Indian Weekender 18 March 2016 by Indian Weekender

18 March, 2016 • Vol. 7 Issue 50 • www.iwk.co.nz

NZ’s first Kiwi-Indian weekly newspaper

The pulse of Kiwi-Indians

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18 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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www.iwk.co.nz | 18 March 2016

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Amongst many “firsts”, ITA was the first to host the newlyappointed High Commissioner of India at his first ever public engagement in the Country. Another first was the coming together of the two High Commissioners. IWK BUREAU

ndia Trade Alliance organised a unique event hosting the High Commissioner of New Zealand in India and his Indian counterpart in New Zealand in Auckland this week. Grahame Morton, NZ High Commissioner to India and Sanjiv Kohli, India’s newly-appointed High Commissioner to New Zealand addressed a gathering of businesspeople at the PwC Towers on Quay Street on Tuesday, March 15. High Commissioner Morton, who began his tenure during the 2014 Indian elections, spoke admiringly of the country’s democratic process and the complex logistics of holding elections in the world’s largest democracy of sub-continental proportions. He said the present Indian government had brought in greater transparency in a number of areas especially in the energy, infrastructure and telecommunications sector clearing up many of the legacy systems that had given rise to allegations of widespread corruption and favouritism. He said this augured well for international investors investing in India and that the world needed to look at Indian investment with a fresh set of eyes. New Zealand, he said, was still a small player in the ‘Make in India’ programme, which was mainly about the large industry, infrastructure and mega investment projects, beyond the league of New

Clockwise from above: The newly-appointed NZ High Commissioner to New Zealand, Sanjiv Kohli, addresses the audience; (from left to right) ITA Chairman Giri Gupta, Sanjiv Kohli, NZ High Commissioner to India Grahame Morton and ITA General Secretary Sunil Kaushal; Grahame Morton addressing the attendees

Zealand’s scale. However, he said that as time passes the Make in India programme would look at the smaller more specialist ideas that New Zealand had to offer and said that long term, India and New Zealand had much to gain from building the already longstanding and strong relationship. Continued on page 4

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High Commissioner Kohli, whose real life role as a diplomat during the Yemen crisis—which resulted in one of the biggest evacuations in human history—has been celebrated in a film on the subject titled ‘Airlift’. Only two weeks old in his new assignment, Mr Kohli said that the India New Zealand relationship was strong and one that rested on many pillars—cultural, business, scientific and sporting among others. He said that the relationship needed to be strengthened with more interaction at different levels. Answering a question he revealed that a new approach to India’s external affairs ministry encouraged external investors and businesspeople to approach states directly for projects. This is a departure from a previously centralised mechanism for approval of projects. This federalist thinking was the present Government’s approach to economic development in many areas, Mr Kohli said.

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ITA delegation—walking the talk

elcoming the two High Commissioners and the audience, ITA Chairman Giriraj Gupta outlined the highlights of his recent visit to India. Mr Gupta and ITA General Secretary Sunil Kaushal were invitees of the Chief Minister of Haryana at the ‘Happening Haryana’ event earlier this month. While at Happening Haryana, ITA also signed a MoU to further strengthen the Business to Business bonds with the state of Haryana businesses, with the Federation of Indian Industries—an APEX body, which has been created to cater for Haryana business. The MoU, which was signed in the presence of Haryana Agriculture Minister,

Clockwise from above: (from left to right) Giri Gupta, Amitabh Kant, MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi and Sunil Kaushal; (from left to right) MP Sadashiv Lokhande, Sunil Kaushal, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi and Giri Gupta at Happening Haryana; Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi and Sunil Kaushal with Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj

Renewable Energy Minister, Child Welfare Development Minister and NZ Member of Parliament Mr Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi. The ITA delegation also had a private audience with the Chief Minister of Haryana, Mr Mohan Lal Khattar where they discussed various sectors in detail and collaborative

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approach needed to grow these sectors in the two countries. Besides meeting the Chief Minister of Haryana, the ITA officials met Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and senior politician Sharad Pawar as well as Amitabh Kant, the architect

and the mastermind behind projects such as Make in India and Incredible India, who is also the head of Niti Ayog, the new organisation that has replaced India’s erstwhile Planning Commission, which sets out future milestones for India’s economic and social development and general progress. Needless to say, ITA remains focused on delivering results for its members and promises an eventful year ahead, if the recent efforts and events are anything to go by.

To know more about the new Indian High Commissioner turn to page 30

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ementing its place as the leading national organisation in India NZ Trade, INZBC launched its Wellington Chapter in the presence of more than 100 key stakeholders. Her Worship Celia Wade-Brown, Mayor of Wellington, congratulated INZBC for the relaunch of the chapter and has extended all support to the organisation for further enhancing the relationship with India. She was appreciative of the Indian businesses in Wellington and also the organisations that are doing business with India. She was pleased to welcome the new Indian High Commissioner designate and pleased to know the presence of MFAT, NZTE, Members of Parliament including Dr Parmjeet Parmar and other government organisation, attending the event. The new Indian High Commissioner designate, Mr Sanjiv Kohli, was also felicitated by the Mayor and the INZBC team and was happy that his tenure is starting with an academic programme on the India-NZ relations. He further expressed his desire and happiness to work with INZBC, which is a “credible 26-yearold organisation”. He acknowledged the good work being done by INZBC in this field and said the full support of the High Commission will be given to INZBC’s activities

About the new chapter

NZBC Chair, Robert Barker, while giving his opening remarks, introduced the new chapter head, Jay Changlani and gave outlines of the way it will work. Jay is a Chartered Accountant and a Director of Accounts Icon, Chartered Accounting firm based in Wellington. Jay has more than 10 years of Accounting, forensic accounting and tax experience. Some of his previous roles include Tax Manager at Grant Thornton and Crowe Horwath (WHK), Tax Investigator at the IRD, Forensic Accountant at McDonald Vague, and Financial Accountant at Flight Centre. On the relaunch, Jay commented, “Relaunch of Wellington INZBC Chapter

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was a great success. It was well attended by Govt. officials and local businesses. Personally, I am thankful to INZBC executive team for showing trust in me to Head the Wellington Chapter.” The Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) had partnered with INZBC to host this event. Dr Revti Raman, Senior Lecturer— International Business, had given a presentation on INDIA-NZ Institutional Distance, Challenges and Mindset Adaptation. This was based on a recent study he had conducted. VUW achieves its strategic theme to enable NZ as an Asia-Pacific trading nation by producing high-quality research, employing strategic staff in the Asia business research arena and contributing

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expertise on advisory panels and institutes. One of their key employees in this space Siah Hwee Ang (the Bank of New Zealand Chair in Business in Asia) explains: “India is a key part of Victoria University of Wellington’s strategic theme to enable NZ as an Asia-Pacific trading nation. In my role, I also engage with NZ businesses seeking advice on business interactions in and with India. India must not be left out of our sights.” When we consider New Zealand India business dynamics Siah explains the relevance of Revti Raman’s work for the India New Zealand Education Council: “While sharing historical ties, India and NZ businesses continue to face cross-border institutional environment challenges in their engagements. This project enhances our understanding in this arena, and reflects on Victoria University of Wellington’s strategic theme to enable New Zealand as an Asia-Pacific trading nation.” Mr Anthony also announced some new initiatives taken by INZBC, more details of which will be announced later, which include MOU’s with Field Days and the Haryana government entity HSIIDC. On receiving feedback from the industry, INZBC along with NZTE are launching The India Unplugged series with AJ Park leading patent attorneys, starting on March 30, which will be inaugurated by the Ex-Foreign Affairs Minister of Government of India.

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NZ’s top mortgage adviser th celebrates 17 anniversary Red

Swati Sharma

ew Zealand’s numero uno mortgage and insurance advisers, Global Financial Solutions, recently completed 17 years of excellence in customer service and dedicated their success to their customers and supporters. GFS was founded on March 5, 1999. With the support of the Indian community in New Zealand, GFS has been ranked as the number one mortgage broker in New Zealand for the last two years. It marked its 17th anniversary by arranging $825 million in mortgages in the last 12 months (until February 2016). It is possibly the highest value of mortgages arranged in a year by a mortgage adviser in the country, as claimed by GFS to the best of their knowledge. Ajay Kumar, Managing Director of GFS says that their core value is based on Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy: “a customer is the most important person on our premises… We are not doing a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so.” By devotedly following this philosophy, GFS became the first

GFS Making history • 17 Years • 29 Awards • $3.8 Billions in mortgage • $2.5 Billions in insurance • $825 Millions in the last 12 months Read our next issue to find out more about GFS’s future plans and their complete story of success.

and only mortgage broker to win the Westpac Auckland Business Award for customer service in 2015.

So far, GFS has won more than 29 awards including top and best financial adviser awards, which is the maximum for any mortgage

broker in the country. Ajay Kumar adds, “Today, there are more than 4,000 mortgage advisors in the country and there’s no such body that keeps the record of all the

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advisors, but the banks. We have won the top broker awards from all the major banks in the country including ASB, ANZ, Customer Service Award from Westpac and the BNZ sponsored Best Financial Adviser Award at INIBA awards, which makes GFS the top broker in the country. The figures and the data itself speak for our success. “I am grateful to our customers, especially the Indian community, our supporters and the ethnic media. It was only with their support that we have been able to reach a new milestone one after another. We are also lucky to have such a great team at GFS that is always ready to give their best.” For the last two years, GFS has been named as the top broker in New Zealand in the single advisor category by the famous TMM magazine (the NZ mortgage mag). GFS has to date arranged approximately $3.8 billion in mortgages and $2.5 billion in insurance cover. This compares to $1–2 billion of mortgages claimed by its competitors. With their maximum customer base from the Kiwi-Indian community, GFS now plans to extend their business by opening a branch in West Auckland.

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Standing for working people and employers

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Sunny Kaushal

abour has registered another political victory this week by putting an end to zero hour contracts in New Zealand. Labour Party promised to get rid of unfair and exploitative zero hour contracts. Together with the unions campaigning to end zero hours they have managed to change the law. Just a few weeks ago, the National Government was planning on entrenching them in law, making it easier for bad employers to exploit zero hour workers. But together with the 56,500 New Zealanders who joined the campaign to scrap zero hour contracts, they achieved this. This will be a welcome news for all the workers who have been forced to sit by the phone and sometimes left with no work to show for it. Employers, including Business New Zealand, have told Parliament there is no need for zero hour contracts.

Payroll issues National Government has been caught once again buried its head in the sand, its inaction and failure over the last eight years to fix payroll issues has not only affected the workers but it could also be a huge pain for employers. This is a serious management issue from the government. Revelation of a $30 million botch up in miscalculation to NZ Police besides 3,000 MBIE staff paid the wrong amount in holiday entitlements could be a tip of the

iceberg. Interpretation of complex holiday pay laws and multiple ways left open to calculate holiday pay has only worsen the issue. The calculations can be based on either ordinary weekly pay at the beginning of the holiday or average weekly earnings over the previous 12 months, “whichever is the greater.” Employers are urged to check that their payroll systems are choosing “the way that gives the greater amount of holiday pay”. The legal obligation is to pay the higher amount capable of being calculated. The workers who feel they may have been wrongly or underpaid should speak up. It is a fundamental part of any organisation to be able to pay its staff properly. The workers need to be able to have confidence in their pay packet. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is responsible for this aspect of the law. If they cannot pay their people properly, how can anyone else in wider New Zealand be expected to pay theirs. It is a huge embarrassment for the ministry in charge of employment law and wants an inquiry. Labour has demanded the government must take full responsibility and a full independent inquiry is needed so we know what happened and when. Sunny Kaushal is one of the senior activists and an active member in Kiwi Indian community. He was the Labour Party Candidate in General Election 2011 and 2014.

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CIA showcases India at Culture Galore Gaurav Sharma

performed Ganesha stuti followed by a Thillana—a dance act performed in praise of Lord Shiva. It was a curtain raiser sort of for our upcoming seventh annual dance recital in April,” said Ambalavanar. “In any case, music and dance have

stablished in 1935 by the secondever Indian to arrive in Christchurch, Vallabh Chiabba, one of the oldest Indian community organisations in the country—the Christchurch Indian Association (CIA)—showcased India at the 2016 Culture Galore last weekend. Headed by 63-year-old Ramesh Bhana, Chiabba’s grandson, the CIA has more than 300 members, with the majority hailing from the Navsari region of Gujarat. “Every year, for the last 15 years, we come to this event to share with all the Christchurch’s residents and the wider community, our rich Indian heritage. While the younger members always put up a music and dance performance, the older ones get together to serve various Indian delicacies. This year our theme was Indian street food with bhel puri being the mostsought-after dish on offer,” said Bhana. Similar sentiments were expressed by Henry Jaiswal, General Manager of the Christchurch Migrant Centre. Jaiswal noted, “With almost 80 cultures represented here, the event is a wonderful opportunity for all migrants as well as Kiwis to get to know each other’s culture and cuisine.” Surinder Tandon, President of the Christchurch Multicultural Council, added, “With time, I have seen Christchurch grow more and more diverse, and truly moving towards becoming multi-

universal appeal. And this applies all the more to an ancient dance form such as Bharatanatyam. A reflection of that is in my students who come from India, Sri Lanka, Fiji, and even some local Kiwis,” she concluded.

Christchurch’s most multi-cultural event

cultural. Even the Culture Galore has improved a lot in its decade-and-a-half old history.” Bangladesh Club of Christchurch The Bangladesh Club of Christchurch especially had set-up a stall selling various Bengali dishes. “We have been participating in the Culture Galore for the last 15 years and it’s always a wonderful experience. Where else can we find Russian, Serbian, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, Venezuelan and African food under one roof,” noted the President of the Club, Mesbahuddin Chowdhury, also a lecturer at the University of Canterbury. Bharatanatyam Group of Christchurch Established 11 years ago by Sri Lankan Tamil Anuradha Ambalavanar, the Bharatanatyam Group of Christchurch— the only dance school in the city teaching the classical dance form that originated in Tamil Nadu—also participated in the Culture Galore. “Our intermediate students

rganised by the Christchurch City Council as part of its Summer Times programme, and ably supported by Plains FM— Canterbury’s only community access radio station—and Fendalton-Waimairi and Riccarton-Wigram Community Boards, the 16th edition of Culture Galore (an annual free outdoor multicultural festival) was held on March 12 at the Ray Blank Park. Easily the most multi-cultural event in the city’s social calendar, it featured music, dance, food and arts and crafts from more than 80 cultures around the world. The event kicked off with Kapa Haka performed by the Hornby High School. Later, Mundi African dance, Chinese Lion dance, Scottish Country dance, and Japanese Takumi drumming mesmerised the audience. For those wishing to try their hands at various artforms, parallel workshops were organised including the ones by Chinese Square Dancing group of the Christchurch Migrant Centre, Indang Dance by the

Canterbury Indonesia Society, and Wushu martial arts by Master Song Shaolin. Nor’West Arch Morris Dancers and the Macedonian Cultural Group participated as well. But the most popular section of the Galore was the multi-national cuisine on offer. Igor and his wife, who immigrated to New Zealand six years ago from Ukraine, had a stall serving Russian home-baked products. Scott, originally from the US and in Christchurch since 2008, was selling Thai ice-cream. Sitti from Singapore was selling the Lion-City’s delicacies in celebrations of her country’s 50 years of independence from Malaysia. Emily from Germany, with help from her Kiwi partner Jonathan, had set-up their Little German Kitchen. A team from Plains FM, who were the emcee at the event, summed up the afternoon rather nicely: “Today is the day to learn a new language, make a new friend or try a new cuisine. That’s what Christchurch’s Culture Galore is all about.”

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Vaisakhi Mela rocks the Garden City

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Gaurav Sharma

t was a mix of melody and trendy. It was a mix of established veterans and upcoming stars. In recognition of the growing Indian population in Christchurch, mainly from the northern part of India, two city-based event management companies—Revel Events and Friendz Events—joined hands to present the first-ever Vaisakhi Mela in the South Island on March 12 at the Aurora Centre of Performing Arts in Christchurch. The evening started with Jenny Johal— whom Punjabi media has hailed as the next big thing in Bhangra—setting the stage with her tune-with-the-times trendy Punjabi songs. It ended with Ranjit Bawa, a household name in the Punjabi music scene, enthralling the crowd with his more traditional numbers. In between, the floor was rocked by Melbourne-based singer Gagan Kokri. Few local artists including Deep Moud Gill, Bhav Karan and Gurinder Mann presented some items too. Lucky Jassal, one of the organisers informed, “These three singers—Ranjit, Jenny and Gagan—are on a monthlong tour of New Zealand and Australia. Christchurch’s was their first performance in the country, which would be followed by the one in Auckland.” “While majority participation in the sold-out show was from Christchurch, we

Top: (from right) Gagan Kokri, Ranjit Bawa, and Jenny Johal (in orange suit) Above: The 750-strong audience at Aurora Centre of Performing Arts

also had families coming from Ashburton, Timaru and Rangiora. This shows how fast diversity is spreading in the South Island,” he added. Hitesh Sharma, another co-organiser concluded, “With the success and support we have received, we plan to make this Vaisakhi Mela an annual affair and the most sought-after event in the Punjabi community in Christchurch.”

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Students on track to better target ahead of time

rojections showing students are on track to surpass challenging educational targets almost two years ahead of schedule have been hailed by Education Minister Hekia Parata. “In today’s world kids need meaningful qualifications to make the most of their talents and opportunities,” says Ms Parata. “These figures show more young New Zealanders than ever before are entering adulthood with the skills and tools they need to succeed.” The projections are based on provisional NCEA data for last year and historical trends. They suggest that the number of 18-year-olds with NCEA Level 2 or an equivalent qualification increased by 3.2 percentage points to 84.4 per cent last year. “This is a massive achievement for our kids, parents, teachers and the wider community,” says Ms Parata. “When we took office in 2008 just 68 per cent of 18-years had NCEA Level 2 or an equivalent. The 24 percent

increase in achievement since 2008 means 7600 more young people are equipped to succeed this year than seven years ago.” The provisional data shows the largest gains have been made by Māori and Pasifika students up 62 per cent

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and 54 per cent to 72.3 per cent and 79.1 per cent respectively since 2008. However, because Māori and Pasifika students started from a lower base they have further to go to achieve the Government’s target of 85 per cent achievement by 2017.

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Minister of Health Volunteer Awards open

ealth Minister Jonathan Coleman says nominations are now open for the 2016 Minister of Health Volunteer Awards. “These awards help to recognise the thousands of unsung heroes who support New Zealand’s health and disability services,” says Dr Coleman. “Last year’s award recipients ranged from helping people to navigate their way around hospitals and health services, to visiting isolated older people in their homes. “Health volunteers make life better for New Zealanders in many ways, often without seeking any recognition. If you know an individual or team of volunteers who deserve to be recognised, I encourage you to nominate them.” Last year, the overall winner of the Health Volunteer Awards was Cancer Core, a group of Otago University students. Their inaugural University Relay for Life, the first run by any New Zealand university, attracted more than 1,000 students and raised more than $60,000 for the Cancer Society’s Otago and Southland Division. Nominations close on April 8. The awards will be presented during National Volunteer Week, from June 19 to 25.

www.iwk.co.nz | 18 March 2016

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Council cracks down on irresponsible liquor outlet

n investigation, carried out last month by council’s licensing inspectors and accompanied by the Police, has resulted in an application to have Southmall Liquor Bargain’s license cancelled. This is the first such application in New Zealand under the new Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 and comes after Southmall Liquor Bargain sold alcohol to a minor for the third time in just over two years. Rob Abbott, Manager Alcohol Licensing said altogether 23 licensed premises in Manurewa and the surrounding area were tested in a controlled purchased operation,

four of which failed by selling alcohol to the minor. “While we’re pleased that the majority of operators we tested are responsible license holders it shows us there’s still work to be done.” A controlled purchase operation is where a person under the age of 18 is sent in to try and buy alcohol. Chair of the Regulatory and Bylaws Committee, Calum Penrose says, “The sale of alcohol to minors is something we take very seriously. “It’s our job to protect our young people from the harm alcohol can cause and it’s only appropriate that irresponsible premises have their licenses revoked.”

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18 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Better services improving the lives of New Zealanders Kanwaljit Bakshi National List MP

e’re committed to meaningful improvements in areas that really matter to Kiwis. Each year, we spend 70 billion taxpayer dollars on public services. This includes vital spending on health, education, infrastructure, justice, and welfare. It’s important we target this spending carefully at services that are effective. We have a high standard of living here in New Zealand. According to the OECD Better Life Index we rank top in health status compared with all other OECD countries. We also rank above average for well-being, education and skills,

personal security, environmental quality, civic engagement, housing, and jobs and earnings. We’re not perfect though. Here in New Zealand we still grapple with some of the complex systemic issues that are challenging governments around the world. Nearly four years ago, Prime Minister John Key made a commitment to addressing these difficult issues and announced 10 clear, measurable goals, which we refer to as the Better Public Services targets. These goals cover issues in longterm welfare dependency, vulnerable children, skills, crime, and interaction with government. We’re the first administration to set public targets to be measured against, and our progress is reported every six months. These results belong to us all. Behind the numbers are real New Zealand families living better lives. The latest results show the proportion of immunised eight-month olds has increased from 82 to 93.7 per cent and the number of

first time rheumatic fever hospitalisations has dropped a massive 45 per cent. The trend in the number of children and young people experiencing substantiated physical abuse has flattened, after previously being on an upward trajectory. These results mean happier, healthier children that are better prepared for life.

Families and businesses benefitting from modernising ACC services Parmjeet Parmar

National List MP

his government has been focused on delivering public services that are easy to use and meet the needs of Kiwi families. ACC has begun rolling out a $450 million programme to transform ACC’s people, processes, technology, and information

over the next five years. The programme will ensure ACC is delivering services that are more customer focused and are meeting the needs of their most vulnerable clients. Enhanced technology is a key part of the programme. Paper-based processes will be replaced and technology will enable faster, more transparent decisions, and better sharing of and access to information for clients, health professionals, and businesses alike. These changes will free up staff to spend more time with people who have complex needs so that ACC can make a real difference. It means better services for

injured people and for health providers and levy payers too. This is just the first stage of the programme, which also includes improvements for business customers. One of the first changes will be improved levy invoices, which have long been a source of dissatisfaction for the more than 500,000 businesses invoiced each year by ACC. Business customers will have choice and control over how they pay their levies to suit their business needs—they’ll also have visibility over and can plan for the likely levy amount and timing. They’ll also have a much clearer understanding of how their levies have been calculated.

More young New Zealanders than ever before are entering adulthood with the skills and tools they need to succeed. Provisional 2015 NCEA Level 2 achievement results show the proportion of 18-year-olds who achieve a NCEA Level 2 qualification has increased to 84.4 per cent, from 74.3 per cent in 2011. This result is almost two years ahead of target. The number of benefit recipients has decreased by 7,245 in a year largely driven by decreases in Sole Parent Support. This represents parents moving into work and training to make a better life for their family. Our targets encourage the public service sector to find long-term solutions by working with vulnerable people to find out what really makes a real difference. The latest update confirms our approach is working. We’re making real progress on challenging issues and will continue to deliver more effective and productive services.

The changes come after $450 million of levy cuts happening this year, including an 11 per cent reduction to average work levies paid by employers. These cuts take total ACC levy cuts overall to $2 billion since 2012. ACC has come a long way since 2008– 09 when it posted a yearly deficit of $4.8 billion. Since then, the scheme’s assets have grown from $10 billion to $33 billion, thanks to its world class investment team. That’s good news for our families and businesses. We’re continuing to deliver better public services for the people who use them and those who pay for them.

Govt arrogant over manipulation of Hindi language Winston Peters NZ First leader

he government’s flippant disregard for New Zealand First’s concerns over a deliberate manipulation of the flag referendum voting papers shows their arrogance. New Zealand First MP Mahesh Bindra read the voting instructions for Hindi speaking people on the information pamphlet accompanying the ballot papers titled ‘How to Vote’. He was shocked to find the wording was not just wrong but that it attempted to manipulate voters towards the Prime Minister’s flag. The wording was supposed to read— “tick the flag you want to be the New

Zealand flag’’ However, the Hindi words said—“tick the flag you want to be the NEW New Zealand flag.’’ Mr Bindra, who was a trustee and founder of the Hindi Language Culture Trust of NZ, had others to support him. The wording on the pamphlet can only be seen as a blatant attempt to manipulate 80,000 Hindi speaking voters. Because of this farce we have called for these votes to be nullified. When the Electoral Commission was advised of the manipulative text they said the wording was correct and they would not change it. Mr Bindra raised the matter in parliament where Deputy Prime Minister

Bill English took no responsibility. Mr Bindra asked Mr English why he was treating the matter in such a cavalier fashion when Hindi language experts were suggesting legal action to stop such a subversion of democracy and distortion of their original language. Mr English, who by his broad grin seemed amused by the matter, said anyone who was an expert on Hindi was free to take the Electoral Commission to court. New Zealand First intends to do that. This Hindi language issue is just another example of how the public have been influenced and manipulated so the prime minister’s dream of changing the New

Zealand flag can be achieved. The prochange lobby in the National government have been unrelenting in their campaign: They shoulder-tapped the country’s top sports stars and other prominent people to speak out in favour of a new flag; the alternative flag was sent to councils and other organisations around the country to be flown next to our current national flag. This was done under the pretence of comparing the two flags but it was a blatant attempt to promote the prime minister’s flag and to manipulate the flag debate. The prime minister also took every opportunity to promote his flag even to the point of blatantly wearing it as a lapel badge at major events where he was representing New Zealand. Fortunately, the flag decision rests with the New Zealand public—they are wise to this government and its manipulative and unfair methods.

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 18 March 2016

Time to stand up for the rule of law

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Phil Goff

Labour MP

ur claim to be a civilised society depends on upholding the rule of law. All of us should have the right to go about our business without threat to our safety. We expect those who breach the law to be held to account. That, however, does not appear to reflect the reality of life in our community at the moment. Just a week or so ago, in Manurewa, a liquor store owner was stabbed outside his shop. He was hospitalised but fortunately survived. He said he was reluctant to go back to his shop where he no longer felt secure. He could easily have been killed, like Arun Kumar who was stabbed to death in his Henderson shop in 2014 by a 13-year-old. Just last weekend, 10 teenagers went into the Red Hill Superette owned by Indy Purewal. You can see on Facebook the incident, which was recorded by CCTV. In broad daylight on a Sunday afternoon, the youths just took what they wanted from the shop as if they were entitled to it. It was the brazen nature of the theft that was so shocking. There was no attempt to even disguise their identities. They just went in and helped themselves to what didn’t belong to them. It was as if there was no law or it didn’t matter. They seemed confident they would get away with it and never face the consequences. That should worry all of us and so too should the apparent inability of the Police to

respond. When Red Hill Superette worker, Maninda Singh, had rung the Police on the previous Friday night when there was an attempted break in to the shop, he was told they were “too busy” to deal with it. On the Sunday he resorted to telling the Police he had a gun and a knife and was going to sort out those who were raiding the shop, the Police turned up at once, but he should not have had to resort to that to get the Police there. Owner, Indy Purewal, is at the end of his tether. The store has now been robbed around 18 or 19 times. No family or business should have to put up with that. The figures I revealed last month in my column in the Weekender gives none of us any cause for confidence that the rule of law is being upheld. When 93 per cent of burglars in Auckland get away with their crimes, there is no disincentive for criminals to stop breaking the law. They remain out in the community going on committing crimes against people who are working hard trying to support their families. As a former Minister of Justice, I toughened the law on bail, sentencing and parole. But making the law stronger doesn’t work as a deterrent if the law is not upheld. For six years now, police stations have been closed, police numbers frozen and the Police budget cut in real terms, while the population has increased rapidly. The Police Commissioner himself admitted to Parliament’s Law and Order Committee, on which I sit, that he had had to absorb $300 million in increased costs because there was no budget to meet them. Ensuring our safety is a fundamental responsibility of Government, which they are not currently upholding. The public will increasingly demand that they do.

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18 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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AG meets Indian Minister for External Affairs

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NZ to assist Fiji restore electricity

he Honourable AttorneyGeneral and Minister for Finance, Mr Aiyaz SayedKhaiyum (‘AG’) met with the Indian Minister for External Affairs Ms. Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi on Friday, March 11. The AG informed Minister Swaraj about the devastation left behind by tropical cyclone Winston and the relief efforts by government. He also acknowledged and thanked the Indian Government for the financial assistance and relief supplies provided to Fiji, noting Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, with Minister for Finance, Aiyaz that India was one of the first Sayed-Khaiyum countries to provide direct budget support The Indian Minister is expected to visit to the Fijian Government. Fiji in the next few months. The AG was in The AG and Minister Swaraj also New Delhi to attend the IMF Conference, discussed other areas of Indian assistance and collaboration including reconstruction Advancing Asia from March 11 to 13. He will be part of a high-level panel efforts, agricultural support particularly in providing seeds suitable for the climatic discussion on the challenges of Climate conditions in Fiji and SME development. Change and Economic Resilience.

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ew Zealand is supporting the restoration of electricity on Viti Levu. New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Fiji Mark Ramsden says NZ has committed $1.42m to help restore electricity infrastructure, including reerecting fallen power poles, restringing power lines and reinstalling fallen transformers and other overhead electricity distribution equipment. Two companies, Top Energy and Unison, have been engaged by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to send personnel to Fiji. Discussions are continuing with other companies that may also be able to provide

support. Fiji Electricity Authority has estimated it will cost around $20 million to repair damage to electricity equipment caused by the cyclone. The first of New Zealand’s line mechanics arrived in Fiji over the weekend and commenced work alongside FEA counterparts.

Rations distribution costs $9.7m

total of $9.7 million has been used by the National Disaster Management Office for the distribution of relief rations, says National Disaster Management Office director Akapusi Tuifagalele. “The continuation on the distribution of relief rations to the affected areas following Tropical Cyclone Winston will depend on the ground assessment,” he said. “The government is working on the 30 days period, where we assure that all the rations are distributed evenly to all the affected areas. After the one month declaration period, then the Government will have to decide on whether to continue with the distribution.” Mr Tuifagalele said the NDMO was now speeding its recovery work as only seven days of the declared state of Natural Disaster period was left. Statistics released by the NDMO: • Death toll—44 • Total number of evacuation centres still opened—291 • Number of schools still used as evacuation centres—11

•

Total number of evacuees—8,098

Damage assessment • Total number of fully destroyed houses—9,173 • Total number of partly destroyed houses—28,998 Recent donations • Canada—$1.6 million • Thailand—$10,000 to Relief Fund

the

PM’s

Recent private assistance Development Bank • Fiji (FDB)—$50,000 • Secretary to Parliament—$11,150 • USA Sanatan Organisation—$17,630

NZ Defence Force personnel currently in Fiji fixing 3 schools and a hospital in Vanuabalavu

he New Zealand Defence Force personnel currently in Fiji are fixing three schools and a hospital in Vanuabalavu. Commanding Engineer HMNZS Major Chris Wilson said they are focusing on Mualevu District School, Lomaloma Secondary School and Mavana District School in Vanuabalavu. Major Wilson said they hope to get the schools ready in the next two weeks. He said they will be in Yacata later this week to rebuild a school on the island which was severely damaged during Cyclone Winston. Major Wilson said they have also distributed a number of tarpaulins. Meanwhile, Commanding Officer of HMNZS Canterbury Simon Rooke said they will be taking 15 tonnes of construction materials and about nine tonnes of food to Yacata and Vanuabalavu. Rooke said

Commanding Engineer HMNZS Major Chris Wilson

they have been providing the basic needs to the affected villagers. Rooke also said offshore patrol vessel HMNZS Wellington is also operating in northern Lau and has delivered boxes of tinned food, crackers, bottled water and vaccines and bales of tree saplings to affected communities on Yacata and other islands in the area. According to Rooke almost 300 combat engineers and naval personnel, assisted by 13 members from the New Zealand Fire Service’s Urban Search and Rescue team, are supporting the rebuilding at Lomaloma.

FIJI

www.iwk.co.nz | 18 March 2016

NZ defence chief appraises relief work being undertaken

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he head of New Zealand’s military says the devastation of Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston in Fiji is comparable to that of Tropical Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu a year ago. Commander Joint Forces New Zealand Major General Tim Gall said for the NZDF their area of operations at Vanuabalavu was similar to that of the remote Epi island in Vanuatu. “Fiji has probably a more robust infrastructure overall so there’s

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kind of more to get destroyed in some respects, but fairly similar levels of destruction,” Maj-Gen Gall said. “I think the difference was that in Fiji there were more permanent type buildings anyway, so you know all of these things these natural disasters in the Pacific you know it’s a long slow road to recovery.” Meanwhile, NZ High Commissioner to Fiji Mark Ramsden said New Zealand engineers were providing as

A-G discusses energy sector resilience help after Winston with Indian energy minister

ttorney-General Aiyaz SayedKhaiyum with Indian Minister for State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, New and renewable Energy Shri Piyush Goyal. Fiji’s energy needs in the wake of TC Winston have been the subject of talks in New Delhi between the Honourable Attorney-General and Minister for Finance, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum (A-G) and the Indian Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy, Shri Piyush Goyal. The meeting covered the impact of the cyclone on the Fijian energy sector, in particular the interruption to the electricity supply and the need to protect the energy sector from wide-spread damage in the future. Minister Goyal recommended a robust and holistic approach to sustainable power generation through the use of solar, wind and hydro energy to enable cost effective, 24-hour supply of electricity to all homes in Fiji. Minister Goyal also offered to deploy a specialised Indian team to assist with the restoration of electricity and to carry out an assessment of the long-term overall energy needs of Fiji to identify a mix of cost effective renewable energy sources tailored to Fiji’s climate.

much assistance as they could. He said engineers finished repairs to a school in Fulaga and also worked at a school at Silana Village, Tailevu. “It’s a mix of temporary repairs and permanent repairs where they are possible so out on Tailevu the team has worked on Silana school and that is, as the general says, pretty much complete in terms of what the engineers were able to do at the moment,” Mr Ramsden said. “We are now working on a school at Dawasamu (Tailevu).”

He said the focus changed from response to rehabilitation. “We have a request from the Fijian Government to work with the FEA to help restore electricity,” he said. “FEA has done a marvellous job restoring power in the main centres, but there’s a huge amount of work to do up around northern Viti Levu to help over the next month or so to restore power. “From this weekend you are going to see the first of 50 New Zealand line mechanics come in to work with FEA.”

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Queen donates

er Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has made a generous private donation to various charities to help victims in the wake of Cyclone Winston. A statement from Royal Commonwealth Society welcomed the donation by the Head of the Commonwealth. The Queen sent the following message to the people of Fiji: “As the people of Fiji recover from the devastating impact of Tropical Cyclone Winston, I send my sincere condolences to those who have lost loved ones. “My thoughts are also with those who have seen their homes and property ruined and are starting the hard work of rebuilding. I know how resilient and resourceful the people of Fiji are.” Director of the Royal Commonwealth Society, Michael Lake, CBE said: “It’s in times of natural disaster such as that caused by Cyclone Winston that it’s so important that the Commonwealth comes together to offer support. “As Head of the Commonwealth, Her Majesty’s best wishes and donation will be most gratefully received.”

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Thought of the week

After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music. — Aldous Huxley

Editorial

From the desk of the Managing Editor

“

J“The answer to this question may lie in DeskTime, a software application that meticulously tracks employees’ time use throughout the day. When the makers of this software looked at the most productive 10 per cent of their 36,000-employee user base, they made some surprising discoveries. What the most productive people have in common is an ability to take effective breaks. These elite 10 per-cent work for 52 minutes at a time, then take a 17-minute break before diving back into their work. According to Julia Gifford, who works with DeskTime and wrote the report, the reason this pattern helps productivity is that the top 10 percent treat the periods of working time like a sprint. ‘They make the most of those 52 minutes by working with intense purpose, but then rest up to be ready for the next burst,’ Gifford wrote. She also noted that during the 17 minutes of break, the group was more likely to go for a walk or tune out rather than checking email or Facebook.” ~Tom Rath from Are You Fully Charged?

More and more of us now work at our desks, with the world becoming digitised and at our fingertips. Even some meetings can now be had on Skype, etc., directly from our desks. However, sometimes working at the same desk can become monotonous and we begin to drift away or lose attention and productivity. I was impressed with the research quoted above. I find this is rather true. If big projects or a huge day of work is broken down to short sprints, interspersed with short power breaks (as I like to call them), the overall productivity of the day can be improved and you end up achieving a lot more. I think it is important that more and more people delve into the way they do things. It is only when we change and learn and try out new things that development and growth occurs and that is key to achieving in life. Talking about achievements, it is indeed one that the Black Caps have never lost a T20 to India and India always loses to the Black Caps. Kicking off the T20s in style, the Black Caps are poised to take on the tournament. Needless to say, we cheer for both teams and it becomes rather difficult to take sides. The new Indian High Commissioner His Excellency Mr Sanjiv Kohli is now well and truly in office. On behalf of the IWK family, I would like to extend a warm welcome to him and hope he has a very successful innings at the helm in Wellington. We caught up with him in a candid personal interview and bring you details of that, so you may know him a bit better. We are now proud to announce that the nominations for the Kiwi Indian Young Achiever and the Kiwi Indian Unsung Hero are open along with the nominations for the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame. We would like to encourage everyone to participate in this nomination process actively and make sure that the people you want to be recognised, get their recognition.

Pick of the week

Set against the backdrop of Lake Tekapo this could quite possibly be the most beautiful little church in the world #onlyinNZ Photo by Adam Osborn.

Hope you enjoy this issue. Until next time. Giri Gupta

Indian Weekender : Volume 7 Issue 50 Publisher: Kiwi Media Group Limited Managing Editor: Giri Gupta | girigupta@xtra.co.nz Editor: Annu Sharma | editor@indianweekender.co.nz Chief Reporter: Swati Sharma | reporter@indianweekender.co.nz Reporter: Rizwan Mohammad | iwk.rizwan@gmail.com Reporter: Esha Chanda | iwk.eshac@gmail.com Reporter: Kumar Suresh | iwk.kumar@gmail.com Chief Technical Officer: Rohan Desouza | rohan@indianweekender.co.nz Sr Graphics and Layout Designer: Mahesh Kumar | mahesh@indianweekender.co.nz Graphic Designer: Yashmin Chand | designer@indianweekender.co.nz Accounts and Admin.: Farah Khan | accounts@indianweekender.co.nz Sales, Marketing & Distribution: 022 3251630 / mahesh.iwk@gmail.com Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent the views of the team at the Indian Weekender Indian Weekender is published by Kiwi Media Group, 98 Great South Road, Auckland Printed at Horton Media, Auckland Copyright 2015. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

Phrase: Go bush Meaning: To abandon city amenities and live rough Usage: I think that guy who escaped from prison will be going bush

Tip from the trenches • Save your money spent on cups of coffee every day by brewing a cup at home instead • Avoid eating outside. Buying weekly groceries is cheaper than paying for takeouts every night. • Avoid taking the car out for small distances such as running errands • Go from billing to postpaid on your smartphone to avoid excess phone bills • Set up an automatic payment in your bank account that will deduct a certain amount every week

OPINION/EDITORIAL

www.iwk.co.nz | 18 March 2016

BJP is far from winning the ideological war

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Amulya Ganguli

n the day Finance Minister Arun Jaitley claimed the BJP had won the ideological war in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) battle because student leader, Kanhaiya Kumar, had waved the national flag and said â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jai Hindâ&#x20AC;?, a group of saffron activists vandalised a church in Raipur in Chhattisgarh. They were chanting not â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jai Hindâ&#x20AC;? while attacking women and children and tearing up copies of the Bible, but â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jai Shri Ramâ&#x20AC;?, the battle cry of the Hindutva brigade since the early 1990s. According to a spokesman of the Christians, this was the sixth attack in as many weeks in the state. Jaitley was speaking at a convention of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), one of whose members has been expelled for threatening to cut off Kanhaiya Kumarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tongue. Another saffronite has been arrested for putting up posters in Delhi, offering a reward of Rs.11 lakh for decapitating the student union president. Considering that goons among the pro-BJP lawyers had beaten up Kanhaiya Kumar at the Patiala House Court, and a BJP MLA of Delhi, O.P. Sharma, had said that he would have shot him if he had a gun, it is clear that the BJP interprets ideological victory more in terms of what takes place at the physical level than in the mind. It is noteworthy that the BJPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s muscular approach to the Left-Right divide has made even the Shiv Sena say that such tactics have turned the student leader into a hero. Since the Sena is an outfit, which knows a thing or two about thuggery, its views have to be taken seriously.

That there are a few among the BJPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supporters who also believe that aggression does not pay is evident from Anupam Kherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s observation at a Kolkata function in favour of evicting the combative Yogis and Sadhvis from the party. The politically naive actor is apparently unaware of the value of belligerent stormtroopers at election time. He was probably only thinking of how their antics detracted from his claim that there was no intolerance in the country. For the BJP, however, it will not be enough for one minister to declare the partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ideological victory and another to dub Kanhaiya Kumar as an â&#x20AC;&#x153;aberrationâ&#x20AC;?. Nor will the denial of visas to an American team put an end to a growing sense of worldwide unease over the current events in India. What the BJP will have to ensure in order to score an ideological as well as electoral victory in the coming weeks is to

not only demonstrate its commitment to the rule of law but also to act with a sense of compassion (as the closet saffronite, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, has advocated) with regard to the law on sedition. The BJPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s failing in these respects is due to its self-belief about being vested with the responsibility of protecting the nation against ungodly aliens while flaunting its Hindu ethos, which is reflected in a prime minister who wears a â&#x20AC;&#x153;tilakâ&#x20AC;?, as BJP president Amit Shah has said. Since a Hindu-oriented xenophobia does not suit a democracy, the BJP runs the danger of losing the ideological war even before it has begun. Kanhaiya Kumar and his Leftist supporters do have their faults as Prof. Makarand Paranjape pointed out how the JNU had been converted into a â&#x20AC;&#x153;hegemonic spaceâ&#x20AC;? of the Left or how millions killed by Stalin were brushed under the carpet by them.

Evidently, the battle has been really and truly joined not only between the Left and the Right but also between the Left and the Centre. How it pans out will depend on the performance of the BJP and its opponents in the forthcoming elections, especially in Assam, Kerala and West Bengal. If the Left wins in Kerala, as is likely, and improves its tally in West Bengal with Kanhaiya Kumar addressing a few rallies in the two states, the JNU crowd will consider it as their victory. On the other hand, if the BJP pips the Congress at the post in Assam, the party can look forward with some hope to next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s UP elections. The danger, however, is that in the event of the Assam outcome not going the BJPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way because of the uncertainty over its alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad, there is a possibility of the hardliners in the saffron camp becoming even more hawkish. Some of their belligerence can be explained by their inability to score brownie points in their confrontation with students because their follies do not attract the same condemnation as those of the grown-ups. Moreover, the militancy of the extreme Right reflected in the threat to cut off Kanhaiya Kumarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head embarrasses the BJP and is bound to be exploited by its opponents during the election campaign. The governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mistake was its highpitched response to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;seditionâ&#x20AC;? charge in the JNU. Ever since Kanhaiya Kumarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s release from jail, however, it is finding it difficult to retain the high ground, which it claimed to have occupied and is not too certain, therefore, of having won the battle of ideas.

Digital inequality warning sounded for urban India By Devanik Saha

ecent indications that Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Internet use is low and not reflected in the numbers of mobile phone connections and growth are buttressed by a new study that points to digital inequality in urban areas. Carried out in Pune, a rapidly growing metropolis of 5.92 million people, its economy driven in large part by information technology, the study found:

revealed. Pune has grown rapidly over the last two decades to become the eighthlargest urban agglomeration in India. In 2015, Pune ranked second only to Bengaluru in software exports from India. The city has as many as 3.6 million Internet users (a 34% year-on-year growth), according to Internet in India 2014â&#x20AC;&#x201D;a report f r o m

82 per cent of people surveyed in

low-income neighbourhoods donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t use Internet 56 per cent of households have no Internet users at all 41 per cent of non-users have never heard of the Internet 43 per cent of people between 16 and 25 years of age do not use Internet The results are likely to be similar in more prosperous cities, such as Bengaluru and Delhi, worse in poorer cities. Although Internet users in India are increasing rapidly, and the country is Asia-Pacificâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fastest growing smartphone market, only 22 per cent of the adult population in India uses the Internet, compared to the global median of 67 per cent, according to this survey by Pew Research Center, a US research institute. In absolute numbers, India likely overtook the US and became the country with the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second-largest Internet market, with 402 million active Internet users in December 2015. These figures clearly hide great variations, the Pune study

Internet and Mobile Association of India. These are the six main observations the study made about Puneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s digital inequality: I. Eighty-four per cent of women do not use Internet compared to 42 per cent men. There are several stereotypical beliefs that augment this gender digital inequality, according to the CCDS study. For instance, it is primarily men in the household who acquire smartphones, while women are handed down older, basic phones without data access, or feature phones that allow only limited Internet

applications. Boosting Internet access for women has the potential to boost their participation in the labour force, according to this Mckinsey study. Recently, several villages in Gujarat banned mobile phones for girls and single women, a confirmation of widespread patriarchal norms hindering gender equality. II. Better education increases chances of Internet access. As many as 56 per cent of households with at least one member with a class 10 education or enrolled currently were â&#x20AC;&#x153;connectedâ&#x20AC;?, meaning at least one Internet user, as compared to 14 per cent of households without anyone with similar education. The number of non-Internet users decreases with increasing education levels. Of those who never attended school/had any primary education, only three per cent access the Internet, compared to 83 per cent of those who are graduates and above. III. Wealthier households are more likely to use Internet. Only 29.4 per cent of households in the first wealth quintile (poorest) were connected, compared to 62.8 per cent of households in the fifth quintile (richest). IV. Younger people are more connected to the Internet. 53.5 per cent of all Internet users were between 16 and 20 years of age. The percentage decreased with age, as the chart below shows. V. Occupation plays a significant role in increasing access. 46.5 per cent of Internet users were students, while 26.2 per cent were in the service sector, establishing a link between occupation and access.

VI. Having a smartphone increases chances of Internet use. As many as 77 per cent of households with a smartphone accessed the Internet, compared to 30 per cent in households without a smartphone. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Smartphone users are leading Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Internet growth,â&#x20AC;? said this recent report from Google India. Only 17 per cent of Indian adults own a smartphone, according to the survey by Pew Research. Only seven per cent of adults in low-income families own a smartphone. Other key findings:

As many as 27.5 per cent of non-users

reported that lack of understanding of the Internet and how to use it was a major reason for not going online Men are eight times more likely to use the Internet than women As many as 21 per cent of non-users believe that the Internet is not useful for women The number was 32 per cent for Internet users As many as 35 per cent of male users and 24 per cent of female users felt the Internet had increased their confidence and enhanced their personality Only eight per cent of users said they found the Internet useful in finding out about government benefits The CCDS field research was spread across six low-income settlements, 1,634 households and 5,999 citizens in Ambedkar Nagar, Janata Vasahat, Laxmi Nagar and Patil Estate in Pune Municipal Corporation areas and Anand Nagar, Mahatma Phule Nagar in the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation area.

INDIA

18 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Week-long Festival of Innovations kicks off at Rashtrapati Bhavan T

NCRB launches FICN compilation system portal

n a bid to boost the grass rootslevel innovations across the country, President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday, March 12 inaugurated the second edition of the week-long “Festival Innovation” at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The festival, to be celebrated from March 12 to 19, has been organised by the President’s Office in collaboration with the National Innovation Foundation (NIF). The festival was kicked off with the inauguration of an Exhibition of Innovations at the world-famous Mughal Gardens that will remain open to the public till March 19. “Innovation is an idea whose time has come. The budget for this festival has gone up 600 per cent as compared to last year,” Ashutosh Sharma, secretary, Department of Science & Technology, told media. Our idea is to reach out to the students from class six to 12 for innovative ideas across the country. From there, one lakh ideas will be selected and each of them will be given Rs.5,000 to convert the idea into an innovation,” he added. Later on, 10,000 innovations will be selected and showcased at state-level. Out of the 10,000 innovations, 1,000 will be showcased at the national level. “The final 60 innovations will be showcased at the Rashtrapati Bhavan,”

President of India, Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated an exhibition of grass roots innovations in Rashtrapati Bhavan kicking off thereby a week-long Festival of Innovations from March 12 to 19

Sharma noted. The president also released a book titled Festival of Innovation—2015 authored by Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Science and Technology, at the event. The exhibition showcases several innovations including a tractor-driven onion transplanter, multi-crop thresher, foot operated page-turning device for differently-able and posture correcting chair, among others. The most noticeable products among the 65 eye-catching grass root innovations are anti-molestation device for women worn on wrist and alert switch in bus/auto rickshaw for the safety of women.

Besides the above, the festival will have three exhibitions, two workshops, four group discussions, two award presentation ceremonies and roundtable on different topics during the week. Some highlights of the festival were a keynote address by Nobel laureate K ailash Satyarthi on March 13 and presentation of Visitor’s Award on March 14. The NIF, set up in 2000 by the Department of Science and Technology, has taken major initiatives to serve the knowledge-rich, economically poor people of the country.

he National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) on March 11 launched a web portal as a tool in its armoury to easily compile the precise data of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) circulated across the country. ‘Fake Indian Currency Note (FICN) compilation system’ portal will help the NCRB in acquiring data from all states and other agencies to have a complete picture about the circulation of counterfeit notes in the country. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary launched the web portal on the occasion of the 31st Inception Day of the NCRB. On the occasion, Chaudhary also launched a mobile application ‘Vahan Samanvaya’ to help police and public in tracing stolen vehicles from database. The NCRB—mandated to empower the Indian Police with information technology (IT) and is responsible for collecting, analysing the crime data of the country—facilitates Investigating Officers with updated IT tools and information in investigation of crimes. The scheme envisages connecting all the police stations through their computerisation. At present, of the 16,000 police stations and offices in the country, 10,000 police stations and offices have already been connected through this system. In the future roadmap of the government, CCTNS will become one of the major components of integrated criminal justice system.

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INDIA

www.iwk.co.nz | 18 March 2016

Lok Sabha passes Appropriations Bill

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ok Sabha passed the Appropriation Bill, completing the first phase of the budgetary exercise for 2016–17, with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley saying that his government will find a lasting solution to banks’ financial stress by addressing issues at the core of the problem—over-borrowing by longtroubled sectors like steel, sugar, power and highways. In his reply in the Lok Sabha to the debate on the Union Budget 2016–17, he said banks stress on account of fraud, where defaulters have wilfully declined to repay loans, will be dealt with legally. “But there are also some other issues due to which non-performing assets (NPAs) have added up in the banking system,” he said, adding that some genuine economic reasons for the delays in repayments to banks were required to be addressed. In steel, he said, it was dumping by China. In sugar, it was low global prices, while in power, it was indiscriminate moves by some states to sell electricity below cost, forcing distribution companies to resort to borrowing. In highways, it was poor policy implementation that had crippled the sector, Jaitley said. “But all these are being tackled with appropriate policy action,” he said. “There is no point in pushing dirt under the carpet and saying the room is clean,” he added. Jaitley listed the steps taken by his government such as the anti-dumping

duty and high minimum import price of steel, high customs duty on sugar and the Uday discoms’ debt restructure package for power utilities. The NPAs of public sector banks (PSBs) have increased by close to Rs.1 lakh crore in the first nine months of the current fiscal, parliament was told last week. Jaitley also rejected demands for rollback of one per cent excise duty on jewellery saying it was in preparation for unveiling of the Goods and Services Tax, which hopefully will “come soon”.

Hindus, Muslims settle 25-year-old land dispute

indus and Muslims in the Madhya Pradesh district have in a precedent-setting act resolved through mutual agreement a land dispute that had evaded a judicial solution for the past 25 years. The dispute related to a plot of vacant land lying between a Hindu temple and an Imambara (congregation hall for commemoration ceremonies of Shia Muslims) of the Lakhera Muslim community in Betma town in Indore district, a police officer said. “Both the Hindu and the Muslim communities were claiming the vacant land as their own,” said Rajkumar Yadav, station house officer (SHO) of Betma police station. For 25 years, the dispute had remained unresolved and currently lay pending with the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, he said. Tired of the lengthy judicial process and no immediate resolution in sight, the two communities finally decided to sit together and thrash out a solution to the vexed problem. The matter was settled within a matter of days after the two communities decided to meet across the table and sort out the contentious issues with mutual understanding and accommodation. The Hindu community was represented by Dharmvir Singh Chauhan, also president of the town council, and the Lakhera Muslim community by Haji Faqeer Mohammad Sheikh—both met twice before making way for other community leaders to reach the much desired consensus. According to the agreement reached between the two communities on Saturday,

March 12, 1,395 sq.ft. of the 2,160 sq.ft. vacant land would be turned over to the Sheetala Mata temple and the remainder to the Imambara of the Lakhera Muslim community, said Yadav. The temple is currently built on 450 sq.ft. of land while the Imambara occupies 630 sq.ft. Following the resolution, the two communities decided to withdraw the court case, get the land registered in accordance with the agreement, and also despatched letters to the authorities, including SHO Yadav, conveying the agreed upon points of the settlement.

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INDIA

18 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Can’t compare Indian Railways to Chinese: Prabhu

ailway Minister Suresh Prabhu asserted that Indian Railways can’t be compared to those of China and developed countries. “What the Chinese have invested into railways is a mind boggling number. From 2009, they have put in more than two per cent of their GDP whereas our share was 0.4 per cent of our GDP. “The Chinese economy, which is the second largest in the world, is worth $10 trillion, whereas ours is around $2 trillion. So there cannot be a comparison, but yes, we need more investment and we are finding out resources for that,” Prabhu said while replying to a discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the railway budget. “German railway had a debt of $16 billion while Chinese railways, before it was corporatised, had a debt of $428 billion, which roughly makes 25 per cent of our entire GDP. “Thus we are not able to do what Chinese railways managed to do. Even Japanese railways when it was worth $72 billion had a debt of $32 billion,” he said, insisting that Indian Railways must not be compared to railways of developed countries. “PPP in railway is an old idea. The UPA government had approved it in 2006. We would need investment from outside the normal revenue stream

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T as investing money is important,” Prabhu said, asserting that even then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had recommended private investments to finance railway projects. The railway minister termed the Pay Commission as another hindrance in managing railway finances. “Railway was passing through testing times economically in the past one year and there was a pay commission. “Every time when pay commission comes, the operating ratio drops dramatically but this is the first time it has not gone down,” he told the house, accepting that the railways “had a big problem in paying” its employees. “It (new pay commission) came into operation from January 1 this year.

Despite that we managed to keep a decent operating ratio. “We had a problem on the income side and we faced problem while paying in terms of pay commission and bonuses as we had accepted a bonus act in this house where we had removed the minimum sealing. “Railway had to bear the brunt and of course we were complaining later,” he said. “Cleanliness has improved substantially in all parts of railway. It has improved inside the coaches. We have launched an SMS service named ‘Clean my coach’ which has been launched on all India basis. We have already started implementing the programmes which were announced during the budget,” he said.

Action plan to handhold new entrepreneurs: Sitharaman

he government has prepared an action plan for 22 sectors under ‘Make in India’ initiative to promote new entrepreneurs in the country, parliament was told. “An investor facilitation cell has been created in Invest India to assist and handhold investors,” Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the Lok Sabha in a written reply. She also said that the central government rolled out a start-up action plan to create a conducive environment for budding entrepreneurs (start-ups) in the country. The start-up action plan includes simple compliance regime for

Frame rules and regulations for child adoption, says SC

them based on their self-certification. A mobile app and portal for compliance and information exchange was also launched. Sitharaman said that a Start-up India Hub was set up to handhold new entrepreneurs during various phases of their development along with legal support and fast-tracking patent examination at reduced costs. The government relaxed norms of public procurement and faster exit for start-ups. The minister said start-ups would be provided funding support through a fund of funds with a corpus of Rs.10,000 crore. Tax exemption will

also be allowed on capital gains invested in fund of funds. She also said there will be credit guarantee fund available for start-ups and they will be allowed to enjoy tax exemption for three years. Apart from this, the central government will be organising startup fests to showcase innovations and providing collaboration platforms, the minister said. The commerce minister also sought harnessing private sector expertise for setting up incubators. Seven new research parks modelled on the Research Park at IIT Madras have been set up, she said.

NEW ZEALAND FIRST LIST MP

MAHESH BINDRA BASED IN AUCKLAND

Contact Auckland Office

Level 1, 21 East Tamaki Rd, Papatoetoe, Manukau 2025 Ph: 0800 BINDRA (246372) mahesh.bindra@parliament.govt.nz

Authorised by Mahesh Bindra, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

he Supreme Court on March 14 asked the central and state governments to frame required rules and regulations governing incountry and inter-country adoption of children under the existing laws. While noting that during the pendency of the petition, the legislation has been enacted, the court said, “The interest of children, whether it is intra-country or inter-country adoptions, has to be protected. The process of adoption has to be transparent. It should ensure welfare of the child.” It asked CARA to frame regulation under section 68 of the act, under which the agency is mandated to regulate in-country and inter-country adoptions and to facilitate inter-state adoptions in co-ordination with the state agency, and to carry out the functions of the Central Authority under the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of inter-country Adoption. Besides several other aspects, section 110 provides for the manner of inquiry that would be conducted in respect of missing children or run away children whose parents can’t be traced, responsibilities of the child welfare officer attached to a Children’s Home and the process of restoration of abandoned or lost children to their families. While refusing to keep the PIL by NGO Adavit Foundation on board and disposing it off, the apex court permitted it to make representation before the central government and CARA on the framing of rules and regulations and the same would be considered by them while framing the model rules and regulations. While declining to pass a general order for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into alleged malpractices in the adoption process as sought by the NGO, the bench allowed it to move the court pointing to the specific instance of wrong doings in intercountry and in-country adoption.

Karnataka sets up anti-corruption bureau

he Karnataka government on March 14 set up an Anti-Corruption Bureau to provide a transparent and efficient administration. Although Karnataka was the first state to set up an anti-corruption watchdog—the Lokayukta (ombudsman) in 1984 under the Karnataka Lokayukta Act (KLA), there is also the Prevention of Corruption Act empowers police to investigate graft charge against officials. “The KLA and PC Act are different legislations, as the former empowers the quasi-judicial Lokayukta to only inquire into complaints against public servants but does not allow criminal investigation against them and others accused of seeking or taking bribe,” an official statement said. Although the state government entrusted the investigation powers into corruption charges to the police wing of the state Lokayukta, the Supreme Court in the C. Rangaswamaiah versus Karnataka Lokayukta case in 1988 held that police officers probing cases under the PC Act were autonomous. The state government has decided to separate the two roles by forming the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on the lines of the central government. “The ACB will be a statutory authority to investigate graft offences, while the ombudsman’s police wing will assist Lokayukta and Upa Lokayuktas in carrying their duties under the KLA,” the statement said. The state government has also decided to set up vigilance wings in its departments, boards and corporations with vigilance officers, as directed by the high court on February 2.

www.iwk.co.nz | 18 March 2016

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Indian American boy in fray for $100,000 ‘Child Genius’ prize

n Indian American boy, with his terrific memory skills and mathematical abilities, is all set to lock horns with two other finalists in the second season of Lifetime Television’s competition “Child Genius: Battle of the Brightest”, a media report said. Nine-year-old Arnav Krishna from New York stands a chance to win a whopping $100,000 college fund and the title of Child Genius 2016, the American Bazaar reported. Arnav’s mother, Seema Krishna, is a marketing executive, and father, Vijay Krishna, works as a financial services executive. The Lifetime Television cited Arnav as someone “with an eye to becoming an architect and a mathematician when

he is older” and as one who is always inquisitive and bears a researcher’s instinct. “Arnav is off to a good start with successive rankings in national

math competitions,” Lifetime Television was quoted as saying. In addition to his academic prowess, Arnav is also good at playing tennis. He loves piano, swimming and chess. The second edition of the competition, which premiered on January 7 this year, featured some of the most extraordinary and talented children in the US as they braced for the ultimate battle of the brains. The competition, created in cooperation with the American Mensa—a standardised intelligence test, takes place over ten weeks and tests the nation’s brightest young minds on their knowledge in categories such as math, spelling, geography, and current events.

westernunion.co.nz

KIDS ZONE

18 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Complete the pattern by drawing or sticking the picture in the box.

1. 2. 3. Here's a lovely Easter doodle colouring page for older children (or maybe an adult or two!) featuring an Easter egg and the Easter bunny - and lots of intricate patterns for you to colour in.

4. © www.ActivityVillage.co.uk - Keeping Kids Busy

Easter Egg Match Up

Ac tiv it y v i l la g e

Match the pairs of Easter eggs to find the odd one out.

Ac tiv it y v i l la g e

Label the Easter Words

Ea___e__ e__g

__unn__

l__m__

c__ic__

b__nn__t

bas__e__ h____t

Don’t change Don’t listen to people Be yourself Glow like you used to You are not a light bulb You can’t turn-off Or turn on Your natural glow is What I want

pa__a___ s__r___g © www.ActivityVillage.co.uk - Keeping Kids Busy

da___odi__ ___oc__late

Ac tiv it y v i l la g e

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

SPORTS

www.iwk.co.nz | 18 March 2016

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New Zealand beats India in World T20 opener

ew Zealand defeated India by 47 runs in the opening match of the World Twenty20 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium on Tuesday, March 15. The Kiwis, who have never lost to India in the shortest version of the game, maintained their perfect record. Chasing a modest 127-run target on a spin-friendly track, the Indian batsmen never really got into the groove and could only manage to crawl their way to 79 before being all out. In-form batsman Virat Kohli (23) and India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (30) fought bravely as wickets fell at the other end, but could not rescue the hosts. Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner claimed a four-wicket haul for New Zealand with superb figures of 4/11 in his four overs. This was the best figures by a spinner against India in the 20-over format. Indian origin leg-spinner Inderbir Singh Sodhi also tormented the Indian batsmen

for figures of 3/18 while Nathan McCullum (2/15) and fast bowler Adam Milne (1/8) also bowled well. India lost nine wickets to spinners, which equalled the T20 record. Earlier, a combination of below par batting and quality bowling saw New Zealand restricted to a low total of 126/7 in

Vijender continues winning spree in professional boxing

tar Indian boxer Vijender Singh continued his winning spree in the professional arena with an easy win over Alexander Horvath of Hungary at the Liverpool Echo last week. As with his previous professional bouts, the Indian dominated the fight. The Hungarian forced to retire around one minute into the third round after a powerful punch from Vijender hit his left shoulder. This was Vijender’s fourth win in a row in professional boxing in the middleweight (75kg) category—all of them by knockout or technical knockout. In his debut bout, Vijender defeated English boxer Sony Whiting by technical knockout in the third round. In his second bout, Dean Gillen, also of England, did not even last for one full round as the Haryana boxer knocked him out in the last minute of the opening period. Bulgaria’s Samet Hyuseinov went down in the second round of the third fight as Vijender registered another technical knockout. Saturday’s bout was important, as it is the last before Vijender appears in his first pro bout in India in July. The bout was scheduled around a month earlier, but it was postponed due to some technical reasons. Horvath was the more aggressive

boxer to start with, while Vijender was a bit tentative. As the opening round wore on, the Indian seemed to get the measure of his opponent’s strategy, easily ducking the punches while landing some powerful blows of his own. Although Horvath showed more urgency, he was unable to pierce Vijender’s defence and in his efforts to force the pace, often walked into the Indian’s counter punches. In the closing stages of the first round, the Indian landed a powerpacked shot, which knocked out the Hungarian’s gumshield. Surprisingly, Horvath seemed a bit exhausted in the second round. Vijender also adopted a cautious approach as the bout became a bit of a slow affair, much to the displeasure of the extremely vocal Indian supporters in the arena. Most of Horvath’s punches were a bit aimless while Vijender was more composed and better with his accuracy. Both boxers came out swinging at the start of the third round. But a right from Vijender caught Horvath on the left shoulder, forcing the Hungarian onto his knees.

their 20 overs. All-rounder Corey Anderson was the only Kiwi batsman who managed to tackle the Indian bowling with a patient 34 off 42 deliveries. Among the Indian bowlers, veteran pacer Ashish Nehra (1/6) continued his recent good form with another economical performance, while Jasprit Bumrah (1/15),

Suresh Raina (1/15), Ravindra Jadeja (1/18) and Ravichandran Ashwin (1/32) were also among the wickets.

Pakistan cricketers get more love in India than back home: Afridi

appy with the reception, Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi, on Sunday, March 13, said his country’s cricketers get more love from the fans in India than from those back home. “We get lot of love from fans here, even more than the love we get from fans in Pakistan,” Afridi told the media at the Eden Gardens, a day after their arrival to take part in the World Twenty20. The 36-year-old all-rounder recalled that he has been coming to India for two decades during his long career, and asserted that cricket has always brought the two countries together. “Cricket is a sport which has brought the two countries together. Can there be anything better than politics and cricket to bring the two countries together?” he said. However, Afridi disagreed with a media person that the fact that none of the Pakistan players opted out of the tournament after their authorities gave them a choice to travel or not to travel to India showed that they disagreed with their government’s apprehensions about their security in India. “It is not a question of disagreement. Whatever decision the government takes, we back it. We are not politicians,” he said.

Pakistan were scheduled to arrive earlier but that got delayed as the country’s government wasn’t happy with the security arrangements in India. Finally after an assurance from Home Minister Rajnath Singh, the team finally arrived on March 12. Afridi turned a tad sentimental as he profusely praised the Eden Gardens, particularly its boisterous crowd, where Pakistan would be playing a warm-up game as also two Super Ten group B fixtures including the high-voltage clash against India on March 19. “When you play here, this plays at the back of your mind. These things are also there in the back of your mind when you make a game plan. You take lot of these things into consideration, and your body language changes,” Afridi said.

Recognition by Hockey India will motivate us: Ritu Rani

aving qualified for the 2016 Olympics after a wait of 36 years since the 1980 Moscow Games when women’s hockey was introduced, the Indian team and support staff will be felicitated. In recognition of this achievement, Hockey India (HI) will give a cash prize of Rs.1 lakh each to all team members and support staff at the HI awards to held here on March 26. “It’s a very big achievement

for women’s hockey in India. Till now, the gold in the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester was the most celebrated moment for women’s hockey, but by qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics, we have managed to push the bar higher,” said India skipper Ritu Rani. “A good performance in the Olympics will help to take women’s hockey in India a long way ahead. This recognition by HI will further motivate us to put up a good show.”

ASTROLOGY

18 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Weekly forecast: March 18 to March 24 ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

Luck favours you, so expect something good to happen. Good planning will make things go smoothly at work. Too much information on investment might make it difficult for you to choose the right investment on the financial front. You will achieve a great sense of achievement by giving a break to someone in the job market. Don’t be too positive of lover doing your bidding; things may not shape up the way you expect them to.

You will manage to impress those who matter on the professional front. Success is foretold in your academic line that you are presently pursuing. A retail outlet promises to keep the cash register ringing. Good savings will allow you to think of buying a major item. Always being available for the family is likely to keep the members happy and contented. Romance blossoms as you manage to catch the eye of the one you like.

This is an auspicious period for you on both, personal and professional fronts. Money comes your way and fill your coffers to the brim. A new energy is infused in you, as you bring some positive changes in your lifestyle. Major works on your house may be underway, giving expression to your ideas. You will be able to keep pace with others in a competitive environment. Someone’s good turn on the academic front will benefit you immensely.

Lucky No.: 5 Lucky Colour: Sea green

Lucky No.: 18 Lucky Colour: Cream

You will need to sharpen your professional skills to get a better hold on things at work. Health concerns worrying you will disappear. You will be able to find a fitness regime that suits your lifestyle. Things may be made difficult by someone on the professional front, but this will not discourage you. On the contrary, you will do your bit to set things right. A minor job at work may get complicated and eat away your working hours.

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

You will need to drive a hard bargain if you want something on your terms. Much praise is in store for you on the professional front. Team under your guidance will achieve what it had set out for. You may have to be a bit strict regarding a family member’s habit of impulsive shopping in order to stabilise the financial front. Efforts on the fitness front will bear good results and help bring you back in shape.

Someone may impinge upon your personal time at work, but take it in your stride. If job satisfaction is the sole aim of doing what you are involved in at present, then promising time lies ahead. You will be able to make good money through your talents. Those in a creative field are likely to enjoy recognition. You will need to give a long-lasting solution to a domestic problem that will appeal to all.

You will need to be on your toes to get something accomplished on the home front. Some of you may plan to add to your property. You may be pulled towards spirituality and may even plan a pilgrimage. Travelling north will be auspicious and fulfil your desires. You will have to remain in sync with someone at work to make your effort worthwhile. Open up a bit to feel loved and cared for by the family.

There is a chance of meeting someone you have not met in years. Commuting may become a problem for those wanting to go some place urgently. You may feel your authority getting undermined by someone in the family. These are changing equations and are inevitable, so go with the flow. There is no point in continuing in a dud job that drains you mentally and physically, so take your call. A family youngster needs your moral support, so be available.

Lucky No.: 1 Lucky Colour: Orange

Lucky No.: 9 Lucky Colour: Lemon

Lucky No.: 18 Lucky Colour: Coffee

Lucky No.: 3 Lucky Colour: Red

(March 21-April 20)

(April 21-May 20)

(July 23-August 23)

(August 24-Sep 23)

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

(Nov 23-December 11) Cost cutting measures implemented by you may begin to show results. You have painted yourself in a corner and are finding it difficult to wriggle out of it. Eschew hypocrisy and call a spade a spade if you want to restore your social image. There is not much demand for your field of expertise, so grab whatever comes your way, if you are looking for a job. A fresh beginning may be made on the health front. Lucky No.: 2 Lucky Colour: Lavender

(Dec 22-January 21) You can expect all the help you need on the home front. Those trying for a job switch will find a lucrative offer, which fits their qualification. Beating competition on the academic front will become easy now, as you manage to catch up with the leaders. Someone’s absence that was worrying you will be set at rest, as he or she returns. You may not be able to express it, but being near a loved one is satisfying. Lucky No.: 11 Lucky Colour: Peach

(May 21-June 21)

Lucky No.: 5 Lucky Colour: Turquoise

(Sep 24-October 23)

AQUARIUS

(Jan 22-February 19)

(June 22-July 20)

Lucky No.: 17 Lucky Colour: Parrot green

(Oct 24-November 22)

PISCES

(Feb 20-March 20)

You will get a good opportunity to implement your ideas at work. Someone may seek your advice on a property matter and gain from it. You will shake a leg to meet people and refresh old associations. A new beginning is likely to be made on the academic front. You will be able to get rid of small irritants on the home front that keep you on the boil. Travelling to a fun place is indicated.

You will be able to firm in on the professional front. An added source of income is likely to appear on the horizon. You may get involved in organising something major on the social front. It will be easy to maintain your pace on the health front to come back in shape. You may get the support on the academic front that was eluding you till now. Advice of spouse is likely to benefit you on the professional front.

Lucky No.: 4 Lucky Colour: Dark blue

Lucky No.: 3 Lucky Colour: Saffron

By Manisha Koushik Manisha Koushik is the talented daughter and associate of world renowned celebrity astrologer Dr Prem Kumar Sharma. She is gifted with strong intuitions and clairvoyance right from the childhood. A practicing astrologer, tarot card reader, numerologist, vastu and fengshui consultant is based in India but maintains a global presence through the online channels. She is available for consultations online as well. Reach out to her to explore what the future holds for you. Let her tarot cards do the magic and numbers make you understand which choices in life will be best for you! E-mail: support@askmanisha.com | Website: www.askmanisha.com Contact: +91-11-26449898, 26489899 | Mobile/Whatsapp: +919015607139

HALL OF FAME

www.iwk.co.nz | 18 March 2016

Inviting nominations for Kiwi Indian Honours 2016

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

Established 2013

The Indian Weekender calls upon nominations for those who have built a road to glory for themselves and left a path for the coming generations to tread on; who have touched the lives of thousands and enriched the society with their being; who’ve brought fame and respect to New Zealand and the KiwiIndian community. The Indian Weekender invites nominations for such personalities from the community for getting inducted into the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame 2016. We also invite nominations for Kiwi Indian Young Achiever of the Year and Kiwi Indian Unsung Hero of the Year 2016.

Nominate Online : http://bit.ly/1QZJcTO

Entry Form: Form for nominating candidates for Kiwi Indian Honours 2016

Nominator Details

Nominee Details

Name of the Nominator

Name of the Nominee

1. He/she needs to have an undisputable recognition in his or her field of work. 2. Nominated by a nominator of repute. Further, the nominator has to be in confirmation with the nominee. 3. The nominator has to provide their full contact details. No anonymous applications will be accepted. 4. All fields of work are welcome. For the purposes of this award, ‘field of work’ can be politics, business, sports, art, culture, or any profession. 5. The definition of Kiwi Indian, for the purposes of this award, hereby, is defined as follows: any person of Indian origin, from any part of the world, who has settled here in New Zealand. To be of Indian origin, at least one of the parents of the nominee have to be Indian, by blood. Thereby making the nominee of Indian lineage. 6. The nominee must have either a Permanent Residency (PR), or Citizenship of New Zealand to be eligible for consideration. 7. The nominee should have no prior convictions. 8. Age is no bar; for minors, under the age of 18, parental consent will be required. 9. The successful candidate will be required to attend the ceremony in person. In case a person is not able to attend, due to any unforeseen circumstances, the jury will use its discretion. 10. The jury’s decision will be final and binding; and cannot be challenged.

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

Age of Nominee Sex

Address & Contact number of Nominator *

Category

Why do you think the nominee qualifies for the honour? Please state your reasons for nominating the above person. You may mention the achievements of the Nominee in his/her profession.

Address & Contact number of Nominee *

How according to you has the Nominee brought fame and respect to the Kiwi-Indian community?

Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame Kiwi Indian Young Achiever of the year (16 to 35 years only) Kiwi Indian Unsung Hero of the year

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

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

Yes

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

What to do next? Please take a print out of this form, sign and send to us at: Jury Panel, Kiwi Indian Honours 2015 98, Great South Road, Epsom, Auckland

(Add extra pages to this form if required.) For details contact Indian Weekender on 09-2137335 or go to: www.indianweekender.co.nz

FEATURE

18 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Going coco for coconut Maya Shivam

urprise, surprise! Coconut oil is now being recognised as a “superfood.” Because of its unique combination of fatty acids, coconut oil has a profound positive effect on health, including fat loss, better brain function and various other benefits. Here are the top health benefits of coconut oil that have been confirmed experimentally. Unique combination of fatty acids and its powerful medicinal properties Coconut oil has been put down in the past because it contains saturated fat. In fact, coconut oil is one of the richest sources of saturated fat known to man, with almost 90% of the fatty acids in it being saturated. However, new data shows that saturated fats are harmless. These studies also are a myth buster for the whole “arteryclogging” idea. Coconut-based health is amongst the healthiest People who eat coconut-based diets are among the healthiest people on the planet Even though coconut may be considered exotic by the western world and eaten mainly by health conscious people, the fact remains that populations such as Tokelauans or Kitavans who eat coconut as staple diets are amongst the healthiest in the world with no evidence of heart disease. Coconut oil increases your energy expenditure This basically helps you burn more fat. Obesity is currently one of the biggest health issues facing the world, including New Zealand. The medium chain triglycerides in coconut oil have been shown to increase 24 hour energy expenditure by as much as five per cent, potentially leading to significant weight loss over the long term. Coconut oil can kill bacteria, viruses and fungi Coconut oil contains lauric acid that can help ward off infections. Also, when coconut oil is enzymatically digested, it forms a monoglyceride called monolaurin, which is also known to kill pathogens. Coconut oil kills hunger The fatty acids in coconut oil can significantly reduce appetite, making you eat less without even trying, which may positively affect body weight over the long term. Coconut oil lowers your risk of heart disease Coconut oil is loaded with saturated fats, which do not harm the blood lipid profile like previously thought. Studies in both humans and rats show that coconut

oil improves important risk factors such as Total, LDL and HDL cholesterol, which may translate to a reduced risk of heart disease. Coconut oil can protect hair and skin Studies on individuals with dry skin show that coconut oil can improve the moisture and lipid content of the skin. Coconut oil can be applied topically and is effective as a skin moisturizer and to protect against hair damage. It can also be used as a mild form of sunscreen and as a mouthwash. The fatty acids in coconut oil boost brain function in Alzheimer’s patients

Coconut oil can increase the ketone body levels in the blood, supplying energy for the brain cells of Alzheimer’s patients and relieving symptoms.

ere are some simple and quick recipes that can help include coconut in your diets. We are rather fortunate living in a Pacific country such as New Zealand where we get fresh coconut easily. Also widely available now is coconut oil. Incidentally, coconut oil also handles heat very well without breaking down and, therefore, can be used for frying foodstuffs.

No cook—berry cream pie Preparation time: 5 minutes Ingredients: For the crust • 3/4 cup crushed pecans or walnuts • 1/4 cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut For the filling • 2 cups fresh strawberries/ blueberries/ Raspberries • 1 cup raw cashews • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Coconut flour lemon Waffles Preparation time: 20 minutes Ingredients • 6 eggs, separated • 3/4 cup applesauce • Zest and juice of 1 lemon • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract • 4 tbsp. butter, melted • 1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted • 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Method: • Preheat waffle iron to low heat. • Separate eggs, placing the yolks in a bowl and the whites in another. • Use a hand blender to whip egg whites until soft peaks begin to form. Set aside.

Peaches and cream smoothie

Preparation time: Under 10 minutes Ingredients • 1 whole peach, large • 1 cup coconut milk* or other dairy free milk • 1/4 cup frozen fruit of your choice • 1 tablespoon coconut cream

• 1/2 cup raw honey • 1 pinch salt • 1 cup coconut oil, melted Method: • Grind crust ingredients in food processor and press into bottom of a nine-inch pie plate, building up the sides slightly. • Place all filling ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy • Carefully pour on top of crust and refrigerate for three hours. • Combine applesauce, lemon zest, juice, vanilla and melted butter, mixing together with the egg yolks. • Sift in coconut flour and baking soda. • Fold in egg whites with the rest of the waffle batter being careful to not completely flatten the egg whites. • Generously grease waffle iron with coconut oil or butter and drop a large spoonful of batter into the centre. Do not fill iron completely with batter. Carefully remove waffles when they are done and repeat with remaining batter. (These waffles are very light so I suggest removing them carefully with a flat spatula). • Serve with a scoop of whipped cream or drizzle with maple syrup and your favourite fruit. concentrate • 2 tbsp. fresh ground nuts • 1 tbsp. dried coconut flakes • 1 tbsp. honey & 4 ice cubes Method: • Cut a washed and peeled peach into quarters. Place peach and all remaining ingredients in the blender and puree until smooth. Enjoy!

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FEATURE

www.iwk.co.nz | 18 March 2016

Navroz mubarak : Celebrating the Persian New Year

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Esha Chanda

amshed-e-Navroz—the dawn of the new year for Zoroastrians—is observed on the first day of the Zoroastrian calendar. The age-old tradition can be traced back to the first celebration to commemorate the coronation of the great Iranian King Jamshed. A feast was organised, where the kingdom was treated to wine, food and music. Today, 3,000 years later, the tradition continues to live in the hearts of the many Zoroastrians who observe this day on March 21. The festivities begin with cleaning the house, at least, a month before the celebration. Ten days before Navroz, wheat, barley, lentils, and other vegetable seeds are soaked. On the day of vernal equinox, Parsis dress in new clothes with gold and silver kushti (sacred thread) and sudreh (sacred girdle), and pay a visit to the Fire Temple to offer special prayers, known as Jashan, and sandalwood sticks to the fire. Evenings are spent setting up the Navroz table. A white cloth is laid, which represents purity. The table has a copy of Gathas (the sacred book), a picture of Zarathushtra and seven food items beginning with ‘sh’ (in Persian), which may include shir (milk), sib (apple), sabzi (vegetables), shama (candle), sharab (wine), shakker (sugar), shikeh (coin), somagh (sumac) and shisheh (glass). Each of the food items placed on the table has a symbolic representation, such as the sib (apple) signifies health, somagh (sumac) is a symbol of patience

and shikeh (coin) is a symbol of wealth. Other items placed on the table include a mirror, rosewater and a bowl of water with goldfish. Celebrations in New Zealand The Zoroastrian community in New Zealand celebrates the festival with the same fervour seen back home. “There is no difference with the celebrations,” says Benifer Irani, who has been living in New Zealand for almost two decades. “We celebrate our Parsi New Year (in August) and Jamshed-e-Navroz (March 21) by conducting the Jashan ceremony (prayers performed by priests) and by attending the Fire Temple. In the evening, we have a

feast. On certain festive seasons, we also go to Parsi theatrical plays.” For Daliah Kermani, the celebrations start by decorating the home with garlands and rangoli. Kermani, who has been in New Zealand for 14 years, says that an important part of the celebrations is the get-together with friends and family. She says, “With the dawn of the new year, everything new should come our way. We decorate the entrance with garlands of flowers and a rangoli, which is considered

to be very auspicious. And, of course, all Parsi festivals are incomplete without the grand feast.” Kermani adds, “Back home, we visit the Agiary (Fire Temple) first thing in the morning to pay our respects to the Almighty. Families and friends visit home and share sweets and have a grand feast of home-made delicacies. In the evenings, we go out together for movies or the traditional Gujarati natak.” Both Irani and Kermani agree that the different events by the Zarathushtrian Association of New Zealand (ZANZ) add to the spirit of the festivities. “I am involved in organising the events, be it religious, cultural, theatrical, sports, games, tournaments, prayer classes or senior’s get-together,” says Irani. Kermani adds, “So far, the members of ZANZ have successfully organised community events for festivals including the young and old. We do have a lovely bunch of volunteers who are always ready to step up for any such cause, and one such volunteer, who has tirelessly worked in organising events, is Benifer Irani, a great inspiration to the community.” Irani thinks more can be done to observe community festivals in the country. She says, “How the Indians celebrate Diwali, we as Zoroastrians-Kiwi should do a Parsi mela or food fair (Parsi Bhonu—food is our forte) or join the Diwali mela with Parsi cuisine.”

ENTERTAINMENT

It’s not fair to compare: Arjun

ollywood actor Arjun Kapoor believes comparing him with others in the industry is “unfair” as each talent is different. “We all are different and it’s not fair to compare. That just takes away the USP of who you are. I am excited to be doing good work. I have just started and still learning on the job. It has been one hell of a ride,” Arjun said. “I have done some variety of films and now TV... I am only thankful to god,” added the actor who is busy promoting his forthcoming film Ki & Ka. Directed by R. Balki, the film is slated to release on April 1 and features Arjun has Kabir, an IIT graduate and a house husband who has grown up wanting to be like his mother and not like his father. Asked if hosting a stunt-based reality TV show such as Khatron Ke Khiladi: Kabhi Peeda, Kabhi Keeda or doing a film such as Ki & Ka is tougher, he said, “Khatron Ke Khiladi is reality and Ki & Ka is a film. I am an actor first. I have to be myself on screen with Khatron Ke Khiladi, so I would say the show is way tougher than doing a film.”

18 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

to a national park but lose their way into the forest. They face real wildlife and real dangers there. Jimmy, who plays an important role in the film, said that “it is completely a kids’ film and they are the heroes”. “The film’s central theme is based on environment. It is very important that children are made aware about issues like global warming. If we try to teach them about such issues in a serious way, then perhaps they might not show that much interest,” he said. “You make an adventurous film with an enjoyable story and children can relate to it, and in that, somehow you convey your thoughts about environment,” the actor noted.

Karan Johar wants to work with Kangana

ilm-maker Karan Johar says he “can’t wait to work” with Kangana Ranaut. During a live Twitter chat session, when one user questioned, “What about Kangana? Will you work with her?”, the film-maker expressed his desire to work with the actress. He responded, “Can’t wait to work with her.” There is a lot of

Children’s films not given encouragement in industry: Jimmy

ctor Jimmy Shergill says the Indian film industry does not encourage movies made for children and that it is important to support such films to help them relate to important issues. “I’m supporting a children’s film. We need to promote it as much as we can because we see that usually children’s films are not given that much encouragement in our industry,” said Jimmy. “People should support such films, especially a film which gives a very big message,” said the actor who was present here at a college festival on Friday to promote his film Shortut Safari. Shortcut Safari is a non-animated film featuring kids who set off on a school trip

speculation about Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt-starrer Shuddhi. Clearing the air around his production, Karan said the film would go on the floors in September. The film-maker, who is known for creating larger than life entertainers with films such as Student of the Year, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, also shared that he will soon be launching new faces in Bollywood. It’s not only the big screen that Karan has ruled, but the small screen also as the host of a talk show Koffee with Karan. While he had earlier announced that a new season is in the pipeline, this time he shared that the opening episode has to be with superstar and his friend Shah Rukh Khan “and no one else”.

After getting shortlisted, Sengupta has a good opportunity. But unfortunately I Orange got a platform to pitch his idea on the Red could not commit, Black as I had already given foreign shores, and form a team to make his my commitment to Kapoor & Sons. I only cinematic vision into a reality. let any opportunities go when I am aware This is said to be the fourth Indian film of all the aspects, but I regret it when I have and the first Bengali film ever selected for to leave an opportunity due to commitment the programme, which was initiated in issues, which is in the case of PK,” said Fawad. The Pakistani actor was offered the role of the Pakistani character in the film, who falls in love with Anushka Sharma’s character. The role then landed into Sushant Singh Rajput’s lap. The film, starring superstar Aamir Khan, went on to become the highest-grossing film in the history of Hindi cinema, collecting more than Rs.300 crore at the box office. Fawad’s debut film Khoobsurat had released just three months before PK and he could have two releases in 2014 if he had done PK. The gap between Khoobsurat and Kapoor & Sons wouldn’t have seemed so big, considering he didn’t have any release in 2015. Kapoor & Sons, directed by 2005 by the Festival de Cannes to promote Shakun Batra and also starring Alia Bhatt the creation of new, exciting and original works. It enables filmmakers to gain access and Sidharth Malhotra, is releasing on to international financing and speed up the March 18. production process. Sengupta’s film is an expression of his innermost feelings and explores the constant conflict and tension between him and a rapidly changing Kolkata. The feature film, which is an IndoFrench-German co-production, produced by For Films—Jonaki Bhattacharya and Vikram Mohinta and renowned French producer Catherine Dussart, is currently in development and pre-production. “We are really grateful and humbled at the same time for being selected for l’Atelier 2016. It is a validation of all the preparation we have put into the project so far. What interests me most about filmmaking is the journey and the creative and collaborative process that goes towards making a film,” Sengupta said in a statement. Cinefondation’s Atelier has selected 16 different projects from around the world this year and will take place from May 13 to 19 in Cannes, France. He added that a forum “such as the Cannes Film Festival’s l’Atelier programme allows us to potentially collaborate with partners from different backgrounds and sensibilities from all over the world.”

ctress Alia Bhatt, daughter of Mahesh Bhatt, says a film based on the life of the veteran filmmaker’s daughters will make for an interesting and “great story” with a mix of drama and comedy. “If there was to be a movie of Bhatts, it would be a great story. We three sisters— me, Shaheen, Pooja—are very dynamic and completely different personalities, so

Refused PK because of Kapoor & Sons: Fawad Khan

ctor Fawad Khan says that he had no choice but to refuse Rajkumar Hirani’s blockbuster PK since he had already given his commitment to his upcoming film Kapoor & Sons. “When

Indian filmmaker’s work chosen for Cannes Cinéfondation’s l’Atelier

irector Aditya Vikram Sengupta, known for his award-winning film Labour of Love, is glad that his second feature, which is tentatively titled Memories and My Mother has made it to Cannes Cinéfondation’s l’Atelier 2016, which promotes new cinematic works.

Movie on Bhatt sisters would be a great story: Alia Bhatt

I was approached by the film-maker, I completely lost my mind because I got such

when combined together, it would be very interesting. The genre of the movie would be ‘dramedy’,” Alia said in a statement. The actress, who is looking forward to the release of Kapoor & Sons, opened up about her family on TV show Yaar Mera Superstar. She shared that her family believes in expressing themselves uninhibitedly. The Highway actress shared: “We talk very loudly, we are expressive and opinionated. If we are having a conversation, it will go through many tones—happiness, laughter. The conversation goes up and down and so in that sense, we are completely schizophrenic. “But at the same time we are very supportive about each other and passionate too. If anyone has a problem, the other person will immediately land to help.” On the professional front, after a not so Shaandaar response to her last release, the actress is hoping to hit the jackpot with Kapoor & Sons, which also stars Sidharth Malhotra, Fawad Khan and Rishi Kapoor. It is releasing on March 18.

EVENTS

www.iwk.co.nz | 18 March 2016

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Auckland Arts Festival

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

‘Purusha and Prakriti’Odissi Dance Recital

Date: Saturday March 19, 2016 Time: 7.30 p.m. onwards Venue: Raye Freedman Arts Center, on Silver Road, Newmarket, Auckland An evening set to transport you to another world – ‘Purusha and Prakriti’ is an Odissi Dance Recital by Sam Goraya. Sam Goraya is an established Australia based performing artist who works closely with his partner Zlatko Varenina to help and support under privileged children of the world. The purpose of this performance is to raise funds for the under privileged Odissi dancers in Odisha, India. The net profit generated through this performance will be used to purchase

food for these Odissi dancers and to bring out one of these Odissi dancers to perform in New Zealand and Australia in 2017. Ticket costs $22 and can be bought from www.samgoraya.com

Citizen Advise Bureau Workshop on Employment Rights in New Zealand

harassment, bullying and termination of employment. Presenter: Aroha 0 Aroha Herewini (Waitemata Community Law Centre), Morning tea will be provided. For more information please call Esther at 489 3873 or email her at settlement. northshore@cab.org.nz or just come along.

Date: March 24, 2016 Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Venue: Browns Bay Community 0 Browns Bay Community Centre, 2 Glen Road, Browns Bay 0630 CAB Northcote will hold a free Information session on “Employment Rights in New Zealand”. Find more about: your basic rights as an employee, pay and minimum wage, tax, holidays, public holidays, sick leave and other leave, rest and meal break entitlement, problems at work – health and safety, discrimination,

NEW ZEALAND

18 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Know your new High Commissioner T

An ‘epic’ musical tribute from across the Tasman Red

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team of classical musicians from Auckland will soon perform a short medley of songs in Melbourne as a classical music tribute to one of India’s greatest stories—The Ramayana—the story of Rama. In the oral history tradition, the performance known as Geet Ramayan is a collection of 56 songs originally played on All India Radio, long before the introduction of television in India. Auckland-based classical singer Seema Rajapurkar has trained the team. “Indian classical music relies From left to right: Aniket Joshi, Chaitanya Rajapurkar, Seema on epics, myths and Rajapurkar, Leena Naik, Shriya Bhagwat-Chitale and Aditee Naik legends for stories and these are set to various ragas or compositions. Geet Ramayan is a classic, and this year, it completes 60 years since first being performed. As performers and artists, this is our very humble tribute,” says Ms Rajapurkar. She has inculcated a love for classical music in many of her students over the past 10 years. Auckland’s classical Indian music scene is thriving with multiple schools now offering to teach music and instruments. “This performance is an acknowledgement of our very own thriving Indian classical music scene in Auckland,” says Shriya Bhagwat-Chitale, a performer and art enthusiast. The team includes two musicians, three singers and one anchor—Aniket Joshi, Chaitanya Rajapurkar, Shriya Bhagwat-Chitale, Leena Naik and Aditee Naik. Sara Janvekar has been instrumental in forging a relationship with organisers in Melbourne (Akhil Australia Marathi Sammelan) to seize this opportunity. She conceptualised, produced and wrote the tribute to mark the musical finishing 60 years. The team will be performing on March 2 at the Kingston Arts Centre, Melbourne.

Swati Sharma

he wait is finally over. We have a new High Commissioner of India in New Zealand. If you have been curious to know more about him since the public announcement of his appointment, here’s a close-up of the man of the moment. His Excellency Mr Sanjiv Kohli is the person who played an important role in the world’s biggest human evacuation from a war zone, which was recently adapted into the super hit Bollywood film Airlift. Indian Weekender spoke to Mr Kohli during his first public interaction at the ITA business meet in Auckland on March 15 to find out more about him.

Swati: Indians living in New Zealand want to know more about their High Commissioner. Please tell us something about yourself. High Commissioner: I am an engineer by education. I did my engineering from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh. I got married in 1988, the same year when I joined service (Indian Government).

The ‘New’ flag or the New Zealand flag? Kumar Suresh

I as this are ideal for me to get a sense of the state where our relationship is, what are the expectations of the businessmen from both sides and how the embassy can facilitate solutions to what our businessmen want. Swati: It is exciting to know that you are the character Sanjiv Kohli from the movie Airlift. Tell us about that.

My wife Ruma is a medical doctor, a paediatrician. I have two daughters and a son. My eldest daughter Sakshi is married to Ekant and works in Bangalore. My second daughter Richa has come with me. She’ll probably do a Master’s programme here. My son Aditya is studying in Delhi. Swati: How is your new home treating you? HC: It has been two weeks but I think this place is absolutely fascinating. You get such a good feel when you go out, people are so good. I think there’s a lot to learn from this country and its people. Swati: How was your experience at the first public gathering in New Zealand? HC: I am still in a learning phase and events such

HC: I don’t know if I am that character or not because that character has been given a certain role. As far as I am concerned, I was a part of the evacuation exercise. I was posted for two months at the border between Iraq and Jordan to help in the evacuation process. We were the first point of contact for the Indians who were coming from Kuwait and we were to help them facilitate the return to India. It was a challenging assignment but it’s also a matter of pride that I was part of an exercise, which still ranks as the biggest evacuation exercise from a war zone. Swati: What our readers?

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HC: My 15 days in New Zealand have taught me that people who are living here are really blessed. Its’s a country with a history of friendship with India. I think we, especially the diaspora, represent India here. They [form] a strong bridge between India and New Zealand. They’ve earned a name for themselves and I would like them to keep the Indian flag flying high.

t seems like the controversies around the new flag just refuse to die down. A ‘new’ mistake has now been identified in the Hindi ballot paper, which might jeopardise nearly 80,000 Indian votes. The mistake, which is now being alleged as a deliberate attempt to misguide the voters, was first spotted by New Zealand first MP Mahesh Bindra. Even though at the first cursory glance, the translation in Hindi on the flag voting paper looks fine, when looked closely, one can’t fail to notice the presence of word ‘new’, which is absent in the English version of the document. So how much difference does the word, ‘new’ make? “It does make a huge difference. Voters get a different impression from the language. The English version asks the voters to vote for the flag they want to be the flag of New Zealand but in the Hindi version, the voters are asked to select the flag, which voters want to be the ‘new’ New Zealand flag”, argues Mahesh Bindra. Bindra’s argument holds good when one tries to understand the effect the word ‘new’ might have on the voters with one of the options being the current flag of New Zealand. Interestingly, the Punjabi version of the ballot paper does not carry the word ‘new’. The question that arises now is whether this mistake was intentional to influence the result in favour of flag change. New Zealand First is, in fact, asking for nullifying all the votes from Hindi-speaking voters. NZ First leader, Winston Peters said, “It can’t be a mistake. The fact of the matter is that this is a deliberate manipulation. Even though the Hindi voters are totally innocent, we can’t surely count this vote now.” The users of the Hindi ballot paper need to realise what they are actually voting for. As it says in the English version, the vote to be made is for New Zealand’s flag and not the new flag.

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 18 March 2016

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Earlybird Fares Return fare starting from

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

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

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

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