Indian Weekender 04 March 2016

4 March, 2016 • Vol. 7 Issue 48 • www.iwk.co.nz

NZ’s first Kiwi-Indian weekly newspaper

International women’s day

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2015

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2015

Established 2013

KIWI INDIAN HALL OF FAME 2016 NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN

Many Happy Returns Gopi R Krishna

from

10th March

your well-wishers

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CONTENTS

4 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

INSIDE Pg5

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NEW ZEALAND

FIJI

Exhilarating: Sounds of Lights

The worst cyclone to hit Fiji

Pg20

Pg 22

INDIA

SPORTS

Union Budget 2016

India enters Asia Cup finals

Pg26

Pg27

FEATURES

ENTERTAINMENT

Watch that salt

Oscars 2016

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CONTACT US AT: RAJ: raj@legalassociates.co.nz ASHIMA: ashima@legalassociates.co.nz * Terms & conditions apply

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Kiwi-Indian MP is co-ordinator of World Hindu Democratic Forum

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IWK Bureau

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uring his recent visit to India, Mahesh Bindra of New Zealand First and one of the three Kiwi-Indian MPs was appointed the coordinator of the World Hindu Democratic Forum for the years 2016, 2017 and 2018.

This is a huge honour and responsibility, as it instantly puts Kiwi-Indians on the world map.

The World Hindu Democratic Forum’s mission is to support democratic trends and institutions that will lead to the practice of responsible democracy. The World Hindu Democratic Forum (WHDF) builds support for democratic practices by tapping the democratic propensities of more than a billion strong global Hindu populace.

It encourages Hindus around the world to take a greater role in the political process through numerous initiatives.

The forum states that Hindu communities around the world have had a long and glorious tradition of participating in the democratic process around the world by joining forces with their neighbours to strengthen democracy in their home countries.

The World Hindu Democratic Forum’s mission is to support democratic trends and institutions that will lead to the practice of responsible democracy.

Within India and outside, anywhere Hindus comprise a significant and visible section of the local population, they have always fought for the values of freedom, liberty and democracy unitedly with their neighbours and fellow countrymen. Hindus have had a long history of fighting against totalitarian and dictatorial regimes. From various corners of the globe, ranging from Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, local Hindu citizens have worked in tandem with their fellow citizens to break the chains of dictatorship and colonialism and replaced it with a pluralistic and democratic polity.

In addition, wherever Hindus comprise a significant section of the local population, they uphold a robust tradition of actively contributing to the general welfare as well as living in complete harmony with their neighbours and helping them in accordance with their belief systems by creating numerous employment opportunities, providing assistance in the opening of businesses, and in numerous charitable endeavours.

Currently, Hindus have fully established themselves in many spheres of human endeavour in more than 40 countries.

In several countries, many Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers, Governors and Premiers, Parliamentarians, Diplomats, and

other important government officials have come from the local Hindu population. The participation of local Hindus in the political process is growing in their respective countries. But so far there has been no proper forum to bring Hindus and their fellow citizens with whom they have worked in the democratic process together to share their knowledge and experience regarding the political process that has benefited the countries around the world where members of the Hindu community reside.

The World Hindu Democratic Forum has been specially established for the purpose of providing a global platform for distinguished the Heads of State, Premiers, Governors, Ministers and Parliamentarians, Diplomats and Bureaucrats, and numerous other people who are presently involved in the political process to assemble and deliberate on issues of global importance.

In addition, WHDF will strive for established and experienced members of the political process to encourage aspiring young Hindus and fellow citizens to become active members of the political process in their local countries as well as share with them their experience and expertise. More importantly, mentoring and guidance will be provided through various means to young Hindus to work alongside their fellow citizens to strengthen democracies in countries where they reside.

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4 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Humm FM raises nearly $30k during its cyclone Winston radio appeal IWK BUREAU

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he appeal was launched on Friday, February 26 while category five cyclone Winston was spreading its

devastation in Fiji.

Humm FM RJs Dev and Vijay present the cheque to Fiji Red Cross Society National President Cathy Wong

To strengthen the radio appeal, four radio jockeys, Sandy Sekhon, Pooja Kumar, Vijay Varma and Dev Sachindra pledged, they will survive only on water for 30 hours, without sleep and continuously be on air appealing for those affected by TC Winston in Fiji.

The four RJs, ably supported by the strong Humm FM team members managed to encourage many to not only donate online but also personally visit the radio station in Auckland to make their donations.

Humm FM listeners from different parts of the world came together to support this

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group of men stabbed the owner of a liquor store in South Auckland’s Manurewa with double-bladed knives.

At 9:50 p.m. on Sunday, February 28, three males confronted the shop owner Sarabjit Singh in the car park outside his store on Sharland Avenue, Manurewa where they produced knives and chased him, eventually stabbing him in the back, NZ Herald reported.

According to New Zealand Police, a small amount of alcohol was taken.

The commotion attracted local residents who came to assist, however the offenders threw bottles at them before fleeing in a vehicle. Police said that it appeared that the action may have been taken to divert the attention of the offenders away from the shop owner, however they do not encourage public to take direct action in such circumstances.

The residents were able to provide vital information that led to a 19-year-old man being located by the police who appeared in

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ormer Black Caps captain Martin Crowe passed away on March 3 after noble cause. Many donors stated that they his prolonged battle with cancer. He had never even been to Fiji but they all was 53. He is survived by his wife and two believed that nothing is above humanity. step children.

Crowe was first diagnosed with The pledge started at midday on Friday February 26 and ended at 6 p.m. on lymphoma in 2012 and although a year later, he confirmed that he was cured after Saturday February 27. chemotherapy, in September 2014, the cancer relapsed.

“It is with heavy hearts that the family of Martin Crowe, MBE advise his death,” his family said in a statement. “The family request privacy at this time.”

The cricket legend played 77 tests and 143 one-day internationals for the New Zealand team and scored 5,444 test runs.

Former New Zealand captain Stephen Flemming paid his tributes saying, “Very sad to hear of the passing of Martin Crowe this morning. An inspiration to me and so many others. One of our true greats.

RIP Hogan.”

Chris Cairns, former New Zealand cricketer, said, “I will miss him dearly as The radio appeal concluded on midnight over the last couple of years there were Sunday February 28 with a total collection messages of encouragement between us both as we battled our own demons. His of FJ$29,306.06. situation however, always put mine in The funds collected have been donated to perspective and I marvelled at his resolve.

Fiji Red Cross Society, an organisation that Today is a sad day. Farewell Hogan.” is fully engaged in supplying necessities to Prime Minister John Key has expressed his condolences to the family of Martin those affected.

Crowe, following the passing of one of New Fiji Red Cross Society National President, Zealand’s greatest sportsmen.

Cathy Wong says she is overwhelmed by “Martin was a truly great sportsman— what Auckland’s Hindi FM Radio, Humm one of our finest-ever batsmen and sharpest MEDIA RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 106.2FM and its listeners have done for the cricketing minds,” Mr Key says. “He was a world-class athlete whose exploits on the people of Fiji.

In Plain Sanskrit

She adds, “This donation will strengthen

pitch endeared him to cricket fans around the world, whose leadership helped propel our Black Caps to the 1992 Cricket World Cup semi-final and whose tutelage has helped the next generation to excel.”

“No one will forget his magnificent 299 against Sri Lanka in 1991, or his contribution to the game of cricket after his retirement in 1996. My thoughts are with his family and friends at this time,” he added.

Hollywood actor and his cousin, Russel Crowe expressed his grief: “MyPerformance champion, Dance my hero, my friend. I will love you forever.

RIP M.D. Crowe.”

8 - 9 April 2016 Q Theatre, 305 Queen St, Auckland

The soul of an ancient formdance to form be torevealed Thedance soul of an ancient be revealed!

Fiji Red Cross Society which has been

providing support to affected people from w: http://qtheatre.co.nz/plain-sanskrit e: info@karmadance.org Publicity Enquiries: Govind Pillai Ph: +61 414 674 722 the beginning.”

Kiwi-Indian liquor store owner stabbed in an armed robbery Swati Sharma

Cricket legend Martin Crowe loses battle with cancer

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Skin, sweat, hair, water, soul - this exquisite production will move

kin, Auckland audiences.

sweat, hair, water, soul—this exquisite production will move Auckland audiences.

After a sell-out After a sell-out season and rave reviews in Melbourne as well as season andinternational rave reviews Melbourne as a line up of local and festival in appearances, Karma as brings a line-up of local Dance well Australia to Auckland a boldand and international provocative new festival appearances, Karma Dance the Manukau District Court this week. Two work that pokes at the edges of tradition and kicks up the ashes Australia brings to Auckland a bold and other offenders were still at large at the time of history. provocative new work that pokes at the of publication. edges of tradition and kicks up the ashes The shop owner is reportedly still Bravely launching off the foundations of a 3,000 year old Indian of history. recovering from his injuries and is indance a tradition, Raina and Govind journey with their audience to Bravely launching off the foundations of stable condition in hospital. a new world where they encounter a striking new dance aesthetic a 3,000-year-old Indian dance tradition, Sarabjit’s wife Maninderpreet Kaur told and are caused to ask: “What really is tradition?”

NZ Herald that they were closing up for Raina and Govind journey with their audience to a new world where they the day when three young men approached “As children of the diaspora, we are recipients of a handed-down encounter a striking new dance aesthetic their shop with knives in hands. artistic tradition” Raina observes. “We want to peel away the and are caused to ask, “What really “When he saw them, he started layers that history has added, to discover what’s really is tradition?” screaming. And when he started screaming, underneath”.

“As children of the diaspora, we are I started screaming,” Kaur was quoted recipients of a handed-down artistic as saying.

“When you challenge tradition, you don’t just get closer to its tradition,” Raina observes. “We want to One of the men stabbed her husband soul, in you also stumble across entirely new ways of doing things – peel away the layers that history has added the back while another went on to pick up and that’s what makes this work both traditional and modern at once” sayscombine Govind. to present a rare and intimate will to discover what is really underneath.” exposition of the heart and soul of classical bottles from the store.

“When you challenge tradition, you Indianthemselves dance—juxtaposed the Live dance, music and a dynamic vocal landscape delivered by the dancers (in accordance withagainst an extinct tradition They demanded money from her, but she don’t just get closer to its soul, you also striking visual emerge known as vaachika abhinaya), will combine to present a rare and intimate exposition of thepossibilities heart and soul ofthat classical Indian was in shock, she said. stumble across entirely new ways of doing from experimentation. frommodern modern experimentation.

Her husband was hit repeatedly withdance a - juxtaposed against the striking visual possibilities that emerge things—and that is what makes this work In Plain Sanskrit opens at Q Theatre bottle, at one point. both traditional and modern at once,” ‘In Plain Sanskrit’ opens at Q Theatre with performances from 8 to 9with April. performances on April 8 and 9 at “He was very brave. When they stabbed says Govind.

7 p.m. Tickets can be bought online at him, he fell to the ground. But he tried to Live dance, music and a dynamic qtheatre.co.nz/plain-sanskrit and are Tickets: http://qtheatre.co.nz/plain-sanskrit run after them.” vocal landscape delivered by the dancers priced at $30 for earlybird, $35 for adults, Performances: Fri 8 April (7pm); Sat 9 April (7pm) Kaur said friends and family had rallied themselves (in accordance with an extinct $25 for children and concession tickets are Q Theatre, 305 Queen St, Auckland to support their family, which includes their tradition known as vaachika abhinaya), Tickets: $30 Earlybird / $35 Adult / $28 concession / $25 child priced at $28. three sons aged 10, 12 and 13.

Our dancers and media personnel are available for interviews and/or

www.iwk.co.nz | 4 March 2016

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Exhilarating: Sounds of Light

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ounds of Light, a charity musical event, organised the first of the six shows scheduled for AustraliaNew Zealand on Thursday, February 25.

The show witnessed a houseful booking with the biggest names in Islamic Music genre performing at the ASB theatre in Aotea Centre.

Acclaimed Swedish singer-songwriter Maher Zain, Mesut Kurtis from Macedonia, Humoon Al-Khudher from Kuwait and 17-year-old Harris J from the UK wooed the crowd with their singles and witty comebacks.

The charity event is held every year in association with Awakening Records to raise funds for the orphans and homeless in the war-torn countries.

The event was hosted by American stand-up comedian, actor and former musician Omar Regan who is well known as the body double of Chris Tucker from the Hollywood blockbuster Rush Hour.

Omar impressed the audience by singing Tum Hi Ho from 2013 Bollywood super hit film Aashiqui 2. He also shared details about his feature film Halalywood and his journey to the world of stand-up comedy.

(More in Omar Regan’s interview in the next issue of Indian Weekender).

Mesut Kurtis sang his famous single Tabassam (Smile) and Alhamdulillah (Thank God), which received hoots and applauses from the audience. British Muslim artist Harris J, known to have taken Islamic music by storm, sang SalamAlaikum from his album Salam.

Kuwait heartthrob Humood Al-Khudher charmed the audience with Edhar (Smile) and Aseer Ahsan and interacted with the

Maher Zain performing at the event

audience in Arabic, sharing his story and how important the tour was for him.

The star of the show was Maher Zain, who sang his famous singles Baraka Allahu Lakuma, Thank You Allah and Ya Nabi Salaam-o-Alayka.

Maher Zain has won 14 Platinum Awards

by Warner Music Malaysia and Indonesia.

He is also well-known for his philanthropic contribution in Middle Eastern countries during the Arab Spring in 2010–11.

The show was attended by nationals of Saudi Arabia, Fiji, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt, Lebanon, Kuwait and Kiwi Muslims. Post-show, the stars signed music CDs and posed for selfies with their fans. The event organised by Human Appeal Australia collected donations at the event for the people in the war-torn countries and so far has helped more than 6,500 orphans in the last six years of its establishment.

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4 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Christchurch’s 10th lantern festival breaks record numbers Gaurav Sharma

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hile the City Council may take some time to assess the numbers, initial estimates suggest that a record number of people—somewhere in the tune of 40,000—attended Christchurch’s lantern festival in North Hagley Park held over two days during the last weekend.

The festival featured beautiful lanterns and more than 75 stall holders serving Chinese cuisine, as well as performing martial arts demonstrations. This included Christchurch Culture Association, NZ Chinese Association Canterbury, Confucius Institute of the University of Canterbury, and NZ Hubei Economy Trade Culture Association. Buddha’s Light International Association and International Buddhist Association were present too.

Supported by Asia New Zealand Foundation and Christchurch City Council, there were performances from local and Chinese artists including

by Shanghai Puppet Theatre, Christchurch Zhonghua Chinese

Society, Qixo Yi Lion Dance Team, Guangzhou Acrobatic Arts Theatre and Guangdong Traditional Music and Folk Art Troupe.

On the history of the lantern festival, the Asia New Zealand Foundation informs, “The Lantern Festival has been part of Chinese New Year celebrations since the Han Dynasty (206 BC- 221 AD) and marks the end of Chinese New Year festivities. The festival evolved from an ancient Chinese belief that celestial spirits could

be s e e n flying about in the light of the first full moon of the lunar calendar. Thus, people started

using lanterns of every shape, size and colour to aid them in spotting the spirits. Some are created in the form of animals, insects and

flowers while other depict scenes from popular stories teaching filial piety and traditional values.”

Teams from the subcontinent fare well at CGFT Gaurav Sharma

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ven though they didn’t win the trophy—that honour went to the reigning champions Irish Rovers who defeated Poland in the final of the Christchurch Global Football Tournament (CGFT) last Saturday at Christchurch Football Academy—three teams from the Indian subcontinent, Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan, showcased the passion that part of the world has for the “beautiful game”.

While Javidan, a team comprising Afghan expats, was defeated by Poland in the semifinal, Bhutanese Lhotshampa lost to Fijians in the Shield Final.

The Goblet Final had similar heartbreak for the subcontinent when Nepal lost to the more professional Koreans.

Started in 2003 as a forum to bring together people from different nationalities living in Christchurch, this year’s CGFT witnessed participation from more than 600 players divided into 20 senior teams, eight

under-18 teams, and six under-14 teams.

Dariusz Wieclawski, who was part of the six-member organising committee, and worked with the Polish Embassy in officially hosting the tournament this year noted, “In my opinion, it’s the most culturally diverse event in Christchurch, which has grown leaps and bounds over the last decade. Where else would you find somebody from Tunisia living in Christchurch!” He was referring to Ramzi Toumi, captain of the Polish team who came to New Zealand in 2006 and works as a financial adviser here.

Meanwhile, captains of the three sub-continent teams were all unison in appreciating the role the tournament plays in challenging the notion that Christchurch lacks diversity.

Akash Drukpa, team manager and captain of the Bhutanese team and also a member of the Bhutanese Society of Christchurch said, “This is the first time we have entered a team from Bhutan. Earlier all our players used to play for the Nepal team. But now that more

Clockwise from above: Nepalese in red fighting hard against the professional Koreans; Lhotshampa—a team of Bhutanese expats who have made Christchurch their new home in action against the Fiji team in blue; Javidans, which means “forever” in Afghani, in navy blue jersey against Cavaliers, a team of mixed nationalities

than 300 Bhutanese are living in

years and works as a builder

Christchurch, we manage to form

added, “Football is a very popular

our own team.”

sport back home. In fact, some

Omid Rajabi, captain of the

of us, including me, play club

Afghani team, who has been

football during the season here

in Christchurch for the last 13

in Christchurch. So apart from

the cultural diversity this event brings, we also get to learn different styles of play especially the English and South American, which help us in improving our game.”

The Nepalese team was specially mentioned during the prize distribution ceremony for participating at every edition of the tournament till date.

Hem Gelil, who is a glazier and immigrated to New Zealand in 2008, and captains the Nepalese team exclaimed, “A great honour! It goes on to show the passion we have for the game.”

Inspector Hirone Waretini, who is in-charge of Canterbury Police Maori, Pacific and Ethnic Services Group (MPES), and was behind the Police Department’s full support to the tournament had the last words, “Football is a universal language. Our involvement in this event shows that Canterbury Police values diversity in our communities and will help immigrants in integrating in New Zealand in whichever way possible.”

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www.iwk.co.nz | 4 March 2016

Encouraging safety of students in Auckland

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he International Students Ambassador Meet 2016 kicked off last Wednesday, February 24, bringing together new students from different countries, their school providers and the Uncle/Aunties—dedicated and committed community leaders Students and School representatives with the guests at the meeting who volunteer to provide support who were in this programme for 2015. and advice to the ISA members. They meet Around 70 students and school providers once a month. participated in the meeting to discuss the The International Students Ambassador issues faced by international students and Group was established in 2014 with the what measures they can take to build a aim to connect new international students secure environment. with the country, and their schools with the Through the collaborative efforts of ISA police to inform them about the prevention and these dedicated groups of people, the messages to reduce crime and victimisation.

ISA programme has been able to support The role of an ISA member is to share and hundreds of international students. disseminate the monthly crime prevention For the month of February, the message message to their fellow students to help was on Reporting Crime. Officer Jessica them be safe. The event was graced by Phuang and Sergeant Marty Brown acting Acting High Commissioner from the explained how to call 111 for emergency Indian High Commission His Excellency matters, what actually happens when one Mr Sandeep Sood, Consul Fang and calls the number and reporting crime Consul Chen from the Peoples Republic anonymously through Crimestoppers. A of China Consulate in Auckland and light meal was served during the meeting Consular Agent Laila Faden from the Saudi where the students got a chance to interact Arabian Consulate. with the Uncles/Aunties and police officers The meeting commenced at 5:30 p.m. at at the venue. the Auckland Central Police Station hosted International students who wish to join

by Senior Sergeant Marty Brown, Constable the ISA programme can contact Jessica Neil Pimenta and Jessica Phuang.

Phuang by sending an e-mail to jessica.

The guests presented Acknowledgement phuang@police.govt.nz or call on 021 Certificates to the ISA members, school providers, and the Uncles/Aunties, 1920935.

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Seventh edition of the Kiwi Muslim Directory available now

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he seventh edition of the Kiwi Muslim Directory is now available for free from Islamic Centres.

The Kiwi Muslim Directory provides a common platform to reach Muslims of all ethnicities including Pacific, Maori and Pakeha. The directory, which has nationwide information, is acknowledged by the Federation of Islamic Associations of NZ—FIANZ, which is a Federation of several regional New Zealand Muslim Associations, and other organisations as a useful resource for the community.

The Kiwi Muslim Directory is most widely used by more than 50,000 Muslims living in New Zealand, be it a tourist, student, work permit holder

Left to right: Br. Mohammed Azeem, Muslim Council of Auckland, Sheikh Mohammed Amir, Chair, Ulema Board, Ibrar Sheikh, Secretary FIANZ & SAMA

or resident, everyone has access to the directory. These directories are distributed for free, and is available to pick up from local Islamic centres nationwide.

It is also accessible online via www. muslimdirectory.co.nz.

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4 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Inviting nominations for Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame 2016 K IW

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Established 2013

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

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The guidelines, which need to be adhered to, for nominations, are as follows: 1. He/she needs to have an undisputable recognition in his or her field of work.

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

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

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

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

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

7. The nominee should have no prior convictions.

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

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

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

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

Nominee Details

About the Nominee

Name of the Nominee For how long have you known the Nominee?

Professional details of the Nominator

Age of Nominee

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

Please state your reasons for nominating the above person. You may mention the achievements of the Nominee in his/her profession.

Sex M F

Address and contact number of the Nominator *

Address and contact number of the Nominee * How according to you has the Nominee brought fame and respect to the Kiwi-Indian community?

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

Yes No

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

Yes No

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

Signed:

What to do next?

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

(Add extra pages to this form if required.)

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

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www.iwk.co.nz | 4 March 2016

Welcoming a more multicultural New Zealand

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riven by passion and understanding, the New Zealand Interfaith movement has grown fast and strong over the years.

Last weekend, the Auckland Interfaith Council hosted the 11th National Interfaith Forum at the Quality Hotel in Parnell.

The forum was attended by volunteers and representatives from different religious groups, faiths, community organisations and ethnicities to discuss the various issues faced by different belief groups and ways to work together.

Representatives from the regional interfaith councils in Auckland, Dunedin, Wellington, Tauranga, Hamilton, Christchurch, Palmerston North and Whangarei attended the event to share ideas and talk about issues that can be tackled for a better society.

The greatest benefit of the interfaith forums, which are held each year, is to build and strengthen networks, to build bridges between people of different faiths, and bring communities together.

The event was graced by guest speaker Reverend Victor Kazanjian Jr, the director of United Religions Initiative, a global grassroots interfaith network based in San Francisco.

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Studywel Group celebrates 15 years of excellent service

S Reverend Victor Kazanjian Jr, the director of United Religions Initiative addressing the gathering

The attendees were then divided into smaller groups to discuss ways to make the bonds between different communities and faiths stronger.

Post lunch, representatives from different regional councils presented their annual reports on their activities and identified new issues within the regions.

Prof. Edwina Pio, AUT’s Professor of Diversity, spoke about her book Work and Worship; Dr Anwar Ghani (former President of FIANZ) discussed the concerns faced by the New Zealand Muslim community, and Mr Qemajl Murati, Manager, Refugee Quota Branch, Settlement and Protection, Immigration NZ, gave a brief report on Mangere services and refugee intake history of New Zealand. In the past, there have

been different issues raised such as racial discrimination, defacement of Jewish gravestones and tagging abuse on mosque walls.

The various councils throughout the country work together to mitigate discrimination, raise awareness of religious diversity, and organise dialogues to promote interfaith engagement. To create safe spaces for learning about religious diversity, the interfaith movement engages communities by organising events such as Islam Awareness Week that invite non-Muslims to visit the mosque, interact, and understand Islam.

The interfaith movement is taking steps to engage the society and people of different faiths to help create a better multicultural and multi-religious future for all.

tudywel Group has completed 15 years of successful operations.

Studywel offers an extensive range of New Zealand immigration services and this includes assisting clients to get residency, student visa, work visa, spouse visa and entrepreneur visa (investor category) among others. With offices in New Zealand and India, the company has a vast market presence.

Studywel runs its operations under two entities: Studywel Immigration Solutions Limited (New Zealand) and Studywel Education Private Limited (India). Studywel Immigration Solutions Limited, New Zealand, carries forward the legacy of Studywel Education Pvt Ltd, India, which was established in 2001.

The company was set up by Mr Satvinder Pal Singh and Mrs Jyoti Arora. The company focused extensively on New Zealand education and its associated services. Studywel’s outstanding performance was recognised by Education New Zealand (ENZ) and the company was acknowledged as NZIER member (New Zealand India Education Representative) and

later an NZSA (New Zealand Specialist Agent) member and stayed in the elite group till group’s existence. Studywel is an authorised representative of almost all the leading colleges in New Zealand.

Mrs Jyoti Arora, the Director of the company is a New Zealand Licensed Immigration Adviser and is authorised by Immigration Advisers Authority (New Zealand Government) to handle all types of New Zealand immigration matters. She has also worked as Campus Principal in Abacus Institute of Studies, Auckland. Mr Satvinder Pal Singh, the CEO of the company is an Education New Zealand Trained Agent having plenty of international experience.

Being NZSA member for many years, he holds expertise in New Zealand Education Industry and its associated matters.

The group boasts of numerous satisfied clients who have either successfully completed their studies, or worked at different top level positions, got NZ residency and NZ Citizenship.

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NEW ZEALAND

4 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Minimum wage to increase to $15.25

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he minimum wage will increase by 50 cents to $15.25 an hour on April 1, 2016, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse announced this week.

The starting-out and training hourly minimum wages rates will increase from $11.80 to $12.20

per hour, remaining at 80 per cent of the adult minimum wage.

“The government has once again taken care to ensure [that] the right balance has been struck between protecting our lowest paid workers, and ensuring jobs are not lost,” says Mr Woodhouse.

An increase to $15.25 per hour

will directly benefit approximately 152,700 workers and will increase wages throughout the economy by $75 million per year.

“With annual inflation currently at 0.1 per cent, an increase to the minimum wage by 3.4 per cent gives our lowest paid workers more money in

New Food Act comes into force

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he new food safety legislation, which came into effect on March 1, will help protect public health and sustain a strong food industry for years to come, says Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew.

“The Food Act 2014 will help us to future-proof the safety of our food, and to make compliance more efficient for businesses,” says Mrs Goodhew.

“The key change is a move away from a one-size-fits-all approach, to one that regulates businesses according to risk. So higher risk businesses such as restaurants, will have more responsibilities than lower risk businesses such as corner dairies.

“This will help reduce regulation and costs for many businesses.

“High standards of food safety will always be a bottom line.

The new law is designed to give businesses more flexibility in the way they achieve them. There are around 7,000 business who

their pocket, without imposing undue pressure on businesses or hindering job growth.

“The government has increased the minimum wage every year since coming to office, from $12 to $15.25. This is an overall increase of 27% compared to inflation of around 11%.

Licence suspensions net $43.5m over two years

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have already signed up to the requirements of the new Act, which is a fantastic start and will give them a head start on the transition,” says Mrs Goodhew.

The new law has been developed over a decade, during which industry representatives from across New Zealand’s 45,000 food businesses, and local councils have worked on how it will be implemented.

The new law came into effect on March 1, and applies to anyone starting a new food business.

Existing businesses will transition over three years, with the highest food-safety risk businesses transitioning first.

Resources to help businesses find out what they need to do are available on the Ministry for Primary Industries website www. mpi.govt.nz/foodact.

“Our steady increases to the minimum wage reflect the government’s commitment to growing the economy, boosting incomes and supporting jobs.”

The changes will come into effect from April 1.

he threat of losing the right to drive has seen an extra $43.5 million in unpaid fines collected in the last two years.

A Driver Licence Stop Order (DLSO) can be imposed on anyone who fails to pay traffic-related fines imposed by a Court, police or local government authority—or reparations imposed by a Court for traffic-related offences.

“This initiative has been highly successful in getting those who were deliberately avoiding or refusing to pay their fines, to contact District Courts to resolve their fines,” Justice Minister Amy Adams says.

“Over the two years to 30 January 2016, some 30,000 warning letters have been sent out, resulting in almost 26,000 people who would have been eligible for suspension paying their fines or making payments towards them

through a payment plan. While the aim is to collect fines rather than take away people’s drivers licences, some 400 licences have been suspended over the last two years and about 100 of those are still in place.”

Ms Adams says the DLSO initiative has resulted in an extra $43.5 million in unpaid fines being paid.

“Stop Orders are an effective tool this government has introduced to enforce fines and reparation. In addition, fines can be reported to credit agencies, defaulters can be arrested if trying to travel overseas, and the District Courts have full enforcement powers to ensure people pay their fines.

“It is encouraging that the total fines balance now owing is $585 million, down from over $800 million in 2009,” Ms Adams says.

Scheme helping to staff School ballot fees undermine hard to fill positions free education

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ealth Minister Jonathan Coleman says an incentive scheme designed to boost the number of health professionals working in hard-to-staff roles or areas is making a real difference.

“It’s important that New Zealanders get the treatment they need when they need it no matter where they live,” says Dr Coleman.

“The Voluntary Bonding Scheme helps New Zealand graduates to establish careers here while also filling shortages in identified areas and specialities.

“This means less reliance on locums and shorter waiting times for treatments.

“To-date, just more than $23 million has been paid out to eligible participants, showing the scheme is a valuable tool.”

As on February 1 this year, 3,526 people have enrolled on

the scheme since its introduction in 2009.

A total of 1,099 people have received a payment, including 106 doctors, 118 midwives, 861 nurses, and 14 radiation therapists.

Those on the scheme receive three annual payments after a bonded period of three years, to help repay their student loan or as top-up income.

In 2016, places on the scheme are limited to 350 positions. This is due to the high level of interest and increased retention rate.

The Ministry of Health plans to review the scheme later in the year to better understand the impact it is having on workforce sustainability.

This programme is supported by the extra $400 million being invested into the health sector this year, taking the health budget to a record $15.9 billion.

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harging parents to enter their kids in school enrolment ballots is unfair and further undermines the principle of a free school education, Labour’s Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins says.

“The whole point of out-ofzone ballots is to ensure that extra places in those schools are allocated fairly. By introducing a fee, the schools are saying that a parent’s ability to pay will have an impact on the type of education their child will receive. That’s just not right.

“Schooling in New Zealand is supposed to be free. That’s what the law says. It shouldn’t matter where you live or how much your parents earn, every Kiwi kid is entitled to the best shot at success through a great education.

“Yet schools are finding creative ways to get around the

law because they’re struggling to make ends meet. With more than 41 per cent of schools reporting financial deficits, it’s no wonder they are trying to find new ways to increase their revenue.

“There is no question the financial pressures parents are facing for their kids’ education have increased hugely in the

past few years. This includes demands to pay school donations, buy electronic devices such as laptops and iPads, and pay for school uniforms.

“Labour has been very clear that we will address the school funding shortfall so that New Zealanders’ right to a free schooling is restored,” Chris Hipkins says.

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 4 March 2016

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New recycling bins next step to get waste sorted

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uckland’s goal to have consistent waste services for households across the region is moving a step closer with the roll-out of new recycling bins in the north and west.

More than 210,000 households in legacy Rodney, North Shore and Waitakere are set to receive new 240L bins between April 4 and June 30, bringing residents in these areas in line with most other Auckland households, which already have 240L bins.

The first service using the new bins will be on July 1.

The new bins will replace crates in legacy Rodney, and smaller 140L bins in North Shore and Waitākere. With greater capacity for more recyclable items, cardboard and paper no longer need to be separated—they can all go in the new bin. Separate collections for these items will cease at the end of June.

As well as paper and cardboard, fruit and juice cartons such as Tetrapaks ® will also go in the bins, along with other recyclables including glass and

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plastic containers and bottles and aluminium cans. Collections will be fortnightly.

Regional Policy and Strategy Committee chair, Councillor George Wood, says the new bins and service changes are another key milestone to implement the council’s vision to transform waste services, as outlined in the Waste

Management and Minimisation Plan. “Moving to consistent waste services is a core promise we have made to Aucklanders, so that everyone has the same choices,” he says.

“The changes will also benefit householders and communities.

Putting all recyclables into one bin will make it easier for people to recycle right, while having paper in the bins will help to reduce loose litter in our streets.

“The waste team has previously implemented similar recycling changes in legacy Manukau, Auckland City and Papakura and I am confident this prior experience will stand us in good stead with this roll-out.”

The cost for the roll-out is included in the targeted waste rate. The council is also planning changes to collection days to improve the efficiency of collections for now and the future.

The changes will affect most residents. More information on day changes will be made available as part of the bin roll-out.

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Beating the feet for Walk Month

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njoy the benefits of travelling by foot in March for Walk Month and be in to win heaps of prizes. Workplaces are being invited to enter teams in the Auckland Feet Beat Walking Challenge that started on Tuesday, March 1.

The total distance covered by people in teams will be logged and progress can be followed and compared online with the team’s virtual distance around New Zealand. The AT-sponsored challenge follows the hugely popular Auckland Bike Challenge and is part of the nationwide Walk Month, a highlight of which will be Tuesday, March 9, Walk to Work Day. AT will have pit stops that morning on popular walking routes around the city centre with prizes and giveaways to acknowledge existing walkers and encourage others to give it a go.

Auckland Transport’s Cycling and Walking Manager, Kathryn Kings says it is an opportunity for people to think about walking instead of driving, especially for short journeys.

“It can be about challenging our habits and considering a mode of transport that is not only safer and healthier but also offers relaxation, fun, and cost savings,” she says.

“Each person discovers their own benefits—our research shows some people who walk say they enjoy the ‘me time’ while others find walking together a great way to connect with family members and friends. Other people like the certainty of travel time when walking or cycling.”

“It could be walking to public transport, work, study, or just to the dairy. The important thing is to realise that a short drive could be a great walk!”

For more information and registration for the Auckland Feet Beat Walking Challenge, go to: https://at.govt.nz/ walkmonth

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NEW ZEALAND

4 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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An open, confident country Kanwaljit Bakshi

National List MP

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ooking ahead, New Zealand remains well placed to build on the progress we’ve all made in recent years.

While there are still global risks such as a slowdown in China and lower commodity prices, it’s important we don’t talk ourselves

down. That’s why the government remains busy and focused on the issues that matter to New Zealanders. The government, like New Zealand businesses and households, tightened its belt, turning an $18.4 billion deficit in 2011 into a surplus last year. We’re keeping a tight rein on spending.

We’re focused on delivering better public services in the likes of health, education, welfare, and law and order. And we’re continuing to support businesses through our Business Growth Agenda. New Zealand recorded 2.3 per cent economic growth in 2015, and growth is expected to

average more than three per cent over 2016 and 2017.

The manufacturing sector has notched up 40 straight months of expansion. And services, which make up 70 per cent of the economy, have been growing at the fastest level in seven years.

Tourism is directly contributing $10.6 billion to the economy and beef exports have topped $3.3 billion, up a third in the last year.

International education is now worth $2.85 billion, supporting more than 30,000 Kiwi jobs. Wine exports are worth $1.5 billion, up 14 per cent in the last year, and the ICT sector has had compounding

nine per cent growth a year since 2008.

The success of our businesses is benefiting New Zealand families. Wages increased 3.1 per cent on average in the last year, significantly higher than 0.1 per cent inflation, and they are expected to top $63,000 by 2020.

Unemployment recently fell to 5.3 per cent though we want to see it reduce further. In the past three years, 175,000 more jobs have been created and an additional 173,000 jobs are expected by 2020.

We’re looking at future opportunities to diversify the

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economy—the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, which will give us better access to 800 million customers in 11 countries that account for 36 per cent of the global economy. On current trade volumes, TPP will provide around $274 million a year in tariff savings and by 2030 is forecast to add $2.7 billion to the New Zealand economy.

We are an open and confident country that backs itself on the world stage.

The Nationalled government is supporting New Zealand businesses and households to take advantage of the many opportunities ahead.

Auckland response to Fiji’s devastation Jenny Salesa Labour MP

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y thoughts and prayers are with the people of Fiji and Tonga, who have been detrimentally affected

by Tropical Cyclone Winston. I particularly send my condolences to the people of Fiji, who have suffered most severely from the strongest cyclone recorded in the Southern Hemisphere. My heart and deepest sympathies go out to those who have lost loved ones and those whose homes and businesses are damaged beyond repair. As Indian Weekender readers will know, there are many

areas in Fiji in desperate need of food, water and shelter. I am also deeply concerned that children’s lives will return soon to normality.

I salute the Indo-Fijian community members and business owners, who do not wait for someone else to organise a response but usually jump straight in to assist, setting up collection points and making arrangements to get relief up to Fiji as fast as possible. I am a member, representing Tonga, on the committee for the Auckland Mayoral Fund for the Pacific, which has been activated and stands ready to help. John Kotoisuva (Chair and Fijian representative on the committee) and I are the main points of contact for the relief efforts for Fiji and Tonga.

We have formed a taskforce to

work closely with communities here and co-ordinate the response from Auckland. The taskforce is providing logistical support and containers to transport goods collected by families here to their families in Fiji and Tonga.

For Fiji, where the need is great, we are also seeking donations from the public. We have identified the worst-affected villages and will send those contributions directly to those areas. Past experience shows that the most useful items to send are non-perishable food and bottled water, small garden tools, pots/pans, cooking utensils and fishing gear. There are two collection points at which families can deposit their donations.

Donations of goods from the community at large can also be left there to be shipped up to affected

areas: City Impact Church, 385 Mount Wellington Highway, Mount Wellington, Auckland 1060; Tel (09) 477 0300; Church Unlimited, 3 Te Atatu Road, Te Atatu, West Auckland 0602; Tel (09) 836 1294.

The most versatile way for Aucklanders to help immediately would be to donate cash. Tax deductible donations to the Mayoral Fund can be made at any time. The fund is managed by Auckland Communities Foundation (ACF) and donations should be made as follows:

Via the ‘donate now’ function

on the ACF website www. aucklandcf.org.nz Via direct payment to the ACF bank account (with reference

Building Auckland’s future Phil Goff

Labour MP

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hat do we want our city of Auckland to look like in the future? As a candidate for Auckland’s mayoralty, I’ve been thinking a lot about the sort of city I want my children and grandchildren to grow up in.

Firstly, I would like a city that preserves and sustains its natural beauty and environment. What makes our city so special to live in are our harbours, beaches, volcanic cones and parks.

We need to protect those things, to stop the deterioration of the quality of the water, with the Council’s State of the Environment Report warning that in over a quarter of our swimming spots, putting your head under water creates a moderate to high risk of becoming sick.

We need to increase access to our harbours and increase opportunities for recreation and leisure. That means not extending port activities further into the harbour and seriously considering whether it is possible, like Sydney did years ago, to move the commercial activities of the port to a better location. Imagine what we could do if we freed up the 77 hectares the Port occupies, for public access, parks and homes.

Moving the Port also means taking out of the central city areas, the big, articulated lorries that clog up our city roads. That leads directly to the second thing Auckland needs in order to make it a better place to live.

Most Aucklanders complain to me about how congested our roads are and how much longer it takes to get around the city. With the city growing by 800 extra people a week, it’s little wonder that without sufficient investment in transport infrastructure the gridlock is getting worse.

If government is content for

Auckland to grow at this pace, it has to make funding available to allow for better rail services, new light rail development, busways, better roads and provision for cycling and walking.

Thirdly, Kiwis have long cherished the dream of owning their own homes. Rapidly rising rents preventing people from being able to save and soaring house prices mean that home ownership in Auckland is the lowest is has been for almost 70 years.

We need to create more supply of housing and reduce the pressure on prices that foreign investors create by bidding up the price of existing housing.

Increasing housing density around town centres, transport hubs and arterial transport routes helps solve both the housing and transport crises Auckland faces.

Fourth, I want to see Auckland become New Zealand’s and then Australasia’s best performing city. The super city was created to achieve economies of scale and

end duplication and waste. Some progress has been made but most of us believe the city must strive to achieve greater efficiency, eliminate waste and duplication, aim to do more with less, and stop further high rate increases.

Finally, I want Auckland to be a prosperous and exciting place to live. It is New Zealand’s only global city.

For it to thrive, it needs to retain the best and the brightest New Zealanders and to attract new talent from overseas. To do this, it needs to be a centre of learning, innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. Sir Paul Callaghan talked about making New Zealand a place where talent wanted to live.

That means a city that attracts people because of choice and opportunity in jobs, learning and leisure. It means using our universities to promote innovation and to commercialise the good ideas that come from them. It means expanding enterprises that create highly skilled, high tech

‘MFP’ to ASB Bank account 123028-0714703-00) Via cheque made payable to ‘Auckland Communities Foundation Mayoral Fund for the Pacific’ and sent to PO Box 26087, Epsom 1334 I have been working with the Mayoral Fund for the Pacific for disaster relief since 2013 and experiences in Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu and Tuvalu show that rebuilding can take a long time.

Kia kaha to the people of Fiji; stay strong. You will not be forgotten and your friends in Auckland will continue to work with you as you begin rebuilding your lives again.

and highly paid jobs. I visited one company, Rocket Lab, which is an example of what Auckland can achieve. I first met its CEO, Peter Beck, when I led a trade mission to North America way back in 2007.

He wanted to create a new rocket system that could launch satellites into space more cheaply.

His vision was highly ambitious but he has achieved it. He now employs at Mangere a hundred of the most highly skilled people from around the world and has attracted American venture capital and investment in his company. That will result in this country soon becoming one of just ten nations in the world capable of launching satellites. It is an example of what imagination, innovation and high-end investment can create in Auckland, bringing with it new jobs and high incomes.

Let’s start with the vision of what our city can be and work together to build an Auckland that is one of the really great cities in the world in which to live.

FIJI

www.iwk.co.nz | 4 March 2016

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Koro faces quarantine as villagers flee

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undreds of villagers are abandoning Koro Island and taking refuge in Suva in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone that devastated Fiji last weekend—leaving 43 dead and more than 53,000 homeless.

Boat loads carrying hundreds of people from Koro began arriving in Suva this week as villagers flee their devastated island because “it is no longer safe for them to live in”.

Koro is one of the many areas which was destroyed by the TC Winston. In the Western Division, Ba, Rakiraki, Tavua and Lautoka were also severely affected.

More than 4,000 people live on Koro Island in the Lomaiviti Group and now it is expected to be quarantined. Koro islander Mitieli Tuqiri said nothing was left for them on the island.

“Everyone from my village is choosing to move to Suva. Some came last week while others arrived on board the Patterson boat today,” Tuqiri said on Monday, February 29.

“We have been advised by our relatives to leave the islands and that’s exactly what we are doing because staying behind means a lot of struggle for us to get our lives back to normal.” He said people from other villages as well had moved to the main urban centres. Calls have been made to have the island quarantined for at least two months as there is a risk of an outbreak of communicable diseases. Agriculture officer Isei Namacamanalatu said dead animal carcasses polluted rivers, water was not clean and the leftover crops on farms were not safe for consumption.

In the north A few villagers of Navakawau on Taveuni have found refuge under the floor of a house after Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston damaged their homes.

Close to 18 villagers were forced to seek refuge in a three-bedroom house with the remaining families that could not be accommodated in the house forced to find shelter beneath the house’s floor.

Navakawau Village headman Iosefo Matailima said close to seven families were

still sleeping under the floors since their homes had been destroyed by the cyclone leaving them with nowhere else to turn to.

Mr Matailima said because of the quick action, the families were lucky to get planks and bedding material under the floor and sleep there until the strong winds abated.

Navakawau villager Misaele Kelepi said he and 18 families had no choice but to seek refuge under the floor of the house after their own homes gave way to the force of Severe TC Winston. Mr Kelepi said close to seven families were still staying under the floors as they waited for relief supplies from the government.

According to Mr Kelepi, the families were fortunate to have found shelter in the house of Maraia Meta and Ilikimi Kunagogo who opened the door of their home to them. If it had not been for the house, Mr Kelepi said families would have been wounded by flying roofing iron and debris that swirled in the village green like paper at the height of the severe cyclone.

New Zealand helps Foreign Minister Murray McCully says the aerial view of the aftermath of Cyclone Winston in Fiji was like “an endless sea of aeroplane crashes.”

McCully visited Fiji on Monday and said the situation was “grim” and reconstruction would take a long time.

“You’re talking roofs taken off houses completely, some places where there is just a platform left on a house. So it was like flying over an endless sea of aeroplane crashes where you’ve got a centre where a

UNICEF: 347,000 people directly affected

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evere Tropical Cyclone Winston has left a third of the population or 347,000 people in need of urgent and comprehensive assistance.

At least four in 10 children are at risk, a report by the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Pacific revealed.

This, as the State revealed a staggering bill of $170.78million in damage in three major sectors—health, agriculture and education. UNICEF Pacific representative Dr Karen Allen said the immediate and long-term implications on health, safety, education and development were colossal.

“We have met far too many children who have lost literally everything, their possessions, their home, the family’s crops that they depend on for food and possibly income, their school and their community

health clinic,” Dr Allen said. She said many children did not have safe drinking water, power or a roof over their heads.

“They need urgent and comprehensive assistance.”

Dr Allen said UNICEF was working closely with the Government of Fiji and development partners to ensure that affected children and their families had access to clean, safe drinking water, sanitation, health and protection.

“More than 26,000 people in the most affected areas have been provided with water, sanitation and hygiene supplies to ensure safe drinking water and sanitation.”

Dr Allen said 2115 students at 23 schools received education supplies, including temporary classrooms and learning material.

Top: The devastation at Koro Island Above: Australia’s Navy ship HMAS Canberra

house used to be and then a trail of debris around it. The landscape is like that for kilometres and that wasn’t even the worst part of Fiji.” In parliament, Prime Minister John Key said by the end of this week there would be 400 personnel in Fiji helping out and the Defence Force was making daily drops of supplies and disaster specialists, such as medical staff. “New Zealand’s response to Cyclone Winston is shaping up

to be our largest humanitarian response in the Pacific.” He said the cyclone resulted in significant loss of life, property and crops and it had impacted on about 40 per cent of Fiji’s population.

“In some places the devastation is complete.” He said more than 160 tonnes of emergency goods had been sent over, from shelter kits and water to food and blankets.

McCully announced that the Government was putting in a further $1.5m in aid—much of it for use to get Suva’s electricity grid working well again and for supplies for reconstruction.

It takes the total NZ has given to $4.7 million.

McCully said New Zealand was likely to provide further support but was leaving it to Fiji to say what it needed. “This is not a small Pacific country, it’s a rather larger Pacific country. They’ve got capacities of their own so we need to work out what areas they want support in and what areas they feel they can look after their own needs as well.” He said it would inevitably have an economic impact on Fiji and outside help would be needed.

“But we need to respect the decision making process that operates in Fiji.” He praised the Fijian authorities’ handling since Cyclone Winston saying it was managing the response well.

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FIJI

4 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

The worst cyclone to hit Fiji Red

Yashmin Chand

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t is an act of Mother Nature, thus, no one can control it.

Like other natural disasters, a

tropical cyclone is also something that people dread even though they prepare for it. But despite preparations, the wrath of a tropical cyclone is always felt in areas that it hits no matter how prepared people are. Some are lucky to escape with slight or no damage to their properties while others face the full brunt of it and suffer.

The situation is the same at present in my homeland Fiji, where people are still picking up the pieces after a cyclone struck the country and caused destruction in some places. The worst-hit areas are in the BaRakiraki region, Tailevu and islands in the Lau, Lomaiviti and Yasawa groups.

The initial damage from the cyclone is estimated at around FJ$1billion.

Apart from the Fijian government, businesses and organisations are also providing assistance of those who have lost their loved ones, properties or lifetime savings in the cyclone.

However, what is obvious is the immense international assistance that is being provided to those struck by the cyclone on February 20. As United Nations describes, it was the category five Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston that struck Fiji and left more than 60,000 people homeless.

According to Wikipedia, Winston was the strongest tropical cyclone on record to make landfall in Fiji. It says TC Winston was first noted as a tropical disturbance on February 7 when it was located to the northwest of Port Vila in Vanuatu.

The system developed over the next few days as it moved southeast and acquired gale force winds by

February 11. On February 12, it intensified and attained 10-minute maximum sustained winds of 175km/hr.

After turning northeast on February 14, Winston went towards the north of Tonga and then drifted back to the west, intensifying in the process and reaching Category 5 intensity.

Wikipedia says Winston reached its peak intensity on February 20 with 10-minute sustained winds of 230km/hr shortly before making landfall on Viti Levu, Fiji.

Fiji media reports on Tuesday said 43 people have died as a result of the monster storm and there was a possibility of the death toll rising.

The prediction on Friday night (February 19) was that the cyclone would cross right over Suva/Nausori, through the centre of Viti Levu and move out to sea off Nadi.

But instead, it turned right into the sea between Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, in the process ripping apart many homes along the coast and the islands.

TC Winston made landfall near Rakiraki around 6 p.m. on February 20, cutting off the power supply and communications to many places. Prior to that, some people had already sought shelter at evacuation centres in Taveuni, parts of Vanua Levu and Viti Levu. It was the morning of February 20 when the winds died down a bit in some areas as the cyclone passed and stories of survival emerged.

The aftermath and pictures of the massive destruction and heartbreak caused by the monster cyclone saw the international media arriving in Fiji, particularly from Australia and New Zealand. As pictures of the destruction, the heartbreaks, the emotions associated with the loss of a loved one went out to the world, international aid started flowing in.

The New Zealand Government sent its air force plane to Fiji on February 20, hours after the cyclone had ravaged the group of islands, known as the Hub of the Pacific.

New Zealand was the first foreign government to go to Fiji’s assistance followed by Australia and other countries such as India, China, US, Japan, France and Korea.

Some international organisations have

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also assisted the island nation and various fundraising events are being held by Fijians living in different parts of the world, not forgetting Fijian rugby players plying their trade overseas.

While New Zealand has sent its naval vessels, helicopters and Air Force planes to Fiji, Australia has also done the same and the largest vessel in its Navy, HMAS Canberra, arrived in Fiji on Tuesday. It is said to have carried 800 personnel to assist in relief and rehabilitation work in Fiji and about 60 tonnes of relief supplies, including water purification equipment and medical supplies.

The largest vessel in the Australian naval fleet is also said to have carried some helicopters to assist in delivering food rations and relief supplies to the outer islands.

An Indian Air Force plane also landed at the Nadi International Airport in Fiji last weekend with relief supplies, including medicine and medical equipment.

On Monday, Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop announced that Australia will give a further AUS$10million (FJ$15.1m) to provide food, clean water, hygiene and shelter to communities recovering from TC Winston.

It brought the total package announced

by Australia to FJ$22.8M (AU$15m).

Apart from houses being destroyed and thousands left homeless, Fiji’s sugar industry and the agriculture sector have also suffered a major blow, with damage estimated in millions.

But their tourism industry is reported to be doing normal and resorts and hotels there are encouraging tourists not to cancel their holidays. With the amount of foreign aid arriving in Fiji, the lives of those directly affected by the cyclone will no doubt be made easier.

Fijians are known to be resilient people.

They even smile when the going is not good for them and the common saying by them on social media now is said to be “We will rise again”.

Until then, they are praying that no other cyclone comes their way. The prayers of Fijians all over the world are with them too.

FIJI

www.iwk.co.nz | 4 March 2016

15

New Zealand assistance rises to $6.6m

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ew Zealand has increased its disaster relief aid package to Fiji by $1.5million (about F$1.12m).

The announcement follows Foreign Minister Murray McCully’s visit to Fiji this week and takes New Zealand’s total support to more than $4.7m (F$6.67m). “The devastation caused by Cyclone Winston is very serious. Nearly 55,000 people remain in evacuation centres and the people face the difficult task of rebuilding their lives,� Mr McCully said.

While humanitarian relief operations are continuing, the response is starting to move into the recovery phase, with a focus on

India gives $170k worth of medical equipment

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e are thankful we have good friends.

This was the sentiment of the Minister for Health Jone Usamate during the presentation of $170,000 worth of biomedical equipment given to the Ministry of Health by the Indian Government.

Mr Usamate said the gift was timely because some of their facilities were badly damaged by Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston therefore, those equipment would help replace what had been damaged.

He commended the unwavering support of the people of India during one of Fiji’s darkest hours. He thanked the representatives of the Indian High Commission such as acting head of mission Jagdeo Singh Rana, who was there to present the equipment on behalf of the people of India.

Mr Rana commended the Fiji overnment for the tremendous effort in relieving people living in areas affected by Severe TC Winston. List of biomedical equipment:

Doctors’ stethoscopes Examination and diagnostic sets Weighing scales and Blood pressure machines

3,360 houses destroyed

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he National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) has confirmed that 3,360 houses were destroyed by Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston while 5,846 houses have been partly damaged.

Director Akapusi Tuifagalele said the figures were expected to increase as assessment in affected areas progressed.

According to Mr Tuifagalele, the damage caused by Severe TC Winston was extensive compared with TC Evan in 2012 and it would mean more rehabilitation work for government. “Similar to what happened in 2012, we covered rehabilitation in dwelling houses, if I read correctly, there were more than 1,500 houses repaired and constructed—the figures could double or triple,� Mr Tuifagalele said. However, he said, rehabilitation work and planning would start once the 30 days declaration period was over after government has able to ascertain how much damage was on the ground. Meanwhile, evacuees billeted in centres around the country 10 days after Severe TC Winston ravaged Fiji have decreased to 53,630 from the 54,615 evacuees recorded on Monday, January 29. The number of evacuation centres has increased to 927 from the 899.

Mr Tuifagalele said the Central and Western Divisions recorded an increase while the other two divisions had the number of evacuees drop. The death toll remains at 43.

restoring infrastructure such as electricity, water and transport. “The contribution we have announced today includes $1m to help repair powerlines and infrastructure in some of the worst-affected areas, and $500,000 for additional relief supplies and technical support,� Mr McCully said. “NZDF C-130s are continuing to deliver supplies in support of the relief operation. “HMNZS Canterbury will arrive in Fiji tomorrow and is expected to join HMNZS Wellington in the northern Lau Group by the end of the week. New Zealand will support the Fiji Government as it works

A New Zealand Defence Force C-130 Hercules is on its to Fiji

to recover from Cyclone Winston and we are currently developing a wider package

of support focused on helping affected communities rebuild,� Mr McCully said.

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Thought of the week

When something bad happens, you have three choices: Let it define you, let it destroy you or let it strengthen you.

—Unknown

Editorial

From the desk of the Managing Editor

“

Notice we are not using the famous Nike slogan of ‘Just do it!’ It’s about just getting started. The ‘doing it’ will take care of itself once we get going. If we think about ‘just doing it,’ we risk getting overwhelmed with all there is to do.

If we just take a first step that is much easier.

As a strategy, you may find that you have to just get started many times throughout the day, even on the same task. This is common. Even in meditation, we have to gently bring our attention back to our focal point, whatever that may be (e.g., our breath, a mantra). The thing to remember is that just getting started may happen many times in a day.”

~Timothy A. Pychyl from Solving the Procrastination Puzzle I find this works for me every single time. I often find myself encouraging people to “just get started”. Often, people may have brilliant ideas that will clearly work but because they do not take that step and “just get started” in time, the idea dies out and so does the enthusiasm. As a result sometimes people end up accomplishing nothing. It thus becomes important to fight that inertia—to keep up the energy and enthusiasm that often comes with a new idea and “just get started”.

A little bit like our “Southline”. We just got started and I am so sure this will grow from strength to strength. We are happy that our readers in South island now have a dedicated page to look out for. And if you are in the South island and want to contribute towards our paper, please feel free to do so.

In this issue again we bring you an update of everything that has been going on in Fiji. It is heartening to see how the world is coming together to help in this time of need. We bring you stories on the situation as it is unfolding.

As you would have noticed, the nominations for the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame are now open. If you have anyone who you think deserves to be honoured for their accomplishments and contributions then it might be a good time in getting that nomination form together. It will not be long before these nominations close. The last thing we would want is that someone’s name is not being considered due to paucity of time in completing their applications.

In speaking about Kiwi Indians making their mark, it was wonderful to hear Mahesh Bindra being appointed the worldwide coordinator for the Hindu Democratic Forum. We would like to congratulate him on this. It is indeed good to see a KiwiIndian Member of Parliament represent us on a global platform.

Pick of the week

The Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft lands with Expedition 46 Commander Scott Kelly of NASA and Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko and Sergey Volkov of Roscosmos near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Wednesday, March 2, 2016 (Kazakh time).

I hope you enjoy reading our issue. Until next time.

Giri Gupta

Indian Weekender : Volume 7 Issue 48 Publisher: Kiwi Media Group Limited Managing Editor: Giri Gupta | girigupta@xtra.co.nz Editor: Annu Sharma | editor@indianweekender.co.nz Chief Reporter: Swati Sharma | reporter@indianweekender.co.nz Reporter: Rizwan Mohammad | iwk.rizwan@gmail.com Reporter: Esha Chanda | iwk.eshac@gmail.com Reporter: Kumar Suresh | iwk.kumar@gmail.com Chief Technical Officer: Rohan Desouza | rohan@indianweekender.co.nz Sr Graphics and Layout Designer: Mahesh Kumar Graphic Designer: Yashmin Chand | designer@indianweekender.co.nz Accounts and Admin.: Farah Khan | accounts@indianweekender.co.nz Sales, Marketing & Distribution: Mahesh Kumar | 022 3251630 | mahesh.iwk@gmail.com Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent the views of the team at the Indian Weekender Indian Weekender is published by Kiwi Media Group, 98 Great South Road, Auckland Printed at Horton Media, Auckland Copyright 2015. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

Word: Yeah, nah

Pronounciation: Yeah, naaah Meaning: used when you are in a conversation and you get what the other person is saying but don’t quite agree with what is being said Usage: “Do you think you want to buy that car?”

“Yeah nah, I’ll give it a pass!

Tip from the trenches

Nail care tips • • • •

Soak nails in warm olive oil for 20 minutes to harden soft nails Remove stains from nails by applying lemon juice Wear gloves while doing chores to prevent nail hydration Moisturise your nails regularly using petroleum jelly

OPINION/EDITORIAL

www.iwk.co.nz | 4 March 2016

17

How India can benefit by leapfrogging into Fourth Industrial Revolution

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Anil K. Rajvanshi

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n January, the major agenda item at the World Economic Forum in Davos was the Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIR). Since FIR is already under way in some of the advanced economies there are fears that it will be very disruptive and create huge unemployment.

The Davos meeting was meant to discuss and allay these fears. I feel FIR for developing countries can, in fact, produce more employment and benefits.

What is FIR? Our societies are characterised by various industrial revolutions. The first revolution started in the late 1700s when muscle power was replaced by steam– mostly produced by coal.

The second one, which can be traced to early 1900s, was driven by electricity and characterised by big machines and assembly line manufacturing. The third, which began in the early 1960s was based on computers, information technology (IT), electronics and automated production.

The present revolution is characterised by the internet of things (IOT)—24/7 connectivity, rapid communication, miniaturisation of design and 3D printing, which allows for manufacturing and production of goods wherever they are needed. I feel that IOT and 3D printing (or additive manufacturing) have the capability of allowing countries such as India to leapfrog into the FIR. India is already a decentralised society where more than 60 per cent of its population lives in rural areas and lacks the basic amenities of life. They live in one-room huts with nearly non-existent electricity, cook on primitive biomass stoves that produce tremendous indoor pollution, and lack potable water and toilet facilities.

Their lives can be improved drastically by providing livelihood opportunities and amenities for households powered by FIR. Around 80 per cent of the rural population is involved in the farming sector.

At present, farming is non-remunerative and needs to be completely overhauled to make it attractive.

Thus, for increasing income for rural households I foresee the use of high-tech precision farming which could either be land-based or container-based. In container farming, all the inputs of farming are applied in an efficient way in enclosed shipping containers.

This container-based farming, as opposed to land-based farming, can grow any food (grain, vegetables or fruits) or fodder with the use of precise levels of light, temperature, humidity and nutrients. All these inputs are controlled by smart sensors and computers. This type of farming requires very few labourers, very little soil and water and is based on the principle of hydroponics or aeroponics.

There are claims by the practitioners of container agriculture that it uses 90

per WWcent less water than conventional agriculture and produces several times the yields that would have been obtained from land-based agriculture. Such hightech farms are coming up in urban areas in western countries and provide a model to be emulated in developing countries such as India.

Today the biggest crisis in farming in India is the lack of labour, low prices of produce, shortage of water and very poor soils. With precision land-based or container agriculture, powered by solar energy and other renewable energy systems, farming can become very efficient, high yielding and hence remunerative. To my mind this is the future of farming.

Land-based agriculture can be used for planting mostly perennial crops like grasses for fodder and trees for fruits, timber and the like. Grasses and trees can bind the soil and stop its erosion.

Agricultural containers would eventually be owned by restaurant owners. Hence the A-Z of food production and utilisation would be run and owned by the restaurants and may give rise to a large number of

rural and urban restaurants. This will also generate huge employment opportunities.

Further, FIR based on 3D or additive manufacturing will also usher in a revolution in its own right. In 3D printing, parts or the product is built layer by layer at any place. The designing can be done anywhere in the world and it can be sent by Internet to a 3D printer.

Thus the raw material—metal powders in case of production of metal parts, or plastic wires for plastic products—together with a suitable glue or solidification of raw material, forms the end product. 3D printing is being used to produce parts of rockets, whole machines and even body parts.

The technology of 3D manufacturing is rapidly progressing and is already becoming mainstream technology for small, specialised manufacturing facilities.

Use of 3D manufacturing will also reduce the energy consumption in transportation of goods since they will be manufactured and made available wherever they are needed.

In most cases, prices would come down.

We might therefore see a proliferation of high-tech small scale manufacturing facilities in rural areas. For rural mobility electric vehicles can form the backbone and could be charged by locally produced renewable electricity. 3D manufacturing may help in production of such vehicles in rural areas.

The FIR can usher in a decentralised and democratic society since the control of the means of production and usage will be in the hands of locals.

(Anil K. Rajvanshi is director of Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute in Phaltan, Maharashtra. The views expressed are personal.)

Why Make in India is stumbling over our labour laws Abhik Ghosh

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hat’s the one assurance investors want before setting up manufacturing base in India? The ease of making workforce adjustments in line with changing market conditions. In this area, Indian labour laws are among the most restrictive.

The Industrial Disputes Act of 1947 has two provisions in the way of workforce adjustments. Chapter VB of the Act requires prior approval of the appropriate government before resorting to any layoff, retrenchment or closure in establishments employing 100 or more workers. The draft Labour Code on Industrial Relations currently in circulation seeks to raise the threshold to establishments employing 300 or more workers, but it is still work in progress.

Another major contentious provision is Section 9A of the Act, which mandates 21 days’ notice before affecting any change in established conditions of service of any employee, including any change necessitated by “rationalisation, standardisation or improvement of plant or technique”. This is anathema for investors, particularly in this age of fast changing technologies and manufacturing processes.

Contract labour is yet another major area of concern. Investors would surely want to know if engaging workers on temporary contracts would run afoul of the law. The Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition)

Act, 1970, as the name suggests, is enforced to regulate the practice and abolish it in certain cases. In other words, the practice is not prohibited. Engaging contract workers for temporary,

intermittent or seasonal work is allowed but using them for work of perennial nature violates the letter and spirit of the law.

Why would investors want to engage workers on temporary contracts in the first place? To meet surges in demand for goods and services requiring urgent workforce adjustments. Immediate deployment of regular workers is not always feasible and pruning them alongside falling demand often meets legal obstacles. Moreover, regular workers are increasingly becoming less productive and more expensive.

The central government has yet to initiate any action in this area. Rajasthan has taken the early lead, raising the threshold for applicability of the law to cover industries or contractors engaging 40 or more contract

workers, up from the original 20. Other state governments are expected to follow suit.

The move has been welcomed by employers and criticised as anti-worker by trade unions.

B u t changing the applicability clause is like nibbling at the edges. Plunging into the core, the status of temporary workers must be redefined and extended beyond the present limit of 240 days in a year. That should take care of persistent demands by the traditional trade union movement for regularisation of all contract workers.

On this aspect, the experiment by India’s largest carmaker is innovative and instructive. In 2012, Maruti introduced a new category of directly recruited temporary workers, substantially reducing the role of intermediaries. It has appreciably narrowed the gap in emoluments and allowances between regular and contract workers, which is the main bone of contention.

Temporary workers get on-the-job training as apprentices and become eligible for regular appointment in due course.

Maruti pays such workers a stipend for the period they must wait out for regular

appointment. This also promotes a sense of belonging and solidarity with the company.

It is the habit of institutions to give birth to loyalties. The policy has worked well and has brought industrial peace to what was a volatile workplace.

The big question is: How soon can the central government bring about meaningful changes in the existing laws to facilitate quick workforce adjustments?

For investors, this is the major sticking point. Can the government drive the labour reforms agenda through the legislative route and achieve desirable outcomes?

Given the present party alignments in the Rajya Sabha, this is like building castles in the air. Alternatively, can executive orders be employed to achieve the desired results? Some quick thinking is needed in this direction, followed by swift action.

As the reforms package unfolds, pragmatic solutions will have to be discovered to assure investors that their business interests would not suffer by mindless application of the law, while taking care to ensure that workers’ interests are not compromised.

Labour reforms are critical to the Make in India campaign. Investors have been waiting with anticipation. Brand India cannot afford to disappoint.

Abhik Ghosh, IAS (retd), was with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as a senior specialist in industrial relations and labour administration. The views expressed are personal.

INDIA

18

4 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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BRICS countries stress right to Road named after Satyajit Ray in Kolkata development as core to 2030 Agenda S

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joint statement by the BRICS countries issued in Geneva on February 29 emphasised that the right to development should be central to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

The joint statement by BRICS countries—Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—was made on the annual HighLevel Panel on Human Rights Mainstreaming during the 31st Session of the Human Rights Council, Xinhua reported.

The statement said that development is the foundation for eliminating poverty, which is one of the root causes of many conflicts worldwide, and embodies dignity, freedom from want and the full realisation of all human rights.

“We consider eradication of poverty as an indispensable requirement for and overarching objective towards the attainment of sustainable development,

promoting social progress, safeguarding fairness and justice, and enhancing ecological conservation,” the BRICS states said in the joint statement.

The statement added that all countries should respect the notion of “policy space” in development matters and avoid a “one-size-fits-all” approach, given the differences in levels of development, national realities and histories.

The BRICS nations said in the statement that the UN human rights agency and the relevant UN bodies should effectively undertake activities in mainstreaming the right to development, strengthening global partnership for development among member states, international development,

finance, and trade institutions.

“South-South cooperation can be seen as a beneficial complement to North-South cooperation, which remains the main channel of international development cooperation,” the statement said, adding that the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities should be upheld.

“The role of the UN in mobilisation of development resources and advancement of international development cooperation should be given full play,” the statement said.

This year marks the beginning of the implementation of the sustained developed goals set by the 2030 Agenda and the 30th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development.

outh Kolkata’s Lee Road will be renamed Satyajit Ray Dharani after the legendary film director, who lived in the vicinity, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced this week.

Ray resided close to Lee Road on Bishop Lefroy Road for years till his death in 1992, and many of his masterpieces were planned and conceived from this house.

“As a token of our humble dedication to the memory and phenomenal contribution of legendary personality Satyajit Ray, we have decided to rename Lee Road, near Bishop Lefroy Road where his house stands, as ‘Satyajit Ray Dharani’,” Banerjee said in a Facebook post.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor-in-Council held an important meeting during the day and passed a resolution rechristening the road after Ray. Earlier, Banerjee unveiled a spruced-up 150 metre stretch of Bishop Lefroy Road.

The multifaceted genius (screenwriter, lyricist, music composer, calligrapher, illustrator, writer) worked on cult films such as Agantuk,

Pratidwandi and Ghare Baire. A popular tourist destination, the colossal 1/1 Bishop Lefroy Road residence is a timeless reminder to the legacy of the master behind cinematic jewels such as Shatranj Ke Khiladi, Charulata, the Apu trilogy, and the Feluda series. It stands as a silent testimony to the man who took Indian cinema to the world.

From re-laying the dilapidated pavements with designer blocks, installing Victorian-era street lights to replica of his film’s original posters, the famous locality has been transformed in consultation with film-maker and son Sandip. Ray became the first, and currently only, Indian to receive an Honorary Academy Award in 1992.

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www.iwk.co.nz | 4 March 2016

Delhi airport world’s best in its category for second year

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he Airports Council International (ACI) this week adjudged the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) New Delhi as the world’s best in the category of handling 25-40 million passengers per annum for the second consecutive year.

“The IGI Airport’s partners and employees have relentlessly delivered distinct experience to our passengers, enabling us to achieve three coveted awards, including the world number one position twice in a row, best airport by size and region—Asia Pacific; and second best Airport by Region-Asia Pacific,” said I. Prabhakara Rao, chief executive officer of the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), which manages the IGIA. The ranking was announced by the ACI—a trade association of the world’s airports founded in 1991—for the 2015

Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards on Monday, said a GMR Group statement.

In retaining the title, the IGIA scored 4.96 on a scale of 1 to 5 in the ASQ survey.

The IGIA is a gateway to 58 domestic and 62 international destinations used by six domestic and 57 foreign airlines.

The airport handled on an average 958 flights a day and 760 thousand tonnes of cargo in 2015.

Indian airlines—Air India, IndiGo, Vistara and SpiceJet—use the airport as their hubs.

DIAL is a joint venture between the GMR Group, Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Fraport.

The airport was developed under the public-private partnership mode with the mandate for DIAL to finance, design, build, operate and maintain it for 30 years, with an option to extend it for 30 more years.

Jet Airways to launch new daily flight to Muscat

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irline major Jet Airways on Monday announced that it will increase operations between India and Oman by launching a daily flight between Delhi and Muscat with effect from March 21.

“With the launch of this flight, Jet Airways guests from Northern India, Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) and Asean (Association of

Southeast Asian Nations) regions will have the option of travelling to Oman via Delhi,” said Gaurang Shetty, senior vicepresident-commercial, Jet Airways.

According to the company, with the launch of the new flight, it will operate a total of four daily flights between India and Muscat.

This includes flights from Mumbai, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.

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

19

Rahul moves to shed drab image, gets voice of his own

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ith a fiery 31-minute animated taunt at the government, mixed with sarcasm and humour, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, long ridiculed for his drab speeches, on Wednesday appeared to have made a much desired shift in his oratory skills.

There was often deft silence, repeatedly disturbed by loud jeer from the treasury benches, when the 45-year-old Gandhi scion tore into the government over various issues in the high ceilinged precincts of the Lok Sabha.

He poked a finger and perhaps touched a raw nerve when he sarcastically referred to RSS ideologue Veer Savarkar and slammed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for following him. The BJP members heckled back, objecting to his remarks.

“I said (Mahatma) Gandhi is ours, Veer Savarkar is yours. Am I wrong?

Have you thrown Savarkar away? Good for you,” Gandhi said, with a grin, as he intermittently looked at a paper on which he apparently had written his talking points.

He wore a clean-shaven look, a white kurta pyjama, appeared calm, made frequent eye contact with MPs and moved his hands freely with strong gestures.

Congress MPs cued him on various issues that the party needed him to speak on. But he remained undistracted.

He apparently didn’t bother about details and fumbled many a time, giving his detractors a reason to boo at him. But he took the criticism in his stride without getting overwhelmed.

”I am not from RSS, I commit mistakes,” said Gandhi, often derided for his alleged lack of knowledge and not so good oratory skills.

Even some BJP members, including Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, could not help but smile back at him while Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha clapped at least once.

Gandhi rode roughshod over the ruling party for its criticism of the previous Congress government.

“Modiji said I have not seen a scheme as bad as MGNREGA. But (Finance Minister) Arun Jaitley came to me and said that it’s a very good scheme. I told him, why don’t you say this to your boss? When money was allotted to MGNREGA, I closed my eyes and thought it was (P) Chidambaram, (the former finance minister during the Congress government), presenting the budget.”

His colleagues burst into laughter amid bouts of protests from the other side of the house. He lashed out at the government’s measures as an “assault on democracy”.

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INDIA

4 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Budget 2016: Jaitley opens coffers for rural India, unveils another tax amnesty Red

Arvind Padmanabhan

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ocusing on rural economy and infrastructure with minor rebate for small taxpayers but amnesty for defaulters, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on February 29 unveiled a Rs.19.78 lakh crore ($300 billion) budget for 2016-17, earmarking more money for health, literacy and roads.

The focus on rural economy and the promise to double the income of farmers in five years came against the backdrop of a distressed agrarian economy, fewer jobs and assembly elections in five states this and next year.

The direct impact on taxpayers from the proposals announced during the 100-minute budget speech will be a Rs.3,000 rebate, benefiting 20 million assessees.

Those living in rented homes will get a higher exemption of Rs.60,000 now, against Rs.24,000 earlier. But the tax slabs remain unchanged.

At the same time, withdrawal of provident fund and pension upon retirement are partially taxable.

Jaitley also announced an amnesty for those with disputed tax claims, with a waiver of penalty on amounts up to Rs.10 lakh. He said 300,000 such cases were pending before appellate authorities, for an amount totalling Rs.5.5 lakh crore.

Similarly he also unveiled a limited tax compliance window from June 1 to September 30 for people to declare their undisclosed incomes, with a tax liability of 45 per cent of value, including the surcharge and penalties—together with immunity from scrutiny, enquiry and prosecution.

His other steps include a pilot project to extend the direct

cash benefit transfers, currently in areas like cooking gas to the fertiliser sector, as also Rs.25,000 crore for the recapitalisation of state-run banks that are under financial stress on account of mounting bad loans.

While there were misgivings over money set aside for additional capital for banks, Jaitley told a press conference later that more money will follow as and when warranted. “The budget is not the last word on this,” he said, adding he was also open to consolidation of commercial banks.

On cutting subsidies, he promised a bill soon to use Aadhaar for direct transfer of cash. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quick to appreciate the budget and said its focus on development of agriculture, farmers, women and rural areas will give a major push to India’s agrarian economy. “It will also help the poor man realise the dream of owning a house,” he said.

Jaitley also said the government will meet its fiscal

targets but said that from next year he proposed to do away with the classification of plan and nonplan expenditure—a move bound to stir up a controversy.

“I have weighed the policy options and decided that prudence lies in adhering to fiscal targets. Consequently, the fiscal deficit in revised estimated 201516 and budget estimates 201617 have been retained at 3.9 per cent and 3.5 per cent of GDP, respectively,” he said.

Jaitley also enhanced the total expenditure for this fiscal to Rs.19.78 lakh crore from Rs.17.85 lakh crore in the revised estimates for this fiscal—a hike of 10.7 per cent—while the plan expenditure component was revised upward by 15.3 per cent.

“A broad understanding over years has been plan expenditures are good and nonplan expenditures are bad. This results in skewed allocations in the budget,” he said, adding this would be dispensed with from 2017-18 to focus on revenue and capital classification of

Modi has passed budget exam with flying colours: Rajnath

U

nion Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has passed his general budget examination with “flying colours”.

Terming the 2016-17 Union Budget as “pro-farmer, propoor and pro-reform”, the home minister said it outlined the central government’s priorities and the prime minister’s vision.

“If the union budget were like annual exams for our prime minister, then I must say he has passed the exams with flying colours,” Rajnath Singh said.

“The budget gives the government an opportunity to deepen the economic foundation and widen the infrastructure network of our country.

Strengthening rural economy

expenditure. This move is likely to face stiff opposition.

Jaitley, a lawyer by profession, decided to bring his fellow practitioners under the service tax net of 14 per cent. He also imposed an across-the-board cess of 0.5 per cent on services towards farmer welfare, which will add 50 paise for every Rs.100 one spends on food to mobile bills.

He also left the market mood sullen by proposing to hike securities transaction tax for options to 0.05 per cent from 0.017 per cent, levy an additional dividend distribution tax of 10 per cent payable by recipients in excess of Rs.10 lakh per annum and 1 per cent surcharge on luxury cars.

This was enough to sully the market mood. The sensitive index of the BSE dipped sharply to a 52-week low soon after the finance minister read out these proposals, but eventually recovered slightly towards the end of the day, but still down 152.30 points, or 0.66 per cent, at 23,002.00 points.

Jaitley said the bulk of his tax plan was in nine categories: Relief to small assessees, boosting growth and employment, incentivising “Make in India”, encouraging pension, promoting affordable housing, pushing rural economy, reducing litigation, taxation simplification and accountability.

Among the various sectors, the allocation for the ministry of agriculture and farmers’ welfare was enhanced by 93 per cent to Rs.44,485 crore, for rural development by 10.7 per cent at Rs.87,765 crore and for health and family welfare by 13 per cent to Rs.39,533 crore.

A major boost was also given to infrastructure including energy

with a 11.3 per cent hike in the outlay to Rs.246,246 crore, as also for human resource development with allocation up by 7 per cent at Rs.72,394 crore.

The budget also used the opportunity to send out signals to the global investor, seeking to ease the foreign equity norms.

Notably, 100 per cent such equity will now be permitted in multi-brand retailing where the produce sold has been processed and sourced locally.

In a bid to boost entrepreneurship, a lower corporate tax rate has been proposed for small firms with a turnover of below Rs.5 crore, to 29 plus surcharge and cess, and 100 per cent deduction of profits for three out of five years for start-ups set up between April 2016 and March 2019.

Similarly to boost “Make in India”, changes were proposed in customs and excise levies on certain inputs to reduce costs and improve competitiveness in sectors such as IT hardware, capital goods, defence, textiles, minerals fuels, chemicals and petrochemicals, and aircraft and ship repair.

Jaitley opened his speech saying while the global economy was in stress, India was still going strong. “The risks of further global slowdown and turbulence are mounting. This complicates the task of economic management for India,” he said.

“We see these challenges as opportunities.”

He also used the opportunity to make a political statement.

“Our initiatives in the last 21 months have not only placed the economy on a faster growth trajectory but have bridged the trust deficit, created by the previous government.”

Two Left parties said the 2016-

purchasing power will become

17 general budget lacks “vision”

lesser,” he said. Yechury said

and will lead to contraction of the

much of Finance Minister Arun

Indian economy.

Jaitley’s speech on February 29 in

greater economic inequality and

In his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on February 28, Modi told students appearing in their final board exams from March 1 said that he too will appear in examination on Monday, alluding to the presentation of the coming fiscal’s budget.

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Budget lacks vision, economy will contract, says Left “This budget is going to create

and providing income security to the farmers has been given top priority in this year’s budget.

Introduction of ‘Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana’ coupled with the allocation of Rs.20,000 crore to improve irrigation facilities in India will boost the farm sector,” Rajnath Singh said.

Black

the Lok Sabha was “political”.

Communist Party of India

will lead to further contraction of

(CPI)

economy,” Communist Party of

the

India-Marxist secretary general

anything spectacular”.

Sitaram Yechury said.

leader budget

“Because

D.

Raja

said

“did

not

have

of

the

people’s

“The indirect taxes have been

movement outside, the finance

increased. When you need the

minister tried to show they are

domestic economy to grow, you

giving preference to agriculture,”

are doing the exact opposite.

Raja told media.

This will lead to contraction of domestic demand as the

“There is nothing spectacular about the budget,” he said.

INDIA ABROAD

www.iwk.co.nz | 4 March 2016

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Can Romas be part of Indian diaspora?

T

he possibility of recognising the 20-million strong Roma community spread across 30 countries as a part of Indian diaspora is gaining ground with the government in the process of evaluating such a recommendation.

After External Affairs Minister of India Sushma Swaraj stated that the people of the Roma community, whose ancestors are believed to have migrated some 1,500 years ago, were children of India. An international conference in New Delhi ended with a recommendation to recognise them as part of the Indian diaspora.

“You are the children of India who migrated and lived in challenging circumstances in foreign lands for centuries.

Yet you maintained your Indian identity,” Sushma Swaraj said while inaugurating the three-day International Roma Conference and Cultural Festival 2016 earlier this month. “A strong 20m Roma population is spread over 30 countries encompassing West Asia, Europe, America and Australia,” she said.

Romas are said to be descendants of Dom, Banjara, Gujjar, Sansi, Chauhan, Sikligar, Dhangar and other nomadic groups from northwest India.

According to some scholars, the first migration followed the invasion of Alexander the Great who carried ironsmiths skilled in making weapons in large numbers in the fifth century BC. An introductory paper released ahead of the conference

Roma Dancers

organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Antar Rashtriya Sahayod Parishad (ARSP) said that many Roma scholars, anthropologists and historians researching their origins have approved their roots in India.

“When the Greek scholar Paspati heard the Roma call the Cross Trushul under the clear sky of Constantinople, he realised it refers to Trishul, the trident of Shiva, the god of cosmic dance.

Long last, here was their origin,” ICCR president Lokesh Prasad said in his keynote address at the conference. The Roma scholar Dr Vania of Paris called his people ‘Ramno Chave’ or sons of Rama,” he said.

Chandra said that even today these people use words such as naak (nose), kaan (ear) and aakh (eyes).

These people are now known variously as “Zigeuner” in Germany, “Tsyiganes” or “Manus” in France, “Tatara” in Sweden, “Gitano” in Spain, and “Tshingan” in Turkey and Greece, “Tsigan” in Russia, Bulgaria and Romania and “Gypsies” in Britain. However,

Stop using term ‘Asian’ to describe Rotherham gang: Sikh group

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Sikh group in Britain has urged the media and politicians to stop describing the Rotherham grooming gang, which was handed combined sentence of more than 100 years for sexual assault on women, as “Asian”.

Sikh Federation UK said the use of term “Asian” for the Rotherham gang is too vague and “besmirches” other communities, The Independent reported.

Rotherham gang is a group in Britain, including four Pakistani men and two British women who groomed, raped, prostituted and abused teenage girls in Rotherham town of England and were handed combined prison sentences of 103 years on Friday, last week. It was found that at least 1,400 girls had been sexually exploited in Rotherham over a 16-year period.

Bhai Amrik Singh, chairman of the Sikh Federation UK said he hoped their combined prison sentences of more than 100 years would give a measure of justice to

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“victims that have endured more than a decade of violence and horrific sexual abuse”.

“One of the demands in the Sikh Manifesto that we published a year ago before the General Election was that the government should encourage public bodies and the media to abandon the use of the term ‘Asian’ when describing perpetrators for reasons of political correctness,” Singh was quoted as saying.

In a joint statement, the Hindu Council UK, the Network of Sikh Organisations, Sikh Media Monitoring Group and the Sikh Awareness Society had said, “Communities who themselves fall victim of this emerging pattern of criminality, should not be besmirched by the vague terminology ‘Asian’ ... in order to help find a solution to the problem, we need to be clear on the identity of those involved.”

The petition closed with 1,859 signatures calling for the word “Asian” not to be used in grooming and sex abuse cases.

these people have not been accepted by society in various parts of the world and continue to face persecution of various types. They continue to live on the fringes of urban centres.

“Perhaps the most devastating persecution of the Romani occurred during World War II when they were among the first targets of Nazi atrocities, according to the BBC,” the introductory paper says.

“An estimated two million Romani died in concentration camps and through other means of extermination, even unethical medical experiments.”

According to a paper presented at the conference by Valery Novoselsky, vice president and commissioner of culture of the Serbia-based World Roma Organisation, prominent personalities of the Roma community include Yul Brynner, Charlie Chaplin, Michael Caine and Elvis Presley.

While film and stage actor Brynner, of Russian origin, started his adventurous life playing guitar in Romany circles and working as a trapeze artist in circus, Chaplin

was born in a Gypsy caravan in the British West Midlands and not Walworth, London, as was believed, according to Novoselsky.

On actor Michael Caine, he stated: “Born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, it was a tradition of his Romanichel family to call the first-born son Maurice.”

Elvis Presley’s ancestors went to the US from Germany in the 18th century and their original surname was Pressler.

“They were part of the Sinti people commonly known as ‘Black Dutch’, also called ‘Chicanere’ and ‘Melungeons,” Novoselsky stated.

“Roma people are an Indian nation, the autochthonous territory of south eastern and Western Europe, but also in other parts of the world, with all attributes that make them a special national entity,” Jovan Damjanovic, president of the World Roma Organisation, said at the conclusion of the New Delhi conference. “We would like to be treated as the Indian diaspora and can make a contribution to our country of origin’s growth,” he added. So, can the Romas be seen as part of the Indian diaspora?

“The conference was meant to create further awareness globally about the Romas and provide useful pointers towards developing educational and scientific structures and help in finding solutions for challenges being faced by the Roma community across the world,” said Vikas Swarup, spokesman of the external affairs ministry under which the ICCR falls.

Distressed Indians in UAE to use community fund

D

istressed Indians in the UAE have been urged to use 11.7 million Dirham (Rs.21 crore) community fund to which Indian expats contribute every time they avail a consular service, a media report said.

Dinesh Kumar, First Secretary (Community Affairs) at the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi told Khaleej Times that the fund under the mission currently amounts to 11.7 million dirham.

Needy Indians—including those stranded after losing jobs, runaway house maids and critically ill patients—are among those who can avail monetary support from the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF). As much as 2.43 million Dirham was spent from the fund in 2015 within the UAE and an additional 6.7 million Dirham was disbursed from the same for the evacuation of Indians in Iraq last year, figures from the embassy showed.

“An amount of Rs.12 crore was allotted to the Indian Embassy in Baghdad for the evacuation of the Indians stuck there (due to the civil war in Iraq). We still have about Rs.21 crore left in the fund,” said Kumar. At the launch of a family protection scheme for NRI families from Aster DM Healthcare and RAK Insurance last week, Indian Ambassador to the UAE T.P. Seetharam urged Indians in distress to seek help from the fund. He said there are over 8,000 Indian associations or community groups in the UAE and sought their help in bringing the cases of distressed Indians to the attention of the Indian missions.

Indian-origin physicist discovers material better than graphene

A

n Indian-origin scientist has developed a new one atom-thick flat material that could upstage the wonder material graphene for having properties allowing it to be used in advance digital technology.

Discovered by Madhu Menon, physicist at the University of Kentucky in the US, the new material is made up of silicon, boron and nitrogen—all light, inexpensive and abundant elements. The material is stable, a property many other graphene alternatives lack.

“We used simulations to see if the bonds would break or disintegrate—it didn’t happen. We heated the material up to 1,000 degree celsius and it still didn’t break,” said Menon, physicist in the centre for computational sciences. The discovery is reported in a paper in Physical Review B. Using state-of-the-art theoretical computations, Menon and his collaborators demonstrated that by combining

the three elements, it is possible to obtain a one atom-thick, truly 2D material with properties that can be fine-tuned to suit various applications beyond what is possible with graphene.

Menon’s colleagues were Ernst Richter from Daimler in Germany and Antonis Andriotis from Institute for Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL) in Greece.

While graphene is touted as being the world’s strongest material with many unique properties, it has one downside: it isn’t a semiconductor and therefore disappoints in the digital technology industry. The

three elements forming the new material all have different sizes; the bonds connecting the atoms are also different.

As a result, the sides of the hexagons formed by these atoms are unequal, unlike in graphene. The new material is metallic but can be made semiconducting easily by attaching other elements on top of the silicon atoms.

“We know that silicon-based technology is reaching its limit because we are putting more and more components together and making electronic processors more and more compact,” Menon said adding, “But we know that this cannot go on indefinitely; we need smarter materials.”

He said they were anxious for this to be made in the lab. “The ultimate test of any theory is experimental verification, so the sooner the better!” Menon added in the paper.

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SPORTS

4 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Asia Cup: India beats Pakistan, Sri Lanka; enters final India beat Pakistan in low scoring thriller ndia rode on a strong bowling performance to defeat archrivals Pakistan by five wickets in their Twenty20 International clash of the Asia Cup at the Shere-Bangla National Stadium in Bangladesh on February 27.

Both teams struggled to bat on a greenish wicket with uneven bounce. The Indian bowlers justified their captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s decision to field first by bundling out Pakistan for a mere 83 runs in 17.3 overs.

This was the third lowest total

by Pakistan in T20 cricket.

The Indian batsmen then braved some excellent bowling by the Pakistan pacers to overhaul the target in 15.3 overs.

Virat Kohli top scored for India with 49. The Delhi lad put on a 68-run stand with Yuvraj Singh (14 not out) to take the match away from Pakistan. Kohli, who was adjudged the man of the match, was unlucky to given leg before just one run short of his half-century off the bowling of Momammad Sami. Television replays later showed that the ball had taken the edge of the bat before hitting the pad.

Amir had figures of 3/18 while Mohammad Sami (2/16) got two wickets. Mohammad Irfan (0/16) also bowled well although he did not manage to get a wicket.

Defending a measly total, the

I

Pakistan fast bowlers showed their true pedigree with a brave effort. Amir gave Pakistan a glimmer of hope, striking early blows for Pakistan. He removed Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane in the opening over before either batsman had opened their respective accounts.

Amir was unlucky not to get a favourable leg before decision with the very first ball of the Indian innings. The left-armer bowled a superb Yorker which moved in slightly to hit Rohit on the front leg. The umpire however, was unmoved by the jubilant Pakistani appeals. Amir made amends in the next ball which moved sharply in after pitching on a good length, beating Rohit with pace and movement to trap him plumb leg before.

The 23-year-old trapped Rahane leg before just two balls later with a beautiful delivery that slanted across the batsman before moving sharply in after pitching.

In his next over, Amir fooled Suresh Raina with some deceptive movement as Wahab Riaz grabbed an easy catch at mid-on.

But if the sizeable Pakistan contingent among the spectators nurtured any hopes of a strong comeback, they were quickly dashed as Kohli and Yuvraj took charge. The duo were regularly beaten by the movement and variable bounce, but survived

some close calls to take India slowly but surely towards victory.

Kohli and Hardik Pandya went back in quick succession towards the end. But Dhoni joined Yuvraj in the middle to guide India to victory with more than four overs overs to spare. Sarfraz Ahmad was the top scorer for Pakistan with 25. Only two other batsmen managed to post double figures.

The Pakistani batsmen compounded their own misery by some poor shot selection and shoddy running between the wickets which led to a couple of run outs. The Indian pace duo of the experienced Nehra and talented youngster Bumrah bowled a superb opening spell.

They bowled with pace and swing, helped by the uneven bounce.

Pakistan suffered an early blow when Nehra struck in the very first over. Opener Mohammad Hafeez was outfoxed by the variable bounce when he misjudged the height of an incoming delivery.

Sharjeel Khan followed his opening partner back to the pavilion soon after when he attempted to cut a widish delivery

Ronaldo criticises teammates, media after Madrid derby loss

R

eal Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo appeared unhappy with his teammates and the media after the loss to city rivals Atletico at the Santiago Bernabeau Stadium in Madrid last weekend.

Antoine Griezmann scored the only goal of the game as Atletico Madrid cemented their grip on the secont spot with 58 points from 26 matches, five points behind league leaders FC Barcelona.

Third-placed Real on the other hand, virtually kissed their title chances goodbye as they slipped nine points behind arch-rivals Barcelona with 12 games in hand.

“It annoys me that they say that Cristiano has dropped his level, and that is why Madrid have dropped their level. If the whole team was in my level, we’d be first,” Ronaldo told the local media after the game. “I don’t want to disrespect anyone, but when the best players aren’t available it’s harder to win. I like to play with

Karim (Benzema), with (Gareth) Bale, with Marcelo.

“I’m not saying the others like Lucas (Vazquez), Jese and (Mateo) Kovacic are not good players—they are very good players—but it’s not the same,” he added. The 31-yearold sought to clarify his remarks later telling Spanish daily Marca,”When I say that, I am talking about my fitness level, not my level as a player. I am no better than any of my team-mates.”

The prolific forward also hit out at the media for persistant criticism of his form.

“For all you guys it seems I am s***, but I don’t listen to what the press say.

The statistics and numbers don’t lie.”

“A lot of times you are unfair, you ask me (tough)

questions and you question my value. It’s always been like this in Spain, all these years,” he added.

Real were without several key players for the clash on February 27, with star winger Gareth Bale, central defender Pepe and Brazilian full back Marcelo missing from their lineup. Centre-forward Karim Benzema also had to come off at half-time because of injury.

“We had more chances than Atletico and we deserved to win. I don’t think it’s a lack of preparation, but we have a lot of injuries who cost us. I don’t know why we have so many injuries.

Maybe because of the preparation at the beginning of the season, or pre-season?”

Ronaldo lamented.

from Bumrah. But the extra bounce caught him unawares and he offered a thick edge off the bottom of the bat to Rahane at first slip.

The 29-year-old ran halfway down the pitch after Shoaib Malik hit a Bumrah delivery to Kohli at cover. Malik tried to send Manzoor back to his crease. In his haste, Manzoor dropped his bat and was caught a long way out of his crease as Kohli came up with an accurate throw to the non-striker’s end.

India beat Sri Lanka to enter Asia Cup final

I

ndia rode on fine knocks

by Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh to defeat Sri Lanka by five wickets in their Asia Cup

Twenty20 cricket match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Tuesday, March 1.

Coming in after the early fall of opener Shikhar Dhawan, Kohli anchored the innings with some solid batting as India overhauled the 139-run target with five wickets in hand and four balls to spare.

Yuvraj produced a powerpacked innings, hitting 35 runs off 18 balls with three boundaries and an equal number of sixes.

India, who have won all the three matches they have played so far, thus assured themselves a spot in the final.

The men in blue are at the top of the five-team table with six points and even an unlikely defeat in the final group game against United Arab Emirates will see them through to the summit clash.

Nuwan Kulasekara was the most successful among the Sri Lankan bowlers with figures of 2/21.

Earlier, Sri Lanka produced a competitive total of 138/9 in their 20 overs. Chamara Kapugedera (30) was their highest scorer.

For India, promising allrounder Hardik Pandya (2/26), off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (2/26) and young pacer Jasprit Bumrah (2/27) took two wickets each.

Veteran pacer Ashish Nehra (1/22), who bowled an excellent opening spell, also got a wicket.

Madrid striker Benzema out for 3 weeks

T

he bad news continued to pile up for Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane with the confirmation this week that striker Karim Benzema will be out of action for the next three weeks with a hamstring injury in his right leg.

Benzema, who has scored 23 goals this season, was forced to leave the pitch after just 45 minutes of last week’s Madrid derby, which Real lost 0-1 at home to local rivals Atletico Madrid in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, reports Xinhua.

Tests carried out on Monday morning confirmed the extent of his injury, which means Benzema will miss La Liga games against Levante, Celta Vigo and Las Palmas and is in a serious doubt for the following game, which is against Sevilla.

Benzema will also miss the return leg of the Champions League last-16 game at home to

Roma, although Real Madrid take a comfortable lead into that match.

The loss of the French striker is added to that of Gareth Bale and Marcelo, who are both out with calf injuries, while Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal are both suspended for Wednesday’s league game away to bottom of the table, Levante.

KIDS ZONE

www.iwk.co.nz | 4 March 2016

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Don't give up!

Anoushka Patel

Sometimes you don’t do anything wrong but everyone blames you, It is like fighting the world on your own, But do not give up.

If you believe that you are not wrong, then fight on even if its against the whole world.

We know you can do it.

www.kidspuzzlesandgames.co

.uk

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ASTROLOGY

4 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Weekly forecast: March 4 to March 10 ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

This is the time to go forth and grasp what had been eluding you previously.

You will put in the required efforts on the professional or academic front to reap rich rewards. Your honest intentions on the work front will be lauded by your well wishers and mentors. Eating right is the key to your good health and will keep you fit and energetic. A new place is likely to be explored by some. Love life will remain satisfying.

Total job satisfaction in a new job is indicated for some. You are likely to get a good bargain on something you had been wanting for long. Money will not pose much problem, as you are likely to have enough. Keeping a laid back attitude even in stressful situations will help retain peace of mind. Too much work on the professional front may compel you to devote some extra hours. A favour needs to be reciprocated quickly.

Some adjustments may be required on the academic front. This is the time to let your hair down and enjoy.

A pat on the back on the professional front will get you in an upbeat mood.

A deal promises to bring you into big money. Those aiming for something expensive will be able to raise a loan with least hassle. An outdoor party can get you happily involved. Sticking to a regular routine will affect your health positively.

You will have the support of someone influential. All the tasks that were stuck up for one reason or the other are likely to be completed. Chance of going abroad on an official tour cannot be ruled out for some.

Hosting a party just to meet friends and relations is possible. Deepening emotional bonds with someone you have a liking for can culminate into a long-term romance. Extra money can tempt you to indulge in a bit of luxury!

Lucky No.: 11 Lucky Colour: Sea Green

Lucky No.: 8 Lucky Colour: Electric Grey

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

You may need to tend to something of an urgent nature. If you are looking for peace on the home front, you are in luck. Tranquility pervades the domestic front and gives you the chance to let your hair down. A long-term relationship can culminate in wedding for some. The eligible, too, can get lucky in finding a soul mate. Those shifting residence are assured of better environment and opportunities. A property deal is in the offing.

Time will fly fast, if you procrastinate on the academic front, so get your act together now. You are likely to swim with the tide on the professional or academic front. But, your burning desire to get ahead is likely to motivate you to put in some extra efforts. You may find yourself in a dilemma on the financial front – to splurge with friends to remain in their circle or save money and become an odd one out.

Someone’s unkind comments may cut like a sharp-edged weapon. You may not be satisfied with the new set up at your work station, but little you can do about it. Interest and eagerness may have to be shown, if you want to remain on the right side of a superior. You will need to be level-headed, where finances are concerned to cater for the rainy day.

Those unlucky in love should not lose heart, as some positive indications appear!

Lucky No.: 8 Lucky Colour: Electric Grey

Lucky No.: 3 Lucky Colour: Rose

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Someone may advice you on something important, so don’t reject it out of hand. You can struggle to keep pace on the work front. Mounting expenses can compel you to search for newer ways of making money. A friend or associate can prove a big help in sharing your official workload. You are likely to become someone’s special, but let that not deter you from your original focus. You are likely to do some fun things with family.

Someone is likely to accord you a VIP treatment soon, so get set for it! You are generally enjoying life at present and will continue to do so. Those aspiring for scholarship will have no difficulty in achieving their objective.

You will have enough to buy a thing that is expensive. Lover will be at your beck and call, so enjoy the period!

You will feel most satisfied with something that you have achieved on the professional front.

(March 21-April 20)

(April 21-May 20)

Lucky No.: 3 Lucky Colour: Violet

Lucky No.: 4 Lucky Colour: Turquoise

LEO

(July 23-August 23)

(August 24-September 23)

It may seem difficult to catch up with others on the academic front. Your will power may not be enough to keep you focussed on your priorities. A changed diet may not have the desired effect on your shape, so try reducing your diet.

Earnings need to be invested wisely or you may end up dissipating them. A wrong initiative taken on the work front may haunt you afterwards. You can be unduly harsh to a family member.

Lucky No.: 17 Lucky Colour: Light Blue

Lucky No.: 8 Lucky Colour: Dark Green

SAGITTARIUS

(November 23-December 11) This is the time to let go of your past grudges and embrace positivity. Your competence and outgoing nature is likely to draw attention of those who matter to you on the professional front. Excellent bonding with parents will encourage you to share even your personal thoughts and desires. Some of you are likely to enjoy to the hilt all the attention being showered on you on the romantic front. Don’t let up on any networking opportunity.

Lucky No.: 11 Lucky Colour: Sea Green

CAPRICORN

(December 22-January 21) You may have to tackle a grumpy old timer with tact and patience.

Distractions can make you lose your focus at work. This can pose problems for those pursuing a course or undergoing an important training. A lot of encouragement from the family is in store for those wanting to do something different. You can develop feelings for someone, but whether it is love or just infatuation you will need to find out for yourself. Health remains satisfactory.

Lucky No.: 4 Lucky Colour: Red

(May 21-June 21)

(September 24-October 23)

(January 22-February 19)

Lucky No.: 17 Lucky Colour: Lavender

(June 22-July 20)

(October 24-November 22)

(February 20-March 20)

Lucky No.: 4 Lucky Colour: Electric Grey

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

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

FEATURES

www.iwk.co.nz | 4 March 2016

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What are you doing this Women’s Day?

How will you mark the day?

Celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women across the world. #IWD2016

#PledgeForParity

CELEBRATE

TAKE ACTION

Maya Shivam

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he International Women’s Day 2016 is upon us. This year the theme has two parts to it, one, to celebrate women all across the world and two, to make a pledge for gender parity. For the UN, the 2016 theme for International Women’s Day is “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step it up for gender equality”. The United Nations observance on March 8 will reflect on how to accelerate the 2030 agenda, building momentum for the effective implementation of the new sustainable development goals. It will equally focus on new commitments under UN Women’s Step It Up initiative, and other existing commitments on gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s human rights.

So this really seems to be a day to think about what will you do. It is the committed actions of each one of us at our own levels that will eventually make the bigger difference.

During the Soviet period, the holiday celebrated “the heroic woman worker.”

Today it is still a Russian holiday— celebrated in the fashion of Mother’s Day with flowers or breakfast in bed—in which men show appreciation for the women in their lives.

IWD was commemorated in the United States during the 1910s and 1920s but then dwindled. It was revived during the women’s movement in the 1960s, but without its socialist associations. In 1975, the UN began sponsoring International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day is now an official holiday in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. In addition, events are held all over the world.

A historical overview

The current trends

Let’s look at the history of this day—where it all started. In its various incarnations, possibly starting out as a communist holiday to a UN-sponsored event, International Women’s Day now has been celebrated around the world for more than 95 years.

Inspired by an American commemoration of working women, the German socialist Klara Zetkin organised International Women’s Day (IWD) in 1911.

On March 19, socialists from Germany, Austria, Denmark and other European countries held strikes and marches. Russian revolutionary and feminist Aleksandra Kollontai, who helped organise the event, described it as “one seething trembling sea of women.”

As this nascent annual event developed, it took on the cause of peace as well as women’s rights. In 1915, Zetkin organised a demonstration in Bern, Switzerland, to

Some of the issues the UN and International Women’s Day have focused on include the following: • The World Economic Forum predicted in 2014 that it would take until 2095 to achieve global gender parity. Then one year later in 2015, they estimated that a slowdown in the already glacial pace of progress meant the gender gap wouldn’t close entirely until 2133.

• About 25,000 brides are burned to death each year in India because of insufficient dowries. The groom’s family will set the bride on fire, presenting it as an accident or suicide. The groom is then free to remarry.

• In a number of countries, women who have been raped are sometimes killed by their own families to preserve the family’s honour. Honour killings have been reported in Jordan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and other Persian Gulf countries.

urge the end of World War I. Women on both sides of the war turned out.

Both Zetkin and Kollontai took part in the most famous International Women’s Day—the March 8, 1917 strike “for bread and peace” led by Russian women in St. Petersburg. The IWD strike merged with riots that had spread through the city from March 8 to 12. The February Revolution, as it became known, forced the Czar Nicholas II to abdicate. (Russia switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in 1918, which moved the dates of the February revolution [Feb. 24–28, old style] to March.)

Kollontai, a minister in the first Soviet government, persuaded Lenin to make March 8 an official communist holiday.

• According to UNICEF, 100 million to 140 million girls and women have undergone some form of female genital mutilation.

Today, this practice is carried out in 28 African countries, despite the fact that it is outlawed in a number of these nations.

• Rape as a weapon of war has been used in Chiapas, Mexico, Rwanda, Kuwait, Haiti, Colombia, and elsewhere.

Looking forward As awareness, education and now the advent of social media grows, more and more women are joining the movement to take heed. We need to be aware that progress for gender parity has slowed in many places. So urgent action needs to be taken. Let’s take the pledge today for gender parity and make that difference.

The pledge • Help women and girls achieve their ambitions • Challenge conscious and unconscious bias • Call for gender-balanced leadership • Value women and men’s contributions equally • Create inclusive, flexible cultures Celebrate women Let’s also mark this day by celebrating each and every woman around you (starting with yourself). Whatever it is that makes you feel good—getting together with the girls for breakfast, for a coffee or a drink or simply sending them a message or even a post on Facebook. Every little bit matters as long as you are willing to do it. Let’s do something this Women’s day (as L’Oréal would say) because you’re worth it!

(Ref : www.infoplease.com,www. internationalwomensday.com )

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FEATURES

4 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Watch that salt Maya Shivam

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hile we are too busy watching our sugar intake, we forget to pay heed to the amount of salt that we might be eating. In this World Salt Awareness Week (February 29 to March 6, 2016) let’s take a look at salt. World Salt Awareness week aims to raise awareness of the dangers of too much salt in the diet.

Studies reveal that most New Zealanders, especially the children have too much salt in their food, thanks to the school lunches we so lovingly prepare.

It seems that we are all eating one-and -a-half times the recommended maximum intake of salt a day. Back in hunter-gatherer days, salt wasn’t added to food. Enough salt was obtained from the small amounts naturally occurring in foods, and still would be today. It is in the last few thousand years that use of salt has increased, driven by the need to preserve food. Over this time, our taste buds have become used to being inundated with salty flavours. The good news is that it doesn’t take long for our taste buds to get used to less salt and like less salty foods. High salt intake is linked to -high blood pressure -strokes -heart disease -kidney disease -some cancers -obesity -osteoporosis The New Zealand Stroke Foundation, the Heart Foundation and other such health agencies are thus stepping forward to increase the awareness of too much salt in our diets.

How much salt should you be eating?

The World Health Organisation recommends a daily salt intake of between three to six grams (six grams is about one teaspoon). New Zealanders consume an average of nine grams of salt a day.

What is the difference between salt and sodium?

Salt is made from the minerals sodium and chloride. Around 40 per cent of salt is sodium and 60 per cent is chloride. The body needs some sodium but too much can harm our health.

Three simple tips to reduce your salt intake 1. Increase your consumption of fresh unprocessed foods. Around 75 per cent of the salt we consume comes from processed or packages foods. The biggest offenders include processed meats, smoked foods, Marmite, foods canned in brine, takeaways, chips, instant noodles and sauces such as tomato, soy sauce and dressings. Breads, breakfast cereals, cheese, baked beans and crackers also contribute significantly to our daily salt intake as we tend to eat a lot of these foods.

2. When buying processed packaged foods, check the nutrition information panel. Salt is listed as sodium. A low salt option will have less that 120mg of sodium per 100g of food. Click here if you want to know more about reading nutrition information panels (http://www.stroke. org.nz/checking-sodium-levels) 3. Use herbs, spices and other seasonings instead of salt when cooking and at the table.

Keeping to the theme then here are three low salt recipes that are a must try:

Lemon Garlic Fish Bake Ingredients: • 4 Fish Fillets (Tarahiki, Snapper, Hoki or any fish of your choice) • 2 cloves of Garlic • 4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice • 1 Tablespoon melted butter • 1 Teaspoon dried parsley flakes • Cracked pepper to taste • Cajun seasoning to taste Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)

Vegetarian’s Delight

Ingredients: • 1 pound new potatoes, halved • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1/2 pound Portobello mushrooms • 6 cloves unpeeled garlic • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme • 1 tablespoon olive oil kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste • Some Tuscan herb mix to taste • 1/4 pound cherry tomatoes • 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts • 1/4 pound spinach, thinly sliced Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Mexican Corn summer salad

Ingredients • 3 tablespoons butter • 2 cups whole corn kernels, cooked • 1 red bell pepper, diced • 1 cup chopped zucchini • 2 green onions, chopped • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander For the Salsa: • Two tomatoes finely chopped • Half red onion chopped • I green chilli • Some coriander stalks • Oregano flakes

2. Spray the baking dish with non-stick cooking spray 3. Rinse the fish fillets under cool water and pat dry with paper towels 4. Place fillets in the baking dish. Pour lemon juice over the fillets then drizzle the butter on top.

5. Now sprinkle the garlic, parsley, pepper and Cajun seasoning 6. Bake in pre heated oven until the fish is cooked and flakes to a fork (about 30 minutes depending on the type of fish)

2. Place new potatoes in a shallow roasting pan; drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Roast for 15 minutes, turning once.

3. Add Portobello mushrooms, placing stem sides up, and garlic cloves to pan.

Sprinkle with chopped thyme.

4. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with kosher salt, Tuscan herbs and black pepper.

5. Return to oven; cook 5 minutes 6. Remove pan from oven and add cherry tomatoes. Return to oven; cook until mushrooms are softened, about 5 more minutes.

7. Scatter pine nuts over potatoes and mushrooms 8. Serve with sliced spinach

Directions: 1. In a heavy large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat 2. Add the corn, bell pepper, zucchini, green onions and jalapeno pepper 3. Saute until vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes 4. Remove from heat and refrigerate vegetables until chilled For the salsa: 1. Add the chopped tomato, onion, chilli, coriander and oregano flakes to a blender and blend very lightly 2. Add salsa and chopped coriander to vegetable mixture. Stir and season with lemon and pepper to taste.

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www.iwk.co.nz | 4 March 2016

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Oscars 2016: DiCaprio triumphs, Priyanka makes India shine T

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he Revenant had a golden run at the 88th Academy Awards, where its lead actor Leonardo DiCaprio broke his Oscar jinx by winning the best actor trophy and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu was named best director. The gala night in Los Angeles saw British film-maker of Indian origin Asif Kapadia winning for Amy; late India-born British actor Saeed Jaffrey getting an ‘In memoriam’ honour and Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra taking to the stage as a star presenter.

DiCaprio, who had been nominated for the golden statuette four times for his acting earlier, took home his first Academy Award in the Actor in a Leading Role category for his power-packed performance in The Revenant. He rightfully received a standing ovation and accepted the honour with wan impactful speech, in which he addressed climate change.

Watch it on Sky Khatron Ke Khiladi

Khatron Ke Khiladi is an adaptation of the hit international format - Fear Factor. It is not a show for the faint-hearted; participants have to confront their most primal fears and remain calm and tap into their inner strength to perform some of the most daring and stomach-churning challenges ever. Season 7 features the popular actor Arjun Kapoor daring the contestants with even more heart stopping and never before heard of stunts. This year’s 14 charming contestants who are facing their fears headlong are Tanishaa Mukherji, Sidharth Shukla, Vivan Bathena and Sana Saeed, real-life television couple Jay Bhanushali and Mahhi Vij, model Parvathy Omanakuttan, Indian hockey player Yuvraj Walmiki, telly actors Aishwarya Sakhuja, Tina Dutta and Himanshoo Malhotra, and dancing stalwarts Faisal Khan, Mukti Mohan and Raghav Juyal. This season is only going to get better with high competitive spirits as we get closer to the finale and with wild card entries entering the show.

The maximum awards went to George Miller’s directorial Mad Max: Fury Road that picked up six trophies—Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hair Styling, Best Production Design and Best Costume Design categories.

Also presenting an award at the event was British actor of Indian origin Dev Patel, while London-based filmmaker of Indian origin Asif Kapadia bagged the Best Documentary Feature Oscar for Amy, based on the life of late singer Amy Winehouse.

However, Indian-American Pixar artist Sanjay Patel’s animated short Sanjay’s Super Team, which tells the story of an immigrant community and “a family of colour”, lost the Oscar to Chilean film Bear Story.

Also, Indian-born British actor Saeed Jaffrey was remembered in the annual “In Memoriam” montage, along with Alan Rickman, David Bowie and Leonard Nimoy.

For Pakistan, it was time for celebrations as filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy won the Oscar for Best Documentary-Short Subject for her project based on honour killing titled A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness.

It was also a first for Brie Larson when she won an Oscar in the Actress in a Leading Role category for her portrayal of a kidnapped girl imprisoned by a psychopath in Room. The big surprise came when Spotlight—a movie which shines the spotlight on journalism and a story of uncovering a child molestation scandal— won the Best Picture title at the ceremony held at the world-famous Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday night.

However, the maximum awards went to George Miller’s directorial Mad Max: Fury Road that picked up six trophies— Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hair Styling, Best Production Design and Best Costume Design categories.

The awards ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre, was hosted by actor-comedian Chris Rock who tackled the ‘lack of diversity’ and #OscarsSoWhite controversy, in a light-hearted manner—drawing mixed reactions.

For India, while Marathi film Court, the country’s official entry for Best Foreign Language Film, did not make it to the final nomination list this year, there were proud moments for the country in abundance.

Priyanka Chopra looked stunning in an elegant white gown, a creation by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad. Besides flaunting a perfect red carpet appearance, she exuded confidence as she presented the Oscar in the Best Film Editing category to Mad Max: Fury Road along with Hollywood star Liev Schreiber.

Comedy Nights Live

Comedy Nights Live is a stand-up comedy, fronted by the very popular Krushna, Abhishek and Bharti Singh. Set with a household backdrop, the show also has a set of talented cast of supporting actors like Sudesh Lehri, Upasana Singh, Gaurav Dubey. The show also witnesses leading celebrities while Mika Singh is the permanent guest on the show.

Naagin

Naagin is Shivanya’s story, an Icchadhari Naagin who can shape shift from snake form into human. Her parents were killed by a group of people, 25 years ago, and now she is coming into their lives for revenge. She will take her revenge from the family by ensnaring the Hero, and entering the house. Somewhere along the way she despite her own plans, falling in love with the Hero and realizes that he is not to blame. How will she resolve the conflict between her need for revenge and the love she feels, both equally strong forces, is the story of Naagin

Swaragini

Swaragini is a journey of how Swara and Ragini discover their true identities and hold onto their family ties and ideals in a fractured and uncordial environment which is a result of a concealed past. At this point, the story has taken a major twist with Swara being married to Sanskar, while on the other side Lakshay has divorced Ragini. Swara is now living in the Maheshwari household while Ragini is back to the Sasodia house. Will Ragini find her way back in to Lakshay’s life?

Kasam

Starts on 8th March Kasam is the story of true love. Set in Mumbai, Kasam features Randeep and Tanushree who fall deeply in love through a twist of fate and destiny.

After marriage, Tanushree ends up dying in a horrific car accident but is reborn and she comes into Randeep’s life after 20 years, in a most unexpected twist of events and in a form he expects the least. Kasam is that ultimate story of reincarnation – of love in its purest form.

Ashoka

This is the story of Ashoka the Great as it has never been told before. It speaks of Ashoka - the boy, the son, the brother, the friend, the warrior and the future emperor who created India the nation. It traverses Ashoka’s path towards fighting for the right of his mother, with that vow, starts Ashoka’s epic journey towards becoming the greatest Emperor… a Chakravartin, and creating Bharat (Unified India). Currently in the Thakshshila AdhyaWill Ashoka be able to defeat Keechak and free the people of Takshshila from his cruelty? And will the defeat help in changing the relationship between Princess Kaurwaki and Ashoka?

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ENTERTAINMENT

4 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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I’m still a work in progress: Parineeti Chopra Durga Chakravarty

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he makes no bones about admitting that she is a more confident person following her weight loss, but actress Parineeti Chopra, who believes being a celebrity puts her in a privileged position, says she still has a long way to go to be as fit as she wants to be.

Parineeti, who was last seen on the big screen in 2014 in Kill Dil, was on the chubbier side when she entered Bollywood with Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl in 2011. But her transformation towards the end of last year left her critics tight-lipped.

Does she feel more confident?

“Yes, for sure! I do feel more comfortable in different clothes. I used to be conscious about how I am looking because I wasn’t confident about my body... But I do feel more confident as compared to earlier,” Parineeti said in an interview.

But the 27-year-old actress was quick to add that she is “still a work in progress” as it “will still take a couple of months to completely get into the shape” that she wants.

She has realised that being fitter helps in showbiz.

The Ishaqzaade and Daawat-e-Ishq star said, “I think being your slimmest and fittest—whatever your body type may allow—is important because it helps you to do a variety of things on screen...

I think if you are not your fittest self, then it limits you in the characters you play.”

Neerja gets stronghold at box office

However, being a celebrity, didn’t she get affected by or feel stifled by brickbats and criticism that came her way even before and after her weight loss?

Parineeti said, “Not at all. I think we are in a great position, where anything that we do reaches out globally and people all over the world get to see it, comment on it and give their opinion on it. I think it’s a privileged position to have.”

She stressed that getting a “100 per cent positive review” on any aspect is not possible.

“Good and bad will always happen...

You can never have a 100 per cent positive review on anything and that’s the beauty of this industry. It depends on the millions of different people. They will have different opinions on that one thing you have done. So, I feel it’s a privileged position I am in,” she added.

Now, in her spruced up a v a t a r , Parineeti w i l l next

overwhelming response both critically and commercially. Produced by Fox Star Studios and Bling Unplugged, the film, directed

by Ram Madhvani narrates Neerja’s act of bravery.

Shraddha finds spot in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list

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onam Kapoor-starrer Neerja has taken off at the Indian box office on a good note. The film, based on the life of Neerja Bhanot who sacrificed her life while saving passengers on board hijacked Pan Am flight 73, has minted more than Rs.38 crore since its release.

According to a statement from the makers, the film, which released on February 19, has registered business of Rs 38.47 crore till last weekend. The first weekend collection was Rs. 22.01 crore.

The film has since seen a steady growth.

The film, which also stars Shabana Azmi and Shekhar Ravjiani, has received an

ctress Shraddha Kapoor is humbled to find a spot in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list, and says it comes as a motivating factor for her to push the envelope.

“It has not been easy to reach this level in order to feature in this prestigious list of achievers. I am humbled and motivated to keep pushing myself,” Shraddha said.

Shraddha is said to be the only name from Bollywood in the list, which also features names such as cricketer Virat Kohli and international actor Liam Hemsworth.

The 26-year-old star features in the 2016 magazine issue, and the list features other 300 of the top promising young leaders from 10 different sectors.

The Ek Villain star is listed under the entertainment and sports sector.

Back home, the daughter of actor Shakti Kapoor is known for her acting, dancing as well as singing skills. This would mark her second time on a Forbes list. Shraddha has earlier ranked 57th on the 2015 Forbes Indian Celebrity 100 with annual earnings of $1.3 million. On the film front, she is now prepping for Rock On 2 and Baaghi.

be seen in Yash Raj Films’ Meri Pyaari Bindu, where she will be seen playing an aspiring singer.

Karisma files a case of harassment

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ctress Karisma Kapoor has filed a complaint of mental harassment against her estranged husband Sunjay and mother-in-law Rani Kapur. The Biwi No.1 star’s lawyer says it is a case of harassment which is completely different from her divorce case.

“It’s not a dowry case. It’s a case of harassment and this case is completely different from the ongoing divorce case.

This doesn’t even come under family court.

It’s in the magistrate court. She is not claiming anything for herself,” Karisma’s lawyer Kranti Sathe told media.

“It is basically for the settlement of children (son Kiaan Raj Kapoor and elder daughter Samiera Kapoor). She basically wants to protect her children,” Sathe added.

Reports earlier this year said the divorce petition filed by Sunjay claimed that she had married him for his money.

Raima wants Bhansali, Mani Ratnam to make biopic on grandmother

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ctress Raima Sen is keen that a noted film-maker like Sanjay Leela Bhansali or Mani Ratnam comes on board to direct a biopic of her celebrated grandmother, late actress Suchitra Sen. Actress Vidya Balan is said to have turned down the offer to play the lead role in the

biopic. Talking about it, Raima said, “I have been in talks with some producers since two years for my grandmother’s biopic. Vidya Balan was approached for the role, but due

to some date issues, she refused. I want the biopic on my grandmother to be made and I want it to be directed by either Sanjay Leela Bhansali or Mani Ratnam.”

Vidya had stated in a media report that while she would have loved to essay a legend like Suchitra Sen on screen, but she didn’t find any physical resemblance with her. Besides that, she felt that since it was going to be a Bengali film, Raima could do the role better. Raima’s performance has been appreciated in films such as Parineeta, Eklavya—The Royal Guard, Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd and Chokher Bali. She has recently starred in Bollywood Diaries.

ENTERTAINMENT

www.iwk.co.nz | 4 March 2016

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Earlybird Fares Return fare starting from

Delhi ...................... $1328* Amritsar ............... $1366* Hyderabad ........... $1254*

Mumbai ................... $1246* Kolkata .................... $1254* Ahmedabad ............ $1358*

*Offer ends on 31st March 2016 unless sold out prior. Advertised fares are all inclusive for travel on the route Auckland-India-Auckland(via Sydney/Melbourne/Delhi), priced as on 29th February 2016 for outbound travel on 17th March 2016 and inbound travel on 20th April 2016, with 8 kg carry-on luggage and 30 kg check-in baggage. Travel between Auckland and Melbourne/Sydney permitted on our interline partner Air New Zealand (NZ) Virgin Australia (VA), Qantas (QF) only. Outbound travel is permitted from 16th Feb 16 to 15th June 16 or 06th July 16 to 10th November 16. Travel must be completed within 3 months from the date of departure. Prices are correct as on 29th February 2016 and small variations in prices may occur as a result of changes in airport taxes or currency fluctuations. Offer is subject to availability and fares are valid on Air India operated flights only. Basic fare and fuel surcharge are non-refundable and change/no-show fees apply. For full terms and conditions, please visit www.airindia.com or contact your local travel agent or call Air India on (03) 90218720 / (02) 92833370.

Note:-Passengers travelling to Amritsar will be provided with STPC at Delhi airport if the same day connecting flight is not operated.

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4 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

In conversation with the German Dubsmash sisters

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IWK: Who is the baby star in the video and what’s his name?

KB: Gabriel is our little angel. He is my son. When his mood is okay, we add him to our videos.

IWK: Any plans to come to India and try your luck in Bollywood?

KB: I have been to Mumbai, Delhi and Pune in the past but right now Breshna is in India trying her luck. I am also planning to visit Mumbai towards the end of March. So keeping my fingers crossed.

IWK: Tell us a little about yourself (Khatera and Breshna) KB: We are two crazy Bollywood ke deewane sisters: Khatera and Breshna from Germany. Breshna loves Bollywood, acting and dancing. I love all kind of movies and serials. I am completely into the entertainment business.

IWK: Should we expect more Dubsmash videos in the future?

KB: Of course! We are continuing the fun and will do more videos.

IWK: Any message to your fans

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KB: As soon as we saw Dubsmash in April 2015, we started making our videos.

IWK: Why Bollywood? Do you have any connections with India?

KB: We have been watching Bollywood movies since childhood. Our father was a big fan of Bollywood movies. That is the only connection we have with India.

IWK: Can you speak in Hindi?

KB: I can understand the language and can speak a little but I cannot converse fluently.

Breshna can speak good Hindi.

IWK: Any Indian friend who helped you while making the videos?

KB: No one helped us in making the videos.

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KB: They were all praising us and they liked our performance. We got an incredible response, which was exciting and encouraging too.

erman sisters Khatera Bilsky and Breshna Khan became stars overnight after their Dubsmash videos on the popular Bollywood movies became an Internet sensation in India and among Bollywood fans around the world.

Their first video lip-syncing Andaz Apna Apna dialogues has gained around six million views on YouTube.

Indian Weekender interviewed Khatera Bilsky last week where she spoke about their Bollywood madness.

IWK: When did you making Dubsmash videos?

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Left: Breshna Khan Right: Khatera Bilsky Inset: The German sisters with Khatera’s son Gabriel

We did it on our own since we understood the language.

IWK: How difficult or easy was it to learn Hindi?

KB: We learned it like a kid learning his mother tongue, so it was not very difficult.

We did not have much trouble while making videos and lip-syncing.

IWK: What are your favourite Bollywood films and which actors do you like?

KB: Our favourite film is Andaaz Apna Apna. Breshna’s favourite actor is Aamir

Auckland Arts Festival

Date: Wednesday, March 2 to Sunday, March 20, 2016 Venue: Various Locations within Auckland City For the first time since the ‘70s our city is hosting an annual international arts festival!

Bringing theatre, music, cabaret, dance, circus and visual arts from all over the world and right here in NZ, next year’s Auckland Arts Festival creates 19-days of moments to make life in Auckland even sweeter for us all.

ARMS Workshop on free driving information

Date: Saturday March 5, 2016 Time: 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Venue: ARMS Regional Offices, 532 Mt Albert Road, Three Kings.

Auckland Regional Migrant Services Charitable Trust (ARMS) is holding a free driving information workshop for all migrants. A driving school will be giving a talk on how to obtain a driving licence and how to convert an overseas licence to a New Zealand licence, NZ Police will present on road rules and how to stay safe on the road, and Auckland Community Law Centre will explain what migrant motorists should do if they are involved in a traffic

KB: Thanks a lot for your great response, for your love and support.

We will try our best to entertain you and bring a smile on your face.

Love you all!

Khan and recently she liked the movie Tamasha. I love Shahrukh Khan and Kajol is my favourite actress.

One of my all-time favourite movies besides Andaaz Apna Apna is Gangs of Wasseypur. We also like Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Irrfan Khan.

IWK: How has the response been from your fans in Germany, India and overseas?

accident. This is also an opportunity for migrants to ask any questions they have about driving in New Zealand.

Registration is essential. Participants should arrive 15 minutes early. All workshops are in English.

For more information or to sign up for the workshops, contact ARMS on 09 625 3095 or email chinwea@armsmrc.org.nz

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

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

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

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

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

Your Dubsmash stars Khatera and Breshna can be reached on Instagram @ grzmotbilska and @breshna_h_khan.

CAB Workshops

Employment in Wellington at Cab Wellington Central Date: Tuesday March 8, 2016 Time: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Mezzanine meeting room, Central Library, 65 0 Mezzanine Victoria Street, Wellington Citizen Advice Bureau Wellington Central will hold a free information session for newcomers on Employment in Wellington. Come and join to find about: employment in Wellington, employment trends, and employment support service providers; employment coaching services for newcomers—Refugee and Migrants with How to access; the Skilled Newcomers Programme; and how to access employment support services and general networking.

Presentations by Fiona Hoang and Robert de CartierMcCarthy, employment consultants and James Sauaga of Chamber of Commerce. For more information please call at 04- 472 2466 or email at welcab@cab.org.nz

Pasifika Festival 2016

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

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

Venue: Western Springs Pack a picnic rug, slide on your jandals and step into the relaxed yet vibrant atmosphere that can only be Pasifika!

The 11 authentic Pacific Island villages have their own performance stage and market setting, each with a distinctly unique vibe.

www.iwk.co.nz | 4 March 2016

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Auckland to New Delhi from $1160 return*

* Selling Period from February 29th to March 31 2016