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WHAT’S INSIDE 34
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Australia : 10 South 2019 Governor’s Multicultural Awards Winners announced
Is Beautiful, 26 Death If You Die Happily
Day, 15 AA New New World
do 30 Just what you love
Down Barriers 16 Breaking - DIGI Engage 2020: Engaging in Isolation during COVID-19
really what’s above 32 It’s the desk that counts
Is the 18 What Ayurvedic Diet?
life of the 36 Illustrious Royal Bengal Tiger
Distancing during 20 Social COVID19 does not mean Social Isolation:
40 Chakras and Auras explained
global survey confirms 21 New Lupus Greatly Impacts Physical Function and Quality of Life
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relationship
From 0 to 20 minutes on your exercise mat
with Rajni 24 YouGo Let’s Be Mindful Series
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than Cricket, 42 More Curry and the Commonwealth: Forging a stronger Australia – India
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General Premangsu Chowdry, 50 Major Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM).. Virtual Film Festival 2020 54 UVAA An opportunity for short films to go on OTT
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PUBLISHER Desi Media Group (Desi Australia Pty Ltd)
Editor-in-chief Arti Banga
NSW Editor: Harmohan Walia
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South Australia Editor: Daljeet Bakshi
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Hello Everyone,
We hope you are keeping well and safe during these uncertain times of global pandemic. While our government is doing its level best to control the spread of COVID-19, there are chances of second wave. Make sure to do the Three and be COVID Free – Wash your hands, maintain the distance and stay home if feeling unwell & get tested. We are committed to keeping you connected and bring to you the latest happenings in the Desi Community around the major cities of Australia.
Arti Banga
Editor-in-Chief
DesiAustralia.com “Keeping you connected”
While we all settle in our new Normal, here’s wishing all our readers the best of health. We hope you enjoy reading this edition of the Desi Australia Monthly Magazine.
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Community News | Sydney
Systemic Racism I
sn’t Just an American Problem. Here’s How To Be A Better Ally To Australian First Nations People Police brutality and systemic racism are not new to First Nations - by listening and confronting our own privilege we can become better allies to Black and Blak people here in Australia.
by Shyamla This article was originally published on HuffPost Australia and republished with permission Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander readers should be aware that this article may contain the images and names of people who have passed away. Like most Australians, I felt outrage and heartbreak watching Derek Chauvin, a White Minneapolis Police Officer, end George Floyd’s life. It reminded me that Australia too has had its knee on the neck of First Nations peoples for more than 230 years. If we truly want to end police brutality against Black people we need to recognise and address the issues in our own backyard, especially as we sift through articles filled with the words that Australians usually sweep under the rug when it comes to First Nations (Systemic Racism, Discrimination, White Supremacy, Oppression, Police Brutality, Deaths in Custody).
Performing Artists Shyamla & Mirrah Protesting at black Lives matter Rally
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When my father arrived in Australia in 1969 during The White Australia Policy
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Community News | Sydney
he was taught to view First Nations as dole bludging alcoholics taking undue advantage of the various benefits provided to them - the complete opposite of himself as an upstanding, hard-working Indian.
custody of the police since the 1991 Royal Commission Into Aboriginal Deaths In Custody and not one police officer has ever been charged for their crimes” - Kate L Munro
A government strategy to distract immigrants from Australia’s shameful treatment of First Nations.
“You are comfortable in the position you are in while we are uncomfortable in the position we have been put. We need to get comfortable with having uncomfortable discussions and address the hard issues. The White Australia Policy only allowed the whitest People Of Colour from other nations into the country and migrants have been conditioned to look down upon and fear us. Until you understand your privilege and the privilege of the people who tell stories about us you can’t get an accurate picture of what’s happening” Boori Monty Pryor
I have come to learn that as a South Asian Australian woman, much of my privilege has been gained at the expense of First Nations peoples. First and second generation Australians have much to reflect on and unlearn when it comes to First Nations - that process starts with confronting our privilege as a ‘model minority’ and how it’s allowed us to prosper and achieve ‘a better life’ in ‘The Lucky County’. It’s also down to listening to First Nations voices about how we can help at this time. I reached out to four First Nations friends and former colleagues from when I worked at the NSW Aboriginal Land Council to ask how to be a better ally. Here’s what Amy McQuire (Darumbal and South Sea Islander Journalist), Boori Monty Pryor (Birri-gubba & Kunggandji Storyteller, Author & Elder), Blak Douglas (Dhungatti Artist) and Kate L Munro (Gamilaroi Journalist) had to say:
Confront Your Own Privilege And The Impact of Silence
“Non-Indigenous people - whether People Of Colour or White - are benefiting from the theft of Aboriginal land and the violence perpetrated against us. It can be an uncomfortable thing to face but understanding that helps build the foundation for solidarity” - Amy McQuire “Apathy by others over the years has allowed police brutality towards Black and First Nations people across the world to continue almost unabated. The lives of 432 First Nations people in this country have been taken at the hands of or in the
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Question Mainstream Media And Listen To First Nations Voices
“Don’t justify what you say by listening to other people and the media. Do your own work to look, learn and listen before making assumptions about us. I have never been on the dole in my life and my parents worked for many years without ever getting paid. Learn more through the right avenues and don’t make your decision by listening to the likes of Andrew Bolt - it’s just rhetoric and vitriol. - Boori Monty Pryor White people writing about Black people is like me writing a book on pregnancy - I can never understand that experience. Similarly, you can’t know what it’s like to be chained and beaten up, have a gun stuck in your mouth, be spat and pissed on - let us tell our own stories”Boori Monty Pryor “Avoid misinformation by accessing First Nations writing, art, film and music. Aboriginal artists often work to resist disparaging images, stereotypes and representations and we have so much talent. Look up Melissa Lucashenko and Alexis Wright, listen to Chelsea Bond and
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Angelina Hurley, see the art of Vernon Ah Kee and Richard Bell, read poetry by Evelyn Auraluen and Alison Whitaker” Amy McQuire
Educate Yourself On Australia’s True History
“This place is stolen and the successive Governments (mainly Liberal/Conservative) are systematically plotting the demise of First Nations peoples. The Supreme Court is an elite white ‘Mens Club’ that thwarts ANY attempt of opposition at the end of the day. Be a better ally by LISTENING and becoming better informed. First Nations peoples from this continent are living within a continuum of cultural genocide. It’s as easy as Googling nowadays... try- ′the history of Aboriginal protests in Australia.’” - Blak Douglas “You live and breathe on this land so take the time to understand the true history of First Australians. Watch First Australians on SBS (note the first ep title They Have Come To Stay) then put yourself in our shoes and consider the immense flowon effects of trauma and dispossession on our families and peoples. Learn the real history of the land you live on - it contains anenergy that, once understood, has the power to heal attitudes, perceptions and minds and create a connection amongst
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Community News | Sydney
“The strength of our culture is central to all of our fights. We have a spiritual connection to this country but we also have responsibilities to it. We are also a diverse peoples with many different opinions and viewpoints. We have conflicts between us but that doesn’t mean we are divided” Amy McQuire
Understand Why The Racism Faced By First Nations People Is Unique
Black Lives Matter Protester at Town Hall one another that ultimately benefits us all” - Kate L Munro “Learn about First Nations by reading books written by Blak people and watching films like Wrong Kind of Black, and Ten Canoes. Visit your Local Aboriginal Land Council to learn more about the history and people from your local area - even Roger Federer knew to do that when he came here! ScoMo said what’s happened to First Nations is just a blemish on our national record. Is shoving sticks up women’s private parts, cutting men’s nuts off and using their scrotums as pouches, burying babies in the dirt up to their necks and then kicking their heads off really just a blemish? Make the effort to find out for yourself.” Boori Monty Pryor
Stand Beside First Nations In Solidarity
“Let the horrific death of George Floyd be the catalyst the world over to support and join the struggle for systematic and societal change. Start by educating yourself, then show up and stand beside us in solidarity. We are the oldest living continuous culture on earth that will, in future, inform societies’ actions as a collective and improve race relations for all” - Kate L Munro
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“There is a history to this resistance although there is a sudden groundswell of interest in Aboriginal protest, this protest has been intergenerational. That means centring Aboriginal concerns, tactics, strategies and pushing Aboriginal people to the front. We don’t need people to speak for us, we need them to stand beside us. Recognise that solidarity takes work which involves building relationships and maintaining them” - Amy McQuire
Be Empathetic And Recognise First Nations Peoples’ Cultural Strength And Diversity
“If you don’t understand our people our stories are just words. Considering the importance of native food, land, animals etc to your own culture will help you empathise with ours. Think about your own culture being suppressed by conquerors and attacked by the British and what it’s like to have them impose their culture, food and language on your land and its people - how confusing that is. Then learn about First Nations and immerse yourself in that. Understand the separation of cultures within a country and the importance of acknowledging and respecting that diversity.” - Boori Monty Pryor
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“The racism that affects Indigenous people is very specific. A settler colonial nation is set up to eliminate Indigenous people from this country while also seeking to possess Aboriginal people and claim ownership of us for their national identity (think of the displays of Aboriginal culture at events like the Commonwealth games while at the same time locking up mob and watering down Land Rights).” - Amy Mcquire There is a reason why Aboriginal people are the highest incarcerated group in Australia - our presence is a threat to the prosperity of this countryAmy Mcquire “The racism we face is different due to a deep history of brutal treatment by the colonisers/invaders toward our people from first contact over 200 years ago and continues to this day. There is a particular problem of systemic racism within the police force regarding racial profiling of First Nations people and targeting us over our non-Indigenous counterparts for the same ‘crime,’ or for no crime at all.” There needs to be continuous training for the police to unlearn this racial profiling and toxic racist programming that’s existed for years.” - Kate L Munro “All First Nations peoples live with a degree of intergenerational trauma that stems from racial discrimination - the grossest epidemic since the inception of the human species. Most First Nations peoples remain ‘active’ and vehemently
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Community News | Sydney
deny subscription to the ‘Commonwealth of Australia’. Only 232 years ago, ALL sovereign rights of each language group (“tribes”) was stripped upon contact. In the words of Kevin Gilbert - ‘when you took your foot off the neck of the Black man, did you expect him to look up and smile at you?’ ” - Blak Douglas “Ep 4 in Wrong Kind of Black where the coppers hang a noose around my brother’s neck and make him stand on his tiptoes for hours is all true. They made him pay for talking back to them - first with his body, then with his spirit. When your spirit’s gone, your body is an empty shell. He took his own life one week later. They got off with a warning and that was the end of it.Boori Monty Pry The 1991 Royal Commission Into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody looked into my brother’s death. They said the officer’s conduct fell well below what was expected. They got off with a warning and that was the end of it. Prime Ministers from early 1900s said ‘we must rid the land of the darkies,’ ‘they must be bred out’ so what we’re dealing with now are the after effects of that racist mentality. Yes, nonIndigenous people also cop racism in Australia but very rarely, and certainly not in a systemic or systematic way, does it result in jailing or death” - Boori Monty Pryor
Donate Wisely
“Donate directly to families. The one thing a lot of families need is money, especially when they have court cases or inquests that require them to travel and stay in other cities for weeks. Giving to GoFundMe pages for the families of the likes of David Dungary Jnr and Joyce Clarke are a practical way to help” - Amy McQuire “Organisations that directly benefit jarjums (children) or youth are the ones I aim for. Educational or preventative
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up to protests and events if you can.Amy McQuire “Speak up and educate those within your own circles - you can get more said than an Indigenous person can since the people in your community and your family will listen more to you than to us. Just do something! Don’t sit around and pontificate and make assumptions. Make the effort to find out for yourself and be humble enough to learn from your mistakes along the way” - Boori Monty Pryor
Black Lives Matter Protester at Town Hall health programs are of a high priority, of course. Also support independent documentary and filmmakers who are projecting grassroots awareness” - Blak Douglas “If possible, go and speak to someone at the organisation you plan to donate to in person or at least contact them to ensure it’s legitimate and led by First Nations with funds flowing directly to First Nations. I am an ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (below), which I know works” - Boori Monty Pryor
Show Up, Listen With An Open Heart And Speak Up Within Your Own Community
“Listen to Aboriginal people and turn up to protests and events if you can. If you can’t - bombard your local politician with your concerns. Talk to your friends and educate your own community” - Amy McQuire “Attend protests or at least subscribe to channels that promote activism and advancement of First Nations plight. However, in doing so, be reminded that what you may hear is often not for the faint hearted” - Blak Douglas Listen to Aboriginal people and turn
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What The South Asian Community Needs To Know At this Time
South Asians communities have much to reflect on and unlearn when it comes to First Nations - that process starts with confronting our privilege as a ‘model minority’ and how it’s allowed us to prosper and achieve ‘a better life’ in ‘The Lucky County’. To paraphrase Senator Briggs, “[Our] Luck is [their] dispossession. [Our] Luck is [their] Death. [Our] Luck is [their] Trauma. [Our] Luck is [their] Grief”. As I mentioned earlier, when my father arrived in Australia in 1969 during The White Australia Policy, he was taught to view First Nations as dole bludging alcoholics taking undue advantage of the various benefits provided to them - the complete opposite of himself as an upstanding, hard-working Indian. He was only allowed to enter Australia because of the Official Passport his father carried that was issued to Diplomatic Personnel and was one of just five Indian families in Sydney at the time. Today, as graduates, homeowners, business owners and recipients of universal health care, ALL of our privilege in Australia as South Asians has been gained at the expense of First Nations peoples.
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Community News | Adelaide
South Australia :
2019 Governor’s Multicultural Awards Winners announced 24 finalists across 9 award categories.
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Daljeet Bakshi
ue to Covid 19 restrictions ,this year Governor’s Multicultural Awards South Australia were announced in a different way . It’s worthwhile to mention that Governor’s Multicultural Awards was Established in 2008, the Governor’s Multicultural Awards Winners of the 2019 Governor’s Multicultural Awards were announced by His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AC, Governor of South Australia, on Wednesday 20 May 2020. Eleven award recipients were chosen from 24 finalists across nine award categories. And for the For the first time in the
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history of the annual Governor’s Multicultural Awards, joint winners have been selected for the individual achievement award, equally deserving of this prestigious honour . Winners Outstanding Individual Achievement Award ( joint winners )
president of the national Filipino Communities Council of Australia, her trailblazing contributions began at age 16 when she became an inaugural member of the Multicultural Youth Network – an organisation she would go on to lead as Chair and later CEO, overseeing its incorporation as Multicultural Youth SA.
Mrs Chye Yah Catherine Chong Affectionately known as ‘Aunty Cathy’ across South Australia’s multicultural communities, Cathy
Arts and Culture Award Adelaide Festival Centre’s OzAsia Festival The OzAsia Festival has established itself as an inclusive celebration of cultural diversity, encouraging participation and attendance by the wider South Australian community.Over the three weeks of the 2018 festival, tens of thousands attended world class performances,plus free programs at the Lucky Dumpling Market, Moon Lantern parade and the inaugural JLFJaipur Literature Festival.
Chong’s devotion and energetic contribution to the sector shows no sign of slowing, even at 70 years of age. Ms Carmen Garcia For the past quarter of a century Carmen Garcia has been a dynamic, passionate and innovative advocate for multicultural communities, particularly Filipinos.
Community Sector Award ( joint winners )
The youngest and first Australian-born
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Community News | Adelaide
His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AC
The Hon Steven Marshall MP , Premier of South Australia
Hon Jing Lee MLC, Assistant Minister to the Premier
Peter Malinauskas MP, Leader of the Opposition
Katrine Hildyard MP , Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs
museum, the Migration Museum has for 33 years told thestories of tens of thousands of South Australians and celebrated cultural diversity. Receiving some 200,000 visitors each year, the forum community gallery has presented 118 exhibitions and hosted education programmes benefiting 10,000 students annually.
elevation and preservation of important heritage. Senior Volunteer Award Mrs Dora Abbas Dora Abbas has been a pillar of the Muslim community for the past 20 years, often sacrificing time with family and friends to promote the cause of Muslim women. As chairperson of the Muslim Women’s Association of SA since 2009, Dora has worked tirelessly to advance Muslim women in every aspect of their lives. Youth Award Miss Nibir Chowdhury Locally focused and globally engaged, Nibir Chowdhury epitomises commitment, energy and positivity.
The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre For more than 20 years the University of South Australia’s Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centrehas delivered a diverse program of free events and exhibitions that reflect the themes ofStrengthening our Democracy, Valuing Diversity and Building our Future. Mrs Constance Jones Constance is formidable in her quest to ensure the empowerment of African women, in particularwomen from Sierra Leone, her country of birth. She has designed and developed many programs to support African women, to reduce their isolation both within their own community and the greater community. Media Award Radio Italiana 531 Broadcasting for more 44 years, Radio Italiana 531 has played a vital role informing, supporting and entertaining the Italian speaking community throughout South Australia. Private Sector Award South Australian National Football League The South Australian National Football League (SANFL) has contributed over many years in thepromotion of multiculturalism and social harmony. Public Sector Award The History Trust of SA’s Migration Museum The world’s first migration themed Download Our App
Volunteer Award Mr Giuseppe Geracitano With an extraordinary 45 years of selfless community service – especially in the fields ofeducation, welfare and heritage – Giuseppe Geracitano has enriched the Italian community andthe multicultural sector more broadly. In founding a range of community organisations, Giuseppehas been instrumental in the JUNE I 2020
( source : DPC SA Gov )
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Community News| Canberra
In conversation with Mr Lucky Prasad OAM
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By: Rajni Ghai Malhotra o Canberrans, Mr Lakshman Prasad or Lucky, as he is fondly called, is a well-known name and personality, having been serving the Indian community in various ways over nearly three decades in the ACT and beyond. His tremendous service to the community has been recognised and he has recently been honoured with the Queen’s birthday mentions of Medal of the Order of Australia.
Congratulations Mr Prasad. Please tell us about your achievement and how it feels to have won this honour?
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I am humbled and elated with OAM honour. It has come after 27 years of community work in the ACT. The award demonstrates to me and the multicultural community that ‘good work gets recognised’. This recognition should stand as an exemplar for future generations of migrants coming into the country that ‘sincere hard work in this land of opportunity gets recognised’.
Murugan Temple Torrens.
A bit about your journey from when you arrived in Australia leading up to this momentous occasion of receiving an OAM. My journey is Australia began in 1993 when I moved to Sydney with my wife before moving to Canberra where, over the years, we grew together as a family with two sons and broadly as part of the Indian community by devoting extended time and energy to various volunteering and community projects with Vishnu Shiva Mandir Mawson, HTCC Florey and
I am a founding member of Canberra Telugu Vaani, Samithi Inc, Diwali Mela Inc, Radio Manpasand, Canberra Telugu Association, Federation of Indian Associations in the ACT (FINACT) and Canberra India Council (CIC).
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I started the first Telugu language Radio Program in Australia in May 1996. It is presented every Tuesday between 8.30 pm - 9.00 pm around the year. This is its 25th year of providing valuable information and updates to the community and especially during the recent crucial time of bush fires and COVID 19.
I am currently committed to serving as: 4President of CIC and Canberra Telugu Vaani 4Vice President of Vishnu Shiva Mandir and Diwali Mela Inc.
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Community News | Canberra
4 Volunteered at the Miranjani Village Weston Creek on Sundays 1997 - 1999 assisting elderly during morning tea time activities, Organised the first Indian Community FINACT 20:20 Cricket Tournament between 12 teams in Canberra in 2012. Finals played at Manuka Oval, 4 Organised the first Akram/Tendulkar Trophy 20:20 Cricket match between Pakistan and India. Finals held at Narrabundah Cricket Ground in 2012
I have volunteered at the Sydney Olympic in 2000, at 32 events during the 2013 Canberra Centenary Celebrations, Asia Cup in 2015, and ICC World Cup Cricket in 2015. Other volunteering services include: 4 National Multicultural Festival between 1998 - 2017, 4 Floriade Flower Festival between 19972017,
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More recently, during COVID-19 clampdown of restrictions by Australian and ACT Governments, I started a small informal network between Marie Ball Associates, Vishnu Shiva Mandir Mawson, Canberra India Council Inc, and Canberra Telugu Vaani Inc to provide on a weekly basis, Indian Groceries (4 types of Lentils, Pulses, Rice, wheat, Masalas, Palm Sugar-Jaggery/Gudh, Long Life milk), and Fresh Vegetable Box (5 types of fresh fruits, 5 types of vegetables, 4 types of Greens, Eggs and a loaf of bread) to needy senior citizens, families, frontline workers and international students at Australian National University and University of Canberra.
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What are your plans, looking ahead? It is my conviction that this award should stand as a reflection for future migrants and demonstrate that sincere hard work gets rewarded in this land of opportunity. Further, I am committed to and will continue to be involved with voluntary community work, fund raising activities, assisting future generation migrants to integrate into the Canberra and Australian communities, and engage in philanthropic work. I will not shy away from providing assistance to the needy especially during the current tough time of COIVD 19.
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Community News | Canberra
High Commission of India rings in the 6th International Day of Yoga - IDY 2020
By: Rajni Ghai Malhotra
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Photo Credit: Rajni Ghai Malhotra
he High Commission of India hosted a Yoga and Meditation session led by yoga and mindfulness consultant Ms Rajni Ghai Malhotra as a curtain raiser for the upcoming International Day of Yoga 2020. As in the past years, the event was held in the serene setting of the Chancery and set the tone for an invigorating season of yoga focusing on this year’s theme ‘My life My Yoga’. The event was organised in line with prevailing COVID-19 restrictions in the ACT. JUNE I 2020
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Community News | Canberra
A New Day, A New World By: Anya Malhotra (11 years)
Three months ago - March 2020 All of a sudden, one fine day, COVID-19 came along our way, And suddenly our world turned upside down MY school, YOUR city, OUR countries were shut down Friends couldn’t meet, to school or playgrounds we couldn’t go An unseen, invisible virus had become our biggest foe 20 seconds to wash our hands, masked faces everywhere Going without sanitizers - we did not dare Empty streets, silent movie halls Not a soul could be seen in shops or malls
hearts
Of the dark COVID tunnel we are coming through
Deserted hallways of my school, Silent Quad, empty playground – it was cruel
Apart, yet together Despondent, yet hopeful Restless, yet peaceful Physically distant, yet socially connected
Virtual classrooms, virtual meetings with friends, That’s how the day would begin and end
We were determined to give the Virus a good fight And to crush it with all out might
Life wasn’t rushed anymore, it was almost a crawl The Virus thought it had defeated us all
So calmly and confidently we carried on With courage and hope we still marched on
‘Sit alone, disconnected, in your homes’ dictated the Virus ‘Alright then,’ we said, ‘why don’t you try us!’
Confident that a NEW DAY would dawn very soon
Fast Forward to today June 2020 To mark the end of this terrible doom
Though we might be socially apart We were still connected within our Download Our App
With courage and hope, it is true JUNE I 2020
A new day, it is here at last The nightmare seems to have passed Traffic on roads, cheerful hellos at school Sit down dinners with a 4 metre rule In this new day we are wiser and grateful But we remain cautious and careful We follow the rainbow of hope No matter how steep the slope Old habits we shed, new ways we have learned And together we build a NEW, BRIGHT, RESPECTFUL WORLD. The End. Illustration and Poem by Anya Malhotra (11 years) www.DesiAustralia.com
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Commuity News | Brisbane
Breaking Down Barriers - DIGI Engage 2020: Engaging in Isolation during COVID-19
By Joseph F. Kolapudi
A
s the lockdown begins to ease and restrictions are being rolled back in stages, the community is searching for ways to bounce back as we begin to enter a post-COVID-19 reality. However, as we are in transition, there is an engaging opportunity for young people to engage multiculturally. DIGI Engage 2020 is a digital interactive platform where young people are able to connect and collaborate on a deeper level by identifying ways to combat isolation constructively. Though in previous years, this was an event that spanned two to three days of engaging content and interaction, this year’s event has gone completely digital, in an effort to draw young people into an alternative virtual platform. As the theme, “breaking divides in isolaDownload Our App
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Commuity News | Brisbane
tion and beyond� suggests, this opportunity is open to young creative changemakers who are already involved in overcoming community issues and bringing people together in a way that unites youth around the country. The mind behind this initiative is Indian social entrepreneur Sunita Bose, who serves as the Managing Director of the Digital Industry Group (DIGI) Inc. Coming from the corporate world in the United States, she has been investing into the nonprofit world, and through the work of DIGI Engage over the last four years, has been able to partner with the Australian Government, as well as Facebook, Twitter and Google, to name a few. Being able to bring together both the digital world and real-world challenges, this annual event is able to tackle deeper issues, such as racism, multicultural issues, cyberbullying, and the like. In a series of workshops, handson activities, and digital initiatives, DIGI Engage is able to bring young people from all around Australia by using this platform as a means to build and foster meaningful engagement with youth outside the box. From personal experience, being able to participate in a fully-funded experience, being hosted at Facebook headquarters, and connecting with other South Asians and youth from diverse backgrounds in an interactive environment was an experience like no other. As many digital platforms and initiatives seek to respond to the rapidly changing circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, an Indian-inspired initiative that is having a wider impact on a national level is an encouraging beginning. Young people from around Australia have an opportunity to be part of this digital platform, as DIGI Engage 2020 takes place Download Our App
from June and will no doubt have an impact on young South Asians moving forward in JUNE I 2020
engaging in a reality that is fast becoming the new normal. www.DesiAustralia.com
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Ayurveda
What Is the Ayurvedic Diet? around foods that will help nourish your body and balance your energy.
Dr Naveen Shukla
W
hen your diet is wrong, medicine is of no use; when your diet is correct, medicine is of no need. An Ayurvedic diet is an eating plan that provides guidelines for when you eat, what you eat, and how you eat to boost your health, prevent or manage disease, and maintain wellness. If you follow an Ayurvedic diet, you’ll eat primarily whole or minimally processed foods and practice mindful eating rituals. The diet is based on Indian Ayurvedic systems that date back thousands of years. Some studies have shown that the Ayurvedic lifestyle practice including the diet can help improve your health. How It Works If you follow an Ayurveda diet, you’ll incorporate many different practices into your eating routine. These practices help you to benefit from the different qualities of food. One of the primary characteristics of an Ayurveda diet is that you eat according to your dominant constitutional type or dosha. Ayurveda states that each person has a unique mind-body constitution, known as dosha. The Imbalance of Dosha is called vikruti and the balance of dosha is known as prakurti. You can think of your dosha as your most prominent energy. There are three different Ayurveda doshas that derive from five different elements: Space, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. Each element provides different qualities or attributes to different people. • Vata (space and air): Vata are often described as creative, intense, or expressive. Attributes include dry, light, cold, and rough. Download Our App
• Pitta (fire and water): Pitta are often described as intelligent, joyful, and driven. Attributes include sharp, hot, liquid, and mobile. • Kapha (earth and water): Kapha are often described as calm, loving, or lethargic. Attributes include moist, heavy, soft, and static. After reading descriptions of each dosha, you may find that one sounds more like the qualities you embody. Many people find that they have two strong doshas. Those who practice an Ayurveda lifestyle believe that each of us embodies all three doshas. Your prominent dosha will determine your eating style. What to Eat Eat Once you have determined your dominant dosha, you can create meals
Some of the basic Ayurveda eating practices include: Intake of six rasas or tastes. At each meal, you will incorporate foods that are: Sweet, Salty, Sour, Bitter, Pungent and Astringent. You begin your meal with foods that have a sweet taste (like sweet fruit), then consume food that is salty (such as seafood) and sour (citrus fruit, for example), then finish with foods that are pungent (like onions or peppers), astringent (such as green apples or tea), and bitter (celery, kale, or green leafy vegetables). • Consume whole fresh foods The moment food is picked, its prana (life) begins slowly diminishing. Therefore, eating foods that are as fresh as possible will increase more readily than eating the same foods further from their harvest time. Local agriculture products are invaluable resources for fresh and high life force. According to the Ayurveda diet, the best way to increase ojas, the supplier of life force in the body, is to increase prana. Foods with abundant prana come straight from the Earth. Their prana has been derived through the mingling of sunshine, water, and earth energies. • Reduce Ice Cold Foods and Beverages
VATTA Foods to Eat
Foods to Avoid
• Sweet fruit such as cooked apples or cherries • Cooked vegetables like asparagus or beets • Grains including quinoa or rice • Red lentils • Dairy products (in moderation) • Eggs • Black pepper • Coriander leaves • Vinegar • Peanuts and pecans • Chia or flax seeds • Sesame oil and ghee
• Dried fruit
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• Raw apples and watermelon Frozen, raw or dried vegetables • Potatoes • Barley • Corn • Chickpeas • Split peas • Yogurt • Lamb • Turkey • Red wine • Chocolate www.DesiAustralia.com
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Ayurveda
PITTA Foods to Eat
Foods to Avoid
• Raisins • Watermelon • Sweet or bitter vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower • Dry cereal • Pasta • Black beans • Unsalted butter • Chicken (white meat) • Egg whites • Almonds • Coconut
• Apricots • Avocado • Pungent vegetables like onion or raw leeks • Sour fruits • Spinach • Bread made with yeast • Quinoa and brown rice • Rye • soy sauce • Salted butter • Sour cream • Beef • Chicken (dark meat) • Chili pepper • Red or sweet wine • Seafood other than shrimp • Chocolate
The digestive power is the inner fire of the physical and energetic body, known as agni. Ideally performing, it is hot, bright, and able to digest food, thoughts, emotions, and experiences. To stoke one’s inner fire, it is necessary to avoid dimming agni’s intensity with ice-cold foods and beverages. The agni of all doshas can become diminish if a steady stream of cold food or drinks is consumed. Vata and Kapha doshas, in particular, should lean toward warm foods and teas, while Pitta doshas may enjoy cool (but not frozen) beverages and foods. In this way, the digestive power will remain strong. • Eliminate Distractions While Eating
Ayurveda suggests that mealtime is an opportunity to connect with the food you consume. The colours, taste the flavours, and bring awareness to the sunshine, soil, and earth that have collaborated to create the bundles of energy of food. If eating with deep awareness is totally new to you try to take at least one meal a day in silence and focusing on each of your senses for a few minutes at a time instead of focusing on your phone or other distractions. Avoid talking, laughter, and other distractions to fully appreciate your meal and the wholesome benefits it provides • Stop Eating Three Hours Before Bedtime During sleep, the body repairs,
Kapha Foods to Eat
Foods to Avoid
• Astringent fruit like applesauce or prunes • Pungent or bitter vegetables like celery or carrots • Granola • Polenta • Lima beans • Buttermilk • Cottage cheese • Shrimp • Turkey • Dry red or white wine
• Sweet or sour fruits like grapefruit or figs • Sweet or juicy vegetables like cucumber or zucchini • Cooked oats • Rice • Pasta • Pancakes • Wheat • Kidney beans • Soft or hard cheese • Duck • Tofu • Freshwater fish • Ketchup • Hard alcohol • Chocolate
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heals, and restores while the mind digests thoughts, emotions, and experiences from the day. If the body’s energy is diverted into physical digestion, the physical healing and mental digestive processes are halted. For this reason, Ayurveda recommends that the last meal of the day be relatively light and completed three hours before bed to avoid this imbalance. In this way, the body is free to do its rest and repair work at the deepest levels during sleep. • Eat slowly enough that you can savour the taste of the food. • Eat quickly enough to prevent the food from getting cold. • Eat the proper quantity of food. Be aware of hunger signals and signs of fullness to avoid overeating. Eat only when your previous meal has been digested. Guidelines suggest that you do not eat within three hours of your previous meal or snack and you should not go without food for more than six hours. Ayurveda also recommends that you eat a modest breakfast and a larger, satisfying lunch. Dinner may or may not be consumed based on your hunger levels. Each of these ancient Ayurvedic rules will help you remain healthy not only by virtue of the food you are eating but how you eat it. And don’t forget to take your time to enjoy your meals and be grateful for the foods you eat along the way. Nature Care Ayurveda Yoga Detox & Rejuvenation is the only Sydney based Ayurvedic centre where you can experience a complete range of Ayurvedic therapies like Panchakarma, Shirodhara, Detox, Abhyanga Body massage, Back Care, Chronic Disease management, consultation from experts. The team is highly professional and working under the direction of Dr Naveen Shukla (Vice President Australasian association of Ayurveda for NSW), Dr Vishal Sharma & Dr Monika Mishra (Female Health). Nature Care Ayurveda & Desi Australia in synergy focused to spread the word of Ayurveda in the community and promote wellbeing as “WE CARE FOR YOU” For more information /to see a doctor/ for specific health concern visit our website www.naturecareayurveda.com.au or call us on 02 9572 6990 www.DesiAustralia.com
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Health
Social Distancing during COVID19 does not mean Social Isolation:
by Ms Anju Mathur Dementia Consultant and Aging Well Consultant Awarded 2019 Volunteer of the Year Award for Hornsby & North Western Sydney as a Dementia Consultant
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e humans are social beings and our social connections are a fundamental aspect of healthy living. Especially for older adults, having and maintaining social connections is one of the key factors related to living well and aging well. During COVID19 pandemic social distancing policies means that most people will have to spend much of their time at home. For the elderly people this has led to increased self -isolation. While following the government guidelines on safety, hand hygiene and social distancing, we need to be creative in the ways we connect socially and address the isolation. My message is simple – not to confuse social distancing with social isolation. We can maintain social distancing during COVID19 and yet remain socially connected creatively. 5 Easy to follow tips to remain socially connectedand active: 1. Pick up your phone and talk to your loved ones, or send them a text message or email to say that you are thinking of them; 2. Make Technology your friend - Meet your friends virtually and stay in contact – You can stay connected through Zoom and organise virtual get together and see each other and talk to each other as a group of friends; 3. Connect with your neighbours – having a cup of coffee in your own front yard/porch, drive way and waving to each other, gives a sense of comfort that we are all there for each other; 4. Become a volunteer – you can sign up with your local community organization and sign up to do welfare phone calls; Download Our App
5. Teach yourself a new skill – if you are fond of cooking, learn to make a new dish and share your recipes with your friends and family; if you are fond of singing, start to learn a new song and then share your new skill with your loved ones.
Key message is that right now we need more of social connections so let’s get creative in creating social connections and remaining physically active and fight loneliness and social isolation.
And remember to stay physically active - any activity is better than none- Physical activity has a huge potential to enhance our wellbeing. Exercise and physical fitness have benefits for our emotional, physical and mental health. Exercise increases our level of endorphins, which are natural mood lifters, even a short 10 minutes of brisk walking increases our mental alertness, energy and positive mood. Participation in any regular physical activity can increases our selfesteem and can reduce stress and anxiety. JUNE I 2020
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Health
New global survey confirms Lupus Greatly Impacts Physical Function and Quality of Life
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new global survey of more than 3,500 people with lupus, including from Australia, released by the World Lupus Federation (WLF) for World Lupus Day 2020, confirms that for nearly 7 in 10 participants lupus hampers their mobility. The majority of survey respondents also reported that they are prevented from doing daily activities because of lupus, including limitations going up and down stairs (67%) and doing chores (69%) such as vacuuming or working in the garden. Pain from lupus is also a significant issue. Nearly 90% of participants responded that pain interfered with normal activities, including housework and work outside the home. Additionally, 73% of survey participants responded they are physically less active than other persons their age who do not have lupus. The international survey included respondents from over 70 countries, including Australia, and reinforces the devastating and life-altering effects lupus can cause to physical function for the estimated five million people who live with the disease across the globe. As Giselle explains, the current coronavirus pandemic adds yet another challenge: “As a female who has battled with lupus for 16 years, from age 18, the threat of coronavirus means that I have to be more careful than most. “I know too well how dangerous a virus Download Our App
can be to those with lupus. A few years ago, I had a virus called CMV (cytomegalovirus), which landed me in ICU with pneumonia, intubated and on a ventilator. I recovered after 12 days in hospital. It makes the threat of coronavirus very real,” she said. “In this time of pandemic, every single person living with lupus is taking extreme care to not get infected with the virus,” explains Barbara Ward one of the founding members of World Lupus Federation and President of Lupus Association Australia. “These are the stories we hear every day. The severity of this disease is completely misunderstood. The negative impacts extend to every aspect of life for the approx. 35,000 currently living with lupus.” Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system is out of balance, producing antibodies that ravage healthy tissue and organs. The disease most often affects the skin, joints, kidneys, brain, heart and lungs. While therapies are available to help manage symptoms, there is no cure for lupus. The level of awareness and research of lupus is low compared to the disease’s impact worldwide, which is why sharing data on the effects of lupus is so important. “Lupus Association Australia is committed to improving the quality of life for all those affected by lupus. Raising awareness of the challenges this debilitating disease has on people every day, with side effects of lupus on physical function and mobility, JUNE I 2020
mental health from depression to suicide. It is our role to bring better understanding of the devastating impact of the disease not only for the patients, their families but for government leaders to increase funding for research into safer and more effective treatments, support, and education,” said Barbara Ward, President. A World Without Lupus Increasing Awareness and Research Lupus Australia About Lupus Lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body, affects an estimated 5 million people worldwide and approximately 35,000 Australians, and is particularly prevalent in the indigenous community. Lupus affects people in all parts of the world and can develop in people of all ages, races, ethnicities and genders. Lupus is mot underdiagnosed and underfunded disease in modern times. About Lupus Australia Lupus Association Australia is a lupus patient organization, united to improve the quality of life for all people affected by lupus. The LAA leads the annual observance of World Lupus Day to bring more considerable attention to the disease and its impact on millions of people worldwide. Now in its 17th year, World Lupus Day occurs on May 10 and includes education conferences, health fairs, media appearances and online promotions to raise public awareness and stimulate public and government actions to end lupus. www.DesiAustralia.com
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Fitness
From 0 to 20 minutes on your exercise mat. - Don’t overthink it! It is only consistency and discipline that eventually help with any change and results in our life. I was so inspired by this quote I read in an online forum on Facebook, that I got it framed in my room! Here are some things that can help you with consistency. That is the final goal right.
W by Divya Gupta
e all know why being fit and exercise is paramount. How you wish you had the time! How you wish you had the motivation! I find that despite knowing and really wanting to get fit, what often gets in the way is day to day chores or lack of enthusiasm. I get it. So many things get in the way. With the current lockdowns, I feel like a lot of us with kids and partners working from home - we are doing double-triple shifts. But I have promised myself 20 minutes a day. Just 20! That’s probably the time it takes us to even scroll Netflix or Amazon Prime to find something good to watch, you get the point. Here is some real advice that helped me kick off on my daily workout regime. How I finally kicked it off! My key mantra that actually works Show up! Commit small. Commit to show up. That’s it. For 20 minutes. I showed up. I promised myself I would show up. I did not commit to a sweaty workout or that I would burn 300 calories. My goal was for the first few days, to start making those 20 minutes. I started with doing simple stretches. Looking for videos on Youtube or other apps or websites. You will be surprised that you can find “Quick 15 minute beginner workouts”. I simply promised myself and gave myself the permission to just show up and get 20 minutes in a day. This helped me and family realise that it’s me time and it helped me get
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in the habit. I would get ready in my gym gear and sit on my mat - and just do some simple moves for the first few days. What I was actually trying to accomplish was inculcating a habit and making this big lifestyle change a little less daunting. It’s very important that you go in expecting that you will be in that ‘space’ for 20 minutes. And believe me once you are already there, it’s way easier to jump start your exercise routine. My second mantra - Don’t overthink it. “Discipline is underrated and motivation is overrated!” - Someone of facebook So you have now decided that you will commit to 20 minutes for yourself. Now the day is here. As soon as you set a time, change into your gear and off you go to your exercising space. You can then figure out how you want to spend those 20 minutes. My point being
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Fight that excuse! 4 Choose a sustainable work plan. Something that works for you and your family. 4 Finish it off first thing in the morning. 4 Make it your “ME time” - 20 minutes a day! 4 Do what you like - choose a variety from Zumba, Yoga, Pilates, Lazy girl workouts etc. 4 Fix a time - you can chalk it in your Calendar if that works for you. 4 Get some good gym wear, a comfortable mat and a colourful pair of dumbells. 4 Accountability. You can join fitness groups or bud up with your friends. 4 Watch what you eat. Not talking about diets - but the key is to eat with more awareness. 4 Pick a role model - there are plenty of Fitness gurus and day to day life heroes to take inspiration from. 4 Use social media - Connect and follow some celebs who might inspire you and talk more about fitness and exercise routines. 4 Use online resources - Apps, Youtube Channels and social media are abundant with workout routines. Start exploring! 4 Incorporate your workout in your day to day life. Squat while you are working in the kitchen or do lunges when your kids are playing in the park or take a walk when you are on an audio conference call! Endless possibilities.
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23
Yoga
YouGo with Rajni Let’s Be Mindful Series
Part 22: Helping parents and children navigate the stresses of COVID-19
balance, there are those amongst us who are deeply impacted by the pandemic, continuing to soak stresses of everyone around themand are surging on- these intrepid souls – our children, the future of our world.
By: Rajni Ghai Malhotra
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he last few weeks have thrown our lives into havoc wreaked on us by the COVID-19 pandemic. The only certainty has been the uncertainty of what the next hour, next day or next week will bring. Some of us are fortunate to move out of lockdown, easing into a new balance, others less fortunate are still having to live with restrictions. Through this period, each of us has experienced a myriad of emotions –describing this time as overwhelming, chaotic, unnerving, distressing, isolating, confining,confusing. While it is widely acknowledged that people all over the world are struggling to stay in Download Our App
Psychosocial impact of the pandemic Children have gone from routine classroom settings to offline offsite learning, increased digital dependence, reduced physical activity and social distancing which has deprived them of the one thing they thrive on – connections with their peers, their friendships and playtime.Children are experiencing feelings of trauma, loss, grief and stress which they are unable to express. In the coming weeks, whether they move to face to face learning or continue with schooling from home, their state of hypervigilance will continue to remain and with that, continued exhaustion, reduced ability to focus and emotional imbalance. There will be multiple instances of emotional outbursts, temper - tantrums, lethargy, intentional isolation, uninterested conversations and non-compliance with established family behaviour. JUNE I 2020
What we can do as parents and care-givers, is to begin with remembering - Our child is not giving us a hard time – our child is having a hard time. We must work with our child. They are affected by the changes whether they show it or not. Here are a few tips on facing this challenging time, leading children gently but persistently through this phase. 1. Mindful Breathing Help your child learn to navigate stress and negative emotions by calming their breath. Mindful breathing for the little ones: Smell a flower – blow a candle technique Inhale – close your mouth and inhale through the nose – as if smelling a rose Exhale – breathe out through your mouth as if blowing a candle. Repeat 10 times. If it helps, play music that your child enjoys listening to. Mindful breathing for the older kids www.DesiAustralia.com
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Yoga
Sitting in a lotus position, Inhale deeply and then exhale. Slowly guide yourself to bring your attention to your breath. That alone has the power to bring calm and steadiness. calm you and steady you. As the you inhale and exhale you could listen to calming music, repeat affirmations or even go through your Gratitude list (mentioned further in the article). 2. Yoga, Movement and Stillness Look after yourselves – together – through yoga and mindfulness.A few minutes spent bending and stretching in simple asanas will help you and your child spend some time on yourselves and reconnect in a different space. Tadasana(Mountain pose), Vrksasana(Tree pose), Vidharbasana(Warrior 1 and Warrior II) are some simple poses to try(even for beginners) for bringing instant calm. Also equally effective, is spending a few minutes in stillness. Encourage your child to be comfortable in sitting in silence and being still for a few minutes every day. Alternatively, they could listen to their favourite music or gaze upon an image that they find soothing. Closing eyes and focusing on your breath are another normalising technique that works well with older children. 3. Gratitude reflection for the kids: Making a personal gratitude list might help your child find security in this time of crisis. When working with children, it is important to note that they think differently than adults. A gratitude list that focuses on specifics will work more effectively with children. Encourage your child tolist all the things that they still have/can enjoy even when the world seems so different to what they are used to. Here are some reflections of children I have worked with: I am grateful for 1. S unny mornings and hand sanitisers (Anya 11yrs) 2. Emails from my BFF every day (Abby 15yrs) 3. Dora and rainbows (Amyra 4yrs) 4. My new bike (Josh 7yrs) Making a gratitude list is a thought-provoking exercise that makes children think deeply about what they have to be grateful for simultaneously helping them to realise how their circumstances may be more fortunate Download Our App
than many other children around the world. Encourage your child to reflect on this list regularly adding to it as they go along. 4. Listen. Talk. Connect. It is essential that you spend time listening to your child. Let them know that they are safe in sharing their thoughts with you. Allow your child to give voice to how they are feeling. Walk with them through the actual situation and analyse what is real and what is an imaginary extension of their fears. How your child perceives the pandemic and its impact on them is largely dependent on your own perception of the situation. For this reason, it is important that you address your own thoughts and anxieties before you communicate with your child. Sharing ideas with your child on how you feel equally vulnerable and what strategies you use to cope with your feelings of anxiety can go a long way in making the child feel they are not alone and that their fears/ concerns/ hopes are real. 5. Disconnect to connect - Cut down device time. Get off the internet. In the present scenario, children are exposed, more than ever before, to technology and internet, being dependent on these for everything from schooling to keeping connected with their friends. However, long hours on devices will only result in a heightened reliance on technology which, although crucial at this time, has emotional limits and most likely result in worsened mental and physical health.
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If you can go out, do so. Step out into your garden, your balcony, a nearby park. A quick walk with your child, even if it’s a short stroll on your street, in silence can bring a calming effect on them. If nothing else, they know they are not alone, they have you with them. 6. Warm hugs and smiles Nothing says ‘you are loved’ like a warm hug. From the little ones to the older kids, they can all do with an extra cuddle, a warm hug, words of encouragement, a pat on the shoulder, a wink, a smile, a gentle kiss when being tucked into bed in these trying times. Such gestures are more essential now than ever before, because they speak louder than any words can in letting these little persons know that they are safe and loved. And guess what, warm hugs work magic on reducing stress levels of parents too! In it together It helps in knowing that we are not alone. This is a global crisis and parents all over the world are struggling to find a balance in the madness of trying to successfully juggle housework, work from home, home-schooling and at the same time, providing support to their families and managing their own stress levels. However, know that while everyone is in it together, it is up to you to map your personal journey of finding ways to stay in balance and guiding your child along this path to ensure their wellbeing and yours. Yours mindfully, Rajni Follow Rajni on Facebook @YogaWithRajni www.DesiAustralia.com
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Mag Corner
Death Is Beautiful, If You Die Happily It is obvious that sudden attack of epidemic has created panic. This piece of writing focuses on the various ways society has been affected by the Covid-19 including personal relationships.. Also presented that how the stress, fear, anxiety and depression have affected personal relationships during Covid-19, along with it I shared other concerned happenings due to emotional detachment. To fight with these circumstances robustly, a few approaches have also been purposed. To maintain mental health during social isolation, most important is to maintain relationships.
Prof (Dr) Parminder K. Saini (Gold Medalist)
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n just two months, pandemic has changed the way we live our lives. Corona virus reviled veracious facts of life. Perhaps it demonstrated the true color of human being. No doubt these three months have been the most challenging time which has changed life drastically. Where the spread of novel Corona Virus has resulted in pandemic, it has taken large number of lives globally, the affect of the same can also be seen on the very close relation-
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Mag Corner
ships. Many people did not take care about the very close relationships even. Though, safety angle is justified but high level of self centeredness and selfishness come out that ultimately revealed the intensions of human being. People refused to cremate their own family members because of the fear of corona or may be death. During epidemic a few people did not even take care about the emotions in the relationships. People exhibited their actual characteristics and explored true color of their so called love, care, soul attachments etc. To maintain health is prime importancefully convinced, but it is equally important to justify the value of relationships. No one in the world has managed to get away from the terror of pandemic. Due to lack of vaccination and sudden spread of disease, the whole world depends upon lockdown, quarantine and curfew to suspend and monitor the multiply of Corona virus. To fight this pandemic almost everybody has been impacted by the effects of lockdown and isolation. Like many others, we at Sainik Institutes of Management & Technology (Department of Defence Services Welfare, Govt. of Punjab, India), have also been impacted by the effects of lockdown and isolation, but senior Army Officers and the Academicians are committed to keep the students connected and delighted. As a result we are able to educate the young professionals through online teaching and many other creative activities despite the challenges of Covid-19. Other than the young professionals, we must take care of our senior citizens particularly who can be easily affected by the virus. Our proactive actions and timely care can help the seniors to face difficult time without feeling helpless. The best remedy is not to create panic, instead stay updated and prepared.
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It has been seen that how strangely Covid-19 affected our relationships: 4 Are people feeling more concerned or more reluctant towards close relations even? 4 How are the employees feeling about working from home suddenly? 4 During lockdown, how people changed their attitude abruptly? 4 How a family becomes important & everything else suddenly becomes secondary? 4 How you stop loving someone unexpectedly? 4 Why lack of feelings, mysterious stress, anxiety and unfolded numbness in communication spoils relations & leads to separation? 4 How smartly people Turn Off their feelings suddenly during lockdown? 4 How to crack the code of mute issues? These are a few questions that verify how the world has changed drastically. Due to several deaths of Covid-19 in the world, the intensity of fear and anxiety among people has amplified. Feelings of fear and uneasiness can be expected during the epidemic, as due to the outbreak of the virus a number of issues raised. Many people
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are worried about physical health, investments, livelihood and mental health. However, it is important that we discover to handle stress before it converted into depression, because our state of mind too affects immunity and physical health. Problem foundation and Approach to deal with the situation To create a constructive atmosphere, it is important to look after and offer yourself an option to mold yourself in a peaceful shape. I personally experienced the following: Practiced meditation, Yoga, Yogmudra, Pranayama (extension of the breath), maintained fitness & healthy lifestyle by taking healthy diet, did exercise regularly, got quality sleep, taken special care of the senior people, made time for hobbies I could not enjoy it earlier due to workload or time constraints, etc. Since I have flair for writing, I come across many people during online meetings & come to know the various hidden suffering of the people which I tried to explore in the next part of the article. Emotional Detachment Social distancing is need of the hour but not emotional disconnection. Yet, many people suffered a lot due to emotional detachment, because
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Mag Corner
emotional detachment is unwillingness to link with other people on emotional level. Person may feel muted. This is also known as emotional blunting. It can leads to complexity in rising and sustaining personal relationships. Continues detachment leads to doubtfulness and suffering. Prolonged suffering is strong foundation for depression. Severe levels of high stress also trigger feelings of emotional numbness. Sufferer may experience unguided thoughts & assumptions that ultimately lead to Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Different people used different method to deal with this critical situation. A few are explained if anybody evaluates himself in this situation: 4 Identify hotspot for the malfunction & change the living style. Also take a break from the same routine. 4 Identify the toxicity and get away from the toxic people. 4 Come across a healthy outlet to express sentiments. 4 Make phone call/s to them whom you feel good to be with. 4 Activate & exert yourself, never sit unoccupied. 4 Create energy through morning walk, exercise, hygienic food and meditation. 4 Sing your favorite song. 4 Play music, act or dance in front of family/friends or mirror. 4 Pen down your thoughts. Turn off feelings during lockdown I received a query from various people, “Can a person just Turn Off his feelings during lockdown?” The above query has given me another chance to analyze people a bit more. It has been seen that as long as people are in working mode, they can temporarily express those feelings during day to day working, in their personal hidden style. During lockdown without the formation of work, their feelings (or stress) are ar-
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Fig. 1.1 Roster ticulated through physical symptoms but they represent to pose comfortable in muted mode. It is very common to observe that sufferers experiencing feelings through affects such as headaches or backaches etc. However; they appear to be cut off from their feelings but internally channelizing their thoughts continuously that ultimately leads to discomfort in relations. Sufferers will weave & deal with their own web of thoughts & planning to fulfill undisclosed motive. Fear of insecurity, lack of faith in relations advice them to hide their feelings & ultimately deadlock take place. Crack the Code of above query It is not lockdown when they Turn off their feelings but it is the particular time when they were not in working mode due to lockdown and got sufficient time to weave their web of unguided thoughts regarding terror of death, fear of society, weight of responsibilities or apprehension of status. Lack of confidence in relation and dearth of capability to get firm decision is the main cause behind such issues. Simplicity in relationships, transparency in dealing with each
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other, honesty in communication and loyalty in love are enough to develop & empower any relationship. If you are away from your loved ones, regular phone calls for their reassurance and satisfaction can help both sides to easily go through such difficult time stretch. To control fears, it is important for you to stay cool but updated, as well as handle your stress methodically. Due to lockdown when you are not able to go to office, just appreciate the technology, still, at home you can do almost everything professionally (talk, see, discuss with all the team members, put digital signatures etc.). In the close relations if you are not able to meet whom you love the most, just think “I care for him beyond measure & will cherish him in my heart. Since we are not living together, we will have more things to share & discuss at the end of the day. Hats off to the technology (Phone called, Chat, video calling, conferencing etc.). There is high need to carry out social distancing & isolation but a sensible person will practice the same without disturbing his mental health and true relations. Stay concerned and con-
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Mag Corner
liking; also take part in activities you like doing together such as movies, games, gardening, sharing positive emotions and personal experiencesrather than frustration, disappointment and Silence. Lockdown is the right time to practice eating, sleeping and awakening activities timely, see figure 1.1:
nected, positive social connections are essential for the betterment of mental health and it can help us cope in time of stress. During lockdown we are being asked to distance ourselves from others but it is pertinent to mention that we must maintain our emotional level of attachment and social networks through various techniques of communication. Exchange a few words about your concerns and seek support from one another, maintain your relation by being caring and respectful of each other in times of difficulty. Identify the liking and dis-
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Maintaining your mental health during social isolation The challenges associated with social distancing and isolation, including reduced income resources and separation form loved ones is leading some people to experience feelings of frustration, depression and anxiety. Whatever the circumstances are, try to save your relations. Resentment grows when someone feels unheard, disconnected or dismissed. Relationship is like a job; one has to work hard to get in it and has to work even harder to live in it. It is natural to feel anxious and sad during prolonged separation. Anguish may lead the sufferer to depression. Staying connected with your loved ones is another remedy for getting rid of tough time and making your relationship more strong. Always keep in mind that: (a) Do not forget to check in with senior citizens, elderly relatives and neighbors. Help them as much as you can, please do not leave them alone in this critical time. (b) It is compulsory to take physical care but remain more concerned remotely with the help of technology. Do not be reluctant towards close relations; it injures the one who is truly attached during normal circumstances. (c) Do not change your attitude immediately; let the others prove first that they are also concerned to your wellbeing and will never put you in trouble. (d) Ofcourse your family is important
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but do not make other relations secondary suddenly. (e) If you feel getting frustrated with somebody, do not be too hard. It is a tough time for everybody. Make an effort to format your tough time into manageable chunks. This will facilitate to generate a routine & compress frustration. (f) Do not stop loving someone surprisingly. Since a relationship is a two-way street, it is need of the hour to stride together & struggle jointly. Death is permanent and it is beautiful if you are dying happily and life is worse if you are unhappy, irritated and unsatisfied during day to day living. Life is not to sit at home & wait for death. It is to fight with the circumstances strongly & bravely. Hopefully soon, cure for Covid-19 can be found, but the most important is to save our relationships, keeping moral high, feeling positive & connected. Though, safety & protection is very important during epidemic but those who love deeply & care honestly were prepared actively and conquer successfully. The world has already changed drastically; try to put your efforts to prove your relations. Everything can change suddenly, even the whole universe too, but your love, care, affection and respect will remain constant forever but only if our intensions are true. Prof (Dr) Parminder K. Saini, ( Gold Medalist) Dean Academics, Department of Computer Science, Sainik Institute of Management & Technology, Hoshiarpur Campus Runs under the aegis of Directorate Defence Services Welfare, Punjab Affiliated to IKG Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, Punjab, India pparminderksaini@gmail.com
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Talent
Just do what you love A NSW State Netball and Basketball player, NSW State Band Champion, Bhangra dancer and singer, Ruhani is also sitting for her HSC in what has been a tumultuous year with COVID-19.
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t 17, Ruhani Dhillon hopes that her humble achievements in music and sports will serve as an inspiration to younger Indian and Sikh girls. “Growing up, I had no idea what I wanted to be or what was ahead of me.” A NSW State Netball and Basketball player, NSW State Band Champion, Bhangra dancer and singer, Ruhani is also sitting for her HSC in what has been a tumultuous year with COVID-19. “It has been a challenge trying to juggle my music, dance and netball commitments, alongside studying. This year in particular has been really tough, given I am in Year 12 and how COVID-19 has coincided with my final year in high school.” At its peak, just before COVID-19 hit, Ruhani’s schedule involved netball training three times a week, Bhangra rehearsals three times a week, and Band practice up to four times a week, in addition to school and tuition. At school, she is part of the Wind Ensemble, Orchestra and Stage Band, which also involves rehearsals before and after school. Ruhani says the only way she is keeping her head above water is constant reminders from her parents to focus on what’s most important or due immediately. “We often wonder how we fit it all in. My parents take turns to get me to my rehearsals and training on time. It sometimes means eating or studying in the car while getting from one place to another.” Download Our App
As a direct consequence of this commitment, some of Ruhani’s most notable accolades in sports include: In 2016 and 2018, Ruhani represented NSW in Indoor Netball and travelled to Melbourne and the Gold Coast to play for a National title. She won Player of the Final in the NSW 2019-2020 Metro Super League Netball. At the 2019 Australian Sikh Games, Ruhani was awarded the Supreet Kaur Scholarship for excellence in netball.She represented the Hills District Netball Association between 2014 and 2018, representing the State twice. In 2017, she won the Under 15’s NSW Combined High Schools Netball State Championships in Wollongong. JUNE I 2020
Between 2011 and 2018, Ruhani played for Beecroft Netball Club and won three grand finals as the team’s shooter. She now plays in the Dooleys Metro League, one of the premier netball competitions in NSW. In basketball, Ruhani played with the Hornsby Spiders and took out the Under 12 Girls NSW Basketball Junior State Championship, remaining undefeated against Illawarra, Dubbo, Sutherland, Newcastle. “I draw my inspiration in sports from both my Dad and Mum. My Dad still plays cricket today and is respected for the maturity he brings to the game. He was also a fantastic kabbadi player in his early years - representing Australia in Canada and New Zealand. www.DesiAustralia.com
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Talent
My Mum is a long-distance runner and showed me that anything is possible when she trained for six months to run her first half-marathon. I think role models are so important for children - to encourage them and show them what is possible.” When asked what got her into music, Ruhani said, “I have grown up in a family that loves singing and music in general. My parents sing more than they talk. When I was eight years old, I attended a band orientation at school and expressed my interest in becoming a percussionist because I really loved the drums.” Today Ruhani is a percussionist and plays a wide variety of instruments including the marimba, xylophone, timpani, and drum kit. During her free time, she turns to her guitar which she taught herself to play and breaks into a song. Ruhani’s commitment to music has resulted in the following accomplishments: In 2018, Ruhani was named the Under 19 Percussion Champion at the NSW State Band Solos and Party Championships. In 2018, she completed her Trinity Guildhall Orchestral Percussion Grade 8 with a Distinction. In 2016, she was the awarded Juvenile Percussion Champion of the Year at the NSW State Band Solos and Party Championships. In 2014, Ruhani went on her first international music tour to Singapore with the Beecroft Primary School Senior Concert Band. Between 2011 to 2019, she was part of a percussion ensemble called Drumfill which performed around Australia and won multiple awards. Ruhani was also a part of the Northern Sydney Youth Orchestra between 2014 and 2019.
my love for Bhangra. I also feel that it is so important to stay connected to your culture and community. I’ve enjoyed helping Sikh Youth Australia, starting with Sikh to Give where we collect preloved clothes and sell them to raise funds for the less fortunate, the Divine Steps Festival in 2019 and more recently with the production of the world’s first shabad video collaboration.
Linking her passion for music and sports to the community, in 2017, Ruhani joined a Bhangra group as a junior member and quickly progressed to the intermediate and senior levels. “I’ve always loved dancing as it’s a great form of fitness and stress-relief. I started off with Bollywood dancing at the age of four but then found my cultural roots through
“My parents have always encouraged me to follow my passion without applying any pressure to excel. For them, all that matters is that I am doing what I love most. They’ve also never said no to anything I want to do and constantly give me a million (but super useful) pep talks before all matches and exams.” Looking ahead, Ruhani’s dream is to
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become a professional musician. “I’m not sure yet if that means I will be a performer or a teacher, but I would love to pursue a career in music. I know that most people associate success with being a doctor, engineer or lawyer but I’m so thankful that is not how my family thinks. My advice to all youngsters would be to just do what you love because that’s what you will do your best in.” “I will continue to play netball for as long as I can, and would love to start coaching younger girls within our community. It would be amazing to see more Indian and Sikhs girls make it to National and State level so they can become beacons of our cultural heritage that is so deeply rooted in sports and music.” www.DesiAustralia.com
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Fashion
It’s really what’s above the desk that counts
norm, you’ll want to wear makeup to hide undereye circles or flaws in your complexion. But try to find that happy medium; you don’t want to slather on too much makeup and look.
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By: Abbey Singh
s our professional lives switch from face-to-face meetings to Skype and Zoom, making a good impression requires a new
How you position your camera matters too. You don’t have to put your face on the screen like a dinner plate. It may be called a laptop, but putting your computer on your lap for a video call is a quick way to make yourself look much worse than usual. position your camera at or just above eye level, and moving yourself slightly further away from it. Make
sure your background is clean too, “nobody wants to see last night’s dinner.” If you’re using FaceTime or an iPhone, “there are filters you can muck around with them. On Zoom, there’s a face softening filter that will put your camera into a softer focus. Hope these tips will give you desired results Wishing you all good luck for your next online meeting.
approach.
Here are a few tips to make sure your television appearance gets you noticed, and in a good way. Make sure your clothes are comfortable. Don’t pick a suit you hate to wear because you think it looks great. If you’re uncomfortable, it’ll show on your face and in your body language. Since high-definition televisions are the Download Our App
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Mag Corner
Shyamla Eswaran Awarded Premier’s Honour
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performing artist and choreographer who delivers Indian cultural dance workshops to young people has been awarded top honours by the NSW Government. The Australian National Maritime Museum Arts and Culture Medal was awarded to Shyamla Eswaran as part of the 2020 Premier’s Multicultural Community Medals. Acting Minister for Multiculturalism Geoff Lee congratulated Ms Eswaran on her achievements, particularly in light of the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). “Now more than ever, community leaders are playing an important role,” Mr Lee said. “During COVID-19, incredible leaders like Shyamla continue to engage and connect with people in a time where physical distancing has challenged the way communities interact.” Member for Heathcote Lee Evans said it was outstanding to see a local community member recognised with the prestigious medal. “Shyamla was born and raised in the Sutherland Shire and continues to contribute immensely to our local community,” Mr Evans said.
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“She has toured the country with a range of cultural dance workshops and shows, including the immensely successful Bollykids program.” “Bollykids has introduced hundreds of young people to Indian culture and fosters cross cultural connections.” Shyamla said she was deeply humbled to receive the award for her Bollykids Preschool Show. “Art has the unique ability to open minds and change hearts so it’s important to acknowledge the crucial role that Arts & Culture plays in both promoting and increasing social inclusion, cultural diversity and empathy,” Ms Eswaran said. “I look forward to continuing to educate the next generation through my performances and programs, encouraging our little ones to appreciate difference and to ensure people from other countries feel welcome before they enter school.” “All cultures deserve to be represented, appreciated and celebrated to more accurately reflect the incredible diversity of people in NSW.” The Premier’s
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Mag Corner
The Premier’s Multicultural Community Medals are traditionally awarded at the annual Premier’s Harmony Dinner gala event. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Premier’s Multicultural Community Medals were awarded virtually.
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Mag Corner
Illustrious life of the Royal Bengal Tiger As cyclone Amphan destroyed Asia’s largest book market in College Street, Kolkata, I read the Animalia Indica.
Indranil Halder
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n it, I came across a story entitled , “The Last Tiger” by Ruskin Bond. A statement caught my eye. It says , ‘ A tiger has his dignity to preserve! ‘
Recognised as king of the jungle with a fearsome reputation, the tiger avoid humans. The tiger used to roam across the Asian continent and is part of the culture of many south and south east asian countries such as Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and South Kore. In these countries, influence of the tiger is also represent in cosmologies, mythology and religion. The tiger has always been a part of the Indian civilisation, heritage and culture. According to National Geographic, “ Over many centuries they have become an important part of Indian tradition and lore.” Historically, the tiger had a significant presence in the Indus Valley Civilization, Hindu mythology and Vedic era. During the Hindu festival such as Durga pujo , Goddess Durga is always associated with a tiger, as the animal vehicle of Goddess Durga. Indian state of West Bengal is fortunate to have the Bengal tiger, also known as the Royal Bengal Tiger or the Indian tiger , is to call their own. It is time to look at what makes the life of the Download Our App
Bengal tiger illustrious. There are four main areas to take into consideration. Habitat : Sundarbans The Sundarbans is an unique Bengal tiger habitat. It has world’s largest mangrove forest of 10,000 km² shared between India and Bangladesh. The Sundarbans is formed at the delta of 3 rivers where the Bengal tiger lives. JUNE I 2020
The Bengal tiger co -exists with the Gangetic dolphins, estuarine crocodiles, Olive Ridley turtles ,spotted deer, wild boar, gaur, water buffalo and mud crabs in between the Sundari trees. The beauty of Sundarbans was described by writer Amitav Ghosh, in his novel, The Hungry Tide as : “A mangrove forest is utterly unlike other woodlands or jungles. There are no towering, vine-looped trees, no ferns, no wildflowers, no www.DesiAustralia.com
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Mag Corner
chattering monkeys or cockatoos. Mangrove leaves are tough and leathery, the branches gnarled and the foliage often impassively dense. Visibility is short and the air still and fetid. At no moment can human beings have any doubt of the terrain’s hostility to their presence, of its cunning and resourcefulness, of its determination to destroy or expel them. Every year, dozens of people perish in the embrace of that dense foliage, killed by tigers, snakes and crocodiles.” The Sundarbans is equally important as the African savanna, the Amazon rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef with its natural resources, various inhabitants and the largest symbiotic ecosystem of its kind. The Bengal tiger also shares the Sundarbans’ ecosystem with agriculturists, fishermen and honey gatherers. Author Neil Grant’s wonderful story of a young man named Rudra and his connection to West Bengal and the man-eating Bengal tiger, highlights Sundarbans as the home of the Bengal tiger. This is their habitat , there they swim, they stalk , they hunt. Rudra, the character from his book, “Honeyman and The Hunter “ retells stories told by his grandmother of her childhood in the Sundarbans. The fragile coexistence of the Bengal tiger and the human population is also explored by author Annu Jalais. She pioneered an anthropological work “ Forest of Tigers: People, Politics and Environment in the Sundarbans.” While, Sujit Mukherjee from the University of Wollongong, Australia looked at the connection of the Bengal tiger in fictional characters associated with Sundarbans, stated in his paper :Tigers in Fiction: An Aspect of the Colonial Encounter stated ’,’As for the tiger achieving the dignity of literature, this was provided by snake- and tiger-infested lower Bengal in eastern India which cultivated, in addition to the snake goddess Manasa, a number of tiger deities, chief among which was Dakshin Raye. Worshipped even now in the Sunder- bans region, this neighbourhood deity was eulogised in numerous folk verses and one famous long poem, the Rayemangal of Krishnaram Das, a Bengali work composed in about 1786. The poem that celebrated supremacy of two local deities of the area, Daksin Ray (Lord of the South) and Bada-khan Ghazi (Big Khan the Ghazi) of the Muslims’, thereby also signifying that the awe and dread of the lord of the Sunderban jungle was shared by both communities.’ It highlights the integration of the Sundarbans into the Bengali culture. The Sundarbans is not just a part of the Bengali culture but of the global Download Our App
, a Bengal tiger and a local boy who helped the captured animals was a great success. The Bengal tiger has been associated with many British Raj stories too. One such story is “The Tiger and Ruby,” the author Kief Hillsbery, who is the nephew of Nigel Halleck wrote about Neil. Neil, left Britain as a clerk for the East India Company and disappearing in the mountain kingdom of Nepal. Tracing his ancestor’s journey, Nigel travelled from Lahore to Calcutta to Kathmandu to find out Neil was a friend to an Afghan prince (Sa’adat al-Mulk),book-keeper in an opium warehouse and hunter of the Bengal tiger.
cultural too. Known to traders from the ancient world of Arabia, Greece and Rome, the traders of Portuguese, English and French origin who came to know about the Sundarbans in 12th century as trade increased. The Sundarbans has gone through significant changes and today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It remains the home of the Bengal tiger across Bangladesh and India. Influence : Art, Literature & Aristocratic Lifestyle Children in India grow up listening to stories of the Bengal tiger. And stories of Tipu Sultan’s love for Bengal tiger is one such story. Tipu had two live Bengal tigers in his palace , tiger was the symbol on his sword and his throne was a life-sized tiger crusted with gold and precious stones. His other most famous item is Tipu’s Tiger ( in Victoria and Albert Museum, London has a life-sized wooden musical toy in the form of a tiger made around 1793) which makes ‘the growling roar of the Bengal tiger’. And fascinating stories span around Tipu’s love for the Bengal tiger. Over time, several authors have written about this fascinating tiger. Rudyard Kipling created Shere Khan as the famous Bengal tiger in the Jungle Book. Yann Martel won the Man Booker Prize in 2002 for his novel-Life of Pi, which tells the story of a 16 year old Indian boy castaway on the Pacific Ocean with a Royal Bengal Tiger. Life of Pi went on to win four Oscar in Hollywood at the 85th Academy Awards for directing, visual effects, cinematography and music. The Hollywood movies have been celebrating the Bengal tiger for many decades. In 1949, another American adventure film Song of India involved a young arrogant Indian prince, his girl JUNE I 2020
The Bengal tiger used to roam in the Asian subcontinent in large numbers but that was not the case in India after the British Raj rule. Tiger hunting became a glamour sport that drew crowds from the UK and the USA. The violence of the tiger hunt was highlighted inNightrunners of Bengal (1951) by John Masters. He penned a line that said,‘ firing practically into the teeth of a wounded tigress (see chapter seven) before he can impress an Indian princess.’ William Manchest’s Shadow of the Monsoon (1956) depicted a string of tiger-shooting. The stories of the tiger-hunting was part of British Raj mythology and paintings in British canvases across the empire. John Zoffany’s painting ‘The Death of the Royal Tiger’(1795) also portrayed the hunting of Bengal tiger. In 1890, sketches like ‘Tiger Shooting in India’ made during Prince Albert Victor’s Indian trip. Tiger hunting, as sport was not reserved only for Europeans or Americans but also became fashionable amongst many Indians. Represented in the Mughal miniatures paintings are images of the tiger hunting. Across the Indian subcontinent, paintings of Maharajas killing tigers are common in palaces. In the state of West Bengal, paintings of the Bengal tiger , taxidermied large the Bengal tiger heads with chandeliers and ceiling high Belgian glass mirrors in mansions and the tiger skins are still symbols of prestige in Bengali upper crust. The Indian royals and elites would also attend shikar ( hunt) parties with their English counterparts. It was not just reserved for the men. Women also participated. Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur , was one of the world’s Ten Most Beautiful Women (Vogue magazine), often went to shikars with her husband Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II. A certain, Time magazine published article stated in her younger days, Maharani Gayatri Devi hunted and killed 26 www.DesiAustralia.com
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Mag Corner
Bengal tigers.
powerful beast lacks intelligence especially in the company of a clever jackal. According to Sujit Mukherjee, “It must have been intended as adding their own tribute to the undisputed jungle overlord of eastern India. Yet the same region has fostered, especially in Bengali, any number of fables in which the strong but stupid tiger is outwitted by the clever jackal, thus demonstrating that familiarity had bred a certain measure of contempt. No factual study or fictional work by an English- man or woman has ever reflected this attitude, perhaps because the British in India never lived close enough to the tiger.” These societal comparisons of the Bengal tiger makes its life more illustrious.
In 2018, journalist Prasun Sonwalkar for the Hindustan Times London reported the story of a Bengal tigress in England from a set of rediscovered 18th century ledgers at the British Library. The story goes , an iconic Bengal tigress was presented to the fourth Duke of Marlborough in Oxfordshire. It was gifted by governor of the Bengal presidency, Clive of India. The Bengal tigress was kept at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, as an ultimate status symbols for wealthy British aristocracy. A British artist George Stubbs, painted the tiger three times. In 1995, one of those paintings was sold in 1995 for £7.9 million. Before the end of the British rule in India, the local Maharajahs ruled nearly 550 Indian princely states. They would help subjects to over come problem of man-eating Bengal tigers. Maharaj Kumar Jitendra Narayan Bhup Bahadur of Cooch Behar state would hunt man-eating Bengal tigers around the Himalayan foothills to save their subjects. Man-eating the Bengal tiger is still a problem. Dane Huckelbridge wrote in her book , “No Beast So Fierce “: The Terrifying True Story of the Champawat Tiger, The deadliest animal in History, about a man eating serial killer, the Bengal tiger in Nepal. Through literally work, the Bengal tiger found its presence in war-torn Baghdad too. Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo , is a play by Rajiv Joseph and in his book, the author characterised the Bengal tiger at the Baghdad Zoo that wandered through the war-torn Iraqi landscape looking for answers but unable to find any. There are several contemporary documentary stories of the Bengal tiger which include The True Story of Machli, the World’s Most Famous Tiger by Jason Bittel published in National Geography, (published December 12, 2017) where the author identified a 19 year old tiger Machli , she attacked crocodiles, defended cubs from males, and managed to survive for years with one eye. And the story of this Bengal tigress in India’s Ranthambore National Park, was the favourite amongst both domestic and international tourists. Recently, rumour mills were in overdrive as the news of J.K. Rowling’s new book called What’s Left of the Jungle Book, to be published on a tourist guide at a West Bengal tiger reserve in India. Societal Comparison: Download Our App
In our society, the strength of human characters are compared to the strength of the Bengal tiger. The number of the Bengal tiger may have decreased significantly, but life of the tiger was preserved, when the British Raj first awarded the title ‘Royal Bengal Tiger’. Also in the Bengali culture, the author often compare the strength of human characters to the strength of a Bengal tiger. In the early 1870s , a certain stubborn teenager from a middleclass Bengali Hindu family joined a wrestling gymnasium in Dacca. The young wrestler was the pioneer of the cult of physical strength and courage in undivided Bengal. Author Arpita Mukherjee in her bookThe Monk Who Tamed the Tiger: Biography of Paramhangsa Soham Swami explored Soham’s life. While, Tiger Women by Sirsho Bandyopadhyay also explored Priyanath Bose who is considered to be one of the pioneers of circus in India. In 1887, he was the founder of the Great Bengal Circus. Sushila Sundari who was the first Indian woman went on to perform in a circus with two Bengal tigers is part of Tiger Womenstory. The flamboyant sport of horse polo had a team from Kolkata, India named Bengal Tigers for their excellent polo playing skills. Their skills were matched by their name. In the glory days of the Calcutta Polo Club, polo was a passion for many Maharajahs, members of the Indian army and Bengali elites. In 1979, the fierce Bengal Tigerstoured south-east Asia and Australia. This Kolkata polo team also won the Centenary Gold Cup in 1961 which is played every 100 years. The witty Bengali writers celebrate the closeness of their culture with the Bengal tiger as they continue to write stories of how the JUNE I 2020
Awareness: The Bengal tiger and its habitat are under threat due to climate change, wildlife trade and lack of awareness. In Australia, the awareness about the Bengal tiger is raised through zoos and media reports. The animal is looked after throughout its life. It was reported in 2016,Bakkar, the beloved Bengal tiger at Canberra’s National Zoo and Aquarium, passed away due to old age at 21. In 2017, Dreamworld Australia’s oldest Bengal TigerRama had passed away with kidney failure. And in 2020, Indira the Bengal Tiger from Zambi Wildlife Park in Sydney’s west had minor eye surgery as reported. An Australian designer Camilla had an eye catching print of the Bengal tiger in jewelled turban on leather handbags to match her 2018 exquisite and colourful Indian print kaftan collection. In India, awareness about Bengal tiger is being raised since 1970s. In 1973, theSunderbans’ Tiger Reserve is one of the first of the nine tiger reserves to be created as part of Project Tiger . The reserve is spread across 2,500sqkm. Indian hotel chains to fashion designers to wineries have joined the movement to raise awareness about Bengal tiger. TAj Safari , part of TAj Hotel, had organised 2019 jungle safari holiday package, A Trail of The Mysterious Bengal Tiger for guests to enjoy the majestic tiger in Indian summer. The hotel also has the logo of a tiger on its TAj Club tote shopping bag. Indian Fashion designer to Bollywood Stars, Sabyasachi Mukherjee has the Royal Bengal Tiger as his offical logo. The Royal Bengal Tiger logo could be found itself in exquisite waistbands of beaded lehngas, belts and bags of Sabyasachi collection. Founder Rajeev Samant from Sula Vineyard launching a new winery and part of the proceeds from the wines has been used towards spreading www.DesiAustralia.com
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Mag Corner
of Bengal Tiger inside a palace. Increased awareness, has definitely improved protection of the Bengal tiger, thus increasing the tiger population. So is the “Wild Tiger” painting by a Brazilian artist Ricardo Siccuro, is of the Bengal tiger. In 2019, Sikkimese forest department, had for the first time captured on camera a royal Bengal tiger roaming the Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary in East district at an altitude of 9,583ft.
awareness about Bengal tiger. In Indian state of West Bengal, artist Bhaskar Chitrakar of Kalighat, is reviving this style “kalighat pata” painting from 19th and early 20th centuries and he celebrated the Bengal tiger in his painting Tiger Women like other ‘patuas’ or painters to raise awareness about the Bengal tiger. And the cafe cultural explosion in the cultural capital of India,has a Royal Bengal Tiger Cafe in Kolkata, dedicated to the love of the majestic Bengal tiger. It is also raising much needed awareness on the tiger conservation with cafe goers. While in Bangladesh, the national cricket team is raising awareness by calling themselves: ‘ The Tigers’ after the Bengal tiger. The state government of West Bengal, India is working diligently with environmentalists to raise awareness and protect the home of Bengal tiger, the Sundarbans. The reason being, India is experience a new era of development in road and railway infrastructure and the home of the Bengal tiger had been crouched upon by human since 1830. In 1830, 85,000 acres of land was in Meghna Estuary was cleared for cultivation and in 1862, 8650 acres of land was again cleared and named Port Canning( after Governor General of India), thus reducing the habitat of the Bengal tiger in Sundarbans. In Italy, fashion designer Gucci’s Bengal Tiger Print Jacket featuring had been immensely popular with young and trendy fashionistas, possibly raising awareness with young people. The Bengal tiger has also been celebrated in Sundaram Tagore Gallery, Singapore as it hosted Karen Knorr’s imagery of majestic India. In 2014, The Wall Street Journal reported in an article , ‘In Pictures: Tigers in Palaces, Horses in Havelis’ by Shanoor Seervai , the photographic presence Download Our App
In 2020, the popular Netflix series ‘Tiger King’ also raised awareness by highlighting the barbaric treatment, breeding and selling of the Bengal tigers such as ‘Bengali’ with other tiger species in captivity.The television series raised serious questions about the legal protection for tigers in private zoos across United States of America. And four years ago a pet Bengal tiger escaped from a private home and made headline news as it was spotted roaming on a busy highway. Panjo, the 140kg pet Bengal tiger in South Africa broke free from the back of a vehicle on his way to veterinary clinic. Again, it highlighted the issue of the Bengal tiger as pet away from the natural habitat. Bhutan also reported recent sighting of a Bengal tiger in Ripu Reserve Forest, 3km from the India-Bhutan international border . This gave hope to the Bengal tiger survival in the wild as research by leading author Dr Sharif Mukul, an assistant professor at Independent University Bangladesh, casted doubt on the long term survival of the Bengal tiger in the wild. He published a paper in the journal, Science of The Total Environment which stated , “Fewer than 4,000 Bengal tigers are alive today. Dr Mukul also said “What is most terrifying is that our analyses suggest tiger habitats in the Sundarbans will vanish entirely by 2070.” The publication was a collaborative work with his Australian counterpart Professor Bill Laurance from James Cook University. The Bengal tiger should be increasingly featured in the currency notes, postage stamps and children’s online learning programs across the globe, just as they do in India and the Bangladesh respectively. It’s survival depend on us. And we have to preserve both its dignity and survival. To continue raising awareness about the Bengal tiger, it is time for me to celebrate the Bengal Tiger by cherishing my old memory to have hold two white orphan Bengal tiger cubs at the Kolkata Zoological Garden animal hospital with my brother. To celebrate International Tiger’s JUNE I 2020
Day ( 29/07) , I dedicate this poem “The Tyger” by English poet William Blake to the illustrious, powerful and majestic Bengal tiger. Tyger Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry? In what distant deeps or skies. Burnt the fire of thine eyes? On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand, dare seize the fire? And what shoulder, & what art, Could twist the sinews of thy heart? And when thy heart began to beat, What dread hand? & what dread feet? What the hammer? what the chain, In what furnace was thy brain? What the anvil? what dread grasp, Dare its deadly terrors clasp! When the stars threw down their spears And water’d heaven with their tears: Did he smile his work to see? Did he who made the Lamb make thee? Tyger Tyger burning bright, In the forests of the night: What immortal hand or eye, Dare frame thy fearful symmetry? We can’t lose our tigers Learn more about WWF’s work to double the number of wild tigers by 2022. To help support efforts to keep tiger in the wild, consider virtually adopting one today. www.DesiAustralia.com
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Astrology
Chakras and Auras explained By Sanjivani Kalsi
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id you ever wonder what the differences are between chakras and auras? Or how they work together? Did you ever think it might be use-
ful to know?
Understanding these energy centers is one way to enhance your spiritual unfoldment, psychic development, and gain more insight into this wild ride we call life. An Overview of Chakras and Auras *Chakras are multi-colored, beautiful spinning wheels in our energy fields. We have seven main chakra points. Here are the main ones: Crown chakra – located at the top of the head Third-eye chakra – between the eyebrows Throat chakra – at the throat Heart chakra – center of the chest, near the heart Solar plexus chakra – in the area of your naval Sacral chakra – lower abdomen/sacral vertebrae (lower back) area Root chakra – base of the spine Chakras show you the flow of energy throughout your endocrine system based on what you think and feel about your life at any moment in time. Your chakras are points where energy transfers. Your chakras can become blocked, just as your mind becomes blocked when you are working through a challenge in your life. In fact, the chakras can indicate where your emotional blockage is, so you can dive on in there fix it. It’s really powerful stuff! Some people can even see chakras and auras. You can develop your intuitive gifts to the point where Download Our App
you can see them, too. *Your Aura Your aura is the energy field that surrounds your body. It has seven layers to it. The layers are not perfectly “layered” on top of each other, but blend into one another. All living things have energy, therefore, have an aura: people, plants, rocks, and even your fuzzy little pet. The human aura extends out several feet around the body. Your aura tells a lot about you – like whether you are tired, happy, friendly, logical, depressed, etc. It’s like reading a map of energy! Think of your aura as your energetic “SPACE”. The colors of the aura and shades of intensity vary with emotion that you are currently projecting. Intense feelings = intense colors. Your aura can look healthy and vibrant and sparkle, or it can look unhealthy and have visible “holes”. How Chakras and Auras Work Together What makes chakras and auras appear as they do, and what makes them work the way they work? It’s all about your energy, of course! For example, every day, you think and feel emotion. You reason; you gather up data; you come to conclusions. All of this affects your chakras and auras. JUNE I 2020
When you are feeling positive and passionate, and decisions are easy, your chakras spin and energy flows effortlessly. Your aura layers shimmer with aliveness. But we don’t always feel like we’re walking on sunshine, right? We get stuck. We get headaches. We feel overwhelmed. We ponder; we fret; we wonder; we hope. It’s during those times that your chakras spin more slowly and sometimes stop or get entirely blocked. This affects your aura and causes it to look less vibrant and healthy. What causes your chakras and aura to to be less healthy? It’s the lower levels of energy we create with our thinking. Our chakras and aura colors are externalizations of the expressions of our thoughts, our feelings, and our moods or disposition. *Improve your chakras and auras and improve your life. MEDITATE Find a comfortable seat and lengthen your spine from your tailbone to your crown. Start to breathe deeply, focusing on sending your breath to a white flower at the crown of your head. As you continue to breathe, visualize this flower blossoming open, opening the crown of your head as a channel to the Universe, letting the bright white light of divine enter your energy field. When you feel complete, close with a deep breath in and a long breath out of your mouth. Good Vibezzzz Only www.DesiAustralia.com
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Sai Mandir
420 Liverpool Road, Strathfield, 2136
25 Rose Crescent Regents Park, 2143
NSW government has recently decided to relax certain restrictions to allow a maximum of 50 people at any point in time to offer prayers in the temple. Adhering to these rules,
Strathfield & Regents Park Sai Temple will re-open for public to visit. Temple timings during this period will be :
Monday to Friday. 5pm to 8pm Saturday & Sunday :10am to 1pm and 5pm to 8pm We humbly request all the devotees who visit Regents Park Sai Temple during these restriction period to follow below rules : 1. Devotees will be allowed into the temple for darshan only during the specified timings with registration. 2. Please take care of your kids. 3. Each batch of devotees will be given a maximum of 8 minutes to offer their prayers. 4. Please do not bring any dry or cooked Prasad until further notice. 5. Prasad will not be served in the temple during this period. 6. Please do not touch any deities or the Priest during your visit to the temple. 7. Please listen to priest’s instruction during your visit. 8. Social distancing should be strictly practiced for the entire duration of your visit. 9. Please come with face mask protection for your own safety as well as the safety of other devotees. 10. If you are unwell and have cough or flu like symptoms please stay home. 11. Arrangements will be made at the temple gates to allow devotees in batches.
Your utmost cooperation is required to keep our community safe and avoid spreading COVID-19. Sai Mandir Sydney Download Our App
1300 524 724
saimandir@gmail.com JUNE I 2020
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Mag Corner
More than Cricket, Curry and the Commonwealth: Forging a stronger Australia – India relationship
Whilst there have been false starts to the Australia – India relationship in the past, could the convergent COVID-19 pandemic and North Asian geopolitics tensions be the trigger for accelerating ties between our two countries towards a strategic partnership?
by Jai Patel
W
ith a surge in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, all eyes are on India’s response to the immediate health crisis and eventual return to economic activity and growth. Australia is well placed to assist India having (so far) managed successfully the twin health and economic crises. This will no doubt be a central theme at the bilateral virtual summit planned between Prime Ministers Morrison and Modi on 4 June. It is in Australia’s interests to not only share our recent experiences but to proactively work with India in strategic ways to partner across scientific & medical research, technology and innovation in the health sector.’ India has its work cut out to manage the health crisis and reinstate economic growth which in a pre COVID-19 world, was forecast to be at least 5-6 percent in FY20, but is now slashed by the Reserve Bank of India into negative territory for FY21. An economic recovery in the second half of the current fiscal year is
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critical not only to India’s economy, but also Australia’s as we seek to urgently diversify our trade and investment relationships. T he present geopolitical context provides Australia and India the opportunity to enshrine the economic relationship in fundamental shared values and strategic interests – moving away from the clichéd 3Cs of Cricket, Curry and the Commonwealth and an otherwise transactional attitude to business. A bilateral economic relationship built on these pillars will enable incremental and sustained growth into the longer term.
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In a post COVID-19 world – an era of rising geopolitical tensions, changing business models and shifts and realignments in global supply chains for greater business resilience and stability – Australia and India have the opportunity to refine and redirect focus on those areas and sectors where there are immediate and obvious demand and supply side requirements. Australia has much to gain from India’s recovery and continued growth trajectory over the next decade and beyond. This is the very crux of, An India Economic Strategy to 2035, (IES) commissioned by the Australian Govern-
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Mag Corner
ment and authored by Peter Varghese AO. The IES sets out in great detail an economic plan for Australian companies to study with an ambition for Australia to bring India into its top 3 export and investment markets. Mr Varghese asserts, “There is no market over the next 20 years which offers more growth opportunities for Australian business than India”. In a post COVID-19 world, all of the 10 sectors highlighted in the IES will continue to be of relevance for Australian organisations with defence and security being an increasingly prominent feature and matter of strategic importance in the bilateral relationship. For Australian businesses and tertiary institutions, there are 5 key areas of opportunity now and into the medium term. The first is education. Australian universities should reimagine more sustainable business models, leveraging online delivery to reach a larger international target market and help India achieve its massive education requirements. The IES contemplates a consortium of Australian universities setting up in India, the same India’s elite educational institutions (IIMs/IITs) should be encouraged to establish a presence in Australia to maximise the impact of two way skills and capability development for even greater collaboration in areas of R&D and industry commercialisation. The second priority sector is agribusiness. The opportunities for Australian agricultural and premium produce exports to India are opening up with barley and a variety of fruits the latest developments. India is a massive market of young, health conscious, vegetarian consumers seeking high quality fresh and safe fruit and vegetables. Indian beer makers may well welcome the opportunity to buy barley from Australia
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in a time where high tariffs in China are making exports less attractive. The current massive locust attack in India also highlights opportunities for Australia to help with crop protection solutions, and more broadly, methods for boosting crop productivity and yields. The third sector is resources and mining equipment, technology and services (METS). India’s recent announcement to open up the mining sector for private participation will see the acceleration of new mining projects and Australian METS providers are extremely well placed to participate. The fourth sector is health. Australia and India share competitive advantages in the areas of medical research and biotech which in the immediate term, could be focused on joint initiatives addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. The continuity and extension of the Australia India Strategic Research Fund will be critical for this purpose. Australian organisations have opportunities to help India build up its healthcare system and implement new and innovative service and delivery models such as tele-health. Australian life sciences companies are also encouraged to explore how they might participate in the expansion of the Indian pharmaceuticals industry in a post COVID-19 world. The fifth sector is infrastructure. India has announced the further opening up of sectors such as aviation and power distribution utilities for private investment participation over and above roads and highways, ports and railways infrastructure. Australian superannuation funds should continue their exploration of alternative large scale and higher yielding infrastructure investments outside of traditionally favoured western markets. Without adding a sixth sector, it
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goes without saying that as and when international travel resumes, there will be great demand and hence business opportunities in the tourism and ancillary services sectors. It’s probably also about time Australia rolls out the red carpet for another Bollywood blockbuster to be shot on our beautiful shores! India’s reciprocal Australia Economic Strategy (AES), which is expected to be launched imminently will complement the IES highlighting business opportunities for Indian companies through trade and investment with Australia. It will be the first of its kind for India with any nation. Through these complimentary and comprehensive bilateral reports, governments on both sides have set the strategic intent and aspiration for growing the bilateral economic relationship and this will no doubt be reinforced during the upcoming virtual summit which we expect to also cover broader cooperation in areas of defence and security, including conclusion of the much-awaited Mutual Logistics Sharing Pact. Businesses must now leverage these comprehensive blueprints and formulate their own specific plans to take tangible steps towards realising trade, investment and other collaboration opportunities. Critical to this is raising IndiaAustralia organisational literacy and awareness through to the board level. The 700,000+ strong Indian diaspora in Australia comprising both Australians of Indian origin and Indians resident in Australia should play an important role in this exciting future. About the author-Jai Patel is the Head of India Business Practice Asia and International Markets at KPMG, Sydney. Inputs have been take from Doug Ferguson in the writing of this article.
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Cover Story
Major General Premangsu Chowdry, Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society (FRGS), Mention-in-Dispatches (MiD)**, (Veteran):
3rd Battalion GARHWAL RIFLES; 3rd and 2nd Battalions 5th GORKHA RIFLES (FRONTIER FORCE)
A Military and Corporate Career par Excellence: {By Colonel Joseph Matthews (Veteran), Indian Army}
By: Joe Mathews
Author’s Note: The below write-up is to document the extraordinary career of Major General Premangsu Chowdry, PVSM, FRGS, MiD** in the Indian Army and in the corporate sector after retirement from the Indian Army. It is rare in the current times to get first-hand account of an Indian Army veteran who took active part in the 2nd World War operations in North Africa, Middle East and Italy; did post-war General Staff assignments in Japan with the British Commonwealth Occupational Forces (BCOF) and in the Headquarter of Supreme Commander Allied Forces (SCAP) commanded by General Douglas McArthur; with the British Commonwealth Division during the Korean War 1950-53; and fought in all the three India-Pakistan wars of 1948, 1965, 1971. The write-up on the General is from face-to-face interviews with the General in Sydney, Australia in 2019. I am fortunate, privileged and honoured to have had the opportunity to spend quality time with the 99 years young ‘fighting fit / fit to fight’ General and relate to his extensive 2nd World War operational experience and who with his contemporaries shaped the Indian Army since Indian Independence in 1947, notably,
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General (later Field Marshal) KM Cariappa, OBE, the first Commander-in Chief of Independent India; General KS Thimayya, DSO, Chief of Army Staff (1957-1961); General (later Field Marshal) Sam Bahadur Manekshaw, MC, Chief of Army Staff (1969-1973), legend of the India-Pakistan war in 1971; Lieutenant General Srinivas Sinha, PVSM, ADC, 5th GORKHA RIFLES (FRONTIER FORCE), Vice Chief of Army Staff, later Governor of Jammu & Kashmir and Assam states; and the legendary Major General Ian Cardozo, AVSM, SM also from the 5th GORKHA RIFLES (FRONTIER FORCE). The General is to be applauded for his amazing and sharp memory to recall dates/ years, names and places from his military career since 1941, particularly from his 2nd World War deployments. The General celebrated being 100 years young on 01 May 2020. Early Life: 1920-1941: The General (Prem) was born on 01 May 1920 and hailed from Barisal town on the banks of Kirtan Kola river, then in East Bengal, now in Bangladesh. The family were well known as the ‘Chowdrys from Loha Ghar’ in Comilla District having zamindar credentials in that era. The General’s grandfather was the Superintendent of Prisons in Dacca, Bengal, the first Indian to have held that post in the 19th century. His father was the Treasurer to the District Commissioner of Barisal in the early 1900s. After completing schooling at Barisal,
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Cover Story
where he received best student award and the Gold Medal for standing first in his matriculation exam, young Prem did his Bachelors and Masters at St Xaviers College, Calcutta University. Prem studied Arts with English Honours and was placed in the order of merit in the Bachelors programme. The intention after graduation was to join the Indian Civil Services (ICS), however recruitment to the ICS had ceased due to the emerging World War in 1939. Prem instead opted for and joined the 1st batch of the Bangalore Cadet College, structured as a British Public School and which became the Officer Training Academy (OTA) for commissioning into the British Indian Army. Army Career: 1941-1974: On 21 December 1941, Prem was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant into the ‘Royal GARHWAL RIFLES’ and joined at the Garhwal Regimental Centre at Lansdowne, in current Uttarakhand State. Prem was one of the the first commissioned Indian officer into the ‘Royal’ Regiment. 2nd World War Deployments: 1942-1945: North Africa, Middle East, Italy: After the initial training at the Regimental Centre, in 1942 Prem was posted to the 3rd Battalion GARHWAL RIFLES. Prem served with the Battalion in the Western Sahara desert, Egypt, Cyprus, Iraq, Syria, Palestine and finally in the Italian Campaign. In North Africa the Battalion was part of the 5th Indian Division and took part in the ‘Battle of Tobruk’. The fierce battle cost the Battalion dearly, having lost 12 officers and over 500 soldiers. The Battalion thereafter was withdrawn and moved to Cyprus to rest, recuperate and await reinforcements from the Garhwal Regimental Centre. Prem was sent for a Weapons Course at the Military School at the Allies military base in Gaza, where he excelled and earned the first position in merit. After the course Prem was ordered to transfer to the Gaza Military School as an Instructor, a rare accomplishment because he was one of the first officers of Indian origin to be posted as an Instructor to the School. However the posting order was withdrawn at Prem’s request since he wished to remain with his troops involved in operations. After six months ‘Rest, Relief and Rein-
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forcement’ in Cyprus, which included ‘Raid Operations’ in the Greek Islands, Prem, with his battalion 3 GARHWAL RIFLES was deployed for training under the 9th British Army in the Middle East. From 1943 the Battalion, as part of the 10th Indian Division was actively involved in the ‘Italian Campaign’, where the Division was part of the 8th British Army (commanded by General Bernard Montgomery, later Field Marshal, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC, DL). Italian Campaign: 1943-1945: Prem and the Battalion were actively involved in the Italian Campaign for almost two years until May 1945. The Battalion was deployed
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for operations in the Taranto Sector and in the Eastern and Central Sectors along the Apennine Mountains; they fought battles in ‘River Crossing’ operations at Sangro, Garigliano and Senio. Prem and the Battalion also took part in the battles of Monte Grande and Cassino. Prem’s outstanding operational performance in the Italian Campaign earned him a recommendation for the ‘Military Cross’ - but the vagaries in the fog of war instead earned him the gallantry award ‘Mention-in-Dispatches’ (MiD) - his first of the three, two of which follow in the 1948 and the 1965 India-Pakistan wars. Thereafter in 1944 Prem was promoted out of turn to the rank of a Major when he was just 24 years of age, the youngest officer to achieve the rank at that age.
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Cover Story
3rd DSSC Course where he attained the second position in merit. Prem thereafter was posted as the General Staff Officer Grade 1 (GSO 1) to Headquarter East Punjab Area in Jullundur commanded then by Major General SPP Thorat (later Lieutenant General, KC, DSO).
Prem was the first Indian origin Major in the ‘Royal Battalion’, superseding fellow British Officers in the Battalion, thereby exemplifying his high officer leadership quotient. Yugoslavia Assignment: 1945: In mid-1945, along with his Battalion Prem was sent to the Italian border on a three months assignment on behalf of the Allies to assist in preventing Yugoslavian partisans under Marshal Josef Tito entering the Italian-speaking province of Istria, currently in Croatia. Yugoslavia had laid claim to the Istria province at the end of World War I. Being a politically sensitive assignment, Prem was able to justly accomplish the task without any political undertones or unfavourable outcomes to the agenda of the Allied powers. Later, in October 1966, when President Josef Tito of Yugoslavia visited India as part of the Tripartite meeting with President Abdul Nasser of Egypt and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister personally designated Brigadier Premangsu Chowdry to receive and be the Liaison Officer to President Tito on behalf of the Government of India. At the end of World War II, Prem was selected as one of the three officers, with 10 Battalion Commissioned Officers (BCO) and 25 Other Ranks to represent and lead the 10 Indian Division in the Allies Victory March in London in 1945. Return to India: 1945-1950: India-Pakistan War 1948: Transfer to 3rd Battalion 5th GORKHA RIFLES and Command of Infantry Battalion: In October 1945 Prem and his Battalion 3 GARHWAL RIFLES returned to Lansdowne. The Battalion was thereafter deployed in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP - currently in Pakistan) at Campbellpore forming part of an experimental Infantry Brigade responsible for testing new weapons and tactics in
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Waziristan and the Swat Valley. The core task of the Battalion and the Brigade was to suppress the Hazara tribal uprising in NWFP region. At the end of the tenure, Prem was posted as the Training Commander at the Garhwal Regimental Centre at Lansdowne. After the India-Pakistan partition, in 1948, Prem was posted back to his battalion 3 GARHWAL RIFLES deployed in the Kashmir region for the 1948 India-Pakistan war. The Battalion as part of the 160 Infantry Brigade was responsible to clear the Baramullah-Uri axis which they accomplished under heavy odds. Prem earned his second gallantry award ‘Mention-in-Dispatches’ in the Kashmir operations. Soon after the 1948 operations, Prem as a 28 years old Lieutenant Colonel was given the prestigious offer to command the 3rd Battalion the 5th GORKHA RIFLES (FRONTIER FORCE). Prem’s parent regiment Royal GARHWAL RIFLES did not have vacancy for command of any of the battalions, which compelled Prem to accept transfer to the 5th GORKHA RIFLES Regiment for command. In September 1948, Prem joined his new battalion in Hyderabad at the tail-end of Operation POLO. The Battalion provided support to the Hyderabad State police in their action against the Nizam-ruled princely Hyderabad State to ensure that the State remained in the Indian Union. Prem’s battalion thereafter provided administrative support to the Civil Administration. Prem thereafter undertook the entrance exam for admission into the prestigious Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) at Wellington, Tamil Nadu. In 1949-50 Prem underwent the
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Japan and Korea Deployments: 19501952: In Headquarter of General Douglas McArthur, Supreme Commander Allied Forces (SCAP) in Japan: Korean Campaign: In December 1950, Prem was chosen by the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, General KM Cariappa (later Field Marshal, OBE) to take up the post of General Staff Officer Grade 1 (GSO 1) at the Headquarter British Commonwealth Occupation Forces (BCOF) in Japan. The appointment was another feather in the cap for Prem and his military career, and he was the first and only Indian origin officer to have been part of the BCOF. Prem’s exceptional work ethic and professional competence appointed him also as the Liaison Officer from the BCOF with the Headquarter UN forces in Japan under the command of General Douglas McArthur who was the Supreme Commander Allied Powers (SCAP). Prem’s position as the Liaison Officer at the Headquarter UN Forces enabled him regular professional interaction with General Douglas McArthur, an honour and privilege which Prem recalls with clarity and great pride. In 1951 Prem was posted as GSO 1 to the 1st British Commonwealth Division in Korea. The Division was actively engaged in the ‘Korean War’ in the peninsula. Prem spent a year in the Division and excelled professionally. Return to India: 1952-1954: Second Command of Infantry Battalion: In October 1952 Prem returned to India and was given his second command of an Infantry Battalion, the 2nd Battalion the 5th GORKHA RIFLES (FRONTIER FORCE) at Ferozepur as part of the 43 Infantry Brigade (Lorried). In 1953 Prem got married to Sheila Devichand in New Delhi. The General won the heart and mind of Sheila, in fact he was a dashing and suave gentleman able to leave a lasting impression on anyone who met with him. At 100 years Prem still carries that aura and gentry to win over people. The love of his life for 57 years, Sheila passed away to her heavenly abode in 2013. Joint Services Staff College Course, United Kingdom: 1954:
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Cover Story
support to Eastern Command. Leading into the war, the Bengal Area had the crucial responsibility of managing and attending to thousands of refugees pouring into India from East Pakistan. The Headquarter Bengal Area had to coordinate the entire logistics and movement of people and goods by rail and road in the region as part of the war effort.
In recognition of Prem’s ability and potential for high-level command, Prem was selected to attend a 12 months course at the Joint Services Staff College (equivalent to the National Defence College) at Latimer in England. After this tenure Prem was attached with the British Army deployed in the Rhine in Germany and later with the Royal Airforce and the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom.
Retirement from Army - Transition to Corporate and Public Sector: 1974-1983:
Instructor Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington, India: 1955-1958: On return to India in 1955, Prem briefly resumed command of the same battalion, the 2nd Battalion the 5th GORKHA RIFLES (FRONTIER FORCE) at Mathura. Shortly afterwards Prem was posted as an Instructor to the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, Tamil Nadu. It was a honeymoon posting for Prem and Sheila. The salubrious climate and the heavenly environment of Coonoor, Wellington and Ooty were and still are appealing especially to any couple seeking romance. Promotion to Colonel and Brigadier and Command of Infantry Brigade: 1958-1960: After DSSC, in 1958 Prem was posted to General Staff at Headquarter 4 Infantry Division at Ambala, commanded by Major General BM Kaul. In 1960 Prem was posted as Director Military Training at the Army Headquarter New Delhi. Within a few months at the age of 40 Prem was promoted as a Brigadier and was posted to command 114 Infantry Brigade in Ladakh. The Brigade was newly raised and was airlifted to Ladakah. The area of responsibility of the Brigade then included the whole of Ladakh, Leh and Chishul regions. Ethiopia Assignment: 1960-1963: At the end 1960, after successful command of the newly formed Brigade, Prem was appointed by General KS Thimayya, DSO, the Chief of Army Staff to be Commandant of the Ethiopian Military Academy in Harar, reporting directly to Emperor Haille Selassie of Ethiopia. Prem was also an unofficial Military Advisor to the Emperor. This tenure over the next three years built a lasting and bonding association between the Emperor and Prem. Return to India: 1963-1974: India_Pakistan War 1971: Promotion to Major General:
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Command of Infantry Division and Area Headquarters: After the Ethiopian tenure Prem was posted for the second time to command a brigade, the 120 Infantry Brigade at Gaulti, Rajouri, as part of 25 Infantry Division. Thereafter in 1965 Prem was posted as Brigadier General Staff (BGS) and acting Chief of Staff of 1 Corps at Mathura which took part in the second India-Pakistan war in the same year. Prem earned his third gallantry award ‘Mention-in-Dispatches’ in this war for his exemplary contribution to the war effort. In 1967, at the age of 47, Prem was posted as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) Madhya Pradesh Area. The following year Prem took command of the 3 Infantry Division at Leh which he commanded until 1970. Prem earned his Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM; photo below - receiving the award from Shri VV Giri, The President of India) during this command in relation to his overall meritorious service and the specific job of organising and personally directing the large earthquake relief programme for the local civilian population following a very large earthquake which claimed several lives and caused extensive property damage in the Ladakh region. Prem’s efforts saved many lives. In December 1970, Prem took over as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) Bengal Area. This was a vital responsibility since the Area was required to deal with the violent Naxalite problem in Bengal State. In order to do so, Prem was given significant responsibility and authority, and had under direct and indirect command, the three Army divisions then based in Bengal, the entire Railway, State Police, CRPF, BSF and the Home Guards. During the 1971 India-Pakistan war which led to the creation of Bangladesh, Bengal Area under Prem’s leadership provided vital
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On 30 April 1974, after 33 years of meritorious service, Prem retired from the Army and pursued a successful career in the corporate world. In civil life, initially in Calcutta, Prem held senior executive positions in the corporate and public sector including, Director of Shaw Wallace; Managing Director of Durgapore project, a public sector undertaking to which he was appointed by the then Prime MinisterIndira Gandhi and the Chief Minister of West Bengal Siddhartha Shankar Ray; Managing Director of Sankey Wheels; and Chairman Consortium Industries. Prem’s contribution to the undertakings enabled them to turn around their losses and be profitable enterprises thereafter. Of significance, in 1979 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi directly appointed Prem as the Chairman and Managing Director of Incheck Tyres & National Rubber. The position held equivalence to a Minister of Industries and was part of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet at the federal level. Final Retirement in Dubai and Sydney: In 1983 at 63 years Prem took permanent retirement. The General and Mrs Sheila Chowdry thereafter spent time with their three sons Rahoul, Drone and Kunal settled in Sydney and Dubai. The General currently resides in Sydney with his eldest son Rahoul. An avid golfer into his mid-80s, Prem never missed a chance to swing his golf clubs at the Delhi Golf Club and the Manly Golf Club in Sydney. The Manly Club honoured the General over an evening sit-down dinner with all the members in 2010. Prem is associated with many charitable organisations and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society United Kingdom. The General was also an active member of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies in Sydney.
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Travel
“Travel will gain strength gradually…”
Manpreet Walia
celebrating 15 Years in Industry shares How has COVID 19 affected Travel Industry ?
Daljeet Bakshi
Discussing Travel and COVID 19
Your Background
Its evident that TRAVEL is worst HIT by COVID19 and the impacts are significant. It is the time for survival of fittest not only in this industry overall. We have seen travel differently where the tickets were written manually to the times when in 2008 E Tickets were initially launched and world of OTA’s had begun soon after in INDIA. There had been many ups and downs but none like this for sure which we would have heard where billions of dollar worth is at stake every day. The industry will bounce back and we are hopeful and committed. The following two years will see industry evolving in so many different ways. Airlines are following major health & security check in place as per rules from WHO as well as regulated by Government. We can hope and perform our best intention to prosper once again and count next 15 years.(amused)
“Always buy Travel Insurance specially for Visiting Parents”
I belong to the City Beautiful - Chandigarh, INDIA. I am born ,brought up, studied , worked, got married & had kids in Chandigarh(Laugh). I Graduated from MCM DAV College. I started working at the age of 19 Years straight after my college. My father offered me freedom to experience life on my own and he had supported me fully and that’s the way to be.
How did you join Airlines Industry ? I think it was meant to be, I joined a RESERVATION COURSE at a cost of INR 5000 for 30 days in 2005 with AIRPAK INTERNATIONAL and in just 20 days I was asked to join them instead. Little did I know that my destiny was calling me for another change in less than 2 months and I got appointed by BAJAJ TRAVELS LTD., Chandigarh one of the sought after agencies back then. My Journey began under my then manager Mr. Harminder Singh who is my MENTOR my GURU and with support from Mr. Bajaj himself and all team. I worked for 2.5 years with them and moved onto work with EKIDO HOLIDAYS PVT. LTD. and then finally PAUL MERCHANTS LTD., an organization that shaped my career. I worked for nearly 7 Years with them with five major promotions of which I shall always be indebted to Mr. Bansal (our Paul Sir) CMD of PAUL MERCHANTS LTD. I am incredibly thankful to my colleagues, seniors & juniors who have helped me to become what I am today.
Moving to AUSTRALIA I moved to Australia in 2014 Under TRAVEL AGENCY MANAGER and as it may seem like a movie scene we moved to Australia in less than one year. I have had an enormous support from my husband, my partner & my friend GURVINDER S WALIA(Inder). I only had qualifications and Experience whereas he did all the hard work to prepare for Migration while I was nursing my 2 months old and we landed in Australia and I believe that it was the best decision he made for us.
Work in Travel in AUSTRALIA Inder has also been working in Travel business since 2009 in INDIA under JOURNEY HUB TRAVEL and we have 25 years of combined experience in business, so travel was an obvious choice. However like many others we also did odd jobs initially & later JOURNEY HUB TRAVEL moved to AUSTRALIA.
Life in AUSTRALIA I count my blessings of having a wonderful family info@journeyhubtravel.com & friends whom I love. I cherish the time spent with my daughters (Zeenat11yrs & Sara 6yrs) & of course Inder. I am thankful for everyone in my life for shaping it with love and “GRATITUDE IS KEY TO HAPPINESS” & “INNOCENCE IS A BLISS” Unforgettable experiences & pray for happiness for all.
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By Sanjivani Kalsi
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Mag Corner
Guru Amar Das ji The Third Guru of Sikhs
the world - neither fame, nor riches nor a following. But we cannot live without his guidance. Guru Angad has tied us to your apron, where should we go now if you are not to show us the way?” At the tearful employment of the Sikhs, Guru Amar Das was overwhelmed by their devotion and returned to Goindwal. Datu having been unable to gather any followers of his own had returned to Khadur.
By: Harmohan Singh Walia
S
ikhs celebrate the remembrance day of the ten Sikh gurus as Gurpurabs. Observed as Gurupurab by the Sikhs, these mark the birth anniversary or martyrdom of any of the ten Sikh gurus. Sikh Gurus are known world over for their sacrifice and service to the humanity, their birthdays are thus celebrated in a grand way. The main day witnesses large scale celebration with kirtan (devotional songs) and stories dedicated to the Guru. Guru Granth sahib (the Sikh holy book) is read continuously throughout the day. This is followed by an Ardaas - a Sikh prayer. Guru ka Langar (Free food) is prepared and served in all the Gurdwaras across the world. Entire Sikh community celebrates every Gurpurab by visiting gurdwaras, and serving free food to all. Celebrations on Sikh Gurpurab remain same except for the hymns and history for the respective Gurpurab. Guru Amar Das ji’s Gurpurab was celebrated is celebrated in May every year. Guru Amar Das was born in the village of Basarke on May 5, 1479. He was the eldest son of Tej Bhan a farmer and trader. Guru Amar Das grew up and married Mansa Devi and had two sons Mohri and Mohan and two daughters Dani and Bhani. He was a very religious Vaishanavite Hindu, who spent most of his life performing all of the ritual pilgrimages and fasts of a devout Hindu. It was not until his old age that Amar
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Das met Guru Angad and converted to the path of Sikhism. He eventually became Guru at the age of 73 succeeding Guru Angad Dev ji. Soon large numbers of Sikhs started flocking to Goindwal to see the new Guru. Datu one of Guru Angad’s sons proclaimed himself as Guru at Khadur following his father’s death. He was so jealous of Guru Amar Das that he proceeded to Goindwal to confront the Guru. Upon seeing Guru Amar Das seated on a throne surrounded by his followers he said; “You were a mere menial servant of the house until yesterday and how dare you style yourself as the Master?” He then proceeded to kick the revered old Guru, throwing him off his throne. Guru Amar Das in his utter humility started caressing Datu’s foot saying; “I’m old. My bones are hard. You may have been hurt.” As demanded by Datu, Guru Amar Das left Goindwal the same evening and returned to his native village of Basarke. Here Guru Amar Das shut himself in a small house for solitary meditation. There he attached a notice on the front door saying, “He who opens this door is no Sikh of mine, nor am I his Guru.” A delegation of faithful Sikhs led by Baba Buddha found the house and seeing the notice on the front door, cut through the walls to reach the Guru. Baba Buddha said, “The Guru being a supreme yogi, cares for nothing in
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Guru Amar Das further institutionalised the free communal kitchen called langar among the Sikhs. The langar kitchen was open to serve all day and night. Although rich food was served there, Guru Amar Das was very simple and lived on coarse bread. The Guru spent his time personally attending to the cure and nursing of the sick and the aged. Guru Amar Das made it obligatory that those seeking his audience must first eat in the langar. When the Raja of Haripur came to see the Guru. Guru Amar Das insisted that he first partake a common meal in the langar, irrespective of his cast. The Raja obliged and had an audience with the Guru. But his queen refused to lift the veil from her face, so Guru Amar Das refused to meet her. Guru Amar Das not only preached the equality of people irrespective of their caste but he also tried to foster the idea of women’s equality. He tried to liberate women from the practices of purdah (wearing a veil) as well as preaching strongly against the practice of sati (Hindu wife burning on her husband’s funeral pyre). Guru Amar Das also disapproved of a widow remaining unmarried for the rest of her life. Goindwal continued to experience growth as many Sikhs thronged there for spiritual guidance. Pilgrims moved there in large numbers to be close to the Guru. Muslims and Hindus also moved to the thriving town. When there was racial fighting between the three groups and calls for revenge, Guru Angad instructed his Sikhs;
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Mag Corner
“In God’s house, justice is sure. It is only a matter of time. The arrow of humility and patience on the part of the innocent and the peaceful never fail in their aim.” With a view of providing the Sikhs with a place where they could have a holy dip while visiting Goindwal the Guru had a type of deep open water reservoir called a baoli dug. As the Hindus believed in reincarnation in 84 hundred thousand species, Guru Amar Das had the well dug with exactly 84 steps. To symbolize that God could be reached through his remembrance rather than just a cycle of reincarnations he declared that whoever would descend the 84 steps for a bath while reciting the Japji of Guru Nanak at each step would be freed from the cycles of births and deaths. When it came time for the Guru to marry his younger daughter Bibi Bani, he selected a pious and diligent young follower of his called Jetha from Lahore. Jetha had come to visit the Guru with a party of pilgrims from Lahore and had become so enchanted by the Guru’s teachings that he had decided to settle in Goindwal. Here he earned a living selling wheat and would regularly attend the services of Guru Amar Das in his spare time. In 1567 while on his way to Lahore the Emperor Akbar decided to visit and see for himself Guru Amar Das. He stopped at Goindwal to meet the Guru, whose teachings he had heard about. The Guru agreed only to see Akbar if he would first eat in the langar. Akbar agreed and here the Emperor sat down and ate with the poorest of the poor in his company. Akbar was so impressed by Guru Amar Das that he wanted to give the Guru a parting gift of the revenue collected from several villages to help support the langar kitchen. Guru Amar Das refused saying that the langar must be self-supporting and
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only depend upon the small offerings of the devout. The jealousy of the teachings of the Gurus by the high caste Khatris and Brahmins continued. They pleaded with Akbar at the royal court that the teachings of Sikhism would lead to disorder as they went against the teachings of Hindus and Muslims. Akbar summoned the Guru to his court for an explanation. Guru Amar Das politely excused himself on account of his old age but sent Bhai Jetha to answer the charges levelled against the Sikhs. In the royal court Bhai Jetha explained the teachings of Sikhism. Akbar was open minded and deeply impressed by the religious doctrine of the Sikhs and decided that no further actions were required. Guru Amar Das continued a systematic planned expansion of the Sikh Institutions. He trained a band of 146 apostles (52 were women) called Masands and sent them to various parts of the country. He also set up 22 dioceses called Manjis across the country. These twentytwo dioceses helped to spread Sikhism among the population while collecting revenues to help support the young religion. Guru Amar Das also declared Baisakhi (April 13) as a special day, where all the Sikhs should gather to hear the Guru’s words. Although advanced in years, Guru Amar Das undertook a tour of a number of Hindu places of pilgrimage along the banks of the Yamuna and Ganga rivers as well as Kurukshetra. Here the Guru would hold religious services and large numbers of people would come to hear his preaching.
to the teachings of Sikhism. All of these were in Punjabi and easily understood by the common people. When a learned Brahmin once questioned the Guru; “Why do you impart instruction to your disciples not in Sanskrit, the language of gods in which all the Hindu lore is written, but in their mothertongue, like Punjabi, the language of the illiterate mass.” To this Guru Amar Das replied; “Sanskrit is like a well, deep, inaccessible and confined to the elite, but the language of the people is like rain-water - ever fresh, abundant and accessible to all.” He said; “I want my doctrines to be propagated through every language which the people speak, for it is not language but the content that should be considered sacred or otherwise.” Seeing the rapid expansion of Sikhism, Guru Amar Das asked his son-in-law and trusted follower Bhai Jetha to oversee the founding of another city. He wanted him to dig a tank there and to build himself a house. Bhai Jetha first purchased the lands for the price of 700 Akbari rupees from the Zamindars of Tung. Here he started the digging on the tank. This new township called Ramdaspur would in due time become present day Amritsar, the holiest city of the Sikhs. On September 1, 1574 sensing that his end was near, Guru Amar Das sent for Baba Buddha and other prominent Sikhs including his two sons Mohan and Mohri. He declared; “According to the tradition established by Guru Nanak, the leadership of the Sikhs must go to the most deserving. I, therefore, bestow this honour on my son-in-law Bhai Jetha. Guru Amar Das then renamed Bhai Jetha as Ram Das, meaning Servant of God. As was the custom Baba Buddha was asked to anoint the forehead of Amar Das with the saffron mark. All those present bowed before Guru Ram Das except for Mohan, Guru Amar Das’s eldest son. Shortly thereafter Guru Amar Das breathed his last on the full moon day of Bhadon in 1574 at the ripe old age of 95.
For their religious scriptures Guru Amar Das collected an anthology of writings including hymns of Guru Nanak and Guru Angad and added his own as well as those of other Hindu saints whose poems conformed
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Technology
Monitor buying Guide?
Picture Courtesy Samsung Electronics place. One of the main pieces of technology we have on our work desk are the monitors, keyboard and mouse to say the least.
By: Sarang Vengurlekar
Y
es, the world has changed profoundly due to COVID-19 pandemic and has flipped our world around. Who would have thought a year ago that we would all be abiding by the term social distancing? Amid this pandemic the whole world has started working remotely from analternate location other than work. This is now known as WFM (Work from Home). There are various challenges we are facing working from home as we do not have the same facilities that we have available at our workplace. While we are adjusting to various circumstances, we are also trying to improve our working space at home to convert the space to something equivalent to that of at our work-
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Since we are now working from home it is important for us to purchase monitors which are more comfortable and gives us a better view. It is tedious to work on small laptop screens for longer periods hence having a monitor is the most convenient technology to invest in. So how do you choose a monitor as there are so many different types? Let’s start. First of all, always determine the space available on your desk as this will be a factor towards determining the size of the monitor to purchase. Consider how this monitor will be used such as everyday general usage opposed to gaming and media usage. If the purpose is gaming than the gamers should prioritise fast refresh rates and low response times.
Picture courtesy sqlshack.com various levels of resolutions. The best quality will be achieved by purchasing a 4K monitors which are on the more expensive side. Apart from the resolution, size does matter,ensure you do not get the biggest monitor available but be mindful of your deskspace. It is best to get a monitor which
Picture Quality Figure 2 Picture courtesy sqlshack.com Resolution is of utmost importance. The higher the resolution, the better the picture. You may have heard the terms 720p HD, 1080p HD, 4K UHD etc. These are all the
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Technology
looks and fits right on the desk. The most common sizes are between 28� inches to 32� inches. These are typically sizing you will find at your work. Some tech savvy people may also refer to PPI (Pixel Per Inch).Always remember the higher the PPI the better the quality. Response Times The shorter the response time the better. A normal every monitor may have a response time of 5ms but a gaming monitor will normally be 2ms or less. Response time is basically the time it takes for a monitor to change individual pixels. If the response time is higher there will be more motion blurwhen playing games or watching fast paced videos.
These monitors are all-rounders therefore if you want a monitor that will be useful in all aspects then this is the one you need to get. The only negative side is that these monitors are slower therefore anything with a fast movement will create ghosting. In-Plane Switching (IPS)
Curved or Flat Panel? It comes down to personal preference. They are great for gamers as it provides an immersive experience along with a large field of view. It is also said there is less strain on eyes when curved monitors are used. Flat panels are great when it comes to doing your general work as this is what we generally use at work. These are one of the most common types of monitors that have been used for decades. The subject on this monitor is viewed in flat and even across the whole screen
Panel Types Twisted Nematic (TN)
Picture courtesy aoc.com These monitors are the best for photographers as it has the most accurate colours. VA panel monitors are also reasonable in pricing but be sure to check the response time as they are known to be slower.
Picture courtesy acer.com
Samsung as their proprietary technology. These monitors have great viewing angles better brightness levels and most of all they are cheaper to produce hence the pricing is very reasonable.
Plane to Line Switching (PLS) These monitors are very similar to IPS monitors and they are produced by
It is great to get a monitor which suits your requirements and there are many more optional features that are available between all the brands and models available in the market. Some monitors also offer multimedia built in speakers so that is one more clutter off your desk. I hope this gives you an idea on making your next decision to purchase your monitor. If you have any feedback, please email on sarang@vengurlekar.com
These monitors have the fastest response time and they are normally around the 2ms or lessand are pretty affordable. They are generally good monitors, but these are not so great on brightness and colour reproduction. Vertical Alignment (VA)
Picture courtesy llyama.com
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Legal
COVID-19 and Domestic Violence
It is also intended to include the impact of COvid-19 public health requirements, for example, stay-at-home Orders, on the prevalence of Domestic Violence and provision of support services.
By: Mitu Gopalan
I
t is indeed disappointing to note that the Federal Government is now looking at setting up a new parliamentary enquiry into Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence, particularly given the inadequacies portrayed in the most recent Senate Enquiry into Domestic Violence. The new enquiry is intended to cover immediate and long term measure to prevent violence against women and their children and focus on gender equality. The enquiry has also been requested to look at the best practice and lessons which can be learned from the international experiences and requesting guidance in order to provide accountability for services and policy responses. Download Our App
The social and economic impact of the pandemic is placing a significant number of vulnerable women and children at risk. Twelve women have been killed pursuant to Domestic Violence incidents since Covid-19 lockdown measures were put in place in March 2020. It is disgrace that New South Wales faced a recent death relating to Ms Kamaljeet Sidhu. No such incidents should take place in the future. Below are some tips on what you can do: 1. If you or someone you know is impacted by domestic violence, you can contact 1800RESPECT which is a 24-hours national sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line for all Australians sho are at risk or experiencing domestic violence. 2. Of course if you are in immediate danger, call 000 for Police or Ambulance. 3. In NSW, the Department of Communities and Justice can assist you with accommodation Due to current situation, there have also JUNE I 2020
been changes made to residential tenancy law as which in some cases allows you to terminate a lease without penalty if you are experiences family violence. Further information can be found here:- https:// www.tenants.org.au/factsheet-12-domesticviolence 4. Remember to always stay in touch with friends and family, even if you can only od so via text message or social media. 5. Should the situation escalate, and you need to contact he police, you may be able to obltain Apprehended Domestic Violence Order which is a legal document that will protect you from family violence. 6. Your mental health and wellbeing are important during these times. A list of services and support contacts can be found here:- https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/mentalhealth/ sevices/Pages/support-contcat-lost.aspx If you are concerned about your legal rights in relationship, whether it be issues relating to domestic violence, property, settlement or child custody, please do not hesitate to contact Freedmanm & Gopalan Solicitor on 02 8917 8700 for advice. This is so that we do not lose another Kamaljeet from our community and society. www.DesiAustralia.com
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Desi News
India Needs You, give INDIA Now Make your donation at giveINDIA’s COVID-19 Response Fund for Vidhayak Sansad - Shramjeevi Sanghatana and help the marginalised communities in rural India survive the aftermath of the pandemic
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he Australian actor and India Australia Goodwill Ambassador, Saroni Roy, has initiated a COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund for Vidhayak Sansad - Shramjeevi Sanghatana, an outfit working for tribal & marginalised communities’ welfare in rural India, identified as giveINDIA’s trusted non-profit partners who are working at the grass-roots level to help the indigenous and marginalised communities fight the atrocities of the Coronavirus pandemic. With the nation-wide lockdown in India extended and the already crippling effect of Coronavirus pandemic on the Indian economy, the worst hit are the daily wage earners. The tribal and marginalised communities from the region of Thane, Shahpur, Jawhar, Mokhada, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Murbad, Vasai, Vikramgad, Wada, Talasari, Dhanu, Palghar, Nashik, Raigad, Harsil, Peth, Surgana, Pen, Panvel, Sudhagad, Khalapur in the state of Maharashtra, India, work on daily wages and over 11000 families were not eligible for any assistance from the Government of India because they didn’t have ration cards (ration cards are an official document issued by state governments in India to households that are eligible to purchase subsidized food grain from the Public Distribution System under the National Food Security Act. They also serve as a common form of identification for many Indians). Vidhayak Sansad - Shramjeevi Sanghatana volunteers came to the rescue of these marginalized and vulnerable sections of the society risking their own lives, and prepared a list of these individuals and families in these villages without ration cards, including the labourers, police constables, sex workers, LGBTQ community, mathadi workers, migrant labourers who had now lost their jobs and were enroute to their home state by foot, and provided them with food, Ayurvedic medicines and helped them get to their village by arranging transport facilities. “India is facing its worst public health crisis with the Covid-19 pandemic. Having lived in Mumbai, I was immediately drawn to take action to support Vidhayk Sansad - Shramjeevi Sanghatana in their mission to support rural India in this dreadful crisis. I have initiated this giveINDIA Fundraiser to directly support the vulnerable communities by providing a minimum wage, Download Our App
district.” said, Vivek Pandit, Founder, Vidhayak Sansad - Shramjeevi Sanghatana.
with your donation and support, and help them survive the aftermath of this crisis. Your donation of a mere INR 650 (approx. $8.58 USD) will feed one poor family for a week.” appeals, Saroni Roy, Founder & CEO, SARONI ROY Foundation, to everyone worldwide to make a contribution to help India through the giveIndia COVID-19 Response Fund by Saroni Roy for Vidhayak Sansad Vivek Pandit & Vidyullata Pandit founded Vidhayak Sansad in 1979 and Shramajivi Sanghatana in 1982, for the socioeconomic development and welfare of the tribal and the marginalised communities including landless labourers, released bonded labourers, migrant labourers and farmers in rural Maharashtra.
Thanks to all the generous donors so far from all parts of the globe, Vidhayak Sansad - Shramjeevi Sanghatana was able to support 43,894 families so far and has mobilized INR 25.8 million in the form of financial and food & essential commodity aid. This has set an example of how humanity has been unlocked in lockdown. And now we need each of you to continue your support for Vidhayak Sansad - Shramjeevi Sanghatana by making a donation and help the indigenous and marginalised communities of rural India survive the devastating aftermath of the pandemic. India needs you, giveINDIA now: giveINDIA COVID-19 Response Fund by Saroni Roy for Vidhayak Sansad
“Our initiative ‘Manuskichi Thali’ has provided free meals to over 10,000 labourers, beggars, aged individuals in need last month. During this period, several of these poor and vulnerable families were deprived of any government assistance or food aid as they did not have a ration card. I immediately filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Mumbai High Court seeking urgent relief for these families. The court took serious note of this and ordered the State Government to immediately issue ration cards for over 5,702 families in Palghar district, 3,057 in Thane district, 319 in Raigad district and 2,058 in Nasik JUNE I 2020
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Mag Corner
Mrs Barbara Ward- Northern Province Member Highlight this month
C
OVID -19 and its impact on so many levels has not stopped one of our most admired and tireless business and community leader Barbara Ward JP said Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. Barbara was commended by The Hon Natalie Ward MLC for her incredible effects during a very challenging time. I am pleased to announce our Northern Province Member Highlight this month is Mrs Barbara Ward! During the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, Barbara has been active in helping her community. She has assisted in providing fresh food packages, facilitating regular exer-
cise programs and raising awareness of mental health resources through her work leading share.org. au. Through her work at Nutrition Australia NSW, she has delivered food hampers with fresh vegetables and fruit to families far and wide across NSW. Barbara has personally purchased and delivered groceries together with her husband to vulnerable people all over Sydney, including Easter eggs and hot cross buns. All this while personally cooking meals for people in isolation, ringing members and setting up Zoom meetings so people remain connected. Barbara is also active in Lupus Australia, Lifeline and the Rotary Club of Sydney. Thank you Barbara for all the phenomenal work you have done during this challenging time.
Women Empowerment
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lpana Srivastava and Tiya Gorain – are the names which have become synonymous with women empowerment in society They both run non-profit platforms. Alpana Srivastava is a renowned entrepreneur and the founder of Sakhi Online (http:// sakhi.online).
Tiya Gorain is a model, eminent entrepreneur and the founder of Empowered Beauties With Brains (https://www.facebook. com/empoweredbeautieswithbrains/). They aim to empower, help, motivate, support and uplift women by providing them with platforms to showcase their skills, products and talents; as well as to raise awareness about issues and help their voices to be heard. They also started Women In Business (https://www.facebook.com/womenInBusinessWIB/) with Reetika Bhalla to help women entrepreneurs by providing networking, collaboration, referral and marketing opportunities to women owned businesses. Alpana and Tiya organise various women empowerment events including fashion and wellness events.
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They have been working hard for the betterment of the community and devote a large portion of their time and energy to champion women’s rights as well as other social causes.
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Entertainment
UVAA Virtual Film Festival 2020
I
An opportunity for short films to go on OTT
Daljeet Bakshi
t’s a special time for Rotary in Australia and New Zealand as they celebrate the first 100 years of Service in 2021, with their four founding clubs: all begun in 1921, Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland and Wellington. As the present scenario is of digitalization , new opportunities have emerged providing great platform to reach millions . Due to covid 19 impact , the online community presence has increased subsequently . Result of this, new doors have opened for hidden talent , film makers and short film creators . UVAA Virtual Film Festival UVFF2020 would be the first of its kind film festival that is not only NonProfit but also for the benefit of short film makers in India and around the world. A festival, which will provide an opportunity for short films to be promoted and picked up by OTT channels across the globe. The man behind this venture is Kamal Nathani who has spent his last 35 years in this Mumbai film Industry and has produced and directed many television serials, films, commercial ad films and other social films for various ministries and the corporate sector. He has some Award winning feature films to his credit. He himself has been involved in participating the national and international film festivals for last 30 years UVFF’s aim is to create an opportunity for filmmakers to showcase their
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work and reach out to the right jury members and audiences world over thereby getting one step closer to receiving recognition for their art. UVFF 2020 has wonderful opportunities for the business of film and visual arts. All entries are promoted for free through their social media and website, with a featured page of each project. UVFF2020 offers seven different categories to the filmmakers to send their entries. These seven categories are; Best Film (Fiction), Best Film (Non Fiction), Best Film (Social), Best Film (Environment), Best Film (Covid-19), Best Film (Foreign Language) and Best Film (Music Video) UVFF2020 has decided to keep the duration of the films up to 40 min. This is again kept in mind from the OTT perspective. The idea is to select series of short films on various issues/themes and market them with the OTT platforms. UVFF2020 becomes the connection between the filmmakers and the contentbuyers thus helping the film Industry and creating one interesting hub forselected award winning content.
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All projects officially selected will receive the UVFF official laurel and the customized certificate of achievement according to their final status in the competition. As underlined above, some of them will be shown online. Some of the award winners will be requested for an on line interview or to provide the festival with a BTS or award acceptance video statement to be published in the UVFF website. UVFF 2020 comprises of an esteemed list of jury members. Renowned experts including but not limited to social activists, musicians, theatre personalities, filmmakers, environmentalists and more, who will judge the entries. The highest rated entries are nominated for the awards of the respective categories and finally are choose the winners. Non Profitable Venture / social cause UVFF 2020 will be a 100% nonprofitable entity. A tie up is done with AHRI an Assam based NGO who is working in the interiors of Assam with the various communities to fight the COVID19 cause. Any profits from the festival will proceed as donations towards helping the millions fight this fight against COIVD-19. UVFF 2020 will be hosting and managing the entire festival on Film Freeway, the world’s #1 platform to discover, submit and engage with film festivals around the world.
UVAA Virtual Film Festival 2020 Info.uvff@gmail.com www.uvaafilmfestival.com 9820052912
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Advetisement
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