Indian Weekender 26 February 2016 Vol 7 Issue 47

26 February, 2016 • Vol. 7 Issue 47 • www.iwk.co.nz

NZ’s first Kiwi-Indian weekly newspaper

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CONTENTS

26 February 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

INSIDE Pg6

NEW ZEALAND

Christchurch remembers victims of 2011 earthquake

Pg18

INDIA

Jat agitation called off in Rajasthan

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Pg17

OPINION / COMMENTS

Playing devil’s advocate on the ‘discovery’ of gravitational waves

Pg 21

SPORTS

Richie McCaw named New Zealander of the year

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TECHMATE

Korean Beasts unleashed!

COVER STORY

www.iwk.co.nz | 26 February 2016

Death and destruction grip Fiji

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Arvind Kumar

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wenty-eight people have been confirmed and some are still missing as Fiji continues to count the costs in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Winston which ravaged the island nation at the weekend.

And more than 13,350 people were reported sheltering in evacuation centres in the Western Division on Wednesday as this edition of the Indian Weekender was finalised for publishing.

At least 36 were confirmed dead. Reports say more than 90 per cent of homes in Rakiraki were flattened by the strong winds, leaving close to 7000 people from the district in evacuation centres.

The death toll from the monster cyclone is expected to rise further as reports start coming in from around the country and Government officials make their way out for assessment and to provide relief assistance.

Three people have been reported dead in the Northern Division so far. Commissioner Northern Jovesa Vocea confirmed the deaths.

Vocea said two deaths were reported from Qamea in Taveuni while one was from Cogea in Bua. He urged people in the North to remain safe as a low pressure sits outside the division.

TC Winston, the most powerful storm to hit Fiji, struck on Saturday and Sunday, February 20-21, causing widespread damage to infrastructure and homes. Winds and gusts of up to 340km/hr flattened hundreds of homes in Rakiraki, Ba, Lautoka, and also Taveuni and Savusavu. Outer islands were also severely affected.

Commissioner Western Manasa Tagicakibau said the number of people sheltering in the evacuation centres was overwhelming.

In Nadi there are 1237, Lautoka 2446, Ba 1324, Tavua 1082, Nadarivatu 53, Rakiraki 6873 and Nadroga/Navosa have 341 people sheltering in the evacuation centres.

The Fijian government has declared a national disaster, and mobilied its disaster management systems. Help has begun pouring in from Australia and New Zealand with the latter sending out assistance by air and also pledging an initial $2 million in aid for rebuild and emergency rations.

Fijian communities living in New Zealand have also begun several fundraising and supplies drive to help those affected by the cyclone.

Meanwhile, the European Union has deployed an emergency assessment expert to Fiji to help assess the damage caused TC Winston and to advise it on the need for humanitarian assistance.

EU Ambassador to Fiji and the Pacific, Andrew Jacobs said the expert from the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department arrived in the country earlier this week and will begin work immediately. ‘‘The European Union is closely monitoring the situation in Fiji,” he said.

“An expert from our Emergency Response Coordination Centre in Bangkok has landed in Fiji to take part in an assessment of impact of the humanitarian impact of Tropical Cyclone Winston and to recommend how best the EU should support relief and recovery in the wake of the cyclone.”

The Fijian eceonomy is also expected to take a major hit with widespread damage to sugar cane crops.

Initial damage assessments carried out earlier this week showed the sugar industry had suffered $83 million in losses from TC Winston.

Commissioner Western Manasa Tagicakibau said the assessment was conducted quickly because of scheduled meetings Government will have with Chinese government officials.

Tagicakibau said food rations would be pushed out to sugar cane farmers with urgency.

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COVER STORY

26 February 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Cyclone Winston : how we can help Fiji F Red

iji is starting to assess the damage to its islands after Tropical Cyclone Winston struck during the weekend.

The cyclone tore through entire villages and towns, wrecking homes, buildings and crops, and causing loss of life.

Roads and bridges have been damaged, and flooding continues. Communications infrastructure has also been damaged, although the cellphone network in major centres (Suva, Nadi and Labasa) is functioning.

The New Zealand Government has contributed more than $2 million to help Fiji recover from Cyclone Winston.

A New Zealand Defence Force C-130 Hercules arrived in Fiji early on Tuesday morning to deliver 12 tonnes of relief supplies including food, water and tarpaulins for communities. The emergency supplies included tool kits, generators, water and water containers, ration packs and chainsaws for families affected by the cyclone.

How we can help

New Zealanders respond generously to support Pacific neighbours in times of emergency. If you wish to support people affected by Cyclone Winston, the best thing to donate is money, but not clothing, food or other goods, to an emergency appeal.

Aid organisations working in Fiji will be assessing what’s needed. Where possible, they will source supplies from close to the affected area, which is the most efficient and cost-effective way of getting help to those who need it.

The New Zealand Red Cross has launched an appeal. The NZ Disaster Relief Forum will have information as New Zealand NGOs launch appeals.

The Fiji Government has set up bank accounts for international and local donations. It says the funds will be used directly to benefit Fijians who have been left homeless, without adequate food, water and essential services.  While commercial flights have resumed into Fiji, transport to areas outside of main centres is limited as damage to roads and wharves is still being assessed.

It is important that transport links can focus on getting essential supplies to affected communities.

Donated goods can often be difficult to handle for a country recovering from a disaster. They can be time-consuming and difficult to store, transport and distribute.

Sometimes the cost of transporting goods can be more expensive than the value of the goods.

It’s best to only donate goods that have been asked for by an aid agency.

Before organising a collection of donated goods:

find out whether the goods are needed

on the ground and if they are appropriate for the country make sure you have a good understanding of all costs involved, including freight to the country, transport within the country, and any wharf, handling and customs charges

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Aid delivered by the New Zealand Defence Force is unloaded in Suva by Fijian soldiers.

make sure you have a clear plan for the

goods once they arrive in the affected country, including people who will take responsibility for the logistics and costs of collecting, storing, sorting and distributing the goods.

Volunteers The government is not seeking any volunteers.

It’s important that people who help in a disaster response are working for a humanitarian organisation and are trained in working in disaster situations.

This is both for their own safety and so as not to put additional strain on limited resources.

There is a lot of information available online. We will be putting in links on our website as well. The above information has been taken from www.mfat.govt.nz Please ensure the authenticity of NGOs and relief organisations and appeals before you donate.

For more news related to Fiji cyclone, turn over to Page 14,15

Trail of destruction

Cyclone Winston has done widespread damage to the Fiji Island. Damaged power lines and flooding are hampering relief efforts in Fiji after Cyclone Winston tore through the country.

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www.iwk.co.nz | 26 February 2016

NEW ZEALAND

5

Say yes to the change

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Veer Khar

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s the visual representation of a nation, a flag distinguishes one nation from another.

And we all know without any doubt that the current New Zealand flag with an overpowering ‘union jack’ is not distinct enough to meet the criteria.

A flag also indicates claim over land of the people that it represents. Looking at the New Zealand flag, it definitely highlights the colonial status and in no way reflects an independent nation.

Flags use symbols that characterise a nation. Stars, Sun, Moon, cross, wheel, triangle, square and even a leaf - are used to highlight the values of a nation but the current New Zealand flag has nothing that emphasises an image of this nature loving nation.

The current New Zealand flag with the background derived from Royal Navy and Union Jack reminding the nation’s origin as a British colony is a major stimuli for segregating nationalists who are relentlessly pushing for parallel structures and symbols.

This brewing aspiration got recognised on the Waitangi day 2010 when another flag - national Maori flag - was hoisted alongside the New Zealand flag on the Auckland Harbour Bridge, Parliament and other government buildings. So while the

current New Zealand flag is symbolising New Zealand as an extension of United Kingdom, the hoisting of another flag is dangerous for the integrity of the nation whose foundations are laid on the coexistence of various cultures.

A vote for ‘change’ will only indicate the desire to remove the remaining traces of false white supremacy and put a stop to the hardening of the destabilising nationalists.

In view of the above - all those who love New Zealand as a distinct nation – need to step up and understand that the flag change is not a choice but a must exercise.

Say YES to the change.

Indian weekender is available at 100+ outlets all over new zealand. If you can’t find a copy of your favourite paper, drop us an email at mahesh.iwk@gmail. com and we will ensure you get your copies every week at your nearest outlet.

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26 February 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Christchurch remembers victims of 2011 earthquake Gaurav Sharma

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Botanic

which claimed 185 lives and was

Civic Memorial Service was held on the Archery Lawn of Christchurch’s Gardens

at

midday

on February 22, to mark the fifth anniversary of the 2011 earthquake of 6.3 magnitude,

considered to be the country’s worst natural disaster in more than 80 years.

Almost two-thirds of victims of various nationalities were inside the Canterbury Television building, which also housed

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Some

also organised by the Avon-

Minister

Japan to participate in the

Otakaro Network and Flourish

leader

and

Inc., in which 20 sites along

commemorations.

John Andrew

Key,

Labour

Little,

Earthquake Recoevry Minister

the waterways were identified

City’s Mayor Lianne Dalziel

Gerry Brownlee were among the

and members of the public

and Governor General Jerry

dignitaries who took part in the

were invited to release a flower

Mateparae spoke at the public

commemorations.

into the Avon River as an act of

ceremony and a minute’s silence

A River of Flowers event was

remembrance.

Gathering at the Civic Memorial Service held at midday on February 22, to mark the fifth anniversary of the 2011 earthquake in Christchurch’s Botanical Gardens.

PM John Key led the nation in paying tributes to the victims

Lianne Dalziel, Mayor of Christchurch, led the city residents in paying respects to the victims of the tragedy

The CBD is full of vacant spaces now, as almost 1300 buildings within the Garden City’s four avenues have since been either fully or partially demolished

school.

was observed at 12.51pm. Prime

Country’s political who’s who were in attendance at the Civic Memorial Service.

Floral tributes at the temporary memorial in Christchurch’s Botanical Gardens

language

bereaved families flew in from

Abandoned buildings are also a common site

ISKCON temple after the Earthquake

Christchurch Cathedral in ruins even after five-years of the tragedy

Representatives of all the three armed forces were present too the tragedy

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 26 February 2016

Christchurch Fiji Association mobilises support inBlack CycloneOrange Winston aftermath Red

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he Christchurch Fiji Association (Cfcessa) – formed in 2002 to support the Fiji and Pacific migrant community in the city – has decided to mobilise support from Fijian and the wider community in Christchurch to extend help to Fijians affected by last Saturday’s Cyclone Winston.

Vinesh Prakash, secretary of the Association informed, “We have already communicated with New Zealand Red Cross, which is collecting donations to help the needy back home. A container full of essential supplies, urgent household items and clothes is also readied.”

Additionally, Cfcessa is organising a Ram Katha to pray for the affected.

“Since Fiji is a small country, almost everyone knows everyone. All of us here

in Christchurch have some family member or friend who has been directly affected by the cyclone. It’s a very emotionally stressful time for us. Hopefully, the Ram Katha will bring some sort of catharsis in the Fijian community of Christchurch.”

Meanwhile, to help the wider community realise the extend of devastation in Fiji, Prakash, who also hosts a weekly community radio programme – Jalsa Fiji Radio - on Plains FM, has invited journalists from Radio Navtarang – a Hindi Fiji radio channel – to share their stories covering the cyclone aftermath.

“Yes, this Saturday, February 27, at 6.30pm, we will have Satya Nand and Ritika – journalists from Navtarang – via Skype or telephone to talk about their experiences of covering the devastation,” Prakash concluded.

Yogi Divine Society celebrates 50th Diksha Mahotsav

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he New Zealand chapter of Yogi Divine Society (YDS) – a charitable non-profit organisation, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of attainment of enlightenment by its spiritual leader and guiding force Hariprasad Swamiji Maharaj, with the Saint himself participating in events organised across the country this month.

“We are calling it the Guruhari Suvarna 50th Diksha Mahotsav, for which the Swamiji is in New Zealand for nearly a month-and-a-half till mid-March. He started with Auckland where our youth wing organised the Atmiya Youth Convention attended by over 350 young people of our community. Now after Christchurch, he will also be visiting Hamilton and Rotorua, followed by a week in Australia, before returning to New Zealand again for the big event in Queenstown,” informed Kaushal Parmar, Youth Co-ordinator, YDS, Auckland.

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As regards to celebrations in Christchurch, Tarun Patel, Youth Leader, YDS explained, “We had sermons by Swamiji, bhakti samvads, kirtans and a cultural programme put together by YDS’ Amitya Youth Group. Highlight was a skit based on the life of a staunch devotee of Bhagwaan Swaminarayan, Anandji Sangediya.”

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26 February 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Chinese Lantern festival : love was in the air Red

kumar suresh

to show respect to Buddha on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, he too ordered that all the temples, households, and royal palaces should light lanterns on that evening. Hence, even today, the tradition to light lamps on that day is still followed.

The Lantern Festival is also the first full moon night in the Chinese calendar, marking the return of spring and signifying the reunion of family members.

Even the Lantern shapes signify the traditional Chinese culture as they take shapes of birds, fruits, animals, people, buildings, etc.

When the lamps are lit, people

With China entering the year of the monkey, it was a visual treat as one saw more than 800 lanterns in the vicinity. will try to solve puzzles, rice balls, called yuanxia, are eaten and lots of cultural events take place. In fact, only after the celebration of this festival, can Chinese take off all the decorations put up in welcome of the New Year.

Some even consider this festival

For the sake of the future – recording our family history

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uckland Council is hosting a workshop to encourage Kiwi Indians to record their family history.

Smita Biswas, Team Leader West Auckland Research Centre, who will be running this workshop, spoke to Indian Weekender.

She said, “In my role, I found that there was a lack of awareness in the migrant Indian community in NZ, about the importance of documenting their family history. Most of Indian family history is generally passed on orally to the next generation. Lack of time and interest of the younger generations means often this history is not recorded officially and there is a huge danger of all this rich history of our Indian ancestors being totally lost.”

“Auckland Libraries has an extensive family history search services and resources for the community to use.

But again, I found there is also lack of actual resources in Auckland Libraries for Indians to trace their roots.

The reason for this problem is, majority of Indians who are Hindus by religion - very

few official records were kept as their ancestors were cremated so no physical burial sites are available to go back too.” The official registration of births and deaths did not start in India till 1850s and that too only in urban areas of India. In the rest of India, especially rural areas, no records were kept as a result none are available today. Therefore the reliance is on the people’s memories.

The records for Muslims and Christians were better because they were recorded in Parish and Church registers or in Mosques in records held by the Muslim

priests or Kazis.

Some of the earliest records about the Hindu ancestors, written on palm leaves, have been lost to the elements, but there are sites across India where such records can still be found, and Haridwar remains the most comprehensive and well-preserved repository.

Some these old records have been digitised and now available via some Family History websites.

The idea of this talk is to encourage the community to start recording their family history, so that it is available for the future generations to trace their Indian ancestors.

The talk will also provide tips to get started on your Indian Family history research and list of free databases and resources available from Auckland City Libraries. Auckland Council can hold community specific workshops and presentations on request.

Please contact Smita Biswas at 0275999241 or smita.biswas@ aucklandcouncil.govt. nz to register for 4th March workshop held at Manukau Libraries from 12-1 pm.

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equivalent to the Valentines Day. According to one belief, brightest lanterns are the symbol of hope and good luck. Matchmakers on this day, look to pair the unmarried people assuming it to be an auspicious day for couples.

In fact it was not hard for anyone to see many young couples looking for brightest of the lanterns.

With 25 percent of the Auckland’s population being of Asian origin, the event had a wonderful turn out. The authentic Asian food stalls, which together were more than 100 meters in length, offered wonderful delicacies. The stage performance and the fireworks too were exceptionally well organized.

However, one of the major complaints from people was the traffic management. Many preferred to travel by public transport to avoid traffic. Jenny Doo, who parked the vehicle near Queen Street and took a bus to reach the event said, ”The traffic here is something that I have never seen in Auckland before.

It is chaotic. I loved the event but the organizers could do a lot better next year by managing the traffic well.” But what is an event or a festival without a small hiccup? When there is street food, colourful lights around you, love in the air and hundreds and thousands of happy people around – it makes it all worth it.

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his year’s Auckland’s Lantern festival was another feather in the cap for our city, which witnessed a massive turn out at the event.

Hosted by Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development and Asia New Zealand Foundation from February 18 to the 22, the city saw the biggest gathering for a cultural event in recent times with authorities estimating over 3,00,000 head counts on the last day.

The colourful lamps lit the entire Auckland domain as people thronged to witness a colourful celebration to mark the start of Chinese New Year. With China entering the year of the monkey, it was a visual treat as one saw more than 800 lanterns in the vicinity.

With the event moving from the Albert park last year to the more spacious place this year, many families had a wonderful time in the open. Rain gods too were generous and stayed well clear of the proceedings.

This tradition, which is over 2,000 years old, is first believed to have started in the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25– 220). The Emperor Han Mingdi was a firm believer of Buddhism and when he heard that some monks lit lanterns in the temples

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Recording family history for people of Indian origin

Come along and enjoy a practical workshop on how to collect your family’s oral and written history and record their family tree with Smita Biswas, Team Leader - West Auckland Research Centre.

Where:

Meeting Room, South Auckland Research Centre, Level 1, 3 Osterley Way, Manukau

When:

Friday 4 March 2016, at 11 am – 12 noon.

Cost:

Free – Please phone us on 261- 8637 to register your expression of interest in this talk.

 Find out more: call 09 301 0101 visit aucklandlibraries.govt.nz

Facebook – Auckland Libraries Twitter – @Auckland_Libs

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 26 February 2016

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New Zealand works on closer ties with Sri Lanka T

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his month, has seen a lot of activity around New Zealand developing ties with Sri Lanka. The new High Commissioner of Sri Lanka, Skandakumar has assumed office in New Zealand and has been meeting prominent kiwi businesses.

On the other hand, Prime Minister John Key, has announced his state visit to Sri Lanka, this month.

High Commissioner Skandakumar presents credentials in New Zealand

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igh Commissioner Somasundaram Skandakumar presented credentials to His Excellency Lieutenant General The Right Hon. Sir Jerry Mateparae GNZM, QSO Governor General and Commander-inChief, in Auckland New Zealand on 10th February 2016.

The High Commissioner briefed the Governor General on the meaningful steps that are being taken by the present Government under the leadership of President His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena and Hon. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, to facilitate national reconciliation and to bring prosperity to all Sri Lankans. He added that Prime Minister Wickremesinghe in outlining his economic policy had emphasised that the government’s goal was to foster a knowledge based social market economy built on social justice principles.

He noted that New Zealand was an important trading partner for Sri Lanka,

although at present the balance of trade was largely in favour of New Zealand.

He observed further that the sizeable Sri Lankan community of over 12,000 who had made New Zealand their home had contributed constructively to the social, cultural and economic development of their adopted homeland which continue to be a source of pride for Sri Lanka.

Prime Minister visits Sri Lanka

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rime Minister John Key made an official visit to Sri Lanka from Sri Lanka from 24-26 February, to highlight the growing commercial and political ties between the two countries.

Mr Key met Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as well as spoke with a number of local businesspeople to promote New Zealand’s interests in the region.

He also led a business delegation to focus on the significant opportunities to diversify trade between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, which stood at $324m in 2015.

“Sri Lanka has a growing middle class which offers New Zealand businesses a range of exciting opportunities,” Mr Key said.

“We have a 45 year dairy trade history, but commercial relationships are extending further with more and more of our businesses recognising Sri Lanka as a potential market for high-quality New Zealand services and products.”

The visit was Mr Key’s second to Sri

Lanka as Prime Minister, having travelled there in 2013 for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

It also provided an opportunity for Mr Key to witness the progress that Sri Lanka has made in recent years as it recovers from its decades-long civil war.

“New Zealand recognises the considerable efforts the people and Government of Sri Lanka are putting into the country’s reconciliation process and we are hugely supportive of those, including through our work to boost the country’s own dairy sector to improve the livelihoods of its farmers,” Mr Key added.

Sri Lankan High Commissioner meets prominent Auckland businessmen

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s a part of the Sri Lankan High Commissioner’s activities to promote economic ties, he has met some prominent businesses working in this space.

and Dr. Andrew Winnington, Founder & CEO,Genomic and Personalised Medicine Ltd. at a recent dinner.

He was pleased to know of their association and business interests with Sri Lanka. Mr Weerasena informed the delegates about the introduction of online processing of business visa. This was introduced for business visitors to facilitate faster means of processing and not required to the Passport From left to right: Dr. Andrew Winnington, Founder & CEO, Genomic and Personalised send Medicine Ltd; Mr. Bhav Dhillon (Cemix Products Ltd.); Sri Lanka High Commissioner any longer.

Somasundaram Skandakumar; Mr. Wenceslaus Anthony (WAML Group), Mr. Sameer Handa (Beijer Ref) and Chandana Weerasena - Minister Counsellor.

He was pleased to know about the seven members of PM’s The High commissioner, along business delegation during his state visit with Chandana Weerasena - Minister to Sri Lanka and wished the two members, Counsellor, met Wenceslaus Anthony present Wenceslaus Anthony of WAML (WAML Group), Bhav Dhillon (Cemix Group and Sameer Handa of Patton Ltd all Products Ltd.) , Sameer Handa (Patton Ltd) the very best for the visit.

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26 February 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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$121,000 to support seven young entrepreneurs

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even young entrepreneurs who will receive a total of around $121,000 through Opportunities for Young People funding were announced by Youth Minister Nikki Kaye.

Ms Kaye made the announcement this week while attending the Young Enterprise Trust’s E-Day at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, where

school teams came to share ideas for products and businesses and get tips and feedback from local business experts.

“This funding is to support young people with smart, achievable projects that will make a social or environmental difference,” says Ms Kaye.

“We’ll be supporting a range

of innovative projects, from nut-based yoghurt and cargo packaging, to initiatives that address social issues such as mental health and bullying.”

Opportunities for Young People funding comes from the $2 million Youth Enterprise Fund launched in December 2014, which largely supports organisations

$200k spent on app downloaded just 1000 times

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teven Joyce’s culture of extravagance has been exposed again with $200,000 spent on an app that that has been downloaded just 1000 times and had to be given positive reviews by staff members, says Economic Development spokesperson David Clark.

“New Zealand Regions was an app launched to promote the Regional Economic Activity Report. It was likely never intended to be used much, just to look good at Steven Joyce’s launch party.

“This is classic Joyce. No one in the real world would download an app to look at information they can find more easily on the internet.

“This is just expensive window dressing. Most apps cost just a dollar. This one has cost the taxpayer $200 for each download.

“It appears the makers and MBIE got so worried about lack of interest they rated the app themselves. The first three ratings are Nicholas Guthrie and Craig Eades, who work for the app

maker Alphero, and Peter Ellis who works for MBIE. Of course they all gave it five stars. Mr Joyce will be pleased with them.

“There is so much wasted money coming from agencies connected to Steven Joyce. MBIE is infamous for its makeover that included $360,000 on expensive furniture, $140,000 on a giant TV screen, $260,000 on a sundeck, $70,000 on a sign and $200 on hair straighteners “Just last week another of Steven Joyce’s agencies, NZTE,

was exposed for spending $30k on pounamu pendants for staff and as Tertiary Education Minister he is jointly responsible for the Ministry of Education’s $2.5m Stairway to Heaven.

“If we want regional New Zealand to prosper, we need to support regional priorities.

That means investment in real infrastructure and real jobs, not TVs, trinkets and flashy downloads”, says Economic Development spokesperson David Clark.

offering hands-on opportunities for young people to develop entrepreneurial skills.

“I meet countless young people who are coming up with great ideas for projects that are worth supporting in their own right, and that’s what Opportunities for Young People funding is all about.

“Young people, often with a

modest investment, can turn their dreams and ideas into reality. We want to provide encouragement and support to help young people with great ideas take them to the next level.”

The announcement comes on top of $79,000 Opportunities for Young People funding received by four recipients in May last year.

Progress in rebuild of Christchurch schools

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s Christchurch’s new education network rises from the rubble, Education Minister Hekia Parata has praised all those involved in shepherding Christchurch’s kids through extremely difficult times.

“Despite the trauma of the February 22, 2011 earthquake and thousands of aftershocks, student achievement in the region has continued to rise. That’s a testament to the resilience, determination and hard work of students, parents, teachers, principals, boards and support staff,” says Ms Parata.

“The good news for the region is that a new state-of-the-art education network is beginning to emerge that will be the envy of the country.

“Over a ten-year period, the government is investing $1.137 billion in renewing, repairing or rebuilding 115 schools across Christchurch.

“I officially opened two of the completed schools, Rawhiti and Marshland, just over a week ago, bringing the total of completed

schools to six. Lyttleton Primary School will be completed this year and another 38 projects are currently in design or under construction.

“We have had to make some hard decisions, but the aftermath of the earthquakes has given us the chance to look at Christchurch schools and see what we could improve,” says Ms Parata.

“Schools are joining forces and creating innovative learning environments that support the very best teaching approaches and help every child and young person to learn.”

First phase of Land Access Reforms to speed up UFB rollout

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he government has agreed to streamline consenting rules to help speed up the installation of the ever-popular Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) rollout, Communication Minister Amy Adams announced this week.

The changes are part of the first phase of its Land Access Reforms to reduce delays and frustrations with getting properties connected to UFB. They follow on from the Land Access for Telecommunications Discussion Document released last year.

“The demand for UFB is ramping up with over 18,700 orders in December alone. New Zealanders want changes made to make it easier and quicker to connect to UFB,” says Ms Adams.

“Around 13 per cent of all

UFB orders require some form of permission for access to private property shared between neighbours, and around a quarter of these orders are cancelled due to problems obtaining permission.”

Under the changes, a tiered consent regime will provide two new categories of simplified approvals according to the impacts the fibre installation are considered to have on the property. Those outside these two categories will continue to require consent of all affected owners as currently occurs.

“In making these decisions, the Government has endeavoured to strike the right balance between simplifying consent requirements, while still respecting the rights of property owners,” says Ms Adams.

“A neighbour at war standoff

shouldn’t prevent the rollout of UFB. A modern, effective and fair land access framework will ensure that people are not prevented from realising the benefits of UFB in situations where their neighbours can’t be contacted, don’t take the time to complete the required paperwork or decline the request due to an unrelated conflict.”

Ms Adams said that at least 80 per cent of orders which require consent could fall within one of the two new categories.

“For these installations, the average time to connect could be halved and issues with the non-response from neighbours resolved,” says Ms Adams.

“An alternate disputes resolution process will also be

provided to consider any resulting disputes. The scheme will be similar to that which operates in respect of the electricity and gas industries. I’ve instructed the Parliamentary Counsel Office to start drafting legislation, which will include an expiry date of 1 January 2025 when the UFB build programme will be complete.”

Phase two of the Land Access Reforms will look at additional proposals to help people living in multi-unit complexes connect to UFB and the proposal around using existing infrastructure to increase coverage into rural areas.

Announcements around phase two can be expected within a few months.

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 26 February 2016

Student achievement continuing to rise

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rovisional NCEA data showing student achievement is continuing to rise has been welcomed by Education Minister Hekia Parata.

“Education is more important than ever before and these results show more of our kids than ever are gaining the qualifications they need at school,” says Ms Parata.

The provisional roll-based data shows Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 NCEA achievement rates rose by between 0.4 and 1.8 percentage points last year to 73.2, 75.8 and 62 per cent respectively. Over the same period the proportion of Year 13 students gaining University Entrance increased 1.2 percentage points to 47.3 per cent.

Further increases are likely before the results are finalised as schools update and provide late internally assessed results, and learners apply for review and reconsideration of their results.

“The latest results are a tribute

to the hard work of students, teachers, parents and wider whānau,” says Ms Parata. “They show that since we took office in 2008 Level 2 achievement rates have risen 15 per cent.

That means thousands more of our young people are leaving school every year with the skills

and qualifications they need to succeed. “We have challenged all those involved in education to continue to lift their game and they have responded in spectacular fashion. However, there is more to be done. We will not be satisfied until all our students are receiving the education they need.”

NZ joins $200m science investment fund

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cience and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce this week announced that New Zealand has joined Australia’s Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MRCF).

The MRCF is an earlystage venture capital fund, which provides capital and hands-on expertise to

support the development and commercialisation of promising biomedical discoveries.

New Zealand’s research organisations can now sign up to gain access to the $200 million (AUD) investment fund to support the development of their biomedical innovations. “This access will be hugely important in attracting

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high-quality business investment into all parts of New Zealand.

Since 2007, the MRCF has supported the development of 24 start-up companies, with some notable successes, such as Spinifex Pharmaceuticals, which sold this year for over $700 million (USD), and Fibrotech Therapeutics, which netted $557 million (USD)

ore than 6000 referrals have been made to an innovative post-release support programme for short- serving prisoners and remandees, Corrections Minister Judith Collins says.

The reintegration programme, called Out of Gate, commenced in 2013 with $10 million from the Justice Sector fund. Due to promising early results, Corrections was granted another $5 million from the Justice Sector Fund in Budget 2015 to extend the programme. Corrections contracts with providers to support offenders immediately upon their release from prison.

The focus is on employment, accommodation, education and training, living skills, health and wellbeing.

“At a practical level this may involve picking up the prisoner from prison or meeting them at their probation centre, setting

up bank accounts, finding accommodation, helping write CVs and find jobs, and supporting offenders with health appointments.

“The first month after release is a crucial time when prisoners are at most risk of re-offending. Many short-serving prisoners cycle in and out of prison.

This programme will give them every opportunity to stay crimefree.

“Out of Gate has been evaluated and it was found that prisoners who took part had lower reoffending rates than those who didn’t. This programme will help reduce re-offending and result in fewer victims of crime,” Ms Collins says.

There are two levels of service—standard, and intensive which is for younger prisoners with complex and challenging needs. Out of Gate is available nationwide.

in 2014,” Mr Joyce says. NZ will pay $500,000 (AUD) per year, which is equivalent to the amount paid by each Australian state.

That commitment enables New Zealand research organisations to become members of the fund and compete for investment.

Early-stage opportunities can receive up to $3 million (AUD) to

support preclinical development, with those successfully progressing through this stage able to receive a further $17 million (AUD) in investment support.

All member research organisations are involved in the fund distribution and receive guidance from an experienced investment team.

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NEW ZEALAND

26 February 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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A better New Zealand under National Kanwaljit Bakshi

National List MP

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even years ago we promised to spend your hard-earned taxpayer dollars on services that make a difference.

Now in our third term, we’re seeing more and more Kiwi families reaping the benefits from National’s focus on what matters.

The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report released this week shows through our investment in better public services, we’re making progress in difficult areas.

The report revealed youth offending and teen pregnancy rates have declined, jobs and wages have increased, and criminal offending has dropped.

When we took office New Zealand was hurting. The Salvation Army’s 2008 State of the Nation report revealed despite Labour’s massive 70 per cent increase in spending on welfare, health, and education, more of our children appeared to be at risk of harm, more young people were engaged in petty

crime, and there was more violent crime.

We learned from Labour’s mistakes – complex problems cannot be solved by simply throwing more taxpayer money at them.

That is why National is committed to delivering services that are better-targeted.

We will stop paying for programmes that don’t work and direct spending to services that make a real difference.

We call this our Social Investment Strategy.

This strategy underpinned our successful welfare reform introduced in 2013. Fastforward 3 years and the number of children in benefit dependent households has fallen by more than 40,000, to the lowest level since 1998.

Moving off welfare means a better life and better opportunities for people and their families.

We want households to be healthy and

Bright futures for our children David Shearer Labour MP

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fter a long holiday the school year has finally begun again, with its flurry of new uniforms, lunchboxes, school bags, stationery to buy and school donations to pay.

We do all this for our children because we want the very best for them.

Those of us whose kids are towards the end of their school years are thinking about what the future holds for them. My daughter is year 13: she and her friends will be making some important life decisions this year.

Those who decide to study at university or train for a trade or apprenticeship will face big fees and living expenses. Training for a career will be exciting for them, but

they’ll be taking on big loans and debt.

Debt makes all those other big life decisions – buying a house, marrying, and having children – so much harder.

That’s why New Zealand is experiencing the lowest rates of home ownership since the 1950s. Young Kiwis are coming out of post-school education with an average debt of $20,000 and that takes them nine long years to pay – or more.

I don’t want my children that encumbered when they’re just starting out in life. It’s

certainly not the freedom I experienced at that age, and it’s miles from the Kiwi dream.

That’s why Labour recently announced its Working Futures Plan - a plan to invest in long-term lifetime learning.

It will allow any New Zealander, no matter their age, to undertake three free years’ of post school education; provided they’ve never studied past high school before. It will cover those doing trades training, on-job apprenticeships and higher education. Never before has vocational

prosperous so they can build brighter futures for their families.

We’re the first government to set public targets to be measured against.

We’ve set 10 tough targets in challenging areas such as welfare dependency, crime, child abuse, and educational achievement.

Every six months we publish how each target is tracking.

The latest update shows that since 2012 the proportion of immunised 8-month olds has increased from 84 per cent to 93 per cent, the proportion of 18-year olds who achieve NCEA Level 2 has increased from 74 per cent to 81 per cent, and crime has dropped by almost 20 per cent.

Each of these statistics represents real improvements for real people, their families and our communities.

There’s still a lot of work to do and but we will keep our promise to make progress on what really matters to New Zealanders.

training been so important.

We’ve taken a sensible and affordable approach. Our plan will be phased in over a decade, with the first year free from 2019 at a cost of $265 million. The second year will kick in 2022 and third in 2025.

It is an investment in New Zealand’s future that will cost $1.2 billion when fully implemented. And the money is already there – it is money National has set aside for tax cuts.

Employers have consistently told us the biggest issue they face in growing their businesses and improving productivity is the availability of skilled staff. We need a skilled workforce with the knowledge to adapt, innovate and grow our economy.

Higher levels of education lead to higher incomes. Higher incomes lead to a higher tax return for the Government. In turn that leads to a stronger economy and an improved standard of living for all New Zealanders. It’s a win, win, win.

As parents, and as a country, we can’t afford not to prepare ourselves and our children for the future.

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 26 February 2016

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Mayoral Fund poised to assist after Cyclone Winston

Auckland retains third Mercer Quality of Living spot

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ayor Len Brown has expressed his condolences to the people of Fiji and Tonga in the wake of Cyclone Winston and has activated the Mayoral Fund for the Pacific on the advice of the fund’s advisory committee.

“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by Cyclone Winston, and particularly the people of Fiji who have sustained loss of life and widespread damage. Our staff and Mayoral Fund committee members are working closely with our local Pacific communities and aid agencies on how best to help.”

Mayor Len Brown is urging Aucklanders keen to help Fijian communities hit by Cyclone Winston to donate to the Mayoral Fund for the Pacific, which is geared up and ready to help.

The Mayoral Fund for the Pacific Committee met last night. It agreed to launch an appeal and formed a taskforce to work with the community and coordinate the community response in Auckland.

The committee approved logistical support for the community response, involving the provision of containers to transport community donated goods to Fiji and Tonga.

“The community in Auckland is already mobilising to help those in need, and the Mayoral Fund will assist in this,” says Mr

Brown. The Mayoral Fund for the Pacific was originally set up in the wake of the devastation caused in Samoa by 2012’s Cyclone Evan.

“If Aucklanders would like to contribute to the Fund, to help these communities, they can do so through the following channels.

Cash is king, the most versatile way of helping immediately, and tax deductible donations to the Fund can be made at any time.”

The Fund is managed by Auckland Communities Foundation (ACF) and donations should be made through ACF as follows: Via the ‘donate now’ function on the ACF website www. aucklandcf.org.nz Via direct payment to the ACF bank account (with reference ‘MFP’ to ASB Bank account 123028-0714703-00) Via cheque made payable to ‘Auckland Communities

Foundation Mayoral Fund for the Pacific’ and sent to PO Box 26087, Epsom 1334 “We know people are keen to help, particularly our Pacific communities in Auckland, and donations to the Fund will help with immediate relief,” says Len Brown.

John Kotoisuva, chair of the committee and the committee’s representative for the Fijian community, and Jenny Salesa, MP, representative for the Tongan community, will be working closely with communities in Auckland.

They will hold public meetings with the Fijian and Tongan communities in the coming days.

uckland has maintained its position as the world’s third most liveable city in the 2016 Mercer Quality of Living survey, and is the highest ranked city in the Asia-Pacific region.

Mercer ranks Auckland third again behind Vienna and Zurich.

The highest ranking Asia-Pacific cities after Auckland are Sydney at 10, Wellington at 12, Melbourne at 15 and Perth at 21.

Auckland mayor Len Brown says that maintaining third place is “quite an achievement.”

“This is absolute recognition of the hard yards being put in as a united Auckland works to become the world’s most liveable city.

“Agreement with the government on vital transport infrastructure such as the City Rail Link and the work done through initiatives such the housing accord will make Auckland an even better place to live.

“However there is still much to be done and there can be no letup if Auckland is to continue the lift its performance in the liveable city stakes.”

Mercer’s reports provide information and recommendations for over 440 cities throughout the world; the

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Len Brown says that Auckland’s consistent high ranking in major international liveability surveys shows the world sees Auckland as a great place to live, work, visit and do business.

“Our performance across all these shows that we are on track to reaching the number one sport of becoming the world’s most liveable city - a place where all Aucklanders can enjoy a good quality of life, where there are good business and employment opportunities and where people have real choices in housing, transport and employment.”

“One key thing that cities topping the survey all share in common is that they have formulated robust plans for their future social, physical and economic development, and are fully committing to delivering them.

“The success of this approach is clear, and Auckland is well now positioned with our Auckland Plan 30-year blueprint, the Economic Development Strategy, the Housing Strategic Action Plan and the Unitary Plan, the single rulebook replacing former district and regional plans.”

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FIJI

26 February 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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NZDF C-130 Hercules transports Australian aircraft help reaches Fiji assist Fiji

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New Zealand Defence Force C-130 Hercules arrived in Fiji with 12 tonnes of aid supplies and an inter-agency team that would help assess damage caused by Cyclone Winston.

“We hope that this contribution from New Zealand will go a long way in helping the people of Fiji,” said Air Commodore (AIRCDRE) Kevin McEvoy, the Acting Commander Joint Forces New Zealand. AIRCDRE McEvoy said the aid supplies included tool kits, generators, water, ration packs, water containers, chainsaws and tarpaulins.

The Joint Reconnaissance team, comprised of NZDF personnel and staff from the Ministry of

New Zealand Defence personnel loading supplies into NZDF C-130 Hercules in New Zealand.

Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health and Fire Service, would help Fijian authorities assess the damage and co-ordinate the New Zealand government’s disaster relief efforts.

A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion aircraft has been conducting aerial surveillance in Fiji’s northern outlying islands since Sunday to assist Fijian officials in assessing the devastation caused by the cyclone.

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evere Tropical Cyclone Winston has definitely scarred many lives that stood in its path when it crossed the North last Saturday.

The Fiji Times team gathered heart-wrenching stories from those who witnessed the severe tropical cyclone.

On Namena Island Resort, staff members visited Labasa described the experience as scary and tormenting. Staff member Nigel Simpson said their experience from the island needed to be told and some staff were injured as a result.

“Our staff are still traumatised today because of what they went through and how Winston just swept through the island damaging everything in its way,” Mr Simpson said.

“When Winston struck, it just picked and threw into the sea every building that stood in its path. Even the huge stove in the kitchen made from metal, the cyclone just picked it up and threw it in the air.”

He said one of the workers was picked up by strong winds and thrown against a tree.

he Australian Government has authorised the first deployment of Australian Defence Force flights to transport personnel and humanitarian supplies to Fiji in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Winston.

A C-17A Globemaster arrived in Fiji overnight with advance personnel and equipment.

Australian Defence Force flights will also transport humanitarian supplies to provide urgent lifesaving support to people affected by the cyclone, supplementing pre-positioned Australian supplies already being distributed in Fiji.

Our assistance will help ensure the Government of Fiji and agencies responding to the crisis to meet the needs of Fiji’s citizens, who have been forced to move to evacuation centres and other temporary accommodation.

Australia will also send an

India steps in to help

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he Indian Government has pledged its support towards Fiji’s rehabilitation efforts after the devastation left behind by Tropical Cyclone Winston.

“It’s dangerous and when we brought our staff members back to Savusavu, most of them were still shocked and traumatised. Another difficulty we faced was getting assistance from authorities during that time, especially when all diesel suppliers were closed. We had another big boat anchored in Savusavu which the cyclone also damaged. Our staff members are mostly on the mainland now and we still have two to bring from the island.”

At Savusavu, resident John Tamaki said the cyclone arrived earlier than expected.

“We were still trying to help

neighbours along the Hibiscus Highway on Saturday afternoon when strong winds and heavy rain started. So we all ran up to a hill for safety and our cars were parked on the road. We were shocked when the huge waves and strong winds gushed on to the road and pushed our cars to the side,” he said.

Some shoppers were stuck in supermarkets in Savusavu on Saturday evening when sea swells swept through land.

Commissioner Northern Jovesa Vocea said most of those at evacuation centres in Labasa were also villagers who came in to do shopping in town.

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Source: Fiji Sun

He said all his yaqona and dalo farms had been either waterlogged or destroyed by strong winds and heavy rain.

“Our only hope now is the Government and we seriously do not know where to turn to,” Mr Nand said.

“I have two children and I am sick just worried and thinking

of our family’s welfare when everything returns to normalcy.

India is extending US$1 million in immediate assistance to Fiji.

Vikas Sawarup, a spokesperson of the India Ministry of External Affairs sent out a tweet about the assistance.

Shelter, food and water top priority list

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rovision of basic needs for all Fijians, restoration of essential services and bringing the economy to normalcy are the main focuses of Government after the devastation of severe TC Winston.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama assured the nation they were doing their best to provide for the affected people.

“While the worst of the storm is behind us, Winston has left a terrible trail of destruction in its wake,” Mr Bainimarama said.

“In response, our relief effort is in full swing. We are spreading out all over the country, identifying

areas of need and doing everything in our power to provide our people with relief supplies and assistance as fast as we can,” he said.

Meanwhile, Minister for National Disaster Management Inia Seruiratu said their first priority was to provide shelter, food and water to the affected people and to restore essential services such as electricity, water, ports, jetties, airfields, roads, communication, health and education.

He said while people had competing needs, Government needed to prioritise as well.

“At the moment, since the only ATM is down and power is out, we do not have access to money at the bank and we have no choice but to take credit from shops.”

Mr Nand said the spoilt crop they were eating would last for about two weeks.

“When this supply finishes, it will be a really sad situation

considering that both wharves

Bleak future for farmers in Fiji he future is bleak for more than 1000 farmers in Qila on Taveuni and other parts of the island after their dalo and yaqona farms sustained severe damage from Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston.

Qila farmer Rudra Nand said farmers had now ran out of choice and hope.

aeromedical evacuation team to provide urgent lifesaving medical support to people in remote outer islands.

The team will include 6 medical professionals from Australian state and territory health services. Our support will include water and hygiene kits, health support and access to shelter.

Four MRH-90 helicopters will also be deployed to assist Fiji to carry out assessments and to provide relief to the outlying islands affected by the Cyclone.

The Royal Australian Air Force also has P3-Orion surveillance aircraft in the Pacific, which have been placed on standby to support Fiji’s rapid aerial assessment efforts.

As the full impact of the Cyclone becomes clearer, Australia stands ready to provide further assistance to the relief and recovery efforts as requested.

on the island are also down and there is no communication on the island.”

Commissioner

Northern

Jovesa Vocea said they were working

round-the-clock

restore services on the island.

to

FIJI

www.iwk.co.nz | 26 February 2016

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Deaths from Cyclone Winston reach 42 as full scope of disaster unfolds

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orkers scrambled to reach hard-hit outer islands in Fiji to fully assess the scope of the devastating cyclone that struck the Pacific Island nation over the weekend, killing at least 42 people dead and many more injured.

Tropical Cyclone Winston, which lashed Fiji last week, is the most powerful storm on record in the Southern Hemisphere, authorities said. The destruction was apparent wherever one looked: Giant

NGOs urged to work with state agencies

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on-Government oganisations have been urged to work with state officials to ensure relief items are distributed equally.

Commissioner Western Manasa Tagicakibau said this before meeting NGOs in Lautoka.

He said they did not want to visit places where assistance had already been given.

“We don’t want any double dipping or go to an area where one of these organisations has already visited,” Mr Tagicakibau said.

“We’ll let them do their work and go out to the communities and distribute whatever relief that they may have. All we need is that they give us the name of the places they have been to and what sort of relief items they have provided people with.”

He said Government encouraged NGOs to step forward and assist those who have been affected by Severe TC Winston.

Global church mission helps

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lobal Compassion, the compassionate arm of the Christian Mission Fellowship, has begun distributing food boxes to those affected

by Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston in the Tailevu region.

Distributions officer Pastor Sekove Biauniceva said more than 200 boxes have been packed and sent to the areas affected.

“Our assessment team were there yesterday (Monday) to visit the villagers and see what needed to be done and which families needed urgent assistance,” Mr Biauniceva said.

“We have more than 200 boxes that are leaving for the villages in that area and based on what our team has sent us we already have the names of those who need it so the boxes are labelled. We have eight distributions centres from which our volunteers will distribute the boxes.”

Mr Biauniceva said in total 203 families were listed to receive the food items.

“Each box has about $40 worth of food items and we hope this will help the families get through the week until they can start rebuilding their lives,” he said.

“We have included basic items such as flour, rice, sugar, oil, potato, onion, dhal, tinned fish and a bottle of water per box.

For this trip we are taking two trucks with about 4.2 tonnes of food.” Mr Biauniceva said an assessment team was in the Western Division compiling a report.

uprooted trees resting upside down on roads. Houses with their tin roofs torn off.

Residents packing up whatever belongings they could salvage from their destroyed homes. “There are Fijians out there who are without water, without a roof over their heads, without food and without essential services,” Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said.

Compounding the challenge for relief workers are power outages, fallen phone lines and road blocks. Winds reached 296

kilometers per hour (184 mph), the Joint Typhoon Warning Center reported. Had it occurred in the Atlantic, Winston would have been a Category 5 hurricane, but because of hemispheric nomenclature, it’s called a cyclone. (In the Northwest Pacific, it would be a typhoon; all three are the same weather phenomenon.)

Officials shuttered schools until next Monday, using the buildings as shelters for the hundreds the storm left homeless.

A curfew that the government had put in

place was lifted Monday. Still, residents were asked to limit their movements as mush as possible.

Record setting Winston’s 184-mph winds smashed the previous record for a Southern Hemisphere cyclone. The old record of 178 mph was shared by Cyclone Zoe, which battered the Solomon Islands in 2002, and Cyclone Monica, which walloped Australia in 2006, according to Colorado State University hurricane expert Philip Klotzbach.

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INDIANEW ZEALAND

Thought of the week

Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing will be changed unless it is faced.

—James Baldwin

Editorial

From the desk of the Managing Editor

“

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” ~ Viktor Frankl from Man’s Search for Meaning

Viktor Frankl survived the horrors of the holocaust and describes his experiences in this classic book. He talks about the fact that our attitudes determine our happiness and that ‘no one’ can ever take away the freedom from us to choose our response to any given situation.

This week was related to two of the biggest natural disasters of recent times. One was the fifth anniversary of the earthquake that brought Christchurch to a standstill and that which the city is still grappling with. The other, of course is cyclone Winston, which was described as the worst cyclone to hit the southern hemisphere. It is in times like these that we are forced to remind ourselves that life is the biggest of all treasures and that as long as there is life, there is hope. As Viktor Frankl says in the passage above, our attitude with which we face life’s biggest challenges determines everything.

This issue is dedicated to the people of Fiji. On behalf of the entire New Zealand community, I think it’s important to state that we stand strong beside you. The Government has already taken steps to put various relief measures in place and I am also aware that there are several big and small initiatives being taken by numerous organisations to help and contribute as much as we can to support our brothers and sisters who are struggling in these very difficult times. Stay strong, keep the faith.

We also bring you a story on Christchurch – five years after the fact, the solemn ceremony to mark the quake five years ago, one that changed many lives. We report directly from Christchurch via our new section – Southline.

The measles alert is still on and the medical services are in overdrive trying to manage this outbreak of sorts. We bring you a Q&A and all you need to know about measles to keep yourselves and your families safe.

The Prime Minister is currently visiting Sri Lanka and one is already getting the news of new trade and business tie ups between the two countries. This is a great indication for us South Asians. We bring you a story with some more information on this.

I would like to sign off here with the message that these are really difficult times for our neighbours in Fiji. We have all been connected to them in some way or the other. So let’s stand together with them, open our hearts and contribute whatever we can, to help at this hour. We have shared MFAT’s message on how we can help, in this issue so refer to it for more information. Each one of us can make a difference, so let us.

Pick of the week

Rainbow on Segways. The Auckland Pride Festival brought together the diverse and vibrant rainbow community of the city. The festival seems to be getting bigger and better every year. The theme this year was stories, myths and legends.

Until next time.

Giri Gupta

Indian Weekender : Volume 7 Issue 47 Publisher: Kiwi Media Group Limited Managing Editor: Giri Gupta | girigupta@xtra.co.nz Editor: Annu Sharma | editor@indianweekender.co.nz Chief Reporter: Swati Sharma | reporter@indianweekender.co.nz Reporter: Rizwan Mohammad | iwk.rizwan@gmail.com Reporter: Esha Chanda | iwk.eshac@gmail.com Reporter: Kumar Suresh | iwk.kumar@gmail.com Chief Technical Officer: Rohan Desouza | rohan@indianweekender.co.nz Sr Graphics and Layout Designer: Mahesh Kumar Graphic Designer: Yashmin Chand | designer@indianweekender.co.nz Accounts and Admin.: Farah Khan | accounts@indianweekender.co.nz Sales, Marketing & Distribution: Mahesh Kumar | 022 3251630 | mahesh.iwk@gmail.com Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent the views of the team at the Indian Weekender Indian Weekender is published by Kiwi Media Group, 98 Great South Road, Auckland Printed at Horton Media, Auckland Copyright 2015. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

Word: Chunder

Meaning: Sick / To puke Usage: The dishes at the restaurant were so unclean, they made me want to chunder!

Tip from the trenches

5 Reasons to drink water in the morning 1. Drinking water on an empty stomach makes it easier to absorb nutrients.

2. It increases the production of new blood and muscle cells.

3. Helps with weight loss.

4. It helps purge toxins from the blood which helps keep your skin glowing/clear 5. It balances your lymph system, which helps balance your bodily fluids, and fight off infections.

HALL OF FAME 2016

www.iwk.co.nz | 26 February 2016

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Playing devil’s advocate on the ‘discovery’ of gravitational waves

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Hilton Ratcliffe

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n September 14, 2015, the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) observed a “chirp” lasting about a fifth of a second (GW150914). Analyses of the signal suggest that it was produced by the cataclysmic collision of two black holes a billion light years away. This was probably the verification of the most dramatic prediction of Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. Accordingly, we ought to have a critical look at the relevant experiment before we finally incorporate this great achievement into the body of scientific knowledge.

The LIGO experiment consists of two identical stations, one at Hanford, Washington, and the other at Livingstone, Louisiana, some 3,000 km apart. Each station consists of a system of optical, electronic, mechanical, and hydraulic components, and each has three optically polished surfaces across which the light signal must pass.

The mirrors in each LIGO interferometer are set four km apart. The expected change in length of the arms of the interferometer induced by the gravitational waves is around one ten-millionth of the diameter of a single atom. Note, the best precision mirror surfaces have smoothness of about 25 nanometres - a nanometre is a millionth of a millimetre. That is incredibly fine tolerance, but even this pales when compared with what LIGO claims to measure.

Put another way, the most precisely polished astrophysical mirrors like those used in LIGO, can have peaks 25 nm above and below the theoretical surface plane of the mirror, meaning that some parts of the mirror can be 50 nm further from or closer to the point of observation.

And 50 nm is a billion times bigger than the distortions induced by the expected

gravitational waves. Because of this, it is practically impossible to measure the distance between the two mirrors in each interferometer to the required tolerances.

They have had to take an average, which is no more than a guessed approximation.

The likelihood that LIGO did indeed detect a signal from GW150914 is remote, simply because it exceeds the limits of technological precision, more so than any other discovery in human history.

There is also something which appears to be too fortuitous about GW150914, as noted by the distinguished Indian astrophysicist Dr Abhas Mitra: Given that the radius of Earth is 6,370 km, we can calculate the linear distance between the LIGO detectors at Livingstone and Hanford at around 2,500 Km. Because this distance is absolutely negligible compared with the distance to the origin of GW150914 (1.3 billion light years), both detectors should see the event almost simultaneously. There should be a delay of a few microseconds at most if both detectors received the signal from the sky above.

However, the actual delay of seven milliseconds was very much larger, and is possible only if the source was almost perfectly aligned with a straight line joining Livingstone and Hanford. Furthermore, while moving from Livingstone to Hanford, the signal must have travelled through Earth’s crust. And this sounds like some sort of cosmic conspiracy.

Dr Bibhas De, a radio astronomer of some 40 years’ experience and a PhD in applied physics from the University of California-San Diego, noted that there seems to be some minor anomaly between the amplitudes (strengths) of the two signals recorded by the two LIGO detectors.

He admits that this could be ascribed to the instrumental differences between the detectors. If so, we should simply be able

to normalize them to ensure that the two signals match exactly with one another.

And the Physical Review Letters paper publishing this result needs to explain this apparent anomaly.

In the event that normalisation cannot be effected, there is some chance that the extremely sensitive LIGO detectors picked up a fake signal despite the best efforts of the LIGO team to filter them out.

There is undeniably some possibility, however slight, that the well-studied effect of geomagnetically induced currents in long metal structures might have triggered both the LIGO detectors. These currents in the Earth’s magnetic field would create stresses in LIGO’s lengthy vacuum tubes. These stresses, though extremely small in most cases, may nevertheless be non-negligible for LIGO in view of the extraordinary sensitivity of the instrument.

Furthermore, the time-scale and the

form of the signal seem to be suspiciously well-matched to geomagnetic interference.

In addition, it is significant that the Lebedov Institute, Moscow, recorded September 14, 2015, as a day of geomagnetic storms.

These disturbances originate in the ionosphere, thus they would consequently affect both detectors. We cannot be certain such effects were filtered out.

Finally, these points are raised not to take away due credit from the monumental effort by the LIGO team, but rather to emphasise, with a phrase made popular

by Carl Sagan, that “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence’’.

(Hilton Ratcliffe is a South Africanborn physicist, mathematician, and astronomer and part of the trio that discovered CNO nuclear fusion on the surface of the Sun. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at hilton@hiltonratcliffe.com)

Slow progress in PM’s financial inclusion dream Himadri Ghosh

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Never before in economic history would 15 million bank accounts have been opened on a single day. Never before has the Government of India organised a programme of such scale,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on August 28, 2014, launching the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (Prime Minister’s People’s Wealth Programme/PMJDY).

Seventeen months later, in January 2016, the scheme reached all Indian households, according to official data, bringing 200 million additional families to the banking system.

But the primary goal, direct transfer of government subsidies to people, has not overcome two challenges: linking the unique identification (Aadhaar) card to PMJDY; and getting beneficiaries to use the bank account. The speed of adding accounts, as IndiaSpend reported earlier, was outpacing the delivery of benefits, and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan, in 2014, cautioned banks against

focussing on numbers alone.

Less than half the 210 million Jan Dhan accounts were seeded with Aadhaar as of January 31, 2016, the data indicates. More than 30 per cent of these accounts have been at “zero balance”, meaning the account holder was not using the account.

States struggling to link Aadhaar to PMJDY include Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra. These states together linked less than 40 per cent accounts to Aadhaar.

It is important that these states fall in line, as subsidies on cooking fuel, auto fuel and food grain impose a multibillion-rupee

subsidy burden, the government has said.

The government is estimated to have spent Rs.266,700 crore ($45 billion) on subsidies in 2015, of which Rs.122,700 crore ($20 billion) was spent on food, Rs.71,000 crore ($12 billion) on fertiliser and Rs.60,300 crore ($9 billion) on oil.

Up to half of these subsidies are misappropriated, according to various estimates.

“One of the biggest reforms that India has embarked upon is moving to a market-pricing mechanism across a variety of products such as cooking fuels, auto fuels, food grains and fertilisers,” a Kotak strategy report said.

“A policy does not work by itself…people must know how to use it” “It takes time to properly implement policies in India, more so for financial schemes like PMJDY as a lot of people are unaware of words like bank, loan, subsidy,” said Santosh

Kumar, professor of public policy and administration at FLAME University, Pune.

The integration of PMJDY, Aadhaar and Mobile (JAM) could be an important component of structural reforms. The idea of JAM, as propounded in the 2015 Economic Survey and the union budget, was to identify the beneficiary and deposit subsidies directly into his/her bank account.

“A policy does not work by itself,” said Kumar. “The government must have a strong political will to implement the policy properly by scrubbing it of discrepancies.”

“There are two aspects to financial inclusion: one is bank accounts and the second is access to credit. The scheme announced by the prime minister addresses the first problem. The issue of making credit available to small borrowers remains,” wrote C. Rangarajan, former chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the prime minister, in The Hindu.

An article published by RBI in May 2013 revealed that more than 42 per cent of rural credit is sourced from non-institutional

agencies. “Rural credit markets in India is characterised by the coexistence of both formal and informal sources of finance and the market is fragmented,” RBI concluded after four rounds of survey.

“The scheme is a step forward but a lot needs to be done before calling it successful,” said Anindita Roy Saha, associate professor of economics at Delhi University.

“People from rural and urban areas need to be treated separately. For achieving the objectives, people should be educated about the financial system.”

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had opened nearly 60 million socalled no-frills accounts, but RBI data have shown that more than half of them remained dormant.

“The basic idea of financial inclusion is to include most of the vulnerable sections of society in the banking system,” said Kumar. “People need to know the potential of the scheme and the documents they have in possession; otherwise, they can’t exercise their rights.”

INDIA

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26 February 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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India following bold, proactive foreign policy: President

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resident Pranab Mukherjee said that India is following a bold and proactive foreign policy and has reached out to the world both on land and sea.

“My government has continued to pursue a bold and proactive foreign policy,” the President said, addressing the joint sitting of both houses of parliament that marked the traditional launch of the budget session.

“The primary objective has been to accelerate national development with emphasis on improving India’s access to capital, technology, resources, energy and skills. States have been made partners in our diplomatic efforts,” he said.

Stating that India was committed to the principle of “the world is one family”, Mukherjee said this expression was most resonant in the steps New Delhi took in reaching out to its neighbours.

“Last year, my government adopted the historic land boundary agreement with Bangladesh, leading to the peaceful exchange of disputed territories between

our two countries,” he recalled.

“The signing of the Motor Vehicles Agreement between Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal, will provide seamless connectivity and further strengthen ties.”

The President said that India was a friend in need to Nepal during the devastating earthquake of April 2015 in the Himalayan country.

“We opened our skies, became a key transit hub and essential enabler so that assistance from other countries could reach Nepal in its hour of need,” he said.

As for Pakistan, the President said India was committed to forging a mutually respectful relationship with its western neighbour and in creating an environment of cooperation in combating cross-border terrorism.

“My government believes in a secure and prosperous future for our neighbourhood. India remains committed to providing support to the people of Afghanistan in realising their dream of building a stable, inclusive and democratic nation,” he said, adding that the dedication of the Afghan parliament’s new building

by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December was India’s contribution to Afghanistan’s pursuit of peace and prosperity.

Referring to the India-Africa Forum Summit held in New Delhi, October last year, Mukherjee said: “We reached out to the world, both on land and sea. Of 54 participating nations, the India-

Africa Summit, attended by heads of states and governments from 41 countries, has rejuvenated India’s relations with the continent, ushering in a new era of engagement and fraternity.

“My government will not let oceans separate us, and has activated engagement with the 14 Pacific Island countries and revitalised civilisational links with our vibrant Act East Policy.

India’s second International Fleet Review, attended by 50 foreign navies, reinforced our cultural, commercial and strategic connect with our immediate and extended maritime neighbourhood.”

The President said that India has played a proactive role in addressing climate change by launching an International Solar Alliance (ISA) that has been universally acknowledged.

An initiative of Prime Minister Modi, the ISA is an alliance of some 120 countries situated between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn that receive sunlight for 300 or more days in a year.

He also said that India remained at the forefront of the global fight against terrorism.

“Sustained Indian efforts have led to concrete action for reforming the UN Security Council,” Mukherjee said.

“India has also provided strong leadership and new vision to regional and international groupings like BRICS, G-20, WTO, East Asia Summit, ASEAN and the SCO.” He said the government’s policy towards the Indian diaspora has enhanced NRI and PIO engagement by making it easier for them to get passports and offered visa on arrival by extending Electronic Travel Authorisation facility to a large number of countries.

“Today, our citizens living and working abroad know that the government is committed to protecting their interests and helping them in distress. This was manifested in Operation Rahat, in which we successfully evacuated 4,748 Indians from Yemen.”

“We also extended our assistance to other nationalities.

We evacuated 1,962 foreigners belonging to 48 countries,” the President said.

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Jat agitation called off in Rajasthan

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IT hardware sector can generate 4 lakh jobs: manufacturers’ body

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he Jat community in Rajasthan has called off its stir, a minister announced this week – the third day of the agitation demanding reservations which saw a mob try to set afire the engine of a goods train.

“The Jat agitation has been called off following talks,” Social Welfare Minister Arun Chaturvedi, who had been holding discussions with Jat leaders, said in Bharatpur, the epicentre of the stir in the state.

Prominent Jat leader and Congress legislator Vishwendra Singh said the state government accepted all the major demands of the community.

“I request my community members to lift the road and rail blockades,” Vishwendra Singh said at a press conference in Bharatpur.

“We have requested the OBC Commission to visit the areas and study and assess the social and economic status of the Jat community soon in Bharatpur and Dholpur districts.

“The state government has accepted our demand and it (government) will urge the OBC Commission to visit the areas soon,” he added.

The state government also agreed to give statutory status to the OBC Commssion.

“We will bring a bill in this regard in the next session of the assembly. Presently, this commission has been constituted on administrative orders,” Chaturvedi said.

Jats in Rajasthan are classified as Other Backward Classes (OBC), except for Jats of Bharatpur and Dholpur districts. Jats in Bharatpur are now demanding that they also be classified as OBCs. Earlier in the day, the protest badly affected road and railway traffic in Bharatpur district, over 170 km from state capital Jaipur.

A police officer told IANS that the protesters had resorted to road and train blockades in some places, mainly between Bharatpur to Mathura, Jaipur and Agra and roads connecting various towns in the district.

In Nadabi, Helak and

Bharatpur city, protesters vandalised properties and shops, while in Khumer, they damaged two ATMs. In Helak railway station, protesters tried to torch the engine of a goods train. They also tried to set ablaze a room in Paprera railway station.

However, police were able to douse the fire in both the cases.

Many trains in the Jaipur, Agra and Mathura sectors were cancelled while train traffic between the important DelhiMumbai sector was also affected.

Roads from Bharatpur to Delhi, Deeg, Alwar and Mathura were also blocked.

To maintain law and order, the district administration had earlier imposed prohibitory orders and blocked mobile internet and internet service in the district.

Awaken Your Soul with the Divine Guru Brahmrishi Shri Gurvanandji Swamy A little faith will take you to heaven, Full faith will bring heaven to you

he IT hardware sector has the potential to generate four lakhs jobs in five years if the government provides requisite tax impetus to the manufacturing of notebook and desktop personal computers in the upcoming Budget, industry body Manufacturers Association for Information Technology (MAIT) said in a study.

“Within the manufacturing sector, the growth of the IT electronics sector is critical for realizing the visionary initiatives of ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’ launched by the government, and help India garner a 10 percent share of the worldwide ESDM (Electronic System Design & Manufacturing) sector by 2020,” the MAIT study said.

“What’s more, there is potential to generate 100,000 direct jobs and 300,000 jobs in components manufacturing over the next five years,” it added.

“India has a large and growing market for IT products and ESDM hardware. Due to various disabilities impacting domestic manufacturers, a large part of this market is being served by imported products, mostly from China.

“In 2015, we believe the share of domestic manufacturers was only 45 percent of the total ESDM market of 31.6 billion dollars. For

the IT products market of 5.8 billion dollars this proportion was even lower at around 32 percent,” said Anwar Shirpurwala, executive director, MAIT. Domestic manufacturers are at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to imports on account of both tax provisions as well as market factors, the association said.

“To address this concern and to encourage domestic manufacturing of IT products, the industry is requesting that the differential excise duty regime introduced by the government in 2015 for mobile phones and tablets be extended to notebook PCs and desktop PCs,” MAIT said.

DR PARMJEET PARMAR NATIONAL LIST MP BASED IN MOUNT ROSKILL

Shri Gurudev is a divinity incarnate and a self-realized soul who has invoked all the spiritual centres of divine energy (chakras of kundalini). Through intense meditation and spiritual discipline (sadhana) of 45 years, He has rediscovered all the Sidhis (divine powers) of ancient sages which were lost over time. With this divine power, he has helped hundreds of thousands of people in distress. His mission is to guide us to liberation while we continue to fulfill our worldly duties.

Shri Gurudev holds numerous degrees including M.Tech. from IIT, PhD in Astrology and Masters in Sanskrit, Vedas, and Literature. He has participated in several international religious conferences, including the “All Religion World Conferences” where he has been honored with the “Best Personality” gold medal seven times.

Join us for a Sacred Audience with The Sathguru Whose Blessings Can Change Both the Direction and Destiny of Your Life.

Brahmrishi Shri Gurvanandji Swamy

Coming to Auckland in end April 2016 - Free Admission To get updates contact: guruvandananz@gmail.com or laxmijj@gmail.com Laxmi Jhunjhnuwala: 021778322 Shivani Arora: 021870012 Praveen Patel: 0211646468

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MOUNT ROSKILL OFFICE: A: 1/165 Stoddard Road, Mount Roskill P: 09 620 6707 E: Parmjeet.Parmar@Parliament.govt.nz www.parmjeetparmar.co.nz facebook.com/DrParmjeetParmarMP Funded by the Parliamentary Service and authorised by Dr Parmjeet Parmar MP, Parliament Buildings Wellington

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INDIA ABROAD

26 February 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Six Indian-Americans scientists honoured by Obama

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S President Obama has named 106 researchers, including six of Indian origin, as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest US government honour for young independent researchers.

The winners will receive their awards at a Washington, DC ceremony this spring.

“These early-career scientists are leading the way in our efforts to confront and understand challenges from climate change to our health and wellness,” Obama said. “We congratulate these accomplished individuals and encourage them to continue to serve as an example of the incredible promise and ingenuity of the American people.”

The Presidential Early Career Awards highlight the key role that the Administration places in encouraging and accelerating American innovation to grow our economy and tackle our greatest challenges, a White House announcement said.

Established by President Bill Clinton in 1996, the awards

recognise pursuit of innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology and awardees’ commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education, or community outreach. The six IndianAmerican recipients are: Milind Kulkarni, an associate professor with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University. His research focuses on Programming Languages and Compilers that support

efficient programming and high performance on emerging complex architectures.

Kiran Musunuru, Assistant Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University. His research focuses on the genetics of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

Sachin Patel, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, and Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Vanderbilt University Medical Centre. Patel’s overall research goal is to understand the role of neuronal cannabinoid

Feel special: Indian-American director on Oscar nomination

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anjay Patel’s animated short, Sanjay’s Super Team, which tells the story of an immigrant community and “a family of colour”, is up against movies like Bear Story and World of Tomorrow for the Best Animated Short Film at this year’s Oscars. The IndianAmerican Pixar artist and director says it feels special just to be in the company of “incredibly deserving” nominees.

The world is eagerly waiting to see who will walk away with the prestigious statuette at the 88th Academy Awards, to be held in Los Angeles on February 28. And Indians have a reason to cheer as Patel, who has roots in Gujarat, is pitted against Bear Story, directed by Gabriel Osorio, World of Tomorrow, helmed by Don Hertzfeldt, Richard Williams’s Prologue and We Can’t Live Without Cosmos, directed by Konstantin Bronzit.

“I was confident (of winning) until I saw the other nominees. I became even less confident after I met the nominees. They are so incredibly deserving. All the films are so unique and special.

It feels special just to be in that company,” Patel said.

The US film production studio

Disney-Pixar’s film shows a boy, modelled on Patel, who wants to watch superhero cartoons on television. It goes on to present the boy’s daydreams—bored with his father’s religious meditation— who imagines Hindu gods as superheroes.

“John Lasseter (chief creative officer, Disney-Pixar) was the one who gave me the confidence and permission (to make the film). I had a story about a little boy from India who didn’t have a father and it was more about him being absorbed in western comics and kind of ignoring the stories from his own culture. I told that story to John. He liked it. Then he asked me about how I grew up.

“I told him about my

experience with my father. John straight away loved the idea. The same ideas got communicated, but it got richer and more universal. Initially, the concept was something that may be only a certain amount of people might have been able to relate to. But the idea of generational struggle between a young person and his parents is way more universal and emotional,” he said.

Born in Britain to Gujarati parents, Patel moved to the United States in the 1980s. The 41-yearold joined Pixar Animation Studios in 1996 as an animator on “A Bug’s Life”, and has animated on many of Pixar’s feature films, including Ratatouille, Cars and Toy Story 3.

signalling in brain function relevant to psychiatric disorders.

Vikram Shyam, is a member of the Turbomachinery and Heat Transfer Branch at National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA Glenn Research Centre.

Rahul Mangharam is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.

His interests are in realtime scheduling algorithms for networked embedded systems with applications in energyefficient buildings, automotive systems, medical devices and industrial wireless control networks. Shwetak Patel, is Endowed Professor in Computer Science and Engineering and Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington, where he directs his research group, the Ubicomp Lab. His research interests are in the areas of Human-Computer Interaction, Ubiquitous Computing, Sensorenabled Embedded Systems, and User Interface Software and Technology.

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Indian-origin Sikh appointed Kuala Lumpur police chief

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n Indian-origin Sikh officer has been appointed Kuala Lumpur’s commissioner of police—the highest police rank achieved by a Sikh in Malaysia, media reports said.

Amar Singh will replace Tajuddin Mohamed, who will move to federal headquarters as the deputy director of commercial CID on March 14, freemalaysiatoday.com reported.

Amar Singh held the position of deputy director of CID when his new appointment was announced last week.

According to the Malaysia Samachar website, the highest police rank previously achieved by a Sikh was senior assistant commissioner-I when Santokh Singh became police chief of Selangor state.

Amar Singh’s father and maternal grandfather were both policemen. His father Ishar Singh joined the Federated Malay States Police in 1939, a year after coming to Malaya from Punjab. His maternal grandfather, Bachan Singh, was a constable who joined the force in the early 1900s.

‘Masterchef girl’ Hetal keen to make ‘neglected’ Gujarati food world-famous

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n the US, she is ‘the Indian girl from Masterchef’!

Indian American chef Hetal Vasavada, who has been treating her foreign friends on the reality TV show with khichdi and coconut curry soup, says food from her native Gujarat – also the home of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi – is neglected in the west. She hopes to bring the cuisine in limelight in the most “traditional” way.

Vasavada, 28, who was one of the top six finalists of the last season of Star World show “MasterChef US”, said that most people in the west think that Gujarati food is all about dollops of sugar. But she wants to dispel the notion as she feels regional cuisine is an answer to foreigners who think Indian food is “heavy” and “creamy”.

“I think Gujarati food is neglected a lot, especially in restaurants in the US. There are south Indian restaurants with dosa, and then there are Punjabi restaurants. A lot of people think that Gujarati food is just lots of sugar... But it’s not. It is definitely

healthy and very tasty,” Vasavada said.

There are other things to Vasavada’s stride - be it being the first Indian vegetarian to be a part of the foreign show or be it popularising the sombre Indian khichdi. Now, she wants to do more to widen the perception about Indian food in the west.

Vasavada is happy about the growing interest around Indian food on foreign shores, as she shares that now people are willing to experiment beyond the butterchicken and chicken tikka.

Vasavada left behind the business world to pursue her dream in the culinary world. She was a business developer at a tech start-up and, post her ‘Masterchef US’ stint, is now treading the path of a “food consultant”.

“You get recognised at so many places and people say ‘Oh, you are the Indian girl from ‘Masterchef’.

Post the show, things have been wonderful because I get to pursue my passion as my career,” said Vasavada, who is pregnant with her first child and hopes to pen a cookery book post delivery.

SPORTS

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McCullum breaks Viv Richard’s world record of fastest test century

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elt embarrassed while breaking Viv’s record, says the Black Caps captain Having set the record for the fastest century in Test cricket at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on February 20, Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum said he almost felt “embarrassed” while going past the previous milestone set by his idol Viv Richards.

Walking in when New Zealand were in trouble at 32/3 on the opening day of the first Test against Australia, McCullum smashed 100 runs off 54 deliveries to pull the hosts out of trouble.

McCullum, who completed his century with a boundary, scored 145 off 79 balls before Nathan Lyon pulled off a superb catch off James Pattinson’s bowling to send him back to the pavilion.

His hurricane knock helped the Kiwis post a first innings total of 370 runs. Australia were on 57/1 at stumps.

McCullum thus went past the previous mark set by West Indies legend Viv Richards, who had taken 56 balls to reach triple

figures against England at St John’s, Antigua, in the 1985-86 season. It is a fitting swansong for the 34-year-old Kiwi, who has announced that he will retire after this Test.

“I was trying to hit every ball for four or six. I wasn’t aware of the record but very respectful of all those who’ve held it before.

It’d be nice to win the Test match, that’d be the most important thing,” McCullum told the media

after the end of the day’s play.

“Viv Richards was my idol growing up. It’s nice to be able to go past him but jeez, he was a cracking player, an incredible cricketer. I’m almost a bit embarrassed to go past him, to be honest. Hopefully he enjoyed a bit of the ‘stroke-making’, we’ll call it,” he added.

The day did not have a perfect start for the New Zealand captain.

He lost the toss and Australia

Messi cannot be Argentina’s saviour always: Coach Martino

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rgentina coach Gerardo Martino has said that Lionel Messi cannot always be the saviour of the side always and asked the other players to support him after being drawn in a tricky Copa America Centenario group.

Argentina, who have been placed in Group D, will lock horns against Chile in their campaign opener, in a repeat of the 2015 Copa America final. They will then have to deal with the likes of Panama and Bolivia in their other group matches.

“Leo cannot always be the

saviour,” Martino was cited by goal.com. “It has to be that the team helps him out.”

In the last edition’s final, after a 0-0 draw, Chile won the penalty shoot-out against Argentina 4-1 to lift the Copa America trophy.

Martino said he would want a result in his favour this time around.

“I would prefer to meet Chile again but a different result to the final,” he said.

Argentina’s group matches will be played in Santa Clara, Chicago and Seattle.

B

oversee the Delhi and District Cricket Association’s (DDCA) preparations for the World T20.

The five-member supervisory committee consists of Justice Mudgal, Amrit Mathur (BCCI representative), M.V. Sridhar (tournament director), Sunil Valson (former cricketer and GMR representative) and Suresh Chopra (veteran DDCA official).

“Justice Mukul Mudgal (retd) has appointed senior DDCA and BCCI vice-President C.K. Khanna

I had an almighty, filthy slog and it went over the slips cordon for four. When you’re confronted with wickets like that you know you’re going to have to be pretty aggressive and need some luck, and we got quite a bit of luck.

That partnership between Corey (Anderson) and I was great fun but also instrumental for us to hopefully set the Test match up.”

“I’ve been on the other side many times and you walk off and think ‘jeez if I’d reined it in a little bit who knows what would have happened’. On that wicket the feedback from the boys was that at any stage the ball could have your name on it. I tried to be as positive as I possibly could and hoped things would roll our way.”

“When Corey came out he played aggressively and we started to get some momentum. We were able to knock them off that difficult length at the top of off stump. If you’re just trying to hang in there on that wicket, around the top of off stump, you’re in big trouble.

It’s nice when things come off,” he added.

Richie McCaw named New Zealander of the Year

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Khanna named principal advisor to World T20 committee oard of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vicepresident C.K. Khanna was appointed principal advisor to the supervisory committee for the ICC World T20 matches to he held at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium.

The appointment was made by retired Justice Mukul Mudgal who has been asked by the Delhi high court to supervise the World T20 matches to be held in the capital. Mudgal had formed the supervisory committee to

captain Steven Smith asked the hosts to bat first on a green wicket.

McCullum survived a couple of close calls early in his innings, most notably when he tried to smash a Pattinson delivery and was brilliantly caught by a diving Mitchell Marsh at gully.

However, the umpires checked the replays and confirmed that Pattinson had delivered a no-ball.

“I thought it was four as soon as I hit it, then I turned around and it was their third great catch of the day. Steve Smith’s catches were phenomenal as well. We talked about that they do push the front line a little bit. You’re always hopeful but you don’t anticipate it actually being a no-ball so it was quite a nice reprieve,” McCullum said.

“It probably loosens you up a little bit and relaxes you a bit more. You know you’re probably not meant to be out there so you might as well play with even more freedom.”

When asked when he felt that it could be his day the Kiwi captain said, “Probably second ball when

as principal advisor to Supervisory committee constituted by him for T20 World Cup matches,” DDCA vice-president Chetan Chauhan said in a statement on Tuesday.

Khanna, who is also a senior DDCA official, was not included in the 12-member organising committee formed by Justice Mudgal. This had prompted DDCA working president Chetan Chauhan to write to him, requesting changes in the organising committee list.

ormer New Zealand rugby captain and charity leader Richie McCaw has been named Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year 2016 at the gala awards ceremony held in Auckland.

McCaw was presented with the award by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon John Key, and received the Kiwibank award winner’s kaitaka huaki cloak, Pouhine, from last year’s New Zealander of the Year, Sir Stephen Tindall.

In his 14-year professional rugby career McCaw has achieved unrivalled success as a leader and inspirational player.

Off the field McCaw has devoted much of his time to helping other Kiwis. He has fundraised for the Christchurch rebuild and Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand. As patron of the Catwalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust, McCaw helped raise $200,000 for research into the development of a cure for spinal cord injury.

In 2009, McCaw and fellow All Blacks Dan Carter and Ali Williams set up the For Everyone Charity.

Now called iSPORT, it works with schools, and local, regional and

national

sporting

bodies

to support young sportspeople and teams to succeed in their chosen fields.

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KIDS ZONE

26 February 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Ladybird Crossword

Ladybird Crossword

ANT

The Crow And The Pitcher

BEETLE EARWIG FLY

A

thirsty crow once found a pitcher with a little water in it. But when he tired to drink the water, he could not. The pitcher was tall and his beak didn't reach the water.

The cleaver crow thought and hit upon a plan. He went on dropping pebbles into the pitcher. The water rose up to its neck and he quenched his thirst.

MORAL : Will finds the way

Minibeast Word Scramble

GRASSHOPPER LADYBIRD

SLUG SNAIL SPIDER WASP WOODLOUSE WORM

is for apple and ant www.kidspuzzlesandgames.co.uk

Colour 2 of the apples red and 1 apple green

Colour 2 of the apples red and 1 apple green

Minibeast Word scramble TAN EBE GUSL MRWO NLISA ETLEBE PRESDI TBRUEFTYL RNGFDAYOL OSRAPRGSPEH

is for dog, drum, desk and doll

Draw over the grey letters below and then practice writing it yourself

Count how many bones the dog has, dont one in his Count howforget many bones thethe dog has, don’t forget the onemouth. in his mouth! Colour 2 bones orange and two bones yellow.

Colour 2 bones orange and 2 yellow

Draw over the grey letters below and then practice writing it yourself

www.kidspuzzlesandgames.co.uk www.kidspuzzlesandgames.co.uk

ASTROLOGY

www.iwk.co.nz | 26 February 2016

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Weekly forecast: February 26 to March 3 ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

Some struggle is foreseen in getting your winning edge back on the professional front. A competitive environment on the academic front can unsettle some, but won’t affect preparation. Your thoughtfulness and helpful attitude will help gain instant popularity on the social front. Monetary front strengthens as money lent to someone is returned. Maybe it is the season, as some of you can fall in love!

Health remains satisfactory as you become more fitness conscious. Limit your travel, if you don’t want to miss something important on the social front.

You will strive to regain focus on the academic front and succeed.

Distractions and interruptions threaten to make work suffer, so take adequate steps. You may find yourself in a position of advantage on the monetary front. A minor ailment is likely to get cured through a home remedy. Advice of a family elder will help in tackling a contentious issue on the family front.

A chance encounter may result in a budding romance. Setting up the house is likely to give some homemakers immense satisfaction.

Watch your step on the social front as someone is out to undermine your popularity. You will need to be on the right side of boss for your own good, even if it means compromising on certain things. Eliciting a positive response from someone you have a soft corner is indicated. Driving off someplace to chill out with friends may hit some hurdles, but you will pull it through. Renting out your place may prove more difficult than you imagined, but you will succeed.

Much workload is foreseen on the professional sphere, but you will manage everything admirably. You need to pace your progress on the academic front and for you it will not be too difficult. There is someone who is a source of irritation on the social front, so avoid him or her. You may feel frustrated by not having your complete say in a relationship, but things are set to improve. A trip may need to be given a miss due to your other commitments.

Lucky No.: 3 Lucky Colour: Saffron

Lucky No.: 4 Lucky Colour: Dark Blue

Lucky No.: 5 Lucky Colour: Parrot Green

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

This is the right phase to express your love for someone you like. Marriage is on the anvil for the eligible. Some of you are likely to enhance your career by remaining in the notice of those who matter. You will need to be more concerned about someone close to the family, as he or she expects much from you. A financial venture may get you totally involved. There is no shortcut to good health and you will realise it much sooner and do something about it.

This is a good period to finish time consuming jobs, as you have the time on your hands. Your consistency will help you in creating a niche for yourself on the professional front.

Suggestions given on the home front will not only be welcomed, but implemented too! Read the fine print in a financial negotiation, as chances of getting a raw deal cannot be ruled out. A shopping spree with your loved ones is foreseen at the end of the week. You will feel healthy and much more energetic than before.

An assignment completed competently will get into the sights of those who matter. Progress on the academic front remains most satisfactory. There is someone who really likes you, but your not realising this fact can hurt his or her feelings.

Financial front will remain stable and new opportunities may knock at your door. You may get motivated to take up an exercise regimen and benefit on the health front. Love life will give immense pleasure. This is also perfect time for a fun trip.

Lucky No.: 22 Lucky Colour: Dark Grey

Lucky No.: 6 Lucky Colour: Crimson

AQUARIUS

PISCES

This is the time to relax and take things easy, so get down to making your home environment tranquil.

Professionally, you can expect a satisfying period. Those appearing for an exam or competition will manage their time well. Lover may share his or her innermost feelings with you.

Those serious of acquiring a roof over their head may come across a bargain they just can’t refuse! Let a planned trip stand as it is, as it may become difficult to plan it later.

The condition of those ailing for long may show a marked improvement.

You are likely to feel more confident in undertaking a complex assignment and do an excellent job of it too! An adversary at work will not succeed in scuttling your efforts on the professional front. Some of you may derive much satisfaction by working in proximity to the one you secretly love. Family members may get worried about something that you are undertaking, but their fears will be unfounded. Getting the house renovated is possible.

This is the week when you will need to keep aside some time to sort out a family matter. You may benefit from getting some additional information in your preparation on the academic front. If you are travelling for a vacation, the journey is likely to add to your excitement. Busy schedule and paucity of time may make it difficult to attend a family function, but you will manage somehow. You will succeed in stoking the embers of passion and make romance rock!

Lucky No.: 11 Lucky Colour: Lemon

Lucky No.: 15 ucky Colour: Red

Lucky No.: 15 Lucky Colour: Crimson

(March 21-April 20)

(April 21-May 20)

Lucky No.: 4 Lucky Colour: Dark Turquoise

LEO

(July 23-August 23)

(August 24-Sep 23)

Someone you are attracted to is likely to give positive signals, so expect romance to bloom! A business trip promises to bring some lucrative opportunities.

Cashing in on a deal is possible for some professionals. An initiative on the health front is likely to keep you refreshed and rejuvenated. Property and other assets may be put up for sale by some. Your best friend may require some encouragement for delivering what is expected of him or her. Take cue from others, instead of guessing and going wrong.

Lucky No.: 15 Lucky Colour: Red

SAGITTARIUS

Lucky No.: 3 Lucky Colour: Crimson

Professionally, you can find yourself on a strong wicket, as you spare no efforts to better your career prospects. On the academic front, a source of tension that had been bugging you for sometime is likely to disappear. Those entrusted with an important job on the home front will manage to deliver it in an efficient manner. You become more socially in by taking the initiative of meeting people. Wedding bells may not be imminent for the eligible, but they should not lose heart.

CAPRICORN

(Nov 23-December 11)

Lucky No.: 8 Lucky Colour: Bottle Green

(Dec 22-January 21)

(May 21-June 21)

(Sep 24-October 23)

(Jan 22-February 19)

(June 22-July 20)

(Oct 24-November 22)

(Feb 20-March 20)

By Manisha Koushik Manisha Koushik is the talented daughter and associate of world renowned celebrity astrologer Dr Prem Kumar Sharma. She is gifted with strong intuitions and clairvoyance right from the childhood. A practicing astrologer, tarot card reader, numerologist, vastu and fengshui consultant is based in India but maintains a global presence through the online channels. She is available for consultations online as well. Reach out to her to explore what the future holds for you. Let her tarot cards do the magic and numbers make you understand which choices in life will be best for you!

E-mail: support@askmanisha.com | Website: www.askmanisha.com Contact: +91-11-26449898, 26489899 | Mobile/Whatsapp: +919015607139

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HEALTH

26 February 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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5 burning questions Kiwi cancer researchers could answer

Reflecting upon the questions that remain unanswered about the chronical disease that is now the single biggest cause of death for New Zealanders.

T

he list of potential research questions about cancer is huge, while budgets in New Zealand are typically small. It’s important to focus on areas where Kiwi scientists and doctors have an acknowledged strength.

The NZ Breast Cancer Foundation has received applications for its new funding round, Innovation and Impact in Breast Cancer, with a particular focus on topics where Kiwi researchers might have an edge over other parts of the world.

Evangelia Henderson, chief executive at the NZBCF has cited five “burning questions” that Kiwi researchers are in a particularly strong position to answer.

5. Will cancer that has spread ever be curable?

1. Will there be a vaccine for common cancers like breast cancer?

Cancer vaccines fall into two camps – preventive or therapeutic. Preventive vaccines are designed to prevent cancer developing in healthy people (e.g. the HPV vaccine for cervical cancer). For many cancers, including breast cancer, it’s more likely that we’ll see a therapeutic vaccine develop first.

Therapeutic vaccines harness the body’s immune system to treat cancer and prevent it spreading or recurring. New Zealand has a strong reputation in vaccine development, with tight-knit teams of virologists, immunologists and clinicians, such as at Otago University.

Contact: Dr Merilyn Hibma, Virology Otago, University of Otago, 03 479 7726

2. How successful are we at treating cancer and how can we do better?

We all know New Zealand lags behind countries like Australia and the UK in access to cancer drugs. But what difference does it make? “Big Data” holds the answer – it’s “transforming the fight against cancer”, as a Forbes Magazine headline put it last year.

Big data is the in-depth information held

Therapeutic vaccines harness the body’s immune system to treat cancer and prevent it spreading or recurring. in patient registers about cancer patients, their treatments and outcomes. Big data will help doctors improve outcomes by showing them how other patients fared on the same treatment programme, identify inequalities of access, and understand outcomes across regional, demographic and ethnic groups.

Registers enable actual healthcare practice to be assessed against recommended standard of care; and

allow benchmarking against international guidelines and best practice.

New Zealand’s regional Breast Cancer Patient Registers, funded by the NZBCF, are currently being consolidated into a national register, and plans are afoot to establish registers for other tumour groups.

What’s needed now is more research into the valuable data they hold.

Contact: Dr Reena Ramsaroop, Auckland Breast Cancer Study Group, 0274 375 872 Contact: Assoc Professor Cris Print, University of Auckland c.print@ auckland.ac.nz (email is the best for a prompt callback)

3. Will vitamins ever play a serious role in cancer treatment?

Once perceived as being at the looney fringe of cancer research, vitamin C is increasingly acknowledged as an important topic for scientific study. Professor Margreet Vissers is currently researching the role of vitamin C in slowing the growth and spread of bowel and breast cancers, and was the 2015 recipient of the New Zealand Society for Oncology Translational Research Award in December.

Vitamin D research is lagging behind vitamin C, but as a micronutrient in which many Kiwis are deficient—more than a quarter of us have less than the recommended level of vitamin D in our blood—and the subject of cancer prevention studies overseas, we can expect to see increased interest vitamin D in the future.

Contact: Professor Margreet Vissers, U n i v e r s i t y of Otago Christchurch, 0272 282 164 4. How can we find out sooner w h e t h e r c a n c e r treatment is working?

Too many patients undergo unpleasant, toxic treatment for their cancer, only to find out months later that it didn’t work and the cancer has spread or become much harder to treat. New research aims to find ways of identifying faster whether or not a treatment is working via a “liquid biopsy”, measuring circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) in the patient’s blood. Rapid identification of relapse could enable a new drug or a different dose to be tried while the cancer spread is still limited, and could also mean patients can stop ineffective treatments.

Contact: Professor Parry Guilford, University of Otago, 027 2215633 Contact: Assoc Professor Cris Print, University of Auckland c.print@ auckland.ac.nz (email is the best for a prompt callback)

Cancer that has metastasised—spread beyond the initial site to another part of the body (for example, a breast cancer that has spread to bones or lung)—is considered incurable, though for some patients it may be managed for a number of years.

However, some scientists and doctors are suggesting that a cure for some metastatic cancers may be possible in the not-too-distant future. In breast cancer, there have been studies of stereotactic radiosurgery (high-energy x-rays) used with “curative intent” to treat patients with a very limited number of metastases.

D r u g treatment remains the most common therapy for most metastatic cancers.

Any drug-based cure is unlikely to apply to all patients, but there may be multiple cures for various small subsets of patients.

Discovering who those patients are will become easier as tissue banks expand in New Zealand and are integrated with patient registers such as the Breast Cancer Patient Registers funded by the NZBCF. These advances, along with progress in genomic testing, will enable researchers to understand the nature of cancer right down to the individual level.

A cure for metastatic cancer will most likely be found in advances that allow patients to live very long and normal lives, even though there may still be disease present in their bodies, similar to the advances in treatments that have made AIDS no longer a death sentence.

Contact: Assoc Professor Cris Print, University of Auckland c.print@ auckland.ac.nz (email is the best for a prompt callback)

HEALTH

www.iwk.co.nz | 26 February 2016

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Public health in overdrive managing measles outbreak

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uckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) are working hard to contain a measles outbreak with 48 people currently in quarantine, four confirmed cases of the disease and more cases being investigated following a public health alert last week when a person ignored quarantine instructions.

“Some staff are working extra shifts and the phone is constantly ringing. The laboratories have an unusually heavy workload as they visit people’s homes to obtain blood samples and process blood tests so we can quarantine people who are not immune. Our number one priority is public safety and that means stopping the disease spreading as quickly as possible,” says Medical Officer of Health Dr Richard Hoskins.

“There can be a delay of up to 14 days until the first symptoms appear, so we’ll know by the end of this week if anyone from Skycity Casino or Sugar Tree apartments has been infected” says Dr Hoskins.

locate your vaccination history or if you are unsure of your immunity you can get a blood test and discuss with your doctor whether you are immune to the disease.

Some people will have their Well Child or Plunket baby book which contains vaccine records.

Does vaccination immune?

I

am

The disease is so infectious that you need two doses of the vaccine for the best chance of immunity. If you have only had one dose then your second dose is free using the MMR vaccine. If your vaccination history is unclear we recommend you either get a blood test to check your immunity or have two doses of the MMR vaccine with a month in-between.

If I contract measles how can it be treated?

Measles at a glance: Q & A with Dr Richard Hoskins

immune. This is why the Medical Officer of Health instructs people who are at risk to go into quarantine.

Is it easy to catch measles?

How serious is measles?

Yes measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world. The virus from an infected person can stay in the air for more than an hour after they have left the room.

This means if you don’t have immunity you can contract the disease by simply walking past someone with measles. In a recent case one child infected 25 others at school within 48 hours.

For many it is a moderate illness but for some it can be very serious. In New Zealand 20% of cases require hospitalisation.

There are a number of complications such as acute encephalitis which is a rare condition occurring in 1 out of 1000 cases and can lead to death or permanent brain damage.

Is it possible to have measles without realising?

Are enough people against measles?

Yes. If you have measles there could be a delay of up to 14 days until the first symptoms appear. People can be infectious with no symptoms while spreading the disease to other people who are not

mean

vaccinated

No. According to research there are a number of people who are unvaccinated especially in the 10-30 age groups. If you are not immunised you have the potential to catch and transmit the disease which

LUMINARIES GRACING THE SUMMIT Guruji Dr.Chandra Bhanu Satpathy, a renowned scholar, philanthropist and spiritual thinker who has been spreading the glory and teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba across the globe since 1989 and the first Indian to be given the special honour in the history of US house of representatives to act as the Guest Chaplain in June 2015 will deliver the keynote address in both inaugural and valedictory sessions.

‘Prominent International Personalities at the summit’ Mr Sadashiv Lokhande, Member of Parliament, Shirdi, Maharashtra, India Dr.Bawa Jain, Secretary General - World Council of Religious Leaders, USA

means you are risking your health and those around you. Everyone needs to check their vaccination records but this is particularly important for those aged 10-30.

Why are there people in the 10-30 age groups who are not immune to measles?

The reasons are complex, some in this cohort may have had a single MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccination at 12 months which we now know to be insufficient protection. For others they have simply not been vaccinated. New Zealand’s immunisation programme has improved over time.

How do I know if I am immune to measles?

First ring your doctor to check your vaccination records. If you are unable to

There is no treatment to cure measles or stop the illness once you have contracted the disease. The only way to protect yourself is to become vaccinated so you don’t catch it in the first instance. A high dose of vitamin A can reduce some complications and is recommended for hospitalised children in New Zealand.

What are the symptoms of measles?

The first symptoms are a fever, and one or more of a runny nose, cough and sore red eyes. After a few days a red blotchy rash starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.

Where can I get information more on measles?

Phone Healthline for advice on 0800611-116 or ARPHS on 09-623-4600 or visit the Auckland Regional Public Health Service website for a fact sheet on measles: http://tinyurl.com/arphsmeaslesfactsheet.

Jai Shri Sai

Shirdi Sai Devotees Summit Auckland, New Zealand 27-28 February 2016

INVITATION

‘Prominent Personalities from New Zealand’ Mr Phil Goff, Member of Parliament, Mt Roskill Mr.Kanwaljit Bakshi, Member of Parliament Dr.Parmjit Parmar, Member of Parliament Mr.Mahesh Bindra, Member of Parliament Mr Brad Clark, CEO, Starship Foundation Besides the above, Some more towering personalities are expected to attend the summit.

The ensuing devotee’s summit will be attended by large number of highly dedicated devotees from different parts of the globe such as India, USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Australia and Malaysia. This being the rare opportunity to interact and listen to widely experienced people drawn from different corners of the globe, Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan of New Zealand Inc is extending a cordial invitation to the devotees and others interested in rendering community service to attend the summit.

The Venue of the summit Shri Shirdi Sai Centre, 12-18, Princes Street, Onehunga, Auckland - 1061 Organising Committee Shirdi Sai Devotees Summit - Auckland 2016 For more details on the summit, please contact:

Bhaskar Reddy Duvvuru President - Shri Shirdi Saibaba Sansthan of NZ INC +64 212923807 Amar Alluri Secretary - Shri Shirdi Saibaba Sansthan of NZ INC +64 272305360

Special Note: Lunch, Dinner, Morning and Evening snacks are served on both the days of the summit. www.shirdisaibaba.org.nz

Shri Shirdi Saibaba Sansthan of New Zealand Inc.

12-18, Princes Street, Onehunga, Auckland-1061, New Zealand

in association with

Shirdi Sai Global Foundation

C-209, 1st Floor, Sushant Lok, Phase-1, Gurgaon-122001,Haryana, India

26

FEATURES

26 February 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Work The Look

Archita Wad

Is getting ready for work every morning proving to be a challenge for you?

Don’t stress and have these key essentials in your wardrobe to give you the motivation to kick start the day.

Shirt/Blouse: A crisp white shirt is a must have for your workwear wardrobe. Team this with pencil skirt, trouser, culottes, or a-line skirt, it completes the look. You can use a pop of colour by wearing a bright scarf or colourful jewellery. Also a key item is a coloured top, could be ruffle sleeved or three quarters. The colour element will work just fine with your black trouser and black jacket. Alternatively you can team this coloured blouse with your printed pants. or a suit dress. I am a big fan of the crop jacket, especially in a neutral colour to go with your dresses or pencil skirts.

Skinny Belt: An absolute essential item. I have wide range of colours, I team them with my pencil skirt, dresses and even trousers. A patent black skinny belt will work fine just about everything.

You can jazz it up a bit by using your rose gold or silver.or a suit dress.

I am a big fan of the crop jacket, especially in a neutral colour to go with your dresses or pencil skirts.

Pencil skirt: The pencil skirt is an essential key item in every women’s wardrobe. Team this up with your crisp white shirt or a draped blouse, you can be assured to look your best.

Work Dress: This could be a fitted body con dress or a-line, fit and flare, ensure you get the length right.

The dress is a fantastic alternative to your skirt and pants. I sometimes like to have yoke dresses

with printed skirt bottoms, this gives an illusion of a skirt and top.

Jacket: I like to have a back up jacket at my office, because you never know when you have to go into the meeting and you certainly want to impress.

Jackets can come in various lengths. The classic jacket with the long sleeve can be teamed with your suit pants or a suit dress. I am a big fan of the crop jacket, especially in a neutral colour to go with your dresses or pencil skirts.

Archita Wad is a fashion designer. A graduate from Mumbai University, she is currently in Auckland in the fashion industry.

FEATURES

www.iwk.co.nz | 26 February 2016

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The rise of the $hopping nation

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Anuja Nadkarni

Consumerism has grown handin-hand with western world economies over several decades. The proliferation of online technologies has accelerated overconsumption, bringing along a host of issues.

ANUJA NADKARNI discovers how we have fallen prey to the phenomenon of spending excessively, faster than we can earn.

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t’s 2am. You’ve been browsing online stores, switching between multiple tabs and windows on your browser.

Your heavy eyelids are fighting to stay open.

And you’re making a decision you will probably not remember come Friday, when the courier guy stops by. Er, what’s that parcel? We’ve all been there. Nearly two million of us Kiwis – and over one billion of us worldwide – shop online.

With the explosion of the Internet and the convenience of online shopping we can shop for the world’s most desired objects from anywhere anytime, on sheer impulse.

Easy credit and even easier online payment systems have conspired to turn shopping into an expensive habit for many, often leading to unpleasant consequences.

Debbie Roes, former self-confessed shopaholic, has penned her experiences as an online shopping addict in her book Unshopping. Growing up in the United States, the mecca of consumerism, Roes, spent all her income from her part-time job on online shopping. Browsing for hours on end on her trusty laptop, she spent extensive sums of money, at times as much as $500 in one go, on things she had no need for. Maxing out her credit card became normal. As she grew older the numbers ballooned but it was always the same theme: “spending beyond my means, not having discipline, instant gratification,” she recalls.

While the convenience of online shopping is what has propelled its popularity, it is the mentality of keeping up with the Jones’ that is fuelling the urge to shop compulsively, leading to overconsumption, even conspicuous consumption of all things material.

Online shopping-driven overconsumption is a growing phenomenon in New Zealand, too. Almost half of the country is shopping online and the disposable income per capita is at the highest it has been in 20 years and is continuing to rise. According to consumer data researchers Nielsen, Kiwis

spent $4.15 billion just online in 2014: a six per cent rise from 2013.

While not all of us develop compulsive shopping addictions, consumer behaviour expert at the University of Auckland Dr Debbie Conroy says the rate of overconsumption, the act of consuming excessively, is at the worst it has ever been.

“We’ve never really lived in such a time of abundance – so many things are available to us and with just a click or tap on your phone”. She says overconsumption is even more worrying for the younger generations, to whom the concept of the traditional brick and mortar retail might well become alien.

Starting young Research by Nielsen shows Millennials, the teenagers and young adults who have grown up with the Internet, are some of the biggest consumers of materialistic objects.

Even Roes traces her overspending habits to her teenage days. She managed to control her habits when her father bailed her out of debt – but this was short-lived, because online shopping re-ignited her compulsive urge to shop.

“Once the Internet got involved the avenues became endless. You didn’t know you wanted it or needed it until you saw it.

Temptation is everywhere.”

Retail assistant and self-confessed “borderline shopaholic” Nischita Sathyan, says she was on the less damaging end of the scale but also faced consequences from her shopping addiction, which started in her late teens when she got her first job.

“It was what I did when I was bored or tired…Even if I didn’t spend a lot each time, I’d make sure to buy at least one thing.”

A 2014 study by leading accounting and corporate consulting firm Deloitte brought to light the fact that 75 per cent of online purchases are influenced by at least one

form of social media recommendation.

Feeding this trend are social media sites including Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, that now feature ‘buy’ buttons allowing users to make instant purchases through their mobile devices.

Roes says the social media community must take responsibility for driving temptation. She says YouTube video bloggers haul items they are sent from advertising and public relations agencies to promote items. “It encourages people to spend when they shouldn’t and people might not be able to afford it but they go out and put it on credit card.”

Buying into fantasy Overconsumption has a lot to do with how we represent ourselves, says senior lecturer of marketing at Auckland University of Technology, Dr Sommer Kapitan.

According to Kapitan, humans often overspend to express themselves or build their identity using the fantasy the clothing company or the brand sells. Kapitan says building a perfect image for society to see is a deep-seated aspect of our evolution, but how we go about this has changed with time. Churches, families, villages were once the features that built identities but now globalisation and the Internet has made it harder for us to instantly communicate who we are.

Kapitan says often the leading reasons behind people capitulating to problematic shopping behaviour are because people’s low self-esteem makes them strive for a different reality. “A lot of people shop for the life they don’t have – it’s a fantasy.”

Overconsumption often morphs into conspicuous consumption. This is the notion of outrageous consumption of lavish and exclusive items or lifestyles with the aim to enhance one’s identity publicly.

Five ways to get back your bridal glow

L

ong hours of festivities, erratic schedules, food binges and loads of heavy make-up–all this can take a toll on the bride’s skin. From sticking to the right food, regular skincare and work-out, you can regain the bridal glow in no time, says an expert.

Sangeeta Velaskar, vice president and head, medical services and R&D, Kaya Limited, India, shares some tips on how to regain the nuptial glow: Detox for the body - What you eat reflects on your skin. Rich and heavy food indulgences make the digestive system sluggish and results in dull, spotty and dry skin. Opt for fruits, nuts, sprouts, legumes, broccoli, beetroot and so on. Drink lots of water to keep the body hydrated or eat

fruits and vegetables that have high water content such as watermelons, cucumbers, strawberries and peaches. Incorporate a vegetable juice in your daily diet to increase fibre intake and recapture the bridal glow.

Look after your skin - Bring on lots of

TLC - tender, loving, skincare by continuing to follow the golden rule of maintaining the CTM (Cleansing, Toning, Moisturising) ritual. Introduce a night cream with vitamin C to your daily regime as it helps renew face cells, restores skin elasticity and boosts collagen in your skin. And lastly, limit the use of makeup products by opting for a minimalistic look.

Luscious tresses - Indulge in a rejuvenating hair spa to de-stress, recover lost moisture and enhance the texture of your hair. Use a gentle shampoo to cleanse your scalp, followed by a protective conditioner that restores your hair to its healthy state. Also, ensure that you limit the use of heated appliances such as blow dryer, curling iron or flat iron.

As Dr Conroy explains, this behaviour of larger-than-life associations with luxurious lifestyles has existed for centuries.

“People have always over-consumed to express status, but what has shifted is that our ability to over-consume has permeated society – now all of us have the potential to over-consume – but this isn’t differentiating us anymore, instead homogenising us.

“Shopping used to be purposeful, now it’s part of our entertainment,” she adds.

Buying more than we need is easier than ever but all this comes at a cost.

Roes has a grim vision of the future. She thinks the rise of overconsumption will leave a world deprived of things we once had an abundance of.

“The avenues to buy are becoming limitless – you can’t escape it. The mall is wherever you are.”

Dealing with the demon Developing a more practical and enlightened perspective of self-worth and exercising self-control over shopping habits consciously seem to be the most popular remedial measures to curb overconsumption and conspicuous consumption. Sathyan nipped her compulsion in the bud before it got worse when she began to realise how much money she had lost and that the shopping addiction had started eating away at her personal relationships. “It makes you very one dimensional and limits you from interacting with people.”

Both Roes and Sathyan say becoming accountable for their actions helped in their recovery. This is their advice to people in similar situations. Roes decided to make a life change using the same platform that tempted her to overspend: she started a blog (recoveringshopaholic.com) where she vowed to set some rules and be accountable to the world. Roes also went on to write two books to help others curb compulsive shopping habits.

Dr Conroy believes the only way to change our consumption patterns is to teach the next generation.

Kapitan goes one further, turning to oriental philosophy.

“Our desire for things destroys us. But trying to curb temptation can be emotionally taxing. Maybe Zen Buddhism is the way to go? Living without things.”

Whatever the answer, addressing the issue of overconsumption and perhaps rewarding yourself through different means could help us from saving a little more. After all, every penny saved is a penny earned.

Quick fix facial - Treat yourself to a facial that is designed to provide strong detoxification. Some of the ingredients to look out for are - exotic marine extracts for a healthy skin; tea tree oil for its antibacterial, antiseptic and balsamic properties; antioxidants that reverse the effects of ageing and mulberry extracts that are a rich source of proteins and a powerhouse of nutrients.

Work it out - Move, run, dance, hit the gym or practice yoga and get an adrenaline rush. Regular exercise helps in increasing the supply of blood, which in turn nourishes the skin cells and keeps them vital. Also, it helps to flush cellular debris therefore, cleaning the system from the inside.

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ENTERTAINMENT

In digital age, cinema doesn’t shock anymore: Mahesh

26 February 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

much praise she gets for her performance and whatever anyone says, she still has to improve more and more,” Anil Kapoor said at the red carpet of Zee Cine Awards.

“An actor is always a student. Acting is a vast learning like an ocean. You can never absorb it completely. An actor always needs to keep learning, and make an effort to do better every time,” the Welcome Back actor added.

On Sonam’s latest flick Neerja, dad Kapoor said: “... there is a kind of emotional reaction in the entire family. We feel that this film somewhere is blessed by Neerja herself. Whatever good is happening with the film is all because of her.”

Sonam still needs to improve a lot: Anil

B

ollywood actor Anil Kapoor thinks his daughter Sonam Kapoor still needs to “improve” a lot.

“One might be best actor or actress in the world but he/she has to keep on learning, same goes for Sonam. No matter how

Ranveer can do a good job: Shatrughan on his biopic

A

Sonakshi Sinha to be face of tiger protection campaign

F

ilmmaker Mahesh Bhatt says that with the advent of digital technology, nothing in cinema shocks audiences anymore.

“After entering the digital age, all the content that the world produces is at your fingertips. There is nothing happening through the medium of cinema which is so shocking or which leaves you stunned,” Bhatt said when asked if cinema negatively influences the audience.

He spoke to the media on the side-lines of the Global Symposium on Gender in Media discussion in Mumbai, where he was a panellist.

While Bhatt has made different kinds of films over the years—directing strong women-oriented characters in films such as Arth, Zakhm, Daddy, Tamanna among others while also producing film franchises such as Jism, Murder and Raaz which had a fair share of skin show and sexually explicit content.

Regarding the portrayal of women in films in general, he said: “There are different views on this, some people believe that wearing certain kind of clothes is disrespectful to them, but if women want to wear certain outfits with their own wish, then they have complete freedom for it.”

“We should neither push anyone to wear a swimsuit or push someone to wear a ghunghat. That’d depend on the person’s thinking,” he added.

However, he also agreed that some of the controversies are indeed true.

“There are numerous controversies that we have been hearing since a long time that cinema hasn’t treated women in that manner and that they have been objectified.

This is true to a certain extent. But it is also true that whenever such things have happened, Arth, Zakhm and Daddy kind of films have also been made,” he said.

Bhatt, through the banner Vishesh Films, is set to come out with another film with sensual content called Love Games this year. Vikram Bhatt has directed the film.

Blacklife. Unfortunately, Orange a happier, healthier personality in showbiz? “Amitabh Bachchan Red is by far the most stylish star. Karan Johar you can’t force anybody but you can tell and Imran Khan... I appreciate their sense people not to smoke around them. Maybe of style. As far as actresses are concerned, if the government, restaurant owners say Deepika Padukone is very stylish, Kangana that they don›t want smoke inside their Ranaut is also very stylish,” said the buildings, then that would be the first step,» she added.

Bajirao Mastani star.

The informative advertisement titled, 11 minutes has been directed by Hawaizaada director Vibhu Puri, also stars actor Alok Nath.

The concept revolves around Deepak’s ctor-politician Shatrughan character who is on his deathbed and Sinha, who recently launched his his near and dear ones trying to identify biography, says if a film on his and fulfill his last wish - of meeting up life is made, he would like Bajirao Mastani with Sunny’s character, which creates a actor Ranveer Singh to star in it. humorous climax.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan launched The 11 Minutes refers to the amount of his biography Anything But Khamosh: life which apparently gets cut down with The Shatrughan Sinha Biography on each cigarette.

February 19.

“I feel it would be a good story and it will be great as it’s a very inspirational story. There is romance, entertainment and everything in it. If a Hindi film is made on ollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha my biography, then Ranveer Singh can do will be the face of a TV campaign a good job or my sons Luv and Kush who to protect and conserve the tiger resemble me. I myself would like to do population in India. something,” Shatrughan told media.

Wildlife channel Animal Planet has announced its fifth annual campaign, where Sonakshi will be the face of the channel’s 2016 Where Tigers Rule campaign.

“Danger Se Darr Nahi Lagta Endangered Se Lagta Hai” Sonakshi said in a statement, expressing her long held emotion on the tiger crisis in India.

The campaign will have the Dabangg actress inviting viewers to watch the month long programming on tigers and will relate her affection and dependence on her mother to a cubs’ love for their mother.

“I believe that humans have to respect other species and their habitats and adapt to co-exist. My parents took me to a national park to see a tiger and I would certainly love to take my children one day and show them The 338-page book has been written this magnificent creature,” Sonakshi said. by renowned columnist, critic and author Bharathi S Pradhan. Seven years of research, 37 interviews and over 200 hours of taped conversations with photographs from the Sinha family’s private archives have gone into the writing and making of the biography.

He said, “It’s a very gripping book. Once you start reading, you don’t feel like leaving it in between. Most of my friends who have started reading this, told me that they can’t stop by reading just two or three pages.”

B

Neerja is based on the life of air hostess Neerja Bhanot who was shot dead by terrorists.

The movie revolves around the actual hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan on September 5, 1986.

People should express themselves without filter: Ranveer

A

ctor Ranveer Singh believes that style is an expression and that people should express themselves without any filter.

“Style is an expression. It is how you express yourself, about your feeling. So, I think people should express themselves without any filter. I try my best to do that...

I wear outfits according to my mood,” Ranveer said.

“I didn’t know that people give so much attention to my clothes. I wear them for my own liking. I wear different stuff. I am not afraid to experiment or wear different clothes. I allow that mood to be expressed without any filter,” he added.

Who does he consider the most stylish

Don’t pick up cigarette: Sunny Leone to youngsters

A

ctress Sunny Leone’s message to youngsters who have not smoked till now and are thinking about it is to avoid picking up the cigarette.

“For the youngsters out there, if you haven’t started smoking yet or thinking about it, don’t pick up that first cigarette.

It’s not worth it in the long run, and it’s not cool. If you want to try, just think twice before trying it,” said Sunny at the launch of a special anti-smoking advertisement featuring her and Tanu Weds Manu actor Deepak Dobriyal.

“Smoking is bad for health. This is something very close to my heart, my father passed away from cancer, from smoking cigarettes,” she said.

“I want people to stop smoking, and live

Starting March 1, the channel will offer viewers an unprecedented access into the lives, habitats and behaviour of various tiger species.

The show will bring to fore stories of tigers, their co-existence with humans, the threatening environment and the conservation efforts of leading experts from India and around the world.

The campaign is filmed at India’s magnificent forests, grasslands and protection reserves, including Madhya Pradesh’s Kanha and Bandhavgarh National Parks, Uttarakhand’s Jim Corbett National Park, Rajasthan’s Sariska and Ranthambore National Parks, West Bengal’s Sunderbans and Maharashtra’s Tadoba.

SCIENCE / TECHNOLOGY

www.iwk.co.nz | 26 February 2016

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Korean beasts unleashed

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Mahesh K

O

n Monday this week, Mobile World Congress opened its doors, in Barcelona, Spain. The annual show for mobile hardware, software operators and Internet companies marks the launch of various exciting new devices, technologies and is in general a precursor to the industry trends.

Just before the official launch, tech giants, Samsung and LG launched the next iterations of their flagship phones on the same day. Like me, all the techwatchers were scrambling to find out what these phones will offer this time. Let’s take a look at how these much-awaited phones.

that has a fully aluminum-clad body. The rear of the phone has changed from last G phones. Volume buttons have moved to the sides and a fingerprint scanner features prominently on the back along with not one but two cameras. The dual-camera lenses are amazing to take wide-angle shots with a field of vision of 135

Overall, the phone is brilliant in terms of looks, internals and innovations like ‘Friends’ which are add-on modules that can be plugged into the phone through a removable battery slot. The modules launched are Cam Plus which adds functionality to take photos really convenient. Another module Hi-Fi Plus adds audio functionality for serious audiophiles. This module is designed in partnership with Bang & Olufsen.

Samsung Galaxy S7

LG G5

Sumsung has quite a following for its Galaxy S series which had a new version launched on February 21. The phone carries the design language from S6 with aluminum clad body and a glass back. It also retains 5.1” screen from its predecessor featuring

I’ve had LG’s G2 and was quite impressed with it. Since then, although I didn’t have a chance to get my hands on the latest versions, I have always admired how LG has pushed the boundaries and made the G series better with every iteration.

The completely redesigned G5 is another innovative and bold iteration that has really got me excited. The phone is expectedly rich in terms of specs. It offers latest Snapdragon 820 processor coupled with 4GB of RAM. It is a gorgeous looking phone with 5.3” screen as compared to 5.5” screen on G4. Smaller screen with the resolution of 1440p ensures higher ppi and sharper display. It is the first phone in G series

degrees as compared to 75 degrees on standard phones(human eyes have field of vision of 120 degrees).

On the software front, the phone is powered by Android Marshmallow but with some tweaks. Gone is the App drawer and so the apps stay on the home screen like the iPhone. While people who move from iPhone, might find it neat, I didn’t particularly like this change. Another much celebrated feature is the always on screen that shows time and notifications. As per LG, the ‘Always On’ feature does not really hit the battery and is really convenient.

The phone offers a slot for SD card and a removable 2,800 mAh battery.

Google, TechHub join hands to boost ‘Startup India’ initiative

I

Infosys chief executive Sikka gets 2-year extension

nternet giant Google and global community for tech entrepreneurs TechHub on Wednesday announced

Bucharest, Madrid, Warsaw and London

their global partnership that will benefit

“TechHub’s ‘community first’ values

will have access to programmes and assistance from Google.

startups from India for the first time.

The for

partnership

Entrepreneurs

with will

bring

and their focus on supporting founders

Google

and startups with education and programs

more

align perfectly with the goals of Google for

opportunities to TechHub’s 700-plus tech

Entrepreneurs,” added David Grunwald,

startups around the world including India,

Google for Entrepreneurs’ head of EMEA

said a statement released here.

Partnerships.

Google supports TechHub’s work to help

TechHub members hail from over 60

hundreds of tech companies scale up their

countries and every member can access

businesses.

Google in six international cities.

“In Bengaluru, we see a huge variety

TechHub

of startups creating innovative products, and we want to help them succeed both in India and all around the world. TechHub and Google for Entrepreneurs is a strong

membership

gives

each

entrepreneur access to every TechHub beginning,” Elizabeth Varley, TechHub’s

in the world and all the programmes and

global co-founder and CEO, said in a

opportunities available there.

statement.

partnership that will empower Indian

Now TechHub members in Bengaluru

entrepreneurs to go global from the very

and other TechHub locations in Riga,

1440p resolution. As always, the display is very bright and gorgeious. The phone is powered by either a Snapdragon 820 or its own Exynos 8890 chipset depending upon region. Backed with 4 GB RAM, the phone is fast and offers great performance.

New features include IP68 certification, making the phone dust and water resistance. S7 also has an ‘Always On’ display which means a part of the screen is always active displaying notifications, time and other information.

Samsung Pay has been made more accessible for easy and quick use.

Fingerprint scanner and a heart-rate monitor are featured like before.

Galaxy S7 comes with Android Marshmallow baked in TouchWiz UI which unfortunately still seems bloated.

S6 was always praised for its brilliant camera. S7’s camera promises to be as amazing with an f / 1.7 aperture capable of taking in more light and detail. Though the megapixel count has gone down from 16 MP to 12 MP, Samsung has ensured that the camera is better than ever even in low lights and can take 4K video with fast motion and slow motion. Another highlight of the camera is improved autofocus. Apparently it takes microseconds to focus on the subject.

The(still unremovable) 3,000 mAh battery is bigger than S6 which had 2,550 mAh. Overall, the phone is the sleekest version yet and has the best technology possible on a phone. On the downside, this iteration does not offer too much innovation except minor updation on the S6 features.

TechHub’s programme helped startups face the challenges of building and growing a global tech company, the statement said.

G

lobal software major Infosys Ltd on Wednesday extended the tenure of its first non-founder chief executive Vishal Sikka by two years to 2021 as a reward for his initiatives and for restoring the IT firm's industry leadership.

In a regulatory filing in the stock exchange Bombay Stock Exchange after trading, the city-based company said the board reappointed Sikka as managing director and chief executive from April 1, 2016, to March 31, 2021, on the recommendation of its nomination and remuneration committee.

"The management, under Sikka's leadership, has drawn up goals for revenue, margins and people productivity for fiscal 2020-2021, which are expected to be achieved in the next five years. The board believes Sikka's leadership is essential to achieve the goals," the regulatory notification asserted.

"The new contract is fully aligned to the period and goals set (for 2021-22) and the shareholder value creation," the statement pointed out.

30

EVENTS

26 February 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Purusha and Prakriti to come alive in Auckland Red

A

n evening set to transport you to another world – ‘Purusha and Prakriti’ is an Odissi Dance Recital by Sam Goraya that will take place at 7.30pm on Saturday, March 19 2016 at Raye Freedman Arts Center, on Silver Road, Newmarket, Auckland.

A definite feast to the senses for music and dance lovers.

Sam Goraya is an established Australian based performing artist who works closely with his partner Zlatko Varenina to help and support under privileged children of the world. Zlatko is responsible for all graphic design, sound, visuals and back stage activities.

The purpose of this performance is to raise funds for the under privileged Odissi dancers in Odisha, India. The net profit generated through this performance will be used to purchase food for these Odissi dancers and to bring out one of these Odissi dancers to perform in New Zealand and Australia in 2017. This attempt will not only help these children but also enrich our community with the ancient Indian cultural heritage.

In 2014 the performance “Triguna” helped Kiran Bedi’s organization India Vision Foundation to support children whose parents are in prison.

This organization teaches various skills to these children to make them self sufficient and make them better citizens of India. This performance “Triguna” raised almost $6000 (AUS) and made a significant difference and brought a positive shift in these children’s world.

Sam has extensive experience in

performing this art form and he is not new to Auckland’s audience as he has already performed here at the same theater in 2015. Sam uses Odissi as the medium of expression and its power to explore thematic concepts of higher consciousness. What makes Sam different than other Odissi dancers is his ability to create vibrations and energy in the theatre that transforms him and the audience to experience the spiritual element.

Sam has created this new work ‘Purusha and Prakriti’ using the most appropriate Odissi dances choreographed by various gurus.

"Purusha and Prakriti" is a very complex concept but Sam has taken this challenge to express his understanding using Odissi as a tool for communication.

Purusha is one’s true self, soul and pure consciousness regarded as eternal and unaffected by external happening. Prakriti is Mother nature that is in reference to

Shirdi Sai Devotees Summit Auckland 2016

Date: Saturday and Sunday February 27 - 28 ,2016 Time: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Venue: Shri Shirdi Sai Temple, 12 - 18 Princes St, Onehunga The second Shirdi Sai Devotees Sumit is being hosted in Auckland. Guruji Dr Chandrabhanu Satpathyji, Shirdi Sai Global Foundation, New Delhi is the Chief Guest and will inaugurate the Summit. About 40 delegates from 6 countries confirmed participating in the event.

The dignitaries will talk about the contribution of temples to the community and more. Lunch, dinner, and morning and evening snack will be served on both days of the summit.

objects, matter, a l l material that includes the mind and body.

Prakriti is the subconscious and that Purusha is the consciousness.

According to archaeological evidence Odissi goes back 2000 years that has its origin in the state of Odisha. It is one of the oldest and most sensuous Indian classical dance styles.

Odissi dance technique is based on Tandava (vigorous, masculine) and Lasya (graceful, feminine) energies, and has two main stances: ‘Chauka’ a square- like stance that symbolizes Jagannath and ‘Tribhang’, where the body is held with three bends position - the head, torso and knees, representing the goddess. The fluidity and grace of the upper torso movement is a unique characteristic of Odissi that make it

Yoga Classes

Date: Saturday February 27, 2016 Time: 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

Venue: Shri Shirdi Sai Temple, 12 - 18 Princes Street Onehunga Yoga classes at Sai Temple resume from this week. Mr Jitendra Rao, a Software Engineer is the new teacher.

He has been actively involved with Yoga in India and an active volunteer with traditionalyogafoundation.org.

New Zealand’s longest catwalk (Heart of the City) free event

Date: Saturday March 5, 2016 Time: 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Venue: Queen St, between Shortland and Wyndham Street, Auckland Experience fashion on a grand scale in this one of a kind catwalk show extending more than 120m down the middle of Queen Street. Be inspired for your new season’s wardrobe with outfits styled by Kylie Cooke and featuring items from dozens of central city retailers.

Make sure you get in early to position yourself with a front row view.

12.00 - 1.00pm - Pre-show entertainment with MC Shannon Ryan and DJ Connor Nestor 1.00 - 1.30pm - New Zealand’s Longest Catwalk fashion show

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Orange

graceful and pleasing to ones eyes.

Oriya music is distinctive from both Hindustani and Carnatic music, having been influenced by the tantric – Buddhist style of chanting it developed into what was called odra sangeet. This music has a characteristic raga system and particular ‘Chandas‘, metrical schemes.

Hence it is very interesting and equally appealing to both Hindustani and Carnatic musicians.

This performance has been only possible due to my Gurus and teachers who have helped me at some stage during my Odissi journey - Kirpal Kaur Goraya, Padmashree Madhavi Mudgal, Bindu Juneja, Piyali De, Dr Chandrabhanu, Monica Singh, Guru Bichitranand Swain and Lingraj Pradhan.

To witness a performance of Odissi Dance is to enter the place where heaven and earth meet, where the sensual and the spiritual are one in the depths of the human heart.

Out and About Park Yoga

Date:Monday 29 February 2016 6:00pm – 7:00pm Venue: Waterlea Park, 28R House Avenue, Auckland Stretch into the week with our Free Park Yoga session. bring your mat or borrow one of ours, bring your drink bottle and friend and enjoy!.

Auckland Arts Festival

Date: Wednesday, March 2 to Sunday, March 20, 2016 Venue: Various Locations within Auckland City For the first time since the ‘70s our city is hosting an annual international arts festival! Bringing theatre, music, cabaret, dance, circus and visual arts from all over the world and right here in NZ, next year’s Auckland Arts Festival creates 19-days of moments to make life in Auckland even sweeter for us all.

Pasifika Festival 2016

Date: Saturday and Sunday, March 12-13, 2016.

Time: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Venue: Western Springs Pack a picnic rug, slide on your jandals and step into the relaxed yet vibrant atmosphere that can only be Pasifika! The 11 authentic Pacific Island villages have their own performance stage and market setting, each with a distinctly unique vibe.

EVENTS

www.iwk.co.nz | 26 February 2016

Red

Inviting nominations for Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame 2016 Black

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K IW

I I NDI A

N

Established 2013

The Indian Weekender calls upon nominations for those who have built a road to glory for themselves and left a path for the coming generations to tread on. Touching the lives of thousands and enriching society with their being. Bringing fame and respect to New Zealand and the Kiwi-Indian community. The Indian Weekender invites nominations for such personalities from the community for getting inducted into the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame 2016.

The guidelines, which need to be adhered to, for nominations, are as follows: 1.

He/she needs to have an undisputable recognition in his or her field of work.

2. Nominated by a nominator of repute. Further, the nominator has to be in confirmation with the nominee.

3. The nominator has to provide their full contact details. No anonymous applications will be entertained.

4. All fields of work are welcome. For the purposes of this award, ‘field of work’ can be politics, business, sports, art, culture, or any profession.

5. The definition of Kiwi Indian, for the purposes of this award, hereby, is defined as follows: any person of Indian origin, from any part of the world, who has settled here in New Zealand. To be of Indian origin, at least one of the parents of the nominee have to be Indian, by blood. Thereby making the nominee of Indian lineage.

6. The nominee must have either a Permanent Residency (PR), or Citizenship of New Zealand to be eligible for consideration.

7. The nominee should have no prior convictions.

8. Age is no bar; for minors, achievers under the age of 18, parental consent will be required.

9. The successful candidate will be required to attend the ceremony in person. In case a person is not able to attend, due to any unforeseen circumstances, the jury will use its discretion.

10. The jury’s decision will be final and binding; and cannot be challenged.

Entry Form: Form for nominating candidates for induction to Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame 2016 Nominator Details

Nominee Details

Name of the Nominator

Name of the Nominee

About the Nominee For how long do you know the Nominee?

Professional details of the Nominator

Age of Nominee

Why do you think the nominee should be inducted in the Hall of Fame 2016?

Please clarify the self-achievement that the nominee has earned in his / her area of profession / occupation.

Sex M F

Address & Contact number of Nominator *

Address & Contact number of Nominee * How do you think that the Nominee had added fame & respect to the Kiwi-Indian community?

Declaration by Nominator I have got confirmation from the Nominee for this application.

Yes No

Nominee has accepted to appear in person for the ceremony, if he/she gets accepted for the induction to Hall of Fame 2016.

Yes No

I hereby declare that the above information is true to the best of my knowledge. I also allow Indian Weekender and the Jury to use the information provided for background checks and to contact either me or the Nominee for the purpose of getting any more information.

Signed:

What to do next?

Please take a print out of this form, sign and send to us at: Jury Panel, Hall of Fame 2016 98, Great South Road, Epsom, Auckland

(Add extra pages to this form if required.)

For details contact Indian Weekender on 09-2137335 or go to: www.indianweekender.co.nz

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