16 minute read
Felicitation of newly elected 22 Councillors from the Indian Sub continent back ground
organised by Indian Support Centre
By: Harmohan Walia
The Indian Support Centre celebrated Australia Day and Indian Republic Day and felicitated 22 newly elected Councillors to NSW Local Govt from the Indian Sub Continent on 28 January 2022 at Redgum Function Centre, Wentworthville.
Hon Mark Coure MP, Minister for Multiculturalism was the Guest of Honour. Mr Manish Gupta, Consul General of India, Sydney and Hon Minister Geoff Lee also attended the event. Congratulations to Mr Subba Rao Varigonda, Head of the Indian Support Centre for a successful event in the
covid environment. Mr Subba Rao announced that the building of the Indian Support Centre will be constructed in the next two years with the cooperation of Indian Sub Continent community and assistance from State/Federal Govts.
The program started with patriotic songs by Vinod Kumar Rajput and Pushpa Jagdish noted singers of Sydney. Ms Kumud Merani and Priyanka were the MCs.
I RESOLVE TO ………
“No one ever regarded the First of January with indifference. It is that from which all date their time, and count upon what is left.” – Charles Lamb
Writer- Poornima Menon
Every new year comes with new hopes, hopes that things would get better, hopes that all is not lost and hopes that finally we will be free of the mutated forms of the virus. And while in the pre-Covid times we may have embarked on our ‘new’ journey with stars in our eyes and a spring in our step, now we take the step forward tentatively with fingers and toes crossed, hoping against hope that we have seen the last of Covid infections and lockdowns.
As the last minute of December 31 phases out and the countdown begins, each of us feels that tiny flutter of butterflies and as our hearts pound, our psyche turns on that new switch and just like that everything becomes new – all disappointments fade away. For most the New Year is undoubtedly the time to’ fix’ things
Poornima Menon
with New Year Resolutions. Interestingly, making New Year Resolutions is not a modern phenomenon. New Year’s Day celebrations, it is said began in the pre-Christian era, with the Babylonians who celebrated it in March. This was later changed to January by the Romans. January gets its name from the two-faced Roman God Janus, who looks backwards into the old year and forwards into the new. Janus was also believed to be the patron and protector of arches, gates, doorways, endings, and beginnings. While the Babylonians and the Romans made promises to their Gods at the start of each year, in the medieval era at the end of the Christmas season the knights took the ‘peacock vow’ to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry.
There is no perfect scenario and no perfect day. Things that didn’t happen or materialise in the last 365 days were not going to miraculously change one fine morning. Change is good, and any change for the better is always perfectly legitimate. Resolutions like anything else come in many forms. New Year’s resolutions are desires to immediately correct / change certain habits that have perhaps taken years to establish. We want to turn a ‘new leaf’ in the shortest time possible. While some of us make a promise to change a bad habit, such as quit smoking or reduce the consumption of junk food, some others make a promise to develop a positive habit, such as starting an exercise program, volunteering in their community, or recycling more. But we don’t take into consideration the fact that to make any change, be if on the New Year Day or any other day, preparations must be made well in advance. It like planning your meal prep and having it ready before you decide to change your eating habits. That way you are setting yourself up for success.
I don’t indulge in New Year Resolutions anymore. The younger version of me made new year resolutions and then fretted when I couldn’t keep up with all the promises, I had made to myself, ending up more unhappy than I was when I started. Then began another long wait for the next new year, with another chance to renew the resolutions and the cycle continued. The one thing the past two years have taught me is to live by the day. So, I devised the method of making corrections as and when they happened. I cultivated the habit of doing regular spot checks. This has helped me avoid getting into a rut or beating myself up for not living up to my ‘resolutions’. Every day is a new day that I am grateful for. My priorities have changed. I wake up with gratitude and go to bed with gratitude. Life is beautiful.
Sonali Saxena has succinctly summarised her lessons from 2021. Her valuable takes from the year gone by are, “Time is transient – don’t hold on to it but make the most of it. Life is best enjoyed when you let it flow. Uncertainty is the only certainty in life. Enjoy the differences when you meet people; that is what makes a wonderful company. Friends add colour to your life – enjoy the whole spectrum. Family is the foundation that anchors you. Continue to strengthen it”. Moving forward with these life lessons, Sonali has decided to make 2022 the “year for ME, dedicated to all things ME and people who matter to ME”.
Kala Philip
With the beginning of every brand-new year, Kala Philip has always had the natural tendency to reflect on her past and make changes to the next chapter with a view to make life more purposeful and meaningful. She also takes a holistic approach, considering work, family, self-development, spirituality, and health. She feels that Covid has helped in a way, and she has spent time thinking about what is important to her in life for the next ten years, her values and how she spends her time. Her top goals for 2022 include, “Setting boundaries, enjoying her work, considering her finances, nurturing relationships, focussing on her health and Having down time”.
Pooja Sethi says that while a new year means new resolutions and new possibilities, people make resolutions and forget them in a few weeks time. Her advice is not to fret about it but to trust yourself and to ask yourself the question ‘what would your future want from yourself and how to be there where you want to see yourself in 2022”? She believes that belief in oneself is half the battle won. She says, “If you think you can make this promise, you will succeed in all your resolutions”. Her suggestion is to follow three simple practices, “Build trust, for no relationship is possible without trust in the people, celebrate the joy of life with as many people as you can and stay determined and just take action, and remember, no action is small”.
Yamini Hemanth’s top task in 2022 is to declutter. She sees a world of difference in the concept of shopping as she understood it in her childhood to the present. The purchasing has shifted from ‘needs’ to ‘wants’. In ‘those’ days there were no ‘on the spur’ purchases, and the family could never spend on something not budgeted. She says that when she got married and started earning, she was exposed to several lifestyle stores; new flower vases, sets of dinnerware and tablecloth, that could have been otherwise avoided, made their way from the shelves of the stores to her home. “During sale it didn’t matter if I was size L, if something I liked was M of XL, I would still buy it,” she remarks in jest. Well in this matter, Yamini is not alone, for there are many who get carried away by the ‘Sale’ tag and are guilty of such impulsive indulgences. Yamini also feels that as the size of the home and purchasing capacity grows, one continues to add to the collection, only realising the weight of the collection when cleaning and maintenance become a herculean task. She now asks herself, “How much is actually enough? Two factors for me are space and need. ‘Need’ is difficult to measure, while space is an important factor. Now I’m conscious whether to get that extra 10 kilos of rice just because I visited the grocery, or if I should just be putting items around the home to improve the decor. It’s not about minimalism, it’s about valuing each item around. And that is my conscious New Year resolution. I might not be 100% at it (temptations will be there) but yes it will be inching above average”.
Like people, years are individualist too and no two years are alike. The experiences each year brings with it are learning moments that add another layer to our personality, changes our relationships with people as we add new people and let go of those who no longer have a place in our life. While I know about some of the major events that 2022 will bring for me, I have no idea what the little and minor ones will be. Change or being in change is hard, no matter at what point on the calendar you start. And as change is uncomfortable and at times agonising, procrastination becomes an easy option. Unfortunately for those who do try to change, an accidental slip-up is sometimes viewed as a total failure. And instead of making it an opportunity to learn and grow, it quickly becomes an excuse to return to familiarity of the ‘old’ ways, with a promise to change ‘next’ year. The undeniable fact is that any change to be made, must be made by the individual. If I want to break some unsavoury habits of mine, I will have to replace them with healthier ones. Changes bring with them discomfort; and it must be a discomfort of my choosing.
Yamini Hemnath
So, while New Year Resolutions mean different things to different people and mean nothing to some people, there can never be a New Year without at least a talk about the resolution – it could be an argument, a disagreement, a determination, or just plain indifference. But one thing is for sure, there is something magical about the words ‘New’ and ‘Resolution’ – there is a ring of ‘Hope’. It is time for you to look back and check on what you have achieved in this first month of 2022. How many of you have stuck to your resolutions? Remember to be easy on yourself and take one day, one week and then one month at a time. And before you know it you would have achieved what you had set out to attain. Good luck!
Foreseeable Future is a short film directed by former RMIT Student Kirtan Singh, produced by Chawla Creations and Blackcurrant Studios. It stars Satinder Chawla, Rose Kaur Bawa, Sandy Singh, Raji Mussavar and Daman Chawla.
Daljeet Bakshi
Satinder Chawla discussed with Kirtan and provided points for a short film he wanted to make. The key concept was for it to be a silent film following Mr Chawla playing a blind character. Over the next few weeks, Kirtan wrote the script and developed it. The two met on several occasions to discuss the story.
With the hope of filming the short as soon as possible, the two reached out to actors and had fellow RMIT students, Latham Smith and Beth McInerney crew on set.
They filmed across two days in January 2021 and the crew had a great time on set. Although the weather led to some scheduling changes, everything was shot as planned and provided enough footage for a complete and satisfying edit.
The film was edited by Kirtan, with the score and sound mixing done by Harmanjit Singh. He actively worked on recording a clear voice over of Mr Chawla and crafted a beautiful arrangement that bolstered the grounded and emotionally driven story.
The film has continued its run at film festivals for over a year now. It has won Best Student Award at the Golden Leaf Festival, been a quarter finalist at the International Film & Entertainment Festival Australia (IFEFA), and has been selected for festivals including: the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne Made in Melbourne Sidebar, Goa Film Festival, Pune Short Film Festival and many more.
Since finishing the film many of the crew have gone to work on other projects, excelling in their field. Kirtan has graduated from RMIT and both him and Mr Chawla have worked on several individual projects. Both they and the rest of the cast and crew hope to work together again in the future.
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National Backyard Cricket’s
In a one on one conversation with Desi Australia National Backyard Cricket’s Multicultural Ambassadors Ash and Simran Gulati share their love for the game of cricket how they are promoting this excellent initiative.
By Poonam Naik
What is National Backyard Cricket?
National Backyard Cricket is a community event open to everyone of all ages to take time out with family and friends to play a game of cricket for a good cause. The funds raised from the initiative will go towards supporting regional country libraries in Australia and tertiary education projects in other cricket-playing nations.
Many of us have fond memories of playing cricket in our backyards, local park or neighbourhood. National Backyard Cricket is a great way to enjoy cricket this summer while making a difference by improving educational opportunities and quality for disadvantaged children in Australian and overseas. Australians can play their game of Backyard Cricket anytime over the summer in the lead-up to National Backyard Cricket Day on Sunday 6th February 2022.
What is the most memorable experience you have of either playing or watching a cricket game?
There are too many fond memories we have of watching cricket. Through the years we have gone to some great matches at the SCG, The Gabba & MCG and we have loved rooting for India & Australia through the years.
However, if we had to pick one memory that sticks out, it has to be the most recent one. Our son, who is 8, LOVES cricket and has recently started playing for his local club. Our family is now all about cricket with practices & game nights; it’s cricket 24-7 at our home, and his focus on the game has made it the most fruitful time for us.
There is a strong Indian and South Asian cricketing community in Australia. In what ways does cricket bring these communities together?
Yes, there is a strong South Asian community in Australia. There are players at all levels of Cricket who are of the South Asian origin and that makes us proud.
Moreover, in community sports, there are lots of Indians/South Asians whose kids are
National Backyard Cricket’s
playing the game and it’s bringing us parents together as we get to relive our childhood and watch our kids play the sport we all love.
Cricket also brings us foodies together. We love to share our My Team India pies with the club and other parents bring delicious food for everyone so we all enjoy yummy South Asian food together while watching our favourite sport.
National Backyard Cricket is raising funds. Who will be the beneficiaries?
Funds raised from National Backyard Cricket will support education for underprivileged children in regional Australia and other cricket-playing nations. In 2021, a total of $70,000 in funding grants raised was distributed to 54 Australian county libraries working with Friends of Libraries Australia (FOLA).
The LBW Trust, of which National Backyard Cricket is the fundraising arm, currently also supports 1,500 tertiary students to undertake university or vocational education via 11 NGOs in 8 cricket playing countries including India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Afghanistan and Indonesia. In 2021, Indian and Sri Lankan students were key recipients of the funds raised by National Backyard Cricket, and this was invaluable to support their education and relieve the pressure on their families facing the devastating impact of the pandemic.
By registering a game or donating at https:// www.nationalbackyardcricket.com/, you can help National Backyard Cricket provide transformational educational opportunities for disadvantaged young men and women and give them a brighter future.
You have paved the way for representation of Indian Australians on Australian TV, showcasing the diversity of Indian food and culture on the big screen. What was the experience like representing your community onscreen? Tell us more about the Samosa Pie which the judges loved.
We loved cooking on Plate of Origin together. It was a very proud moment for us as we felt the weight of every Indian on our shoulders as we cooked and went through the competition. We wanted to break barriers and kill stereotypes and put Indian food on the national stage and we felt we did that and made our community proud.
Samosa Pie is Simran’s creativity at the spur of the moment. The judges asked the competing teams to make an Australian icon using our heritage. With limited time, Simran’s idea of Samosa (an Indian icon) into a pie came about and it was the perfect blend of our flavours into an Australian dish. The judges loved the golden-brown crust and the potato filling and we were able to win the round. The judges asked for the recipe and advocated for us to have every Australian taste our pies. We are very excited to have launched myteamindia.com.au, where we add Indian flavours into a pie with our ultimate goal of having every Australian taste our pies.
As the Multicultural Ambassador for National Backyard Cricket, tell us how you will be promoting this excellent initiative.
As Ambassadors for National Backyard Cricket, we take this role very seriously. We have started to position this great initiative locally around with our friends & family. Ash has circulated this initiative within his company to put a team together and we have also made our community aware of this where our son plays cricket.
This is an excellent initiative as cricket is a sport that is played worldwide, so there are a lot of cultures that love the game. This initiative brings those cultures together at the same time and have fun for a good cause.
