Indian Weekender 16 June 2017 by Indian Weekender

16 JUNE2017 | Vol 9 Issue 13

IMMIGRATION POLICY:

MALIK BROTHERS

TELANGANA FORMATION DAY

Pg 7

Pg 28

Pg 9

Has Labour got it right?

exclusive interview www.iwk.nz

celebrated with emotional fervour

/indianweekender

And the winners are...

INSIDE: Read all about the glittering night and the winners of Indian communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest honours NEED HELP

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The Indian Weekender

NEW ZEALAND

Friday, June 16, 2017

Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame Honours:

A stunning display of glamour, elegance and entertainment ¡¡ SANDEEP SINGH

he Indian Weekender’s Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame cemented its position of being the biggest formal event of the Indian diaspora in New Zealand. The award night held on Thursday, June 8, at the Langham Hotel in Auckland brought together representation from all major community organisations, businesses and the biggest who’s who in the political circles of New Zealand and special guests from India to acknowledge the achievements of the Indian diaspora in New Zealand. This year, the community has come together to confer Kiwi-Indian Young Achiever award, Kiwi-Indian Community Excellence Award and the coveted Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame inductee for 2017 to Shail Kaushal, Thakor Parbhu Singh and Sukhi Turner respectively. The scene could not have been bigger and better to recognise the greatest trailblazers of the Indian community in New Zealand. About 650 people attended the event, and jam-packed in The Great Room at The Langham, which is undoubtedly Auckland’s most upmarket venue. Every single guest was able to enjoy an exclusive red carpet reception at the event with flashing cameras, thus making them feel like a celebrity.

The event kept its promise of elevating the glamour and entertainment quotient of this annual event to a higher level with performances from Bollywood heart throb singers Armaan and Amaal Malik and another seasoned stand-up comedian from India, Amit Tandon. Several talented locals also formed an integral part of the entertainment package of the evening that kept all of the guests glued to their seats with many longing for more towards the end of the event. One of the major additions to this year’s Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame was a dazzling audio-visual display

“

The award night held on Thursday, June 8, brought together representation from all major community organisations, businesses and the biggest who’s who in the political circles of NZ

on the giant screens behind the main stage, creating the feel of a top class event comparable to any world class event. However, the single biggest thing that had transformed the profile of the event was enhanced commitment from local community organisations, the New Zealand government, the Labour Party as the country’s main opposition party, the Mayor of Auckland and above and beyond all the Indian government toward the Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame Honours 2017. The event had representation from all major community organisations, namely NZICA, Auckland Indian

Association, Indian Association of NZ, Shanti Niwas, Gandhi Niwas, Telangana Association, Auckland Tamil Association, Auckland Marathi Association, Bhartiya Samaj, Auckland Sikh Society, Hindu Council, Punjabi Cultural Association and many others. As has been the tradition with all the previous four events attended by the country’s Prime Minister, as the chief guest, this year it was Prime Minister Bill English who honoured the event as chief guest. However, this year the government’s commitment to the event was taken to the next level with a number of Ministers and MPs also present. Ministers Simon Bridges, Jonathan Coleman, Paul Goldsmith and Mark Mitchell were present along with MPs Jamie-Lee Ross, Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi and Parmjeet Parmar. The fact that the Prime Minister Bill English himself acknowledged this fact from the dais while speaking at the event is a testimony to the government’s commitment to the event. “I don’t know Bhav [Dhillon], how you managed to get so many Ministers and MPs under one single roof when I struggle to do that,” Mr English commented light-heartedly to acknowledge the presence of fellow parliamentarians. Not to be left behind, the Labour

“

NEW ZEALAND

Party, the country’s main opposition party was also present with a battery of parliamentarians and representatives led by Labour Leader Andrew Little himself signalling their commitment to Indian community’s biggest formal event in New Zealand. Labour’s parliamentarian representation included Phil Twyford, Michael Wood, Louisa Wall along with Priyanca Radhakrishnan, who is soon destined to be the first KiwiIndian MP in the Labour caucus. Mahesh Bindra of New Zealand First and Barry Coates of the Green party ensured that representation from other political parties of New Zealand was also present in the event. Indeed, the star attraction of the evening was Indian Union Minister of State for External Affairs Gen. V. K. Singh who visited the country exclusively for this event thus raising profile of this premium diaspora event up high in Indian government’s calendar of global diaspora events around the world. It is important to note that the current Indian government has upped the ante on reaching out to the global Indian diaspora in an unprecedented manner and for some strange reasons Indian diaspora in New Zealand has largely remained absent from that spotlight. This year The Indian Weekender’s Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame honours have finally bridged that long felt gap in realising aspirations of the Indian diaspora in New Zealand of being acknowledged by the top echelons within the Indian government. In this regard, the role of Indian High Commissioner to New

Friday, June 16, 2017

Indian Union Minsiter of State for External Affairs General V. K. Singh addressing the guests at the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame 2017

The Prime Minister of New Zealand Bill English along with the publisher of The Indian Weekender, Bhav Dhillon, unveiling the anniversary issue

Zealand, Sanjeev Kohli, also has to be acknowledged for playing an instrumental role in augmenting the role of the Indian diaspora in further deepening of bilateral relations between New Zealand and India. The relations have never been better and Indian diaspora in New Zealand has never felt so elevated

with recognition from the Indian government and Mr Kohli can take a big credit for this huge transformation. Speaking to The Indian Weekender about the High Commission’s commitment to Indian diaspora in New Zealand Mr Kohli said, “I will say that the relationship between the

The star attraction of the evening was Indian Union Minister of State for External Affairs Gen. V. K. Singh who visited the country exclusively for this event

high commission and the diaspora is a mutually enforcing one. Our respective strengths complement each other and we are hugely proud of being in a position to serve our community.” General V. K. Singh’s comment from stage reiterating Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remark that New Delhi must look beyond the ‘colour of the passport’ to ‘blood relationships’ that applies to all of the diaspora was a demonstration of Indian government’s commitment to highest order to the Indian diaspora in New Zealand. The Indian Weekender has succeeded in making this event a truly global platform with high political participation from both NZ and India, which once institutionalised has the potential to become a key platform to facilitate bilateral relations between the two countries. The guests and esteemed dignitaries present on the occasion were kind and lavish in their praise

The Indian Weekender about the transformed nature of this event. Speaking with Indian Weekender, Labour Leader Andrew Little after the end of the event said “I thoroughly enjoyed myself in the The Indian Weekender’s Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame honours. “A brilliant night.” Last but not the least, this community endeavour was proudly supported by several businesses, both within the community and outside, who chose to come together on this common platform of The Indian Weekender’s signature event to facilitate the manifestation of Indian community’s greatest aspirations – celebrating the success of greatest among them. The list of businesses that supported this event is long and illustrious. However, to name a few, John Andrew Mazda, Southern Institute of Technology, Sovereign, Singapore Airlines, Barfoot & Thompson, Spark, The Fund Master, The New India Insurance, Relianz Travel, Aims Global Immigration, Reliance Ventilation and Orbit Remit were generous in their support to this biggest formal event of Indian community in New Zealand and had to be duly acknowledged. Expressing satisfaction about the event, The Indian Weekender publisher Bhav Dhillon said, “We are happy with the fact that we were able to keep our promise of taking this event to the next level, and in the process raising the benchmark for ourselves for the next year.”

An honour that does us all proud

Dame Sukhi Turner – the former Mayor of Dunedin – has been inducted into the Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame Honours in its fifth edition ¡¡ SANDEEP SINGH

s Turner, a proud grandmother of two lovely grandkids and living in a serene township in the South Island, has many firsts associated with her name, endorsing her indomitable spirit and the sense of enterprise that she has carried throughout her public life in New Zealand. Ms Turner was the first woman to be elected as Mayor of Dunedin – New Zealand’s fourth largest city. She was also the first ever person of Indian descent to be elected as a Mayor in New Zealand. Last but not the least she was also the first ever Kiwi-Indian to be awarded Pravasi Bhartiya Sammaan-India’s highest honour for the People of Indian Origin way back in 2004. However, Ms Turner wears these pioneering distinctions in her public life and the eminence she has achieved, lightly and with disarming, charming humility. She continues to carry that modest and unassuming charm in her personality that would have possibly swayed the people of Dunedin in the late 1990s to vote for her Mayoralty three times in succession and with an increasing number of votes. Born in April 1952 to an Indian Sikh family, she completed her education in different parts of India as her father was a proud Indian Air Force official. She graduated in History and Political Science from Bethany College, West Virginia in the USA. Ms Turner came to New Zealand after

marrying New Zealand cricketer Glenn Turner in September 1973, and travelled around the world with him before settling in Dunedin in 1982 to raise her school going kids. However, the energy and the passion inside her to give back to the community could not restrict her within the boundaries of domestic life for long, and she gradually found herself

plunged back into the full glare of public life resulting in being elected as the local Councillor of Dunedin in 1992. Within three years from there, her confidence in her ability to give back as a public representative of the Dunedin city was elevated to the extent that she presented herself as a mayoral candidate, and the loving public of Dunedin backed her self-confidence and elected as Mayor of the city in 1995. In that process, she added another first to her feather by defeating an incumbent Mayor for the first time in 27 years in Dunedin. Later on, she was re-elected in 1998 and 2001, before finally retiring in 2004 as the Mayor. In the 2002 Queen’s Birthday Honours Ms Turner was appointed a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to local government. Following the reinstatement of titular honours by the New Zealand government in 2009, she accepted re-designation as a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Ms Turner has also been actively involved in community activities with Dunedin’s MultiEthnic Council, NZ Federation of Ethnic Councils, Enviroschool Foundation, Alpine Community Development Trust to mention a few. After her retirement from politics; Ms Turner

is living a relaxed and laid back life in the picturesque town of Wanaka doing what she loves most in her leisure – gardening in her backyard and living green. Her life-journey, successful achievements in political life and post-retirement life led by example continues to inspire not only KiwiIndians but also the entire migrant community and the in particular women in New Zealand. In recognising Ms Turner’s considerable achievements and contributions to society, Indian Weekender modestly believes that it is also a recognition of Indian Weekender’s own humble metamorphosis this year into a more encompassing entity of the Indian diaspora in New Zealand, reaching far beyond its home city of Auckland. It symbolises the expanding connections that it is making with Kiwi-Indians across this beautiful country; it symbolises The Indian Weekender’s pan-New Zealand vision. The Indian Weekender’s ever penetrating reach within the Indian community all around New Zealand set the setting for robust nominations for Dame Sukhi Turner as a potential candidate for the coveted Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame Honours. The remaining task was done by the elite jury members who had little difficulty in taking a unanimous decision in conferring the prestigious recognition on Dame Turner. The Indian Weekender salutes her indomitable spirit and achievements in public life by inducting permanently in the KiwiIndian Hall of Fame Honours.

The Indian Weekender

NEW ZEALAND

Friday, June 16, 2017

Undeterred community service Recognising the leader in the making spirit honoured ¡¡ RIZWAN MOHAMMAD ¡¡ RIZWAN MOHAMMAD

he Kiwi Indian Community Excellence Honours 2017 was conferred to Thakor Parbhu for his tireless and

incomparable services to the Indian community in New Zealand.

A lawyer by profession, Thakor has practised

law for more than 60 years and has worked in some of the country’s top law firms. He had

a close connection with yesteryear’s Prime Minister David Lange which helped him raise the Indian community’s concerns with the

then Prime Minister. His relationship helped the Indian community’s voice being heard by the leader of the day and resulted in many community issues being resolved. He

served

the

president

of New Zealand Indian Central

Association and has served several

other community organisations for

more than 50-years and was awarded

Queen’s Service Medal in 1989. He

is also a long-term honorary legal

advisor for Auckland Indian Sports

Club, Auckland Indian Association, NZ

Indian Central Association and Bhartiya Mandir Temple in Auckland.

He has been deeply involved with the

Federation of Ethnic Councils and Auckland

Regional Migrant Centre. He was also on the National Advisory Panel of the Human Rights

Commission to promote civil and political rights, economic and cultural rights and race

relations in New Zealand.

Thakor Parbhu was born in Gujarat and

started his New Zealand journey in 1940, at

the tender age of eight. He completed his LLB in 1960 from the University of Auckland and

worked under some of the most reputed law firms in New Zealand.

his year, the jury looking at the outstanding feats of the youngest elected member of the Auckland Council (Puketapapa Local Board), conferred the title of the The Indian Weekender’s Kiwi Indian Young Achiever Honours to Shail Kaushal. Shail was 22-years old when he was elected as the member of the Auckland Council, Puketapapa Local Board in 2016 local elections. He has the track record of showing his leadership abilities from a very young age. At the age of 16, he was selected as a Youth MP, at 17, he was the youngest campaign manager to manage general election campaign in 2011. At 18, he was chosen among the ten youth in the Auckland to be trained as Future Leaders, and at 19 he was the youngest candidate to contest the local government election. He became the campaign secretary for Mt Roskill in 2014 general election at 20, and at 21, he led a multilateral delegation and represented New Zealand overseas and at 22, he was the youngest member of Mayor Phil Goff’s winning mayoral campaign committee. Shail Kaushal is the eldest of the two sons of community leader Sunny Kaushal. Shail Kaushal completed his Bachelors of Arts and Political History in 2014 and Politics and International Relations in 2015 from University of Auckland. He has a Postgraduate Diploma

in International Security and currently pursuing his Masters in the same subject. In 2013, Shail enrolled for the Young Leaders Auckland Program under Office of Ethnic Affairs, Ministry of Youth Development and Auckland Council that aimed at developing selected youth for State Services and senior government positions. Shail also played for the Three Kings United Soccer Club between 2006 and 2011 and holds a purple belt in Karate.

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Indian Weekender signs MoU with ANM News T

Friday, June 16, 2017

Service Station staff moderately injured in an aggravated robbery

¡¡ SANDEEP SINGH

he Indian Weekender’s transformational journey this year took another step when a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with one of the leading news agencies from India – ANM News, on the eventful night of Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame Honours on Thursday, June 8. The MoU was signed on the main stage of the event in the gracious presence of Prime Minister Bill English and the visiting Indian Union Minister of State for External Affairs Gen. V. K. Singh. There could not have been a better occasion for The Indian Weekender, which has grown to become Indian community’s largest multiplatform media house in New Zealand, to announce a partnership with ANM News. ANM News, a not-so-recent media start-up has ventured into the 24-hour web news portal and news satellite television media along with an international web news portal with news and views from across the globe. With ANM News, The Indian Weekender shares a mutual commitment to producing a greater amount of relevant content, both on print and video, for the benefit of our fast growing viewership in New Zealand. Likewise, ANM News is committed to sharing The Indian Weekender’s exclusive content back home in India for an audience that is rapidly becoming global and is increasingly consuming news from all around the world. The Indian Weekender has a similar understanding with another news agency

IANS, which has expertise in providing news and analyses from India and South Asia from the region’s perspective and establishing an information bridge between India and its thriving diaspora in North America. The Indian Weekender and ANM News partnership is committed to establishing a similar information bridge for the Indian diaspora in New Zealand back with India. The ANM News web portal and the news channel have a news-gathering and revenue sharing collaborative model with news portals and channels across the world, thus enhancing The Indian Weekender’s ability to serve more relevant news for the Kiwi-Indians in New Zealand. ANM News has taken the initiative to connect with channels in Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Russia, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, UK and USA.

The Indian Weekender

¡¡ IWK BUREAU

Speaking with The Indian Weekender, Avijit Nandi Majumdar, a renowned journalist and the Editor in Chief of the ANM News expressed his delight on the signing of MoU. “We are committed to connecting bridges with Indian diaspora all over the world, and this MoU with The Indian Weekender will serve that purpose effectively,” Mr Majumdar said. As a part of the memorandum of understanding, the ANM News with its team of reporters will be literally working as an extended arm of the The Indian Weekender. Likewise, The Indian Weekender will have a similar reciprocal arrangement for the ANM News. Indeed, this is another milestone in The Indian Weekender’s phenomenal journey of the past eight years and commitment to its readers and viewers of serving content that matters to them the most.

aninder Singh, an employee of BP Service Station in Kumeu was injured and taken to the hospital during an armed robbery attempt on Wednesday, June 14. At approximately 6.10 a.m. two offenders armed with a screwdriver arrived in a stolen vehicle at the BP Service Station in Kumeu and attempted to take cigarettes and cash. The service station attendant, Maninder tried to stop one of the offenders and in doing so had sustained injuries to his hands. He was taken to North Shore Hospital with moderate injuries. The Police arrested a 16-year-old male and charged him with aggravated robbery, aggravated injury, wilful damage and unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle. Police are hunting the other offender who subsequently fled the scene in a stolen red 1994 Honda Civic registration ABD201. The police is asking the public to report if they have seen this vehicle or have any information relating to this robbery.

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The Indian Weekender

NEW ZEALAND

Friday, June 16, 2017

Labour seeks to bring more ‘sense’ to

immigration policy: cuts down student numbers ¡¡ SANDEEP SINGH

currently available to them. Changing this is expected to reduce net migration (of international students) by about 9,000-12,000.

he Labour Party is seeking to introduce moderate, sensible reforms to immigration to reduce the pressure on our cities, while ensuring we get the skilled workers our country needs, says Leader of the Opposition Andrew Little. “In recent years, our population has been growing rapidly as record numbers of migrants arrive here. National didn’t foresee this and hasn’t planned for the impact it’s having on our country. Since 2013, immigration has been more than four times what was forecast – 130,000 more people than expected have settled here, equivalent to the population of Tauranga. “National has taken its eye off the ball; Labour will get the balance right. It’s time for a fresh approach. Labour will make changes to immigration settings that will reduce net immigration by 20,000-30,000 a year,” Mr Little asserts. However, none of the changes proposed by the Labour Party will affect those who are already in New Zealand Mr Little said.

Student Visas

Labour will stop issuing student visas for courses below a bachelor’s degree that are not independently assessed by the TEC and NZQA to be of high quality. Labour will also limit the ability to work while studying for international students studying at bachelor-level or higher. For those below that level, the course will have to have the ability to work approved as part of the course. “National’s policies have created a backdoor to residency via low-level study and low-skill work. These have had the perverse effect that

Region specific work visas

a 23-year-old with a New Zealand diploma and three years’ experience in retail can get more points towards residency than a 45-year-old Oncologist who wants to migrate here,” Mr Little said. A third of international students studying at PTEs say they plan to work or seek residency here after study. “Closing off the ability to work during and after study for people who do low level courses will stop backdoor immigration. We will end the culture of exploitation and corruption that’s grown up to prey on people using this route to come to New Zealand,” Mr Little asserted.

Work Visas after study

Labour will limit the “Post Study Work Visa - Open” after graduating from a course of study in New Zealand to those who have studied at Bachelor-level or higher. It means the international students for courses below level 7 will lose the opportunity to work along their studies and will also not have the opportunity of the one year open job search visa

Labour is seeking to ensure that, where there are real skills shortages, businesses will be able to get the workers they need by regionalising and rationalising skills shortage lists. “As part of this we will better target skills shortages to regions. Improved regionalisation of skills shortage lists and better enforcement of the Labour Market Test will make it easier for regions with genuine skills shortages to get the migrant workers they need,” Mr Little said. Labour’s regionalised system will work with local councils, unions and business to determine where shortages exist and will require that skilled immigrants work in the region that their visa is issued for.

Strengthen the Labour Market Test for work visas

Labour wants to strengthen the Labour Market Test for work visas so they are not being used for jobs Kiwis can do, and make skills shortage lists more regional so migrants coming in under them can only live and work in areas where there is a genuine skills shortage. For jobs outside of skills shortages lists, Labour will ensure visas are only issued when a genuine effort has been made to find Kiwi workers. “For example, the number of ‘retail supervisor’ work visas has increased from 700 to 1700,” Mr Little said. This will involve more active enforcement of the Labour Market Test to make sure that employers have offered rates of pay and

working conditions that are at least the market rate and have a plan for training people.

Exceptional Skills Visa

Labour will introduce an Exceptional Skills Visa. It will be available to people who can show they are in an occupation on the longterms skills list and have significant experience or qualifications beyond that required (for example, experienced paediatric oncologist) or are internationally renowned for their skills or talents. Successful applicants will avoid the usual points system requirements for a Skilled Migrant Category visa and would be able to bring their partner and children within the visa.

KiwiBuild Visa

Labour will create a KiwiBuild Visa specifically targeted at building trades people. The KiwiBuild Visa will allow building firms to bring in skilled workers as long as they also train the same number of New Zealanders and will be additional to construction work visas issued under existing rules. Residential construction firms could hire a skilled tradesperson on a three-year work visa without having to meet the Labour Market Test if they pay a living wage and take on an apprentice for each overseas worker they hire. The number of places will be limited to 1,000 to 1,500 at a given time, which we expect will be additional to the construction work visas issued under the existing rules. Labour will assist with the cost of the apprentices through the Dole for Apprenticeships scheme, which will pay the employer the equivalent of the unemployment benefit to take on an apprentice.

NEW ZEALAND

Friday, June 16, 2017

Stars behind the scenes ¡¡ SWATI SHARMA

Designer Collections offers an extensive and unique range of Indian wear, designer bridal pieces and formal western wear, while Wedding Palace at Khazana has established itself as New Zealand’s premiere fusion wedding organisers, with specialist designers and an experienced dedicated team. They cater to the selective needs of the corporate client from themed parties, in house props and stage decor with an Indo-western fusion. If you are looking to create your dream wedding or any event from scratch to completion, you don’t need to look any further.

ehind the glitz and glamour of the spectacular night that The Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame was, were people who worked backstage and made the occasion worth remembering. Summing up the event report won’t be complete without their mention. The support and help from our wonderful team of volunteers and friends made the event run smoothly, who shared our tasks and responsibilities and helped in making your experience enjoyable at the event. These amazing people include- Gaurav Gupta, Leena Pal, Farah Khan, Esha Chanda, Ankur Lakhanpal, Prateek Lakhanpal, Sanjid Reza and Akanksha Mehra.

Performers ANURADHA SCHOOL OF DANCE

Décor and theming

Indiance is a 12-year-old Bollywood dance school and production house. It produces completely original Bollywood dance dramas which include script-writing, teaching and choreographing the dances, and designing and making the sets, props and costumes. Indiance also created the world’s very first Bollywood dance drama in 360 degrees. It is a completely volunteer based and passion driven group.

The Indian Weekender

The band comprises of Ben Fernandez (piano), Manjit Singh (tabla and vocals), Jo Shum (bass), Andrew Hall (saxophone), Ron Samsom (drums) with Kishori Telang (vocals) and Varinder Singh (vocals). In Auckland, Raag Time has performed at many events and festivals including Auckland Arts Festival, World Masters Games, Auckland Maritime Museum, and at events around the world and with some of the world’s leading Indian musicians.

Master of Ceremony

RAAG TIME

hey are known for their unique style of performing pure classical style of dance. But they performed a classical dance set to fusion music at the event. Anuradha School of Indian Dances is a well-established dance school in Auckland run by Anuradha Ramkumar for the last two decades. The students of Anuradha School have performed at various prestigious events all around Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington.

hazana transformed the already beautiful venue of The Langham into a surreal setting. Their patient team adhered to our numerous request of changing the settings and made sure that everything was perfect and suitable for the theme of the event— from the entrance to the table setting. The carved arch and the fairy lights after the red carpet made for a perfect palace-like entrance for the guests and stood out in the entire setting. Khazana is your one stop destination for all your party or wedding needs. Khazana’s Exotic

WITH A

INDIANCE

he Indiance group performed on a Bollywood medley from different generations with a mix of various dance styles.

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ith a fusion of Indian classical music and Jazz, Raag Time made for a wonderful start of the evening.

Raag Time is an Auckland based band that has a unique sound and improvisational style inspired by elements of Indian music, jazz and world music. They perform a mix of jazz standards, Indian classical tunes, original compositions based on Indian ragas, songs by leading jazz and fusion musicians, and pop classics by the Beatles, Sting, Stevie Wonder, etc. too.

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ritika Satija was the master of the ceremony with comedian Amit Tandon for the night and. She is an aspiring cardiac respiratory physiotherapist working with Auckland District Health Board. She loves the stage and it is her second home – she calls it her “happy place”. Kritika enjoys voluntary work, running and baking. She is a young lady with big dreams who believes in leading by example. Previously, she hosted the Indian Weekender Ms and Mr Diwali contest for us at the Auckland Diwali Festival 2016 and mesmerised the biggest ever crowd at any Indian festival/show with her amazing stage presence and hosting skills.

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The Indian Weekender

NEW ZEALAND

Friday, June 16, 2017

Human Rights Commission launches

anti-racism campaign: Give nothing to Racism ¡¡ IWK BUREAU

campaign urging New Zealanders to give nothing to racism and refuse to spread intolerance has been launched by the Human Rights Commission. “How we treat other people will define what kind of country we become and what kind of person a New Zealander is,” Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy said. “Today some iconic Kiwis are standing shoulder to shoulder with the Human Rights Commission and asking us all to give nothing to racism, to give it no tolerance, to give it no acceptance and to give it no welcome. They make me incredibly proud to be a New Zealander. “Our campaign is a hard case as well as hard hitting. It’s done in a uniquely Kiwi way,”

Dame Devoy said. Overseas and closer to home, racial intolerance and overt attacks are on the rise. 1 in 3 complaints to the Human Rights Commission are about racial discrimination, but the overwhelming majority of people

Telangana formation day celebrated with great zeal ¡¡ RIZWAN MOHAMMAD

he Telangana Association of New Zealand hosted the third anniversary of the formation of Telangana state at the Mt Eden War Memorial on Sunday, June 11. The event brought together more than 500 enthusiastic members of the community on the Sunday evening overflowing with emotions of their newly formed state back in India. The biggest event of the Telangana community witnessed the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chief guest who acknowledged and congratulated the members of the community on their annual event. The event commenced with the traditional lighting of the lamp by the chief guest, Ms Bennett, National List MP Kanwaljit Bakshi, National Party’s newly selected candidate from Kelston Bala Beeram, NZICA President Bhiku Bhana, President of TANZ Kalyan Rao Kasuganti and other members of the community. TANZ President Mr Kasuganti welcomed the guests and spoke briefly about the emotional and aspirational journey behind the formation of Telangana state in India and the need of the diaspora, especially the Telanganites to render their support toward the development of the state. Speaking toward the end of the formal part of the evening Ms Bennett acknowledged the sentiments of community members toward their newly formed state back in India. Ms Bennett also spoke about the diversity and inclusiveness of New Zealand society which welcomed settlers from all parts of the world along with their respective cultures. The speeches were followed by cultural performances by the members of the community.

never complain when they’re humiliated or abused. “Hatred and extremism are becoming normal in some places, and we want to avoid that future for Aotearoa. Racial prejudice and intolerance start small, in quiet places, in our everyday lives. When it becomes normalised it turns into overt racism and extremism,” Dame Susan said. “New Zealanders have a right to discuss important issues like immigration and housing: but we need to do it without racism. Play the ball not the person,” Human Rights Commission is urging.

This campaign is the second stage of an ongoing, nationwide anti-racism campaign. Last September the Commission launched a website that enabled everyday New Zealanders to share their personal stories of racism. It let people who hadn’t experienced racism or prejudice to hear from people who have.

NEW ZEALAND

Immigration – critical to New Zealand’s economic success Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi National List MP

ur National-led government is committed to ensuring our immigration policies support our growing economy and help the business continue to grow. We recognise that migrants make a valuable contribution to our country – both culturally and economically. Our increasing diversity brings significant benefits to our regional and national growth with international connections, innovative thinking, and increased trade and investment. Since 2012 (when there were a net 4,000 departures) there has been a big turnaround in migration. The latest numbers from Statistics NZ show a net gain of 71,900 migrants in the last year. This change is mostly driven by 9,500 more Kiwis returning home in the last year and 28,600 fewer leaving (making up around half of the change). International students also make up 8,000 more arrivals, and 3,000 more Australians are moving here. And when you look at non-NZ migrants, the vast majority are temporary - either working holiday makers, international students or temporary work visa holders who are filling job shortages, for example, the Canterbury rebuild. New Zealand is approaching full employment, with 10,000 jobs added every month. But it’s clear that Labour can’t handle the idea of New Zealand as a confident, growing country – they want to put the handbrake on and slow New Zealand down. Their immigration policy is a recipe for stalling growth. It recklessly places a vital part of New

Zealand’s export economy at risk. It would slow down the construction sector, stall the education and tourism sectors, and the hospitality and IT industries, and damage industries like horticulture. The National-led Government has made a number of changes to our immigration settings designed to better control the number and skill level of migrants coming to New Zealand, without jeopardising our economic growth. We are working closely with industries that rely on overseas workers to ensure they are diligent in their workforce planning, attraction and retention of New Zealand workers as a prerequisite to accessing overseas labour. Labour’s policy is also targeting one of our biggest export industries – international education. International education is worth $4.5 billion to the New Zealand economy each year and supports 33,000 jobs. Last year, just over 87,000 international student visas were granted. Labour have based their policy on a mistaken assumption that most of those students will remain in New Zealand permanently. In fact, 70 to 80 per cent of them returns home 5 to 7 years after they first arrive in NZ or graduate. The low-level courses Labour refers to are in fact Level 5 and 6 courses – which are not low level. They include engineering technologists and technicians, and also chefs. Many of the institutions that train them would risk closure, or they would have to significantly increase the fees they charge New Zealand students. The Government backs the international education export industry and the thousands of Kiwis employed in it. Our approach is to work with the industry to steadily improve outcomes, rather than threatening large parts of it. New Zealand is a vibrant and multicultural country. We celebrate our ethnic diversity and the economic success that migration brings.

Friday, June 16, 2017

The Indian Weekender

Shanti Niwas commemorates Elder Abuse Awareness Day ¡¡ IWK BUREAU

hanti Niwas Charitable Trust celebrated ‘Khushi’, a family fun day to commemorate “World Elder Abuse Awareness Day” on Saturday, June 10, at the Fickling Centre in Three Kings. The ‘World Elder Abuse Awareness Day’ is an annual event celebrated globally on 15 June to focus on the much-needed spotlight on preventing and spreading the awareness on the issue of elder abuse and strive to create an age positive society. The programme raised awareness on a crucial and sensitive issue of elder abuse which is a growing menace globally. “Older people are entitled to feel safe and live a life free of fear. They have the right to dignity, respect, security, and also to support when it is required,” Nilima Venkat, manager of Shanti Niwas said. “The message of ‘it’s not ok’ to tolerate elder abuse in any form was conveyed to the audience at the event,” she added. ‘Khushi’ Shanti Niwas’ elder abuse and neglect prevention service undertake the challenge to investigate and address this sensitive issue in the Indian and South Asian communities in Auckland. Khushi’s aims to recognise prevent and respond to abuse and neglect of older people and ensure their wellbeing. The event was successful with more than 300 people including seniors, their families, community leaders and others present the venue. Some of the dignitaries who graced the occasion included National List MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar, Labour MP for Mt Roskill Michael Wood,

NZ First MP Mahesh Bindra, Priyanca Radhakrishnan from the Labour Party and Roshan Nauhria from NZ Peoples Party, Police Personnel from NZ Police, etc. Nilima Venkat, MNZM, Manager of Shanti Niwas urged all to come forward to stop this menace that happens behind closed doors. “The aim of Shanti Niwas is to help build a society free of abuse. World Elder Abuse and Neglect Awareness Day give us the chance to say. Clearly, abuse has no place in our homes, our workplaces, our communities, or in our world,” Ms Nilima Venkat added. “Our other services of Shanti Niwas include KHUSHI– Elder Abuse and Neglect Prevention Services, SNEH – Shanti Niwas Emergency Home for the seniors, DOSTI – Volunteer Visiting services.”

The Indian Weekender

Friday, June 16, 2017

NEW ZEALAND

KANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI

NATIONAL LIST MP BASED IN MANUKAU EAST

Congratulations to Sukhi Turner on being inducted to the Kiwi Indian

HAPPY HOLI Hall of Fame 2017

KANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI A

1/131 Kolmar Road, Papatoetoe, Auckland

09 278 9302

09 278 2143

www.bakshi.co.nz

Bakshi.mp@parliament.govt.nz facebook.com/Bakshiks @bakshiks

Funded by the Parliamentary Service and authorised by Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi MP, 1/131 Kolmar Road, Papatoetoe

KIWIZEALAND NEW INDIAN HALL OF FAME 2017

Thursday, June 08, 2017

SOUTH LINE

News-in-brief from South Island

Christchurch Council planned action against dirty building owners unfair: Community leader ¡¡ GAURAV SHARMA

he issue came to light when the Christchurch City Council recently released a list of about 30 buildings and sites (damaged during the 2010-11 earthquakes) considered a barrier to the regeneration of Christchurch’s City Centre; Indian Community leader Natu Rama’s family trust owns one of these buildings “This is a living list and will be regularly updated,” noted Christchurch City Council’s Strategy and Transformation General Manager Brendan Anstiss, outlining the three-step approach the Council plans to take with the owners of those sites to ensure action is taken to clean up the sites. “As a first step, we will try and actively engage with the owners and provider guidance and advice on future development options. We have already made initial contact with the owners, sending them a letter this week. As a second step, we will put more pressure on the owners to do something with their sites by fairly applying existing fees

and charges for the use of public land to sites where exemptions have previously been made. The third and final step, which will only be used as a last resort, involves joint action by agencies with enforcement and land acquisition powers,’ explained Mr Anstiss. Mr Rama, on his part, while acknowledging that he has received such a letter said, “The Christchurch City Council wanting to take action against dirty building owners is unfair and needs to be better researched or backed by facts. Take my case for example. I have been trying incredibly hard to settle with my insurer for the past six years. And during this time, I have been subjected to grossly inadequate initial settlement offers from my insurer, stating that they will only pay indemnity value. This prolonged settlement time has exhausted all my pension savings of past 20 years, causing my family extreme financial hardship. Even my health was affected as the stress and anxiety over this issue caused me a heartattack late last year.

“

We are very proud and privileged to be partnering with NZ’s biggest player in Ammonia refrigeration services, Active Refrigeration. This deal reflects our commitment to improve workplace safety in food processing entities in New Zealand,” said Dr Ojas Mahapatra, CEO of Photonic Innovations, announcing his company’s first NZ wide distribution agreement. Noting that “there have been quite a few near-death ammonia leaks at food processors in New Zealand recently,” Dr Mahapatra added, “Our first and foremost purpose is to ensure that

A ruby, emerald and polki diamond suite. Estimate $8,000-12,000

The event was jointly organised by the Canterbury Nepalese Society (CNS) and Nepal New Zealand Friendship Society of Canterbury (NNZFSC)

I Mr Natu Rama at last year’s Christchurch Diwali

“And I am not alone in this. Lots of other property owners are facing similar troubles. If I am settled fairly, I am ready to restore my building tomorrow. Question is whether the City Council would be willing to give us some financial support regarding this. The prevailing state-of-affairs is unfair to small business owners like me,” Mr Rama noted. The City Council meanwhile

acknowledges such complications, and Mr Anstiss said, “We understand that some building owners are still in dispute with insurers or face other complicated issues that are delaying progress. Council will be working and assisting these owners where we can.” And till that happens, Christchurch’s City Centre remains a constant reminder of the tragedy that happened six years ago.

Originally from Odisha, Dr Ojas Mahapatra led Dunedin-based Photonic Innovations, finalist in the New Zealander of the Year Awards 2016 Innovation category. The company has signed its first NZ-wide distribution deal to sell its patented Ammonia detection equipment people working in hazardous gas filled confined spaces safely return to their families at the end of their shift. We ensure this by our patentprotected laser-based gas sensor that solves traditional problems of unreliability, high maintenance costs and false alarms associated with the incumbent. The benefits include equipment that requires virtually no recalibration, is highly accurate with no false alarms, has a response time vastly superior to traditional chemical sensors, can be remotely monitored and a cost of life profile which is 25per cent lower than current solutions. Additionally, Ammonia’s popularity as a

‘Welcome and Orientation’ for the new Nepalese in Christchurch

¡¡ GAURAV SHARMA

Young Indian scientist flies high in the South ¡¡ GAURAV SHARMA

The Indian Weekender

Dr Ojas Mahapatra (left) with the Active Refrigeration team and his patented Ammonia detection sensors

refrigerant has increased dramatically due to its green credentials. All this has ensured a strong demand for high quality, reliable and affordable ammonia sensors across the country. “That’s why we already have secured major clients here including

Silver Ferns Farms, Ovation, Sealord, Alliance, Affco, and Fonterra. Now, with NZ distribution secured, we are planning to launch our product in Australia by end of this month, and looking to establish a base in India by end of the year,” he concluded.

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n a first-ever of its kind, CNS and NNZFSC came together last Saturday to organise an afternoon of ‘Welcome and Orientation’ for the new Nepalese Migrants in Christchurch. The event, which saw a gathering of over 50 people, had five back-to-back seminars each by Christchurch Resettlement Services (CRS), Immigration NZ, Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), and Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce (CECC). Mr Bishnu Pokhrel, President of CNS, informed, “This event was aimed at addressing the concerns expressed in our communities regarding the recent changes in immigration pathways, as well as spread awareness about the prevailing employment opportunities in Christchurch. CRS and CAB were also invited to share information about the various services they provide to migrant communities. Representatives from CECC also helped the new Nepalese in Christchurch understand the differences between a Kiwi workplace and what they are used to back home.” The speakers also touched on other routine, but very important matters, such as rules and regulations around New Zealand Transport Agency’s procedure for conversion of Nepalese driving license to a New Zealand one, along with how to read the New Zealand Road Code. “It was a good start, and encouraged by the community response, we have already started planning for the next session to be held sometime next month,” Mr Pokhrel said.

The Indian Weekender

Thursday, June 08, 2017

Kiwi-Indian invited to perform at RD Burman India concert ¡¡ RIZWAN MOHAMMAD

opal Bhatia, a presenter in an Auckland radio station, is travelling to Mumbai, India later this week to perform at the RD Burman tribute concert. The concert ‘Love You Pancham’ is a tribute to legendary Indian musician RD Burman on his 78th birth anniversary and will be held on Monday, June 26 at a popular auditorium in Sion, a suburb in Mumbai. Gopal Bhatia is the only international singer to perform at the concert and will share the stage with singers Rajesh Iyer, Bella Sulakhe, Sanjivani, Srijit, Sachin Pilgaonkar. The concert will also witness a performance by singer Asha Bhosle, who will be attending the event along with many other big names in the Bollywood music industry. “I will be travelling to Pune first to perform at another concert ‘Strings of Pancham’ on Friday, June 23. This show will feature RD Burman’s original musicians which will be followed by a performance in the ‘Love You Pancham’ concert in Mumbai on June 26,” Mr Bhatia told The Indian Weekender. Gopal Bhatia started singing from a young age and gave his first stage performance at the age of 18. He has performed in concerts mainly in India, New Zealand and has also travelled to Germany and Singapore for his shows. “I have had a passion for music from a very young age, as I have come from a musically sound family. Growing up cine music always caught my interest, particularly the likes of legendary singers Kishore Kumar Saheb, Rafi Saheb and the Mangeshkar sisters. I have been given the songs of Kishore da to perform ever since I started performing for live shows,” he added.

On being asked what does this concert mean to him, Mr Bhatia responded, “I feel very honoured to have received the invitation by Nitin Shankar to perform at this concert. Mr Shankar has been instrumental in producing and arranging music for the best of Hindi cinema,” “Meeting and performing in front of Asha Ji for the third time and having the opportunity to perform in the presence of many Bollywood personalities is incredibly special to me, and as is performing with most of RD Burman’s original musicians,” Mr Bhatia said.

Ahmadiyya Muslims host

grand Iftar for the community ¡¡ IWK BUREAU

ver a hundred and fifty Kiwis took the opportunity to break the fast with the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Auckland on Sunday, June 11. Held at the community’s Bait-ul-Muqeet Mosque in South Auckland, the annual event brought together people from all faiths and backgrounds to experience the breaking of the fast, or Iftar, and to witness firsthand some of the customs and traditions of the Islamic religion. “With the negative perceptions portrayed about Islam, we feel it is essential to open our doors to the wider community and give them a chance to come and see for themselves how true Islamic teachings differ from what the actions of some fanatics may suggest. If we understand each others’ perspective, then that will surely lead to a more peaceful coexistence,” Bashir Khan, President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat New Zealand said. Michael Wood, Labour MP for Mt Roskill area, addressed the gathering and acknowledged the efforts and commitments of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in bringing the different faiths together under one roof. “I appreciate Ahmadiyya community’s commitment not only in establishing peace and tolerance, but also the commitment to openness …as a way to increasing understanding and harmony among different

people. By knowing each others’ customs and faith, we would become better at living side by side as we all want to,” Mr Wood said. Amongst the other attendees present were Mandeep Kaur, Gurpreet Arora from New Zealand Police, British Counsul General Robin Shackle. Appreciating the Ahmadiyya Muslim community’s response to the recent terror attacks in the UK he said, “As a practicing Christian who has been to the inside of the mosque to observe prayer service for the first time, I am struck by the similarities between religions, and the great spiritual axiom that runs between them with love as a common theme,” Mr Shackle said. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is a dynamic, fast-growing international revival movement within Islam. Founded in 1889 by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908) in Punjab, India, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has spanned over 209 countries with the membership exceeding tens of millions. Its motto of ‘Love for all and hatred for none’ is evidenced through the peaceful actions of its millions of followers.

KIWI INDIAN HALL NEW OF FAME ZEALAND 2017

NEW ZEALAND

Friday, June 16, 2017

The Indian Weekender

‘International education to residency’ pathway loses favour in NZ: Who’s got it right– National or Labour? ¡¡ SANDEEP SINGH

all it the Trump effect, the compulsions of an election year or the genuine demands of an aging Aucklandinfrastructure that is struggling to cope with the sudden increase in population, the pathway from international education to residency is out of political favour in New Zealand. The Labour Party has come out with a seemingly hard hitting immigration policy that could potentially cut down the numbers of international students by 22-25,000 in New Zealand. Some major propositions at the heart of this policy such as doing away with 20 hour work rights along with study and one year post-study open job-search visa have the potential to affect the whole international education experience of many prospective students. This is not altogether new. The current National Party led government has earlier announced some changes such as reducing points for age, removing extra points for qualifications in areas of absolute skills shortage and identified future growth areas along with introducing a requirement of minimum income threshold in the points-based skilled migration category visa system. The pathway from international education to residency is clearly losing political favour and bearing the maximum brunt of the so-called public debate around managing numbers on immigration. In this context it is important to clear the air on what exactly National and Labour are offering in regards to the pathway from international education to residency in New Zealand. The Indian Weekender presents a quick analysis for the benefit of those who strive to

Level of international education

National Party

Labour Party

Student visas for Level 5 and level 6 courses

Yes

No (unless course is independently assessed by TEC & NZQA)

20 hour work right for level 5 and level 6 courses

Yes

One year open-job search work visa for level 5 and level 6 courses

Yes

No – Only students who manage to get a job-offer immediately after completing studies would be getting work visa

Points for Age (20-29 years)

Going to decrease in August

Points for Age (30-39 years)

Points to increase in August

Labour will standardise points between 30-45 years

Level 7 and above courses

Yes

20 hour work right for level 7 and above courses

Yes

Limited ability to work

Points for NZ study experience

No points after August

commence an arduous yet meaningful journey on the pathway from international education to

Pathway to residency Under National immigration policy level 5 & 6 students can still come to NZ to study along with 20 hour work rights and get a guaranteed one year post-study job search open visa. However, the points they can get toward Skilled Migration Visa (Residency) are going to be reduced to make it difficult for them to accumulate the minimum 160 points required to file expression of interest for residency. Under a Labour government students cannot come to New Zealand in Level 5 & 6 courses to start with, and will not get one year poststudy work visa

There is unanimity between National and Labour to discard advantage to youth (young age) and international education experience, over maturity and skilled work experience. Labour is only supporting quality international education at university level.

– It’s not yet clear what Labour means by limiting abilities of the students even at Level 7 and above to work along with studies.

However, their media release states that “Labour will also limit the ability to work while studying at Bachelor-level or higher.”

residency in New Zealand. However, it must be noted that many recent suggestions proposed by the National Party earlier in April will be implemented in midAugust this year whereas Labour Party’s proposed changes can only come into play after the September elections if at all they form government. In that regard, if at all the Labour party forms the government, then by that time current

changes proposed by the National Party such as introducing Minimum Income Threshold ($49,000) would have become a requirement. The Indian Weekender sought clarification with the Labour Party as its media release does not seem to respond to this new requirement being introduced by the National Party, to which the Labour Party has responded that they would be open to having a fresh look into that.

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The Indian Weekender

FIJI

Friday, June 16, 2017

New Zealand, Fiji look to boost biosecurity ties

t was a positive meeting between the Biosecurity Authority (BAF) of Fiji and the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries last week and resulted in positive outcomes. A major announcement made was the lifting of the ban imposed on all exports of egg plants from Fiji to New Zealand in April this year. The announcement was made by the BAF chief executive officer, Hillary Kumwenda, during the bilateral technical meeting with the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries at the Tanoa Plaza Hotel in Suva. “We’ve made progress in a number of issues and that will strengthen our cooperation. Among the issues that were discussed were capacity building issues also to strengthen the cooperation between the two authorities

in terms of facilitation of exports and also discussed other areas of mutual interest with regards to enhancing communication channel for easier resolution of so many issues arising from the biosecurity front,” Mr Kumwenda said. “And let me take this opportunity to announce that we’ve formally received official communication regarding the lifting of the egg plant suspension. “I would also like to acknowledge the approach and the spirit of partnership exhibited with regards to the eggplant issue. “We now have an open communication channel on a number of issues and going by what we’ve done so far in the past two-three months, we’ve again received our official correspondence from NZMPI regarding their

New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries Deputy Director Import and Export (plants) Stephen Butcher and BAF chief executive officer, Hillary Kumwenda

approval of the sea container hygiene system.” Biosecurity of Fiji, he said, received official notification from NZMPI of the final approval of the Container Repairs and Sales Company and

the Port of Suva as meeting the requirements of the Sea Container Hygiene System after being granted provisional approval in December 2016. Mr Kumwenda noted that the sea container hygiene system had been extremely successful with greater than 99 per cent reduction in container biosecurity contaminants, including ants, and a very large reduction of interceptions from containers. Sea container hygiene system is an initiative that has been put in place to help control and eliminate pests and diseases that are of concern to countries and in this case New Zealand. New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries Deputy Director Import and Export (plants) Stephen Butcher said they were looking to improve the communication.

Immigration NZ to announce applicants chosen for residency in New Zealand

mmigration New Zealand will announce this Friday, June 16, the applicants from across the Pacific that have been chosen for residency in New Zealand. Geoff Scott from Immigration New Zealand said about 10,500 registrations were received this year and those selected would be announced this Friday. The applicants have registered under the Pacific Access Category quota which each year offers 75 places each to Kiribati and Tuvalu and 250 in Tonga and in Fiji. All those selected must be between 18 to 45 years old, they or their partners must have a job offer that can pay enough to support their family in New Zealand and they also must be able to read, write and speak in English.

NZ Police training Fiji officers on clearance of major events

fficers from New Zealand Police are currently in the country conducting a training course for officers tasked with the clearance of major events. The training is being facilitated by the New Zealand Government and the cooperation between the Fiji Police Force and New Zealand Police will have the officers undergo the one week course covering areas on defensive and offensive searches. Director International Relations SSP Ulaiasi Ravula says that in light of Fiji playing host to major events the training is aimed to up skill officers in maintaining safety and security. He says that Police officers as well as three officers from the Republic of Fiji Military Forces who will be undergoing the intensive course will learn techniques and skills that will enable them to conduct clearance of venues prior to major events. SSP Ravula says that upon completion of the training, the officers will be able to conduct defensive and offensive searches, plan searches and render safe procedures in the event of a threat or even if it’s a hoax which could compromise the safety of the general public. The course which is being held at the Fiji Police Academy will end this Friday, June 16.

COVER STORY SPECIAL

Friday, June 16, 2017

Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame 2017: An evening to remember

The Indian Weekender

Friday, June 16, 2017

FIJI SPECIAL

Thought of the week “Here on the edge of the t went y-first century, a fundamental new rule of business is that the Internet changes everything.”

– Bill Gates

Editorial

The Funny bone

Who will Kiwi-Indians give the tick?

he Labour Party’s much-awaited announcement of immigration policy this week reminded everyone that general elections are just round the corner prompting everyone to think which colour will Kiwi-Indians favour – red or blue? It is not the intention of this piece to suggest or pre-empt in anyway which side Kiwi-Indians will eventually end up voting on September 23. That is something that cannot be ascertained before the evening of September 23. However, one important question that needs immediate attention today is whether the Labour Party will succeed in regaining the popular support of Kiwi-Indians which they enjoyed during the heyday of the Helen Clark-Phil Goff leadership. Indeed, there will not be an iota of doubt in the fact that Kiwi-Indians have traditionally supported and voted for the Labour Party – something that has radically changed in the past nine years of National Party being at the helm of affairs. The fact that the National Party took the lead in sending the first and eventually two Kiwi-Indian MPs to the parliament before any other political party in New Zealand did not help in Labour’s receding influence and connection with the community. Nevertheless, it is to the credit to Andrew Little, the current Labour leader who by his own admission was committed to reverse this lacuna and had succeeded in nominating Priyanca Radhakrishnan high in the party list ensuring that she becomes the first India born Kiwi-Indian MP in the Labour caucus. Will that be enough to revive Kiwi-Indians’ mana with the Labour party is something to be seen in the future. For now, we have to depend on Labour’s policy offerings to Kiwi-Indians to presuppose their preference in the upcoming elections and the recent immigration policy announcement offers a good starting point. The party has made an audacious announcement of cutting down immigration numbers in the range of 25-30,000 with international students taking the maximum brunt. While the Trump-effect was expected to echo on immigration in some measure, few would have anticipated a proposal to cull immigrant numbers on this scale. However, the fact that Andrew Little and the Labour Party had largely escaped from creating much sensationalism after announcing such a massive cut also deserve some accolades. The Party has surely done some homework before laying out its immigration policy announcement to escape from the resultant backlash that generally follows after such a big announcement. Anyway, how will the voters receive this policy is the question of the day. Meanwhile, the Labour Party has to provide some answers to the questions arising from their massive cut in immigration numbers. First, as Prime Minister Bill English has said that international students do not purchase houses, thus contesting Labour’s premise that they are contributing to Auckland’s housing crisis. Second, how does the Labour Party propose to fill the tentative revenue gap of $750 million that these 25,000 international students bring to New Zealand? For now, Andrew Little has countered Indian Weekender’s question on these numbers by saying, “Our modelling shows that the loss of revenue would be in the order of tens of millions and not hundreds of millions.” To this, it is submitted that the Labour Party might have to do a little bit more in justifying its claim and possibly come out with those numbers in the open, which in the end will also help its own narrative. Till that happens, voters might want to persist with numbers available in the public domain. $750 million is a big loss of revenue to be accounted for. Last but not the least, many employers in our communities especially from industries such as hospitality are finding it hard to comprehend the fallout from a massive reduction in immigrants as their businesses continue to suffer from a dearth of an employable workforce. Undoubtedly, every general election has different key issues, and for Kiwi-Indians this year the main issues are law and order, health, housing and immigration. The fact that Indian Weekender is an immigrant community newspaper makes us supportive of immigration – though not reckless immigration and it is yet to be proven beyond doubt that current immigration levels are imprudent and warranting a knee-jerk reaction.

Indian Weekender : Volume 9 Issue 13 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.: 09-6366306 | accounts@indianweekender.co.nz Sales and Distribution: 022 3251630 | sales@indianweekender.co.nz 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 - 133A, Level 1, Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland. Printed at Horton Media, Auckland Copyright 2017. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Auckland Weather forecast for the week June 17 - June 23

Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu Fri Partly sunny

Sunny

Sunshine and partly cloudy

Partly cloudy with a shower

Partly sunny with a shower

18° 13°

17° 11°

14° 6°

18° 13°

16° 11°

Rain Mostly with not cloudy, a much little rain rain 16° 10°

16° 10°

This week in New Zealand’s history 21 June 1964 The Beatles land in New Zealand

eatlemania hit New Zealand when 7000 hysterical fans greeted the Fab Four in Wellington during their ‘Far East’ tour. After concerts in the United States, Europe, Hong Kong and Australia, the lads from Liverpool finally touched down in New Zealand. The Beatles’ fame preceded them and our teenagers were ready for action. At Wellington Airport police struggled to keep crowds behind a wire fence, and rapturous fans besieged the Beatles’ hotel.

23 June 1961 Antarctic Treaty comes into force

irst meeting of Antarctic Treaty countries, July 1961 (Antarctica New Zealand Pictorial Collection) As claimant to the Ross Dependency, New Zealand took part in the 1959 conference in Washington DC about the political and international status of Antarctica. The resulting Antarctic Treaty was agreed to by the 12 participating states.

19 June 1940 Niagara mined off Northland coast

he Second World War arrived in New Zealand with a bang when German mines sank the trans-Pacific liner Niagara off Northland’s Bream Head. The sinking shocked the public and shattered any illusions that distance would protect these islands from enemy attack.

The Indian Weekender

OPINION/EDITORIAL

Friday, June 16, 2017

Labour takes a shot at being ‘socially

progressive’ through immigration policy T ¡¡SANDEEP SINGH

he Labour Party is taking a giant leap of faith by seeking to reclaim the tag of being socially progressive which has largely become irrelevant in the last nine years of them being out of government while announcing a massive reduction in immigration numbers in this election year. Labour is calling to make changes to immigration settings that will reduce net immigration by 20,00030,000 a year. The Party Leader Andrew Little on Monday, June 12, announced the policy in a manner that can be clearly described as one of its better prepared and well-choreographed policy announcements in the recent past with little embarrassing mixups in numbers in the conversations following the policy announcement. The policy calling for a massive reduction in numbers of immigrants between 20 and 30 thousand appeared less provocative and sensational than the first time when Mr Little had casually announced on national television about Labour’s intent to reduce immigration numbers by “tens of thousands.” On the contrary, their intent has more stealth this time as evident in the increase of numbers by two to three times than what they previously proposed, clearly showing that more planning and preparation has gone

Labour Party Leader Andrew Little

behind the release of the policy. Two things are absolutely clear from this policy announcement. First – The Labour Party is making a decisive push for the claim of being seen as socially progressive and second – which obviously would pay the maximum price for the first that there would be a drastic reduction in the numbers of international students coming to New Zealand under a Labour government. Labour’s claim for being socially progressive is evident in its banking on about 90,000 young Kiwis who are neither in work nor in education

and the number of people in training further falling. “The opportunity exists to train these young people and get them to work, rather than leaving them on benefits,” Mr Little said. When the Labour Leader says that “a developed nation should be able to train enough retail staff to meet its own needs,” then it makes sense, at least in an ideal world. Mr Little was commenting on the fact that the number of “retail supervisor” work visas has increased from 700 to 1,700. Mr Little is not willing to give

up on those 90,000 people who are currently out of work and are largely deemed as ‘unemployable’ by businesses and employers. Labour’s immigration policy of cutting down on international education in a big manner which is targeting to reduce arrival of international students by around 20-22,000 every year is based on its ability to bring this currently unemployable work force in the job market. Labour’s suggested changes of limiting student visas and their ability to work for low-value courses would result in a tentative fall of 6-10,000 international students arriving in New Zealand. Similarly, by removing work visas without a job offer for the lower level qualification graduates would be resulting in quelling of another 12,000 international students. In Labour’s view this work force has largely been responsible in skewing New Zealand’s job market thus keeping a large chunk of employable Kiwi work force out of the job market. However, as the old adage goes, ideal societies are made in heaven, Labour will face some challenges to convince businesses and employers who struggle on a day to day basis to find suitable employees to run their businesses effectively. New Zealand’s current unemployment rate is not

unexceptionally high and roughly hovers around a comparatively acceptable 5.1 per cent, therefore completely basing an immigration policy on the number of people currently out of the job market is a bold commitment, if not altogether unrealistic. Similarly, expectations from businesses to hire and train one local employee for every new immigrant employee would be a challenging expectation for businesses to meet. Labour’s immigration policy seeks to overcome this by bringing Exceptional Skills Visa for highly skilled or talented people and introducing a KiwiBuild Visa for residential construction firms and regionalising and rationalising skills shortage lists for businesses. 19 Regardless of the debate around what numbers would be appropriate for New Zealand’s economy and social infrastructure in embracing new immigrants in a sustainable manner, Labour’s attempt at reinforcing its socially progressive image is worth noting. It’s another matter that the immediate cost of this of being socially progressive, would be borne by thousands and thousands of prospective international students from source markets like India who have been visualising New Zealand as a favourable international education destination.

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Contact Labour’s Ethnic Communities Outreach Team: Michael.Wood@parliament.govt.nz Ethnic.Communities@labour.org.nz 09 373 3332 85 Grafton Rd Auckland NZ 1010

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LAUNCHED

INDIA

Friday, June 16, 2017

The Indian Weekender

India’s ‘monster’ rocket takes to the skies I

ndia’s brand new and heaviest rocket gyro, micro electro-mechanical systems the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch (MEMS) accelerometer, Ku-band TTC Vehicle-Mark III (GSLV-Mk III) transponder, as well an indigenous with the 3,136 kg communication satellite lithium-ion battery. The GSLV-Mk III is GSAT-19 on board, blasted off from the a three stage/engine rocket. The core of Sriharikota spaceport on Monday,june 5. first stage is fired with solid fuel and its Precisely at 5.28 p.m., the GSLV-Mk two motors by liquid fuel. The second III rocket, on its maiden flight, began is liquid fuel and the third is the “The its ascent towards space from the cryogenic engine. rocket’s design carrying second launch pad at the Satish “The rocket’s design capacity of four Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC). carrying capacity of four tonnes. The payload The 43.43 metre tall, 640 tonnes. The payload will will be gradually ton rocket, will, just over 16 be gradually increased increased in future minutes into its flight, sling the in future flights,” Vikram “flights GSAT-19 at its intended orbit at an Sarabhai Space Centre altitude of 179 km. Director K. Sivan had said. The GSAT-19, as per the Indian Space The Indian space agency had flown Research Organisation is a multi-beam a similar rocket without the cryogenic satellite that carries Ka and Ku band engine but with 3.7-tonne payload in 2014 forward and return link transponders mainly to test its structural stability and and geostationary radiation spectrometer aerodynamics. Liquid Propulsion Systems (GRASP) to monitor and study the nature Centre Director S. Somanath, said that the of charged particles and the influence inputs of the 2014 mission enabled the of space radiation on satellites and their ISRO to reduce the rocket load by around electronic components. 20 per cent. Interestingly, GSLV-Mk III at The satellite, which has a life span of around 43 metres is slightly shorter than 10 years, also features certain advanced Mk-II version that is around 49 metres tall. spacecraft technologies including ISRO officials said that due to the miniaturised heat pipe, a fibre optic increase in the diameters of various stages,

the height got reduced despite a drastic increase in the weight - from around 415 ton of GSLV-Mk II to 640 ton in GSLVMk III. “The new rocket may be slightly short but has more punch power,” said an ISRO official. India presently has two rockets – the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and GSLVMk II – with a lift-off mass of 415 tonnes and a carrying capacity of 2.5 tonnes.

It is indigenous, as heavy as 200 fullgrown Asian elephants and could well be the one taking "Indians into space from Indian soil". The launch of GSLV Mk- III, the country’s heaviest rocket, will help India get closer to joining the big boy's space club.

President, PM congratulate ISRO on launch of India’s heaviest rocket

resident Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated ISRO on the successful launch of Indias latest communication satellite GSAT-19 with its brand new and heaviest rocket - the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch VehicleMark III (GSLV-Mk III).

“My heartiest congratulations to you and the entire team at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), on the historic launch of the indigenous Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV-Mk III) carrying GSAT19 satellite to a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO),” said Mukherjee in a message to ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar. Modi took to twitter to congratulate the scientists. “The GSLV - MKIII D1/GSAT-19 mission takes India closer to the next generation launch vehicle and satellite capability. The nation is proud! “Congratulations to the dedicated scientists of ISRO for the successful launch of GSLV - MKIII D1/GSAT-19 mission,” he said.

BJP, opposition hold parleys on Presidential election Centre

he ruling and the opposition parties on Wednesday got going on the presidential election with the three-member BJP committee poised to meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Friday in a bid to evolve a consensus on the nominee. On the other side, opposition leaders held preliminary discussions on the issue but decided to meet again for detailed parleys after government makes public its choice of candidate. The BJP core committee met on Wednesday morning in the presence of party President Amit Shah, where senior ministers Rajnath Singh and M. Venkaiah Naidu, who form part of the three-member group were also present. Later, Singh and Naidu met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed the strategy. Later it was disclosed that the three-member team, which in-

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien, Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge, RJD chief Lalu Prasad, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Ram Gopal Yadav, JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel during a meeting of opposition parties at Parliament House in New Delhi on June 14,

cludes Arun Jaitley, will meet Sonia Gandhi probably with the name the ruling side would like to field as part of efforts to build a consensus. It was not clear whether Jaitley, who is currently in South Korea, will be back in the capital in time for the meeting. The team will later meet CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury. Naidu spoke to BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra and NCP

leader Praful Patel over phone. He was told that the two parties will firm up their stand only after the BJP panel meets them formally. Among the names doing the rounds as possible NDA candidate are Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik. There is talk in the BJP circles that the RSS could pitch for another veteran Murli Manohar Joshi. A

surprise could be in the form of Jharkhand Governor Draupadi Murmu, a tribal from Odisha. With an edge in the electoral college, the BJP is said to be of the opinion that it should have its own candidate who has an ideological background since it is the party in power. Naidu indicated as much on Tuesday when he said that opposition should keep in mind the spirit of democracy that the BJP has the mandate of the people. Meanwhile, BJP’s oldest ally Shiv Sena on Wednesday yet again made it clear that its “first choice” for NDA’s presidential candidate is RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. Sena MP Sanjay Raut said: “Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat is the most deserving person to be the President of India. Will they (BJP) speak to us regarding this? If you think he is not the deserving candidate, tell us why he is not the suitable candidate.

India, South Korea sign $10bn fund agreement for infra projects

ndia and South Korea on Wednesday signed agreement for $10 billion assistance for infrastructure development projects in India, including smart cities. The two countries signed agreements to establish $9 billion in concessional credit and $1 billion in Official development assistance (ODA) funding for infrastructure development projects in India,” said an Indian Finance Ministry statement. This implemented a decision taken during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to South Korea in May 2015. With this, South Korea

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the President of Republic of Korea, Park Geun-hye, after the delegation level talks between India and South Korea, in Seoul.

became one of the first non-G-7 countries to become an ODA contributor in India. Both

sides also agreed to consider deploying part of this fund towards the Smart City projects in India. “They also agreed to establish a mechanism at senior official levels, to identify good infrastructure projects in India, to draw upon these funds,” the statement said. The agreements were signed during the visit of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to South Korea on a four-day official visit to attend the India-Korea Financial Dialogue and the second annual meeting of the Board of Governors of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

must waive farmer loans: Mamata

est Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday demanded the central government must waive farmers’ loans throughout the country. “GOI (Government of India) must waive farmer loans throughout the country. When the farmers are agitating, GOI cannot be silent,” Banerjee tweeted.A Targeting the Narendra Modi led government, she also said the current farmers’ distress was due to demonetisation. Banerjee also said: “An assurance was given by the ruling party and now they must fulfill their commitment without trying to pass the buck to the states.” Incidentally, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had on Monday said that states would have to generate funds from their own resources for loan waivers. In view of peasants’ movement in some of the states, the centre, however, on Wednesday decided to extend the 5 per cent interest subsidy on short-term crop loans given to farmers during the current fiscal and earmarked Rs 20,339 crore for this purpose.

The Indian Weekender

India not using yoga to colonise but unite the world: Envoy

INDIA

Friday, June 16, 2017

ndia has no intention of using yoga “to culturally colonise the world”, Indian High Commissioner in Accra Birender Singh Yadav has said, stressing that the message behind yoga is “harmony and peace” which is necessary to provide some solution to the current global crisis. Addressing a press conference ahead of the celebration of this year’s International Day of Yoga on June 21, Yadav said, “Yoga practice is a unifier to bring people closer, and it is needed in today’s world if we must find solutions to the problems in the Middle East and that of Boko Haram in Nigeria.” “Yoga brings messages of harmony and peace, brings people together as well as preaches a message of harmony and peace to the world. Therefore, if India can use this to heal the world, it should not be seen as an attempt to colonise the world culturally,” he added. Yadav said yoga is a discipline based on an extremely subtle science which focuses on bringing harmony between mind and body. “It is an art and science for healthy living,” he added. He said yoga has nothing to do with religion as some people believe, but rather it

“unites people” and helps to reduce expenditure through the prevention of diseases that are associated with lifestyles, including hypertension. Stating that yoga was gaining popularity in the country after the celebration of the first and second International Days of Yoga, he said it is for this reason that the High Commission had joined hands with Ghana’s Ministry of Youth and Sports to celebrate this year’s event to enable the youth in Ghana to learn more about the benefits of yoga to keep the body healthy. Technical Advisor to Ghana’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, debunked the idea held by some Ghanaians that yoga is a religion and not a physical and mental activity that keeps the body healthy. Owusu-Ansah, who is close to 70 years, said yoga has kept him away from hospital for the past 40 years since he has been practising it. “I have not fallen sick and have not been absent from work for the past 40 years that l have practised this noble art,” he said. The United Nations General Assembly approved a Resolution co-sponsored by 177 countries to celebrate June 21 as the International Day of Yoga.

One man alone cannot deal

with India’s problems: Tharoor

itting out hard at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s style of functioning, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said one man alone cannot deal with all the problems in India. Tharoor said this here as part of the nationwide campaign of the Congress party to highlight the three years of the Modi government, which according to it has seriously affected the progress of the Indian economy. “Our party’s style of functioning is different as we offer a different style of leadership, which is driven by the ethos of our country. “Rahul Gandhi leads the team and is ably assisted by senior leaders in the party and every issue is discussed and solutions are reached. But in the present Modi government it is different as one man deals with all the issues and hence things have reached here,” said Tharoor. He added that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has become a NPA (Non-Performing Asset). “You look around, every sector has been hit and the GDP has touched 6.1 per cent and the gross value added growth of the industry has fallen from 10.7 per cent in March 2016 to a low of 3.8 per cent in March 2017. The Make in India programme has failed to roar, while the bank credit growth at 5.3 per cent is the lowest in 63 years,” he said. Tharoor said the concept of the BJP is “Hindu, Hindi and Hindustan”, which is not what India is. “The demonetisation effect has hit the country very badly and the worst affected have been the farmers and the traders. Today, Jaitley has nothing to say on it. They

NEWS in BRIEF

Shatrughan Sinha bats for Advani as next President

isgruntled BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha on Tuesday batted in favour of veteran party leader L.K. Advani for the post of next President of India, saying that he most richly deserves for the post. “I sincerely hope, wish and pray that good sense prevails on one and all and the Pitamah of BJP is bestowed upon with the honour. He is clearly the Shatrughan Sinha most suitable, learned, respectable, experienced, desirable and deserving candidate for the most prestigious post,” Sinha said in series of tweets. He said that he is strongly echoing the views of Advani’s admirers and well wishers. “We have to fulfill his dreams...May God bless him with a healthy life ahead. We have to move ahead keeping all respect for him in the heart and do what he always wanted to do. No body in BJP or outside BJP can challenge his experience,” Sinha said. Claiming Advani has never been given any chance to show the country and the world what he could have done, he said that he often think how the most deserving Prime Ministerial candidate has been ruthlessly side-lined from playing his role. Advani along with Murali Manohar Joshi and Union Minister Uma Bharti has been charged with criminal conspiracy in Babri demolition case.

Punjab to increase women quota in local bodies

he Punjab government on Tuesday, June 13, gave its go-ahead to increas women reservation in the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and urban local bodies from 33 per cent to 50 per cent. A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the Council of Ministers chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here. The enhancement of women reservation quota in the PRIs and urban local bodies is aligned to a key election promise. The draft bill to amend the Panchayati Raj Act of 1994, Punjab Municipal Act of 1911 and the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act of 1976 will be placed in the budget session of the Punjab Assembly that commences on Wednesday. The amendment will help empower women in the rural areas by enhancing their reservation quota in the direct elections for members of gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zila parishads, besides municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats.

Bringing Mallya back to India not easy: V.K. Singh

U Congress leader Shashi Tharoor

had promised to bring back black money. All that needs to be asked after three years is, has one’s life improved a bit,” the Congress leader said. Also present was the head of the All India Congress Committee’s social media cell Divya Spandana, who said all that the BJP has done over the past three years is mock Rahul Gandhi. “Gandhi has always been in the forefront in highlighting issues of the people by being with them. He was the first to speak about the drug menace in Punjab or the ill-effects of demonetisation and then many made fun of him. The Modi government has silenced the media,” she said.

nion Minister of State for External Affairs General V.K. Singh on Tuesday, June 13, said that extradition was not a simple issue even as he assured that fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya would be brought back to India. He, however, ruled out fixing any time frame for bringing the former boss of Kingfisher back to India from England. He said the hearing on Mallya’s extradition process begins on Tuesday in Britain. A team of Union Minister of State ED and CBI is chalking out a process for the ex- for External Affairs General V.K. Singh tradition of Vijay Mallya. The procedure has already begun. “There is a treaty between the United Kingdom and India. The UK is examining documents submitted by us under the extradition treaty,” said Singh. The Minister said he could not fix any timeline to bring Mallya back to India as the process of extraditing a person from foreign land is far more complex. Mallya, who owes as much as Rs 9,000 crore to Indian banks, fled India last year in March and has been living in Britain. Reacting to Odisha’s demand for special category status, Singh said the Centre had already launched a lot of welfare schemes for states, including Odisha.

India ratifies two ILO conventions on child labour

ndia on Tuesday, June 13, ratified two core conventions of International Labour Organisation (ILO) on child labour – a global commitment to end the worst form of child labour and to ensure minimum basic education for children. Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya handed over the Instruments of Ratification to the ILO in Geneva as part of the ceremony. The ILO has welcomed India's "great progress" against child

labour and the role played by its convergence model of coherence between public policies and services. The Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had approved the ratification of the two conventions last month. The Convention number 138 deals with minimum age for admission to employment, while number 182 concerns prohibition and immediate action for elimination of the worst forms of child labour.

According to an official statement here, the Minister dubbed it a historic moment, and said the ratification reaffirmed India's "commitment to a child labour-free society. Speaking on the sidelines of the International Labour Conference 2017, Dattatreya also mentioned a series of measures taken by the Centre, including amendment to the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, which came into effect in September last. This amendment,

he said, now completely prohibits employment or work of children below 14 years in any occupation or process and also prohibits the employment of adolescents (14 to 18 years) in hazardous occupations and processes. In addition, the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Central Rules, as recently amended, for the first time provide for a broad and specific framework for prevention, prohibition, rescue, and rehabilitation of child and adolescent

workers, the Minister added. "The momentum of the recent initiatives taken to eradicate child labour has to be maintained as elimination of child labour is also crucial for the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals by 2030," Dattatreya said. The ILO sets international standards in the form of conventions, recommendations, and protocol. India has so far ratified 45 conventions, of which 42 are in force.

INDIAN ABROAD

Two Indian-origin men P in Queen’s birthday honours

Friday, June 16, 2017

The Indian Weekender

UK elects first female Sikh MP reet Gill has become the first female Sikh MP to be elected to the UK's Houses of Parliament as Thursday's, June 8, general election results started pouring in, the media reported. Gill secured 24,124 votes to hold the seat in Birmingham Edgbaston for the Labour Party with a majority of 6,917, reports the BBC. The seat was previously held by Gisela Stuart who stepped down when the election was called late April. Gill, who said the education cuts issue was one of her top priorities, said: "It's a real honour to be representing the people and the place where I was born and raised." "We've had a really strong campaign, a really good team of people here in Edgbaston and it's just been phenomenal." "I'm really excited to learn more and really connect with communities," the BBC quoted Gill as saying.

wo persons of Indian origin were among 891 Australians recognised by Queen Elizabeth II in her birthday honours list for 2017 for their contribution to the community. Queensland-based Professor Rajiv Khanna received the Officer of the Order of Australia Medal for his work in medicine – specifically his contribution to the development of cellular immunotherapies for the treatment of cancers, infectious complications and chronic disease. Khanna said he and his team were honoured to be recognised by those outside the scientific community. Khanna had been working on a new cancer treatment alternative – a treatment he said was safer. Queen Elizabeth II He said his hard work shows how the Indian community han Pilla from Queensland was values education. awarded the medal of the Order of “We tend to value education very Australia in the general division highly in India. You go to any Indian (OAM) for service to the Malayali parent, they all want their kids to community in the state. become a doctor or an engineer or Other notable mentions who something,” he was quoted as saying received the award included by SBS Television network. Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett, “But in a terms of what it brings to Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce the Australian community is that the and the departing mining industry highly educated Indian community... heavyweight Jacques Nasser. whether they’re in a medical area The list was “We or an engineering area, they announced by tend to value contribute hugely. G o v e r n o r education very highly “And I’m part of that General Sir in India. You go to any and I’m very proud of that Peter Cosgrove Indian parent, they all heritage, to be from the on Monday, want their kids to become a June 5, and Indian community,” he doctor or an engineer or said. the honours something.” Unnikrishnan Velayudwere awarded

Preet Gill

Bhai Amrik Singh, chair of the Sikh Federation, said: "We are delighted to have the first Sikh woman MP in Birmingham, Edgbaston." "She will be a fantastic MP, a credit to the Sikh community and an excellent role model." Gill was followed by Conservative Caroline Squire with 17,207 votes. Liberal Democrat Colin Green received 1,564 votes, Green Party candidate Alice Kiff received 562 and Common Good candidate Dick Rodgers secured 155 votes.

4,000 Indian students seek US visa for higher education

Queensland-based Professor Rajiv Khanna

for service to the country to mark the Queen’s official birthday in June each year.

round 4,000 Indian students appeared for interviews on Thursday to secure the American visa to pursue higher education in the US, brushing aside fears of hate crimes in that country. The interviews were conducted at the US Embassy here and the Consulates in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai. Arunima Sharma, who is looking for a MS in Management Science programme in Columbia University, says she is not apprehensive of hate crimes despite reading about them in the media. "I have been to the US earlier for a fellowship programme. That time,

I was a little sceptical but things turned out to be great and I felt very safe," Sharma said. "I never became a victim of racial discrimination and there was support from fellow students and others in and around the campus," she said. Changam Meenakshi Rajagopal is entering a Ph.D programme in Astrophysics at Clemson, South Carolina. Going by what she has heard from her friends, who have studied in the US, she feels assured about her safety and security. "I have had many friends pursuing various courses in the US. They have never complained about the safety situation," she said.

Indian American selected among 12 NASA astronaut candidates

ndian American Raja Chari, a Lieutenant Colonel with the US Air Force, has been selected by space agency NASA among 12 astronaut candidates who will conduct research off the Earth for deep space missions. Chari, who will report for duty in August this year, is from the state of Iowa who graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 1999 with bachelor’s degrees in astronautical engineering and engineering science. He continued on to earn a master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated from the US Naval Test Pilot School. Currently, he is a commander of the 461st Flight Test Squadron and the director of the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards Air Force Base in California. After receiving a record-breaking number of applications -- 18,000 – to join an exciting future of space exploration, NASA on Wednesday picked 12 – its largest astronaut class since 2000. Vice President Mike Pence joined NASA leaders as they introduced the members of the 2017 astronaut class during an event at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “These are 12 men and women whose personal excellence and

NASA’s Citizen Astronaut program: Indian-American Raja Chari, a Lieutenant Colonel with the US Air Force, has bagged a most sought-after seat.

These are 12 men and women whose personal excellence and whose personal courage will carry our nation to even greater heights of discovery and who I know will inspire our children and our grandchildren every bit as much as your forebears have done so in this storied American programme.” whose personal courage will carry our nation to even greater heights of

discovery and who I know will inspire our children and our grandchildren

every bit as much as your forebears have done so in this storied American programme,” said Pence. “And to this newest class of astronauts, it’s my honour to bring the sincere congratulations of the 45th President of the US, Donald Trump. Your President is proud of you, and so am I,” the Vice P resident added. The astronaut candidates will

return to Johnson in August to begin two years of training. Then they could be assigned to any of a variety of missions, including: performing research on the International Space Station, launching from American soil on spacecraft built by commercial companies, and departing for deep space missions on NASA’s new Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket. “We look forward to the energy and talent of these astronauts fueling our exciting future of discovery,” said acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot. “Between expanding the crew on board the space station to conduct more research than ever before, and making preparations to send humans farther into space than we’ve ever been, we are going to keep them busy,” he said. With the addition of these 12 members, NASA now has selected 350 astronauts since the original Mercury 7 in 1959. “These women and men deserve our enthusiastic congratulations,” said astronaut and Johnson Space Center Director Ellen Ochoa. The 12 new candidates include six military officers, three scientists, two medical doctors, a lead engineer at SpaceX and a NASA research pilot.

Pak stuns England, The Indian Weekender

Friday, June 16, 2017

enter final for the first P akistan cruised to the ICC Champions by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler. The wicket of Trophy final after thrashing hosts Zaman brought in Azam, who wasted no England by eight wickets in the time in settling down, dancing down the first semi-final at the Sophia Gardens on track to loft Rashid over for a straight six Wednesday, June 14. as the visitors crossed the 150-run mark in Chasing a below-par 212, the Green Brigade no time. rode on a brilliant 118-run opening stand Ali slowed down a bit midway till he between Azhar Ali (76) and Fakhar Zaman picked Liam Plunkett for a boundary as the (57) before Babar Azam (38 not out) and second wicket partnership flourished to 50 off Ali helped the team with a 55-run second55 deliveries. wicket stand to set their date with the winner But a slower one from pacer Jake Ball saw of the second semi-final between India and the back of the opening batsman. Ali, who had Bangladesh, on Sunday. by now faced 100 deliveries, only managed After bowling the hosts out for 211, thanks to get a bottom edge which crashed into his to pacer Hasan Ali’s 3/35, the Pakistani own stumps. opening duo of Ali and Zaman made light Needing 39 runs to win, the experienced work of the English bowlers as the visitors Mohammed Hafeez (31 not out off 21 balls) crossed the 50-run mark at the end of the and Azam finished off in style with a 42-run mandatory powerplay. unbeaten third-wicket stand. The 27-year-old Zaman was the more Hafeez, who started off clobbering alldestructive of the two, bringing up his second rounder Ben Stokes for a massive six, got the consecutive fifty off 49 balls, laced with six winning runs with a boundary off the same boundaries and a six off a bouncer from pacer bowler as Pakistan overhauled the target with Mark Wood in the very first over of the innings. 77 balls to spare. It seemed the Pakistan batsmen were in Earlier, Pakistan bowlers led by Hasan Ali a hurry to get to the total as the duo helped put up a quality display to restrict England to the team touch the three-figure mark in the 211 runs in 49.5 overs. Ali was complimented next seven overs before Ali too got to his half well by Juniad Khan and debutant Rumman century off 68 deliveries. Raees, who chipped in with two Pakistan Unable to find the breakthrough, wickets each. were at their English skipper Eoin Morgan got For England, Joe Root (46), exhilarating best Adil Rashid back into action, Jonny Bairstow (43) and Ben in Cardiff, routing and the leg-spinner delivered Stokes (34) were the major on the very first delivery of his England by eight wickets contributors to the cause. fourth over with the wicket of after a stunning bowling England, who were the dangerous Zaman, stumped brilliant in the group stages, performance

SPORTS

time

Fakhar, stumped by Buttler.

England’s Ben Stokes walks off dejected after losing his wicket.

wasted a steady start, thanks to the immaculate line and length of the bowlers, who were right on the coin throughout the match. The home side’s ploy to bring back Bairstow in place of Jason Roy clicked but some poor middle-order batting saw Pakistan dominating the game. Unlike the previous matches, England’s lower-order drastically failed to live up to the pressure as Jos Buttler (4), Moeen Ali (11), Rashid (7), Plunkett (9) and Wood (3) only managed to add 30 runs for the cause.

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Please note availability is Limited. Fares may not be available on all flights. *Airfares Include Fuel and Insurance Surcharges but not Govt Taxes (* taxes may vary for different cities and as per FX vari-

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Friday, June 16, 2017

The Indian Weekender

ENTREES

RECIPES

Fish Pakora

Crunchy deep-fried fish fritters with subtle spices

‘Finger-food that can be made at the eleventh hour to be consumed immediately’ sums up this crispy, traditional preparation. They’re incredibly easy to eat and a perfect precursor to the main meal. Fish Pakoras are a welcome variation of the more conventional Vegetarian Pakoras.

PREPARATION TIME:

Marination Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Serves: 6 Tastes: Medium

METHOD: • •

INGREDIENTS:

¡¡ 1 kg Snapper ﬁllets, bones removed ¡¡ 2 Tbsp lemon juice ¡¡ 1 cup chickpea ﬂour ¡¡ 2 Tbsp water ¡¡ 2 Tbsp ginger paste ¡¡ 2 Tbsp garlic paste ¡¡ 1 tsp red chilli powder ¡¡ 2 Tbsp carom seeds ¡¡ Salt, to taste ¡¡ Oil, for deep frying ¡¡ 1 Tbsp Chat Masala, to sprinkle ¡¡ 2 lemons, cut in wedges

• •

• • •

Clean, wash and cut the fish into 3cm chunks (or large if you prefer), apply lemon juice to the fish, cover and set aside for 15 minutes. Place chickpea flour in a large bowl. Add 2 Tbsp of water and stir to make a thick paste of coating consistency. Add ginger, garlic, red chilli powder, carom seeds and salt, mix well, then add the fish along with lemon juice and mix again. Cover and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat. Mix fish and batter well again to ensure the fish pieces are evenly coated, then add to hot oil and deep-fry until crisp and golden-brown in colour (take care not to overcook the fish). Take out the fish and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb excess oil. To serve, sprinkle the fish liberally with Chaat Masala and a squeeze of lemon juice. Tastes great with Green Chutney (page XX) or Mint Chutney (page XX). 24 | India’s Most Wanted Recipies

Ruby’s Tip: Do not overcrowd the pan with fish while frying. Adding the fish all at once will lower the temperature drastically and allow the oil to seep into the fish. Ensure that you choose large, thick fish fillets as they are best suited for this dish. Tarakihi also tastes good for Fish Pakora.

Health benefits of cucumbers

ucumbers belong to the same plant family as squash, pumpkin, and watermelon (the Cucurbitaceae family). Like watermelon, cucumbers are made up of mostly (95 percent) water, which means eating them on a hot summer day can help you stay hydrated. However, there's reason to eat cucumbers all year long. With vitamin K, B vitamins, copper, potassium, vitamin C, and manganese, cucumbers can help you to avoid nutrient deficiencies that are widespread among those eating a typical American diet.

1. Protect Your Brain

Cucumbers contain an anti-inflammatory flavonol called fisetin that appears to play an important role in brain health. In addition to improving your memory and protecting your nerve cells from age-related decline,1 fisetin has been found to prevent progressive

Inflammation

Cucumbers may help to "cool" the inflammatory response in your body, and animal studies suggest that cucumber extract helps reduce unwanted inflammation, in part by inhibiting the activity of pro-inflammatory enzymes

4. Antioxidant Properties

memory and learning impairments in mice with Alzheimer's disease.2

2. Reduce Your Risk of Cancer

Cucumbers contain polyphenols called lignans (pinoresinol, lariciresinol, and secoisolariciresinol), which may help to lower your risk of breast, uterine, ovarian, and prostate cancers.3 They also contain phytonutrients called cucurbitacins, which also have anti-cancer properties.

3. Fight

Cucumbers contain numerous antioxidants, including the well-known vitamin C and beta-carotene. They also contain antioxidant flavonoids, such as quercetin, apigenin, luteolin, and kaempferol, 6 which provide additional benefits.

5. Freshen Your Breath

Placing a cucumber slice on the roof of your mouth may help to rid your mouth of odorcausing bacteria. According to the principles of Ayurveda, eating cucumbers may also help to release excess heat in your stomach, which is said to be a primary cause of bad breath.7

6. Manage Stress

Cucumbers contain multiple B vitamins, including vitamin B1, vitamin B5, and vitamin B7 (biotin). B vitamins are known to help ease feelings of anxiety a n d

buffer some of the damaging effects of stress.

7. Support Your Digestive Health

Cucumbers are rich in two of the most basic elements needed for healthy digestion: water and fiber. Adding cucumbers to your juice or salad can help you meet the ideal of amount of fiber your body needs. If you struggle with acid reflux, you should know that drinking water can help suppress acute symptoms of acid reflux by temporarily raising stomach pH; it's possible that water-rich cucumbers may have a similar effect.Cucumber skins contain insoluble fiber, which helps add bulk to your stool. This helps food to move through your digestive tract more quickly for healthy elimination.

8. Maintain a Healthy Weight

Cucumbers are very low in calories, yet they make a filling snack (one cup of sliced cucumber contains just 16 calories). The soluble fiber in cucumbers dissolves into a gellike texture in your gut, helping to slow down your digestion. This helps you to feel full longer and is one reason why fiber-rich foods may help with weight control.

9. Support Heart Health

Cucumbers contain potassium, which is associated with lower blood pressure levels. A proper balance of potassium both inside and outside your cells is crucial for your body to function properly.

Ruby Dhil

Friday, June 16, 2017

The Indian Weekender

June 16 to June 22 | By Manisha Koushik Manisha Koushik is a practicing astrologer, tarot card reader, numerologist, vastu and fengshui consultant based in India with a global presence through the online channels. She is available for consultations online as well. E-mail her at support@askmanisha.com or contact at +91-11-26449898 Mobile/Whatsapp: +919015607139 • www.askmanisha.com ¡¡ Aries (Mar 21-Apr 20)

¡¡ Libra (Sep 24-Oct 23)

Someone may shoptalk you into parting with your money, so be careful. Some of you may be preparing for a celebration or a wedding in the family. Keeping good relationship with those you usually don’t see eye to eye with will be in your interest at this juncture. On the academic front, you will remain satisfied with your performance. Your way with words is likely to convince all those opposed to your ideas on the work front.

If you want a chance to show your mettle, go for it now. Your sincerity on the professional front is likely to get noticed by those who matter on the professional front. An academic achievement can be expected that is likely to boost your selfesteem. Good handling of tax matters will help you save much. Starting on a special exercise routine is indicated for some and will prove most advantageous. VIP treatment is in store on an official trip.

Lucky Number- 8 / Lucky Colour- Electric Grey

Lucky Number- 7 / Lucky Colour- Royal Blue

¡¡ Taurus (Apr 21-May 20)

¡¡ Scorpio (Oct 24-Nov 22)

Have faith in yourself in whatever you do and you will have the world eating out of your hands! You will succeed in tackling the difficulties that come your way at work. Keeping up good performance on the academic front will not pose much problem. You may make it a point to keep some time aside for spending exclusively with family. An invitation to a party or wedding may be received. You remain fit and healthy.

You will need to proceed cautiously in something that you have not attempted before. At work, your nose can be on the grindstone, but you will somehow enjoy it! Impressing someone on the academic front will not pose much problem, as you play on your strengths. Your bank balance is likely to keep you in an upbeat mood. Family will be supportive in making you realise your dreams. Look forward to an exciting trip with friends.

Lucky Number- 9 / Lucky Colour- Pink

Lucky Number- 15 / Lucky Colour- Cream

¡¡ Gemini (May 21-Jun 21)

¡¡ Sagittarius (Nov 23-Dec 21)

Some more time may be needed in completing a project at work. You may get the opportunity of travelling with someone close. Setting up a new house is likely to prove most exciting. Not taking any chances and sticking to tried and tested routes will keep you on course on the academic front. At times you crave to spend time alone with lover, so enjoy! Difficulties faced by you will ease.

It will be important for you to stick to the given timings or you can go wrong. You will prove a great asset to senior at work and get rewarded for the same. Some kind of recognition awaits you on the academic front. You may opt to take the healthy path by making your irregular meal hours, regular! Romance blossoming with a workmate is possible, so don’t resist the thought! A property matter is likely to be resolved amicably.

Lucky Number- 22 / Lucky Colour- Orange ¡¡ Cancer (Jun 22-Jul 20)

Lucky Number- 4 / Lucky Colour- Lavender ¡¡ Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 21)

If you show interest, the other party is certain to reciprocate and welcome you aboard. This week, you are likely to make good money. Those playing the stocks can expect to hit it rich. Your active lifestyle will help keep ailments at bay. Renting out property on lucrative terms is foreseen for house owners. Taking shortcuts at work may not be tolerated by higher ups and tarnish your image. You need to keep a commitment made to someone.

A different format of the same old thing will help ward off monotony in whatever you are engaged in. You may be made to do someone else’s task at work, but little you can do about it. Neglecting studies may make it difficult for you to catch up at a later date. You may not be satisfied with the kind of payment you are getting for your work, but something is better than nothing. Don’t indulge in self-medication.

Lucky Number- 6 / Lucky Colour- Turquoise

Lucky Number- 3 / Lucky Colour- Golden Brown

¡¡ Leo (Jul 21-Aug 22)

¡¡ Aquarius (Jan 22-Feb 19)

There is little that you can do about someone, who has made up his or her mind not to do your bidding. A chance to accompany friends on an organised trip is likely to materialise soon. A verdict regarding a disputed property will be in your favour. Your financial position is set to improve. Health supplements are likely to help you attain the desired figure and physique. Rising competition on the professional front may begin to worry you. Lucky Number- 17 / Lucky Colour- Brown ¡¡ Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 23)

You may not manage to set things right at work by harsh methods, so learn to give a soft touch. Praise is in store for you on the professional front in recognition of your sterling performance. Guidance from someone will prove a godsend and help you clear a tough competition. Those indulging in speculation may hit it rich. Coming back in shape will not be as difficult as it had initially seemed. A family reunion is on the cards. Lucky Number- 1 / Lucky Colour- Peach ¡¡ Pisces (Feb 20-Mar 20)

You will need to keep your cool and do what your heart and mind dictate. Those in a new job are likely to learn the ropes fast. Keeping a tab on others will help strengthen your position on the academic front. Money flows in and will keep you financially strong. Your decision to eat homemade food will save you from seasonal ailments. Visiting a relative or friend is on the cards and will prove enjoyable.

Taking on additional job with a smile is the need of the hour, so prove that you are up to it. Your lethargy on the professional front is likely to cost you heavy, so complete everything assigned to you in a timely manner. Facing a tough exam without adequate preparation is possible, so don’t harbour any high expectations. Monetary loss is indicated this week, so remain vigilant. Be careful on the road, as stars appear unfavourable.

Lucky Number- 18 / Lucky Colour- Saffron

Lucky Number- 2 / Lucky Colour- Silver

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Friday, June 16, 2017

The Indian Weekender

AUCKLAND’S HOTTEST BOLLYWOOD STATION

Want to keep a part of my life private: Kriti Sanon A t a time when Bollywood celebrities are know what’s happening in my personal life, I slowly opening up about their personal am okay with it,” she added. issues and relationships, actress Kriti Sanon Coming with absolutely no Bollywood says she is at ease sharing certain aspects about her backing, does Kriti feel she has now “fit in”? personal life in public – while keeping some of While she has definitely “fitted in” in terms it private. of her work, but she still feels “a little out of “There is a part of my life that I share with my place in the filmy parties. fans. I am pretty active on social media... So yes, “I think I am still a very few films old to be there are little things which I do share with my fans; knowing a lot of people. I am making friends as but I do believe that there is a part of my life which I am doing movies... That is how you eventually is private and (which I would) like to keep private. I feel comfortable in the industry”, said Kriti, the want that small space for myself and for the people daughter of a chartered accountant and an associate who are really close to me,” Kriti said. professor. She herself holds a BTech in electronics The 26-year-old actress, whose latest release is and communication engineering. Raabta, says she doesn’t find the “need to share Does she regret not having a backer in everything” with everyone. the industry? “I don’t want the focus to go away from my “No. I think it’s completely okay. I personally work. I’d rather want you to talk about my work feel that I am doing very well for myself. Even than what’s happening in my personal life,” if it’s slow, it’s fine. I am really proud “You she added. of my journey. I really like the fact really don’t “Three films, one link-up – not a that I am here and reached here need to have a bad thing... It doesn’t bother me. It is by myself and because of godfather. You need to completely fine. Gossip is something the people around me who have talent and belief. which sort of interests people have believed in me. These are the two things more,” she commented, adding that “You really don’t need important more than she would prefer if her work sparks to have a godfather. anything else.” more conversations. I dont like that the You need to have talent attention goes away from one’s work, but and belief. These are the at the same time it (gossip) is a part and parcel two things important more of the industry. It is not something that I can control. than anything else,” she said, So better to ignore it or laugh along with it. As long resting her case. as my family members or people really close to me

Working with Yash Chopra was a picnic: Amitabh

egastar Amitabh Bachchan, who has reminisced about the times when he was working in Yash Chopra’s Kaala Patthar, says being on the late filmmaker’s set was like a picnic. “Working with Yash-ji was always a picnic... Informal, relaxed and filed with humour and eating delicious food. He encouraged the families of artists to accompany them at the shoot destination... Whether it was Pune or Kashmir or Amsterdam or Delhi, it was always the same,” Amitabh posted on his blog. He recounted how evenings were spent at a common place where everyone chatted, played games and enjoyed each others’ company. “Antakshari was the favourite, along with dumb charades... Haha... What wonderful moments shared,” added the actor, who is currently in Malta to shoot Thugs of Hindostan. Big B, 74, particularly mentioned how shootings in Kashmir, where he shot for Chopra’s romantic drama Silsila, were a delight. “After pack up, we would all migrate to the Dal Lake, where several ‘dongas’ - boat platforms would be tied together to make one floating large boat and all of us would spend the evening, moving about in the lake, eating, singing... Music by local folk musicians, until the late hours.

We should have responsibility Salman and Prabhas to be part of Rohit Shetty’s next? towards animals: Jacqueline

ctress Jacqueline Fernandez, who has signed a petition for a global ban on the practice of cosmetic animal testing, says as humans everyone needs to show responsibility towards animals. Jacqueline launched The Body Shop’s campaign Forever Against Animal Testing (FAAT), and the brand has pledged to generate 500,000 petitions towards the cause in India. Talking about it, Jacqueline said: “Animals are such innocent creatures as they don’t have a language to communicate with. There is an immense need of pet education and animal welfare to be taught at the school level. “India is one of the few countries which have banned animal testing, but through this initiative we want ban on animal testing across the world and I feel we should have responsibility towards animals as well.” The campaign aims to get a global ban imposed on cosmetics animal testing on products and ingredients by 2020. It has partnered with NGO Cruelty Free International for the same, and hope to take the matter to the United Nations. Jacqueline, who is from Sri Lanka, is all for ethical beauty brands. “It’s so important for us, for our skin – the more natural and organic you go the better it is for the maintenance of your skin,” she added. On the film front, Jacqueline is reportedly playing Karisma Kapoor’s part in the remake of 1997 film Judwaa, in Judwaa 2. She features in the movie with Varun Dhawan and Taapsee Pannu, who recently completed the shoot of the original film’s iconic song Lift teri band hai. Asked about the shooting experience, Jacqueline said: “It was a lot of fun to shoot for Judwaa 2. We all went crazy shooting. Recreating the magic of Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor and David Dhawan again on screen, has been a phenomenal journey” Other than that, Jacqueline has A Gentleman and Drive in her kitty.

ver wondered what will happen if Baahubali actor Prabhas and Bollywood’s Dabangg Khan Salman Khan star together in a movie? Well, this might soon be a possibility. Ever since the huge success of Baahubali, rumours of Prabhas making his Bollywood debut have been doing the rounds. Earlier, it was reported that Karan Johar might launch Prabhas in Bollywood, however, now the latest report suggests that not Karan, but Rohit Shetty who is keen to bring Prabhas to the Hindi audience. If reports are to be believed, Rohit is planning to bring Prabhas and Salman Khan together for his next. Woahhhh, if he manages to do that, it

will nothing short of a casting coup. However, there is no confirmation on this as yet. On the work front, Prabhas has recently begun shooting for Saaho, where he will reportedly be seen opposite Baahubali co-star Anushka Shetty. On the other hand,

Salman is currently gearing up for the release of his upcoming film Tubelight. He will next be seen in Ali Abbas Zafar’s Tiger Zinda Hai which also stars Katrina Kaif. The movie is scheduled to release later this year.

Rokeya Prachy and Parno Mittra. The film will premiere on June 25 at the film festival, which is scheduled to be held June 17-26. The movie was in news earlier this year when it emerged that it had been banned in Bangladesh for being loosely based on late Bangladeshi writer and filmmaker Humayun Ahmed. It was said the movie was about Ahmed, who divorced his wife of 27 years and married an actress 33 years his junior. But the filmmaker denied that it was a biopic. Irrfan is currently shooting in New York for his upcoming Hollywood project Puzzle with Kelly Macdonald. He is trying to adjust his schedule and fly to China to attend

the Shanghai International Film Festival. Amongst his Bollywood projects, Irrfan can currently be seen in Hindi Medium, which also features Pakistani actress Saba Qamar.

Irrfan’s Doob heads to Shanghai for world premiere

irector Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s Bangladeshi bilingual film Doob - No Bed Of Roses, starring actor Irrfan Khan, will have its world premiere at the 20th Shanghai International Film Festival. The film, co-produced by Abdul Aziz and Irrfan under the banner of Jaaz Multimedia and Irrfan Khan Films, revolves around members of two families who discover love for each other when the head of a family dies. Doob - No Bed Of Roses, which has received a No Objection Certificate from the Bangladesh Film Development Corp (BFDC), also features Nusrat Imrose Tisha,

FEATURES

Friday, June 16, 2017

The Indian Weekender

Malik brothers– riding the wave of success #Exclusive: In conversation with Bollywood singer Armaan Malik and music composer Amaal Malik

¡¡SWATI SHARMA

hey might be among the newest and youngest stars in Bollywood’s music industry but their talents reflect the decades of expertise they inherit from their musical family of two generations. Malik brothers – Amaal and Armaan – are quite a sought-after duo in the industry today after giving us some of the most popular songs in last three years. Sons of music director Dabboo Malik, grandsons of noted music director Sardar Malik and nephews of famous music director Anu Malik, Armaan and Amaal have made their own mark in the music industry. While Armaan, unlike others in their family, has chosen a different path with playback singing, Amaal is continuing their family tradition and is now one of the most popular music composers of today in Bollywood. And if you are still not sure about the bunch of talent they are, let us name some of their songs that you would surely have either listened to or even hummed at some time. Mai hoon hero tera (Hero), Naina (Khoobsurat), Bol do na zara (Azhar), Soch na sake (Airlift), Wajah tum ho (Hate Story 3), Besabriyaan (M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story), Sooraj dooba hain (Roy), Chaar Shanivaar (All Is Well), Kar gyi chull (Kapoor & Sons), and the list goes on… The Malik brotherswere recently in Auckland, and we could not miss the opportunity to catch up with them and find out what thousands of their fans and followers were wondering –what were they doing in New Zealand? Excerpts of our conversation with them: IWK: What brought Amaal and Armaan to New Zealand? Armaan: I have come here to take a break from the tiring schedule that I had after shows, concerts and recordings. I find New Zealand a very peaceful place, a place where I can leave all my worries and just enjoy nature. That was the purpose of coming here, but then I ended up doing a lot of activities to get over my fear of heights, and other adventurous activities, which I really enjoyed. Amaal: I was not planning it, but then I saw his pictures, and I was like ‘I need to make this trip now’. I was busy doing the composer’s job—just completing the songs. It’s been three years since I got a break and we’ve got a family here. So, I decided to come and just unwind, and that’s what brought me here. IWK: You come from a family with great musical lineage — of great music composers/ directors. Was there ever any pressure to pursue music as a career or did you have other plans for yourselves? Amaal: There has never been a singer [in the family] who managed to stand out and establish themselves. Armaan is the first to do so and I am the next composer from the family.

ful in the industry, I think. He’s been around for 40 years and he’s still got that fire. My dad never managed to get the superstardom that my uncle and grandfather got. Armaan: Even though we came from a film family, we were the lesser known Maliks. Amaal: We were never the successful Maliks, we were more of the underdog Maliks, which was Dabboo Malik. And he made me learn one thing – that you really need to master your craft before you get into this. Both Anu uncle and dad were naturally gifted composers and had never got into the depth of music production, learning to read music and know how to play the piano. But my father wanted me to come prepared. So that inspiration of learning, going on and never giving up comes from my dad. Musically, I have a lot of influence. I listen to and admire many international composers. Within Bollywood, music composers like Pritam who’s been the most constant hit machine of Bollywood, for the track record and simplicity of music and because while being around him at studios I got a chance to learn a lot from him, and A.R. Rahman are my inspirations.

Armaan Malik (left) and Amaal Malik in Auckland

Amaal (left) and Armaan Malik at the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame event

When I was around 16, I wanted to run away from studies and I knew the only outlet was music. I made a tune and my dad heard it. He was the first one to make me realise that I had that composer streak in me. I started out when I was 16 and till 23 I assisted big names in Bollywood like Salim-Sulaiman, Pritam, Sandeep Chawta, before we produced Armaan’s debut album, titled Armaan. There were some songs from that album that Armaan presented to Salman Khan. He really liked two of the songs and they were later featured in his film Jai Ho. And that’s how from being an assistant I overnight became a music director. I would say both Salman and Armaan have been responsible for making me a composer. Because before that, I was not ready to take the plunge. Armaan: I always wanted to be a singer. I had that composer in me because I think tune-making runs in the family. But I always knew I was a better singer than a composer. By the age of six, I started taking Hindustani classical lessons and by the age of 10, I participated in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. That was the beginning of my career and I then sang for children’s movies. After taking a break for my studies and finishing 12th grade, I was working on my debut album. We wanted to launch this album in a big way and so I met Salman at his shoots. After hearing it, he loved two songs the most and said that they should be in his movie. And those two songs became our debut songs in Bollywood.I was 18 and I got to be the voice for Salman Khan – that was a huge thing for us.

IWK: What’s your favourite genre when it comes to singing? Armaan: Pop and RnB is something that I really, really like. But sadly, we don’t have genres in Bollywood. We only have film music. And there’s both advantage and disadvantage to that. The advantage is that you can mix many genres together in one song and the disadvantage is that you don’t know what to call it. It sounds cheesy, but in Bollywood, I love singing love songs. Amaal: That’s what gets you into the hearts of the girls (laughs). Armaan: Yeah. It’s my forte but that doesn’t mean I can’t sing other types of songs. Another of my songs is coming out soon and people will realise how versatile I am. It is something very different from the ones I have already sung. Amaal: I am getting him and his idol Sonu Nigam together for a song in the upcoming movie Mubarkan. It’s a fun dance track. IWK: And who’s your inspiration, Amaal? Amaal: I have two different kinds of inspirations. On a human level, my father and grandfather have a major influence on my life. Unlike Armaan, I never had formal training in Hindustani classical music. I got a lot of that knowledge from my grandfather because he was a legendary classically trained musician and from my dad, I have got the spirit of not giving up. My uncle has been the most successful composer of the family, rather most success-

IWK: Which experiences have been the best for you—working together or with other singers/ composers? Armaan: I have sung different songs for many composers other than Amaal. But it happens to be that my biggest hits are with my brother. Whenever we come together, it becomes magic. IWK: And why do you think would that be so? Amaal: I think it is some cosmic power and some blessings, may be. It is surprising. Whenever we come together, there is a lot of love for this pairing. Our fans also wait for the songs that we do together. So, we try to keep it special. But I am a very hard task-master. I never choose him or Arijit [Singh] or any other singer if they can’t deliver my song. I am really mean on that and if a singer cannot sing my song right, whoever it is, I really fight for the right voice for my song and I even get [the singer] changed.

So, even he is on test, everyone is on test with me. And there are times when we have our share of fights about it. But I feel that sometimes, because he has seen the whole process— where I start from zero and the emotions I put into a song, which is tougher for others to understand—he understands my song better and puts it out really well. IWK: Apart from singing, do you guys have any plans for acting? Amaal: Maybe once I get as fit as [Armaan]. Because I have been busy composing songs, sitting on a couch and producing music. I would want to be featured in music videos and be the face to my voice and put my music out there. That is the only acting capacity I have, that also I am very unsure of. Might happen if someone can really convince me (laughs). Armaan: I am also not a big fan of acting. Singing is my first love and I never wanted to deviate from that. And since I am already doing well in singing, I don’t want to hinder that in any way. I think, on screen at this age, I would still look like a kid. I feel I need to mature a little more. That being said, I am still not sure if I’ll take up acting in future. It depends on the project. I feel that I can do justice to a role closer to a singer, something like Ashiqui or Rockstar, where I am playing the role of a singer. But that also I am not sure about. The only thing I am sure about is my music, which I will never leave for anything. IWK: Are there plans for a live show in New Zealand? Armaan: Yes, we are planning something. But we are not sure of the date yet. Last year was very good in terms of live shows and touring. I completed almost 50 shows. And hence I have come to New Zealand (laughs). Amaal: We came here for a break. There are quite a few people who have shown interest but we just want to put out a very good act and not come and do a show just for the sake of it. It would be an experience for people once they see us.

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Friday, June 16, 2017

The Indian Weekender

International

YOGA DAY 9 am to 11 am Sunday 18 June 2017 at Allan Brewster Leisure Centre Tavern Lane, Papatoetoe

Programme 8.45 AM: Arrive and assemble 9 AM onwards: Yoga asanas | Pranayama | Relaxation led by trained yoga instructors | Yoga philosophy | Meditation All levels welcome

contact: admin@indianz.org.nz Bring a yoga mat and wear flexible clothing Media partners