Indian Weekender 20 January 2017 by Indian Weekender

ALIA BHATT

20 JAN2017

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NZ’s only Kiwi-Indian weekly

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Vol. 8 • Issue 42

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20 January 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz

This Valentine’s Day, win a chance to

meet Salman Khan ¡¡ SWATI SHARMA

y now, you would already be aware that superstar Salman Khan is coming to New Zealand. Da Bang—The Tour is expected to be the biggest ever Bollywood show in the country and will be held on April 21 at Vector Arena, Auckland. Indian Weekender BRINGS you the ultimate Valentine’s Day special offer that will allow you to meet Salman Khan. Yes, you read that right! Show us that you are a ‘Salmanic’, and you could get a chance to win an entry pass to the ‘Meet and Greet Salman Khan’ event in Auckland. All you need is a ticket to the Da Bang show and some passion to show your love for the superstar. Here’s how you can enter the contest: 1) Buy your tickets to the Da Bang show from ticketmaster.co.nz 2) Visit our website www. iwk.nz or Facebook page www.facebook.com/IndianWeekender and look for the ‘Meet Salman Khan’ contest image 3) Click on the image and enter your details: name, phone number, ticket number, and e-mail id. Click submit 4) Go to Indian Weekender Facebook page, and through a personal

message send us any one of the following: ¡¡ Your picture* as one of Salman Khan’s movie characters ¡¡ A 30-second video* of you performing one of Salman Khan’s dance moves ¡¡ A 30-second video* where you say one of his famous/romantic dialogues ¡¡ Your dubsmash video* with his dance steps or dialogues ¡¡ Or simply just sing one of Salman Khan’s songs in a video* The meet and greet passes are exclusive and not for sale. So do

“

The meet and greet passes are exclusive and not for sale. So do not miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet your favourite star. Hurry, up, buy your tickets. and enter the contest now.

not miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet your favourite star. Hurry, up, buy your tickets and enter the contest now. The show will also feature other top Bollywood stars Sonakshi Sinha, Bipasha Basu, dancing legend Prabhu Deva, rapper Badshah, television host Manish Paul, and choreographer and actor Daisy Shah. After the New Zealand leg of the tour, the Da Bang team will perform in Australia.

New Zealand has seen a lowering number of Bollywood celebrities coming here for shows and concerts in the past few years. With this tour, Salman Khan is returning to New Zealand after almost two decades. And with ‘Sallu Bhai’ coming here, it is expected that Aucklanders will get to see more Bollywood shows, concerts, and tours in the near future. Da Bang—The Tour is being organised and promoted by RS Promotions in association with

Auckland Sweets and Snacks, and Indian Weekender is the exclusive print media partner. Stay connected with us and get all the updates about the show. Like us on Facebook at www. facebook.com/IndianWeekender for all the latest updates about the show. *By submitting your videos and photos to Indian Weekender, you give us your consent to share them on our Facebook page and in our newspaper.

www.iwk.co.nz | 20 January 2017

Junior doctor’s strike: all you need to know ¡¡ SANDEEP SINGH

round 3,000 New Zealand resident doctors continued with their 73-hour strike announced from Tuesday, January 17, 7 a.m. till 8 a.m. on Friday, January 20. This is the second round of industrial action by the doctor’s union after the two-day strike earlier in October last year. Eighteen of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) in New Zealand are being affected by this strike, with the Taranaki and West Coast DHBs staying away from the strike. The strike is an outcome of several rounds of failed negotiations between the Resident Doctors’ Association and DHBs over junior doctors’ demand about rosters and better pay. The New Zealand Resident Doctors’ Association (NZRDA) and DHBs had been in talks since December 2015. Lead Chief Executive for the DHBs, Julie Patterson, said more than 2,200 patients are being affected by the strike. The DHBs, including Auckland and Counties Manukau DHB, have placed contingency plans to ensure minimal disruption to routine health services.

However, there is an expectation that the strike will have an impact on some of the services at Auckland City Hospital, Starship, and Greenlane Clinical Centre. The strike involves a complete withdrawal of labour by NZRDA members for a period of 73 hours.

Rescheduling of elective surgeries and nonemergency services DHBs are contacting some patients to reschedule appointments for elective surgeries and other non-emergency services. It is reported that all patients whose appointments have been rescheduled will be contacted. So if a patient with an appointment had not been approached by Auckland and Counties Manukau DHB, then they should go to their scheduled appointment.

Emergency services to continue as normal All patients who need immediate hospital-based attention will still receive the treatment they require. However, people with nonurgent injuries may experience a longer wait. Meanwhile, Waikato DHB offered resident doctors up to $200 an hour to break the strike and work during the three-day strike. “It is disappointing that Waikato DHB is prepared to pay a considerably higher rate of pay than normal in order to entice resident doctors to work and undermine the strike action,” Dr Deborah Powell, National Secretary of NZRDA, said. “It would appear the DHB mistakenly believes this will be sufficient encouragement for members to give up their desire to work safer rosters.”

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Dairy store robbed in 40 seconds T

¡¡ RIZWAN MOHAMMAD

hree men brandishing an axe robbed Knighton Road Dairy in Hillcrest, Hamilton at 7:15 p.m. on Monday, January 16, raising questions over the safety of retail store owners in the country. Jaymin Patel, 40, was at the store serving a customer when the three men entered the store with an axe and robbed the counter of cash and packets of cigarettes within 40 seconds. “The men entered and shouted ‘Do not move’. One wielded a knife on me, and the other two started taking out cash from the till and cigarettes from the cupboard behind,” Jaymin Patel, owner of the store, told Indian Weekender. The customer present at the scene—a teenage girl—was a regular visitor to the store and stood still at the time of the robbery. “Within a few seconds, the men were behind the counter, and one of them pushed me to the corner. The man with the axe shouted at the girl to ‘stay still’, and then two of them emptied the cash counter in a bag they carried, and the third person cleared the cigarette rack,” Mr Patel added. The men were clad in a hoodie and bandannas partially covered their face. One was wearing dark shorts with a white shirt over dark long sleeve top and red shoes. Another had dim jeans and a dark top with tennis shoes. The offenders robbed the store of approximately $4000, around $3000

Knighton Road Dairy owner Jaymin Patel

worth cigarettes, and the rest in cash and coins. The dairy store is located opposite the Waikato University and is frequented by both nearby residents and university students. “The area is very friendly and safe but deserted at times, so maybe I became an easy target for the robbers,” Mr Patel added. The trio fled in a vehicle waiting for them and was last seen heading along Knighton Rd towards Ruakura. “All happened so quickly that I did not get a chance to raise the alarm or chase them. As soon as they left, I called the police and reported the robbery,” Mr Patel said. The offenders are still absconding and the police is investigating the issue. Indian Weekender, in its January 13, 2017 issue, published a complete report on the assaults and robberies during the Christmas and New Year holiday period. At least 10 armed robberies and assaults and five burglaries were reported during the period, a majority of them targeting dairy stores around the country.

NEW ZEALAND

20 January 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz

Tricolour to fly high on India’s 68 Republic Day th

¡¡ SWATI SHARMA

“

Change your opinion, keep to your principles; change your leaves, keep intact your roots.” Famous French Poet Victor Marie Hugo has captured the very essence of our lives—we, the Kiwi-Indians. Although we might have chosen to build our houses away from our home country, yet home is where your heart is i.e. in our roots—the country we proudly call ‘Bharat’ or India. It might be impractical to talk about or praise your country all the time, but there are at least two days that remind us of India—Independence Day and Republic Day. India will be celebrating its 68th Republic Day on January 26 and so will be the Indians living in various parts of the world.

On January 24, 1950, the 308 members of Assembly signed two hand-written copies of the document, one in Hindi and one in English, after some modification. Two days later, on January 26, the new Indian constitution came into effect.

History

fter attaining independence on August 15, 1947, from the British rule, India did not have a permanent constitution of its own. A drafting committee chaired by Dr B. R. Ambedkar was appointed for the purpose. The draft constitution went through 166 days of Assembly sessions open to the public, spread over two years and 11 months before the constitution was finally adopted in 1950. On January 24, 1950, the 308 members of Assembly signed two hand-written copies of the document, one in Hindi and one in English,

after some modification. Two days later, on January 26, the new Indian constitution came into effect. The Constitution of India is the supreme law of India that defines the fundamental political principles, structure and duties of government institutions and the fundamental rights and duties of citizens. It is the

longest written constitution of any sovereign country in the world. The main Republic Day ceremony is held in New Delhi in the presence of the President of India. Indian communities around the world also hold a celebration in their respective countries of residence.

Celebrations in the community

he High Commission of India in New Zealand will be celebrating Indian Republic Day in Wellington on Thursday, January 26 from 10:30 a.m. The ocassion will see a flag-hoisting

ceremony that will be followed by Indian national anthem. The event will be held at Bharat Bhavan, 48 Kemp Street, Kilbirnie. Indian High Commissioner Sanjiv Kohli will also read out the Indian President’s message to the nation. Teh programme will also include cultural performances. Earlier this week, the High Commission extended an invitation to all Indians and their friends living in New Zealand to join the celebrations in Wellington. Mr Kohli will also host a reception later in the evening for ministers, members of parliament and community leaders in Lower Hutt at Performing Arts Centre, Sacred Hearts College. Auckland Indian Association will also celebrate the occasion on January 26, at Mahatma Gandhi Centre, New North Road. The event, which will begin at 10 a.m. will feature flag hoisting and a cultural programme. For those who are unable to attend a weekday celebrations, Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust is hosting a Republic Day celebration on Saturday, January 21, from 11 a.m. at Mt Roskill War Memorial Hall, May Road, Mt Roskill.

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www.iwk.co.nz | 20 January 2017

Inviting entries for Auckland International Cultural Festival ¡¡ IWK BUREAU

iving in a global village means living in a world rich with culture, tradition, and culinary delights.

Auckland is one such global village, which is now home to various cultures and ethnicities from around the world. For the past 18 years, Auckland has been celebrating this diversity at the Auckland International Cultural Festival, and this year’s festival will be held on April 2 at the Mt Roskill War Memorial Park.

Auckland Council is inviting expressions of interest from cultural performers, musicians, sports people, communities, and foodies to celebrate the cultural diversity at the festival. The submissions close on Friday, February 3, at 5 p.m. Albert-Eden-Roskill Councillor Cathy Casey is enthusiastic about the wellestablished event. “The Auckland region is made up of a myriad of international communities. As a woman born in Scotland and now a New Zealand citizen, [I feel that] this festival is a marvellous opportunity for all cultures to come together to celebrate what makes us unique in our shared hometown. The sights, sounds, games, and flavours that make up this spectacular free family event, is a highlight on the Auckland Council events calendar.”

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Last year, 50 nationalities were represented at the festival and more than 100 food stalls provided festival goers with a global experience. The application form can be found online at http://bit.ly/2jNDFVz Completed forms including photographs, YouTube links and Facebook links are to be emailed to intcultfest@aucklandcouncil.govt. nz by Friday 3 February 2017. Successful applicants will be contacted by Friday, February 10, 2017.

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NEW ZEALAND

20 January 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz

SOUTH LINE

News-in-brief from South Island

En route to Kaikoura

A round road trip from Christchurch to Kaikoura via State Highway 1 (SH1), and the Inland Road through State Highway 70 to gauge how the recovery efforts are ongoing in the 7.8 November 14 earthquake-affected town, is a testimony to the Kiwi spirit ¡¡ GAURAV SHARMA

at least in recent memory. The wharf and waterfront, normally bustling with life at this time of the year, are deserted. Motel owners and holiday park managers have reported only 30–35% occupancy rates and are gearing up to house an anticipated influx of new clientèle— earthquake recovery workers and insurance assessors.

es, there are roadblocks, onelane roads, road work signs, and a temporary speed limit of 30km/hr at many places. And the normal journey time of two hours between Christchurch and Kaikoura may stretch to just under three hours. But the awe-inspiring scenery of the Kaikoura ranges and the wildlife encounters including with dolphins, whales, and seals are all still there. And the most heartening news of all, the Ohau Point Seal Colony off SH1, just 27km north of Kaikoura— though not accessible to public as yet and the number one attraction in TripAdvisor’s list of things to do in Kaikoura—has remarkably escaped any earthquake damage. “We all got very worried on November 14 about the fate of the seal colony. But reports indicate all is fine. New Zealand Transport Agency has been using helicopters to sluice the slip at the Ohau Point since last month to make the area accessible again,” Mr Mike, a local resident, noted. Notably, Transport Minister Simon Bridges has recently assured the town that restoring access to State Highway 1 north from Kaikoura is a priority for the government and it will be done before next Christmas.

Recovery isn’t a short term fix. This is about long-term strategies, and it’s really important that the economic plan we implement is reflective of what residents want to see

Ohau Point Seal Colony off State Highway 1, just 27km north of Kaikoura_ though not accessible to public as yet, locals say that the global tourist attraction has remarkably escaped any earthquake damage. (File photo)

The SH1’s section south of Kaikoura was reopened for use during daytime hours (between 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.) just before Christmas after NZTA cleared several slips and large boulders that fell across because of November 14’s earthquake. Back in town, excavation works are continuing in town’s South Bay, from where Whale Watch boats operate. Since it is the main tourist attraction and a major revenue earner for

the town, restoring the harbour is everyone’s top priority to get the community up and running again. Meanwhile, the Kaikoura District Council, in the spirit of participatory democracy, has sent out questionnaires to all households asking people to list six main things they would like to change, improve, or get new. “Recovery isn’t a short term fix. This is about long-term strategies, and it’s really important that the economic

plan we implement is reflective of what residents want to see,” Winston Gray, Kaikoura’s Mayor, said. The feedback collected will be categorised into themes and presented back to the community for further consultation in February. Although accessibility has improved and there isn’t any visible damage— apart for some disruption in utilities— the touristic town seems to be having one of its quietest summers ever,

– Winston Gray

“That seems our only hope of salvaging anything from this season. Surprisingly, though, a lot many people actually came down to Kaikoura from Christchurch during the New Year period to support the town in its hour of need. I guess this is what the famed Kiwi spirit is all about,” Mr Mike added.

Come, be a part of the biggest celebration of the Kiwi-Indian community K IW

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NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 20 January 2017

South Island’s ‘Dehra Doon’ Founded and named by Englishman Charles Thynne Thomas in the 1860s, it lies at the northern tip of the South Island, near Riwaka ¡¡ GAURAV SHARMA

t’s no secret that New Zealand and India share a common history with regards to their respective connections with England. And a lot many English army men, after completing their tenures in India, immigrated to the land of the long white cloud in the Colonel Charles Thynne Thomas (top) and his wife 19th century with hopes of a more peaceful Anne Tovey (bottom) life here. These men, who were enchanted by the beauty of India, could never Historical let go of their attachment to that records country, and thus renamed the indicate that the places where they settled after area had a Maori their favourite places of India. name then. But Mr Thomas felt it was One such place is ‘Dehra so much like his Doon’ in Riwaka near the Abel Dehradun station Tasman National Park in the farm in India. South Island. The story of how and why it happened goes like this. Born in 1798 in Bath, England, Mr Charles Thynne Thomas left for India in of Ireland (also called Dehra Doon), which May 1820. had sent a large number of troops to join the Colonel’s forces in India. Thus after much deliberation, he renamed the surroundings of Riwaka ‘Dehra Doon.’ Colonel Thomas died aged 76 as a result of a horse riding accident and was buried in the Riwaka cemetery.

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Charles Thynne Thomas, founder of South Island's 'Dehra Doon' buried in the Riwaka cemetery

There, he became a colonel in the 15th Bengal Infantry and married Anne Tovey (who was born in India) in 1829. After fighting for the British troops in 1857 in India’s First War of Independence, Mr Thomas sailed to New Zealand in 1860 to settle on the land he had previously bought in Riwaka. Historical records indicate that the area had a Maori name then. But Mr Thomas felt it was so much like his Dehradun station farm in India. Moreover, he also wanted to honour the part

'Dehra Doon' in Riwaka near Abel Tasman National Park in the South Island

The area is still owned by his descendants, Frederick Charles Thomas and William Rhys Thomas, who run a fruit growing, packing, and cool storage company called Thomas Brothers there.

Kite flyers battle it out despite strong winds Occasion was the Garden City’s fourth Uttarayan Makarsankranti kite festival ¡¡ GAURAV SHARMA

arking the day in the Hindu calendar when winter starts turning to spring and the sun enters into the zodiac sign of Makara (Capricorn), the Uttarayan Makarsankranti kite festival, organised by the city-based social organisation Indian Cultural Group (ICG) last Saturday, saw hundreds of kite flyers engaging in the fierce battle of cutting strings and bringing down each other’s kites. Mr Sandeep Sachdev, President of ICG, said, “While conditions were not ideal for kite-flying, as Canterbury was battered with strong winds throughout the day, we didn’t let that dampen our spirits. It was fun overall. Some group brought their own kites and strings, and we also had an onthe-spot sale to ensure everyone got involved. Indian delicacies such as rajma chawal and panipuri were sold, too.” Mr Jeet Gadhavi, a member of the Christchurch-based social group Youngistan— formed three years back to promote Gujarati culture in Canterbury—quipped, “As Uttarayan celebrations are big back home, it’s nice to be

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Some brave souls battled strong winds to make most of Christchurch’s kite festival on Saturday (picture courtesy_ ICG)

able to recreate that feel here as well. Around 40 of our members participated in kite-flying. And when the winds grew too strong, we switched to the another great Indian passion, cricket.”

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NEW ZEALAND

20 January 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz

Make the best of opportunities in Auckland property market with Colliers International ¡¡ SWATI SHARMA

he year 2016 had been a stellar year for the commercial property market across all sectors—commercial, retail, and industrial. It had been a year of achieving record yield in all sectors. And it wasn’t any different at Colliers, which has seen another record year in terms of revenue. “Due to sustained demand and a strong economy, we see continued yield compression in the industrial, retail and commercial sectors, and record high office rentals being achieved in Auckland,” Colliers’s Auckland Director of Investment Sales, Gareth Fraser, said. He believes that there is still a lack of alternative investment options to achieve comparable returns. However, a number of offshore buyers are expected to participate in the New Zealand market, its yields being among the most attractive within global mature markets. Colliers’s Investment Sales Broker Gawan Bakshi says that a shortage of properties with

Colliers International’s Gareth Fraser (left) and Gawan Bakshi (right)

good fundamentals is likely to carry on in 2017. “Construction will climb towards the top of the graph. Off the plan apartments are likely to be seen on market in abundance in residential

market. New retail units in earmarked suburbs such as Pukekohe, Drury, Beachlands, and Whenuapai are likely to attract investors looking to invest in commercial property.” He believes

that the Indian community is one of the most aware among investors. “Indians as a community are astute investors [who] are consciously aware what they are looking for in an investment. They are dominant throughout New Zealand—where they want to invest and in what type of property. They are not particularly placed in any one spot or subcategory of property,” Mr Bakshi added. Colliers believes that in the coming year, the banks are expected to be more selective with the lending, resulting in a tighter supply of debt, which could further lead to an increase in lending from international and domestic nonbank sources/institutions. “We expect a continued increase in the number of cranes on the Auckland skyline, driven by the demand outweighing supply in a positive business environment; expansion is needed. We think a potential impact of the recent South Island earthquakes will be driving investment into the golden triangle area of Auckland, Bay of Plenty, and Waikato,” Mr Fraser added. According to him, the property market’s growth rate is likely to not decline in 2017, considering the current political and social scenario. However, the reduced availability of debt might slow down the volume of sales, eventually. He believes that in the short-term, there is still strong equity in the market. Mr Fraser says it is important for first-home buyers or small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to research the market well to make sure they get the best deal rather than regretting later. “Research your market actively. Partner up with good advisers (legal, accounting, technical due diligence, etc.) so that you can move quickly to secure an opportunity when it arises. Get to know good agents in the area you are interested in and keep yourself on top of their list of buyers,” he said. While there are so many property advisors in the market, why should one choose Colliers? “Colliers International is consistently recognised as a leader in the New Zealand commercial property industry. We achieve this not only through the delivery of outstanding results but [also] through the peer recognition of receiving high-profile industry awards and accolades, such as, for the sixth year running, RICS once again named Colliers International as New Zealand’s top commercial agency for sales worth $5 million or more across all three sectors—commercial, industrial, and retail,” Mr Bakshi said. He added that he also provides any help or guidance regarding leasing, and listed a few must-haves for those planning to lease a property for the first time: ¡¡ A good commercial property agent ¡¡ Good lawyers and accountants’ advice are mandatory ¡¡ Get premises condition report before the tenant take on the premises and after the tenant vacate the premises (Colliers provide these services) ¡¡ In case of dilapidation, advice should be taken from your lawyer and clauses for such situations should always be added in lease agreements Colliers International has 20 offices around New Zealand and provides services that include valuation, real estate management, corporate solutions, building consultancy, research and consulting as well as tenant representation alongside its sales and leasing agency business, which includes hotels, rural and agribusiness, and residential project marketing.

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www.iwk.co.nz | 20 January 2017

Garba, music, and kites: highlights of the Indian Kite Festival

¡¡ RIZWAN MOHAMMAD

ore than 6,000 people turned up for the annual kite flying festival organised by Vaishnav Parivar New Zealand Inc. on the occasion of Makarsankranti at the Eastdale Reserve in Avondale. The event commenced at 11 a.m. with a few hundred people on the ground, however, by 2 p.m., the reserve was packed with families, who had camped their tents, rolled their kite spools, and set their kites in the air. Hundreds of multicoloured and differently designed, textured, and themed kites were seen flying in the blue sky. The wind and ocasional drizzle failed to dampen the mood of the enthusiasts gathered. The event was an opportunity for the growing multilingual Indian community of Auckland to come together to celebrate the festival. It also brought together Kiwi and Pacific Islander families who were seen flying kites alongside Indian and FijiIndian families. One of the main attractions at the ground was the 25-foot long black and white kite made of lightlyweight plastic table covers by an Avondale resident, who stitched 15 pieces of table cloths together to make the most attractive kite seen at the venue. “It took me approximately 24 hours to get the kite ready, and I bought nylon string to fly this massive snake-looking kite,” Bandu La, a Sri Lankan national who participates in the festival every year, said. National List MP Kanwaljit Bakshi with his team of four was also present at the occasion. Talking to Indian Weekender, Mr Bakshi said, “We have lost four kites so far and cut 47 and still counting. Looks like we will hit a half century soon.” Children as young as six and seven could be seen helping their parents fly a kite and some of them took the spool and the kite string in

Community members enjoying at the Kite Festival

their hands. Other entertainment for children included bouncing castles, merry-go-rides, dancing, and face painting.

“We bought 3,000 kites, and by 4 p.m., we were left with a less than 50 kites, kite spools, and strings,” Manhar Patel, President and

Coordinator for Vaishnav Parivar NZ Inc. said. “We made sure that people do not miss Gujarat and the fun they used to have back there, and the response is really encouraging.” Another highlight of the event was the impromptu garba performance by a few visitors. Children and other community members also entertained the crowd with other dance performances. People commended the efforts of Vaishnav Parivar for organising the event and bringing the community together for the celebration. “Kite flying is a big tradition back in Gujarat and having such a massive celebration overseas for the diaspora is a great initiative. I appreciate the hard work of Vaishnav Parivar for arranging kite festival for the community,” Meghal Trivedi, a kite flyer at the venue, said. The event concluded with a lucky draw in which Mr Nahari Pathak won a five-day holiday package for a couple in Nadi, Fiji.

Where housing prices and mortgage rates heading in 2017 ¡¡ SUMAN SHARMA

s we look towards 2017, the New Zealand economy is growing briskly. The driver of this growth is well-known like strong immigration and consequent population growth. The construction sector pipeline remains large. The tourism industry is booming. Prospects in the dairy sector have improved as prices have recovered and non-dairy agriculture sectors continue to perform strongly. The central bank cut its official cash rate three times last year to its current level of 1.75%. New Zealand and international interest rates have lifted quite sharply in a short span of time after US elections. US Treasury bond yields look set to continue to rise gradually, taking New Zealand long-term rates with them. Most currency strategists expect NZD to decline gradually against the USD in 2017. ASB, Kiwibank, BNZ and Westpac raised interest rates for most of the terms. ANZ may also follow suit soon. As the cost of raising money in international market increased in recent few months, so did NZ dollar long term rates. Short-term rates up to two years are influenced mainly by OCR. But banks have raised shortterm rates as well as core deposit

(Kiwis’ deposit) is not keeping pace with lending growth. Having said that, interest rates are still very low looking at what these were in last decade or more. Now comes the question, for how long do I fix my mortgage. Those who want the certainty of repayments should fix for a longer term, but those who are willing to take a bit of risk and save in interest cost should split between short term—may be one or two years—and the rest on longer terms and revolving. It should be noted that short-term rates are still attractive and have not moved up as much as long-term rates. Economists forecast OCR may rise in mid-2018 or even earlier. Always keep some loan on floating or revolving as

variable rates are still very attractive as compared to long term fixed rates and you get the flexibility of making extra repayments. Home Loans should be structured to suit individual situations. I can assure you there is no magic bullet other than a proper loan structure and putting all surplus money in the loan which can get you debt free faster. More you pay, faster the loan finishes. If you have any questions or doubt about it, feel free to contact me, and I will be happy to explain further. Which way the housing prices will move in 2017, one might ask. Undoubtedly, there is a slowdown in the market. Some auctions do not get any bid at all. Quotable

Value’s (QV) December House Price Index shows residential property prices throughout the country rose by 1.3% during the last three months till December, and 12.5% over the year, with the national average hitting $627,905. Looking at what will likely happen in 2017, housing supply is still not keeping pace with demand. So, we don’t have a large stock of houses that could reduce prices. While supply is restricted, the demand is also restricted as the Reserve Bank has placed loanto-value restrictions (LVR), and borrowers—for both owner-occupied homes and rental houses—are finding hard to get home loan pre-approval. Banks are permitted to make only up to 5% of their investment property loans to high-LVR (less than 40% deposit) borrowers, and no more than 10% of their residential owner occupied home loans to high-LVR (over 80%) borrowers. This means banks only choose high and stable income applications with least debt and best account conduct for home loans over 80% as banks have limited quota to lend over 80% LVR. Properties with sub-division potential (under the new Unitary Plan) are still selling well and achieving record prices. This includes properties in areas that are close to

up and coming town centres and have good transport links such as Mt Roskill, New Lynn, etc. which means housing price growth will continue, though at a lower speed than seen in the last couple of years. In a market where there is a recognised shortage, the simultaneous withdrawal of both buyers and sellers is more likely to lead to sustained upward pressure on prices than downward. It means low turnover—yet prices still rising. But with rising incomes, strong population growth and insufficient construction, demand will come back again. It is important to watch for market activity February onwards. Another interesting factor may be the composition of investors which might change due to high LVR restrictions requiring 40% deposit. The composition of investment property buyers may shift towards those with higher equity available rather than reducing overall demand. So, new investors may emerge in the market as 10% housing price growth is probably the best investment opportunity in New Zealand. Suman Sharma is an ex-banker and now mortgage advisor at Reliance Finance based in Auckland. She can be contacted at info@reliancefinance.co.nz or through www.reliancefinance.co.nz.

NEW ZEALAND

20 January 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz

Is your house safe enough for your kids? ¡¡ SWATI SHARMA

magine buying a house made with poor or substandard building material. Would you be willing to live in that house with your family and kids? Surely not. With an increasing demand for housing in Auckland, the building boom is gaining momentum. Auckland Council says that with this increase, traditional building materials are becoming harder to find when they’re needed, causing builders to turn to substitute products to get the work done faster. Not in all cases are these new products “up to code”. Ian McCormick, General Manager of Auckland Council’s Building Control team, said the council building inspectors are seeing more substitutions than ever before and a cheaper price is the main reason for people opting for the substitute products. The builders and their customers can lose thousands of dollars if they miss out on getting the proper signoffs before using substitutes. “We’re seeing innovative new products and processes entering the market. That’s great news because it improves the whole industry. Auckland Council has a duty of care to Aucklanders to make sure those products meet our high standards and are fit for the intended use for the lifetime of the building,” Mr McCormic said. He added that it is common for inspectors to discover a substitution on-site during an inspection.

“That may happen weeks after the decision to use the alternative product was made. The message is clear—notify us as early as possible to avoid delays in building.” Recently, when the pre-cast concrete panel industry was struggling to keep up with the rising demand, some product suppliers took the opportunity to introduce new alternatives that could achieve the same outcome as a concrete panel. “We encourage this type of innovation. Some of the substitutions were untested and a full fire and acoustic assessment was undertaken, after which they were able to be used,” he said. “Less haste less waste” is what Mr McCormic suggests to the builders who are in a hurry and are worried

about the time the council takes to assess the products as fit for purpose. “While we recognise builders need to get on with their construction, we can’t cut corners on quality, durability, and suitability,” he said. All building products must meet the New Zealand Building Code. If the deal looks too good to be true such as a cheap price and quick turnaround, builders and their customer should enquire well before falling into a trap. Mr McCormic said due diligence can sometimes look like red tape when you’re in a hurry, but reputable builders recognise the importance of ensuring new products are up to code. “While there are some great new products on the market, the boom

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has attracted a few cowboys trying to cut corners and some importers trying to bring in cheap, substandard products,” he said. Some imported products may look like the local offering, but if they’re being quoted as 40%cheaper, then chances are they might not comply with the New Zealand Building Code or pass inspection. He mentioned a few incidents where non-compliant products were being used. In one of the incidents, an enterprising person was cold calling on sites offering an imported roofing product at 40% of the cost of the original. The substitutions were not disclosed to the house owners until the end when the roofer provided the certification. After research, the council had to issue a notice requiring the roofing to be replaced for being non-complying with the New Zealand Building Code. In another example of hasty substitution, a decision to use noncompliant electrical wiring in multiple houses cost a developer thousands of dollars. “We have zero tolerance for products that are not up to the New Zealand Building Code. The developer had to remove and replace the non-compliant wiring from all of the houses, some of which were nearly finished,” Mr McCormic said. “A good building practice is a bit like the proverbial tortoise and hare. Sometimes it may seem to take a bit longer, but getting new building products signed off is cheaper and

faster than having to re-work noncompliant construction, and in the end, Auckland consumers get reliable and sustainable buildings.”

Checklist for homeowners ¡¡ Owners should ask the designer

or builder to provide confirmation that the product complies. ¡¡ Ask the builder for the supplier and confirm that the product meets the New Zealand Building Code. The Building Act requires the supplier or manufacturer to confirm that products, if installed as per their instructions, will comply with the Building Code. They normally do this by quoting a New Zealand standard used to meet specific testing requirements, or if an international standard is used, they will need to demonstrate its alignment with the equivalent New Zealand standard. ¡¡ Check to see if the product has been independently appraised or certified in New Zealand. An example of this is the Building Research Association of NZ (BRANZ) appraisal website where they list products, which have been tested and certify compliance with the New Zealand Building Code. ¡¡ Ask the building inspector. They will provide advice on compliance matters. ¡¡ You should check compliance before buying particularly if the product price seems too good to be true.

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 20 January 2017

Women enjoy a day out in Rotorua ¡¡ SWATI SHARMA

bout 90 Kiwi-Indian women went on a trip to Rotorua on Saturday, January 14 to experience a day full of fun, entertainment, and adventure. Woman Care Trust based in Auckland organised two buses to take these women to Rotorua. The buses started from Auckland with women reciting religious prayers in the bus. During the entire journey, the women sang folk songs. They visited Kuirau Park in the heart of Rotorua, which is New Zealand’s only geothermal public park and features beautiful natural gardens, a crater lake, mud pools, hot springs and thermal foot baths. The women made the best of the opportunity and enjoyed the natural and soothing environment. They also danced on Punjabi folk songs in the park. The trip also included a visit to the Redwood Forest, the Whakarewarewa Forest, Blue Lake, and the Government Gardens. “The Redwood Treewalk was an adventurous experience for the ladies, and being in a group with other friends, they got [the] courage to walk on the track. They all had wonderful experience while walking on the track and exploring the forest area,” Baljit Dheil of Woman Care Trust said. “A tiring and long day brought a lot of cheer among the ladies as they went back with beautiful memories of the fruitful and fun time spent exploring New Zealand and

developing a social network. Such trips help them get rid of depression and loneliness that they experience after moving from India,” she added. Woman Care Trust is a non-profit organisation based in Auckland and was established in 2014. It aims to provide free support to Indian women and other new immigrants to settle in New Zealand. It also organises free English, swimming, meditation, and yoga classes along with other cultural events and also provides free health advice. It organises three such trips every year. The first trip was organised early in January this year where the women were taken for a tour of Auckland. The third trip will be organised in February, where the ladies will get to visit Tauranga.

About 90 women went on a fun-filled day-out to Rotorua

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24-hour non-stop Hanuman Chalisa paath in Ram Mandir

20 January 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz

¡¡ RIZWAN MOHAMMAD

hri Ram Mandir, Henderson has organised a 24hour non-stop Hanuman Chalisa paath on January 21 and 22. More than 2,500 people are expected to attend the session during the weekend. Thirty-one families and mandalis (community groups) A group reciting Hanuman Chalisa at Ram Mandir` (Photo: supplied) have registered for the mega Group from Zimbabwe, Brahmin Maha Sabha event that will start on Saturday at 10 a.m. and New Zealand, and various other Ramayan continue overnight until 10 a.m. on Sunday. mandalis from around Auckland are part of the Each group has been allocated 45-minute slots, 31 groups to perform at the event. and they will perform at different scheduled The Datta Yoga group from South India intervals during the event. performing at Ram Mandir is on a mission to The community members of West Auckland count one million Hanuman Chalisa recitations started the Akhand Hanuman Chalisa Paath from all around the world at different events. in 2011 at community grounds before the The temple is making all the preparations construction of the temple. Shri Ram Mandir for the massive crowd that is expected to attend opened in June 2015 and is the biggest and the over the weekend. only Ram Mandir in New Zealand. “We are decorating the mandir with In the past, the mandir has organised flowers and lights and making food and other ‘Shri Ram-a-thon’, a community walk to arrangements, so everything runs smoothly,” raise funds for Starship Foundation, invited Mr Chand added. the Ramlila group from Ayodhya, India to The purpose of the 24-hour non-stop recital perform in Diwali, has hosted community is to get the community under one roof for a cricket and football matches and celebrated day to devote their time to Shri Hanuman, an Matariki (Maori New Year) at the temple hall in ardent devotee of Shri Ram. association with Community Waitakere. “The 24-hour continuous recital of Hanuman “The response we have received from the Chalisa will create positive vibrations and bring community is incredible. We have registered an aura of happiness to the devotees,” Mr five more groups compared to last year,” Umesh Chand added. Chand from the Shri Ram Mandir said. The programme will start with a Roth Katha Datta Yoga group from India, Henderson on Saturday and end with Sankat Mochan, Bajrang Sai Centre, Ram Krishna Mandir, Waitakere Baan, and Hanuman Astak, and there will also be Hindi Language & Cultural School, Sargam a hawan yagna and aarti to end the programme School of Music, Saraswati Sursangam Music on Sunday. School, Pooja Cultural Centre, Pushpanjali

¡¡ MOLLY PALANIEAPPAN DATTA YOGA CENTRE NZ

usic played by the right hands will transport you to a different dimension. Only a handful of people have the ability to entrance one with their music, and such persons are known as a maestro. There are several Indian Classical maestros who are renowned around the world. One of them is Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji (Sri Swamiji), also known as a ‘Musical Saint’. He uses an ancient practice called the Nada Chikitsa (sound healing). He is Originally from Mysore, India, he has travelled the world conducting sound healing concerts that are commonly known as music for healing and meditation. In the Western research fields, sound healing has recently gained popularity. Researchers are now investigating on how sound can be used to create physical healing effects on the body. This science, which has been seen in the Vedas, was lost in the passage of time. Sri Swamiji is reviving this lost ancient art.

But how does music heal? Music consists of sound vibrations, which is energy in motion. Therefore, by using this energy, one can target the healing process of specific organs in the body. As we have known, all matter vibrates. Therefore, it is not surprising that the cells in our body also vibrate. However, each organ in our body would vibrate at a different frequency. Sri Swamiji uses the concept of bio-rhythm to explain sound healing. The human body has 72,000 nadis, which constantly vibrates in a specific rhythmic pattern. Disturbances in this pattern result in diseases. Through the science of resonance, Sri Swamiji evokes sounds that would help in rectifying the abnormal rhythmic pattern. In energy healing, treatment of the physical body starts at the psychological level. Therefore, Sri Swamiji always stresses that one should “listen with your heart not with intellect”. Sri Swamiji will be gracing Auckalnders with his Music for Meditation and Healing Concert on February 4 at Dorothy Winstone Theatre, Auckland. So buy your ticket early as reserve your spot.

DATTA YOGA CENTRE New Zealand presents for the ﬁrst time in New Zealand

Meditation and Healing Music Concert by His Holiness Dr.Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji accompanied by His Celestial Music Troupe Concert at Auckland: 4th February 2017, 6.00 pm - 8.30 pm Dorothy Winstone Centre, 16 Howe St, Freemans Bay Tickets: $100, $50, $30

Other programmes at Auckland Datta Kriya Yoga: 28th-29th January 2017 Fickling Convention Centre Hillsborough Room, Three Kings

Sri Chakra Puja: 5th February 2017, 5.00 pm - 8.30 pm Sri Shirdi Sai Mandir, Onehunga We welcome you to take part and beneﬁt from this unique Spiritual experience For further details, contact: Govardhan Mallela - 0211455708 Pravin Patel - 0211646468 Nagaraj Ambale - 0211498523 Valli Nagaraj - 0278388754 Email: enquiry.dycnz@gmail.com Website: dycnz.org Facebook: @dycnz

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 20 January 2017

Sikh youth summer camp Why do we need insurance? to enlighten young minds ¡¡ VARUN JANI

¡¡ RIZWAN MOHAMMAD

ikh Youth NZ and Gurudwara Sri Dashmesh Darbar have organised Gurmat samelan 2017 (an annual summer camp) called ‘Forts of Anandpur Sahib’, from Thursday, January 19 to Sunday, January 22. The four-day camp is being held every year for the past 17 years and is based on the life and teachings of the 10th Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh. The camp is structured around the key themes of spirituality (sant), bravery (sipahi), and resilience (himmat). A range of activities is drawn from the principal events of the life of Guru Gobind Singh such as the sacrifice of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the establishment of the Khalsa on Vaisakhi 1699, the siege on Anandpur Sahib, and the attacks at Chamkaur Sahib, to highlight these themes. The key characters such as the four sahibzadey, the five pyare, Bhai Ghanaiya, and Mai Bhago will also be introduced during this samelan. The purpose of the camp is to share the key messages of Guru Gobind Singh with the participants in a fun and interactive manner and highlight how these messages are relevant to the Sikh youth living in the 21st century New Zealand. The camp has more the 100 participants aged between eight and 18 and a few older ones are also a part of the camp. The camp will host a number of indoor and outdoor activities such as kirtan sessions in Darbar Sahib (Papatoetoe Gurudwara)

Children at the summer camp last year (Photo: supplied)

hosted by Raja Veer from Malaysia, jatha, banner design competition ‘Inkquisitive Illustrations’ from world-renowned Sikh artist from UK Amandeep Singh, a presentation on Guru Gobind Singh titled ‘Guru Gobind Singh— The Saint, Soldier, and Scholar’ by Hari Singh from New Zealand and Gursev Singh from Canada, meditation sessions by Dr Kanwaljit Singh, parents’ sessions by Simran on helping the kids succeed, and a session against bullying. There will also be debate sessions, discussions on bullying, Khalsa Battle (water balloon fight on the final day), outdoor open mic session, turban tying lessons, and sessions on an introduction to gatka. For the first time, a separate session for the parents will be hosted on each day on topics that will help them gain a better understanding of their children.

uture is uncertain and unpredictable. However, we can plan for a better future by securing the life by buying insurance. We all know the well-known proverb, ‘Prevention is better than cure’ that clearly teaches us the importance of insurance in life. In other words, it is better to buy insurance to stop something bad from happening than to deal with it after it has happened. Accidents and disasters can happen and if you are not adequately insured, then it could disturb your financial position. All in all, you need insurance to protect your life, your income, your health, and to keep a roof over your head. Insurance is a smart way to transfer the potential financial risk to the insurance company that will charge a fee known as a premium to take financial risks of individuals or businesses. Here are the types of insurance cover you need:

Health insurance Most of us have insurance for cars, boats, and houses— everything except the body that pays for them. However, we are ignoring the most important asset of life—health.

If you buy a health insurance, then you have a better choice of when, where, how, and by whom you get treated, in consultation with your doctor. Financial support means peace of mind for paying healthcare bills. Insurance also helps to get quick treatment with latest medical procedures.

Life Insurance Life insurance will help the family in the event of losing a loved one. Being prepared for the loss of an income earner is the best way to protect the whole family’s financial life. Your loved ones depend on your financial support for their livelihood, and therefore, life insurance is a must because it replaces your income when you die. Your family needs insurance to cover outstanding debts such as mortgages, credit cards, funeral costs, household bills, final expenses, childcare expenses, tuition, and car loans. Even if you don’t have any other assets to pass on to your heirs, you can create an inheritance by buying a life insurance policy and naming them as beneficiaries.

Income protection Income protection insurance guarantees an ongoing quality of life even when you find yourself

unable to work. If you fall victim to a serious illness or injury, policies offer financial protection that will support everyday expenses. This mainly includes everything from grocery shopping, petrol and utility bills to medical costs, travel expenses and other major expenses.

Trauma/critical illness insurance Survival with a critical illness comes with a steep cost. This insurance pays a “living benefit” to those who survived a major illness to offset lost income and pay additional expenses.

Disability insurance If you have a mortgage, car loan, student loan, or other debt obligation, what would happen if you lost your income source temporarily or permanently? The biggest point in this scenario is the mortgage payment. Disability income insurance may be the only thing to protect you from the delinquency if you are unable to work due to illness or injury. Varun Jani is the Financial Advisor of Futurisk Insurance Limited. “A Disclosure Statement is available on request.” This article is of general nature and no substitute for personalised financial advice.

FAMILY VISITING SOON? Please tell family from India who are visiting New Zealand to declare any gifts of food or ingredients – or they’ll face a $400 fine. That includes spices, tonics, pickles and preserves. Items they should definitely not bring at all include seeds, fruit, honey products, meat, vegetables and fresh flowers, or temple offerings. For more information visit mpi.govt.nz/declare

0262 MPI Indian Visitor Press-Indian Wkend (255x175)_0.7_LB_FA.indd 1

30/09/16 10:20 am

FIJI

20 January 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz

New Zealand backs Fiji in climate battle

iji can expect New Zealand’s support in its presidency of COP23. New Zealand is currently considering how it will further support Fiji to combat global climate issues. The assurance was given by a member of NZ’s delegation at the 25th Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum at the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa, Natadola. The Co-Leader of the Maori Party, Marama Fox, made the statement during her presentation. She said this was the first time that a small Pacific nation would hold a COP presidency. “Who else but an isle of the Pacific should carry out this role? The 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) to the UN Convention on Climate Change From left: Co-Leader of the Maori Party of New Zealand, Marama Fox, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, New Zealand National Party MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar at the 25th Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (Photo: DEPTFO news) (UNFCCC) will be organized by Fiji and hosted at the headquarters Cyclone to hit the Pacific in Ms Fox added that no other nation Minister Voreqe Bainimarama is of the UNFCCC Secretariat in recorded history. 40 people lost of the world faced the real threat president of COP23. Bonn, Germany. Pacific their lives and more than 30,000 of becoming stateless through sea Ms Fox said those who COP is the Islands who on this group of islands were left level rise. are affected the most governing body of contribute least to homeless,” she said She presented on climate change the climate change should be afforded the an international Ms Fox said Tuvalu, Tokelau, and its adverse and visible impacts on bare the greatest loudest voice.” convention. Of impact of global Kiribati and many other Pacific the Pacific island nations. She said one the numerous “Pacific Islands apathy to ever islands faced the real threat of was quick to talk about globalisation official bodies and who contribute least increasing carbon becoming landless. but biggest polluters of the world officers that provide to the climate change emissions did little to stem the contamination Global Climate Change had for the governance of bare the greatest impact of of world’s atmosphere for fear of seen the rise of the oceans impact Conference of the Parties global apathy to ever increasing reduced profits. “Last year Fiji on costal erosion, and inundation (COP) meetings, the most important carbon emissions.” was pounded by the biggest of land. of these is the President. Prime

Islands face the threat of reduced fresh water sources with sea water claiming island aquifers. The rise in ground temperature threatens the aquifers of the world with only an estimated 20% of rainfall making it through the natural pathways to replenish aquifers; water has become the blue gold of the new millennium. In addition, Ms Fox said: “New Zealand has assisted the isles of the Pacific to combat climate change through salination treatment to provide drinking water and even helped to raise the island of Tuvalu in an attempt to hold back the passage of time and the reclamation of land by the oceans.” “Thus, extreme weather events and reduced access to fresh water sources, rising sea levels, sea and air temperatures continue to threaten the productivity and stability of the Pacific region.” She said New Zealand ratified the Paris Agreement in October 2016. The country had been active in international negotiations to develop the Paris ‘rule book’ and on international aviation emissions, she said. New Zealand’s commitment of up to $200 million in climate related support to developing countries would be provided before the Agreement takes effect.

NEW ZEALAND FIRST LIST MP

Mahendra Chaudhry (right), receiving his award from the Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal while the Government of India’s Minister for External Affairs, General VK Singh, looks on (Photo: Fiji Labour Party)

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Chaudhry honoured in India

iji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry received a singular honour last week when he was awarded the Haryana Pravasi Gaurav Samman Award in Haryana, India. He received the award from the Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal, for outstanding social service to his people in Fiji, at a grand function celebrating the 100th anniversary of the State of Haryana . Mr Chaudhry’s Girmitya grandparents came from Haryana on board the SS Fazilka in May 1902 and served their indenture at Tunalia, Nadi. After completing their 1st five-year term, the couple settled in Sigatoka and then moved to Lautoka where his grandfather invested in various properties. However, in 1928, they sold their Fiji properties and repatriated to Haryana with

a son and daughter, leaving their elder son behind. Mr Chaudhry’s father Ram Gopal Chaudhry later returned to join his brother and live in Fiji. Mr Chaudhry has always maintained close ties with his relatives in Haryana. Speaking at the reception, Mr Chaudhry thanked the people and government of Haryana for conferring on him the prestigious Gaurav Samman Award. “I will cherish it as a precious gift and honour bestowed on me by the land of my ancestors in recognition of my achievements and service to my people,” he said. Others also recognised at the celebrations included the famous Hindi film director Subhash Ghai for his contribution to culture and entertainment and actor Randeep Hooda.

FIJI

www.iwk.co.nz | 20 January 2017

17-year-old Prashil to compete in Abu Dhabi A Year 11 student of Sangam Sadhu Kuppuswamy Memorial College (SSKMC) will represent Fiji at a global meeting and competing against high schools from around the world on renewable energy issues. 17-year-old Prashil Nadan of Nadi, left on Monday, January 16, for the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) meeting and competition in Abu Dhabi. Prashil was selected after his SSKMC school became the national winner for the 2016 Energy Saver Model Competition organised by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.

“It’s a huge honour to be chosen to represent my school and also the nation. There is a lot of hope upon us to represent everyone in Abu Dhabi,” he said. Fiji Meteorological Services Director Ravind Kumar said: “As part of the Ministry’s initiative to take the competition a step further to international level, SSKMC took part in the 2016 Zayed Future Energy Prize (ZFEP) competition.” Mr Kumar said SSKMC was the first Fijian school that will be competing for the Global High School Prize in the Oceania region against Aana 2 College from Samoa

More than 100 eyed for Kiwi jobs this year

ore than 100 Fijians are being eyed to take on seasonal work in the first quarter of this year, says the Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, Jone Usamate. At the same time, Mr Usamate hopes the opportunities will benefit our unskilled people because there was a shortage of them here. “Last year we had more than 300 seasonal workers and we are glad to see that numbers have doubled from 2015 to 2016, and this year we hope to double that again,” the minister said. “Workers going will continue and we have about a thousand people in the work ready pool and our aim is to try to make sure that we can get work opportunities for those. “We will continue to look for opportunities if the opportunities come up. There has been some talk of looking at opportunities in the United States of America. “The advantage of Australia and New Zealand is the schemes that we have there are Government to Government agreement so that we know that when people go they will be looked after too because they are under government’s regulations.” Mr Usamate said they would continue to look for other opportunities, but they will make use and try to expand the opportunities that they have with Australia and New Zealand.

High Commission awaits Centre’s appointment

ndian High Commissioner to Fiji, Vishvas Sapkal, said yesterday they were still awaiting the appointment of the new director of the Indian Cultural Centre in Suva. Currently, the Second Secretary (Hindi) of the Indian High Commission in Fiji, Anil Sharma is holding the post. Mr Sapkal said the 54 Fijians who went to India under the ‘Know India Programme’, represented Fiji at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. “Out of 54 participants, 42 participants were youths,” he said. This was the first time a group from Fiji was represented at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated in India on January 9 every year to mark the contributions of the overseas Indian community to the development of India. “The day also commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Bombay on January 9, 1915. This year the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was held at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Bengaluru from January 7-9,” he said.

and Huonville High School from Australia. SSKMC will be competing against the five regions; America, Europe, Africa, Oceania and Asia. Mr Kumar said they would also be attending the World Future Energy Summit opening ceremony in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

SSKMC science teacher Sarnesh Kumar said the prize money would go towards the project proposal which was currently in the pipeline for the school. “We are going to use the money to complete the project proposal but

Member of the Sangam Sadhu Kuppuswamy Memorial College (SSKMC) team 2nd from left: Mrs Anita Gounder, Sarnesh Kumar, Parshil Nadan and Director of Fiji Meteorology Ravind Kumar and Atesh Gosai (first from left).

if we don’t win we will still continue with the project but it will take a longer period of time for it to be completed,” he said. Former Principal of the school, Anita Gounder acknowledged the

Department of Energy for liaising with the staff of SSKMC and providing them an opportunity for the students. Meanwhile, Mr Kumar wished Prashil the best on his trip.

READERS SPEAK

As an Indian living outside, what does Indian Republic Day mean to you?

Editorial

Rising crime rate raises concerns over community safety

afety is one of the main aspects that anyone would consider before moving to a new country; the other important aspects being good education and employment opportunities. A country that provides you with an opportunity to study well, earn well, and live well would be your first choice if you decide to leave the comforts of your home country. Although New Zealand is considered as one of the safest countries in the world, small crimes such as burglaries and robberies seem to be rampant and are affecting the communities more than ever. Small retailers and dairy owners—a majority of which are migrants—are the easiest and most common target. Last week, we reported numerous burglaries and robberies that took place during the Christmas and New Year holiday period. This week, we bring yet another report (see page 3) where the victim was a Kiwi-Indian. The risk of running a small store in New Zealand is increasing with the rising number of crimes reported. This risk further increases when families of dairy owners find themselves in the middle of a robbery. After last year’s announcement by the then Police and Corrections Minister Judith Collins of burglaries to be considered as a priority crime, the police has noticeably stepped up. During our recent conversation with some of the robbery victims from the community, Indian Weekender found out that the police reached the scene soon after the crime was reported. However, attacks on dairy owners and small retailers raise concerns about safety among the community. Although the police ensure—in most cases—that the offenders are caught, the concerned authorities need to work at the grassroots level to find the reason behind repeated crimes. Offenders, most of whom are youngsters, are increasingly indulging in such activities, which not only puts the victims’ lives in danger but also their own. Recently, we came across a video on social media by Opposing Views—a media platform that cleans to provide a balanced coverage of news—where they spoke about the connection between the way criminals are treated and the number of repeat crime rates. They compared the US and Norway prison and explained that Norway has a fewer repeat crime rate than the US and this was largely because of the prison conditions. In the video, the Director of Halden Prison in Norway says, “Every inmate is going back to society. Everyone. Do you want people who are angry or do you want people who are rehabilitated?” While the views mentioned in the video might be debated by some, New Zealand needs to tackle the problem of increasing crime rate to assure New Zealanders that the country they call home is still safe for them. On a different note, after a few tremorous headwinds caused by demonetisation in India, the storm seems to be calming down and the focus is slowly shifting towards the impending state elections in two major states of India—Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Punjab. The recent real-life soap and drama between the father-son duo in UP is providing enough meat on the bone for the super-active Indian media, whereas the other father-son duo in Punjab are moving heaven and earth to win the elections on February 4. But the sad part is that the end of dynasty politics in India, unfortunately, is not in sight. We can only hope that the future brings merit-based politics that works for the development of the country and its people. But amid all this, India is preparing to celebrate its 68th Republic Day and the country is set to host Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan of UAE as the chief guest this year.

Indian Weekender : Volume 8 Issue 42

Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited Managing Editor: Bhav Dhillon | bhav@indianweekender.co.nz Content Editor: Sandeep Singh | sandeep@indianweekender.co.nz Chief Reporter: Swati Sharma | swati@indianweekender.co.nz Reporter: Rizwan Mohammad | rizwan@indianweekender.co.nz Chief Reporter—South Island: Gaurav Sharma Chief Technical Officer: Rohan Desouza | rohan@indianweekender.co.nz Sr Graphics and Layout Designer: Mahesh Kumar | mahesh@indianweekender.co.nz Graphic Designer: Yashmin Chand | design@indianweekender.co.nz Accounts and Admin.: 09-6366306 | accounts@indianweekender.co.nz Sales and Distribution: 022 3251630 | sales@indianweekender.co.nz Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent the views of the team at the Indian Weekender Kiwi Media Publishing Limited - 133A, Level 1, Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland. Printed at Horton Media, Auckland Copyright 2017. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Arthi Comrie, Onehunga When I think of Republic day, it always brings back fond memories of it being a great day of celebration and patriotism at school as I was 16 when I migrated from India. Today, when I think of Republic day, it represents more than just the establishment of the constitution. It’s a reminder of how far India has come, being a secular country with a booming economy, international achievements, yet facing a lot of challenges but striving on. My prayer for India is for a better tomorrow.

Syed Mohiuddin, Mt Roskill It is the day when the Indian Constitution came into practice 67 years ago. In general, it’s a day of celebration, cultural events, sweets distribution and patriotic plays and songs and that is the memory I carry from India. The day reminds me of the sacrifices of our freedom fighters and leadership of our leaders. We have come a long way as a nation had made a powerful impact on the world in the 67 years of the republic. Jai Hind.

Basant Madhur, Blockhouse Bay: Republic day for me is a day of great honour & pride as the constitution of free India was implemented on this day. India is a country having people with different cultures, religions, languages and independence of India was obtained after almost two centuries of British colonisation. Constitution of India brings all the people of this great country together, and every Indian should be proud of this day.

Megh Bardolia, Auckland CBD Republic Day is a mark of the sovereignty of the India, and it is a moment of pride for every Indian like me who have at least a pinch of patriotism alive in our hearts. Not for what we are but for what the freedom fighters have done to get independence and make us live and breathe free in an independent country

Ajay Kumar Sharma, New Lynn I am away from the country, but the republic spirit is still alive in my heart. The Constitution of India has made the country what it is today; it has framed every individual irrespective of their cast, religion or social status. Although distant, I am still an integral part of the constitution. This republic I will observe a minute of silence and stand with my family for listening to the national anthem. Jai Hind.

“ Le t yourse lf be sile n t l y draw n by t he s t ronge r pull of wh at you re all y love .”

— Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī

www.iwk.co.nz | 20 January 2017

OPINION/EDITORIAL

Trump shadow on India-US-Australia trilateral relations? ¡¡ REKHA BHATTACHARJEE

ith Donald Trump set to be inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States on January 20, will his presidency alter India-US-Australia trilateral relations? It is an indisputable fact that the US is a vital strategic ally for Australia. The depth of the collaboration between the two Pacific-rim countries can be seen in various spheres like foreign policy and national security. Australian defence policy is basically driven by the Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Alliance (ANZUS). The ties between the two Englishspeaking democracies have been so strong that Australia is often derided as the Deputy Sheriff of the US in the region. All this could undergo a drastic makeover once Trump takes the presidency of undoubtedly the most powerful country on our planet. If the US significantly downgrades the alliance with Canberra, there is a likelihood that Australia could move over to seek similar ties with its largest trading partner, China. If this happens, India’s burgeoning diplomatic and trade ties with Australia could also come under severe strain. In a worst-case scenario, there is a possibility that a Trump presidency can negatively impact the supply of uranium by Australia to India. Similarly, various multilateral dialogues involving Australia, India

“On trade, I am going to issue our notification of intent to withdraw from the TransPacific Partnership, a potential disaster for our country”

Sworn-in US President Donald Trump

and the US could also be scrapped or downgraded. It would be relevant to mention here that the upswing in the IndoAustralian bilateral ties can be traced to the early 2000s when policymakers looking to maintain US dominance in Asia started considering India as a potential counter-weight to China. If the leaked US diplomatic cables (published by WikiLeaks) are to be believed, the US cajoled Prime Minister John Howard to change Australia’s hard stance on India. The push came after President George Bush and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee signed what is known as the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership (NSSP) agreement in 2004.

In March 2006, Howard signed six bilateral agreements in India, including a memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation. Foreign affairs experts believe that if pushed too hard by the US, Australia is likely to take a serious look at strengthening its relations with the Asian powerhouse China. There is already pressure from the Australian business community on Canberra to move away from the US-centric foreign, defence and trade policies. Dhruva Jaishankar, a Fellow for Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution India Centre in New Delhi, recently commented: “...there is an evident tension between Australia’s

strategic establishment (largely confined to a bubble in Canberra) and the business community. For some, China’s importance as a trade partner and immigration trends point to a recalibration of its international relations away from the United States and the West, and there are certainly some such pressures from Australian business.” These tensions would have exacerbated in the recent months as the President-elect unveiled his vision to “Make America Great Again”. The concerns over Donald Trump’s threat to scarp the TransPacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal and the ANZUS continue to occupy a significant space in the public dialogue Down Under. Trump’s foreign policy can bury

the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD) which was started as an informal strategic dialogue between the United States, Japan, Australia and India in 2007. It could also have a negative impact on the high-level trilateral dialogue between India, Japan and Australia. The allies are definitely experiencing pangs of uncertainty about the global outlook Trump may have during the initial stage of his presidency. In a video released after winning the contentious elections, Trump had expressed his intention to withdraw the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. “On trade, I am going to issue our notification of intent to withdraw 17 from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a potential disaster for our country,” Trump had said. “Instead, we will negotiate fair, bilateral trade deals that bring jobs and industry back on to American shores.” Australian mandarins may have developed the jitters after Stephen Moore, Trump’s senior economic adviser, dropped a bombshell when he told the BBC that dramatic tax cuts are the “single most important thing for our country right now”. Australian business analysts are worried that such tax cuts would plunge the Australian economy into a crisis. Rekha Bhattacharjee is a veteran journalist based in Sydney. The views expressed are personal.

Punjab polls: Will ‘Rahu kaal’ end for Congress? ¡¡ AMULYA GANGULI

lthough two opinion polls have given different findings about which party will be the winner in Punjab, conventional wisdom is that the ruling Akali DalBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine will have a hard time overcoming the anti-incumbency factor. The reason is, first, the drug problem to which a sizable section of the youth has fallen victim. Moreover, not only has the Parkash Singh Badal government failed to act effectively to check the menace, there are suspicions too about the clandestine involvement of highups in the government, including a minister, in the narcotics trade. Secondly, Punjab is no longer quite the prosperous state as is commonly perceived because of the prevailing bankruptcy as alleged by the former Finance Minister and the Chief Minister’s nephew, Manpreet Singh Badal, who is now in the Congress after having been expelled from the Akali Dal for making the charge. Thirdly, there is said to be an element of disquiet outside the Akali Dal’s core group of rural supporters about the Badal government’s conversion into a family enterprise with Prakash Singh Badal’s son, Sukhbir Singh Badal, assuming the Deputy Chief Minister’s post. There is little doubt that if the Akalis win, he will be the Chief

Minister, replacing his 89-yearold father. But, in case the antiincumbency factor heralds the Akali Dal’s winter of discontent, which party will gain? At one time, the Aam Admi Party (AAP) was expected to be the main gainer if only because it unexpectedly won four out of the 13 parliamentary seats in the 2014 general elections with 24.4 per cent votes, next only to the Akali Dal, which also won four seats with 26.3 per cent votes. But the AAP leaders then still had the reputation of being knights in shining armour, ready to cleanse the system of sleaze and provide a government close to the hearts of the people. But that image has been

because its 40.1 per cent vote share in 2012 was more than the Akali Dal’s 34.7. What saved the Akali Dal in that year was its alliance with the BJP since the two together won 68 seats (Akali Dal 56, BJP 12) against the Congress’s 46, an increase of two seats from 2007. However, there was a fall in the voting percentages of both the Akali Dal and the BJP since 2007 while there was The a marginal increase political in the Congress’s scene can be said, vote share. therefore, to have If these straws remained more or less in the wind the same with the two are taken into heavyweights continuing consideration, to be the dominant forces the Congress can with the AAP and the dented to a considerable look forward with BJP being minor extent by its indifferent some confidence to players. performance in Delhi and the ensuing contest. constant tiffs with the Centre Besides, it has, in and the Lt. Governor, with the result Amarinder Singh, a veteran of many that few expect it to score an outright battles with a “born to rule” image victory in Punjab. because of his “royal” lineage. Instead, it is expected to be the But the Congress’s disadvantage third behind the Akali Dal-BJP remains its central leadership and combine and the Congress. especially Rahul Gandhi, who The political scene can be said, does not give the impression of therefore, to have remained more being a hands-on, mature and or less the same with the two responsible leader. heavyweights continuing to be the His equations with Amarinder dominant forces with the AAP and Singh are also far from being warm the BJP being minor players. presumably because the scion of the Of the two frontrunners, the “royal” family of Patiala once said Congress may expect to reap the that the crown prince of the Nehruharvest of anti-incumbency, not least

Gandhi dynasty lacks the experience to head the Congress party. However, Amarinder Singh cannot be unaware that in case the Congress comes out on top, it will be Gandhi who will be credited with the victory by the latter’s band of sycophants although to nearly all the others, the kudos should really go to the Captain, as Amarinder Singh is called. A Congress victory may also pave the way for Rahul Gandhi’s longawaited ascent to the position of party president, which may not be the best thing for the Congress since, to most observers, Amarinder Singh’s doubts about his capabilities are not invalid. There is little doubt, however, that out of the elections in five states in February and March, the best chance for the Congress is in Punjab. If the party can pull it off in the state, it will go a long way to counter the demoralisation that had set in after its disastrous performance in the last general election and the subsequent defeats in a number of assembly elections, including in Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Assam and Kerala. A victory may not mean that the effects of “Rahu kaal” are over for the Congress, but it will show nevertheless that there is still some life left in the old warhorse. Amulya Ganguli is a political analyst. The views expressed are personal.

INDIA

20 January 2017| www.iwk.co.nz

NAVJOT SIDHU:

This is homecoming for me

day after his formal induction into the party, cricketerturned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday, January 16, termed his joining the Congress as his “homecoming” and said his fight was for the “redemption of Punjab”. “I am a born Congressman. This is (ghar wapsi) a homecoming for me,” Sidhu said at his first press conference after joining the Congress. “This is not my personal fight in Punjab. This (election) is a fight for Punjab’s existence, its self-respect.... Punjab which was once known for Green Revolution, is now notorious for ‘chitta’ (a lethal synthetic drug popular among the youth of the state) “My fight in Punjab is for the redemption of Punjab,” he added. He also said that drugs were a reality in Punjab and one has to accept that it exists. “About 55 per cent of Punjab’s population is the youth. What direction are we giving them?” Sidhu said, adding that someone has to give

them direction. “One cannot have that ostrich mentality. Drugs does exist. We’ll have strong laws and rules to curb the drug menace in Punjab,” he added. He also said there was a nexus between the politicians, police and drug peddlers in Punjab. “Punjab has a debt of almost Rs 2 lakh crore. “A government by the people, is now a government for the family in Punjab,” he said hitting out at the Badal family. “Akali Dal too started as a ‘jamaat’ (gathering of pure) but has now turned into a private property,” Sidhu said. Asked why he had not joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which was widely speculated earlier, and about his hard bargaining with the Congress that took him long to join the party, Sidhu said: “Kejriwal saab (Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal) had tweeted saying Sidhu had not asked for anything and he is an an icon. “They (AAP) were not ready to give me tickets for elections. If I don’t

Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu

contest elections, then how can I work in Punjab. I don’t want to become a ceremonial horse in Punjab. The second party was Congress and there was no other alternative,” said Sidhu. He said his father too was a Congressman and took part in the freedom struggle as a member of the Kirti Ghadar Party. Sidhu is expected to contest the February 4 Punjab assembly election

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from Amritsar East, part of the Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency which he represented for the Bharatiya Janata Party from 2004 to 2014. Sidhu said he would contest from whichever constituency the party asked him to stand from. “I have no personal agenda. I am in favour of Punjab..I have no greed. Had that been the case I wouldn’t have left the ruling party (BJP),” he added.

“

Sidhu is expected to contest the February 4 Punjab assembly election from Amritsar East, part of the Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency

INDIA

www.iwk.co.nz | 20 January 2017

India’s entry into NSG cannot be a farewell gift: China

India evolving as global hub in defence manufacturing: Parrikar

objects to New Delhi’s inclusion in the bloc, citing India’s non-signatory status to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

The reaction by China, which has been consistently opposing India’s membership to the elite club, came after US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal described China as an “outlier” in the process of letting India join the nuclear trade bloc.

On China blocking India’s bid to have Pakistani militant Masood Azhar declared as international terrorist by the UN, Hua cited the need for “solid evidence” and “consensus”.

ticking to its stand, China on Monday, January 16 said India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) cannot be a “farewell gift” to the outgoing US President Barack Obama.

“Regarding India’s application to the Nuclear Suppliers Group, regarding non-NPT countries admission to the NSG, we have made our position clear before so I will not repeat it,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said here at a media briefing. “I just want to point out that NSG membership shall not be some kind of farewell gift for countries to give to each other,” Hua said, referring to Obama who succeeded by Donald J. Trump. The US administration, under Obama, has strongly backed India’s membership in the 48-member NSG, which regulates global nuclear trade. China, a close friend of Pakistan, has opposed India’s entry into the grouping, which has been an irritant in Sino-India ties. Beijing

It argues if New Delhi can be allowed an exception why not its “all-weather ally” Pakistan.

She said: “As we have explained our position before, on this question, the 1267 Committee needs to base its decision on solid evidence, follow relevant resolutions and rules of procedure and make a decision based on consensus.” The technical hold China proposed is to allow more time for consultation and deliberation,” she said. China repeatedly put a “technical hold” on India’s resolution for a ban on Azhar in 2016. India says Azhar is the mastermind of the January 2016 terror attack on the Pathankot air base in Punjab. Asked if Beijing would back India’s resolution against Azhar this year, Hua said: “It is a regret that no consensus has been reached so far. We need more consensus and more time for deliberation so as to reach a consensus.”

The long range ballistic Agni-V missile is displayed during Republic Day parade, in New Delhi

efence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday, January16, said the partnership between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and industries is transforming India into a global defence manufacturing hubHe said this synergy provided the much-needed thrust for exporting defence products globally. “We are taking necessary initiatives in this direction and I am sure that our stateof-the-art missiles and weapon systems will garner the much-needed interest in the global markets and generate foreign exchange,” Parrikar said. The Defence Minister was speaking during a visit to DRDO’s Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex. Parrikar, who also visited the integration centre at Research Centre Imarat (RCI), reviewed ongoing missile technologies and related programmes. He said MSME and private industries should tap huge knowledge and infrastructure base of the DRDO for creating a self-reliant defence industrial ecosystem. He noted that the industries are significantly contributing in the realisation

of various defence products with the know-how provided by the DRDO and few of them have even graduated as lead integrators. “I admire the initiatives taken by the DRDO in signing MoUs with various universities in diversified research areas and these initiatives need to be further strengthened by frequent interactions for realisation of futuristic technological products,” he added. S. Christopher, Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development, and Chairman DRDO along with G. Satheesh Reddy, Director General, Missiles and Strategic Systems briefed the Defence Minister on various technological developments. Parrikar congratulated all DRDO scientists for the recent successful missions including Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon, Long-Range Ballistic Missiles Agni V and Agni IV, Guided Pinaka and Astra. He complimented the Missile Complex for indigenising various technology products and strengthening the defence industrial base in the country.

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World needs India as much NEWS in BRIEF as India needs it: Modi India, Mauritius signs MoU for cooperation in cooperatives T I he world needs India’s sustained rise as much as India needs the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday, January 17, but warned “parochial and protectionist attitudes” are threatening globalisation goals and “non-state actors” are stoking instability, violence and extremism. He also pitched for a new “open and inclusive” security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region and asked Pakistan to abandon terrorism if it wanted dialogue with India. Modi also said that the relations between India and US are witnessing expansion across the spectrum “India’s transformation is not separated from its external context. Our economic growth, employment opportunities for our youth, our access to capital, technology, markets and resources and security of our nation are all deeply impacted by developments in the world. But, the reverse is also true. The world needs India’s sustained rise as much as India needs the world,” Modi said while inaugurating the Second Raisina Dialogue, India’s flagship geo-political conference in New Delhi. Noting that self interest alone is “neither in our culture nor in our behaviour”, he said that India’s economic and political rise represents a “regional and global opportunity of great significance”. “Our actions and aspirations, capacities and human capital, democracy and demography, and strength and success will continue to be an anchor for all round regional and global progress,” Modi said. Attacking Pakistan over its support to extremism, Modi said that India alone cannot walk the path of peace and that Pakistan must reciprocate the sentiment in letter and spirit. “A thriving well-connected and integrated neighbourhood is my dream... My vision for our neighbourhood puts premium on

ndia and Mauritius on Monday, January 16, signed an MoU for cooperation in the field of cooperatives and related areas, said an official. The MoU was signed between Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, and the Indian Ocean island country’s Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives Minister Soomilduth Bholah, it said. “The MoU will enable the two countries to collaborate in this vital sector and can significantly benefit thousands of Mauritians. India offered to exchange its expertise and technology with Mauritius in agro industry, fisheries and dairy sector,” the release added.

‘German passport world’s strongest, India ranks 81st’

A Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during the inauguration of the second edition of the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi (Photo: AP)

peaceful and harmonious ties with entire South Asia. That vision had led me to invite leaders of all SAARC nations, including Pakistan, for my swearing in. For this vision, I had also travelled to Lahore. But, India alone cannot walk the path of peace. It also has to be Pakistan’s journey to make. Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wants to walk towards dialogue with India,” he added. The Prime Minister pointed out that India has redefined, despite uncertainty and conflict, partnerships with Gulf and West Asia, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Iran. Vis-a-vis China, Modi said it was “not unnatural” for two large neighbouring powers to have “some differences”. “In our engagement with China, as President Xi and I agreed, we have sought to tap the vast area of commercial and business opportunities in the relationship. I see the development of India and China as an unprecedented opportunity, for our two countries and for the whole world,” Modi said. He said that over the past two and a half years,

his government has given a strong momentum to India’s engagement with the US, Russia, Japan and other major global powers. “These partnerships are a good fit with India’s economic priorities of capital and capacities, commerce and technology, industry and infrastructure, skills and development, and defence and security,” he said. On the US, he said he and President-elect Donald Trump have “agreed to keep building on these gains in our strategic partnership”. Modi noted that the world’s multi-polarity, and an increasingly multi-polar Asia, is “a dominant fact today”, and India welcomes it but with “vibrant pools of progress”, rising ambition and festering rivalries are generating “visible stress points” and sought a “transparent, balanced and inclusive” security architecture. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper were also present among the audience.

Subhash Bose’s restored escape car unveiled

eventy six years after it ferried Indian revolutionary Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose during his ‘great escape’ from India, the iconic German Sedan Wanderer car was unveiled after restoration by President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday, January 18. Mukherjee unfurled the flag on the car’s bonnet during a function at the Netaji Bhawan, housing the Netaji Research Bureau, in the same Elgin Road building in south Kolkata (then Calcutta) from which Netaji had escaped on the night of January 16, 1941, while under house arrest by the British police. The 1937-make sedan Wanderer W24, witness to the first leg of the legendary leader’s great escape from British India to Germany, was restored to commemorate the 76th anniversary of the great feat as well as the 60th anniversary of the NRB. The sedan, all through these years kept in a glass enclosure on the ground floor of the Netaji Bhawan, managed by the NRB – has received a fresh lease of life, courtesy, a collaboration between the Bureau and German auto maker Audi. West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathy and Netaji’s grand nephew Sugata Bose, also a Trinamool MP, were present on the occasion.

German passport is the world’s strongest while the Indian is ranked 81st in the popular ranking of the world’s passports by a global advisory firm. The latest passport Index devised by global financial advisory firm Arton Capital is based on cross-border access of national passports. It assigns a “visa-free score” according to the number of countries a passport holder can visit visa-free or with visa on arrival. The index was released by passportindex.org. and saw Germany take first place with a visa-free score of 158, closely followed by Singapore and Sweden which were both ranked second with a visa-free score (VFS) of 157. Singapore overtook South Korea as it became the highest ranked Asian passport. India stood at 81st position with 46 VFS, whereas China was ranked at 70th. The Indian passport was still ahead of Sri Lanka and Pakistan, ranked 92nd and 97th respectively. According to the list, Afghanistan’s passport was the least powerful with a VFS of 23. The other top most powerful passports in the world included Denmark (156), Finland (156), France (156), Spain (156), Switzerland (156), Norway (156), Britain and the United States (156).

India welcomes Syrian peace talks in Astana

ndia has welcomed the Syrian peace talks scheduled for next week in Astana, the Kazakh capital, calling it an “encouraging” development. “We welcome all efforts to end violence in Syria and to jumpstart the political process,” Deputy Permanent Representative Tanmaya Lal told the Security Council during a debate on the Middle East on Tuesday, January 17. “It is encouraging that the process is committed to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic and is led and owned by Syria,” he added. “We look forward to the outcome of the direct talks.” A breakthrough in having the government and the rebels negotiate on ending the six-year civil war, the talks are backed by Russia, Turkey and Iran. Lal said, “Meaningful involvement of the UN is also essential in the process.” Earlier, the Secretary-General’s Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq confirmed that the UN had received an invitation to the Astana talks and the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura is sending a team headed by his deputy, Ramzy Ezzeldin.

Hand can even purify the lotus mired in slush, Congress tells BJP

C President Pranab Mukherjee with the historic Wanderer car in which Sisir Kumar Bose drove Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in January 1941, at Netaji Bhavan in Kolkata

The President also sat for some time on the car’s front seat beside the driver, while Bose took his position at the wheel. Speaking on the occasion, the President said, Netaji’s name is perhaps the most emotive issue in the Indian political arena, particularly to Bengalis, even so many years after the great man’s disappearance. Netaji continues to be the centre of many controversies till date, he said. The restoration was carried out in consultation with vintage car expert Pallab Ray and is scheduled for completion by December.

Netaji’s nephew Sisir Bose had driven the revolutionary in the sedan (bearing the registration number BLA 7169) through the streets of Kolkata to Gomoh (now in Jharkhand) hoodwinking British intelligence. He reached Germany via the Khyber Pass, Kabul and Moscow. In a note of admiration for Sisir Bose, also the NRB founder, the President referred to his role in the historic incident which triggered a series of consequential events and also led to his imprisonment for three to four years at various places from Lahore to Kolkata.

ongress, making light of the BJP’s demand seeking withdrawal of its ‘hand’ election symbol, said on Tuesday, January 17, that the BJP will not gain anything by lodging “false complaints” and that “the hand was even capable of purifying the lotus mired in slush”. Congress also advised the central ruling party not to worry or be afraid but do more hardwork. “This is nothing but nervousness of a losing BJP in Uttar Pradesh. As (Congress Vice President) Rahul Gandhi said, I would like to tell them “Don’t be afraid,” said Congress spokesperson Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi Randeep Singh Surjewala. “The hand symbol can also purify the lotus mired in slush. It can not only give strength to people but also confidence to move forward. “The fact that they are losing in UP miserably, that’s why they are trying to make mountain out of a molehill,” he added. “Can they deny that symbol of ‘Ashirwaad’ is also done with hand? So we want to tell them not to worry, not to be afraid and they should do hardwork because their performance is already known to people,” said Surjewala, noting that “such wrong complaints will not fetch them anything”. The BJP had lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer of Uttar Pradesh against Congress Vice President Gandhi and his party for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct by “co-relating the Congress election symbol with religious figures”. It had sought the withdrawal of the Congress’ election symbol ‘hand’ as well as cancellation of its recognition as a national party.

INDIA ABROAD

www.iwk.co.nz | 13 January 2017

All five Indian American lawmakers nominated to key Congressional panels

ll five Indian American lawmakers have been nominated to key Congressional panels, the media reported. All five are Democrats, as are the bulk of Indian-Americans. US Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, elected to the House of Representatives from Seattle, will serve on the House Judiciary Committee, helping to oversee the federal-court system and lawenforcement agencies, said a report in the Seattle Times. Jayapal said she looks forward to working on immigration reform, criminal-justice reform, reproductive rights and voting rights. "I'm proud to have led efforts for some of the most progressive immigration policies in the nation," Jayapal said. "In the 115th Congress, I pledge to fight for our progressive values, and block the Trump administration's plans to deport vulnerable undocumented immigrants, create a Muslim registry and violate our civil rights and civil liberties." Congressman Ro Khanna was appointed to two key committees - Budget and Armed Services, reported daily Mercury News. He represents the 17th District of California, which covers the Silicon Valley communities of Cupertino, Fremont, Newark, Santa Clara, and Sunnyvale.

NEWS in BRIEF Pawan Kalyan, Madhavan to speak at Harvard

A US Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal,

Congressman Ro Khanna

Indian American Raja Krishnamoorthi, who was sworn in as a Member of the US House of Representatives earlier this month, would be serving on two influential committees. In addition to being the voice of Illinois' Eighth Congressional District, the Democrat will serve on the House Education and Workforce Committee, as well as the House Democratic Policy and Steering Committee, indiawest.com reported. Congressman Ami Bera was renominated to the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Science, Space and Technology Committee. He is the senior most among all Indian American lawmakers in the House of Representatives and is also co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on

India and Indian Americans, said a report. Kamala Harris, first Indian American to serve in the US Senate, will serve on four influential committees – the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee; the Select Committee on Intelligence; the Committee on Environment & Public Works; and the Committee on the Budget. Harris said that her committee assignments in the US Senate will be "key battlegrounds in the future of our country", the Los Angeles Times reported. 2016 was a bumper year for the Indian-American community, with a record haul of four in the House of Representatives, and their first seat in the Senate.

Sikh girl to represent Malaysia in Miss Universe contest ikh girl with her roots in India is representing Malaysia at the Miss Universe pageant in Manila on January 30. Born Kiranmeet Kaur Baljeet Singh Jassal, the 20-year-old won Miss Universe Malaysia title in 2016 and was awarded Miss My Dentist Winning Smile subsidiary title, reported Malaysian star2 website. Kiran’s family shifted to Malaysia decades ago and is based in the suburbs of Subang Jaya town of Selangor state. Her mother, Ranjit Kaur, was the winner of the Classic Mrs Malaysia title in 2015 while her sister Ranmeet, a model, was also a beauty pageant titleholder and a doctor by profession. The Jassal sisters grew up admiring and idolising b e a u t y queens, Miss World 1994 Aishwarya Rai and Miss Universe 1994 Sushmita Sen, said the report. “Their stories resonated strongly with me because they did something else with their lives other than just being a beauty queen, especially with Sushmita Sen as she did a lot of charity work outside of Miss Universe,” said Kiran.

Kiran, who is studying dentistry at the International Medical University (IMU), said beauty pageants were good platforms for younger women to voice their opinions. “Beauty pageants could be used to gain fame and publicity. But I think if it is used right, you can get the public recognition to raise More women who are equally good in education are taking the initiative because it is a good platform to educate and inspire young women awareness and bring light to certain causes as you have a huge target audience,” she said. Her sister Ranmeet, a medical graduate of the Rajiv Gandhi Univer sity of Health Sciences in India, says the perception of beauty pageants has changed over the years. “More women who are equally good in education are taking the initiative because it is a good platform to educate and inspire young w o m e n , ” she said.

Toronto Punjabis head to India to campaign for AAP

ome 90 Punjabis of Indian origin from Toronto, Canada area have flown to Punjab to campaign for the AAP in the February 4 assembly election, a Canadian daily reported. “I want to be a part of real change,” said Surinder Mavi, a 31-year-old Brampton resident whose planeload of Aam Aadmi Party election volunteers departed on Tuesday January 17, the Toronto Star said. The daily quoted Mavi as saying that his political awakening began with his arrival in Canada eight years ago when he realised that bribes were unnecessary and basic rules like stopping at red lights were respected. Mavi said the Toronto area volunteers were part of a campaign that saw thousands of Indian expatriates arrive in New Delhi on Thursday, January 19 to help the AAP in the state election, the daily said. Mavi would ride an AAP campaign bus to rally support in 16 of Punjab’s largest constituencies. Punjab will elect 117 legislators. The battle is expected to be three-way, with the ruling Akali Dal-BJP coalition challenged by the Congress and the AAP. In 2014, after landing a job as a senior technical service analyst at a major Canadian bank, Mavi decided it was time to act. He joined the Canadian branch of AAP. The Star quoted Kanta Murali, an expert on Indian politics at the University of Toronto, as saying that the Punjab battle would be “a good bellwether for the effect demonetisation has had” on Indians. Azad Kaushik, Canadian president of the Overseas Friends of BJP, admitted to “an anti-incumbency factor” in Punjab. But he said, the BJP’s economic record would keep its state coalition in power.

ctors Pawan Kalyan and R. Madhavan have been invited as guest speakers at the 14th edition of the India Conference at Harvard, one of the largest student-run conferences with a focus on India in the US. The conference, which will take place on February 11 and 12, is hosted at the Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School by the graduate students of Harvard University. The event will bring together business leaders, R. Madhavan entertainment professionals, and many other leaders to engage in a conversation about India's path to global leadership. "The king of Tollywood and Jana Sena party, Pawan Kalyan will be speaking at India Conference 2017 at Harvard," read a post on the Twitter handle of the India Conference 2017, on Monday, January 16. Really looking forward to having R. Madhavan as a speaker at India Conference 2017," the post read further. Madhavan is excited and tweeted that he can't wait to be part of the conference.

Indo-Canadians to mark India’s 68th Republic Day

o mark India’s 68th Republic Day, an umbrella body of IndoCanadian community organisations will host a one-day entertainment event in Brampton. Panorama India has been hosting this event for the last several years to promote India’s cultures and heritage, reported Mississauga online daily. This year’s event features cultural exhibits, a folk dance competition along with the Panorama Idol finale, a Bollywood singing competition, where people can vote for their favourite singers. There would also be a drawing competition for children and an exhibition of handicrafts, ethnic outfits, jewellery and food showcasing various regions of India. On January 26, a large number of Indo-Canadians, leaders and politicians are expected to attend a flag-hoisting ceremony at the Indian mission in Toronto. Consul General Dinesh Bhatia would lead the ceremony with his wife Seema.

Malaysia lifts curbs on hiring foreign workers in more sectors

iting critical need for manpower and economic progress following dismal reception from locals, the Malaysian government has withdrawn curbs on hiring foreign workers for two industries on Tuesday, January 17, a newspaper reported. Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that Putrajaya city has ended the moratorium and will now allow foreign workers in the mining and services sectors, and provide “more leeway” for those in the agriculture sector, reported Malay Mail Online newspaper. At 2.14 million, the number of documented foreign workers from at least 13 countries in 2015 exceeded the 1.99 million Indian Malaysians – the country’s third largest ethnic group after the Malays and Chinese Malaysians. The government agreed with the Agriculture and Agro-based Ministry to provide more leeway for foreign workers intake for the agricultural sub-sector of chicken farming, Hamidi said in an official statement. The committee also allowed the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to hire foreign workers, on an interim basis until 2020, for the mining and quarrying sectors. Hamidi said the Transport Ministry’s also would have foreign workers fill the void of manpower in the services sector, such as cargo operations at ports. Hamidi announced that the interim hiring period for foreign workers in the tourism sector will be extended until 2020.

Microsoft’s Satya Nadella not nervous of Trump

S President-elect Donald Trump does not make India-born Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella nervous, and he is confident about the tech giant’s place as a job creator. “We’re a US-based company that operates worldwide and our predominant employment is in the United States,” Indian-American Nadella told CNNTech in Munich on Monday January 16. “We’ve already created a tremendous amount Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella of high-paying jobs in the US.” Microsoft employs over 113,000 people worldwide, more than 64,000 of whom are in the US, mainly in Washington state, according to the company. But Nadella said Trump’s ascent to become the President has not changed the roadmap much for Microsoft. “If anything, we’ll double down on what we’ve always done, which is be a US company that operates in the United States very responsibly, but also being a multinational company that contributes into every country that we work in.” In the wake of Trump’s win in the November 8 election, companies are eager to play up the number of Americans they employ, CNN reported. Companies like Amazon have made very public announcements about the jobs they expect to add, with messaging that seems to be in direct response to the real-estate magnate’s win.

WORLD

20 January 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz

Obama surprises press secretary Josh Earnest on his last day

resident Barack Obama made a surprise visit to the White House daily press briefing to praise his spokesman Josh Earnest. Press Secretary Josh Earnest held his final White House press briefing on Tuesday, January 17 at the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House. "Even though it's my last day, you better not let up now," Earnest joked at the start of the press conference. "So in that spirit, let me say for the last time standing up here, let's get started with the questions," he added. Shortly after, President Obama entered the room and praised his third and final press secretary. "He's never disappointed. He has always been the guy you wanted him to be," Obama said, saying he had known Earnest for nearly 10 years, since he joined the Obama campaign in Iowa ahead of the 2008 presidential elections. The president said he was initially stricken by Earnest's "all American" good looks when they met in Iowa, and said he had a "face made for television." But he said he has always felt Earnest to be a man of integrity. "What struck me most in addition to his smarts and maturity and actual interest in the issues was is integrity," Obama said on Tuesday. "There are people you meet who, you have a pretty good inkling off the bat, are straight shooters." Obama added, "he is not only a great press secretary, he is a really, really good man." "I've now known this guy for ten years and I've watched him grow, I've watched him advance, I've watched him marry, be a father and I've watched him manage younger people coming up behind him "He has never disappointed and always been the guy you wanted him to be. He is a really, really good man and I am really, really proud of him," he said. Earnest participated in, by some counts, his 354th press briefing on Tuesday.

Press Secretary Josh Earnest (left) was surprised by outgoing US President Barack Obama

The topics ranged from the presidential transition to the involvement of Russia in the 2016 presidential election. Earnest also confirmed reports that the Obamas would be going on vacation in Palm Springs, Calif. after the inauguration of Donald Trump. He would not, however, say how long they'll be saying, reported time.com. The press secretary was also pressed on the future of the briefing, given statements by the incoming administration that they'd consider either moving the briefing out of the James Brady Press Briefing room or changing the way it is handled. Earnest said he had advised incoming Press Secretary Sean Spicer to engage with the White House Correspondents' Association and added that while press access may be "uncomfortable" at times, "it's important".

She said it was then when she realised that she could become anything she wanted in her life. “From becoming a doctor to becoming the Prime Minister of Pakistan and fixing all the issues.” Malala, an education activist who survived a near-fatal attack by the Taliban, rose to international fame after emerging defiant from the assassination attempt on a school bus in Swat valley in October 2012 to continue her fight for girls’ rights. While living under the Taliban rule, she wrote a blog under a pseudonym which featured her thoughts on girls’ education.

2016 hottest year on record:WMO

he year 2016 was the hottest on record, with an average temperature 1.1 degrees Centigrade (2 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than in pre-industrial times, the World Meteorological Organisation said. The WMO said on Wednesday, January 18, it combined data from NASA, the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the British Meteorological Office and the European Centre for MediumRange Weather Forecasts to

China to launch satellite for predicting earthquakes

hina will launch a satellite this year to gather electromagnetic data which may be used in monitoring and forecasting earthquakes. According to China’s earthquake administrative agencies, the satellite will be launched in the latter half of this year, Xinhua news agency reported. Movements of the Earth’s crust generate electromagnetic radiation which can be observed from space. By collecting data on the Earth’s electromagnetic field, ionosphere plasma and high-energy particles, the satellite will be used in real-time monitoring of earthquakes and possible seismic precursors in China and neighbouring regions. The satellite will be China’s first space-based platform for earthquake monitoring, providing a new approach for research.

Malala hopes to study philosophy, NASA eyes Russian politics, economics at Oxford Soyuz trips to send akistani Nobel laureate and crew to ISS education activist Malala

Yousafzai has given an admission test at the prestigious Oxford University where she hopes to study philosophy, politics and economics, a media report said on Friday, January 13. Yousufzai, while speaking to the media, said that her interview was not easy and like any other student she is anxiously waiting for the result, Geo News reported. Interestingly, these three majors are usually the degrees chosen by prominent British politicians, civil society activists and media representatives. The nobel laureate in many interviews has expressed her desire to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan. In one of her speeches this year at an event in Sharjah she said: “Before I thought women could only be teachers or housewives. But when I saw women role models they broadened my vision. Benazir Bhutto who led my country, artists, astronauts, entrepreneurs, athletes.”

NEWS in BRIEF

analyse the world temperatures. In a statement, the American space agency said this was the third consecutive year that set a record for high global temperatures since record-keeping began in 1880, Efe news reported. "The planet's average surface temperature has risen about 2.0 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius) since the late 19th century, a change driven largely by increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions into the atmosphere," read the statement.

ASA is considering to acquire two seats on the Russian Soyuz spacecrafts to transport crews for missions in 2017 and 2018 to the International Space Station (ISS), media reported. NASA is considering to buy Soyuz seats, through an arrangement with Boeing, because no other vehicles are currently capable of transporting one crew member in 2017, one crew member in 2018, and three additional seats in 2019, Spacenews reported on Wednesday, January 18. Boeing had obtained the rights to the seats from Soyuz manufacturer RSC Energia. The two seats in 2017 and 2018 became available to the other ISS partners after Russia decided to vacate them as a cost-saving measure. Buying these seats for 2017 and 2018 missions will increase US crew size on the ISS from three to four and maximise ISS science utilisation. Although the space agency has contracts with two US commercial companies— Orbital ATK and SpaceX—for transporting crew to the ISS, their vehicles are still in the developmental stage and can begin fully operational crew flights to the ISS by 2019. NASA is considering to tap Boeing for the launch, return and rescue of US or US-designated astronauts and associated services. The services BASA wants to hire are for the launch of US crew members to the ISS for planned six-month missions, on-orbit rescue services for the duration of six-month missions, provision of emergency rescue services and medical support, thei9r return to the Earth, and post-flight medical support, among others.

Don’t miss Jupiter’s Great Red Spot

cientists have released incredible new images of Jupiter megastorm from the data sent by its Juno probe that reveal a crescent Jupiter and the iconic Great Red Spot. Below the Great Red Spot is visible a reddish long-lived storm known as Oval BA. It also has a series of storms shaped like white ovals, known informally as the ‘string of pearls.’ The images were created by Roman Tkachenko, a citizen scientist using data from Juno’s JunoCam instrument, NASA said in a statement. Jupiter which is the biggest in the solar system, appears as a deep red orb surrounded by layers of pale yellow, orange and white. The Great Red Spot is a giant, spinning storm in Jupiter’s atmosphere and is more than twice the size of Earth. Winds inside this storm reach speeds of about 270 miles per hour. In the late 1800s, it was estimated to be about about 40,000 kms in diameter—wide enough for three Earths to fit side by side. The images were taken on Decemeber 11, 2016 as the Juno spacecraft performed its third close flyby of Jupiter. At the time of the picture, the spacecraft was about 458,800 kms from the planet.

Russia, China key in maintaining world stability: Russian FM

ussia and China, with their relationship at its best ever, have been one of the key factors in maintaining world stability, something the two countries will continue to uphold, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. “Bilateral strategic cooperation and a comprehensive partnership, as well as working together on regional and global affairs, are on the rise,” Lavrov said on Tuesday, january 17. at his annual press conference in Moscow. Regarding the Korean Peninsula’s nuclear issue, Lavrov said both Russia and China have promoted initiatives aimed at resuming negotiations to avoid the region becoming home to a “constant accumulation of threats”. “Russian and Chinese positions are absolutely identical. We try to convince all the other participants in the so-called sixparty talks to assume the same approach,” he added. Besides at the United Nations, Russia and China also play an “important and active role” in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS bloc, particularly in promoting anti-terrorist campaigns, he added.

George H.W. Bush, wife hospitalised

ormer US President George H.W. Bush and his wife, former First Lady Barbara Bush, have both been hospitalised, media reports said. Bush’s spokesman Jim McGrath told CNN that the 41st President has been hospitalised at Houston Methodist Hospital since Saturday, January 14, and later said in a statement that the cause was “an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia. Doctors performed a procedure to protect and clear his airway that required sedation”. “President Bush is stable and resting comfortably,” the hospital said, adding that he will remain in the ICU for observation. Barbara Bush also was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday, January 18, as a precaution after “experiencing fatigue and coughing,” McGrath said in the statement.

SPORTS

www.iwk.co.nz | 20 January 2017

We needed to tell the opposition that we believe we can win: Kohli I ndia’s new One-Day International (ODI) captain Virat Kohli said it was important to let the opposition know his team was not down and out despite tottering at 63-4 chasing a stiff 351 for victory in the first rubber against England on Sunday January 15. Kohli led from the front with a typical 122 off 105 balls with Kedar Jadhav stepping up too, scoring 120 off just 76 deliveries as India crossed the line by three wickets. “We couldn’t win with those singles. We needed to tell the opposition that we believe we can win,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony. “The wicket was very placid so it was just a case of the bowlers trying their best. We bowled really well in

the initial phases, but in the end they countered us really well.” This turned out to be fourth highest successful run chases of all time. “This is going to take a while to sink in,” Kohli, who notched up his 27th ODI hundred and 17th in a run chase, said. He also heaped praises on Kedar, who scored his second ODI ton. “We needed a special partnership to get us over the line chasing 350 after being 63-4 with four quicks in the opposition,” he said. “What an innings from Kedar. We have seen his potential in the New Zealand series and today it was never going to be easy batting at No.6 and some of the shots he played I watched in awe,” Kohli said lavishing praise on the home boy who stitched a 200-run partnership for the fifth wicket with his captain. Jadhav credited Kohli for

De Villiers pulls out of NZ series, fuels Test retirement speculation

uelling talk that he might call it a day in Test cricket, South African star batsman AB de Villiers pulled out of the upcoming series in New Zealand in March, although saying this was not a retirement call. “Not yet. I’m not there yet,” de Villiers said. “The reason being that I just need to settle things in my head. Over the last few years something has come to mind, which is the fact that we haven’t won a World Cup yet. And for me to make it to the 2019 World Cup, I can’t really be serious in every format. “So I’ve made myself unavailable for the New Zealand Test series. I will be there for the ODIs, and I’m definitely not retiring from Test cricket because I have plans to come back at some stage,” he added. De Villiers said he wanted to focus on the 2019 World Cup ahead of everything else at present. “For me, for now the most important thing is the 2019 World Cup. I want to make sure we get there, I want to make sure we lift that trophy. Obviously there are other factors that play a role like family and time away from home, but the main reason for me is that World Cup and I feel that if I play all formats all the

AB de Villiers

time, then mentally and physically I won’t be at my best.” He had earlier told South African radio station 702 that he was “not retiring out of Test cricket.” De Villiers has recovered from his elbow injury to make his comeback in his side’s domestic 50-over competition and is scheduled to play his first match on Sunday, January 22. “My main aim is to get to that 2019 World Cup and I am going to do everything possible to get there. It’s important to play the other formats but mentally and physically I need to be in a good space come the 2019 World Cup and that’s what I am aiming for. I know its still a long way away and it’s all about managing that really well in order for me to get there,” he said.

being an inspiration at the other end. “It’s a great feeling that I could win a game for my country in front of my home crowd and my family. “I could play this long because of my captain. He has done it so many times for the country and I had missed too many chances so many times. So today was the chance to get runs and watch Virat from other end,” Jadhav, who fought cramps to hit his highest score, said England captain Eoin Morgan admitted they wanted to bowl first in order to gauge the conditions adding even 350 was never going to be a safe score. “That’s why we wanted to bowl first. Small ground, conditions are pretty tough for the bowlers. You think you are in the game, especially having them 60 for 4. It is tough to

India beat England by three wickets in first ODI

lazing centuries from captain Virat Kohli (122 off 105 balls) and Kedar Jadhav (120 off 76 deliveries) helped India defeat England by three wickets in their first One-Day International (ODI) cricket match on Sunday, Janaury 15. Pursuing England’s highly challenging total of 350-7, India were in deep trouble at 69-4 but Kohli and Jadhav forged a 200-run stand to put the hosts in contention. Later, Hardik Pandya (40 not out) contributed significantly to ensure that India crossed the line with three wickets and 1.5 overs to spare. Earlier, Joe Root (78), Jason Roy (73), Ben strokes (61) helped England post a challenging total at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.

Bangladesh skipper blames bowlers after losing Wellington Test

fter suffering a confidencecrippling defeat to New Zealand in the first cricket Test, Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim on Monday, January 16, said the team was let down by its bowling. He said things could have been different if the bowlers could keep the Kiwi batsmen under pressure from both ends, reports bdnews24.com. Chasing 217 in a maximum of 48 overs, after Bangladesh was dismissed for 160 in its second innings, New Zealand reached the target in 39.4 overs , losing three wickets, to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Young spinner Mehedi Hasan Miraz picked out the openers early to reduce the hosts to 39 for 2, but none of the bowlers were able to curb

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim

the counter-attack from centurion Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor that followed. New Zealand won by seven wickets. Although spinner Shakib Al Hasan kept things tight from one end, Williamson (unbeaten 104) and Taylor (60) milked the runs off bowlers from the other end. The pair put paid to Bangladesh’s hopes with a 163-run partnership as New

Zealand took 1-0 lead in the two match series. “We had some injury issues but we lost the match for our bowling. We needed to create pressure from both ends. Our bowling is inexperienced. I hope they will learn quickly,” Mushfiqur said after the match. Even with a 595 runs on the scoreboard in the first innings, Bangladesh’s inexperienced pace attack of Taskin Ahmed and Subashis Roy on debut were unable to put New Zealand under sustained pressure with the ball. “We didn’t execute our plans the way we should have and if we had, we could have had a 200-run lead in the first innings and it would have been a different ball game,” Mushfiqur added.

Virat Kohli and Kedar Jadhav.

take, but credit to them. They didn’t give us any chances We didn’t play at our best today. Even 350 was not enough,” he said. “We think we were in the game for most of it. So all is not lost. We

were at a tricky period between overs 35 and 45 where we were looking to get momentum into the business end. Credit to India for taking Jos (Buttler)’s wicket. We would have liked to kickstart that charge earlier.”

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Federer admits to feeling nervous in Australian Open 1st round

wiss tennis legend Roger Federer admitted that he felt nervous during Monday’s (January 16) victory over Austrian Jurgen Melzer in the first round of the Australian Open. Federer defeated Melzer 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 to earn his 308th Grand Slam victory, reports Efe. “I was feeling nervous once the match actually started,” Federer said after the match. I thought my serve was on and off in the beginning which surprised me a little bit, because in practice it’s been going pretty well,” the Swiss player explained. Federer emphasised that he does not have any problems and is ready and fit. The Swiss added that he was happy after winning the game and his return to competition. “It was great to be out there. I really enjoyed myself, even though it wasn’t so simple,” he said.

Australia’s tour to India can’t be worse than 2013: Watson

ustralia’s tour to India next month can’t be worse than the side’s 2013 campaign when he and four other players were suspended for a Test, former all-rounder Shane Watson said on Tuesday, January 17.. India dealt a 4-0 whitewash to the Aussies in 2013, a tour remembered for Watson, James Pattinson, Mitchell Johnson and Usman Khawaja being handed a one-Test ban for disciplinary breaches. “It really can’t get any worse than what it was in 2013,” Watson told Cricket Australia’s website. “So that’s a good starting point because that’s as bad as it can get, players getting suspended from a Test match. I’m sure that won’t happen Shane Watson this time.” Australia have included three spinners to India, including uncapped legspinner Mitch Swepson, and all-rounders Ashton Agar and Glenn Maxwell in their 16-man squad. “Obviously the way that you win over there is through spin bowling, but not necessarily just only spin bowling,” Watson said. “The time the Aussie team won in 2004, they only had Shane Warne and three quick bowlers. It’s more so just playing to your absolute strengths, playing your best players, who’ve got the best chance of being able to play in those extreme conditions than what we’re used to.” Watson recalled how the 2004-05 squad fed off the back of pace triumvirate Glenn McGrath, Michael Kasprowicz and Jason Gillespie working in tandem with legendary leg-spinner Shane Warne. Watson reserved rich praise for opener Matt Renshaw, saying he knows what to do and should just stick to his game plan. “He knows his game incredibly well and I’m sure he’ll just stick to his game plan like he did in the Test matches he’s played. “I’m sure he’ll have a lot of success,” Watson said.

FUNZONE

20 January 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz

in all the squares in the grid so that each row, column and each of the 3x3 squares Sudoku Fill contains all the digits from 1 to 9. 2 3 6 3 8 2 1 9 2 6 8 1 7 4

4 7 1 6 2

5 8 2

2 5 3 4

9 2

5 5 9

9 7

4 1 6

2 3 1 2

6 9 1 8 6 5

7 4

6 1 8

6 3

7 3

7 1 8 7 2 9 4

4 6 2

1 8 5 7 2 7 7 5 6 2 9 3

3 9 4 1 8 6

2 3

1 7

2 1 4

Answers to last week's puzzles

8 2

7 9

3 7 2 6

1 4

8 9 3 5

Large print sudoku from largeprintpuzzles.com Large print sudoku from largeprintpuzzles.comLarge print sudoku from largeprintpuzzles.comLarge print sudoku from largeprintpuzzles.comLarge print sudoku from largeprintpuzzles.com

9 5

6 4

6 5 1 4 7

2 9

1 8 6 4

6 3 9 5 6 8 6

Crossword

7 6 4 3 9 4 5 2 8

5 2 3 1

6 8 7 1

9 6

8 3 1 6 2 9

9 9 8 7

4 9

7 6

6 7 5 2

8 2 4

1 2 3 7 5 8 6

5 6

4 2 5

2 7

5 6 4 1 3 2 6 9 2 6 4 8 1 2 7 6

Word Scrumble

Large print sudoku from largeprintpuzzles.comLarge print sudoku from largeprintpuzzles.comLarge print sudoku from largeprintpuzzles.comLarge print sudoku from largeprintpuzzles.comLarge print sudoku from largeprintpuzzles.com

1. TOAM 2. UMIARUN 3. ASEB 4. REUCTRUST 5. OBARNC 6. ACTLRYS 7. ELNTMEE 8. SGA 9. EYERNG 10. IECSMHT 11. IDLSO 12. EEETNIMXPR 13. EONGDRHY 14. ANTCBUSES 15. LMUOCELE 16. CUOPOMDN 17. DAIC 18. IIUDQL 19. XYNEOG 20. IOMUSD 21. ELLC 22. FELI 23. CRBAAETI 24. IEULONTOV 25. OSIRECMCOP 26. VUSIR 27. GNSOIRAM 28. ONINCLG 29. NGEE 30. EOCGYLO 31. NGEEYR 32. OROEMMCSHO 33. PATLIN 34. GIUNF 35. TOBIOISLG 36. IMAANL 37. THOGRW 38. OISLFS 39. TPRINOE 40. CSNLUEU

1 3 5 2 7 8 9 6 4

6 9 2 4 5 1 3 8 7

7 8 4 9 6 3 5 1 2

3 7 9 1 8 5 4 2 6

5 1 6 3 2 4 7 9 8

4 2 8 6 9 7 1 3 5

8 5 3 7 1 2 6 4 9

9 4 7 8 3 6 2 5 1

2 6 1 5 4 9 8 7 3

5 8 4 1 6 2 7 9 3

2 1 6 9 7 3 8 4 5

9 7 3 4 8 5 1 6 2

4 6 8 3 5 9 2 7 1

3 9 5 7 2 1 6 8 4

7 2 1 6 4 8 5 3 9

8 3 9 2 1 6 4 5 7

6 4 2 5 3 7 9 1 8

1 5 7 8 9 4 3 2 6

7 8 5 2 4 6 9 3 1

6 9 3 8 7 1 4 5 2

2 1 4 9 3 5 6 7 8

8 5 7 6 9 3 2 1 4

1 6 9 4 2 7 5 8 3

4 3 2 5 1 8 7 9 6

9 7 6 3 8 2 1 4 5

5 4 8 1 6 9 3 2 7

3 2 1 7 5 4 8 6 9

3 2 6 8 4 1 9 5 7

8 5 1 9 2 7 6 3 4

9 4 7 5 6 3 2 1 8

7 1 8 3 9 2 5 4 6

2 9 4 6 1 5 8 7 3

5 6 3 4 7 8 1 2 9

6 7 9 1 5 4 3 8 2

1 8 2 7 3 9 4 6 5

4 3 5 2 8 6 7 9 1

8 3 7 5 9 2 4 6 1

1 6 5 4 7 3 9 2 8

4 2 9 6 8 1 7 3 5

7 9 1 3 4 8 6 5 2

5 4 6 2 1 9 3 8 7

2 8 3 7 5 6 1 4 9

6 1 4 9 2 5 8 7 3

3 5 8 1 6 7 2 9 4

9 7 2 8 3 4 5 1 6

Large print sudoku from largeprintpuzzles.com

6 3 2 7 9 4 1 8 5

4 7 9 8 1 5 6 3 2

8 1 5 2 3 6 4 9 7

5 8 4 9 6 2 7 1 3

2 9 3 1 4 7 5 6 8

7 6 1 3 5 8 9 2 4

3 5 7 6 8 9 2 4 1

9 4 8 5 2 1 3 7 6

1 2 6 4 7 3 8 5 9

Earth Quzz Solution 1. The Pacific Ocean 2. Iron and nickel 3. The center of the earth 4. Magma 5. Lava 6. Australia 7. A geologist 8. Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous 9. False - 5000 feet (1500 meters)

10. Mariana Trench 11. Diamond 12. The Sahara Desert in Africa Puzzles to Print 13. Red Medium Kakuro – Set 1 Solutions 14. Mount Everest 15. Hang from the ceiling 3 1 8 7 16. Waterfall 4 6 2 9 8 5 17. Seismologist 1 2 6 7 9 1 18. The ozone layer 9 8 7 9 2 19. Iron (32%) and oxygen 5 4 9 6 8 3 (30%) 9 1 8 9 5 Puzzles to Print Medium Kakuro – Set (21%) 1 20. Oxygen Solutions 3

9 5

6. Which sign of the zodiac would you be if your birthday was on the 18th October? 7. Who was the first famous non-royal to appear on a UK postage stamp? 8. Which birthstone is associated with the month of May? 9. Which measurement of speed is equivalent to one nautical mile per hour? 10. Of what is semiotics the study?

6 8

1 2

9 7

General Knowledge 1. What is the name of the Paranoid Android in Douglas Adams’ ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’? 2. In a standard UK Monopoly game, the green set consists of Bond Street, Regent Street and which other? 3. Who created Snoopy? 4. What does UNESCO stand for? 5. After how many years would you celebrate your crystal anniversary?

Send us stories, drawings, poems and other contributions by your little ones along with their photographs for this page. E-mail us at reporter@indianweekender.co.nz

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Casual office-wear

fashion trends for men ¡¡ IWK BUREAU

Why should boys have all the fun, they say. But why should fashion be just about women? This week’s fashion column-Razzmatazz is dedicated to men who want to look

Denim is divine

professional yet trendy at their workplace. Just go for right pairing of clothes, while choosing your day to day wears. Here are some officewear trends for a fresher to stay proper and inspired at work.

Just because you have the choice of going ahead and dressing the way you want, doesn’t mean you will flaunt a confused look. You can look most effective in a simple outfit. All that would be required is your good sense in toning things down and keeping it classy to get you noticed for all the right reasons. Matching a pair of smart denims with a white t-shirt and a denim jacket or by simply going denim-on-denim can make you look more dashing.

Jacket it up

If you want to pull off a more relaxed look, while still maintaining the sharpness of a suit, pairing casual clothes with a jacket can be the perfect pick. Not only will it bring forth a versatile way of wearing a suit, this pairing of a smart bomber jacket with a more casual pair of chinos and shirt, without a tie can create a modern-smart casual look. If you’re not a shirt person, swap it with a fitted crew or roll neck jumper to add that informal element to your look while maintaining the professional core of the style

Casual done right

Go unconventional and experimental with chinos in mint, maroon and olive along with traditional printed cotton shirts teamed with warm tan coloured blazers and loafers. Not only will this combination add a touch of class to your look, it will allow you to maintain the essence of staying effortlessly casual and comfortable at work.

Patterns on point

Wear smart casual trousers like chinos or khakis, and pair them with a patterned shirt and jacket or combine them with an Oxford shirt or jumper. Mix up different styles, colours and patterns but make sure there aren’t too many colours and patterns in one look. Instead, don one strongly patterned piece and pair it with either neutral tones or hues from the pattern itself.

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The stuff our bodies are made of

¡¡ SADHGURU, ISHA FOUNDATION

hat does the spiritual process have to do with food? Food is about the body. But it is the body that is the basis of his tent and walked up and down. your existence here. Unfortunately, a lot of He tried to go into the forest but Birbal had people are trying to belittle the body and fast in made sure that the womenfolk were all over cruel ways, where they just torture themselves. the place. Akbar was not able to find a place to People tend to handle everything in fanatical answer nature’s call anywhere. ways and make every device that has been The pressure was building up by created for them into an impediment. Every the minute and before long stepping stone can also be an impediment if Akbar could not bear it you are tripping on the steps. anymore; he was about to This is the problem. Some people want to burst. Finally, just when torture the body. Some people want to pamper Akbar felt he could not the body and celebrate it too much. hold it anymore, the You need to understand that everything has to toilet tent was put up. fall into its right place and only then the whole Akbar went inside and system works for you. It becomes difficult both uttered a sigh of relief. ways, if you overdo it or you underdo it. You Then Birbal came, need to keep the body in such a way that it is not stood outside the tent, an issue. When the body is an issue, it will and asked, “Do you not allow you to look at anything else. Right agree with me now?” now, if your bladder feels like it is going to Akbar said, “Yes. It’s the burst, would you be interested if I spoke about greatest pleasure.” enlightenment? No. So, a full bladder has this Relief from something that much power. When you are in an urgency, is it a you cannot hold within you is laughing matter? Someone else always the greatest pleasure, whatever might laugh because he d oes not that may be. So the body can become such a big understand what is happening to you. issue. If you regularly practice surya namaskar But when it is happening to you, it is a and asanas in the morning, you can sit here serious thing. and the body will not be an issue. If I ask you One day, Akbar asked his court, “What to meditate, you will be just fine. If you don’t do you think gives most pleasure to a man?” do that and you try to sit, you will be adjusting Someone said, “Oh, my Lord, serving you is and readjusting. Only endless adjustments of the greatest pleasure in my life.” the body will happen and nothing else. Life will be over by the time you have Someone else said, “Just looking at Yoga adjusted the body. So, what you your face is the highest pleasure pays so much eat is important if you want I have.” Like this, people went attention to food to keep the body in a certain on saying all kinds of nice because the body is way. After all, the kind of things. Birbal was just sitting constructed from the food you put into the body there, bored. food that you have eaten. So, Akbar asked, What food to eat depends determines the quality of the body and how comfortable “Birbal, you are not saying on what you are it is. Food is not everything anything. What gives you preparing the but it is important. There is a maximum pleasure?” Birbal body for. whole science behind when to said, “Shitting.” Akbar got eat, what to eat, and how to eat. really mad and said, “For uttering Yoga pays so much attention to such an obscenity in the court, you food because the body is constructed from better prove it. If you can’t prove it, your the food that you have eaten. What food to life is in danger.” Birbal said, “Give me eat depends on what you are preparing the a fortnight. I’ll prove it to you.” Akbar body for. replied, “Fine.” The next weekend, Birbal organised a hunting trip in the forest for Akbar, Are you preparing this body so you can run and he made sure that all the women in the like a dog or a cheetah, or are you preparing palace also came along with them. this body to walk around carrying 100 kg? He set up a camp in such a way that Akbar’s Are you preparing this body because you tent was in the centre surrounded by the tents want to go through some endurance test or of women and children. Birbal told the catering are you preparing this body so that it becomes department to produce the best food and that conducive for higher possibilities? You can evening Akbar ate well. The next morning, prepare the body for many things. You need to when Akbar got up and came out of his tent, have the right kind of food for whatever your there was no toilet tent. Akbar went back into intention is. If you are preparing your body to

become conducive for higher possibilities, you have to eat in a particular way. If you consume a lot of intoxicants and stimulants and then try to meditate, it won’t work. Even if you do manage to meditate and be happy with it, you will not be able to steadily move up. You can make this body a ladder to the divine or you can make it a chute that goes straight down. So, how you prepare the body is important. In that context, not eating when you feel like it is one part of the sadhana, so that you take away the compulsiveness for food — or for anything for that matter. Food is a very fundamental thing. Based on this, many other aspects of life become compulsive. At the Isha Yoga Center, before people eat, they close their eyes for two minutes and say an invocation. You may think, “To hell with them. I’m hungry!” However, that is the idea that you are hungry and you wait for two more minutes. Try to do this with everything that you are compulsive about. Simply wait for two minutes. This will not kill you, however, it will make you strong. Gautama Buddha went to the extent of saying, “When you are very hungry and you are badly in need of food, if you give away your food to someone else, you will become stronger.” I am not going that far. I am asking to wait for two minutes. It will definitely leave you stronger. Taking away that compulsiveness in the body is crucial. Your body and mind are a composition of all kinds of past imprints that have formed tendencies and compulsions. If you go by that, it means that you have decided not to evolve. You have decided that you do not mind living in a fixed pattern. You do not want to break the pattern and explore new possibilities. Food is something very basic and simple but how you handle this aspect makes a lot of difference. Every morning, my mother would take a handful of food and feed the ants before she had her breakfast. This means understanding that every creature on this planet has the same right to live as you have, that is, you do not place yourself above any other creature. The problem lies in thinking that you are too big. The moment a

person thinks they are too big, they become small in the way they conduct their life. This planet belongs to the ant as much as it belongs to you. Just that understanding creates a conducive atmosphere for consciousness to grow. If you are compulsive about food, it is good to miss one meal consciously. “I’m very hungry and my favourite dishes are being cooked, but today is the day I decided to skip my meal.” This is not to torture yourself. This is to become free from the torture chamber that your body and mind can turn into easily. You do not have to go to hell because this mind and body can do it all to you, in such a way that hell will look like a holiday in comparison. Bringing a conscious pattern to what kind of food you eat, how much you eat, and how you eat, is the essence of fasting. Isha New Zealand conducts free monthly Isha Kriya meditation practice and Upa yoga sessions for public second Saturday of the month. For more information, contact 021545923/02102763956. Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic and visionary, and a prominent spiritual leader. An author, poet, and internationallyrenowned speaker, Sadhguru is the founder of Isha Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to human wellbeing. isha.sadhguru.org

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Nine top gadgets to look forward to in 2017 ¡¡ @MAHESHK

button and headphone jack. It will have a flavour of Android 7.0 Nougat, a Siri-like virtual assistant, and its own version of inbuilt Health app. So watch out for this device.

he year 2016 was a mixed year for technology with various hits and misses. This year, some exciting new products will be unveiled to tech-watchers. In Tech Mate’s first column for 2017, let us look at the nine launches that I am looking forward to.

Nintendo Switch

he entire gaming console industry is struggling to survive due to the onslaught from mobile phone gaming. Every company worth its salt is trying to come up with innovative solutions to stay relevant in the changing landscape. Nintendo registered its biggest financial loss in 2014. There have been rumours since then that the company is working on a revolutionary hybrid device to shake the market, and recently, it announced Nintendo Switch. intendo’s upcoming game console is designed to offer a completely new experience with a novel form factor. It is a home game console that you can take with you on the go. The hybrid machine comprises the Switch Console, Switch Dock and the JoyCon controllers. The console features a 6.2-inch touchscreen tablet with two detachable motion-sensitive controllers on either side that can be taken out to be used with TV play through the Switch Dock. Gamers can expect a battery life ranging from 2.5 to 6.5 hours. The console comes with two motion-sensitive controllers, and a detachable 6.2-inch touch screen it goes on sale in March.

The 10th-anniversary iPhone

pple launched the first iPhone in 2007,and since then, it has changed and evolved radically. In this changing landscape of mobile device industry, Nokia is no longer in the running, Android is the dominant mobile OS,

The next Galaxy Note:

Microsoft is at best a marginal player, and the iPhone is still considered cool. The tech world has been abuzz about what Apple will introduce to mark iPhone’s 10th anniversary. Surely, there is going to be a major redesign. Expect to see more glass, more variations, faster chip, and a better camera with optical image stabilisation. Rumours also have it that the phone will have a curved OLED display with almost no bezel, a long-range wireless charging, biometric security lock, and maybe no home button. Relax, these might just be rumours. Wait until September when all will be revealed.

Project Scorpio

icrosoft has been a major player in the gaming console market with Xbox. Now it has the entire gaming gurus drooling about the Xbox Project Scorpio. The console is hyped as the one to create a big impact on the market. It boasts of a spec list that will blow your mind. The foremost is the heart of the system. It will be powered by eight-core AMD CPU cores will deliver six teraflops of computing power. Other features are true 4K Gaming, 320GB memory, and high-fidelity virtual reality experience. Project Scorpio is believed to come out by the end of 2017.

Tesla Model 3

n early 2016, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced Model 3 and created history. One week after the unveiling—at the end of March 2016—Tesla reported more than 325,000 reservations, which corresponds to about US$14 billion in

T potential sales. Model 3 was introduced as an all-electric four-door compact luxury sedan with a range of at least 215 miles (346 km) and a base model price of US$35,000. The positioning of the car and the showmanship of Musk made automobile enthusiasts go crazy and this is reflected in the reservations numbers. Model 3 promises to combine real-world range, performance, safety, and spaciousness into a premium sedan that only Tesla can build. This is Tesla’s most affordable car and is designed to attain the highest safety ratings in every category. The first deliveries are expected to begin by the end of 2017.

Galaxy S8

016 was a year that Samsung would like to forget. The bad market garnered by Galaxy Note 7’s exploding batteries is something the company wants to put behind. Trust the Korean giant to come up with devices that are innovative in features yet practical and bound to win the hearts of technology enthusiasts. Galaxy S8 would be the first major product launch from the company after Note 7 fiasco, and I think Samsung would want to assure the market that it is still miles ahead when it comes to design and engineering. There are many rumours floating in the market as far as S8 go. On the hardware front, it will have a bezel-less display, a better camera, and premium material. It is also expected to ditch the home

January 20 to 26 | By Manisha Koushik ¡¡ Aries (Mar 21-Apr 20) Remain alert at work, as you are prone to committing mistakes. You will succeed in cutting domestic expenses by tightening your belt. You may need to bring about some changes at home. Stop being over conscious about the way you look; concentrate more on the happiness that you got to look forward to. A disputed property bothering you is not likely to get you into any legal wrangle. Interest and gain from occult experiences and legacies is indicated. Lucky number: 3 / Lucky colour: White

¡¡Taurus (Apr 21-May 20) Newlyweds can expect a time of their lives, as love overwhelms them. Financial stability is regained despite overstepped budget. Irregular workouts may tell upon your health. A delayed payment is likely to be released, but not without you running around. Encounters on the social front could impress you by the welcoming respect you are given. Children bring laurels and give you one more reason to smile. Health should not be one of your worries as you feel on the top of the world this week.

¡¡ Cancer (Jun 22-Jul 20)

his will be the most keenly watched device of the year. Samsung is soon to go public with the results of its investigation on Note 7’s notorious battery. Trust Samsung to learn from this fiasco and come up with an even better device. As of now, not much is known about the specs, but it might have a 4K resolution and emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) and VR features.

Doppler Labs Here One:

here have not been any truly revolutionary changes in the engineering design of headphones. Apple recently introduced AirPods, which were something new. And now Doppler Labs is soon to launch Here One—wireless headphones with active noise-cancellation function. This stunning little gem has two smart earbuds and a connected app that lets you stream music, take phone calls, reduce unwanted noise, amplify speech, access Siri and Google Now, and do much more. You can selectively choose what you want to hear and remove what you don’t, using the Smart Noise Cancellation feature. If the reviews on the internet are to be believed, Doppler Labs has a winner!

oogle seems to be in love with Pixel branding. The industry is now abuzz the tech giant is about to debut a brandnew OS that will be a combination of Chrome OS and Android, called Andromeda. To showcase this OS, Google is working on a new device to be christened as Pixel 3. Reportedly, teams of Android, Chrome OS, Android, and Pixel have been working on this project collectively for quite some time, and we might see the culmination of this collaboration in 2017. Expected features include a ultra-thin laptop with a 12.3-inch display and some innovative hybrid mechanism.

016 was not exactly the year of wearable devices. While Apple released Apple Watch Series 2, Android did not introduce its next version of Android Wear. This year, though, Google will release Android Wear 2.0 OS sometime in February. Soon after that, all major manufacturers will release their devices featuring this OS. LG might be one of the first to introduce two models—the LG Watch Sport and LG Watch Style. The biggest feature of Android Wear 2.0 is the ability to install apps directly on the watch. So there will be a standalone Wear Play Store and you would be able to install apps without accessing your phone. The watch will be able to interact with the phone through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or cellular.

Manisha Koushik is a practicing astrologer, tarot card reader, numerologist, vastu and fengshui consultant based in India with a global presence through the online channels. She is available for consultations online as well. E-mail her at support@askmanisha. com or contact at +91-11-26449898 Mobile/Whatsapp: +919015607139 • www.askmanisha.com

¡¡ Libra (Sep 24-Oct 23)

¡¡ Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 21)

You are slated to enjoy this week with friends and relatives. Some of you may travel out of town for health reasons and benefit from it. An excellent opportunity awaits those who are planning to embark on something new on the professional front. This is the right time to get your business expansion plans on paper. Some other unscheduled tasks can delay an important assignment at work. Spend quality time with loved ones and find ways to show your appreciation. Finances will be good.

Stars advise you to carefully study the financial trends before making any investments in this week. Your consistent efforts will help to prove your mettle at work this week. On the work front, it is best to seek assistance from co-workers to ease your workload. A social gathering is likely to prove most enjoyable. Spending a romantic evening with the one you love cannot be ruled out. A business trip will give you enough opportunities to attract a good financial position in the long run.

Plans for a get-together are likely to be cancelled, as others may not be in the mood. Taking centre stage and expressing your ideas generate new business opportunities. Focus on supervising things under your guidance rather than doing everything by yourself. Someone may interfere with your desire to arrange the house in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Stars advise you to control your temper while things do not turn as per your plans. Wearing shades of blue will help you stay calm and composed.

Lucky number: 6 / Lucky colour: Cream

Lucky number: 8 / Lucky colour: Grey

Lucky number: 2 / Lucky colour: Chocolate

¡¡ Leo (Jul 21-Aug 22)

¡¡ Scorpio (Oct 24-Nov 22)

¡¡ Aquarius (Jan 22-Feb 19)

You will find your coffers brimming, as you grow financially stronger. Make sure you have evaluated the potential of your resources before making any strong commitments. Health remains good, as you become more fitness conscious. Students are likely to fare well in competitive exams. Do not neglect your love life as it can hamper the peace of mind. Litigation cases will settle in your favour. Wear something in white or yellow if appearing for a job interview.

Lucky number: 11 / Lucky colour: Light Blue

Lucky number: 7 / Lucky colour: White

Homemakers may have their hands full with chores around the house. Someone on the social front is likely to take you for granted. Career is set to shine for those involved in sports or adventure. Those involved in litigations will see successful settlement of disputes. Some of you may face an embarrassing situation as you forget your wallet at home. Women are likely to hear some good news from abroad and should cash in on the opportunities immediately. Commit yourself a daily exercising regimen.

¡¡ Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 23)

¡¡ Sagittarius (Nov 23-Dec 21)

Be pragmatic about your expansion plans. Try to be discreet with your views and make sure you have all the relevant information handy as the top management may be gauging your levels of efficiency. Attending to your social obligations will be a priority this week. Suspicion is likely to cloud your mind on the romantic front, but things will turn out differently. Avoid digging the things happened in the past and handle the situations with tact this weekend.

Lucky number: 7 / Lucky colour: Cyan

Lucky number: 15 / Lucky colour: Golden brown

A change in the place of work is worth considering and in fact is the need of the hour. Someone you helped in the past is likely to reciprocate in full measure. Excellent time to rejuvenate as friends make you feel special and celebrate your success on the career front. An opportunity on the romantic front will need to be seized, if you want someone on your side. A house bought on instalments may finally be yours. Don’t get too involved in the problems of the loved ones as they may resent your interference.

¡¡ Gemini (May 21-Jun 21)

Android Wear 2.0:

Good returns from a financial venture can be expected. Stars governing your love life seem on the ascendant. Spiritual travel or exposure to spiritual literature is now indicated. Singles have excellent possibilities of entering into wedlock. Small changes in personal relationships might upset you, especially if your efforts are being taken for granted. Be diplomatic in your interactions at work and don’t react to any disagreements. Efforts on the work front bring more recognition and fame.

Lucky number: 1 / Lucky colour: Bottle Green

Pixel 3 Laptop:

Lucky number: 22 / Lucky colour: Peach

You may feel overwhelmed with the new responsibilities that need to be accomplished. Avoid any monetary transactions this week as stars appear unfavourable. Seniors would want you to work over time. All work and no play might irritate you. Getting used to changed circumstances on the home front will be good for your peace of mind. Delays in a long journey cannot be ruled out. A lifestyle disease can play up, if you are not regular with your exercising regimen. Lucky number: 9 / Lucky colour: Peach

¡¡ Pisces (Feb 20-Mar 20) There is a new opportunity waiting for you, but you will have to seize it quickly. You can be a bundle of nerves in this week regarding some issue. Delegating tasks and asking for help as and when required will help you meet the desired objectives. Someone in the family may irritate you to no end, but keep your temper in check. Robust health will find you energetic and cope up with challenges. Unexpected expenditures might shake your bank balance and could be a matter of concern. Lucky number: 18 / Lucky colour: Golden brown

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Rahul Dholakia helped me at every step: Mahira Khan

Dia Mirza to star in Sanjay Dutt biopic

he broke the monotony of Indian actors playing blink-and-you’llmiss appearances in Hollywood by grabbing the lead role in American show Quantico. With a lot of appreciation – and awards – for her role, actress Priyanka Chopra says what worked for her in Bollywood also works for her in Hollywood. “I think the same thing that worked in Hindi films worked for me internationally. I am not afraid of being myself,” Priyanka said over the phone from Los Angeles a day before her red-carpet appearance at the Golden Globes. “I think entertainment industry is full of too many wonderful, beautiful people and you can’t (just) be someone else. You have to stand out. You have to find your own uniqueness and that has to work for you. So those who want to be an actress, whether it is in America or in India, you have to find who you are and be comfortable with it,” she said. Priyanka’s journey in showbiz started at the age of 17 when she was crowned Miss World. It was followed by her Bollywood debut in 2003 with The Hero: Love Story of a Spy. Many in India rooted for her when she bagged the role of FBI agent Alex Parrish in Quantico for which she won the People’s Choice Award – the first South Asian actress to do so. The Quantico fame also got her a role in Baywatch movie, alongside Hollywood A-listers Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron. The year 2016 also saw her becoming the presenter at Oscar and Emmy, followed by an invitation to the annual White House Correspondents Dinner. She was conferred India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri, featured in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of the world, and became the first Indian to come on the imdb list With so much of success, is she scared of failure? “I don’t like it; so I don’t make room for it. It happens with everybody and it is something that you cannot sideline. It’s part of the game and you learn how to play it, and I hope I am playing it well,” the actress said. She also feels that the constant support from friends, family and fans inspires her to achieve the best. “I am always surrounded by people who love me. I have wonderful people in my life, encouraging me and pushing me forward; so I never felt that I am doing this alone. I feel support is the biggest strength a woman actually needs in this world. As soon as you have the support from people around you, you can achieve everything,” she said. Of her production company Purple Pebble Pictures, she said: “When I set up this company, I was very clear that I wanted to give platform to young talent. It was very important for me to give opportunity to new talent. We are a very small company, but I want to make path-breaking films.” She said she wanted to do movies with people who had not got support or a platform to show their talent. “When I wanted to do movies, it was very difficult to get in because I was not from the industry; I did not know anyone. I don’t want my company to be like that,” said the actress who has produced regional films like Ventilator in Marathi, soon-to-release Punjabi film Sarvann and a Nepalese-Sikkimese movie. “I like to make projects where I launch new people with the help of people who are experienced. That’s why I am doing the kind of films that I am doing,” she said. So what does 2017 have in store for her fans? “This is an exciting year. Season two of Quantico is coming on January 23 and then Baywatch is releasing in May. As producers, we are launching five films,” she said. There have been reports that she is working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali again for a film. When asked, she said: “Sanjay sir and I always want to work with each other. I want to work with him. We did talk about doing a lot of things together and hopefully if it works out, that will be great.”

says he believes “that the reward for me in my film Pink is really a reward for the issue that Pink so impressively depicted.”

akistani actress Mahira Khan says working with National Award winning director Rahul Dholakia for her Bollywood debut project Raees was amazing. Mahira talked about her Bollywood debut project during a live chat session with fans and followers on Twitter when one user asked “how was working with Rahul Dholakia?” She responded: “Amazing. Rahul Dholakia helped me every step of the way.” Set against the backdrop of the prohibition in Gujarat, “Raees” touches upon the way alcohol industry crumbled and several illegal activities followed. Its trailer gives a glimpse of the story backed by heavy duty action sequences, and many thrilling moments. In the film, Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan essays the title role of Raees, a bootlegger. Also starring Nawazzuddin Siddiqui, it is slated to release on January 25.

Amitabh not heading to Hollywood anytime soon

ctress-producer Dia Mirza has joined the cast of actor Sanjay Dutt’s biopic, being helmed by Rajkumar Hirani. Dia shared the news on Twitter, saying she is happy to be on board for the project. She posted: “The happiest place in the world is on a Rajkumar Hirani

film set. Sanjay Dutt biopic, Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal.” Ranbir, who was last seen on the big screen in filmmaker Karan Johar’s multistarrer Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, will essay the role of Sanjay in the upcoming biopic. Earlier, Hirani had shared that the first shot for the biopic has been taken and there is excitement among the film’s team. “First shot taken now for Sanjay Dutt’s biopic. Canning a very funny scene. Excitement in cast and crew.”

Salman wishes luck to SRK’s Raees, Hrithik’s Kaabil

uperstar Salman Khan on Sunday wished good luck to his Karan Arjun co-star Shah Rukh Khan’s Raees and actor Hrithik Roshan’s Kaabil, which are releasing together on January 25.

mitabh Bachchan made his debut in Hollywood with 2003 film The Great Gatsby, but he is not heading to the West anytime soon. The megastar says he has no offers from the foreign shores at the moment. Many Indian actors like Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur are crossing borders, and making a mark in Hollywood. Ask Big B about this, and he says he has no plans to venture out to the foreign shores. “There are no projects that have come my way, so the answer is no,” Amitabh said over an email from Mumbai. The Great Gatsby, directed by Baz Luhrmann, also featured Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire. Amitabh plays the brief role of Meyer Wolfsheim. Last year, Amitabh got critical acclaim with Pink, a movie about issues that women face. The actor

Salman also thanked filmmaker Rakesh Roshan for giving him so many memories of working with Shah Rukh in Karan Arjun. He tweeted: “Thanks Rakeshji for giving SRK and me 21 years of Karan Arjun. Congrats Duggu (Hrithik) on 17 Years Of KNPH (‘Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai’) Hrithik. Best of luck Raees and Kaabil on Jan 25.” Directed by Rakesh Roshan, Karan Arjun featured Shah Rukh and Salman as brothers in the film. Raakhee played their mother. SRK and Salman’s bond hit a rough patch at one point of time, but all seems well now. They have shared the frame in films like Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.

ENTERTAINMENT FEATURES

www.iwk.co.nz | 20 January 2017

FILMFARE AWARDS: ALIA, AAMIR’S DANGAL STEAL THE SHOW

fter setting new records at the box office, Dangal swept away the night’s three of four major awards – Best Actor, Film and Director while Alia Bhatt won the Filmfare Best Actor Award (Female) for her performance in Udta Punjab. Attended by most actors of the Bollywood film fraternity, the iconic 62nd Jio Filmfare Awards was a starstudded event hosted by actor Shah Rukh Khan. After winning the Best Director award, Nitesh Tiwari said, “This award is the reassurance of how much people loved our film (Dangal). So I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone in India and abroad who loved and supported our film. It means everything.” Alia, who came along with her mother Soni Razdan and sister Shaheen Bhatt, received the Best Actor (Female) award from Sridevi and Boney Kapoor. On receiving the award, she said, “It’s very close to my heart (Udta Punjab). Thank you Shahid for sending the script to me. Today is very special day for me. Sridevi ji receiving it from you is an honour. Another reason is my sister is here. Got her out of home.” Sharing her father Mahesh Bhatt’s message, the actor said, “My dad said ‘I feel you are going to win. You should do what you feel. If you feel like crying, cry.’ This is a dream come true for me. Finally Thanks Karan for giving her the first break.” In other awards, actress Sonam

Kapoor won the Critics’ Award For Best Actor (Female) for her performance in Neerja while actors Manoj Bajpayee and Shahid Kapoor shared the award for their portrayals in Aligarh and Udta Punjab respectively, in the Male category. While Sonam got emotional on receiving the award from film director duo Abbas-Mustan, Shahid said: “I am very excited to get it and I want to thank Filmfare for this. It’s a good day!” Director Ram Madhvani won Critics’ Award For Best Film for Neerja. Sooraj Pancholi and Kriti Sanon presented the Filmfare Best Debut Awards Male and Female to Diljit Dosanjh for Udta Punjab and Ritika Singh for Saala Khadoos respectively. While Diljit sung ‘Ikk kudi’ after winning the award, Ritika said, “I’ve never acted before. For those who dont know, I am a wrestler.” Shatrughan Sinha received the prestigious Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award presented by his daughter, actress Sonakshi Sinha. After winning the award, the veteran actor said, “Many people feel if you get the Lifetime Achievement Award it’s the end, but I feel it’s just the beginning.” Moreover, action director and stunt coordinator Shyam Kaushal won the award for Best Action for the film Dangal and Payal Saluja won Best Costume for Udta Punjab. Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was one of the most celebrated films

of the evening, with four awards. While Arijit Singh won the Best Playback (Male) for the title song of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Pritam bagged the Best Music Director and the Best Music Album. Amitabh Bhattacharya won the award for Best Lyrics for Channa Mereya from the same film. After winning the award, Pritam said, “My first thanks to KJo. Without him it wouldn’t have been possible. I want to take this award home for my children.” Neha Bhasin won the Best Playback Singer (Female) for Jag Ghoomeya from Sultan. Holding her precious ‘black lady’, Neha hummed the song and said, “I would like to thank the entire team of Filmfare, you guys rock!” The film Kapoor and Sons won three awards – Rishi Kapoor won The Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male); Adil Shaikh won Best Choreography for Kar Gayi Chul, and Shakun Batra and Ayesha Devitre won the Best Story and Best Screenplay for Kapoor and Sons. “Cannot thank Filmfare enough for giving such a great start to our new year and we want to work harder this year,” the duo said after winning the award. On the other hand, the much acclaimed film Neerja won four awards. Shabana Azmi won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female), Aparna Sud and Anna Ipe won for Best Production Design; Mitesh Munchandani won for Best Cinematography and Monisha R. Baldawa won the award for Best

Editing. Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari bagged the the Filmfare Award for Best Debut Director for her highly appreciated film Nil Battey Sannata, which starred Swara Bhaskar. In performances, Salman Khan danced to some of his hit songs, such as O o jaane jaana, Munni badnam hui and Sultan. Actor Tiger Shroff grooved to hits like The Pappi Song, Aa raha hoon main and Dhoom Again.

is an extremely gifted Javed Akhtar, Vivek Agnihotri Karan sensitive person: Shah Rukh Khan question ‘azadi' for Zaira

riter-lyricist Javed Akhtar and Bollywood director Vivek Agnihotri expressed their disappointment with individuals for trolling Kashmiri actress Zaira Wasim for meeting state Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, and they even questioned the ideology of 'azadi' (freedom) in India. After receiving accolades from the film industry and elsewhere for her performance in "Dangal", the 16-year-old met Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday, who enquired about her education and interest in other creative fields like acting. However, the Srinagar-based Zaira was trolled on social media when photos from the meeting emerged. She took to social media on Monday to apologise for hurting the sentiments of fellow Kashmiris. Akhtar and Agnihotri came forward to express their anger on social media about the same. Akhtar tweeted: "Those who shout 'azadi' from the roof tops don't give an iota of azadi to others. Poor Zaira Waseem had to apologise for her success. Shame!" He added: "I haven't seen Barkha Dutt and other liberals ever raise voice against the suppression of Kashmiri girls who aren't allowed to work. So much talent in Kashmir but suppressed by separatist or terrorists. Why didn't any feminist ever raise voice?" A Twitter user questioned Agnihotri about why Bollywood celebrities did not say anything and support Zaira. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wrote in support of Zaira and tweeted: “A 16 year old shouldn’t be forced to apologise & that too allegedly for meeting Mehbooba Mufti. What are we coming to!!!!! I’ve a problem with Mehbooba Mufti trying to usurp other peoples success to cover up her own failures but why punish/troll people she meets?”

ollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who was present at the launch of filmmaker Karan Johar’s autobiography An Unsuitable Boy, said Karan is an intelligent and sensitive man with a gifted quality to understand human emotions. Shah Rukh Khan said, “I think the name of the book should have been a good boy instead of An Unsuitable Boy because I think Karan is an extremely intelligent boy and a gifted human being. “When I am saying intelligent, I meant the ability to understand human emotions, people and their situation. I think that is a gift he has from God. He is an extremely gifted sensitive person. And I must mention that he is a brave boy, he is the special human being I have come across,” he added. It was a star-studded evening where many Bollywood stars, including Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri Khan, Suchitra Pillai, Sweta Bachchan, celebrated author Shobhaa De and co-author of the book journalist Poonam Saxena, among others, were present. The book launch was followed by an interactive session with Shobhaa De that unveiled a better insight of the book. As the book talked about Karan’s paternal instinct, when asked about it, the filmmaker said, “I think I have a nurturing quality and it came out stronger when I launched Alia, Varun and Sid. I cannot let them go of even now, after five years... I am very protective.” He also added: “It goes to all the directors of my Dharma team as well. I think that comes from a strong paternal love that I have

for them. I don’t know how to go about it but I have so much paternal love to offer.” The book has a chapter about his friendship with best friend Kajol gone sour, which grabbed many headlines even before the book released. When asked about the chapter, Karan said: “I do not want to say much about Kajol as enough has been said and done even before the book is out. I want to remember the history of friendship of 25 years that we have shared; sometimes, chapters end, books end so as relationships.” The book talks about various phases of Karan Johar’s life including his first meeting with Shah Rukh Khan to his passion for Hindi films and his unrequited love of life; all has been encapsulated in 216 pages.

FEATURES

20 January 2017 | www.iwk.co.nz

Who wore what: Filmfare Awards 2017 The Filmfare Awards 2017 was yet another starstudded affair graced by celebrities including Salman Khan, Karan Johar, Shah Rukh Khan, Alia Bhatt, Sonam Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha and Shahid Kapoor. Mira Rajput made her debut a the ceremony with husband Shahid Kapoor and looked dashing together. Everyone was at their best in term of fashion and styling, especially the divas of Bollywood— Alia Bhatt, Sonam Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sunny Leone, Urvashi Rautela and Parineeti Chopra were among the actresses who totally nailed it on the red carpet.

Akhand Hanuman Chalisa Paath

Date: Saturday, January 21 to Sunday, January 22 Time: Saturday 8 a.m. onwards until Sunday 2 p.m. Venue: Shri Ram Mandir, 11 Brick Street, Henderson The 24-hour non-stop Hanuman Chalisa recitation will begin on Saturday. The event starts at 8 a.m. with Sthapna & Roth Pooja of Hunaman ji. Hawan Yagna and Arti on Sunday. Prasad and Mahaprasad will be served throughout the program.

Heartaches Better the Art

Date: Sunday, January 22 Time: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Venue: The Thievery, 203 Karangahape Road, Auckland 1010 Sikh Youth Australia presents’ Inkquisitive Illustration’ by world renowned artist from UK Amandeep Singh. Amandeep is a graphic illustrator and artist whose pop culture inspired art work can be found on his website Inkquisitive Illustration. Admission Free.

Cloud Market Auckland Anniversary Weekend

Date: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Time: Saturday, January 28 to Monday, January 30 Venue: The Cloud, Queens Wharf, CBD, Auckland Anniversary Weekend January 2017 will welcome three days of Major Market Action, children’s entertainment, music and activity to the Cloud at Auckland’s Waterfront. There will be a big Navy ship parked up alongside the Cloud and cruise ships will sail alongside Shed 10 to dock. The Cloud will become a vibrant contemporary Market full of diverse cultural tastes and things to buy and will also host games and fun area full of children’s activities. Free event.

Ports of Auckland SeePort Festival

Date: Sunday, January 29 & Monday, January 30 Time: Sunday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. & Monday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Venue: Captain Cook Wharf, Quay Street, CBD, Auckland The Captain Cook Wharf is transformed into a bustling summer carnival with family-friendly rides, tours and day-long entertainment on and off the water. Sun and sea are the perfect mix for a long weekend, and best of all its mostly free! Play a few rounds of our ‘supply-chain’ themed mini-golf course or try your hand at scaling a real-life pilot ladder up the climbing wall. Fun for the whole family; both small and big kids alike!

Workshop on Waitangi Treaty

Date: Wednesday, February 1 Time: 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Venue: Cafler Room, Forum North, Rust Avenue, Whangarei CAB Whangarei will hold a free workshop on Treaty of Waitangi What is it for? How does it affect my job? How do I honour the treaty? Presented by Dr Ingrid Huygens, Light refreshments provided. For more information please call at 09 4388046 or email her at Whangarei@cab.org.nz

Vipassana Meditation Centre Open Day

Date: Sunday, February 5 Time: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Venue: 153 Burnside Road, Makarau, Kaukapakapa, Near Auckland Vipassana Centre near Auckland has been operating for more than 25 years, offering 10 day residential courses in Vipassana

Meditation as taught by Mr. S.N. Goenka.Vipassana Technique is a practical technique which enables one to lead a more positive,balanced and happy life and has nothing to do with any organised religion. Vipassana Trust is a charitable organization. All expenses are met by donations from students who have benefited from a 10-day meditation course. info@medini. dhamma.org, website: www.medini.dhamma.org

Waitangi Day 2017

Date: Monday, February 6 Time: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Venue: Orakei Domain, 11 Tamaki Drive, Orakei, Auckland This year on the 177th anniversary of the signing of the Treat, in conjunction with Auckland Council, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei will celebrate the occasion with a fun and informative day out at Okahu Bay, Orakei. This free community event will feature fantastic local musicians live on the main stage. Come along and join us for this family friendly event that celebrates 2017 New Zealand.

Music for Meditation and Healing concert

Date: Saturday, February 4 Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Venu: Dorothy Winstone Theatre, Auckland Girls’ Grammar School, Auckland His Holiness Dr. Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji is renowned for His Healing and Meditation music. He has been travelling internationally for over 25 years propagating the ancient musical knowledge “Raga Ragini Vidya”.To find out more about Sri Swamiji and His music visit:dycnz.org or yogasangeeta.org.

Inviting nominations for Kiwi Indian Honours 2017 K IW

I I NDI A

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 (e.g. politics, business, sports, art, culture, or any other profession. 5. The definition of Kiwi Indian, for the purposes of this award, 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. For minors, 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 juryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision will be final and binding; and cannot be challenged.

Established 2013

The Kiwi Indian Honours recognise those individuals who have built a road to glory for themselves and left a path for the coming generations to tread on; who have touched the lives of thousands and enriched the society with their being; who have brought 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 2017. We also invite nominations for Kiwi Indian Young Achiever of the Year and Kiwi Indian Unsung Hero of the Year 2017. Nominate Online: visit www.iwk.nz or www.halloffame.co.nz to nominate Post your nominations: Fill this form and post it to use at the address given below.

ENTRY FORM: Form for nominating candidates for Kiwi Indian Honours 2017

Nominator Details

Nominee Details

Name of the nominator

Name of the nominee

Please fill and post it to the address below

About the Nominee For how long have you known the nominee?

Professional details of the nominator

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