Indian Weekender 14 October 2016 by Indian Weekender

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Vol. 8 • Issue 30

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www.iwk.co.nz | 14 October 2016

4 things that immigration minister could have done differently

p O enin d n a g Gr

Sandeep Singh

mong the rumble created after the immigration minister’s announcement of what he believes is a “small change” in the NZ immigration system, this piece submits four things that the minister could have done differently.

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This obviously has left everyone chasing the wild goose to guess if this ministerial action is a response to some fundamental error in the immigration system, or abuse of the state health and welfare system, or is targeted at Auckland housing, or anything else. A clear layout of the problem would have left fewer bloodbaths among the stakeholders than it has left now.

he punitive measure of slashing parent category visa by more than 60% for future applicants on the pretext of an alleged noncomplying behaviour of some existing residents who are currently enjoying that privilege is beyond comprehension. It leaves several questions unanswered about the efficacy of entire immigration system. To say that government is struggling to find, and extract, commitment from those non-committal sponsors, is to undermine the whole system of sponsoring within our immigration system. Then probably we need a radical, rather than a cosmetic change as suggested by the minister. Instead of finding those guilty of undermining our systems and imposing a cost on them, so as to deter others from abusing the system, the minister has opted for an easy and populist way of shifting the blame on others. This very much reminds me of the case when, not long ago in the past, Australia introduced laws that allowed for the mandatory cancellation of visas for foreigners sentenced to at least one year’s jail, thus, sending back many Kiwis who have spent almost their life in Australia. If my memory serves me well, then this Australian policy was not received well within New Zealand, exactly for the reason that “shifting away your responsibility” was not considered a just solution of a problem. Although this is an imperfect analogy, but the point being made is that both government’s acceptance of their helplessness to solve issues on their own and better opt to shift responsibility on a ‘distant other’.

Minister of Immigration Michael Woodhouse

f the intention to reduce parent visa applicants is to prevent strain on public health and welfare system then the Minister could have either de-coupled parent visa category, from the state health and welfare funding, and imposed the condition on new migrants to compulsorily buy health insurance for their emigrating parents. In fact this way, immigration could have continued to bring more value to the NZ economy, simultaneously ensuring emotional well-being of many new migrants. At best it could have saved NZ from being seen globally as a country that is not a desirable destination anymore.

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he first thing is that the minister could have defined the problem clearly that has driven him to introduce those “small changes” that he is talking about. Although minister has mentioned intermittently about some of his concerns such as “unmet commitments from the sponsors of parent visa apparently resulting in millions of dollars burden on taxpayers’ money,” yet he does not lay out his concerns in detail to signify the extent of the problem deserving such a punitive action.

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hile the decision to reduce skilled migrant resident visa by 5000 in short to medium term is well within the exclusive right of any country to allow or disallow migrants in that country, yet the accompanied tweaks like raising points from 140 to 160 and raising English language barrier are slightly over the top. As it clearly sends the signal that the route from international studentship to skilled migrant visa in New Zealand is getting murkier, if not unrealistic. Thus raising the question mark on the effectiveness of their choice of NZ as a preferred international education destination. In absence of exact figures, it is hard to suggest what percentage of international students manages to get through the skilled migrant visa route to the residence in New Zealand.

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But it is also equally hard to assume that in absence of a reasonably achievable route from international studentship to skilled migrant visa, the temptation to come to NZ for international education will remain same at the current level. As a consequence, results could be oblivious to our now booming international education market. Probably a cut in numbers alone would have been effective in what Prime Minister John Key says “managing the increased demands on NZ immigration.” Now there is a real possible risk of tipping over that demand.

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14 October 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

What Indian community should expect from Phil Goff Sandeep Singh

uckland’s mayoralty race is over with a largely expected outcome of Phil Goff’s victory and appointment as the new mayor of the super city. He secured 179,206 votes and was followed by Vic Crone who received a decent 105,413 votes. However, it was not Vic Crone rather Chloe Swarbrick—the youngest mayoralty candidate, who attracted much attention after Goff for receiving 26,474 votes. It will be interesting to know where she goes from here, and many political experts have already vowed to keenly follow her actions. Outlining his immediate priorities, Goff pledged to tackle homelessness, the housing crisis and restoring public confidence in the council. It was his choice of working for restoring public confidence in the council more than anything else that has surprised many analysts and many argued that Goff was still in the preelection rhetoric mood. His first couple of interviews after the election result has already given ammunition to some to think that Goff will find his transition from parliament to the council, not easy, if not tough. Phil Goff has been in parliament since last three decades and has resigned from his longheld Mt Roskill seat, a seat that he has held right since it was created in 1999, soon after his appointment as Auckland Mayor. While Auckland’s Indian community’s expectation from Goff is no different from other average Aucklanders who face the same pressing issues of rising housing prices, traffic congestion, a debilitating public transport system, and rising rates, yet it will not be indulgent to lay out community’s specific expectations from their new mayor.

Gandhi remembered at NZ parliament IWK Bureau

celebration was held at the parliament to mark the 147th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, on October 2.

The event was co-hosted by MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi and Mahatma Gandhi Commemoration Committee. The event was graced by Minister for Ethnic Communities Hon Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, Mayor of Wellington Justin Lester, MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar, MP Melissa Lee, Charge de Affairs, Indian High Commissioner Sandeep Sood, and Vishwaguru Paramhans Swami Maheshwatananda - the founder of Yoga in Daily Life International. Wellington Regional Councillor and former Wellington Deputy Mayor Ian McKinnon were also in attendance.

Phil Goff has been elected Auckland’s new mayor

There has been a long felt undercurrent within the Indian community that their community is not adequately represented within local governance and institutions of local public services as proportionate to their representation in Auckland’s multicultural population. This is one single most expectation of the Indian community from their new mayor apart from other concerns shared by an average Aucklander. Talking about Indian representation in the local council, it is important to note that most of the candidates of Indian origin, barring Shail Kaushal, have a less than satisfactory run in the Auckland council elections. Shail Kaushal has been able to secure 6th position from Puketapapa Local Board and enjoys a tight lead of 187 votes before official

result were scheduled to be announced on Friday, October 14, after the publication went to print. Ella Kumar—Puketapapa Local Board (rank 3), and Dr Ashraf Choudhary—Papatoetoe Subdivision of the Otara-Papatoetoe Local Board (rank 3) have also been able to secure their positions. This less than satisfactory run of candidates of Indian origin is reflective of the need for more proactive political engagement from the community. Meanwhile, further down south in North Island, K Gurunathan tasted success and was elected as mayor of Kapiti Coast District Council. Gurunathan, a former journalist, and a two-term councillor, ran his campaign platform for councils to be open, transparent, and democratically accountable.

Speakers including MP Bakshi, Hon Chair of the Mahatma Gandhi Commemoration Committee Naginbhai Neil G Patel, Minister for Ethnic Communities Hon Peseta Sam LotuIiga, Charge D’ Affairs of the Indian High Commission to New Zealand Mr Sandeep Sood, President of the Wellington Indian Association Mrs Tarunaben Bhana and Founder of Yoga in Daily Life International VishwaguruParamhans Swami Maheshwatananda spoke about Gandhi, his message and his impact on the contemporary society. The event included a ceremony in honour of Mahatma Gandhi and awards presentations. Mahatma Gandhi Commemoration Committee in Wellington has been organizing this event since last 10 years consecutively, and it was first time that the event was had held at the parliament. Check photographs on www.iwk.co.nz

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Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi List MP based in Manukau East Dr Parmjeet Parmar MP List MP based in Mt Roskill

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1/131 Kolmar Road, Papatoetoe, Auckland Tel 09 278 9302 | Fax 09 278 2143

1/165 Stoddard Road, Mount Roskill Tel 09 620 6707

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14 October 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Roshan Nauhria:

We want balance of power in the NZ politics

The news of the election of Phil Goff as the mayor of Auckland was meant to keep Aucklanders glued with the happenings of local governance. However, Roshan Nauhria, the founder president of New Zealand’s latest political party chose to shift the gear and announced his candidacy for the by-elections for Mt Roskill seat, the very next day after results of Auckland mayoralty elections were declared. Indian Weekender spoke with Roshan Nauhria on his party’s plans for the by-election and future in national politics. Here are excerpts from our exclusive interview with Nauhria. Sandeep Singh

to focus on positive politics that we intend to play. I understand that for long, Winston Peters has wanted to get the balance of power in the current political situation. And now that we are here to seek that balance, he is obviously not happy about it. But we are not worried about it; it is his problem.

IWK: How do you feel about announcing your candidacy for the proposed Mt Roskill by-election? Roshan: We are excited as it would be the first election for our party. We see it as a stepping stone to the next election scheduled in 2017. Being new to the political arena, we will need a lot of experience. Mt Roskill is one place where we have a big Asian community, including Indians, making it easier and faster for us to make inroads into the suburb. However, we are not taking anything for granted and will need to put in a lot of hard work. We will have to drive through our message to the people about what we stand for and what we intend to do for them. One of the major problems the residents face is that of law and order, which we have made our main agenda for the bypolls. Immigration is another issue the party feels strongly about. But for now, we will concentrate on the law and order situation in the area. There have been a large number of instances wherein people and businesses from ethnic communities are regularly targeted by criminals and nothing is being done to fight the problem. Our party will stand in support of the ethnic communities and ensure that their concerned are heard and addressed.

IWK: Do you intend to stay here for the long term? Roshan: We form 10-13% of the total population but are not being represented in the parliament. There is a need for someone to present the community in the parliament and raise our concerns. Politics is not for one day, or one week, or one year. Our people (Asian people) are not going anywhere. They are going to be here for the long term and so are we.

Roshan Nauhria

IWK: What have been doing since the formation of the NZ Political Party last month? Are you deterred by the criticism you have received from NZ First in particular and many other mainstream political parties? Roshan: We are here to play positive politics. We do not want to play any dirty politics and eventually bring a bad name for our communities. It is our opponents’ job to criticise us, and they are welcome to do that. We will not respond to them. We will continue

We are here to play positive politics. We do not want to play any dirty politics and eventually bring a bad name for our communities...

IWK: Given your big vision for the Indian and other Asian communities for the next election and beyond, don’t you think that you are tying yourself down by declaring your candidacy for the bypolls? Don’t you think that your party could have benefitted by fielding some other candidate? Roshan: This issue was raised and discussed in our party’s executive meeting wherein my name was unanimously decided to fight the bypolls. The selection was made based on the assessment that Mt. Roskill elections are the

www.iwk.co.nz | 14 October 2016

most immediate polls since the announcement our party and therefore, we need to put our best foot forward. We need to win the polls, or at best to make an impact on the people. IWK: What is your strategy to win the by-election? Roshan: We are quite well received in the Mt. Roskill area. All we need to do is to drive our message to our people. By our people, we mean all Asian ethnic communities and not just the Indian community. In fact, we have more support among the Chinese community than the Indian community. We have also been getting support from the Korean, Sri Lankan, Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities. We would like to work with the Maori and the Pacific communities as well. I also want to make it clear that we are not asking for any special rights for our people. All we are asking is a fair representation of our community in the parliament so that our people can walk on the roads freely and feel secure. IWK: Has your party conducted any poll in the constituency to suggest the kind of support your party is getting? Roshan: We have not done any such poll and we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel the need to do that. We are a new party and it will be hard to gauge support like

that. We have spoken to a lot of people, both within the Indian community and outside, as well as among the other Asian communities. Fortunately, we have received a lot of support. Everyone can relate to the issues that we intend to raise. IWK: Do you have any specific target for the 2017 election? Roshan: We want 10% votes in the 2017 polls. We know that it is an ambitious target and we need to work for that. We need support from all your readers and audience. IWK: Well, it is for our readers to decide and take an informed decision. All we can do is put across your message to themâ&#x20AC;Ś(interrupted) Roshan: We have received a lot of attention from the Chinese media, even more than the Indian media. We are hoping to make it a mixed representation involving the Chinese, the Filipino, the Korean, the Nepali, the Bangladeshi and many other minority communities. IWK: How do you intend to make a difference in the current political environment in NZ? Roshan: We want to bring political will in New Zealand to deter criminal activities

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NZ People’s Party shoots for

the stars in Mt Roskill by-election P hil Goff’s elevation to Auckland mayoralty has commenced a battle of nerves, and pride, among the rivals, traditional and new entrants, in New Zealand politics for the upcoming by-election scheduled for December 3. A multi-ethnic electorate in Auckland’s south-west region with a large proportion of residents born overseas, Mt Roskill is no ordinary a seat to face the bypolls this year. However, what make this seat special is not just the demographics but also the electoral dynamics evident in the last election—Goff was a hugely popular electoral MP who won over his closest rival Dr Paramjeet Parmar of the National party by 8,000 votes. But the National Party won the party vote by more than 2,000 votes. And the fact that Parmar was able to garner more than 10,000 of the total of 33,000 votes polled is of no less significance. It is probably this electoral dynamics that has kept everyone busy in optimising the best strategy to go to polls in this constituency. The Labour Party has already announced the candidacy of Michael Wood in June with the Greens deciding to skip the bypolls in a bid to align their strategy with the former to oppose the National Party. Meanwhile, the Nationals, who were

clearly in lead in the last election, are taking their own time to formally declare their candidate. Add to that, the nervousness visible in National Party president Peter Goodfellow’s comment conceding that winning the Mt Roskill seat would be an uphill challenge, which is beyond reason. Ideally, the Nationals should have welcomed Goff’s exodus from the constituency as he leaves big shoes for the incumbent Labour candidate to fit in, and Parmar has done well for herself in the last elections. But on the contrary, Goodfellow said, “It would be difficult for National to win the bypolls,” adding that no government has ever won a by-election off the Opposition. Things have become more complicated with the enthusiastic entrance of New Zealand’s latest political party, the NZ People’s Party, which announced Roshan Naurhia as its candidate for the bypolls to fight from Mt Roskill. Although it is too early to pre-empt the impact of this new development in the electoral fray, if any at all, what is worth noticing is that Naurhia, in his public statements so far, has only targeted Indian origin MP Parmar, suggesting that he would be aiming to cut votes that have traditionally been in her kitty.

Michael Wood, Labour candidate for Mt Roskill

Dr Parmjeet Parmar, National MP

Roshan Naurhia, NZ People’s Party candidate for Mt Roskill

Despite repeated attempts to reach out to Parmar to respond to Naurhia’s alleged comments on her perceived failure to stand for the cause of the Indian community, she remained unavailable.

from the strong result of the party’s progressive Roskill Community Voice team on the Local Board, winning five of the six positions, along with his “local boy” image, just like his predecessor.

NZ First’s Mahesh Bindra declined to comment anything on the Mt Roskill by-elections.

In all Mt Roskill bypolls will be a good platform for all parties to test waters before the next year’s parliamentary elections.

The Nationals too will be able to gauge if “anti-incumbency” has eventually caught up with its long run in the government through the upcoming election. More so, in the multicultural constituency of Mt Roskill, where the majority of the residents were born overseas, it would be interesting to see how the party’s policies on immigration are perceived by the larger electorate.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party, which has traditionally retained the Mt Roskill seat riding on Phil Goff’s huge popularity, seems to be unperturbed by the fact that the new incumbent will have to take on the huge legacy Goff has left behind. Meanwhile, Labour’s new candidate Wood is drawing confidence

The Labour Party, buoyed by its recent mayoral victories in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington, is hoping to translate these results into the parliament elections next year. The Mt Roskill bypolls will prove to be a first-hand reality check before going to elections next year.

The NZ People’s Party will find the electorate’s answer to its boisterous claims made since its emergence on the national political scene. It may, or may not, deliver a verdict that can determine the party’s existential future in national politics.

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www.iwk.co.nz | 14 October 2016

Shopkeeper plays a Good Samaritan after a car crashes in his dairy Rizwan Mohammad

Changing people’s perception about Islam: Mosque Open Day Rizwan Mohammad

n 86-year-old man rammed his car into a dairy store in Waitara, Taranaki, on Monday, October 10 at about 2 pm, smashing the store’s glass windows and hitting the cash counter. So impactful was the collision that it ended up damaging the showcases, a refrigerator, and the glass box of the Raleigh Street Dairy owned by 60-year-old Pran Nath Sharma, who has been running the store for the past eight years. Sharma, who was in the store when the accident took place, immediately called the police, ambulance and the fire services on 111 to take stock of the situation. “There was smoke all around and I feared the driver had suffered serious injuries,” said a shaken Sharma, who has previously been a victim to a robbery. The driver of the Nissan Largo that rammed into Sharma’s store was trying to park his car outside the shop when he accidently hit the accelerator instead of hitting the brake, leading to the accident. “The man was old and ended up colliding the car into my shop. Although the damage was huge, I was more worried about his safety.

Pran Nath Sharma with his wife Sunita Sharma

I even offer him juice to calm his nerves,” Sharma said. There were no injuries reported and the paramedic who had arrived at the accident left soon after. The police stayed on the scene, coordinating with the fire fighters engaged in taking the car out of the shop. Sharma was pleased with the large amount of community support he received immediately after the incident. “On Tuesday, a few old acquaintances and a customer popped in and helped me for a couple of hours in putting back the shelves and cleaning the store,” he said.

aitul Muqeet, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mosque in Wiri, opened its doors for the public On October 8. The small community welcomed visitors and passers-by to the mosque; many dropped in out of curiosity following the signs of the exhibition placed on the road corners. The volunteers at the mosque guided the visitors through the community hall, the library and the prayer hall that houses a giant dome. The community hall also showcases posters with verses and translations from different sections of the holy Quran. The library of Baitul Muqeet showcases the holy Quran in 43 different languages, inlcluding Albanian, French, many Indian subcontinent languages, and surprisingly, Maori as well.

Holy Quran in Arabic and T Maori in the Mosque

Shakil Monir, a scholar from Pakistan, learned Maori over 20 years in Nigeria and translated the holy Quran in Te Reo Maori, releasing the first 15 chapters in 2010 and the remaining 15 in 2013. “The idea behind the event was to spread knowledge and clear the misconceptions about Islam among non-Muslims, who have otherwise been bombarded with media’s negative perception of the religion for more than a decade now,” said Dr Nadeem Ahmad, a volunteer at the mosque.

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SOUTH LINE

News-in-brief from South Island

Results usher in a new era for democracy The city is ready for local leadership and I won’t let you down, says Mayor Lianne Dalziel

Mayor Lianne Dalziel (flashing the victory sign), with her campaign manager Aaron Cambpell (left), Councillor Jimmy Chen (middle), and Kevin Park of Canterbury Migrants Centre

Gaurav Sharma

ith Christchurch’s Mayor Lianne Dalziel winning a second term with over 60,000 votes more than her nearest rival John Minto, the South Island also saw its longest serving Mayor Tim Shadbolt of Invercargill return to office for a record eighth time. Also, the city for the first time has 16 councillors from 16 wards. The change came about after a representation review by the Local Government Commission earlier this year. Previously, the city was served by 13 councillors from seven wards. While only one sitting councillor Paul Lonsdale lost his seat, 11 incumbent councillors—including councillor Jimmy Chen who is the only one from ethnic communities— returned to the council table with

five newcomers joining them. The elections also had five candidates from the Indian community standing up for elections, of which Shirish Paranjape won from the Waimairi Ward of the Fendalton-WaimairiHarewood Community Board. [See his interview below] Addressing a small gathering of supporters as election results were announced, Dalziel noted, “CERA is gone. Now, it’s up to us to make Christchurch the country’s leader in democracy and innovation with ideas such as participatory budgeting. From recovery, we have entered into the rebuild phase. My goal is to bring back at least 20,000 people living and working inside the four avenues as soon as possible. The city is ready for local leadership and I won’t let you down.”

In conversation with Shirish Paranjape—the second-ever Indian to get into the community board IWK: What was your first reaction after you heard you won? Shirish: Joy, obviously, and definitely satisfying. The entire process of campaigning, which took almost six weeks, was an enriching and enlightening experience for me as well. I got to know the 60 years of Avonhead’s history, the current problems of the area, and everything in between. I would say I am a better-informed citizen now. As I used to tell my running mate Sam McDonald, if we win, which we did, it’s a bonus. Else we would have kept serving the community in various capacities. IWK: This was your second attempt at community board elections. What are the reasons for your success this time? Shirish: First and foremost, I had three more years of community involvement this time. Moreover, the redrawing of electoral boundaries also helped. The wards now are one-third the size of what was earlier. This makes reaching out and connecting to the community much easier. On a personal level, last time I stood in a ward where I myself was not living. I used to joke that even me and my family hadn’t voted for myself in 2013. While, this time, I reside in the very same area for where I am chosen as a community board member. Finally I would also credit my success to city councillor Jimmy Chen, who had been a constant source of encouragement for me. After my failure in 2013, he encouraged me not to give up and keep working for the benefit of the community. ‘People will recognise your work, sooner [rather] than later’, he used to say. And they have, this time around. IWK: Are you the first Indian to win a local election in Christchurch? Shirish: No, I am the second one. The city had been well served by an Indian before me, Ishwar Ganda. He

Shirish Paranjape

sat on the council table for many years, along with being a community board member as well. Unfortunately, he died few years back but his great legacy has always inspired me. He was the torchbearer for the Indian community in the Garden City. For this very reason, I met his widow Vasantiben after I won to seek her blessings and guidance. IWK: Finally, what are your plans for the next three years? Shirish: To serve the community with passion and integrity, in a nutshell. Also, now that I am inside the local government, I would want to help the community in getting engaged with the local government by working in a transparent manner. Long-term, if I find myself being able to serve the community to the best of my abilities, I might consider running for the council in future. But we will take each day as it comes. Right now my priority is to serve the people living in my community board area.

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 14 October 2016

Indians unite for a community centre

Many organisations have come together to form the Canterbury Indian Community Centre Trust Gaurav Sharma

n a recent major development, the Indian community—across all city-based organisations, associations, trusts and community groups—has, for the first time, joined hands to pool in resources to work towards building an Indian community centre in Christchurch.

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To be built under the aegis of soon-to-beregistered Canterbury Indian Community Centre Trust (CICCT), the multi-purpose facility will require something in the tune of $1.2 million, fund raising for which will start soon and hopefully, be completed in the next two years, informed Rajiv Gulati, one of the main initiators of the project. “With the number of Indians immigrating to Christchurch growing continuously, having a place like this is an obvious after-effect. While our long-term vision is to provide sports and educational facilities, a library on Indian culture and history, a small museum depicting the journey of Indians in the South Island, as well as providing a place for cultural, religious and matrimonial celebrations, all at one place; we will start with something basic and grow from there,” Gulati added. Hearteningly, the local community leaders who often are criticised for not willing to put aside their differences, have all united for this project. “That was the whole idea. We want this to be an Indian community project. Not this or that group’s project. And everyone has responded favourably to the initiative. Talks are

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ongoing with a few who are still not on board and I am sure with time they will become a part of this too,” Gulati noted. The CICCT—whose trust deed is being finalised now—will have 25 members, including 13 trustees, who will have tenure of one year. The Trust, which has already started working informally, is also trying to garner support from several Indian religious organisations in the city. “We have identified few potential sites in Marshlands and Belfast, with ample parking spaces, which can be shared by various organisations. In time, we hope to get some support from the Christchurch City Council, and importantly, the Indian High Commission, to make this dream of having an Indian community centre in Christchurch a reality,” Gulati concluded.

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Festive fervor catches up Rizwan Mohammad

Durgotsav Celebrated

Ayodhya’s Ramlila comes to Auckland

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he Probasee Bengali Association of New Zealand celebrated Sarbojanin Durgotsav as well as their 25 years of existence, at the Shri Ram Mandir in Henderson last weekend. An estimated number of 600 people attended the Ashtami, Navami, and Dashami puja, held over the three days from October 7-9. According to Hindu mythology, this festival depicts the victory of good over evil through the worship of the Goddess Durga, the epitome of divine power, strength and prosperity. It is also the occasion when the effigy of Ravana is set on fire, reinstating lord Rama’s win over the evil demon.

Most Bengali women dress in their traditional best—the quintessential white cotton saree with broad red border—to join the festivities and head to the pandals to offer flowers to the Durga idol and perform the aarti. On the 10th and final day of the festivities, the women play sindoor khela and apply vermilioni on each other as a part of the puja ritual. The Durgotsav celebrations at the temple that commenced with the traditional puja, were followed by a brief cultural programme prepared by the members of the association.

hri Ram Mandir in Henderson, is all set to host a grand enactment of the Ram leela next weekend. A team of 15 artists from the Ayodhya Shodh Sansthan, Ayodhya, India, is flying to Auckland to perform in front of an enthusiastic audience, who will get a taste of the Dussehra festivities as celebrated in north India. The team from Ayodhya has performed in various other countries around the world and will be giving its maiden performance in New Zealand. “We are excited about the event, and so are the people of the community. We are making arrangements for not less than 1,000 people,” said Umesh Chand from the temple. The group will perform two 45-minute acts on the day, followed by a brief meet and greet with the audience. The team is currently performing four shows in Fiji. It has already been booked for another show at the Hamilton Diwali Celebrations on Sunday October 23 and the last show at the Waitakere Indian Association the same day in west Auckland. The show will start at 7:30 p.m. and will go on till 9 p.m. on Saturday, 22 October, in the Ram Mandir community hall on 11 Brick Street.

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Supporting our seniors through broad range of initiatives Kanwaljit Bakshi National List MP

aring for and respecting our seniors is an essential part of Indian culture and values. Like the Indian community, the National party practices and appreciates these values as well. We understand and prioritise the need to ensure our seniors have the security, well-being and respect they deserve. Our seniors contribute in so many different ways to their communities. Many are unpaid carers who give up their time to help other people live with dignity. Many senior members of our Indian community attend to and care for their children and grandchildren providing them with love and care. It is vital for their own well-being they are able to get the support they need, to look after themselves and the people who rely on them. Developed by Carers NZ with the help of government agencies, we recently released an updated Guide for Carers, an invaluable source of information on the government-funded services. The guide also contains a range of valuable tips for carers including how to schedule regular breaks, organise relief care, develop a plan for emergencies and connect with other carers. As Kiwi-Indians live longer, healthier and increasingly independent lives, we need a healthcare system flexible enough to meet these changing needs. Currently, DHB’s spend more than 40 per cent of the $12 billion they manage on providing health and disability services to people aged 65 years and older. Based on the forecast growth of this age group, this spend is expected to rise to 50 per cent of DHB expenditure by 2025/26.

Over the last eight years, DHB spends on the health of older people support services, has increased from $1.1 billion to $1.6 billion. Investment in aged residential care has risen from $710 million to a billion dollars this financial year. As we live longer, access to elective surgery becomes increasingly important. Under this Government, the number of patients receiving elective surgery has increased by 45 per cent. The number of joint replacements has also increased – lifting from 8,400 to over 11,000 a year. We are looking at new ways of helping patients living with pain. In 2015, the Government invested $6 million to create community-based Mobility Action Teams to focus on helping those with musculoskeletal conditions like arthritis. The vision for our Health of Older People Strategy is that older people live well, age well and have a dignified end of life stage. The Strategy covers five themes - people-powered, closer to home, value and high performance, one team, and a smart system. ACC is also supporting a range of initiatives for seniors; investing $30.5 million over four years aimed at reducing falls and resulting injuries. While there is no single cause of falls, they are the most common and costly cause of injury for those aged 65 and over. As our population ages it is important we have the right services in place. Our broad range of initiatives is about providing more support for seniors to help ensure they have the best quality of life.

Don’t waste the food you love Sandeep Singh

aste management is a big challenge for today’s world. Landfills, an important tool for managing this waste, are increasingly becoming unwelcome within local communities around the whole world. Councils, governments, and social activists are doing what they can but if we, as individuals, join hands with them and start controlling the amount of waste that we generate at the very basic level—our homes, we can get rid of this problem.

Sudesh Mittal (Hema)

Towards this goal, the Women’s Wing of Aggarwal Association is organising an event in partnership with Compost Collective on Monday, October 17 at 5:45 p.m. at 252, Bhartiya Mandir, Balmoral Road, Sandringham. The goal of this workshop is to educate people about reducing their household waste footprint through composting, vermiculture and bokashi composting. The chairperson of Women’s Wing Aggarwal Association, Sudesh Mittal (Hema) is very passionate to make a difference in the lives of people and also the coming generations. She deeply believes that if we sincerely try, we can reduce up to 40% of waste going to landfill, which is not a small effort in any way. She feels overwhelmingly happy as her family and friends are all with her. These days she is trying to develop an organic

edible but ornamental garden in a small urban place. Register your interest and you can win a $40 Auckland council voucher. Hema can be contacted for more information about this project, call her at 09 5233231 or 0212505221.

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www.iwk.co.nz | 14 October 2016

Making immigration process a breeze Navdeep Marwah

f you are among the thousands of people who come to New Zealand with a dream to settle in this land of opportunity, you must surely have faced a myriad problems going through the process of migration. In such a scenario, a licenced immigration adviser can be of great help as he/she can take you through the gruelling process of immigration with much ease. But finding the right adviser can be a daunting task in itself. Keeping your needs in mind, our current series on licenced immigration advisers in South Auckland aims to help you find the best person for the job for all your immigration related needs. The third part of our series features Mehak Singh, director of Impact Immigration Advice, a reputable immigration firm based in Dannemora. Mehak is among the very few female immigration advisers in New Zealand and we were curious to know her made her pick the profession. “I have always been interested in working with people. I have a Bachelors degree in Psychology from the University of Auckland. After completing my undergraduate studies, I briefly worked as an administrator in an immigration firm in Auckland. The role gave me an insight into the field of immigration,” said the 27-year-old, adding, “I realised that there is a lot of room for service in this area. It is a great industry for honest people who have a real desire to help people and make New Zealand a better country and boost its interests. And finally, it was on March 3 last year that I became a licenced immigration adviser (License Number: 201500252).”

Mehak Singh

Being a woman, I can be more empathetic towards my clients, particularly the numerous young women who engage my services. And that gives me an advantage as I give them a feeling of an ‘elder sister’ On being asked whether being a woman had any impact on the profession, Mehak said, “Being a woman, I am naturally more empathetic towards my clients, particularly the numerous young women

who engage my services. This gives me an added advantage – I treat my clients like family, which helps boost the trade.” “Being relatively young, I connect really well with my clientele that mostly includes international students and young migrant workers. Through this job, I can offer them clean and unbiased advice free from any kind of judgment. Sometimes I encounter clients who may have some domestic issues that impact their immigration status, and I think it is easier for women to open up to a female adviser in such issues.” Mehak, who is originally from Chandigarh, India, has been staying in New Zealand since she was eight. She clarifies that it is no child’s play to be an immigration adviser. “It is a big responsibility because the future of your client and his/her immediate family is in your hands. As an adviser, you have to always bear in mind the impact of your one wrong advice can have on your client and his/ her family. You can’t play with your client’s emotions at any cost. With great power comes greater responsibility,” she added. Mehak, who has a graduate certificate in New Zealand Immigration Advice provided by the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, felt that immigrants are being under-informed and misinformed regarding the rules and procedures related to immigration. “In most of cases, people are not fully informed about the immigration rules. They don’t know the basics and need help with simple issues. There is a lack of qualified advisers to guide them through the process without taking advantage of them. I know a lot of people who have been tricked by unlicenced agents. Therefore, the biggest challenge for me as a licensed immigration

adviser is to give them the best, most unbiased advice for their situation.” Like any other country, New Zealand immigration policies too keep changing from time to time and keeping up with them is also one of the most indispensable parts of an immigration adviser’s life. Explaining it further, Mehak said, “As a licenced adviser, I have to keep myself abreast with all the changes that happen from time to time with regards to immigration policies and instruction so that I can provide my clients with the most accurate information. These changes are made by the government with an aim to make New Zealand a better country on a global scale. As an immigration adviser, it becomes important for me to keep these latest instructions in mind while presenting my client’s case.” Lastly, Mehak has a word of advice for those looking for an immigration adviser. “Before you decide on your agent, please make sure you go to the website of the Immigration Advisers Authority (IAA) and check whether the person is a licenced adviser. Also, make sure that the adviser provides you with the IAA’s Code of Conduct. The other things to keep in mind include ensuring your adviser gives you a written agreement, invoice and updates of everything pertaining to your case and always keeps you in the loop.”

You can contact Mehak Singh on 021 196 3425 / 09 271 5483 or visit at 3 Brailsford Court, Dannemora, Auckland 2016, New Zealand. E-mail: mehak@iianz.com | info@impactimmigrationadvice.com Website: www.iianz.com

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Agyatobash: The Exile—nerve wrecking, a quintessence Rizwan Mohammad

angmanch ran a second housefull show of its Bengali play Agyatobash on public demand at Spotlight Theatre in Papatoetoe on October 2. Agyatobash is written by Harimadhab Mukhopadhyay from Balughat, West Bengal, India, and has been adapted as a screenplay for the stage for the very first time. The family drama revolves around Jayanta Roy (Ujjal Ghosh), a secret agent for the government, who, after being kidnapped by the enemies and declared dead, resurfaces from oblivion after 30 years of captivity. Jayanta’s wife Kanta Roy (Malabika Bhaduri), after a failed pursuit of

her husband, marries a professor, Subinoy Ghosh (Pallab Dasgupta), and leads a normal family life with her three children. Jayanta is asked to start a new life by the CBI as he prepares to rejoin his family back in Kolkata, unaware of his wife’s second marriage and her new family. The news creates havoc, reluctance and spate of unrest amongst Kanta and her kids initially, although Subinoy remains calm and decides to face the crisis. Jayanta’s biological son Tarapada Roy (Kuntal Basak) tries to evade the situation only to realise later what he has been missing all his life and breaks down embracing his father.

The play evokes some very strong emotions, in a way that the audience find an intimate connection with the characters. Simple yet hardhitting dialogues, power-fuelled performances and a strong storyline take the viewers on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Jayanta has an intuition that his ghostly appearance would disturb the unanimity of the family and chooses to move back into the darkness of the abyss. “I am overwhelmed with grief and empathy, I feel like I have a strong bond with Jayanta Roy (central character of the play),” exclaimed an audience member after the play. Our verdict: 4/5 stars.

A still from the play Agyatobash

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Working in the best interest of clients helps Global Finance win top NZ awards N G ew Zealand’s top mortgage and insurance adviser Global Finance has won two awards within the last one month. With these awards it has won a total of more than 30 awards from prestigious institutions including Deloitte, Auckland Chambers of Commerce (Westpac Auckland Business Awards), ANZ bank, ASB Bank, Professional Advisers Association, AIA insurance and BNZ-INIBA awards. On September 28 this year, it won New Zealand’s top mortgage broker award from ASB bank—for the third time in a row. Marc Oliver, ASB Bank’s Head of Third Party Ajay Kumar after receiving Deloitte Fast50 Award 2016 Banking, presented the Number One Broker for New Money Advanced For instance, last month, it award to Ajay Kumar, founder won the internationally reputable and director of Global Financial Deloitte Fast50 Award 2016 for the Services Ltd (GFS) for the year July ‘fastest growing mature business’ in 2015 to June 2016. This means that Auckland and Upper North Island. GFS is the largest mortgage adviser The award was announced by for ASB bank for the year. Deloitte on September 21 this year. Global Finance has also been The award is for a business getting NZ’s top mortgage adviser more than 15 years old and Global awards under various categories Finance was the only mortgage from ANZ bank for the last f and insurance adviser to win it this our years. year. Deloitte Fast50 index ranks the The immense potential of Global top 50 businesses in New Zealand Finance has been recognised not just according to their revenue growth amongst mortgage and insurance over the past three years. advisers but across other industries Some of New Zealand’s best as well. It has won prestigious awards where it competed with businesses across all industries were well established businesses in competing for the award. Half Page Ad - ASB Bank award for printing.pdf 1 10/10/2016 5:35:35 p.m. other industries.

value he could add over and above getting a client a mortgage was helping them pay it off faster. He designed his own Interest Saver Plan [17] years ago and started using it with great success. Since then he has built his own IT platform to run it and all his processes, and still today is using it himself to help clients achieve their dreams.”

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arlier this year, GFS also won the prestigious Mortgage Adviser of the Year 2016 award from Professional Advisers Association (PAA) at their annual National Advisers Conference in Auckland on July 28. It is one of the most prestigious industry awards given by the leading industry association of mortgage and insurance advisers in New Zealand. Nominated by industry partners, nominees were scored across a range of criteria by an independent panel of judges. PAA judges’ comments: “Ajay realised many years ago that the

Thanks for your support in our journey towards leadership in the mortgage and insurance advice industry. It has enabled Global Finance to be the only mortgage adviser in New Zealand to win the top mortgage broker awards from both ASB and ANZ banks continuously for the last 3 years. It has also helped us win awards in customer service and quality of advice from prestigious institutions. With our Interest Saver Plan we help customers save thousands of dollars in unnecessary interest on their mortgage. Once again I’d like to thank our customers for inspiring us to give in our best every time. My team promises our customers that in future also Global Finance and I will keep delivering better and better.” Ajay Kumar, Founder & Director of Global Financial Services ltd.

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lobal Finance is now arranging mortgages at a rate of about $1 billion per year. It has expanded its team of experienced and well-qualified professionals to provide the best service to its clients. It also plans to open a new branch in West Auckland shortly. The company has taken a number of steps so that it keeps improving the quality of service it provides to the customers. In May 2016, it set up an advisory board comprised of nominated industry leaders to guide their management team through this evolutionary process. It has also introduced a new branding and logo to ensure that their visual identity remains dynamic in a modern digital world and feels simpler and friendlier. Their new slogan ‘your best interest’ summarises their core values and culture which remain timeless. The new Global Finance brand will continue to represent the vision and values that Ajay founded this company on—to provide world class financial services while maintaining integrity, stability and 100% customer satisfaction.

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READERS SPEAK How do you plan to celebrate Diwali this year ?

Editorial Emigrant Gandhi:

A rehashed Mahatma for Gen X

o claim that the Mahatma’s identity is in a flux can be a disturbing thought for many, especially those who belong to the older generation and have largely grown up around the time when Gandhi was still alive and the romanticism surrounding his ideology was at its peak. It is important to point that that this perceived change in Gandhi’s identity is based on news emanating from India, when on October 2, Bapu’s birth anniversary, the Indian government inaugurated a Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra in New Delhi. For the uninitiated, the centre serves as a focal point of the institutional framework to benefit from networks with and among the “overseas Indians.” Unsurprisingly, this news has not been able to attract the space and attention in the media around the world, including ours, than I believe it ideally merited. Gandhi is remembered around the world in his numerous avatars – as a freedom fighter, as the father of the Indian nation, as someone who immortalised “truth” and “non-violence” as a potent political weapon, and above all, as a “political thought” in itself. All these conceptions, beliefs, characteristics and qualities that define Bapu in one way or the other have constituted a specific identity for him. Today, it is almost inconceivable to identify with Gandhi in any other way. Gandhi’s identity has been etched in our minds since childhood in a certain way for a long time. So any claim to argue such a stalwart’s very existence can be difficult to digest for many. I have rarely come across such a marked change in public perception of any other great personality across the world over a period of time. Case in point, we continue to identify with leaders like Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King exactly in the same way as we have been initiated to them and the great works they have accomplished from the very beginning. Therefore, I want to throw some light on the subject to understand how this change came about with respect to Gandhi. To elaborate my point further, one must note that since beginning of the 21st century, successive governments in New Delhi are constructing a new identity for Gandhi - an identity of a returning migrant, as someone belonging to India’s global diaspora. I am confident that not many, including those from the older generation, draw close affinity with everything that is Gandhian. The current globetrotting smart-phone bearing generation X of the present times, would have idealised a Gandhi who was a well-educated and accomplished lawyer in South Africa, who returned to his roots lead the country towards freedom from the over 100-year British colonisation. This is certainly a ‘new’ identity for Gandhi and previously unheard of. To bolster this identity, the government of India has started to organize a Pravasiya Bhartiya Diwas – a day to commemorate the recognition of the tribulations and achievements of the diasporic community, and their contribution to both, the homeland and their respective host countries. Although engaging with the diaspora is a political strategy adopted by many countries around the world, India is a relatively late entrant in this group. And even though any analysis of that strategy is beyond the scope of this editorial, yet what is of interest is the government bolstering Gandhi’s identity as a migrant. To remember Gandhi as a migrant is in itself a revelation, especially for the Indian migrants who have emigrated away from India in the last century. Recasting Gandhi into this new identity has not only created ways for the new generation to get associated with Gandhi, but it has also added relevance to the Mahatma’s identity in another way.

Indian Weekender : Volume 8 Issue 30 Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited Managing Editor: Bhav Dhillon | bhav@indianweekender.co.nz Content Editor: Sandeep Singh | sandeep@indianweekender.co.nz Chief Reporter: Swati Sharma | swati@indianweekender.co.nz Reporter: Rizwan Mohammad | rizwan@indianweekender.co.nz Chief Reporter—South Island: Gaurav Sharma Chief Technical Officer: Rohan Desouza | rohan@indianweekender.co.nz Sr Graphics and Layout Designer: Mahesh Kumar | mahesh@indianweekender.co.nz Graphic Designer: Yashmin Chand | design@indianweekender.co.nz Accounts and Admin.: 09-2137335 | accounts@indianweekender.co.nz Sales, Marketing & Distribution: 022 3251630 | sales@indianweekender.co.nz

Lalit Arya Like every year I will spend my Diwali with my close mates. I will skip the Diwali celebration on Aotea Square and plan something better at home. My roommate will be decorating the whole house; we will get sweets, prepare special dishes, light diyas and buy some fireworks to play in our garden.

Pulkita Sharma It’s my first Diwali in Auckland and I am both nostalgic and excited. Away from family, new place and I have heard such amazing things about the celebrations in the city. So, to start with I will go to the temple, movies, dinner with college friends and I will probably go on a long drive to the tip of North Island.

Vaidehi Brambhatt I love Diwali celebrations here. It’s not that glittery like India but still I like it. This year, I will make some special food at home. I have invited some friends over and we will have a big celebration at home only. Of course, I cannot miss the twoday celebration at Aotea Square..

Amanpreet Singh Last year was more fun but I do not have any concrete plans as of now as I am supposed to work all week but I will definitely attend the Diwali program at Northtec campus in Whangarei. Other than celebrating with friends, I will go to the temple in Mt Roskill and have dinner with friends at a nice restaurant.

Kirandeep Kaur I am really looking forward to attending Aotea Square Diwali this weekend, and I have a few events in the community too, to attend towards the end of this month. Last year, I celebrated the festival with some relatives here but this year I will be with my friends the entire week. I will also go to Takanini Gurudwara to pray and see the fireworks.

Ashmi Shrestha I am planning to buy crackers this year and will have a blast with my friends. I have bought new clothes for the occasion and planning to roam around the city, visit the temple, buy and distribute sweets among my friends. I don’t want my Diwali to be any different to what it used to be back in India.

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 Kiwi Media Publishing Limited - 711 Mt Albert Road, Royal Oak, Auckland. Printed at Horton Media, Auckland Copyright 2016. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved.

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INDIA

www.iwk.co.nz | 14 October 2016

INDIA

RSS chief disputes Modi, says gau rakshaks not anti-socials

SS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday, October 11 backed cow vigilantes and asked the government not to equate them with anti-social elements, contradicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stand on the Hindu bovine activists.

“There are some people who are dedicated to cow protection. It is part of the Directive Principles of State Policy,” Bhagwat said in his annual speech on Vijay Dashmi, marking the 91st foundation day of the RSS— the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ideological mentor.

“Gau rakshaks operate under the law. Administration must keep (this) in mind. Those who break the law shouldn’t be compared to gau rakshaks,” the RSS chief said at its headquarters in Nagpur.

Bhagwat’s remarks contradict Modi’s August speeches when he said that 70-80 per cent of them would be found involved in anti-social activities, which no society can approve of. Modi in his two speeches—in Delhi and Telangana—advised states to act against such activists after a nationwide outcry over high-

handedness by cow vigilantes on Dalits in many states, including in Modi’s home state Gujarat.

Bhagwat didn’t quite agree. He said cow, revered by Hindus, was to be protected by the law and “gau rakshaks perform an important service”. He called cow protection a “sacred mission” that would “continue and gather momentum” despite “grave provocations”. (Right) RSS chief Madan Mohan

Union budget

day not to clash with poll dates, says Jaitley

ith the government mulling an early Union Budget for next fiscal (201718), efforts were on to avoid its presentation clash with assembly poll dates in five states, said Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday, October 11. “As we have decided in principle to advance the presentation of the Union budget for implementing it from April 1, we are trying to see its day does not clash with poll dates to assembly elections in five states,” Jaitley

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told CNBC-18 news channel. As against the convention of presenting the budget on February last day every year over the decades, the central government wants to present it earlier to ensure the passage of the finance bill in Parliament so that its proposals can be implemented from Apirl 1, when the next fiscal (2017-18) year begins. Though the legislative assembly elections in phases are due early 2017 in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur, the poll panel has not announced the dates. “We are trying to co-ordinate (with poll panel) so that we do not announce the budget in the middle of an election date but before or after the polls,” added Jaitley. The tenure of Punjab, Manipur and Goa assemblies is due to end on March 18, 2017, that of Uttarakhand is on March 26 and Uttar Pradesh on May 27.

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INDIA

14 October 2016 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Grand victory parade marks Dasara finale I in Mysore A

Russia shows interest in investing in Rajasthan

nvestors from Russia have evinced interest in investing in Rajasthan, state government officials said on Tuesday, October 11. Russian Minister for Industry & Trade of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov, accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising senior government officials and representatives of Russian businessmen, met Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

colourful victory parade, led by a dozen caparisoned elephants, from the royal palace in the city centre marked the grand finale of the 11-day Dasara fest in Mysore on Tuesday, October 11.

Discussions during the meeting revolved around Russia-Rajasthan collaboration in several areas including mining, agriculture, infrastructure development and heavy engineering and machinery.

Unfazed by sudden rain and cloudy weather, thousands of people from across the state and country assembled along the 5km route to Bannimantap grounds where a torchlight parade in the night culminated the fest on Vijayadashmi, signifying triumph of good over evil. As Dasara is celebrated as a state-sponsored fest (‘nada habba’) along with the royal family of the Wodiyar dynasty, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah flagged off the parade at the palace gates by worshipping goddess Chamundeshwari, whose deity was placed in the 750kg golden throne astride jumbo Arjuna. Governor Vajubhai R. Vala was the chief guest at the torchlight parade on horse drawn carriages in the grounds where about 50,000 people were enthralled by fireworks and cultural show amid tight security.

The visit of the Russian delegation follows Raje’s participation in the international industrial trade fair ‘INNOPROM 2016’, held in Russia earlier this year.

Dasara Parade in Mysore

Besides Mysuru’s titular Maharaja Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wodiyar, Queen Mother Pramoda Devi and other royal family members, a dozen cabinet ministers, celebrities, film personalities and dignitaries watched proceedings. Though the festivities have been subdued in view of the Cauvery river water crisis due to deficit rains, the spectacle of the Dasara procession was not affected, as evident from the presence of around 1.5 lakh people at the finale.

Pomp and grandeur marked the mile-long procession of jumbos, horse-drawn carriages and 40 tableaux depicting the state’s rich heritage and tourist spots, cultural troupes and folklore.

“There is a strong potential for growth in specifically Rajasthan’s trade with Russia. With increasing economic growth, the infrastructure requirements in Rajasthan are growing and Russia can help address this need,” said Chief Minister

After the parade and feasting, hundreds of people, including tourists thronged the royal palaces, museum and Brindava Garden on the city’s outskirts near the KRS dam to watch the musical and well-lit fountains.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje

Raje, in a statement. She was of the view that Russia can complement Rajasthan’s efforts in strengthening the state’s engineering industry, specifically in automotive, mines and minerals. Earlier in the day, the Russian delegation attended the RussiaRajasthan Business Forum organised by the Government of Rajasthan and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

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15-16 OCTOBER 2016 | AOTEA SQUARE

TE A R B E L E C INDIAN , E C N A D MUSIC, OD O F & N FA S H I O

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Celebrate Indian music, dance, fashion & food Join the free celebrations at the annual Auckland Diwali Festival, bringing the best of our vibrant Indian culture to Auckland’s city centre. From noon to 9pm on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 October, Aotea Square will come to life with the sights, sounds and flavours of traditional and contemporary India.

celebration of our Indian communities and with around 35,000 people attending last year, it has become one of the city’s biggest cultural events.

Enjoy live music, spectacular dance performances, and more than 60 stalls selling authentic vegetarian Indian food, crafts, jewellery, clothing, henna and art. There’s an exciting line-up of both traditional and modern dance on the main stage, including the fast and fabulous Radio Tarana Bollywood Dance competition, a hugely popular festival highlight. The festival finishes with a bang on Sunday night with the spectacular Barfoot & Thompson Fireworks Finale.

For more information on the Auckland Diwali Festival, download the new “Auckland Events Guide” app or find out more at aucklandnz.com/diwali

Auckland Diwali Festival is organised and delivered by Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development, in partnership with Asia New Zealand Foundation.

Aucklanders of all ethnicities and ages have embraced the Auckland Diwali Festival as a

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13/09/2016 3:31:53 p.m.

Vinod Bhatt’s troupe of Rajasthani Puppeteers

Gond mural artist, Venkat Shyam

Meghranjani Medhi, Kathak Group

Papercut artist, Parth Kothekar

Discover the diversity, Discover the diversity, culture and colour culture and colour

This year we have an exciting and diverse group of international stars showcasing dance, puppetry, paper-cut artistry and folk art. Celebrate Indian culture at the intricate annual Auckland Diwali Festival

– one of the city’s biggest cultural events.

• Kathak Group – Assamese film actress, model and dancer Meghranjani will lead a group of Kathak dancers, including her dancer and choreographer mother Mahami Medhi, on the main stage.

This year we have an exciting and diverse From noon to 9pm on Saturday 15 and Sunday • Rajasthani Puppeteers – Puppet master Vinod Bhatt presents his troupe of group of international stars showcasing 16 October, Aotea Square will come to life Rajasthani puppeteers a colourful laugh-out-loud performance not dance, puppetry, intricatethat’s paper-cut with the sights, soundsinand flavours ofand India just for the kids. artistry and folk art. in this high-energy, vibrant celebration of

• Papercut artist – Paper cut artist Parth Kothekar carves delicate artworks, each made with a pencil, a sheet of paper and a sharp blade. Watch him demonstrate this intricate craft and see his beautiful creations at the festival – you can also buy a special work to take home.

Auckland’s ethnic diversity. • Kathak – Assamese • Papercut artist – Paper cut artist Parth Kothekar carves Group delicate artworks,film eachactress, dancer will lead Auckland Festival is aoffree, familymade with aDiwali pencil, a sheet paper and a sharp model blade.and Watch himMeghranjani demonstrate a group of Kathak dancers, including friendly event thatand gives from allcreations at this intricate craft seepeople his beautiful the festival – you can also buy her • Gond mural artist – See demonstrations dancer and choreographer mother backgrounds andtake all ages the chance a special work to home. and interactive workshops by worldMahami Medhi, on the main stage. to enjoy and experience traditional and renowned Gond mural artist, Venkat Shyam. contemporary Indian–culture in its many • Gond mural artist See demonstrations and interactive workshops by world• Rajasthani Puppeteers – Puppet master Venkat works with murals, etchings, mixed exciting forms. renowned Gond mural artist, Venkat Shyam. Venkat works with murals, etchings, Vinod Bhatt presents his troupe of media and animation. mixed media and animation. Rajisthani puppeteers in a colourful Enjoy live music, spectacular dance Papercut artist, Parth Kothekar For more information, download the new and laugh-out-loud performance performances, and more than 60 stalls “Auckland Events Guide” app or find that’s not just for the kids! selling authentic vegetarian Indian food, out more at aucklandnz.com/diwali crafts, jewellery, clothing, henna and art.

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THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SPONSORS

SPONSORED BY

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F E S T I VA L H I G H L I G H T S

Festival Programme This year’s Auckland Diwali Festival brings a spectacular line-up of performances. Head along to the main stage in Aotea Square to see traditional and contemporary dance, including the popular Radio Tarana Bollywood Dance competition. Queen Street will also come to life with vibrant street performances throughout the day, as well as the DJ Stage on Queen Street where you can enjoy music from some of Auckland’s top DJs. The festival programme is bursting with activities for the kids too. Check out the festival programme below and start planning your weekend at the Auckland Diwali Festival.

Wellesley Street Queen Street

Wellesley Street

Saturday

Sunday

3pm

12-9pm

3.20pm 7.30pm

3.20pm 5.20pm 7.30pm

Radio Tarana Bollywood Dance Competition

1-2pm

4pm

Sargam Fusion with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra

6pm

6.50pm

6.20pm

9pm

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12-9pm

Kids' amusement rides

12-9pm

12-7pm

Classical music stage

12-5pm

Food and craft stalls

12-9pm

Street performances

12-7pm

MAIN STAGE Opening ceremony Stage performances Kathak group of Ms. Meghranjani Medhi

Indian Weekender Mr & Ms Diwali Contest Barfoot & Thompson Fireworks Finale

AOTEA CENTRE

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12-4pm

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Pilgrimage on-screen exhibition

12-4pm

Rajasthani Puppeteers Troupe of Mr. Vinod Bhatt

12.30pm 2.30pm

Incredible India tourism presentation

4.30-5.30pm

Miss India NZ Fashion Show

5.35-5.50pm

6-9pm

DJ Stage *Festival programme correct at time of printing

Download the new “Auckland Events Guide” app to view the full festival programme or visit aucklandnz.com/diwali The Auckland Diwali Festival encourages a smokefree environment. Thank you for not smoking.

HELPFUL TIPS

Tips for getting the most out of the 2016 Auckland Diwali Festival For children: • • •

Watch the Rajasthani puppeteers – colourful, lively and laugh-out- loud-funny shows Paint a heart in your favourite Resene Diwali colour to take home with you Have fun at Barfoot &amp; Thompson Kids’ Zone, where you can see the puppet shows, Pixar short films on the big screen and lots more Watch performers on the main stage, including dancers of all ages in the Radio Tarana

• • • •

entertainment on the main stage; then head to the craft stalls Try the delicious street food on offer – try the savory dahi puri, pani puri or aloo tikki; or the sweet treats of jalebi or gulab jamun Get a temporary henna tattoo Agree on a meeting point should you get separated – like the Waharoa – the carved Māori entranceway in Aotea Square You can pick up a programme and map at the festival – or download all the details on the

For parents: • Write your mobile phone number on your child’s arm, just in case you get separated • Snap a photo of your child in the day’s outfit when you arrive • Agree on a meeting place if family members get separated • The Lost Kids tent is at the base of the Auckland Town Hall clock tower • For people with limited mobility: • Accessible parking and drop-off areas are marked on the festival map • Crowds tends to be their biggest from 6.30pm onwards at the food stalls and 7.309pm infront of the main stage • Accessible toilets are available on Rutland St

Auckland Events Guide app For travelling to and from the festival: • Avoid parking hassles and catch public transport to the Auckland Diwali Festival • Aotea Square is in walking distance from the Britomart Transport Centre and the ferry terminals • There will be extra trains running on Sunday, to get people to and from the festival • Auckland Transport have extra bike racks at Aotea Square for people cycling to the festival • Drop-off points for people with mobility challenges are marked on the festival map, as well as accessible parking spots • Queen Street is closed between Mayoral Dr and Wellesley St West, so some bus stops are affected • For train services and information on temporary bus stop closures, go to https://at.govt.nz/bus-train-ferry/events/ auckland-diwali- festival/

For first-time festival goers: • Grab some food when you arrive, before the food stalls get super busy; check out the

For bringing with you: • Travel light for ease of movement amongst the crowds of festival goers

•

Bollywood Dance competition

• • • • • •

This is Auckland – the weather is changeable – bring sunscreen, a hat, and a raincoat Bring your friends and family – it’s a great group outing, and a family-festival event with something for all ages For leaving behind: Cigarettes, pipes, vapes – the Auckland Diwali Festival is smokefree Dogs – service dogs are welcome, but the festival attracts large crowds (35,000 last year) and your pet may be happier at home Alcohol – the festival is alcohol-free and intoxicated festival-goers will be asked to leave

• For being social: • #AKLdiwali on Twitter and Instagram • Follow What’s On in Auckland on Facebook for event updates • Download the Auckland Events Guide app so you have the festival map, programme and notifications right at hand For getting assistance at the festival: • If you feel unwell at the Auckland Diwali Festival, St. John is on-site in Aotea Square to provide first aid assistance • If you lose your child – or your parents – the Lost Kids tent below the Town Hall clock, or festival staff and volunteers wear bright orange visibility vests and can help you out

FEATURES

www.iwk.co.nz | 14 October 2016

Meet the Contestents

Bringing traditional fashion on the ramp this Diwali Swati Sharma

n a first for Auckland Diwali Festival, Indian Weekender is glad to announce its latest spectacle at the extravaganza of fun, food, culture and entertainment with Ms Diwali and Mr Diwali—a cultural fashion contest. The contest will be held over the two days of the Auckland Diwali Festival at Aotea Square and will have two round. The first round— Cultural extravaganza will showcase the traditional attires from different parts of India and the second round—Talent Show will give a participants to showcase their talent ranging from dancing, singing, acting and more. With an aim to bring traditional fashion and talent on the forefront of the festival, we invited Aucklanders from the diverse ethnic communities to come forward and be an embodiment of their cultures. This year, we have shortlisted 11 contestants who will now walk on the ramp on October 15 for the

‘Cultural Extravaganza’ round and will showcase the traditional fashion from various parts of India. Out of the 11 contestants, only a few will get the chance to enter the final round on October 16 and show their talent through the ‘Talent Show’ round. While only two will be able to take home the trophy for Mr Diwali and the crown for Ms Diwali, the contestants entering the final round will need your votes to reach the top spot, which will make up for the 50 per cent of the final scores. So keep an eye on our Facebook page for the voting instructions on Saturday, October 15. Apart from the fashion contest, Indian Weekender is also organising many other exciting activities on site that give you a chance to win interesting prizes and goodies. So do visit our marquee at the Aotea Square, get your picture clicked in our special Face of the year frame, and come and say hello to our team that brings you your favourite news magazine every week.

In a special feature, we are introducing the contestants here who expect to impress you will their appearance and talent at the biggest celebration of Indian culture in Auckland.

Female contestants Geetanjali Jaglan

eetanjali originally hails from India and has been living in New Zealand for more than a year now. Fond of reading and playing volleyball, Geetanjali is an hotelier by profession and loves Italian and Indian cuisines. She believes that honesty and hard working attitude are her greatest strengths. Her ambition is to become a freelance trainer. Through this contest, she wanted to explore the stage, get a feel of the ramp and let people know her better. Devika Mhetar

evika is a young food technologist and believed that her occupation is best suited to her favourite hobby i.e. eating. Being a typical foodie her work gives her an opportunity to eat and try out various new food items. Being born and brought up in the family of police officers, she has lived a disciplined lifestyle. Her father has inspired her to be selfless. A lover of spontaneity

and adventure, Devika loves to find adventure in every small aspect of her life. She is strong believer of ‘simple living and high thinking’. She dedicates her success to her mother and sister. She is a perfect blend of a desi girl with an attitude of accepting new changes in life. Continued on page 28

FEATURES

Continued from page 27

Shaira Kiran

14 October 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz Sukhmani Kaur Sodhi

new opportunities in modelling but not more than showing his singing talent to the thousands of lovely audience gathered at the festival. Harmeet Singh

orn in New Zealand and raised in California, Shaira studied accounting. She is a freelance model and has worked on a few assignments in New Zealand. Her hobbies include spending time with her kid, cooking, playing sports, singing, and exploring new places. Her ‘can do’ attitude of accepting challenges and self-motivated personality are her greatest strengths. Being a selfdisciplined person makes it easy for her to adapt to any kind of environment very quickly. Sandeep Kaur

ukhmani likes to call herself a ‘pure Punjabi at heart ‘girl. She hails from Ludhiana in India and likes to be close to her culture and tradition. Her motto in life is sarbat da bhala, which means stay happy and keep others happy too. In her spare time, she likes to sing, dance and listen to good music. She is an outgoing girl with a positive attitude; no matter how the situation is, for her happiness and staying positive is the solution to all problems.

Male contestants Iqbal Singh

he most energetic contestant of all is Harmeet. He is very passionate about his career and wants to do something different and exciting in life. He is always ready to help others and aspires to make a difference in others’ lives. His hobbies include learning new things, dancing, reading and making new friends. He is adamant on winning this contest, as he believes that it would inspire him, even more, to do good for others. He says that he is a hard working and honest person, and hence does not shy away from accepting that name and fame is very important in life and he wants to be famous, but as a Punjabi or an Indian. He says that this is a perfect platform for him to showcase his culture and tradition in New Zealand. Likith Poovanna

of tea and coffee plantations. He comes from a family with defence background and soil where Field Marshal Kodandera M. Cariappa (First Indian commander-inchief), and General Kodendera S. Thimayya were born. He moved to New Zealand in the year 2014, completed his Master Degree from The University of Auckland and was honoured with Faculty of Engineering Doctoral Scholarship in 2015, and continued with his Doctoral degree in collaboration with BMW Germany at The University of Auckland. Moreover, in July 2015, he was elected as the President of University of Auckland Indian Society. During his presidency, he has managed to increase the number of members up to 70%, with an average of four events per month. His current project “Walk my Way” highlights women harassment and its impact on the society. Recently, he has been elected as Vice-President of Indian Students Welfare Association, New Zealand. Alongside, he exhibits interests in pencil and charcoal sketches, dancing and writing blogs.

The choreographers

he contestants went through two weeks of training, styling and grooming workshop to help them present themselves well on the stage and guide through the process. The Auckland-based fashion choreography couple Parth Dalal and Bindi Desai Dalal have made dedicated efforts to make this contest the best visual experience for the audience. Let us find out more about the couple. Bindi Desai Dalal

andeep Kaur hails from Ambala in India and arrived in New Zealand in 2010. She says that coming to a new country at a young age has taught her a lot and has made her independent. The country has given her lot of lovely friends. She enjoys visiting new places, bhangra, dancing and playing basketball. She wished to make her career is accounting after further studies. Kia Khan

ia is the youngest contestant of all in the contest. She is originally from Fiji and has been living in New Zealand from past two years. Modelling is a passion for her and she took part in many events working as a professional model and promoted companies. She has participated in Bollywood Factor Catwalk 2016 and was chosen the runner-up. She also took part in Miss India Worldwide NZ and she was the second runner-up. She feels that being a part of Ms Diwali contest is like a dream come true as it is such a big platform to showcase your talent.

Sunny Singh

orn and brought up in Ahmedabad, India, Parth moved to Mumbai after graduation to shape up his modelling career. It wasn’t too late that he achieved fame after participating in modelling contests. He has his first taste of success when he was selected as Gladrags Finalist 2007, and won the 2nd Runner Up and Mr Photogenic titles in Mr and Miss University India contest in the same year. Soon after he started walking for the well-known designers as a professional model. He has also been featured with well-known clothing brands such as Digjam. So far, he has done more than 300 fashion shows in India and plenty of print advertisements and catalogue shoots for various brands. Currently settled in Auckland, Parth is a working professional and is contributing to the modelling world as the fashion show choreographer, mentor and stylist for newcomers. What: Indian Weekender Ms Diwali and Mr Diwali 2016-10-13 Saturday, October 15 at 6:50 pm Sunday, October 16 at 6:20 pm Where: Main stage, Aotea Square, Auckland CBD

ikith comes from Kodava culture and was born and brought up in the heritage city of India, Mysore. After completing his Bachelors of Engineering-Information Science in Mysore, we went to Sweden for further studies in computer science. Currently software developer by profession, Likith is passionate about modelling, fitness and adventure and loves travelling, cooking and cricket. Being an extrovert, he easily mingles with people from different cultures. Even after blending well into the Kiwi lifestyle, Likith has not forgotten his roots. He lives his life to the fullest and is a giver and ardent believer of philanthropy. Kariappa Maletira Karumbaiah

young singer and artist Sunny cannot imagine a day without music. Originally from Nawanshahr city of Punjab, India, Sunny started calling New Zealand home four years back. A firm believer of ‘happiness is the ultimate solution to all problems’, Sunny keeps inspiring people with his friendly personality and do not leave a single chance to make other happy and bring a smile on everyone’s face. Through this contest, Sunny is looking to explore

When:

qbal hails from New Delhi, India and has been living in New Zealand for more than a year now. He is passionate about music, bhangra and singing and currently. Through this contest, he aims to represent his culture and country. He feels that this is a brilliant opportunity for anyone to get a chance to perform on such a huge stage and through this, he can make people aware of their culture.

Parth Dalal

ariappa hails from Coorg, part of India well-known for it the misty hills, lush teakwood, acres

indi started her modelling career while pursuing her graduation in Ahmedabad, India and then moved to Mumbai to advance in her career. She has been a part of many pageants and fashion contest in India, including Femina Miss India 2010, Indian Princess 2011 and other local pageants. She has dome more than 300 shows in her modelling career and has worked with best designers and brands in the industry. She has also done numerous photo shoots for well-known brands, designer labels, advertisements and commercial prints. Currently, she is pursuing her career in Auckland as a fashion choreographer, mentor, and a stylist for the shows, pageants, video/ photo shoots, and events. She is also a public speaker and gives lectures on public speaking.

www.iwk.co.nz | 14 October 2016

ASB Bank returns as sponsor for Auckland Diwali Festival

A c k n ow l e d g i n g the importance of the diversity reflecting in the people who bank and work with ASB, the bank is sponsoring the Auckland diwali Festival for the second year with ASB staff members from across the city performing on Saturday night (October 15) on the festival’s main stage. ASB’s Carmelina D’Souza and Ruzbeh Palsetia have driven the ASB staff, family and friends’ performance, and recruited external choreographer Kesha Surti from Khottey Sikkey, for a diverse Bollywood dance sequence with a twist. Taking inspiration from the country’s 29 different states, diverse range of food, costuming and dancing, the ASB staff performance encompasses traditional dance movements synonymous with the regions of India. The group’s more than 40 members— consisting of ASB staff, friends and family ranging from ages 7 to 55 and Indians as well as Kiwi, Korean, Russian and Fijian members— have been rehearsing for up to three times a week for the past month. ASB Head of Community, Sponsorship and Events Mark Graham says ASB is pleased to support the Auckland Diwali Festival for the second year. “ASB is proud to once again be involved in the Auckland Diwali Festival. Bringing the bright lights, vibrant colours and exquisite cuisines of India to the diverse Auckland community, the festival is becoming a special date in the Auckland cultural calendar and an important

FEATURES

Get set to rock with Mika Singh ‘ Bollywood music king’ Mika Singh is all set to bring his foot tapping chartbusters to Auckland next weekend.

Being a prolific singer, composer, performer, entertainer, and songwriter, Mika has belted out numerous super hit tracks that are the highlights of almost every Bollywood DJ party. He is

celebration of Auckland’s diverse community,” says Graham. “We’re delighted to see ASB staff of many different nationalities taking their enjoyment of the festival one step further by getting involved in the Auckland Diwali Festival ASB staff performance. Taking place on the main stage during the festival’s Saturday night celebrations we look forward to seeing the final performance,” adds Graham.

ASB activations at the Auckland Diwali Festival • ASB staff performance on the festival’s main stage on Saturday night (October 15) • Free ASB balloons with glow sticks • A social video sharing stand where Festivalgoers can record their best Diwali dance moves on a green screen video background and then share it via social media. Every ASB video that is recorded and shared on social will go into the draw to win one of two, one night stays in the Skycity Grand Hotel, with breakfast for two at Gusto and a $200 Food and Beverage voucher

considered a highly acclaimed musician and the “powerhouse entertainer”. Amongst a wide catalogue of smash hits, the prominent ones remain Dhanno, Singh is king, Mauja hi mauja, Dhinka chika, Desi beat, Subah hone na de, Sawan mein lag gaye aag, Jummey ki raat hai, Aaj ki party meri taraf se and his super hit 440 volt and Gabbru, to name a few. The heartthrob of millions will rock the stage in Auckland on October 21 at Vodafone Events Center, Manukau. Buy your tickets before it is too late. Come a bit early to see Mika Singh landing from his helicopter in the front lawns of Vodafone events centre. This event is brought to you by Travel Point, Country Fried Chicken N.Z, Slumber Zone, Lotus Supermarket, Macro Accounting, Kiwi Mortgages Property Gurus, Legal Associates, Bath and Tile, Allenby Park Hotel, Freight Direct, Future Print, Dj Dave, and is supported by Star Taxi Group, The Learning Castle, The Grand Haveli, Radio Tarana, and Indian Weekender. This is must-not-miss concert performance so make sure you get in soon. For more information, contact Shane Sohal at 021 555575.

Light, colour, dance and joy. Happy Diwali from ASB. Join us to celebrate the Auckland Diwali Festival, 15-16 October 2016, Aotea Square, Auckland.

asb.co.nz

ASB Bank Limited

INDIA ABROAD

14 October 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

INDIA ABROAD 5 Indian among America’s richest 400: Forbes

ive Indian-Americans figure among America’s 400 richest people, in a list again headed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, according to the survey by Forbes magazine. Symphony Technology founder Romesh Wadhwani, cofounders of outsourcing firm Syntel Bharat, Syntel’s Neerja Desai, airline veteran Rakesh Gangwal, entrepreneur John Kapoor and Silicon Valley angel investor Kavitark Ram Shriram figure in Forbes’ ‘The Richest People In America 2016’ list. Gates tops the list for the 23rd year, now with a net worth of $81 billion. Wadhwani has been ranked 222nd on the list with a net worth of $3 billion. Educated at IIT-Mumbai, he is the chairman of Symphony Technology Group, an empire of 17 data, technology, healthcare and analytics companies that together earn more than $2.8 billion in annual revenue, Forbes said. The Desais rank 274th on the list with a net worth of $2.5 billion. Started in 1980, their firm Syntel generates over $950 million in revenue and has nearly 24,000 employees across the globe, Forbes said. Gangwal is ranked 321 on the list with a net worth of $2.2 billion. He is an aviation entrepreneur, who cofounded InterGlobe Aviation, which operates budget airline IndiGo, that is India’s largest by market share. US resident Gangwal owns more than 40 per cent of the company and

Romesh Wadhwani

Neerja Sethi

Kavitark Ram Shriram

John Kapoor

currently serves as a board member, Forbes said. Kapoor, who ranks 335 on the list with a net worth of $2.1 billion, is the chairman of two drug companies Akorn, which specializes in “difficultto-manufacture” prescription drugs and Insys Therapeutics, which produces an opioid for cancer patients, Forbes added. Shriram ranks 361 on the list with a net worth of $1.9 billion.

According to Forbes, Shriram, who was one of Google’s early backers, has sold of most of his stock but remains on the board of its parent company, Alphabet. Since 2000, he has been investing in young technology startups through his firm, Sherpalo Ventures. Sriram’s portfolio includes online card and invitation service Paperless Post, web and mobile app testing service Optimizely, and mobile advertising company Inmobi.

Indian American wins philanthropy award

its own small way one of the greatest r Suri Sehgal, an challenges India is facing at the octogenarian Indian moment: The disempowerment of American philanthropist rural India.” Delivering the third trying to solve the problem of American Bazaar Philanthropy rural India’s disempowerment, has Lecture, Seghal, 84, himself urged received the 2016 American Bazaar the Indian American community Philanthropy Award. Based in to donate at least a part of their Gurgaon, Haryana, on the outskirts income to philanthropy. He pointed of New Delhi, the SM Sehgal out that roughly 27 per cent of the Foundation he founded in the late community has a median income of 1990s is active in around 550 Indian $140,000 and if they commit at least villages. The award was presented $1,500 a year—which is half of what to Sehgal, who has committed most an average American household is of his wealth to philanthropy in giving annually—about $1.8 billion India, at the third annual American will be available for philanthropy. Bazaar Philanthropy Dialogue and Sehgal, who came to the US in 1959, Dinner in Washington, recently. also described his journey from the An Indian American community pre-partition Punjab to building a and business portal, the Bazaar successful career in the US and giving also organizes a number of back to the country of his birth. signature conferences in the US and India. Presenting the award, Sehgal holds a PhD in Plant entrepreneur and philanthropist Genetics from Harvard University Frank Islam, a recipient of the award and a diploma in business in 2015, described Sehgal as an management from Harvard inspirational figure. Business School. He and his wife, Edda, allocated most of the money “Philanthropy, like business, is they received after selling their about solving problems,” he said. India-based Proagro Group And “what the SM Sehgal of companies to the Foundation is doing in What foundation. Sehgal is India is identifying the SM Sehgal the former president some of the most Foundation is doing of the Des Moines, pressing problems the country is IA, -based in India is identifying facing and coming some of the most pressing Pioneer Overseas up with solutions Corporation and problems the country is for them. The vice president Sehgal Foundation facing and coming up with Pioneer Hi-Bred solutions for them is trying to solve in International.

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SPORTS

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SPORTS

India complete 3-0 whitewash of NZ, claim No.1 Test ranking Kohli presented with the ICC T Test Championship mace he Virat Kohli-led Indian cricket team made a perfect Dussehra gift to the cricket-mad nation as it mauled New Zealand by 321 runs in the third and final Test at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Tuesday, October 11. Completing a 3-0 clean sweep in the series, India have now stamped their authority and clinched the No. 1 International Cricket Council (ICC) Test ranking from Pakistan. They had already bagged the top spot after winning the second Test at Kolkata. Star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin once again single-handedly triggered another batting collapse of the Kiwis, to return with career-best figures of 7/59 in the visitors’ second innings, bundling them out for a paltry 153 in response to the mammoth target of 475.

International Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Famer and former batting legend Sunil Gavaskar on Tuesday presented the prestigious ICC Test championship mace to Indian skipper Virat Kolhi for leading his team to the top of the Test rankings.

avaskar presented the mace at a ceremony following the conclusion of the third and final Test against New Zealand, which India won by 321 runs at the Holkar Cricket Stadium. “It’s an honour and a moment of great pride to receive the ICC Test Championship mace. To be recognised as the best in the traditional form of the game is as good as it gets for any team and stuff that dreams are made of,” Kohli said.

Ashwin, who took six wickets in the first innings of the Test, took his overall tally to 13 in the match, besides pushing a total to 27 scalps in the three Tests.

Kohli has become only the second Indian captain after Mahendra Singh Dhoni and 10th overall to receive the mace, even though it is for the third time since Kohli took over as captain that India has led the rankings table.

The Chennai spinner was well assisted by left-armer Ravindra Jadeja, who took two wickets in the second innings, while pacer Umesh Yadav chipped in with one wicket.

India had topped the rankings very briefly in January-February this year as well as in August. India’s longest stint at the number-one position was from November 2009 to August 2011 under Dhoni.

Ashwin was adjudged both the Man of the Match and Series for his heroics with the cherry during the series.

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson praised India for regaining the top ranking within weeks of losing it to Pakistan.

“I congratulate India for some fine performances which have helped it win the ICC Test Championship mace during a great period for Test cricket. The numberone ranking has changed hands three times in as many months, indicative of the current competitiveness of Test cricket at the highest level, which is great for players and fans,” Richardson said. “With other sides in touching distance of the top, the ICC Test rankings continue to provide great context for the traditional format of the game. I wish India the very best in their efforts to stay at number one,” the former Protea stumper added. Gavaskar said such an accomplishment will be cherished for years to come. “There may be three formats of the game now but every cricketer knows that the challenge that Test cricket presents is much more and calls for a different set of skills, grit and character. I congratulate Virat and his team for this fine achievement and wish them all success in the coming years,” the little master added.

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FEATURES

14 October 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz By Manisha Koushik

Manisha Koushik is the talented daughter and associate of world renowned celebrity astrologer Dr Prem Kumar Sharma. 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. 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 Mobile/Whatsapp: +919015607139

WEEKLY FORECAST: OCTOBER 14 TO OCTOBER 20 ¡¡Aries (Mar 21-Apr 20) Retaining your cool in adverse situations will work in your favour. It is the best to talk things out in a mature way, than to start the blame game. You will make things happen the way you want them. An option that you desired on the academic front may soon become a reality. Things move along smoothly at work, as you remain ultra efficient. You will work towards removing the differences creeping up in your relationship. Lucky no.: 5 Lucky colour: Purple

¡¡Taurus (Apr 21-May 20) Get real and don’t confine yourself to your circle, as you may get sidelined. A good deal may make you financially stable. Health wise, you are likely to take good care of yourself to remain hale and hearty. You may get serious in improving your physical appearance. A co-curricular activity may eat up your time, but will open new opportunities. An outing with friends is foreseen towards the weekend. Avoid heavy traffic and keep speed under control. Lucky no.: 17 Lucky colour: White

¡¡Gemini (May 21-Jun 21) Stand that you have taken may not go down well with many, but that should not deter you from going ahead. Your judgement regarding a situation will be on the dot. Spouse appears most supportive and may become a pillar

of strength for you in your current endeavours. Work wise, you remain moderately busy, unless you volunteer for something. Appreciation for something you have accomplished is in the pipeline. Financially, you are likely to remain on a sound wicket.

An outing with family and friends is on the cards and will prove most exhilarating. Don’t get careless on health matters. Lucky no.:15 Lucky colour: Chocolate

¡¡Virgo (Aug 24-Sep 23)

Lucky no.: 7 Lucky colour: Maroon

You grow from strength to strength on the professional front. Keep a close watch on your professional rivals, as they may be up to something devious. An old ailment may be conquered and make you fit as before. Finding a suitable place to stay for someone will be a big burden off your shoulders. You may feel a bit discouraged in a competitive situation on the academic front. Match making process may be underway for the eligible.

¡¡Cancer (Jun 22-Jul 20) This is the time to go all guns blazing on the professional front. Your honesty at work will be taken cognizance of and give you some good returns. Negotiations regarding a property will go in your favour. Don’t let anyone’s opinion sway you against someone close. This week, meeting an old friend or acquaintance is possible and will prove most exciting. Chance to add to your qualifications is likely to materialise soon on the academic front. Health remains satisfactory.

Lucky no.: 15 Lucky colour: Turquoise

¡¡Libra (Sep 24-Oct 23) Confusion created by someone may spill over and get you involved. Keep your grace, even under grave provocation. Your ideas may have no takers at work and disappoint you. A family youngster may keep you worried. Spouse may not blindly follow your advice, so don’t make an issue of it. Some imponderables are likely to stare in your face on the academic front. Loss is indicated on the monetary front. Health may become a source of worry.

Lucky no.: 6 Lucky colour: Chocolate

¡¡Leo (Jul 23-Aug 11) Go ahead with an action only if you are sure of the consequences. Never underrate an adversary. You may opt to start a new venture to enhance your income. Professionally, you will be able to make a mark in whatever you are currently involved in. Getting into the social limelight by your deft maneuvering cannot be ruled out.

Lucky no.: 2 Lucky colour: Orange

¡¡Scorpio (Oct 24-Nov 22) It is best to toe the line of someone calling the shots, if you want to steer clear of the repercussions. You may be tempted to wash your dirty linen in public, but this may not serve any purpose and show you in bad light. The enthusiasm with which you had started something may show signs of petering out, if you don’t remain motivated enough. You are likely to put in extra efforts to do better in studies. Lucky no.: 1 Lucky colour: Red

¡¡Sagittarius (Nov 23-Dec 11) Something that you are dead against may happen contrary to your wishes, but little you can do about it. If you had handled the situation in a mature way, this may not have come to pass. Things may veer out of control on the professional front, if you slacken your supervision. An episode may expose your vulnerability, so remain alert. Impulse buying is likely to set you back by a few thousands. An old ailment may play up. Lucky no.: 8 Lucky colour: White

¡¡Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 21) You will not get scared to take a stand, even in the face of adversity. There is someone who is still not in touch with reality, so make him or her aware of changed equations. Those in love are likely to plan something exotic, like travelling to some honeymoon

destination! Setting up something new may take priority over other things. Someone on the professional front is likely to thank you profusely for your suggestions and inputs. Lucky no.: 11 Lucky colour: Silver

¡¡Aquarius (Jan 22-Feb 19) Something that you have committed to someone previously may give you the heebie-jeebies. Things not turning according to plan may become a source of worry. You may plan something different in a gathering to make it more fun and exciting. Love blossoms, as you manage to impress someone from the opposite camp. Those planning to sell property may not get the asked for price, so it is prudent to wait a bit more. Health remains satisfactory. Lucky no.: 18 Lucky colour: Bottle green

¡¡Pisces (Feb 20-Mar 20) If you want to go ahead with your plans, it is best to prepare well. You may diversify on the professional front in order to gain more clientele. Some major changes at home are in the offing. Good performance on the academic front may boost your confidence. Health is set to improve for those feeling under the weather. There is much that is not happening on the romantic front, take care not to let the relationship stagnate. Lucky no.: 6 Lucky colour: Light green

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Learning the mantra of success from Shivam Verma Rizwan Mohammad

It’s all about playing with your equity. Buying the first house led to many other such purchases, which led to a growth in my equity. The banks lend money accordingly. For example, I bought my first house for $550,000 and after six months its market value rose to $700,000. I paid only the 5% initial payment and the rest was mortgaged by the bank. For my second house, the bank gave increased percentage of my equity, I added a little from my savings and the rest I could again mortgage from the bank. So I kept multiplying my equity and savings from the business, which helped us moving forward.

n a short span of seven years, Shivam Verma has taken a long leap towards success. He has not only established three fully flourished businesses but he also owns 10 rentals in three different cities in the north island. Shivam started his Kiwi journey as a student pursuing a Masters degree in International Business from AIS in St Helens, Auckland. In his initial days, he undertook multiple jobs to survive. He dealt in buying and selling cars independently and later joined a 5 Star hotel in the city as a concierge. He also worked as a manager of a restaurant in Hamilton for which he travelled 260km to and fro Auckland, six days a week for a year. Indian Weekender spoke to this relentless 32-year old, his journey, accomplishments and what more does he aspire to achieve. What was your turning point in New Zealand? My wife and I got our residencies in 2013 and the first thing in our mind was to buy a house. That was actually a turning point for me. We had enough savings and our next goal was to start a business. We had a number of options such to choose from, including buying a liquor store, a dairy, a restaurant and even a cafe. As my wife is a qualified dentist here, we thought of opening a dental clinic and the idea clicked. How was the transition jumping from the service industry to entrepreneurship?

Shivam Verma

established my first business, Guardian Dental Care, in September 2014 in partnership with one of my close friends. Once the clinic started bringing good returns, I got motivated to start another business. I employed myself as a practice manager for a while and then in 2015 we opened Stoddard Dental Square in Mt Roskill. This September, Pt. Chevalier Family Dentist was inaugurated. How did you manage owning so many houses?

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What have you contributed to the community? I strictly believe in the ‘give and take’ policy. I am blessed to have not just created employment opportunities but also added up to the economy of the country. The businesses create business for other sectors of the market. Moreover, I contribute to various charity works, community events and temples, which is also an integral part of my life. How do balance your personal and professional life? Well, there is an incredible support from my family and my wife Nikita has been my backbone. I would work all day at the clinics and then sit with my laptop almost all evening trying to sort out my finances, doing market research, getting information on mortgages, etc. I wouldn’t say it was easy at all; it was stressful as I would work 16-18 hours a day. But the hard work has finally paid off.

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FEATURES

14 October 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Heavy physical exertion, anger may trigger heart attack

eing angry, emotionally upset or engaging in heavy physical exertion may significantly increase risk of a heart attack, warns an international study.

The researchers found an association (more than twice the risk) between anger or emotional upset and the onset of heart attack symptoms within one hour. The same was true for heavy physical exertion during the hour before their first

heart attack, according to the study published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation. However, the association was stronger (more than triple the risk) in those patients who recalled being angry or emotionally upset while also engaging in heavy physical exertion. “Previous studies have explored these heart attack triggers; however, they had fewer participants or were completed in one country,

and data are limited from many parts of the world,” said study lead author Andrew Smyth from Population Health Research Institute at McMaster University in Canada. “This is the first study to represent so many regions of the world, including the majority of the

w o rl d ’s major ethnic groups,” Smyth said. For the study, the researchers analysed data from 12,461 patients (average age 58) participating in INTERHEART, a study consisting of patients with first-ever heart attacks across 52 countries. The researchers said that extreme emotional and physical triggers can raise blood pressure and heart rate, changing the flow of blood through blood vessels and reducing blood supply to the heart. “This is particularly important in blood vessels already narrowed by plaque, which could block the flow of blood leading to a heart attack,” Smyth said. “Regular physical activity has many health benefits, including the prevention of heart disease, so we want that to continue,” he said. “However, we would recommend that a person who is angry or upset who wants to exercise to blow off steam not go beyond their normal routine to extremes of activity,” Smyth noted.

Zika virus likely to spread across Asia: WHO

ika infections were “highly likely” to keep spreading across Asia, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced this week.

WHO director M a r g a r e t Chan said experts were still looking for ways to deal with the virus, the BBC reported. “ U n f o r t u n a t e l y, scientists do not yet have answers to many critical questions,” she told an annual regional WHO meeting in the Philippines’s capital, Manila. Hundreds of cases of the virus were reported in Singapore while two cases of Zika-linked microcephaly have already been confirmed in Thailand. Zika generally has mild effects but is more dangerous for pregnant women as it has been linked to severe birth defects, including the brain deformation microcephaly. According to the WHO, the mosquitoborne virus has been detected in 70 countries worldwide so far.

FEATURES

14 October 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

How fasting on Karwa Chauth can mystically lengthen your husband’s life G Akanksha Mehra

She has to look her best for the day, which includes a diamond facial and a body spa. Her latest designer outfits are ready to be worn for the day. She has also booked a henna designer who charges somewhere close to NZD100 for a customised design.

rowing up in a staunch north Indian household, I am well aware of the obsession around Karwa Chauth.

A festival I would usually associate with a school holiday, meethi matthi, feniya, decked up aunties at a kitty party and most importantly “thank God, my mum cannot wake me up this morning” (it is a ritual that fasting women should not wake up a sleeping person), it is not going to be the same anymore.

To top it all, she has been gifted a Swarovski crystal-studded sieve typically used as a part of rituals on the day. Do not be surprised! Numerous elites like Mrs Chopra are wooed and showered with luxurious presents in return for staying hungry. The young and liberated females largely oppose the festival and consider it misogynistic since it does apply to the great Indian men, while many others would still follow the ritual out of love for their husbands. In more recent times, it has been

With my first Karwa Chauth round the corner, I am secretly contemplating if I should be torturing my stomach to magically lengthen my husband’s life. Interestingly enough, as per a research by the United Nations, men with the longest life expectancy are from Japan, followed by Switzerland. You get my point, right? Nonetheless, it is the most loved and largely celebrated festival amongst married woman, thanks to Karan Johar and his loving NRI audience. In a country where the good old fasting can be a solution for anything, Karwa Chauth seems to make complete sense when you put the practice of Sati in perspective. However, in contemporary times the celebration of this festival is perceived as a symbol of love and affection between the couple.

visit their friends and family. Later in the evening, they gather at a common place to perform special prayers for goddess Parvati and lord Ganesha after which they wait for a vague moonrise to The complete the fast. young and

Married females T h e liberated females largely are meant to fast significance oppose the festival and consider and abstain of this from the it misogynistic since it does apply festival is c o n s u m p t i o n to the great Indian men, while many shrouded of food or others would still follow the ritual out i n water from m y s t e r y of love for their husbands. In more sunrise to but the recent times, it has been observed moonrise one largely for the safety, that men reciprocate the love by b e l i e v e d prosperity and fasting along and recognise is the well-being of their gender equality. renowned story husbands. As per the of Veeravati rituals, women eat food who was tricked (also known as sargi) before by her brothers. Queen sunrise in order to be able to fast for Veeravati was spending her first the whole day. Karwa Chauth at her parents’ They adorn traditional clothes, place. She put herself through ornaments, heena, vermilion and a strict fast and anticipated for

observed that men reciprocate the love by fasting along and recognise gender equality. The beauty of India is that people are happy to follow customs and traditions blindly as long as it is not personally jeopardising and keeps our elders happy. Perhaps this is why we are able to keep our large families intact by respecting various views and aspects of life. Cheerio to all the ladies who are going to fast this Karwa Chauth and double that if you are the loving fasting husband. But bear in mind with daylight saving and long spring days, the moon rise in New Zealand could be an arduous wait. While I continue to wonder if I could sustain the torturous hungry state, here is wishing you all happy fasting.

the moonrise. Veeravati’s brothers were unable to see their beloved sister strive through thirst and hunger. They created a mirror like image on a peepal tree (sacred fig), which looked like the moon had risen. As Veeravati completed her fast, she received the news of her husband’s demise. Heartbroken, she cried, prayed and explained that she was duped by her brothers, which enforced Yama—the lord of death— to restore her husband’s life. Like other festivals, this too has been highly commercialised. Thanks to the rapidly emerging, gift-giving upper and middle class who do not miss an opportunity to stretch their thick wallets. Do not believe me? Picture this— Mrs Chopra is excited as she is going to experience her first Karwa Chauth. Based in Moti Nagar, New Delhi, it is more than just a festive affair for her.

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ENTERTAINMENT

14 October 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Hollywood ready to tap Indian Russell finds

acting talent: Irrfan Priyanka ‘cool’

e it Anupam Kher, Ali Fazal, Priyanka Chopra or Deepika Padukone, the common thread tying these Bollywood actors together is their global forays into Hollywood.

One such actor who has not only made a name in the Indian film industry but also worked with some of the biggest names in the West is Irrfan Khan. He says that Hollywood has finally opened its arms to Indian talent and is on a constant lookout for talent from this part of the world. “They are looking at India with a keen eye on who they can bring in,” Irrfan said. “The major change (over the last decade) is that Hollywood is getting more interested in Indian talent. They have been very smart and wise about picking talent from different countries, be it Spain, Mexico, China, Japan or Korea. They have incorporated people from all around the world to make their storytelling fresher and bring new elements into it,” Irrfan said in an interaction before the release of his next Hollywood film Inferno. And that freshness is what Indian stars bring to the stories that the West seeks to tell. “That’s how our actors and technicians are getting incorporated into their storytelling. It was A.R. Rahman (music) and Resul Pookutty (sound designer) initially; now Indian actresses like Deepika and Priyanka have joined the bandwagon. Hollywood’s attention is focused on India,” said the actor, who is known for his unconventional looks, projects and acting techniques. He has been associated with foreign films like The Namesake, Life of Pi, A Mighty Heart, Slumdog Millionaire, and The Amazing Spider-Man.

nglish actor Russell Tovey has heaped praise on his Quantico co-star Priyanka Chopra, saying that the Indian actress is “just awesome”.

“Priyanka is a cool chick. She is just awesome. She likes to gossip, she is funny and she is fun and at the same time so organised. She is a great leader and is incredibly proud to be a part of this show; her attitude rubs on to the entire cast and crew,” Tovey said. Priyanka, who was seen essaying an FBI agent named Alex Parrish in the first season of the American drama series, is now portraying a CIA agent in its second season, which airs in India on Star World and Star World HD. T h e British actor expressed his views a b o u t Priyanka in a special video for Star World. He added, “She is incredibly welcoming. In the second season of the show, I, along with a few other characters, make a debut in the series. Priyanka welcomed us with open arms and heart. She

was like, ‘come, be a part of the nest’.” “I think it is really exciting for a Bollywood star like her to be in the United States and head a show. It shows that the industry is growing by leaps and bounds. These are exciting times for Hollywood,” Tovey said as he signed off.

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14 October 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

ARTY MIRZYA PUTS AUDIENCE TO SNOOZE

IWK REVIEWS

U Prasanth Nayak

nil Kapoor, the forever young, handsome, charming and gallant hero of the mainstream Hindi movies for over two decades since the 1980s, did not appear to be the least bit perturbed when his daughter Sonam decided to making her debut in Saawariya, a nebulous film which bombed at the box office. Nine years later, history has repeated itself with his son Harshvardhan entering Bollywood with Mirzya—a dangerously arty film that has opened to near empty theatres in Auckland and elsewhere around the world, apart from making a hardcore cineaste like me sleepy-eyed. But father Kapoor does not seem worried. So Mirzya too seems to be headed for the box-office noose. Who said that fathers don’t treat their daughters and sons alike? To add insult to injury, Mirzya’s concept is not new. Top director Selvaraghavan’s Tamil film Irandam Ulagam (2013) featured fate-crossed lovers crossing worlds between an ancient fantasia and the modern boring one. Alas! It had left me reeling at the one-hundred-andsixty minute fecklessness of it all. The otherwise excellent director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has not learnt any lessons

from Selvaraghavan’s pitfalls. However, he is amply helped by Pawel Dyllus’s superior cinematography with its elegant compositions, smooth gliding shots and beautiful colours, further enhanced by Tubby-Parik’s moodenhancing background score. Mirzya has two parallel story tracks - one in a vast visually dazzling valley where horses and arrows fly while two lovers try to bravely escape amidst the clan’s disapproval. Another transpires in the currentday picturesque Rajasthan where an

Made with good intentions, Mirzya faulters due to a week screenplay, sluggish pace and lack of anything new for the viewers.

initially thrilling story of a tiny duel, stumbles into a standard RomeoJuliet yarn. Gulzar is not getting any younger and while this does not reflect in his lyrics, it is glaringly evident in his screenplay, which caroms between anaemic stretches, sporadic highs, flaccid jerks and near paralysis. The story track set in that valley of yore is thin enough to pass through a needle’s eye. Once you brush aside the CGI fluff (good but not worldclass) like skyward arrows piercing fiery asteroids, there is nothing more to witness other than a pair of young lovers eloping on horses and a lot of slo-mo shots which lull you into slumber. Similar events transpire in the story set in the current era but there is no artistry or smarts in this symmetric act of interspersed narration. The start, however, is inspired. Mehra is an open critic of the Indian education system and it appears he does not dig corporal punishment either - both threads of thought are used to launch a scandalous incident in school corridors. A jazzy humourladen song is then used to cleverly advance the narration as a small boy plots to escape his fate. But once girl and boy grow up, the script goes down. Mehra could still have used his sheer directorial exuberance to compensate but such

touches are rarely seen here. There is one inspired scene of revelation involving Munish (Harshvardhan Kapoor) and Suchitra (Saiyami Kher) in a stable pierced by blasts of sunlight to compliment the enlightenment. There’s another one as Suchitra cozies up to a newcomer while her childhood sweetheart watches in the dark driving rain. If the whole film was packed with soaring arias like these, there would have been no need for music. At first, I was unable to see Harshvardhan’s face clearly, hidden as he is under his moustache, beard and tousled mop of hair. He can act no doubt, but if he has to prove that he can succeed without his father’s help, he’ll have to do much better. Saiyami Kher gets similar passgrades for her performance, but she has what Harshvardhan does not looks to make heads turn. But Mirzya should not be forgotten. It, along with Irandam Ulagam, should be made compulsory lessons at the iconic Film and Television Institute of India so that students of cinema can take note of the narrative mistakes and sluggish pacing, how an ambitious screenplay can be poorly developed, and then learn how all of it can be improved upon.

FRONT ROW SEATS TO THE FUTURE

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4 Auction (unless sold prior) 11am, Wednesday 26th October 2016 Maritime Square, Ground Floor, 4 Viaduct Harbour Avenue, Auckland, New Zealand Ranjan Unka +64 21 711 755 ranjan.unka@bayleys.co.nz Devereux Howe-Smith Realty Ltd, Bayleys, Licensed under the REA Act 2008

Ross Blomfield +64 27 347 7033 ross.blomfield@bayleys.co.nz Mackys Real Estate Limited, Bayleys, Licensed under the REA Act 2008

In the heart of Auckland’s North Shore, the land and buildings housing Australasia’s biggest TV and online marketing company and Work and Income New Zealand’s offices have been placed on the market for sale. ● ● ● ●

72.5m building control height under PAUP Effective net rental of $1,405,781pa + GST (approx.) In excess of 50 metres of road frontage. 74 car parks

The property at 519-521 Lake Road in Takapuna’s central business district is an L-shaped 2,587sqm section with a four-storey building containing 4,882sqm of office space. Proposed new Auckland Council building guidelines allow for the creation of an 18-storey apartment tower on the predominantly flat site. Combined, the dual tenancy schedule for the four-storey block delivers annual net rental revenue of $1,405,781. Sitting directly across from the Shore City shopping mall, the buildings open plan ground floor encompasses 1,589sqm of retail space. Anchor tenant Brand Developers is on a 12-year lease expiring in 2026 with a further six-year right of renewal, delivering annual rental of $1,015,600. There is an option upon a three-year notice period for the new owner to yield vacant possession for the Brand Developers premises. For Sale By Tender (unless sold prior)

Closing 4pm, Thursday 27 October 2016, 29 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, Auckland Agent Details: Simon Aldridge Mobile: + 64 21 774 951 Phone: + 64 9 489 0982

simon.aldridge@bayleys.co.nz

Michael Nees Mobile: + 64 21 182 3085 Phone: + 64 9 489 0963 michael.nees@bayleys.co.nz

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FEATURES

14 October 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Auckland Diwali Festival

When: Saturday and Sunday, October 15-16 Time: 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Venue: Aotea Square, Queen St, CBD, Auckland Enjoy the flavours, sights and sounds of Indian culture in the heart of Auckland. This family-friendly festival celebrates traditional and contemporary Indian culture in all its forms. Live music, dance, street theatre and puppetry performances, food and craft stalls, Bollywood dance competition and art workshops for kids.

Finding a job in New Zealand

When: Saturday, October 15 Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Venue: English Language Partners, Level 1, 3091 Great North Road, New Lynn CAB New Lynn will hold a free information session for newcomers on finding a job in New Zealand.

The topics will cover steps to finding employment, employment and human rights, and how to write a CV and cover letter.The session will be facilitated by Adon Kumar. Light refreshments will be provided. To register please drop in, call or email at Citizens Advice Bureau New Lynn.

Ram Leela

When: Saturday, October 22 Time: 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Venue: Shri Ram Mandir, 11 Brick Street, Henderson 15 artists are flying from India to give their maiden performance in Auckland. Ayodhya Shodh Sansthan is a world renowned play group from Ayodhya, India and is set to dazzle the audience in Auckland and one performance in Hamilton.

Waitakere Diwali Festival When: Sunday, October 23 Time: 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Venue: Te Pai Centre, 31-35 Te Pai Place, Henderson Diwali is one of the most awaited festivals of the year and Waitakere Indian Association will bring a spectrum of cultural performances from morning till late evening. There will be fireworks in the evening and lots of lip smacking Indian cuisines will be stalled.

Waitakere Ethnic Board Meeting

When: Thursday, October 27 Time: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Venue: New Lynn Community Centre Meeting Room 1, 45 Totara Avenue New Lynn Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment updates on International Student Activity. Networking Lunch followed by a presentation by guest speaker Jason Chand, Regional Relationship Manager, Immigration New Zealand. To register for this free event please phone 09)836 0169 or email: contact@ waitakereethnicboard.org.nz

Catch the action from Auckland Diwali Festival live on our Facebook page. Visit www.facebook.com/indianweekender October 15-16

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