently negative Media enquires contact: Jade Harling, Analyst – 1300 472 767 or for over a decade. Net internal migration had been trending lower since early 2015, which was a time of worsening affordability in the largest cities. As housing prices peaked and media@corelogic.com.au trended lower, internal migration trends reversed. This suggests housing affordability could be a key driver of movement to regional Australia that was evident well before COVID-19. Ultimately, the data suggests migration to regional Australia was not initiated by COVID-19, but may have amplified it.

Unsurprisingly, as stage 2 restrictions eased, migration trends showed a shift away from dense cities that saw high levels of COVID19 cases. Melbourne saw the biggest drop in net internal migration, with almost 8,000 net people leaving the capital city.

Net internal migration, June 2020 quarter

3,210 413

243 -44

-178

-207

-5,964 -7,957

Melbourne

Sydney

Darwin

Adelaide

Hobart

Canberra

Perth

Brisbane Source: ABS

However, a deeper dive into the ABS data shows the story is not as simple as COVID-19 driving city-dwellers to coasts and hobby farms. Intrastate departures from Greater Melbourne (the movement of people from the metropolitan to regional Victoria) had already been trending up with capital city house prices from 2017. The June 2020 quarter saw a record-high level of departures from the city to regional Victoria, at 11,746. But this is only 3.1% higher than the previous peak in intrastate departure, which was well before COVID in December 2018.

Intrastate departures - Melbourne

14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000

Jan-20

May-20

Sep-19

Jan-19

May-19

Sep-18

Jan-18

May-18

Sep-17

Jan-17

May-17

Sep-16

Jan-16

May-16

Sep-15

Jan-15

May-15

Sep-14

Jan-14

May-14

Sep-13

Jan-13

May-13

Sep-12

Jan-12

May-12

Sep-11

May-11

Jan-11

Sep-10

Source: ABS Brisbane defied the trend of intrastate departure, and saw a significant increase in net internal migration. Importantly, the biggest net gain (885 people) to Brisbane was from the rest of Queensland, which refutes the idea that COVID largely spurred migration away from Brisbane to regional markets within the state. Ultimately, the combination of housing and population data highlights that in some parts of the country, COVID-19 may have spurred an increase in movement to regional Australia. This has at least partially contributed to an offset in the decline of values, or an increase in values, through the COVID period. However, migration data suggests the narrative does not appear consistent across the country, and highlights affordability is also an important driving factor of departure from the cities.

36 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020 Media enquires contact: Jade Harling, CoreLogic Research Analyst – 1300 472 767 or media@corelogic.com.au

For most Australians, rent or mortgage repayments are the highest cost of living expense they have. With money an issue for so many people right now, real estate expert and Founder of Aus Property Professionals Lloyd Edge has put together his top tips for how people can negotiate their rent or mortgage repayments.

His insights include: • When you’re renting, or paying a mortgage it is typical to feel like the “small guy” and wonder what control or power you have, if any at all, over what your rent or mortgage repayments will be. But, it is your hardearned cash so you actually have more power than you may realise! • For renters: instead of paying the

annual increase, ask for a breakdown of the increase, and question it if you don’t feel it’s justified. If you feel you are paying too much, send a letter or formal email to your agent stating why you don’t feel this is justified and send it alongside similar properties that reflect the price point you believe is reasonable. Always send 3 examples, and always request a reply with a deadline date, otherwise it can typically drag on while you’re waiting for a reply. • For mortgages: the first point of call is always to call your lender. But first, do your research. Find out whether new customers are actually getting a better deal from your lender, and play the loyalty card. Call your lender and tell them that you are looking for a better deal

and if they have anything on offer. If you’ve been a loyal customer for a while, they might be able to offer you an interest rate reduction for your loyalty. This would be a quick and easy conversation to have with your lender. • Another option is to seek the guidance of a mortgage broker. Mortgage brokers will have access to around 30 or more lenders and be able to see whether you are eligible for a better arrangement with another lender. A mortgage broker will guide you through the whole process of switching to a different lender and make the process really easy for you. If you’re with one of the Big Banks, it is often the smaller lenders (who are backed by the big banks) that might be able give you a better deal if you switch.

September Housing Finance Reflects Improving Housing Sentiment The September 2020 Lending to Households and Business figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that the value of new loan commitments for housing grew for the fourth second consecutive month, according to the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA). “The seasonally adjusted value of new loan commitments for owner-occupied housing rose 5.9 per cent in September and 25.5 per cent for the year, with the rise seen in all states and territories, except Victoria and the Northern Territory," said Adrian Kelly, President of the Real Estate Institute of Australia. "The largest increases in the value of new loan commitments were in Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland. “The fall by 8.8 per cent in seasonally adjusted terms in

Victorian owner-occupier home loan commitments reflects decreased housing market activity in July and August when COVID-19 restrictions were imposed.” Mr Kelly said historically high loan commitments reflected low interest rates, improving consumer sentiment about purchasing a home particularly amongst first home buyers, and the HomeBuilder Government incentives, with approximately half of the rise in September’s owner-occupier housing loan commitments being for the construction of new dwellings. “The value of loan commitments for investor housing rose 5.2 per cent for the month and 4.2 per cent for the year with New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland driving the increase in commitments for investment

housing in September," he said. “The number of owneroccupier first home buyer loan commitments increased by 6.0 per cent for the month and 45.5 per cent for the year. "This is the fourth consecutive monthly increase and is the highest level since October 2009 with all states and territories, apart from Victoria, Tasmania and the Northern Territory, displaying increases in owner-occupier first home buyers in September.” “The sustained recovery in lending is encouraging and reflects the market response to the current conditions and improved borrowing conditions with an expected interest rate cut tomorrow." Media contact: Sean Slatter, Sean.Slatter@reia.com.au, 0416 806 903

Q3 2020 – Cordell Housing Index Price (CHIP) Report Housing construction costs rose 0.6% over the third quarter, lower than the rise over the previous two quarters. The latest CoreLogic residential construction costs report (CHIP – September quarter) out today confirmed costs associated with housing construction continued to rise over the third quarter of 2020 https://www.corelogic.com.au/ reports/cordell-building-indiceschip-report. The National CHIP Index rose by 0.6 per cent over the three months to September 2020, after the previous quarter increased by a higher 0.9 per cent. The index showed residential construction costs were 3.4 per cent higher annually. Meanwhile, the most recent figures show the consumer price index (CPI) fell -1.9 per cent over the June 2020 quarter, compared to a rise of 0.3 per cent over the previous quarter, although the fall in CPI over the June quarter was largely

driven by free child care and price falls in automotive fuel. According to the latest ABS figures, the number of dwellings approved fell -1.6 per cent in August in seasonally adjusted terms, following a 12.2 per cent increase in July, while employment in the construction industry, which accounts for around 9.2 per cent of the total workforce, fell -1.0 per cent over the 3 months to August 2020 (seasonally adjusted). CoreLogic’s home value index released in October saw national dwelling values fall -0.1% over the month of September 2020. Although the national index was down over the month, it was the smallest decline since values started to reduce in May this year.

Key findings – Q3 CHIP Report • Residential construction cost continued to rise over the September quarter with a 0.6% increase in the national Cordell

housing index price. The latest quarterly increase was lower than previous two quarters. • The NSW CHIP Index increased by 0.6% over the September 2020 quarter inline with the national growth rate, after increasing by 0.8% in the June quarter. • The CHIP index for Victoria rose by 0.6% over the 3 months to September 2020. This was the smallest quarterly increase in the index since the June 2019 quarter. • Queensland continues to report the highest CHIP index. Quarterly this was up by 0.6%, with annual growth the highest of all states, rising by 4.0%. • The CHIP index for WA increased by 0.7% over the 3 months to September, which was slightly higher than the other states included in this analysis. • South Australia continues to report the lowest CHIP Index. Quarterly growth in the SA CHIP Index was recorded at 0.6% over the three months to September.

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 37

38 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020 — 39

Arnab Goswami shifted to Tajola jail after he was found 'active on social media'

NAVI MUMBAI: The Raigad police shifted Republic TV’s promoter, MD and chief editor Arnab Goswami to Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai from a makeshift quarantine centreturned-jail in Alibaug on Sunday morning, a sudden move that they said was necessitated by their discovery that he was on social media from a mobile phone while in judicial custody. Goswami is one of three accused in the case of abetment of suicide of an interior designer, Anvay Naik, and his mother, Kumud. Goswami spent four days in quarantine before he was moved on the fifth day. A certificate saying he was negative for Covid-19 was submitted to the Taloja jail. “On Friday, late in the evening, we learnt that Goswami was active

on social media, using somebody’s mobile phone,” the investigating officer, inspector Jamil Shaikh of the Raigad crime branch, said. Denying the police allegation, the TV company said Goswami did not have a

social media account. The police said Goswami’s personal mobile phone had been seized when he was arrested from his Worli residence on Wednesday morning. “As the investigating

India & China working on a set of proposals to defuse LAC tension “Any disengagement plan will need to be implemented in a verifiable manner on the ground. Moreover, our troops should not be left in a tactically disadvantageous position,” a senior officer said. NEW DELHI: India and China are working on a set of proposals in a bid to defuse the ongoing military confrontation in eastern Ladakh, even as thousands of soldiers deployed at heights of over 15,000 feet are now facing the brunt of the brutal winter in the region. There were “some positive exchanges” during the eighth round of corps commander-level talks at Chushul on Friday, and another meeting could be scheduled “within the coming week” to take them forward, sources said on Sunday. But a concrete breakthrough in the military stalemate will depend on whether the two sides are able to finalise the actual modalities for “mutual troop disengagement” at the “friction points” in the Pangong Tso-Chushul area, where temperatures have already dipped to minus 20Celsius, making it a test of endurance for the rival armies. India will have to be extra cautious this time because the earlier troop

disengagement plan had gone awry after the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) reneged on the agreement to dismantle an observation post on Indian territory in the Galwan Valley on June 15. It had led to violent clashes in which 20 Indian and an unspecified number of PLA soldiers were killed. “Any disengagement plan will need to be implemented in a verifiable manner on the ground. Moreover, our troops should not be left in a tactically disadvantageous position,” a senior officer said. China has been aggressively pushing for Indian troops to vacate the multiple heights they preemptively occupied on the ridge line stretching from Thakung on the south bank of Pangong Tso to Gurung Hill, Spanggur Gap, Magar Hill, Mukhpari, Rezang La and Reqin La (Rechin mountain pass) on August 29-30. Similarly, China has also proposed reciprocal withdrawal of tanks, howitzers and other heavy weapon systems from the forward areas. “The PLA

40 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

has better access to roads on its side and can re-induct tanks and howitzers much faster. We had even moved tanks up the ridgeline near Rechin La, catching the PLA by surprise… it may not be possible again,” the officer said. A joint statement issued by the two countries on Sunday said there was a “candid, in-depth and constructive exchange of views on disengagement” along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. Both sides agreed to “earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries” as well as ensure their frontline troops “exercise restraint and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation”, it said. Continuing to maintain dialogue and communication through military and diplomatic channels, the two sides will “take forward the discussions at this meeting and push for the settlement of other outstanding issues” to jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas, it added.

officer of the case, I wrote to the Alibaug jail superintendent seeking an inquiry report as to how the accused, Goswami, got access to a mobile for use in the quarantine centre under Alibaug jail authorities,” Shaikh said. As he was being escorted to Taloja prison around 9.30am, Goswami shouted out from inside the moving police van that he had been assaulted by the Alibaug jailer during the shifting. “My life is in danger, please tell the courts to help me,” he said. “When I wanted to speak to my lawyer, I was assaulted in jail by the jailer.” Taloja prison superintendent Abasaheb Patil refuted the allegations of assault at the quarantine centre-cum-jail that was being run out of a municipal

school to rule out Covid-19 among detainees. “CCTV camera surveillance at the quarantine centre will lay bare the lies of accused Goswami’s allegations of assault on him,” Patil said. Inspector Shaikh said as they feared Goswami would again get access to a mobile phone if lodged in Alibaug prison, they sought permission from higher authorities to shift him to Taloja. “Subsequently, we submitted a letter to the Alibaug jail superintendent on Saturday and shifted the accused Goswami on Sunday morning,” he said. A source at Alibaug jail said because of the Covid-19 pandemic, visitors were not allowed to meet the accused lodged at the quarantine centre and that was why

detainees were provided a mobile phone to talk to their relatives. Under jail rules, an accused is permitted to talk to his lawyer or family member from a phone provided by jail administration. In the case of Goswami, it was found that he used a cell phone but was live on Facebook for two hours, said a senior IPS official. Whenever a mobile phone is provided to an accused in judicial custody, the name of the on-duty jail staff, the date and time are recorded in the daily register. “'We are looking for the link, we have called for a report from jail administration,” the official told TOI. "It will be mentioned in the inquiry report to be submitted to the case investgating officer," the source at Alibaug jail said.

Demonetisation helped reduce black money, increased tax compliance and transparency: Modi NEW DELHI: On the fourth anniversary of demonetisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi came out with a strong justification of the move, arguing that it triggered higher compliance and detection of black money, while helping improve tax collections and slowing the growth of currency in circulation. “Demonetisation has helped reduce black money, increase tax compliance and formalisation and given a boost to transparency. These outcomes have been greatly beneficial towards national progress,” he tweeted. His remarks on social media came a couple of hours after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacked the government for “destroying” India’s economy and accused Modi of helping a select group of businessmen. Using a series of graphs, the PM said the government followed demonetisation with ‘Operation Clean Money’, resulting in payment of Rs 13,000 crore tax by those who were not filing returns. The scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, which forced people to deposit notes in banks, also threw up identities of over three lakh depositors who had parked over Rs 10 lakh each in their accounts but had not filed their returns. Nearly 2.1 lakh paid self-assessment tax of Rs 6,531 crore after they

The scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, which forced people to deposit notes in banks, also threw up identities of over three lakh depositors who had parked over Rs 10 lakh each in their accounts but had not filed their returns. Nearly 2.1 lakh paid selfassessment tax of Rs 6,531 crore after they were found out. were found out. Modi also cited chief economic adviser K V Subramanian’s analysis to argue that the tax-GDP ratio had “drastically improved” post-demonetisation. He claimed that it reduced incremental growth in currency in circulation

by over Rs 4.2 lakh crore as people took to digital payments. Further, the introduction of new features in currency notes and lower detection of counterfeit notes postdemonetisation helped put brakes on “anti-national activities” such as terror financing and left-wing extremism, one of the graphs said. Gandhi, however, said demonetisation hit the economy hard and created a situation where the Bangladeshi economy “surpassed” India’s. “The reason is not Covid-19, the reason is notebandi and GST. Four years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi began an assault on the Indian economy,” he said in a video posted on social media. Hitting back, BJP said demonetisation was good for the country and resulted in cleaning up of the economy, formalisation of the informal sector and revenue aggregation.

Bengali BengaliSociety Societyof ofQueensland QueenslandCelebrates Celebrates

Durga Pujo and Lakshmi Pujo

The arrival of Goddess Durga, the mother of the universe, epitomises the victory of good over evil, the light over darkness. And this year we have been waiting for her arrival, more than ever, in that hope that she will protect us from all the demons of negativities and establish peace and harmony on this earth.

What a challenging year this has been, with a once in a 100-year pandemic spread across the world, millions of deaths, millions more impacted through loss of loved ones, jobs, income and significant disruptions in daily lives. A year that has seen major sporting and important sociocultural events being cancelled or postponed causing tremendous economic, social and cultural impact on communities across the world. A year that has seen us all adjusting to our neo-normal life. Amidst all these disruptions, Bengali Society of Queensland [BSQ] organised the biggest festival of the year, “Durga Pujo” at the Wavell

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Heights Community Hall on Saturday 24 October 2020. Durga Pujo is not only a religious festival but also a significant sociocultural event, very close to the heart of every Bengali. This year the event was celebrated under the strict guidelines of COVID-Safe events as laid out by Queensland government and saw community members participating in small groups throughout the day, while maintaining social distancing and adapting to necessary hygiene practices. The event was also attended by the dignitaries and members of

wider community, making it a grand success. A week later, on 31st October, BSQ celebrated another successful event “Lakshmi Pujo” at the Albany Creek Community Centre. Adhering to COVID-Safe events guidelines and council regulations, the participants gathered to offer prayers to Goddess Lakshmi and seek her blessings. We would like to thank our members, patrons and sponsors for their continued support in these difficult times and wish everyone and happy and prosperous year ahead.

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020 — 41

FOCUS ON FIJI Majority of the visitors to the Museum last year were tourists

It’s not me – Doctor Mahendra Reddy

Fashion show depicting Fijian Fashion from the 1700’s to date held at the Museum. Last year 61% of all visitors to the Fiji Museum were international visitors. This was highlighted by the Director of the Fiji Museum, Sipiriano Nemani while speaking during the Evolution of the Fiji Fashion Show held at the Fiji Museum on Saturday. Nemani says they need a fully-fledged facility so that people can learn and enjoy Fiji’s culture. He adds that Fiji has a rich tapestry that has no measurable value. Nemani says the museum has valuable cultural resource that can

Minister for Agriculture, Doctor Mahendra Reddy has today said that he is not the minister who is alleged to have made comments on why a teacher and rice farmer was wearing a sulu vakataga. Doctor Reddy says there are comments being made by some on the ground that he is the minister. However he says he has never done that. Doctor Reddy also revealed that he had met the teacher and rice farmer who has made the allegations in a talanoa session with the Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum over the weekend. He claims that the teacher had asked Doctor Reddy to promote him to headteacher in 2015. Although concerns were raised in the talanoa session, the Minister for Agriculture says there are no major agriculture-related issues in the North and people are happy. He says he will visit the area in the next few weeks. Meanwhile the rice farmer of Dreketi had told Attorney General, Aiyaz SayedKhaiyum that a government minister had allegedly asked him whether something was wrong with him as he was wearing a sulu vakataga.

sustain the nation. Meanwhile, the French Ambassador to Fiji, Jean Francois-Fitou says they will support the Fiji

Museum. He says Fiji has culture from even before the 17th Century adding that life is a journey and culture

matters. The money raised from the event will go towards the Fiji Museum.

Gujarat Education Society of Fiji providing free lunch to more than 130 students The Gujarat Education Society of Fiji has been providing free lunch packs to more than 130 students for the past 2 months. President Kamlesh Kumar says they did a survey in all four of their schools and found out that these students do not bring food to school because their parents cannot afford to it due to COVID-19. Kumar says they have made a decision to continue providing free meals till the end of the school term

which will cost them around $40,000.

He says they have not utilized any school funds

for this and the meals are provided by funds donated by members. Kumar adds they are willing to go even beyond this year if parents are still not able to afford lunch for their children come next year. 2725 students are enrolled in the four schools under the Gujarat Education Society of Fiji. You can contact Kamlesh Kumar on 9992893 if you want to help the group in assisting the students.

Govt is making sure that everyone is defined and counted as a Fijian - Bala Minister for Employment Parveen Bala says the role of the government is to build the nation, not just by words, but by improving the quality of life for all Fijians. While officiating at the centennial celebrations of the Solovi Temple in Nadi, Bala says the government is making sure that everyone is defined and counted as a Fijian.

He says this was regardless of race, colour, creed and religion. He adds this is a central and key aim of the government. Bala urged that people needed to show respect to each other to obtain respect from each other. He says we carry with us our religion, and at the same time, we should respect other religions.

FNU offers flexible fee payment options for next year The Fiji National University will be offering a flexible fee payment options for students next year. Acting Vice-Chancellor, Dr William May says students can enroll at FNU in their programme of choice and enter into a payment plan of agreed installments with the University’s Division of Finance. He says the payment plan would allow students

to pursue their academic aspirations without the financial burden of paying the full amount upfront. Dr May says students

42 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

will still be able to sit for their exams even if they have outstanding fees, as long as they are paid by the end of the year of study.

The farmer who is also a teacher in the North told Sayed-Khaiyum that the alleged incident happened after the last elections. The man who is a Fijian of Indian descent says he then told the Minister that there is nothing wrong with wearing the sulu as the current government wants everyone to live as one. He further told Sayed-Khaiyum that the Government Minister had also asked him whether the Fijian people will like him if he will wear a sulu. The farmer says he is a man of two cultures and has been working with Fijians for long. We have sent questions to Sayed-Khaiyum and asked what actions will be taken based on allegations made by the rice farmer. He is yet to respond.

Town and Country Planning and Sub-Division Acts are archaic – Kumar Minister for Local Government Premila Kumar says the Town and Country Planning and SubDivision Acts are very old pieces of legislation and no longer serve the interest of developers. While speaking at the World Planning Day Celebrations at the Civic Centre in Suva, Kumar says some attempts and changes were made in the 1970s but it was not completed. Kumar says they are currently reviewing the legislation to ensure it is fit for purpose for these modern

times. The Minister says many developers sometimes get frustrated with the town and planning department.

Dreketi farmer informs AG that a Govt Minister had allegedly asked him why he was wearing a sulu A rice farmer of Dreketi has told Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum that a government minister had allegedly asked him whether something was wrong with him as he was wearing a sulu vakataga. The issue was raised with Sayed-Khaiyum during a talanoa session in Dreketi. The rice farmer who is also a teacher in the

North told Sayed-Khaiyum that the alleged incident happened after the last elections. The man who is a Fijian of Indian descent says he then told the Minister that there is nothing wrong with wearing the sulu as the current government wants everyone to live as one. He further told Sayed-Khaiyum that the

Government Minister had also asked him whether the Fijian people will like him if he will wear a sulu. The rice farmer says he is a man of two cultures and has been working with Fijians for long. We have sent questions to Sayed-Khaiyum and asked what actions will be taken based on allegations made by the rice farmer.

A Salute to the Spirit of the Girmitiyas The year 2020 marks 100 years of the formal abolition of the indentured labour system in Fiji. I had heard much about Fiji and girmitiyas when posted in Australia from the Fiji Indians living there. Dr. Satendra Nandan gave me some of his books that sparked my interest in Fiji. Many of these girmitiyas were from areas around my own paternal and maternal towns in UP. My posting to Fiji in 2010 gave me the opportunity to know more about the adopted homeland of the girmitiyas. The indenture system for taking Indian labour to British, French, Dutch and other European colonies from early 19th century was indeed slavery by another name, with deceit and sometimes force in recruitment and exploitation in the workplaces. The halfhearted attempts to control or reform the system failed to improve the situation of the indentured labour, leaving indelible scars on their minds and hearts. On 14 May 1879, labour transport ship Leonidas, carrying the first batch of about 500 indentured labour from India, arrived at the port of Levuka, old capital of Fiji. Thus began the journey of over 60,000 indentured labour to the new British colony of Fiji to work at the sugar plantations. The journey traumatized most of them for life. Bodies of those unfortunate to die on the ship were thrown overboard and many jumped into the sea on the way. Most of them had no idea where they were going, were misled about wages and working conditions, as well as journey time. As willing women were difficult to find, many women were abducted from fairs and other places. Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama of Fiji noted in his address on the occasion of Girmit Day, 14 May, this year, that most of them had left their loved ones behind based on the lie that they would only spend a few months working overseas before they would return home. None of them could foresee the difficult journey and life ahead. In subsequent years the contractors were able to persuade families too to join the indentured labourers painting a false picture of those who had already travelled to Fiji. Life in the plantations and the ‘Coolie Lines’, the living quarters of the indentured labour, was difficult, made more miserable by the overpowering supervisors. The Colonial Sugar Refining Company was more interested in the raw sugar from Fiji, and labour welfare was far from its mind. The workers were routinely beaten up, denied food and kept in isolation. Rev CF Andrews and William Pearson, sent by the Government of India to see the condition of the girmitiyas, recorded many atrocities of the colonial masters. Shri Tota Ram

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Sanadhya, who came as an indentured labour, Sister Hannah Dudley, and others in Fiji had brought the plight of girmitiyas to the attention of Indian leaders. Shri Manilal Doctor was sent by Mahatma Gandhi to provide legal assistance to the Fiji Indians, and stayed there from 1912 to 1920. Shri Gopal Krishna Gokhle, Shri Madan Mohan Malaviya and other political leaders, Arya Samaj and other organisations, newspapers such as Swarajya and Leader, mounted a campaign against the indenture system. Public pressure in India and UK finally put an end to sending indentured labour from India in 1916 and the last labourers were released from the ‘Agreement’ in 1920. The remnants of the quarters of workers and supervisor can still be seen on the island of Vanua Levu. As the girmitiyas gradually realised the possibility of their return to India even after five years of initial contract was remote due to lack of money and twists in the contract, they started to settle down in their new homeland. Denied the opportunity to send their children to the colonial schools, the girmitiyas set up their own schools, determined that their children will not face the same fate as them. From their meagre earnings, they put aside some money to support the schools and their children’s education. Their commitment and efforts to educate their children is manifested in schools and professional institutions set up by them across Fiji, managed by various diaspora associations and social organisations. The University of Fiji and a medical college is run by the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji. Some of the labourers in their belongings had carried a copy of the Ramcharitmanas. The labourers tried to find solace in the recitation of the Ramcharitmanas and singing of bhajans in their long and arduous journey through the oceans, and the difficult days in the sugar plantations in Fiji. The language of the Ramcharitmans, Awadhi, became the lingua franca of the Indian immigrants from different states. Bidesia and other songs also became popular. To this day the Indo Fijians continue with the tradition of the Mandalis in Fiji as well as Australia and other countries where they later migrated. The Girmitiyas also identified Fiji as the Ramneek Dweep (Enchanted Island) of mythology where the Kaliya Naag had landed after being subdued and banished by Lord Krishna. The rock stone diety at the Nag temple on the Vanua Levu Island has grown over threefold in about a century, necessitating raising of the temple roof several times. After my arrival in Fiji, I gathered from people that they would like to see Ramlila by a group from India, and with the support of the

Launch of the publication ‘India - Fiji: Experiences to Remember’ by then President of Fiji HE Ratu Epeli Nailatikau Indian Council for Cultural Relations we organised visit of a group from Mathura; the first Ramlila group from India in over 130 years! They also requested for copies of Ramcharitmanas in Devanagari script as they had earlier received it in Roman script, and Indian musical instruments for their mandalis and temples, which ICCR was quick to provide. Memories of the Syria tragedy The tragic sinking of the Nourse Line ship Syria on the night of 11 May 1884 after striking the Nasilai Reef on its way to Suva is etched in people’s memory. This was the most serious accident in the history of transporting indentured labour to Fiji. Nearby Fiji villages mounted rescue operations next day after sighting the wreckage, and could save most of the 497 passengers and 43 crew. 56 passengers, including women and children, and 3 crew members had died. Dr William MacGregor, Chief Medical Officer and Acting Colonial Secretary later gave an emotional description of the tragedy, of people all around fainting, drowning, crying. He said the scenes haunted him like a horrid dream. A monument was erected in the memory of Syria and a park named after it in Fiji. The Government of India has also assisted in building a pathway to the place in Kiua village where some of the dead were buried, as requested by the village elders when I visited the village. The tragedy has also bonded the iTaukei people of Fiji and the descendants of the Girmitiyas.

Bharat Mata Mandir Soon after my arrival in Fiji, I visited the northern part of Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu, the sugar districts of Nadi, Lautoka and Ba. Dr Kamal Mishra, Director of the Indian Cultural Centre, informed me about the Bharat Mata temple in Ba, perhaps the only temple dedicated to Bharat Mata outside India. The temple is looked after by the village residents and the Republic Day is the annual festive occasion at the temple. I felt the best way to begin tour of Fiji would be to

begin with paying respects at the Bharat Mata temple. On the day we were to travel to the temple, a storm warning had been announced, the town was closed down and all programmes had been cancelled. I was advised to postpone the visit to the temple. A quick consultation with my better half Dr Krishna, and with the wise and experienced Administrator Shri Praveen Bala (now a Minister in the Fiji Government), and we decided to proceed to the temple. As the storm headed towards the coast, we headed towards the storm. The rain had intensified but the villagers were waiting. Surprisingly the rains stopped soon after we reached the village. There was not even a drizzle during the one hour function at the temple. Heavy rains resumed after the function,

The legacy of the Girmitiyas The Girmitiyas left a better future for their descendants despite their own misfortunes and difficult life. The educational institutions set up by them which are open to all, strong attachment to the community, modernization while preserving their traditions and family values, all helped the descendants of the Girmitiyas gradually adapt to life in their adopted homeland and contribute to its economy and polity. The diaspora in Fiji developed an Indian subculture that has remained intact among the Indo – Fijians migrating to other countries such as Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada. Most Girmitiyas and their first and second generation descendants could not afford to travel to India, but they took great interest in developments in India. Several descendants of the girmitiyas, including some from Australia, tried to trace their roots in India. I had an opportunity to see a documentary based on his research by Dr. Satish Rai, who is now the Chair of the Indian Diaspora Council in Australia, at the Fiji National University’s International Film Festival. The younger generation is more aware

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Remnant of the Syria ship near Nasilai Reef

A bell recovered from the ill-fated Syria ship. of India, with more people traveling to the land of their ancestors, and many studying in India. Indian origin Fijians are the largest group participating in the Indian Government’s Know India Programme for diaspora children. Cricket and IPL are closely followed, with people often staying awake through the night to watch the games. Political maneuverings in the eighties and nineties saw strains between the iTaukei and the Indo-Fijians, coups and counter coups, and migration of many IndoFijians to other countries. The fourth Constitution of 2013 treats all Fijians as equal, abolishing the earlier race based elections. Hindi is one of the three official languages of Fiji. Called Fiji Hindi or Fiji Baat,

it uses the Devnagari script. Many Fiji Hindi writers and poets are well known around the world. A memorial to the girmitiyas was set up in Kolkata at Kidderpore on the Hooghly river in January 2011. The inscription on the plaque says that the Memorial is a celebration of the girmitiyas’ pioneering spirit, endurance, determination, and resilience, and notes that they made significant contributions to their adopted countries, yet cherished and passed on the spirit of Indianness – culture, value, traditions - to their descendants. Let us join in saluting the spirit of the girmitiyas, [Vinod Kumar is a former High Commissioner of India to Fiji.]

THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020 — 43

KBC 12: Nazia Nasim becomes first crorepati of the season Mumbai: Bigg Boss 14, which has now entered its sixth week, drew public ire on Monday after Naina Singh was evicted from the game show during the Weekend Ka Vaar episode. Calling her eviction unfair, the disappointed fans of the Kumkum Bhagya actress trended 'Bring back Naina Singh' on Twitter, and expressed their views on the microblogging platform. People slammed the makers for the decision and complained that the members of the Red Zone were not shown much on the television sets during the one-hour episodes. They also stated that if the

housemates are not being shown on TV then how are the audience supposed to

vote for them. The episode is set to air on November 11 (Wednesday)

and it will be interesting to see if Nasim manages to win Rs 7 crore or quits the game show and returns home with Rs 1 crore. She credits her husband and family for their seamless support, especially in a society where a majority of people believe that women can’t work after having a child. She truly believes that if a woman has a supportive husband and family, everything in life is possible and achievable. Not only did she answer the Rs 1 crore correctly, but Nasim also became the first contestant in this season to actually attempt it.

NCB raids actor Arjun Rampal's Mumbai residence Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) conducted a raid at the premises of actor Arjun Rampal in Mumbai on Monday. The model-turned actor's house was raided a day after the brother of actor's girlfriend Gabriella Demetriades was arrested. Rampal's residence is being searched in connection with the Bollywood drug probe being carried out by the agency after actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death. News agency ANI reported, "Narcotics

Control Bureau conducts raid at the premises of actor Arjun Rampal in Mumbai." Previously, Agisilaos

Demetriades, brother of the actor's girlfriend Gabriella, was arrested by the agency in connection to the ongoing probe into a drugs

case. The NCB had seized hashish and alprazolam tablets from Agisilaos. Also, the NCB raided film producer Firoz Nadiadwala and arrested his wife Shabana Saeed in connection with a drugs-recovery case on November 8. The NCB also issued a summon to Nadiadwala. Earlier, the NCB had summoned Bollywood actresses Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Rakul Preet Singh and Shraddha Kapoor in connection with the case.

Taapsee Pannu shares first look from Rashmi Rocket Bollywood actress Taapsee Pannu, who is on a strict diet for the next two months to get in the desired shape for her next projects, shared an intriguing glimpse from her upcoming sports-drama Rashmi Rocket. The Thappad star took to Instagram on Monday morning to post a photo in which she is seen standing amid a sprinter's track to start the race. Sharing the same, she wrote "Let’s do this! #RashmiRocket." The Akarsh Khuranadirectorial stars Pannu in the title role of a gifted athlete. She is currently in Dubai for the shooting of the same. On set, she has a reliable team of five—a nutritionist, physiotherapist, track trainer, athletics coach, and a gym trainer— to ensure she builds muscle naturally without steroids, and doesn’t sustain injuries. “I had been training for two-

and-a-half months already and was very close to getting to the desired shape. I discontinued my training

44 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

during the lockdown but am back at it since the past two months. We have a month to go before we start filming

the races; as of now, we are focusing on the drama and training portions,” the actress told.

POOJA ENTERTAINMENT’S ESPIONAGE THRILLER BELLBOTTOM BECOMES THE FIRST FILM GLOBALLY TO COMPLETE AN ENTIRE SHOOT IN THE PANDEMIC

Heritage Indian production house, Pooja Entertainment, has become the first studio globally and across any film industry to complete a feature film shoot from start to finish during the Pandemic. Starring Bollywood’s most lucrative actor, Akshay Kumar, espionage thriller, Bellbottom, has not just successfully wrapped its Covid-proof filming schedule but piqued audience curiosity by releasing a new poster and a teaser ahead of the release of the film early next year. A doyen in the Hindi film industry and founder of Pooja Entertainment, Vashu Bhagnani has now handed the stewardship to next-generation producers Jackky Bhagnani and Deepshikha Deshmukh who pushed the creative envelope even further by completing the retro-themed whodunit Bellbottom with two COVID-19 proof schedules in Scotland and England. The film directed by Ranjit M Tewari and written by Aseem Arrora and Parveez Shaikh stars Akshay Kumar, Vaani Kapoor, Huma Qureshi and Lara Dutta Bhupathi. Jackky Bhagnani says, "The Bellbottom shoot was a challenge but it makes the film even more special for all of us because what we saw unfolding was pure, cinematic magic. There is a significant number of people dependent on the film industry so it was important that we restart the industry engines during the pandemic. Completing this film without a single case of ill-health reported on set was a big relief and it was important for us to show the world that it is possible to do what seems impossible with proper preparation and meticulous planning. I hope our example boosts industry morale and lifts spirits. And yes, I hope, it encourages more makers across the global film industry to start rolling the cameras with confidence." The safety protocols observed from the start included a chartered plane for over 200 members of the cast and production crew, a mandatory two-week quarantine in Scotland, on set sanitization precautions for everyone including, foreign junior artists on assorted locations. Social distancing, medical-grade masks and face shields, hand sanitisation stations, painstaking cleaning of all touch-sensitive surfaces, a mandatory wristwatch for all cast and crew members to constantly monitor their oxygen levels, body temperature, blood pressure, stress levels and pulse were part of the daily shoot. There was also a centralised dashboard constantly recording the parameters of the entire unit. Akshay Kumar says, "The new normal has made us realise

a different way of working that none of us could have imagined. As much as I’ve been happy to be back on the sets, it's also important for us to take care of everything around us. Pooja Entertainment laid down a water-tight safety plan for our shooting schedule in Scotland and England. These measures helped us accomplish a smooth and safe shoot. We were extremely glad to be able to start shooting for Bellbottom after the long lockdown. I hope this encourages film industries globally to do what they do best and start entertaining audiences again. I hope our shoot during the pandemic reassures others that it’s time to get things moving again.” During the shoot, Bellbottom found itself in the company of a handful of international, megabudget films that got back on the floors during the pandemic such as Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible 7 and Jurassic Park: Dominion, but was the first to race to the finishing line. Producer Deepshikha Deshmukh adds, "It feels wonderful to have completed the shoot and releasing the teaser is a celebration of what we achieved collectively. We were eager to share it with everyone more as a means of motivation and as a reassurance to audiences that the industry is back in business. What was heartening was not just that we got the artists back on the sets but also industry professionals involved in the process of filmmaking." The result was a seamless completion of the film within 60 days, even with a two-week quarantine thrown in. This was done with full compliance with the standard operating procedures issued by the Scotland Film Commission. Vaani Kapoor adds, "This was easily among the smoothest productions that I have been a part of. I was concerned about how it was going to play out, given the fear and health concerns but I must thank and congratulate Pooja Entertainment for the fantastic planning and the attention to detail. I hope this gives encouragement and confidence to other people back home to shoot." Bellbottom is set to release on April 2, 2021. Pooja Entertainment had a bumper start to 2020 with Jawaani Jaaneman. As a production house, they have always been drawn to and produced content-driven films that have interesting storylines while being entertaining. Their next ready for release is Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan's Coolie No.1. The 360 degrees integrated studio has also announced the remake of the iconic Burning Train which is yet to go on floors.

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 45

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to Get Rid of Frizzy Hair Nimisha Modi

Hetvi Hair & Beauty 0412350013

Living with frizz can be one of the most frustrating things on the planet, especially when you have curly hair. You put in so much effort to make your hair look perfect before you walk out of the house. Only 2 minutes later you catch your reflection in a shop’s window, and all you can see is a bird’s nest where your hair used to be. It’s not an uncommon place to be and a whole lot of us, including me, have been there. Many of us brush it off, blaming it on natural texture, but that shouldn’t be the case. Frizz is a result of a lacking hair care regimen, and that’s why a little extra attention is all it takes to tackle the problem head on. This doesn’t mean that you have to spend money on expensive products and salon treatments, all you need is a little insight on what is causing your hair to frizz up, and a few ingredients from your kitchen to deal with the problem. In short – dryness and damage. Your hair is constantly thirsty and when its hydration requirements are not met, the cuticles (the outermost part of your hair shaft which is made up of dead cells that keep your hair healthy and protected) rise to let moisture in. The excess moisture from the atmosphere causes your hair to swell up and, you’ve got it right, frizz. Constant dehydration leads to damage, leaving your hair frizzy and lifeless. How to Treat Frizzy Hair? Frizz is a cry for nourishment and moisture. There are many things you can do to tame it, starting off with ensuring that you are eating right and drinking enough water. Once you have those two things down, you need to treat your hair to some good old-fashioned TLC with regular oiling and hair masks. Below I a list of natural remedies you can use to treat your frizz.

for 40-45 minutes. Wash thoroughly with shampoo and follow it up with your conditioner. Apply this mask once or twice every week. Using an avocado-based hair mask is an inexpensive but effective remedy to control frizz. It contains vitamins B and E which nourish the hair and repair damage. Yogurt cleans and deep conditions your hair. 3. Coconut Oil and Vitamin E • 1-part vitamin E oil • 4 parts organic cold-pressed coconut oil Mix both the oils and pour it into an air-tight container to be stored. Take 2-3 tablespoons of the oil depending on the length of your hair. Apply it all on your scalp and through the length of your hair. Wash your hair after about 40 minutes. Apply this oil once or twice a week. Vitamin E helps fight free radicals and prevents hair damage. Coconut oil has penetrative properties that deep condition your hair. 4. Mayonnaise • 1/4 cup mayonnaise • 1/3 cup pure almond oil • 1-2 eggs (depending on the length of your hair) Mix the mayonnaise, almond oil, and eggs to form a smooth paste. Generously coat your hair and scalp with the mixture and then cover it with a hot towel or a shower cap. Shampoo thoroughly and follow up with conditioner. You can use this hair mask up to two times a week. The mask works amazingly well to provide shine, nourishment, and strength. It adds an extra layer of moisture, which helps in controlling frizzy hair effectively. In fact, this is one of the best hair masks for dry and frizzy hair.

1. Almond Oil and Egg • 1/4 cup almond oil • 1 raw egg Combine the almond oil and egg until you get a smooth mixture. Optionally you can just whisk the egg and apply it to your hair. Section your hair and start applying the mixture to your scalp and through the length of your hair. Wait for 40 minutes and then rinse your hair as usual. Use a good shampoo and conditioner, preferably one without sulphates. Apply this once a week. Almond oil acts as an emollient. The egg repairs damage in the hair shaft with its high protein content. This is considered to be one of the best remedies for frizz.

5. Banana • 1 ripe banana • 2 teaspoons honey • 1/3 cup coconut oil/almond oil Mash the banana until there are no lumps and to it add the honey and oil to form a smooth paste. Apply the mixture all over your scalp and hair, and leave it on for 20-25 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with shampoo and conditioner. Use this mask once a week for hair that is extremely frizzy

2. Avocado Mask • 1 ripe avocado • 1 cup yogurt Cut the avocado and remove the pit. Mash the avocado and the yogurt to get a smooth, creamy paste. Apply it to your hair and let it sit

6. Beer • 1 pint of beer Decarbonate your beer by pouring it into a bowl. Let it sit overnight until it goes flat. Wash your hair with shampoo and then pour the beer through your hair while massaging your scalp.

Benefits Bananas are great for hair conditioning, especially when it is combined with honey which is a well-known humectant. A banana mask for hair is just the kind of attention your hair deserves.

46 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

Massage the warm oil into your scalp and through your hair. Massage your scalp for a good 1015 minutes. Dip a towel in hot water and wrap your hair with it. This will create a warm environment that will allow for maximum penetration. Leave the oil on your hair for 30 minutes Shampoo and condition. Give yourself a hot oil massage twice a week for best results. Warm oil penetrates through the hair shafts and follicles, conditioning and nourishing them. It also forms a protective layer around your cuticles which locks moisture in. It restores lustre to your hair and smoothers the cuticles, preventing frizz.

Rinse the beer out with cold water. Repeat this once in two weeks. Beer restores moisture and nourishes your hair. It is also used as a cleansing rinse that removes build-up. This helps keep your cuticles healthy. 7. Lemon and Honey • 2 tablespoons lemon juice • 2 tablespoons honey • 1 cup water Combine all the ingredients and pour it through freshly washed hair. Massage your scalp for a couple of minutes and then let the mixture sit for an additional 10 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water and shampoo. Use this hair mask once every two weeks. Ensure that you use other conditioning hair masks during the rest of the week. The mask removes dirt and grime from the hair shaft which improves cuticle health, reducing frizz. The rich vitamin C content also helps boost hair growth. The bleaching agents can give you some natural and subtle highlights. 8. Honey • 2 tablespoons honey • 2 cups warm water Dilute the honey with water and pour it through your hair. Once your hair is saturated with the mixture, let it sit for 30 minutes. Shampoo and condition. While honey is an excellent conditioner, it also lightens your hair. If you do not want your hair to be lightened it would be wise not to use this mask more than once a week. If you want subtle highlights, use the mask twice a week. This is a simple solution that isn’t too time-consuming. Like I mentioned before, honey is an excellent humectant which means that it does a great job at sealing moisture in your hair. It makes your hair stronger, smoother, and shinier. 9. Honey and Yogurt • 2-3 tablespoons yogurt • 1 tablespoon honey What You Have To Do Mix the honey and yogurt in a bowl. Apply the mixture on your scalp and hair. Leave it on for 30 minutes. Wash with cold water. Do this once a week to restore moisture and maintain your hair. Yogurt is an effective deep

conditioner and honey helps in retaining moisture (8). It also acts as an emollient and makes hair smoother and shinier. 10. Apple Cider Vinegar • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar • 2 cups water Mix the Apple cider vinegar in cool water and set it aside in a jug. Wash your hair with shampoo and then rinse your hair with the diluted ACV. Let it sit in your hair for a few minutes and then finish with conditioner. Repeat this treatment once every week. Apple cider vinegar helps in balancing the pH level of your hair and closes any open cuticles, making your hair more adept at holding moisture. It also removes the build-up of dirt and grease, adding shine to your hair. 11. Aloe Vera • 1/4 cup aloe vera gel • 1/4 cup carrier oil Combine the Aloe gel with a carrier oil of your choice. Apply the mixture to your scalp and through the length of your hair. Leave it in for 20-30 minutes and then wash off with shampoo and condition. You can use this mask up to twice a week. Aloe vera is one of the best ingredients for moisturizing (8). In combination with a carrier oil, it forms a protective layer over your cuticle that minimizes moisture loss, giving you hair that is soft, smooth, and shiny. 12. Coconut Milk • 2-3 tablespoons coconut milk (depending on the length of your hair) A bowl for heating Heat the coconut milk until it is warm. Apply it to your hair and let it sit for 30 minutes Shampoo and condition. You can use coconut milk for your hair up to twice a week. Coconut oil is a perfect light protein treatment to repair damaged hair. It moisturizes while nourishing your hair, making it smooth, strong and shiny. 13. Hot Oil Massage Hot oil massages are one of the

best ways to treat frizzy hair. Oils nourish and moisturize your hair, keeping it healthy and frizz-free. There are many different oils, each carrying their unique properties. You can choose what oils to use depending on what suits your hair best. Below is a list of oils and how they help control frizz. 1. Argan Oil for Frizzy Hair Argan oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids that help treat and repair damage (9). It also helps prevent splitting and makes your hair smooth and more manageable. 2. Coconut Oil for Frizzy Hair Coconut oil is one of the most penetrative hair oils (5). It contains chains of fatty acids that nourish your hair from the inside, making it stronger and healthier. 3. Almond Oil for Frizzy Hair Almond oil is rich in vitamin E which contains antioxidant properties. Antioxidants combat the free radicals which cause damage to your hair, keeping it healthy. It is also an emollient which helps keep moisture locked in your hair shaft. 4. Jojoba Oil for Frizzy Hair Jojoba oil is perfect for those who have combination hair which is oily at the roots and dry at the tips. The oil mimics the natural oils produced by your scalp, reducing the amount of oil produced, while moisturizing and providing nourishment to the tips of your hair. 5. Olive Oil for Frizzy Hair Olive oil is a natural conditioner that leaves your hair feeling silky and smooth (9). It is light and so does not weigh your hair down while keeping it moisturized. It also tackles issues like dandruff and improves scalp health. There are many different oils and blends you can use for your hair. You can also make your own blend of oils from the list above or other oils of your choice. Give yourself a relaxing hot oil massage by following steps below. 2-3 tablespoons of a carrier oil/ oil blend Method Pour the oil into a bowl and heat it by placing it in a larger bowl filled with hot water.

14. Vitamins for Frizzy Hair Internal care is just as important as external when it comes to hair health. Consuming the right amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals are vital for healthy hair growth. Vitamins A, B-complex, C, and E are essential. Making sure that your hair grows out healthy is the only way to ensure its long-term health. Frizzy Hair Hacks 1. A Good Haircut A good haircut is the best way to control frizzy hair. Get your curls trimmed every two months to get rid of split ends. Maintain a hairstyle that isn’t too short because it’s easier for humidity to get through shorter hair. Cutting off the damaged hair will make your hair look healthier and lustrous. You can also ask your hair stylist to thin your hair out, in case it is too thick. 2. Shampoo And Conditioner Look for labels that say “moisturizing,” or “hydrating.” Use a gentle shampoo that is free of sulfates. Use a hydrating conditioner and apply it from the mid-lengths to the tips of your hair. Leave it in your hair for a few minutes before you rinse it out. 3. Anti-Frizz Products Using a leave-in conditioner or hair serum can make a huge difference in how much your hair frizzes up as you go about your day. There are several frizz control products available in the market, specially designed for curly hair. What To Avoid? Never wash your hair with hot water. Heat causes the cuticles to rise, making it frizz up. Always use water that is either cool or lukewarm. Go easy with the heat styling tools. Heat causes damage, and if your hair is already frizzy, it is best avoided. Cotton pillow cases are a big no-no. They soak up the moisture from your hair while you sleep. Counter this by investing in some satin pillow covers. Do not shampoo more than thrice a week. Do not towel dry your hair. The friction from it causes the cuticles to rise and makes your hair rough and prone to breakage. There you have it—the guide to keep your hair tame as you go about your day. With the right care, you won’t have any more shopwindow horror stories.

Hepatitis C - a silent disease. Do you have it? You can also contact our staff directly who speaks your language:

Hepatitis C is a disease that affects the liver. Many people with untreated hepatitis C will develop cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and liver cancer. In Australia about 12% of hepatitis C infections are among people born overseas. Many people with hepatitis C don’t show symptoms, and also most migrants do not need a hepatitis C test before coming to Australia (except people who want to work or study to be a

doctor, nurse, dentist and paramedic in Australia). Therefore, many migrants may have the infection and not know about it. The World Health Organisation states that globally an estimated 71 million people are living with chronic hepatitis C but only 19% know they have it. (https://www.who.int/newsroom/fact-sheets/detail/ hepatitis-c). Hepatitis C in the general Australian population is mainly caused through the sharing of equipment for

taking intravenous drugs. However, many people born overseas in Australia were infected with hepatitis C due to blood transfusions, unsterile medical (including traditional medical) practices, and treatments such as, dental procedures, acupuncture, blood-letting, cupping. Additionally, body modification and beautification e.g., minor surgical procedures, tattooing, piercings etc may also increase the risk of becoming infected. This

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is particularly the case where equipment may be re-used between people, or not appropriately sterilised. Sharing of toothbrushes, razors, nail clippers can also spread the infection. Cleaning is not enough to kill the virus. Tiny amounts of blood (not able to be seen) infected with the virus, can cause another person to become infected if it enters their blood. As people with hepatitis C normally don’t show any symptoms, the only way to find out is to have a specific test. GPs can order the test for you and they can also generally prescribe a short course of medication that can CURE the infection if you have hepatitis C. This can greatly reduce or stop you from developing liver

cirrhosis or liver cancer. If you were born overseas and you don’t know if you have ever been tested for hepatitis C you should ask your GP to check, it is a simple blood test. Contact us ECCQ’s Hepatitis, HIV/ AIDS and Sexual Health Program can provide free Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS and STIs information, resources and support in different

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THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020 — 47

NOVEMBER 2020

Aries ( 21st March to 20th April )

Taurus ( 21st April to 21st May )

Gemini ( 22nd May to 21st June )

You may have a good time involving yourself in a research related profession and success in religiousrelated work. But you need to be attentive with the responsibility of your personal and professional aspects. Try to have a prior plan for how much time you are going to give to your family and job. Get the expert suggestion for your finance too. This month you need to be cautious while getting committed to a relationship as well. Sudden chances of conflict or detachment in the relationship because of disagreement is also a possibility. Besides, singles can also expect a sudden relationship proposal. A married couple might suffer from a communication gap with the spouse. Consequently, try to be humble and resolve the issues between you and your partner. Moreover, this month is not very favorable to change the job, and there can be chances of miscommunication with your colleague. A piece of advice; try to have all the details before attending any meeting. The Independent profession or the one who works as a freelancer will get a good opportunity this month. Your hard work and determination is going to produce success this month. Although, you need to be aware of your expenditure plan. So, try not to be extravagant as you might receive unplanned expenditure on land-related matters. There can be sudden expenses in health too. Also, research related to the higher study is going to be successfully submitted. If you are a student of medicine then it is the perfect time to do research related to a subject. A student may get an opportunity to go to a foreign land for higher study or research-related work as well. Perhaps this month, you need to be very careful in terms of your health. Your immunity will be good but sudden health issues can affect you mentally because of stress and negative thinking.

There can be good chances for a new business proposal this month. You might also come across a good business deal or change in a job that can give you a lot of happiness. To make a strong hold on to your position at the workplace, you need to implement a unique idea as well. Furthermore, there are some chances of disagreement in the relationship which needs to be taken care of. Those of you who are in legal matters related to marriage relationships might experience a challenging time during this month. As far as financial aspects are concerned, this month is going to be average. Also, students may get financial expenditure related to new courses. There may be sudden changes or repairing of electronic things in your house that may throw some financial expenditure. Your savings might get affected too. There can be sudden disagreement or ego clashes with the business partner as well which can give financial loss to you in the first phase of this month. Hence, a business may need to be ready for the change in their plans. Additionally, you may also get success in any research related subject, and success in the distance learning courses. Those of you who want to get admission in fashion or arts-related subjects may witness good progress this month. You might also be inclined towards learning higher philosophy or religious scriptures. Well, a workaholic attitude can certainly produce bad health, so you are advised to have a proper balance between personal and professional life. Make a change in your diet for the month and stick to your daily exercise. This month you need to take care of your diet and sleep for good health.

You may be flooded with more and more project ideas this month. Your ability to experiment will help you choose the best out of it. Whatever be your specific career choice or your interests, the combination of your tenacity, drive, and sheer endurance is a winning one, and most people are too weak to compete against your energy and willingness. You will find yourself itching for emotional intensity and wild romance and in longing to sweep away by a grand passion. You may find yourself aloof from your family members too. But, the fault is more from your side. Think for a little while what, other than bringing money, have you done for your kids as a father. You will show the nature of being unimaginative, biased, and always worrying. You may get weaker than you used to be before, and might as well feel incapable of taking any decision like a man. You are a person who is attracted to novelties. This may attach you to some new projects which are sure to gain you profit without much delay. As per the signs, you may go through complex situations for a few days. You may also find yourself restless and argumentative in whatever work you undertake. You may feel that you lack the power for analysing to reach an intelligent decision. It will prove to be a better prospect for you as you may find out your co-workers are more than a helping hand to achieve your goal. Moments of rejoicing are here for you once again, as you will find out a new way to seek thrills in your favorite style.

Cancer ( 22nd June to 22nd July )

Leo ( 23rd July to 22nd August )

Virgo ( 23rd August to 22nd September )

This month will give you some good growth opportunities and provide you the strength to stand firm against all the odds and obstacles. It will be a very hectic phase and is likely to test both your skills and patience. Thus, you cannot expect smooth sailing! Any decisions that you take during this phase may have a significant impact on your career. The transiting Saturn suggests that you may also need to review or recreate your plan during this phase to enhance your financial strength and accomplish the desired results. To add further, accurate financial planning shall help you to strengthen your financial status. Some new opportunity seems to be in the offing for you as well. Also, the impact of Jupiter indicates that you will be able to perform well, and hence you must take advantage of this period to finish off and resolve the pending tasks. The transit of Venus as well as Mercury indicates that this can be a good period to carry out the plans that you may have in your mind for your beloved ones and to communicate new ideas and strategies with them to boost your relations. However, you may also face some tricky situations, hence, you may require to manage the issues with a cool head to avoid any damage to your relationship. You may be able to implement your planning and processes in such a way that your performance may increase tremendously. As a consequence, you are likely to get good results in your education. You will be endowed with great stamina and your awareness may make you be able to prevent any illness during this month.

You will be determined to get rid of the hovering cloud of stagnation during this month. The positive impact of Saturn and Jupiter may make you passionate about performing better, making way to move in your pursuit to surge ahead. The transiting Mercury may make you restless about the current state of affairs in your professional and career domain. But, you must keep cool and adopt a methodical way to move ahead. Have patience, and you shall get encouraging exposure to showcase your talents during the latter part of this month. The stars are in your favor, so, it will be a good idea to invest money productively during the latter part. If you intend to buy a residential place, the planets seem supportive of this count. The impact of Venus may help you to have harmony in your love life. You may also receive a proposal or intention of interest as the month progresses. If you are already in a love relationship and committed, you may surely get support from your mate. Although, in the beginning, there can be some disruptions in your studies. Your performance may improve gradually, but your results may remain below your expectations until the middle of this month. Your prospect will get better as the month progresses. There may be some unknown stress on your mind and that might make you feel somewhat uncomfortable with your health and energy levels but, you may have a gradual improvement in your fitness levels.

The impact of Saturn and Jupiter may bring some good experiences this month, which you can use to feel more effective in your professional life. However, it may test your skills and patience. So donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect immediate results. Be careful, as luck may not favor you entirely. As the month advances, it may again make you be able to work efficiently and strengthen your position. Business people may also be able to expand the customer base. The career graph is likely to go up during the latter part of this month. The planet of Venus may enhance your financial status. However, this month may call for building new strategies and reviewing plans. Refrain from making any new investments in haste during this phase. The latter half of this month may strengthen your financial position gradually. Venus may bring fresh energy in your love life, but your relationship may require more attention during this month. As the month advances, your romantic bond may suffer if you are unable to manage your relationship. The planetary impact may help you to handle your relation efficiently during the latter part. Patience and commitment shall stand with you. Studying new skills and a variety of extracurricular activities may bring mental stimulation during this month. Useful guidance from your mentors is likely to make a positive impact on your educational progress. Besides, there shall be rewards for your sustained efforts. You may have much better planetary support to regain vitality during this month. But, you may be somewhat careless about your health. Despite some fluctuations in health due to irregular lifestyle or negligence, you will be able to manage it efficiently!

Libra ( 23rd September to 22nd October )

Scorpio ( 23rd October to 22nd November )

Sagittarius ( 23rd November to 21st December )

Some of your eccentricities, which make you difficult to adjust in the public, will cease through your hard work and meditation. Now you will be able to deal with people more confidently. Also, be gentle with yourself and with your loved ones this week. Since you are under significant pressure right now, it is difficult to manage relationships. They must be going through a storm that causes them to feel defensive and fearful. Your super sensitive feelings hamper your personal progress as well. You need to loosen up, taking things a little less seriously rather than reacting to it. Children and other family members will rely more on you for a solution to their problems. As a woman, it won't be a wonder if you felt exhausted by all this. Whatever projects you indulge this week may become fruitful. Your signs seem to be in a favorable position making you more charming, intellectual, dynamically enthusiastic, and adaptable. An act of virtue, forgiving a person for his mistake that hurt you a lot, from your part will make you more respectable among people you love. Your analytical nature on minor problems and criticizing it will only help to generate more detachment from your children. As a mother, you have every right to control them, but an overdose of anything will never bring good. Your physical health is in excellent condition this week. You must be keeping your focus on the task of this month. Some of you may get distracted first and then get back to the focus.

This is a good month for most of you who are looking to expect some surprise which will be rewarding. This is going to improve your confidence with your efforts and dedication. Some of you may do well in finding a new job, which will improve your fortune and career. Even income may see a rise with this, but the only advice does not chase money and then change your job. Though this is not the ideal approach. If planning to collaborate with someone in foreign and make a fortune, then the month is also looking good for the same. Have a clear working on your documents that will give you some improvement in your earnings. Some old issues are also likely to be seen this month, especially a family dispute which affected your mood in the past. But now you will easily resolve all your differences. Even patience will be needed to make sure you achieve what you desire, else this will affect your confidence. Healthwise too some of you will need little attention. You will have to be more careful about your diet and exercise this month because this will improve your fitness and even your immunity. Stay focused to make sure you are doing well. Some of you may plan to take a personal loan that is not worth to be spent on unnecessary items. This will be a complete waste of your hardearned money and even the money that you plan to raise via loans.

During the month, some of you may keep receiving auspicious results. Though this will be mixed initially, as you move ahead, you will realize that this is turning out to be in your benefit, especially after the 4th of the month. Though at some level, communication will need to be sharpened due to the transit of Mars and Mercury. If you can work on this, be rest assured, you may do well in all your preparations. Along with prestige at the workplace, respect-honor will be achieved in society by improving your communication skills. Further, sudden financial gain is possible this month too. If there is any pause in your money gains, you may still see some drops of income flowing in through investments. Social prestige will be on the rise around this phase. You will try to finish your tasks in the work area with full confidence, though you may not receive the complete support of your colleagues and friends. Pleasure and support from the family will continue to be fine around this time. At the same time, harmonious relations will get established with people of high stature. Gentle support will be received from friends and acquaintances as well. Moreover, students pursuing higher studies are likely to do well this month. Some of you will also do well in their prelims if scheduled this month. Further, you are also likely to relocate to a new place if there are such plans in the long run. It's a good time for both academics and even for better career opportunities. Also, good news will be received from children and travels will prove to be favorable. There will be a celebration at your family level, and this will see the involvement of all the members!

Capricorn ( 22nd December to 20th January )

Aquarius ( 21st January to 18th February )

Pisces ( 19th February to 20th March )

This month may go through a period of disarray as they won't have the option to control their inclination to be careless and lethargic. Tension and minor interruptions may occupy your concentration during this month. You will feel a lack of courage, which will prompt dissatisfaction and despair. Brain games will assume an extraordinary role in creating favorable circumstances for you. You will have the option to take the correct choices with your knowledge and affability. This may be an incredible time to recover back your money from the borrowers. The planetary position warns you to be aware of your marital and professional relationship as there are high chances of falling in clashes and debates with your partner. Be extra careful in regards to your conduct and keep a control over your discourse else you may fall in verbal battles with your business or life partner and get into great troubles. Firms who deal with technical consultants, particularly with the government or semi-government organizations may do well this month. Also, avoid any property dealings after the second half of the month. You may likewise take short business trips, and it will end up being extremely productive for you. Make use of the positive time as much as you can. Maintain every possible step that will enable you to be wise and smart in your dealings. This will enable you to be one step ahead of all during this month. Additionally, avoid lending money to anyone who is not worthwhile. You may not get back the money if you do lend.

The transit of the Sun is predicting that you might get favor from senior authority or the government in your career. Communication and your word of mouth are going to play a vital role in the workplace and business. Helping hands from elders will be with you. There can be some challenging relationships with siblings, which need to be taken care of. The relationship with your mother will improve and strengthen during this month. You should take guidance from your mother as this may enhance your education and career. Small get together with family will rejuvenate your relationship this month. You will acquire good knowledge and indulge in the process of self-improvement during this month with your determination and a positive mindset. This month, there can be unplanned work and responsibility as well. Moreover, avoid committing if you are not sure about the fulfillment of the same. Avoid negative thoughts and unnecessary discussions with others too. You should have a proper plan for this month so that you do not get into a dilemma to get things done within a certain time frame. The transiting Sun and Ketu predict that you should avoid the excessive use of electronic gadgets, and try to regularly meditate before sleeping at night!

The foundation of a new journey in your professional and personal life is going to happen in this month. Travelling and journeys related to your job can give good experience this month. Students might get success in higher studies as well. School education can have some ups and downs with uncertain challenges. Although, determination and discipline can give the expected result to you. Unplanned traveling related to work can happen this month. Moreover, there is a possibility of a change in the job too. Some conflict or ego clashes related to the job with your boss is also a possibility. Hence, this month can be stressful in those terms. Besides, uncertain responsibility can come to you from family. Female colleagues and siblings may help you in your career prospects. You will have a good time with your children this month and going on a trip or a small vacation with them can improve and strengthen your relationship this month. You may get a feeling that your spouse has a childlike personality or weak decision-making ability. Nevertheless, try to be clear with your thoughts and be patient while having a conversation with your spouse. Aggression can give a challenging time in marital life, so avoid doing so. The transit of planets also predicts that you may come across sleepless nights. Learning scriptures can give new insights and strengthen your belief apart from giving a positive outlook in your life. Religious deeds and charity can improve your luck and financial condition too. Well, it's not a favorable time to make a major investment in property or land. With the favor of luck and guidance from friends, the probability of having a good financial gain is good. Also, meditation and a healthy diet can provide good health to you!

48 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

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ICC WOMEN’S T20 WORLD CUP 2020 WINS BIG AT AUSTRALIAN EVENT AWARDS The ICC Women's T20 World Cup held in February-March this year has been recognised at the 2020 Australian Event Awards, including winning top honour ‘Australian Event of the Year’, as well as the country’s ‘Best Sporting Event’. The ground-breaking tournament attracted an overall attendance of more than 136,000 people to 23 matches in six host cities around the country and generated unprecedented television and digital audience numbers. It culminated in a crowd of 86,174 at the final between Australia and India at the MCG on March 8, a record attendance for a women's sporting event in Australia and the second highest attendance at a women’s sporting fixture anywhere in the world, ever. The awards were announced on Wednesday evening during a series of simultaneous functions held across Australia. The ‘Australian Event of the Year’ winner is chosen from the national winners of the best event categories and

Nick Hockley, who was CEO of the ICC T20 World Cup Local Organising Committee before taking on his current role as Interim Chief Executive of Cricket Australia, on stage and with the awards at the event held in Sydney recognises an event that excels against the criteria of its category and demonstrates an outstanding example of innovation and best practice in the events industry. The full list of winners and finalists

can be found at https:// eventawards.com.au/results/. Nick Hockley, who was CEO of the ICC T20 World Cup Local Organising Committee before taking on his current role as Interim Chief Executive of

Cricket Australia, was at the Australian Event Awards function in Sydney to accept the awards. “We are thrilled to receive these awards as recognition for what was an incredible

Melbourne Cup 2020 Results: Twilight Payment Beats Tiger Moth, Prince Of Arran Third Ireland’s Joseph O’Brien has secured his second ‘Loving Trophy’ with his eight-year-old stayer Twilight Payment defeating fellow Irish raider Tiger Moth (2nd) and the now threetime placed European Prince Of Arran in an all-international 2020 Melbourne Cup trifecta result. O’Brien won the ‘race that stops a nation’ back in 2017 with Rekindling and returned to salute again three years on in the 160th edition of the Group 1 $8 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington. It was a Melbourne Cup never to be forgotten with COVID-19 seeing the spectacular two-mile classic run to a nearly empty grandstand. Eight internationals lined-up in the field and three of those dominated the official Melbourne Cup 2020 results as O’Brien’s son of Teofilo turned it into an out-and-out staying test dominating from the front. Eleventh in the race last year behind Vow And Declare, Twilight Payment enjoyed a subsequent Curragh Cup win in July and came off a third in the Irish St Leger. With young Jye McNeil securing the mount, the 25-year-old jockey celebrated his biggest career success in his maiden

appearance in a Melbourne Cup giving the winner an incredible front-running ride. “I had to be positive because he was a little bit slow into gear. He jumped with them, but he was a touch slow to really find his rhythm,” McNeil told Racing.com post-win. “I encouraged him to go forward because that was the plan, and then he just found such a lovely tempo at the top, he got into a fantastic rhythm, breathing really well, and then it was just a matter of amping the tempo up at the right stage, I’m just glad it all worked out. “I’m peaking on my run 200m out, I’m using all my might not to use too many whips, very vocal trying to encourage him. It was very surreal crossing the line, I had goosebumps then and I

50 — THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, November, 2020

still have them now.” Three-time Melbourne Cup winning hoop Kerrin McEvoy gave his mount, the Aidan O’Brien-trained favourite Tiger Moth, every chance with a peach of a ride but couldn’t reel in the winner who won the Cup at 25/1. “That’s exactly what Joseph wanted, he wanted me to be a step ahead of the field and really get them chasing, because what he sort of lacked in class he really makes up for in his staying ability, so that was always the plan that Joseph expressed to me and I’m glad it worked,” McNeil added speaking of his frontrunning tactics. It was still a very brave performance by the beaten favourite Tiger Moth who was having just his fifth career start. Prince Of Arran

meanwhile stamped himself as the next Red Cadeaux, Charlie Fellowes’ English galloper recording his third Melbourne Cup placing after a third to Cross Counter in 2018 and official second to Vow And Declare (post-protest) in 2019. By the halfway point, McNeil had secured the front in the Melbourne Cup with Twilight Payment bowling out to a huge lead from Tiger Moth in a strungout field and it the on-pace duo who finished on top in the quinella. Twilight Payment really quickened the pace over the final 1000m, the eventual 2020 Melbourne Cup winning time of 3 minutes 17.34 seconds the fastest since fellow Irish champion Media Puzzle (3:16.97 in 2002). The result saw goliath owner Lloyd Williams celebrate his incredible seventh success in the Melbourne Cup race. Rounding out the Melbourne Cup First Four in an enormous run just nudging out Persan for fourth was Kiwi galloper The Chosen One. The Melbourne Cup 2020 was marred by the breaking down of the top-weight, Aidan O’Brien’s Caulfield Cup runner-up Anthony Van Dyck who was pulled up by jockey Hugh Bowman 350m out from the winning post.

event, which featured amazing performances from players on the field and unprecedented support from fans who filled venues around the country and watched in huge numbers on TV,” said Hockley. “The event was only made possible through the support of governments around the country, our world-class venues, the ICC, Cricket Australia, State & Territory cricket associations, commercial partners, media and broadcasters, suppliers, volunteers, players and of course the fans. “The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup was more than a sporting event – it was an opportunity to showcase women’s sport on the biggest stage. Hopefully, young girls and boys will be inspired to dream big and follow in the

footsteps of the star players who put on such an amazing show.” “Everyone involved will be forever grateful that we were able to complete the event in a year when so many events have been cancelled or postponed. We pay tribute to the resilience of everyone in the events industry, which has been so severely impacted by the pandemic.” Recent winners of the major awards include the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix (2019) and the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games (2018). The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be held in Australia in 2022 after the event, originally scheduled for October – November 2020, was postponed due to COVID-19. Australian Event Award entries are judged by industry leaders and experts from around Australia on all aspects of event management including best practice, innovation, marketing, stakeholder engagement and management, sustainability and event legacy.

MI vs DC, IPL 2020 Final: Mighty Mumbai look for 'high five', Capitals want 'special one'

DUBAI: The unmatched legacy of Mumbai Indians will be thoroughly challenged by the young Mumbaikar Shreyas Iyer, who will lead a passionate but unpredictable Delhi Capitals in a cracker of an Indian Premier League final here on Tuesday. After 52 days of the most closely-contested and widely-watched IPL played on foreign land in the backdrop of the raging Covid-19 pandemic, the BCCI can pat itself on the back for pulling off a near flawless tournament that gave people a chance to shift from prime-time negativity that dominated air space. And now, it's the coronation time with IPL's most successful skipper Rohit Sharma itching to win his fifth title amid a stormy couple of weeks. On the other hand, Delhi, a team that had flattered to

deceive for a dozen editions, will finally realise its potential on the grand stage of T20 cricket. There haven't been too many editions where the two most deserving teams squared off in a summit clash, unlike this edition where Mumbai reached the finals winning 10 out of their 15 games while Capitals, despite a slump, managed to triumph in nine out of their 16 games. There haven't been too many teams that have shown the flair and balance of Mumbai Indians, an envy for any opposition. Sample this staggering piece of statistic and one can gauge the might of MI. In all, their players have hit 130 sixes compared to DC's 84. Quinton de Kock's panache has a foil in Rohit's style, although proving a point to all and sundry about his hamstring injury would also be on the Indian's mind.

My heart beats for Cricket - says Saurabh!!! When you have fallen in love with a game, you can inspire others to do so. That's the aim of Saurabh at his academy ' Saurabh Cricket Coaching'. After successfully running lots of 1-21 coaching sessions and holiday clinics, in December Saurabh Cricket Coaching is having 6 days of Sun safe Indoor cricket clinic for boys and girls. It is going to be an incredible clinic jam packed with heaps of awesome drills, games and techniques to help participants grow their cricket skills. There would be three matches each day to give the real feel of the game. Take action and get your budding Cricket soul registered in the clinic today. Registrations can be done on website Saurabhcricketcoaching. com/program/holidayclinic or call 0422397838 to book your spot.

Youngsters coaching with Saurabh. Top two: Jai Makkar and Cash Makkar (5 years old), excellent bowler. Bottom two: Khushdeep Singh top grade batsman, Mahin Singh won Man of the match for his club.

Youngsters coaching with Saurabh. Left: Glimpses of Cricket clinic Vertical top to bottom: Ojas Joshi, got selected in A team for Cricket in BGS. Middle: September Cricket clinic Down: Diya Sriramulu practicing her bowling skills with coach Saurabh. Call: (07) 3192 5188

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Wrapped in White Against Domestic Violence

Friday 20th November 2020, White Ribbon Queensland urges every household to tie a white ribbon on their letterbox to raise awareness against domestic violence. With 1 in 3 Australian women at risk of being a victim of domestic violence in their lifetime, the White Ribbon campaign aims to visibly raise awareness of this operant conditioning within our society. According to Chiu-Hing Chan, Chair, White Ribbon Queensland, “the statistics surrounding domestic violence in the home tripled during COVID.

“We know that events on their own are not enough – we need communities to mobilise for change,” said Chiu-Hing Chan, Chair of White Ribbon Queensland, “The purpose of White Ribbon Day this year is to not only speak about the change that is needed, but to get involved in creating it. It saddens me to say that on average 52 women die from domestic and family violence each year, and that number increases every year.” "By tying a White Ribbon around your letterbox, you encourage everyone in

your community to become involved and demonstrate their stance against domestic violence whilst creating an opportunity to have that important conversation," continued Mr Chan. White Ribbon Queensland encourages everyone to decorate their letterboxes with white ribbons, white balloons, white lights, white teddy bears, white flowers, streamers or bed sheets to raise awareness and conversations surrounding Domestic Violence. White Ribbon Day aims to raise awareness of domestic violence, promote respectful

relationships and creating a community free of violence and abuse. Community by Community, workplace by workplace, White Ribbon

Australia seeks to generate an ongoing message against gendered violence and eliminate men’s violence against women.

HAPPY DIWALI

I would like to offer my sincere greetings to the readers of the Brisbane Indian Times and the listeners of Australian Indian Radio for the upcoming Diwali and send my best wishes to all families celebrating this special time across Queensland. Diwali is a wonderful and important annual event and of the great joys as a Member of the Queensland Parliament to join with my local community for such important festivals, which are truly a part of, and celebration of, Queensland’s rich cultural diversity. The tradition of Diwali stretches back thousands of years, with families and communities coming together to celebrate the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair. Who would have thought only a year ago, we would be where we are today in the grips of a global pandemic. Queenslanders have more reasons to celebrate Diwali this year. We are safe because we have all worked together. I know that so many have stepped up during our time of need, providing thousands of meals and food hampers, providing shelter and banding together to help strangers when they needed it the most. You all should be tremendously proud of the efforts of everyone who joined the Care Army without a moment’s hesitation. While this year’s Diwali celebrations may be more low-key than we are used to, I hope everyone can enjoy and celebrate with their close friends and family how we have triumphed over evil for another year.

Stirling Hinchliffe MP Member for Sandgate

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