Indian Weekender 8 July 2016

8 JULY2016 Vol. 8 • Issue 16

NZ’s only Kiwi-Indian weekly

Auckland | Christchurch | Wellington | Hamilton | Palmerston North | Hastings | Invercargill

Ministerial shake-up 20 Pg

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Time to change: Priyanka

The Pulse of Kiwi-Indians since 2009

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New Zealand Sufi soufflé

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Science Juno says hello to Jupiter

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Education An online guide for high school graduates

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India abroad

Indian-Americans get immigrants’ award

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Theatre Talk What’s making waves in the Auckland theatre scene Pg

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Face of the week Capturing fleeting moments

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 July 2016

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The holy month concludes with feast and festivity ÂĄÂĄRizwan Mohammad

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he holy month of Ramadan and the month of discipline and fasting usually ends with three days of extended feasting.

In New Zealand, Eid-ul-Fitr was observed on Wednesday, July 6 when Muslims celebrated the essence of the festival.

Auckland Eid Day organised a family day at ASB Showgrounds to celebrate the joyous spirit of Eid. It offered a variety of educational displays, cultural exhibits and food stalls across the venue, welcoming all visitors to learn, embrace and taste the many flavours of diversity seen amongst the Muslim community.

Food stalls and trucks sold delicacies such as samosa, Arabian tea, Malaysian fast foods, Turkish cakes and sweets, hot dogs and lamb sausages, with

Anti-clockwise from above: Men offering prayers on Eid-ul-Fitr, Labour MP for Mt Roskill Phil Goff addressing the attendees at ASB Showgrounds, attendees exchanging greetings

the Southeast and Middle-East cuisine being the most popular among the attendees.

The day also saw entertaining performances, an active emcee, and a joyful nasheed. The highlight of the show was the

traditional Arabian folk dance by young boys and the rendition of nasheed.

Women at the carnival queued at clothing stalls, jewellery corners, and to apply Henna while children enjoyed at the merry-go-round and giant bouncing castles.

The Eid prayer commenced a little past 9 a.m. with men lining up at one end and the women in a separate hall.

After the prayer, the Imam delivered

the Qutbah (sermon) followed

by Dua. Eid is a time when people visit their friends and family to greet and exchange gifts.

It is also an occasion when Muslims are dressed in their best traditional clothing.

Labour MP for Mt Roskill Phil Goff along with his to-be successor Michael Wood attended the carnival later in the morning to wish the crowd a happy Eid. They congratulated the organisers for hosting a successful and a colourful event.

In India, Eid was celebrated on Thursday, July 7, with exceptions in Kerala and Jammu and Kashmir, as the moon was sighted a day earlier.

Many people fast for additional six days post Eid in the month of Shawwal (10th month of the Islamic calendar).

It is narrated in the Hadith that people who fast for six days after Eid are rewarded as if they have fasted for the whole year.

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8 July 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Aucklanders experience the Matariki celebrations in Shri Ram Mandir holy month of Ramadan

Guests gathered for Iftari at Bai’tul Muqeet in Manukau

¡¡IWK Bureau

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ore than a hundred Aucklanders gathered at Bai’tul Muqeet in Manukau on Saturday, June 18, to experience Iftar (breaking of fast) hosted by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

The event saw Auckland residents and community leaders from different faith groups, including members of parliament, to celebrate the diversity and share the Ramadan experience. Some attendees also fasted for the entire day.

Mr Iqbal Mohammed, the National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in New Zealand said, “We are honoured and feel privileged to break our fast with you all in this holy month of Ramadan.

“This Iftari experience helps us build and strengthen our relationship. By sharing the true teachings of Islam and the founding

principles of our community we can continue to work together to build peace, harmony and integration in our society.”

This annual event gives New Zealanders an opportunity to experience Iftar by sharing a meal with a Muslim friend after sunset and to understand the purpose of the fast. The holy Qur’an acknowledges that fasting was prescribed for many faiths including Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Christianity before it became a pillar of faith for Islam.

The Central Missionary for the Community, Maulana Shafiq ur Rehman said, “The institution of fasting cultivates the believer in almost every area of his spiritual life.

“Most importantly, a believer learns through personal experience about what hunger, poverty, loneliness and discomforts mean to the less fortunate sections of society thus cultivating feelings of love and care for them.”

Members of Community Waitakere at the Matariki celebration in Shri Ram Mandir

¡¡Rizwan Mohammad

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ommunity Waitakere celebrated Matariki on Wednesday, June 9, at Shri Ram Mandir in Henderson.

The temple, which celebrated its one-year anniversary in the first week of June, has been a host to many big community events in West Auckland.

The Matariki celebration at the temple brought together members of the Hindu and West Auckland Maori communities including local residents to celebrate the Maori New Year. The celebration is about the significance of time, history, the constellation of the Pleiades, the alignment of the stars in connection with the rejuvenation of the earthly environment one lives in.

The event started with a welcoming prayer by the temple priest and a tour of the temple, followed by a short speech by CEO of Community Waitakere Charlie Moore on Matariki festival who recited Kai-waiata

and Kaikōrero paki folk hymn along with community members.

After a brief mix-n-mingle, the visitors were divided into two groups for the workshop. One stayed in the community hall for harakeke (flax weaving), led by Ann-Margaret Campbell Strickland, while the other gathered inside the temple hall for exchanging Maori and Hindi songs. People tried their hands at weaving traditional Maori artefacts using ribbons.

The evening glistened even more with a dance performance on devotional Hindu song and a short storytelling session by Wii Hōtorene Rameka. The visitors swapped the activities after 15 minutes in each section and settled at the temple hall for the final prayer.

Community Waitakere members Aroha Te Namu and Jaclyn Bonnici coordinated the event and plan to organise more of such cross-cultural shows to bring the communities closer.

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India—the most open economy in the world for FDI ¥¥IWK Bureau

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ith recent focus on developing the trade and people-to-people relations between India and New Zealand, the recent changes made to the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy by the Government of India on June 20 provides New Zealand businessmen better investment opportunities.

This liberalisation now makes India the most open economy in the world for FDI. Highlights of the latest changes are as follows: 100% FDI under government approval route for trading, including through e-commerce, in respect of food products manufactured or produced in India FDI in defence sector: Foreign investment beyond 49% has now been permitted through government approval route, in cases resulting in access to modern technology in the country or for other reasons to be recorded. The condition of access to ‘state-of-art’ technology in the country has been done away with.

FDI limit for defence sector has also been made applicable to Manufacturing of Small Arms and Ammunitions Pharmaceutical • 100% FDI under automatic route in greenfield pharmaceutical projects • 74% FDI under automatic route in brownfield pharmaceuticals projects

India’s FDI policy gives New Zealand businessmen better opportunities to invest in India

and 100% FDI under government approval in these projects Civil Aviation Sector • 100% FDI under automatic route in Brownfield Airport projects • FDI up to 490% under automatic route in Schedules Air Transport Service/Domestic Scheduled Passenger Airline and regional Air Transport Service and 1005 FDI in these services under government approval Review of Entry Routes in Broadcasting Carriage Services; FDI Policy on Broadcasting Carriage Services has also been amended. Below are the new sectors/activities with 100% automatic sectoral caps and entry routes: • Teleports (setting up of up-linking HUBs/Teleports) • Direct to Home (DTH) • Cable Networks (Multi System operators (MSOs) operating at National or State or District level and undertaking

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8 July 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Be an NZ police officer NZ Police is recruiting Asian Police Officers and I am honoured to have the opportunity to interview Constable Gerald Bautista from the Auckland Central Police Station NZ POLICE CAREERS EVENT Jessica Phuang

Asian liaison co-ordinator Jessica: Constable Bautista, where were you born and how long have you been in New Zealand?

Gerald: I am from Quezon City, which is five kilometres from Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. I came to New Zealand in 2012 so I’ve been in the country for almost four and a half years now.

We’re looking for people who care about keeping our communities safe • Meet your local Police Officers • Find out more about how to become a cop • Friends and family welcome • No admission charge

Jessica: When did you join NZ Police?

Gerald: I started my application to NZ Police back in 2013 but didn’t get to college until 2015.

Gerald: It’s always been my dream since I was a little boy to be a Police Officer because helping others always made me feel good.

Jessica: What were the challenges for you when you were in the process?

Gerald: My initial challenge was trying to understand the Kiwi accent because English is not my first language, trying to find someone who was willing to help me when I got lost in translation.

Jessica: How did the challenges?

you

overcome

Gerald: I took notes. I studied even harder, read a lot and didn’t feel bad when I made mistakes because I learned that it’ll be imprinted in my head and wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. I found out that going to bed earlier (7 p.m.) then waking up early (3–4 a.m.) worked well for me. My brain retained what I studied and I noticed I began to become more relaxed and didn’t feel as nervous at every test day.

Gerald: Yes, I’ve already encouraged some of my friends and a few have already applied.

Gerald: To always be positive no matter what life throws at you and not to give up.

Fickling Convention Centre 546 Mount Albert Road, Three Kings, Auckland

Constable Gerald Bautista

Jessica: Would you recommend other people to join NZ Police?

Jessica: What attitude should one have in order to reach their goals?

9.00am – 12.00pm Saturday 9 July 2016

Jessica: What inspired you to join NZ Police?

car park. They didn’t have any criminal records but had previously been given trespass notices. They were both under 20s and were homeless.

They both seemed to be having a hard time getting a job. I really wished I could do more to help them rather than give them another trespass notice. I am just two months into the job so I am still learning how to deal with situations like this.

NEWCOPS.CO.NZ

Jessica: What about the training at the Police College? Was it challenging?

Gerald: The most challenging part of it was being away from my family.

Jessica: Name one incident that you attended to that was specifically significant to you and why?

Gerald: We responded to a trespass complaint and when we arrived we found two males sleeping inside a building in the

I would like to thank Gerald for sharing your thoughts. I’m sure his story will encourage Asian people, who are thinking of joining the NZ Police, to give it a try even if they have reservations about it at first.

If you wish to learn more about joining NZ Police, you can attend an Auckland Recruitment Seminar on July 9 at the Fickling Center 546 Mt Albert Rd, Three Kings from 10 a.m. to noon. Entrance is free and there is lots of parking. Parents are welcome too.

Sufi soufflé ¡¡Navdeep Kaur Marwah

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ufi maestro Kanwar Grewal, who recently performed in Auckland, describes his experience of performing live in the city as “simply awesome”.

The singer, who hails from Punjab, gave a mesmerizing three-hour-long live performance at a packed Logan Campbell Centre on Saturday, July 2.

Dressed in a red kurta with a lungi and a lohi, Grewal’s energy was unmatched throughout the show. He interacted with the audience, mostly Punjabi, by reminding

them of their traditions and culture.

Everyone present at the concert described

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Kanwar Grewal performing in Auckland

Grewal as the most humble celebrity they have ever seen.

His soulful and captivating performance left his enthusiastic fans craving for more.

Talking about his experience of performing for the first time in New Zealand at an event organised by Pal Productions, the singer said, “The crowd was great. I was so happy to perform in front of such [a] great

audience. I had a great time performing and the fact that people appreciated it, makes me more humble.”

Grewal, who is known for his songs such as Mastana jogi, Na jayi mastaan de vehre, Jina nu disda and Ishqbulleh nu nachave, added, “God willing, I will be back in New Zealand soon to perform for my fans here.”

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 July 2016

Thappo—a laughter riot

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ucklanders will be treated to a laughter riot through Kamlesh Oza’s comedy in Thappo that has showcased to full houses, in India and abroad, and is set to be staged in Auckland for the first time on Friday, July 15 at Dorothy Winston Centre. More than 800 New Zealanders are ready to enjoy this hilarious comedy. Are you one of them?

Kamlesh Oza is fondly remembered for his awesome performances in TV serials such as Baa Bahu Aur Baby, Khicchdi and Crime Patrol. He last entertained us with non-stop laughter in 2 IDIOTS, which was highly appreciated by Auckland audience.

His plays are known for excellent comedy and teaching subtle morals of life. Thappo relates the values of childhood games to later life.

Thappo is brought to you by Prudential Growth Investments Limited (PGIL) on their third anniversary. The play depicts the story of a father-in-law and mother-in-law, who have won the ‘happily married’ title, and their daughter and her husband. The father-in-law believes money is everything in life and his son-in-law has a different personality. Thappo is a humorous conflict between a father-in-law and son-in-law along with a husband and a wife.

You definitely don’t want to miss watching the play. Whether you’re married for long, newly married or planning to get married, there’s something for everyone, of all ages. You will surely enjoy the antics

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of Kamlesh Oza and his team of seasoned actors–Dipna Patel (Gujjubhai the Great, Miss Universe India Runner Up 2012), Jitu Mehta (senior theatre artist) and Manisha Purohit (Hamari Devrani). Thappo is fresh humour without the support of borrowed jokes.

It is a joyride that will leave you in splits of laughter and you will definitely come back, wanting for more.

PGIL is famous for its quality events and Thappo is another feather in their cap. The show is close to a full house with only a few tickets left. So reserve your seats now.

All are invited to an evening of laughter, plus a free snack box and lots of lucky draws.

Tickets are available at Yogiji’s and Giriraj or call Himanshu on 021580031 or Chetan on 021465912.

Do you feel that your children are struggling with their preparation for the end of year exams as well as internals? “It is still not too late!” says Raji Chacko, the director of Brilliance Educare Centre, which is located at 20 Frost Road, Mt Roskill.“If you haven’t already started, this is the right time to start tuition as most schools concentrate on externals in term 3”.

Started in 2008 by the Husband and wife duo, Brilliance is the first comprehensive afterschool tuition centre in Auckland offering tuitions for most of the school subjects in all 3 streams-NCEA, Cambridge and IB- right from year 1 to 13. Recently, 25 of their past students graduated from Auckland University and AUT. They have their past students in leading Universities around the globe including the prestigious CALTECH and Bond University “Almost all our past students have secured University admission in a course of their choice, some of them with full scholarship,” says Lotus Raji. “With the increased level of competion for University admissions it is always better to get that ‘extra help’ which unfortunately is lacking in schools. Many top scholars of most neighbouring schools are students of Brilliance.”

Brilliance have students from different countries and more than 25 schools in and around Auckland, including leading private schools such as ACG, St Kent and Cuthbert’s.

Students travel from West gate, North shore and even Howick to Roskill to attend the classes. There are exclusive batches for schools such as MRGS, Lynnfield College, AGS, and St Peter’s College.

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Canterbury police calling for more Indians to join the force ÂĄÂĄGaurav Sharma

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ecognising the need for diversity in its recruitment, the Canterbury Police is organising a recruitment seminar on July 16 at the Chinese Education and Culture Centre at Matipo Street in Riccarton, Christchurch from 1 p.m. “As New Zealand becomes increasingly diverse, it is important that New Zealand Police recruits and maintain a service that reflects this diversity. And currently, only five out of more than 850 officers in the Canterbury Police are either Southeast Asians or East Asians. That’s why, while everyone is invited to attend, we are

especially focussed on these ethnicities this time around. Next, we will be targeting the migrants from the Indian subcontinent,� said Inspector HironeWaretini, who is in charge of Canterbury Police Maori, Pacific and Ethnic Services Group (MPES), and shifted to Christchurch in February.

According to a police media release, currently, 11.2% of police officers in the Canterbury district identify with an ethnicity that isn’t European. This is made up of 7.6% MÄ ori, 1.8% Pacific, 1.2% Asian and 0.6% recorded as other.

Thus, the release noted that to ensure police remains responsive to the needs of all New Zealanders, the organisation seeks to recruit a broad base of young

New Zealanders, in particular women, and MÄ ori, Pasifika, Indian, African, and Asian people who are motivated to help their communities. Adding on the details of the seminar, Hirone informed that the event will be almost three hours long during which his team will be talking to families and discussing the various options their sons and daughters have in the police. “Many people don’t realise this but there are more than 60 different career pathways for you to choose when you join the force.

So we are treating this first-of-its-kind seminar for Canterbury as a template, which we will use to organise similar such events across the region,� he added.

New transport legislation will deal with Chch taxi drivers concerns: Nicky Wagner The minister was speaking at a protest organised and attended by around 150 taxi drivers in the city ÂĄÂĄGaurav Sharma

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s reported by Indian Weekender earlier, more than 150 taxi drivers carried out their protest against Uber in Christchurch outside the office of Minister Nicky Wagner, at Salisbury Street, on July 4. Noting the concerns of the taxi drivers relating to the requirements of P-endorsements, work-time limits, vehicle Certificate of Fitness, and in-vehicle cameras, the Minister informed, “While the first three requirements need to Background Review of the small passenger services system was carried out in mid-2015 Consultation on the review proposals was undertaken from December 2015 to February 2016.

Cabinet has agreed on the policy changes for the new system and these are being included in the Land Transport Amendment Bill, which will be considered by a select committee in 2016 A number of Transport Rules are also being changed, details of which will be released soon

More than 150 taxi drivers gathered in Christchurch outside Minister Nicky Wagner’s office to protest against Uber

be fulfilled by all small passenger service drivers including those working for Uber, companies can apply for exemption from in-vehicle cameras requirement. “The purpose of the review was to ensure that the regulatory system for small passenger services was fit-for-purpose to meet New Zealand’s future needs. “As part of that, the government wanted to ensure that emerging business models such as ride-sharing were appropriately regulated within the new framework. “At the same time, we wanted to promote innovation, competition and safety. Rules

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he 10-day extravaganza of Queenstown’s unique culture and community with street parties, fireworks, international and local acts, comedy, family fun, and plenty of mountain mayhem, ended on July 3.

Every year, the event, which began in 1975, celebrates the start of winter with more than 60 events. The event was attended by an estimated 45,000 visitors and locals this year. It contributed an estimated 57 million to the local economy.

This year, the festival started with a performance of GoPro Mountain Bikes on snow, held at the Remarkables Ski Area for the first time, which was followed by

the Festival Parade held on the streets of downtown Queenstown.

The final events on the closing day included the Monster Energy Slopestyle at the Remarkables Ski Area, the Kids’ Big Snow Dig at Remarkables Park and the Auckland Airport Community Carnival in downtown Queenstown.

Festival Director Lisa Buckingham informed, “The mix of festival favourites and new events and a surge in social media coverage attracted large audiences and participants this time around.�

The organisers also announced that in 2017 the festival will be reshaped into a compact action-packed four-day event that will continue to herald the start of winter.

ÂĄÂĄGaurav Sharma

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ith a jump of nine per cent points on last year and the highest result since the 2010 survey (when 78% reported overall satisfaction), the Christchurch City Council’s 2016 survey has found that 74% of the city residents are satisfied with overall services. “It was a good result that followed a year of actions and projects to improve the way the council delivers city services and to make it easier for residents to access them,� noted Chief Executive Karleen Edwards.

Notably, people were most happy with the way the Council runs rubbish and recycling services (95% satisfaction with recycling, 92% waste and 82% organics), libraries (93%), events and festivals (92%) and parks (69% neighbourhood parks, 84% garden and heritage parks, 70% regional parks).

This year’s survey showed a jump in the number of residents who saw the city as cycle-friendly, from 37% last year to 53% in this year’s survey.

Meanwhile, on areas of improvements, the residents felt that the City Council can improve on roads, make parking cheaper, manage and maintain waterways better, and engage the community more in the decision-making process.

Lyttelton harbour’s festival of lights concludes

T Minister Nicky Wagner on site of the protest

that impose costs on operators, but no longer provide any significant benefits, will be removed for all operators.�

Queenstown’s winter festival ends ¥¥Gaurav Sharma

Christchurch City Council doing a better job: survey

The street parade in Queenstown Picture courtesy: winterfestival.co.nz

“I am looking forward to the exciting opportunities the new format will give us in 2017,� concluded Buckingham.

he 10-day-long Lyttelton Harbour Festival of Lights concluded in June-end with the highlight being the Street Party on the last day.

The event, which is Lyttelton’s annual winter festival, started with the Alliance Française Christchurch hosting a Music Festival on June 18.

Other music and performing arts programmes included Acro Circus workshop and a Masquerade Ball on June 26.

On the Street Party Day, the crowds were entertained by Candice Milner, Lindon Puffin, Mundi, Los Farsantes, and Kitchen Collective.

A unique aspect of the festival was the Light Installation Project, under which local artists created various light art installations around Lyttelton.

Prominent ones were by Maree Henry and Agnieszka (moved from Poland in 2004) at Henry Trading and by Lilliana Sequeira and Mario Luz (from Portugal) named Dive Through.

Claire Coates from Project Lyttelton (the main organiser), who moved to the town in 2000 from England said, “Every year almost 10,000 people attend the Street Party, and this year was no different.�

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 July 2016

A musical tribute to Mohammad Rafi

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hahunga main tujhe, saanjh saware, phir bhi kabhi ab naam ko tere, awaaz main na dunga, awaaz main na dunga was the song at the end of which Mr Bankim Pathak received a long standing ovation from more than 1,000 people who were present at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre on June 26, 2011.

Now, after five years, history will repeat itself when Mr Pathak, who is often

referred to as ‘The Voice of Rafi’ and ‘The Big B of Gujarat’ for the last two decades, will once again make his way to the stage

to mesmerise Aucklanders. The city will witness the celebration of evergreen songs by the late legend Mohammad Rafi sahib.

The evening will also see performances from three young and flamboyant voices, who have made their name on YouTube by sharing their covers of popular Bollywood songs; videos that have gathered more than two million views.

One of them will be Auckland’s Avish Sharma. The crowd will see Ankita Sachdev from Australia, who will be giving her debut performance in New Zealand.

The event will take place on August 6 at Mahatma Gandhi Centre. Tickets will be released soon.

For discounted pre-sale tickets, contact Umesh Sharma on 021 1111 055.

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$1b fund to accelerate housing infrastructure

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uilding and Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith says the government is considering establishing Urban Development Authorities (UDAs) to help further speed up the supply of new housing.

UDAs have streamlined powers to override barriers to large-scale development, including potentially taking responsibility for planning and consenting and other powers.

“These changes are just the latest steps in the government’s ongoing, comprehensive programme to increase the supply and affordability of housing,” Dr Smith says.

“They will complement the work of the Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas, our social housing build, our emergency housing programme, the expanded HomeStart Scheme for first home buyers, the development of surplus Crown land, the National Policy Statement, RMA reform and the extra tax measures we took last year.

“This shows that this government is serious about helping New Zealanders in to their homes. Apart from this, we are also introducing $1b fund to accelerate housing infrastructure to accelerate the supply of new housing where it’s needed most.”

The contestable fund will be open to applications from councils in the highest growth areas—currently Christchurch, Queenstown, Tauranga, Hamilton and

New housing infrastructure fund to accelerate the supply of new housing

Auckland. The Housing Infrastructure Fund will help bring forward the new roads and water infrastructure needed for new housing where financing is a constraint.

The government will invest up front to ensure the infrastructure is in place.

But councils will have to repay the investment or buy back the assets once houses have been built and development contributions paid. Dr Smith says the fund will be available only for substantial new infrastructure investments that support more new housing, not to replace existing infrastructure.

“To access the fund, local councils must outline how many new houses will be built, where they will be built and when they will be available. Ideally, they will have agreements with developers on these issues.”

TPP stamp duties on foreigners may have to apply to Kiwis Zealand has double tax agreements with all

T

he government’s claim that a TPP-enabled tax on foreign buyers would amount to a ban has been exposed as folly by tax experts, who say that in most cases a tax would apply to Kiwi buyers too, says Labour’s Trade and Export Growth spokesperson David Clark.

“EY tax partner Aaron Quintal and executive director David Snell’s article says New Zealand’s rights to tax foreign investors from TPP countries are overridden by double tax agreements, many of which require that a tax on foreigners from certain countries should apply to New Zealanders too if there’s a conflict. New

TPP countries apart from Peru and Brunei.

“This shows the government’s pretence that the foreign buyers’ tax could effectively be a ban on foreign buyers was pure myth.

“The only way to cut foreign speculators out of the housing market and stop them driving up prices is by imposing a ban on them buying existing housing. It’s simple and effective. Sadly the government refused to argue for this protection in TPP negotiations, despite other countries securing an exemption.

“National left New Zealanders high and dry in TPP negotiations. Meanwhile the housing crisis gets worse and worse,” says David Clark.

Urban Cycleways Programme gaining traction

N

ine of the government’s Urban Cycleways are complete one year on since the programme was launched, Transport Minister Simon Bridges says. Through the Urban Cycleways Programme, central and local government are working together to deliver $333 million of new cycleway projects throughout the country over the next three years—the single biggest investment in cycling in New Zealand’s history.

In all, 54 projects are being funded under the programme nationwide. Of these, 13 are under construction, eight are in the design phase and 24 are under investigation. “This

investment by government has meant that many cycling projects were able to get underway much quicker than had originally been planned,” Mr Bridges says.

Mr Bridges said making urban cycling a safer and more attractive transport choice was a priority.

“Cycling is an important part of an effective integrated transport network, it creates more vibrant and connected communities, it’s good for tourism and it’s a fun, healthy way to get around. We are committed to continuing to support cycling by building on the momentum of the Urban Cycleways Programme.”

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NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 July 2016

Two-way cycling in the city

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rom June 28, cycling in both directions on some one-way streets in central Auckland was allowed.

“We are starting with the shared spaces on Fort Lane, Jean Batten Place and O’Connell Street, but we plan to roll it out on appropriate one-way streets around Auckland,” says Auckland Transport’s Cycling and Walking Manager, Kathryn King.

“The streets are close to each other, creating another safe cycle corridor for the growing number of people cycling in the area.

The shared spaces are great places to cycle; the low volume of traffic and low vehicle speeds creates a safe environment for cycling.” “Cities [such as] Paris and London have successfully introduced two-way cycling on

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f you live in Rodney, Hibiscus Coast, Waitakere and North Shore, you can now free text your address to 3169 to receive a reminder text the day before your new recycling collection.

The Northwest recycling rollout has seen more than 200,000 households provided with new larger recycling bins and many will experience a change in collection day as a result of new collection routes.

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Recycling rollout an Auckland milestone

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ore than 210,000 households in north and west Auckland have transitioned to the same recycling service as other parts of the region, in the largest rollout seen in New Zealand.

Parul Sood, Auckland Council Waste Planning Manager, says the rollout is a significant milestone

11

in the streamlining of services across the region. “Moving this many households to new bins and collection routes has been a massive undertaking but is fundamental in transforming Auckland’s waste services as outlined in the Waste Management and Minimisation plan.” Ms Sood says that while the council

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“It’s a big change and I accept that elements of it will be confusing. We’re sorry for any inconvenience that occurs while we bring together the old

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NEW ZEALAND

8 July 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

National delivers more help for families John Key

I

Prime Minister

t’s great to see more changes come into effect last week that will help families get ahead and put more money in New Zealanders’ pockets.

These included further reductions in the annual average ACC motor vehicle levy, which means New Zealand motorists are now saving around $200 a year on average on what they were paying two years ago. In total, the National-led government

has cut ACC levies by around $2 billion a year since 2008.

That means more money in the pockets of New Zealand families, businesses and employers. Paid parental leave payments also increased by more than $10 a week to $527.72. Earlier this year we increased paid parental leave to 18 weeks and made it available to more people as well as increased support for parents of pre-term babies.

The National-led government is providing extensive support for families in other areas, including free doctors’ visits and prescriptions for all children under 13 and increasing benefit

rates for families with children by $25 a week—the first real increase in benefits in more than 40 years.

New fully-funded treatments for advanced melanoma and Hepatitis C also became available for New Zealanders. This was thanks to our extra $124 million investment into Pharmac in Budget 2016.

These new treatments mean around 50,000 people affected

by Hepatitis C will now have access to two new drugs, which have a 90% cure rate. The National-led government has increased Pharmac’s budget by $200 million a year since 2008, which means its budget

next year will be a record $850 million. Other changes that came into effect last week also included new laws that make smoke alarms compulsory in all rental properties and landlords will have three years to insulate their rental properties. Both of these initiatives will save lives.

Our new target to tackle childhood obesity also got underway.

We want to ensure children identified as obese in their free B4 School Check are referred to an appropriate health professional to get advice and help with family-based nutrition, activity and lifestyle interventions.

On top of all these, we’re also

ensuring there’s better support for vulnerable children, including young people leaving care and caregivers, as well as increased safety checking requirements, and making legal aid available to around 2,700 more people a year.

Ever since I became Prime Minister, I’ve been clear we’re committed to making changes that improve people’s lives. We’re able to deliver these initiatives to New Zealand families because we have a strong and growing economy— supported by the National-led government’s programme that’s working. We will continue to focus on helping New Zealanders and their families get ahead.

Five extra cops in five years not enough Phil Goff

Labour MP

A

t the Law and Order Select Committee in Parliament last week, with Auckland’s population growing by around 160,000 in the last five years, I asked how many extra police had been added to Auckland’s three police districts.

The Minister said she did not know the answer, but I got it anyway from written questions to the police.

The answer is five—just one extra police officer a year across the whole city! I also asked

whether the police budget had gone up to match rises in police wages and general inflation. The answer to that was that in three out of the last four years, police funding was less than the increase in police costs. In other words, the police budget has been cut in three out of four budgets.

What these two answers show is that police numbers and funding have not been adjusted to the huge rise in Auckland’s population. Yet in the police four-year plan, they acknowledge that crime rises as population numbers increase. Auckland is not getting a fair go and the thin blue police line standing between us and crime is stretching to breaking point. Time after time,

I’ve heard government answer that there is no problem because crime is going down. That is an answer that really infuriates people because if you are a victim of crime, and victims each year number in the tens of thousands, it’s really no consolation to say that you shouldn’t worry because crime is going down.

Actually, even that isn’t true now. Last month, police produced their year on year statistics on crime. That showed that crime across New Zealand and particularly in Auckland increased significantly in many areas. Here are a few examples.

In the last year, burglaries in New Zealand went up by 13.5% from 57, 921 to 65%, 760. Assaults

Working for New Zealand Kanwaljit Bakshi

National List MP

A

number of important government policies came into effect on July 1 that will help New Zealand families and complement the work National already has underway.

New Zealanders can look forward to further reductions to ACC levies, which means that New Zealand motorists are saving on average $200 a year from what they were paying two years ago.

From July 1, the average ACC motor vehicle levy (which includes the annual licence levy and petrol levy) has reduced again from around $195 in 2015–16 to around $130 per vehicle in 2016–17. (This is down

from $330 in 2014–15.). This is a 33% reduction and will save New Zealanders $219 million. This year’s cuts follow $438 million of ACC motor vehicle levy cuts last year. We care about our raising healthy kids. The Raising Healthy Kids target got underway on July 1. The target aims to get 95% of children, who are identified as obese in the B4 School Check, referred to an appropriate health professional for clinical assessment and family-based nutrition, activity, and lifestyle interventions, by 2017.

The B4 School Check is a free health and development check for four-year-olds that aims to identify and address any health, behavioural, social or developmental concerns which could affect a child’s ability to get the most benefit from school.

To support this new target, a range of new and improved

practical advice will be available for families and to assist health professionals.

We care about New Zealanders health and wellbeing therefore as a result of the extra $124 million for Pharmac in Budget 2016, new treatments will be available to New Zealanders from July 1.

The following treatments will be fully funded (some with access criteria) Harvoni and Viekira

were up more than six per cent and robbery over 10%. In Auckland, the worst figures were in Counties Manukau. Burglaries there rose from 8,100 to 9,624, an increase over 1,500 in a year or 18.8%. Robberies were up 17% and assaults over 21%.

Auckland City District recorded a 22% increase in serious assaults and Waitemata, an 8.5% increase in burglaries and a 7.1% increase in sexual assaults. It was disturbing to hear the Police Commissioner describe these figures as a ‘small rise’.

For Auckland citizens concerned about a sometimes poor response to their reporting of a crime, at least part of the answer seems to lie in police

resources being stretched too thin. I raised this with the Minister and the Commissioner.

I told them that it simply wasn’t good enough when people who have been robbed or burgled and can provide information leading to the criminals being identified, are told by the police that they can’t help. Yet that is what is happening and I gave them reallife examples of this occurring.

Our citizens deserve better than this. Safety in our homes and in the community is a fundamental responsibility of government.

We expect all governments to take it seriously. They should not dismiss concerns by telling us we shouldn’t worry about crime because it is going down. The facts tell us otherwise.

Pak for hepatitis C infection; Nivolumab (Opdivo) for advanced melanoma and Rituximab for nephrotic syndrome in children.

This includes an advanced melanoma treatment, Opdivo, which could benefit around 360 people a year.

These hepatitis treatments are major advancements in treatment and have cure rates of more than 90%.

Around 50,000 New Zealanders are affected by hepatitis C and many patients progress to liver cancer and liver failure. More new treatments will be available later in the year.

These new treatments will make a considerable difference to the lives of many New Zealanders and their families. Pharmac’s budget for 2016–17 is a record $850 million. The government has increased Pharmac’s budget by $200 million since 2008.

We care about parents. From July 1, the maximum weekly rate for eligible employees and self-employed parents will increase from $516.85 to $527.72 gross per week.

This increase in the parental leave payments rate reflects the 2.1% rise in average weekly earnings over the past year, as reported by Statistics New Zealand.

Earlier this year the length of payments was extended from 16 to 18 weeks and eligibility widened to include more workers and primary caregivers, with greater flexibility and more support for parents of pre-term babies.

We want to see New Zealanders living in warmer and safer rental properties.

Smoke alarms must be installed in all rental homes by July 1, 2016.

All new smoke alarms need to be the 10-year, long-life models.

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 July 2016 This measure will affect 120,000 homes and is expected to save three lives per year, or 30 during the next decade, as well as reducing fire-related injuries and tens of millions of dollars in property damage. New insulation requirements apply to social housing from July 1, 2016 and all other rentals from July 1, 2019.

Landlords must include in all tenancy agreements from July 1, 2016, a declaration of the level of insulation underfloor, in walls and in the ceiling, and all insulation installed from July 1 must be to the latest 2008 standards.

This measure is expected to lead to a further 180,000 properties being insulated by 2019, and to save 129 lives per year. Also, there will be fast-tracked tenancy tribunal processes for abandoned tenancies. MBIE will have increased resources and stronger powers to enforce breaches of the RTA.

We are keen to see more Kiwis in their homes. Income limits for second chance home buyers were removed on July 1.

The current scheme limits KiwiSaver withdrawals to first home buyers and people who have previously owned property but have low assets and earnings.

The income limits are being removed so that second chance home buyers can access their KiwiSaver funds to buy a home regardless of how high their income is.

This will help many thousands of midlife, middle-income New Zealanders who have been through an event such as a separation or business failure and are struggling to get back into homeownership by enabling them to access their KiwiSaver funds.

We want to protect and better support for vulnerable children (from Vulnerable Children’s Act 2014). A raft of measures

that allow the state to deliver the protection vulnerable young New Zealanders need and deserve come into effect on July 1.

School boards, managers of private schools and sponsors of partnership schools kurahourua will be required to have Child Protection Policies.

Specified organisations must safety check all new appointments for non-core children’s workforce roles. Specified organisations must, from this date, terminate the employment of all current core children’s workers with specified offences who do not have a Core Worker Exemption. Adults who have killed a child in their care, or have had a child permanently removed due to abuse or neglect will need to demonstrate to the Family Court they are safe to parent any subsequent children.

Permanent caregivers will be able to apply to the Family Court for Special

Guardianship Orders to specify exclusive rights which offer a more flexible response in resolving disputes between guardians and parents.

Better support for young people leaving care, including increased planning and support before they leave care, funding to support them to purchase items necessary to move into an independent living situation; and financial support to maintain care arrangements for those young people remaining in education. Family Group Conferences will be used more often to discuss how the plan is progressing, ensure things are on track and make changes if needed.

There is always more to do. We will continue to listen closely to New Zealanders and work towards a better future of all New Zealanders.

doesn’t care about the safety of New Zealanders. This latest escape adds to the growing number of breaches and we at New Zealand First believe this is just not good enough.

There have been now well more than 15,500 breaches since 2008 and our communities should not be put at risk from offenders who the Police regard as dangerous and should not be approached.

The government’s claim that public safety is a priority is absolute nonsense.

The new bracelets aren’t going to make a blind bit of difference, despite the claim by the Minister of Corrections Judith Collins in the Law & Order Select Committee that removing the new bracelets “is almost

impossible, without taking off your leg.

So they’ll have the choice—leg or no leg”. This claim by the Minister is made even more nonsensical by the fact that on national television one of the new bracelets was cut with a pair of simple household scissors.

It is clear to me that there is a move to reduce the number of offenders in prisons, but the government is relying on a system of electronic monitoring that continues to fail, and we can’t have dangerous offenders out in the community with the capacity to re-offend.

There are offenders that should stay in prison and the ones who are ‘dangerous and should not be approached’ are them.

New Zealand First also believes that the new Electronic Monitoring Bill, which is being considered at the moment, has really done nothing to allay our concerns around lack of communication between corrections and police, resourcing, or the effectiveness of a system that keeps failing.

It really is time the government woke up to the fact that electronic monitoring isn’t working and do something about the fact that this system continues to put public safety at serious risk.

The government needs to live up to its claims that it is protecting our community. New Zealand First does and will protect the entire community when in government.

Communities still at risk from failing electronic monitoring system Mahesh Bindra

NZ First List MP

T

he government’s electronic monitoring system has proven to be a dismal failure yet again and continues to put the safety of New Zealanders at risk. There has been yet another escape from an electronic bracelet, this time in Wellington, which proves the government

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8 July 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Fiji appointed Pacific representative to the Commonwealth Electoral Network

E

lection Management Body (EMB) representatives from the Pacific Region have nominated Fiji to the eight-member Steering Committee of the Commonwealth Electoral Network (CEN) at the 2016 CEN Biennial Conference in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

The CEN was launched in 2010 by the Commonwealth Secretariat after it was endorsed by the Commonwealth Heads of Government. The Network promotes capacity building of Commonwealth election management bodies in conducting credible and inclusive elections in line with international best practices.

The Steering Committee of the CEN is composed of national election commissioners of

Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem (left) presents a report on Gender Mainstreaming in Pacific elections while Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Josephine Ojiambo (third from left) listens to his presentation during the 2016 CEN Biennial Conference Photo: Fijian Elections Office

Commonwealth member countries. The Chairperson of the Election and Boundaries Commission of Trinidad and Tobago, Mark Ramkerrysingh, has taken over chairmanship

of the CEN from Ahmed Issack Hassan, chairperson of the Kenyan Electoral Commission.

In thanking the representatives from the Pacific EMBs for their confidence in the Fijian

Bulitavu urges a PM, Rabuka debate

F

leader,” Mr Bulitavu said. He

people. Mr Bulitavu labelled the

said the subject of the debate

2016–2017 National Budget as

should be based on government

“unbalanced, lack of good ideas

We are ready

programmes for the benefit of the

and filled with wrong priorities”.

Sitiveni Rabuka and Voreqe Bainimarama

meeting held in Nadi, earlier this year, which was hosted by the FEO in collaboration with the CEN and the Pacific Islands, Australia and New Zealand Electoral Administrators Network (PIANZEA).

Mr Saneem also presented a report on Gender Mainstreaming in Pacific Elections.

“It was also an opportunity for the FEO to extend its network and strengthen their institutional capacity through the exchange of knowledge and experiences,” Mr Saneem said.

“We will definitely continue to expand on this front and gain friends in the international electoral arena.” The Conference took place from June 22 to 24, and Samoa has also been nominated as a representative for the Pacific Region.

A-G: win-win for Fiji iji is capable of hosting more international matches in the future, says Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.

The Attorney-General and Minister for Economy made the comment after Fiji successfully hosted the Super Rugby match between the Crusaders and the Chiefs in Suva. He said the government was looking forward to communicate more with the organisers to give Fiji proposals to host more international matches. Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama earlier stated during the Chiefs-Crusaders after-match function about Fiji willing to host more Super Rugby matches.

O

utspoken Opposition Member of Parliament Mosese Bulitavu on Monday, July 4, challenged Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama in Parliament to a public debate with newly appointed SODELPA leader, Sitiveni Rabuka.

The Minister for Defence made this challenge while delivering his response to the 2016–2017 National Budget in Parliament.

“Before I take my seat given the range of issues I have raised and given the conflicting ideas of the government, I call on the FijiFirst party leader to have a debate on television with SODELPA party

Elections Office, the Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem said this was also the first time that Fiji has participated at the CEN Biennial Conference, which had participants from 39 Commonwealth member countries, and being nominated as Pacific Rep to the Steering Committee was a great honour.

The 2016 CEN Biennial Conference served as a platform to discuss important issues such as strengthening women’s participation in elections, use of new technologies and social media, Commonwealth principles of good electoral practice, media guidelines, independence of EMBs and voter registration.

As one of the presenters at the conference, Mr Saneem spoke about the success of the Pacific Electoral Networks (PEN)

Sayed-Khaiyum said it was evident with the number of people

that turned up on the night and how people enjoyed the match.

“Fiji was able to say to the rest of the world that we have the capacity, capability, the infrastructure, the logistical arrangement to host such an international event,” he said.

“That in itself is a huge win for us and it sends out a very strong message. Now people will actually sit up and look at Fiji as a serious destination to host such matches.”

Sayed-Khaiyum added the event had been a win-win situation for Fiji. Sayed-Khaiyum said the historic match was also an inspirational event for the youths who are thinking about taking up careers as rugby players. They were able to see international stars in Fiji.

Multimillion-dollar project to develop in Suva

T

amavua landowners have expressed their gratitude to the government for helping them to develop a multimillion-dollar apartment/ hotel and housing complex on their land in Suva.

Speaking on their behalf, Ro Lusiana Vaniqi said the hotel/ apartment and housing project “has touched our hearts.” She said this was especially so because the government was helping them with this development project.

She said it had taken them 10 years to reach this point. This was a momentous and historic occasion, a realisation of a dream.

And thanks to the government, she added. Government has provided the start-up funds,

coming from a $10 million allocation for iTaukei landowners in the new Budget, to help them commercially develop their land.

Ro Lusiana is the younger sister of former SDL president Ratu Kalokalo Loki. She is a director of El Shaddai Unity Investment Company Limited. The company is the development vehicle for the landowners.

She said this was a great moment for the iTaukei landowners to be given the opportunity by this government to be directly involved in the development of their land and resources. This is the first project of this type of direct involvement by iTaukei landowners in the Central Division after similar

From left: Sanjesh Deo with Jacqueline Hughes of SCOPE Pacific Limited talk about the project to Attorney-General Mr Sayed-Khaiyum Inset: View of Suva from development site at Tamavua Village Photo: Ronald Kumar

projects in the West. Dozens of applications for assistance are currently being processed. Ro Lusiana said, “This is a great

initiative, to take up this project as it will help us as landowners to grow. With this project, it will be a source of income for

the community and boost the economy of Fiji. We want to build a 10 storey hotel/apartment with a revolving restaurant on the very top so we can generate more jobs and income for our community and the nation.

“We will have our engineers from Rod Jepson work with the Scope Pacific Limited as they are the experienced engineers in Fiji for a proper and professional development of the complex.

“I believe our youths in communities will have good job opportunities with this development especially from the Tamavua Village. It took us two years to get signatures of the landowners,” she said.

15

www.iwk.co.nz |8 July 2016

Five athletes shortlisted for Rio

M

akereta Naulu is most likely to represent Fiji in athletics at the Rio Olympics next month.

Team Fiji athletics manager Calvin Yee said, of the five names submitted to the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee for universality place or wildcard entry, the Adi Cakobau School student tops the list.

The other athletes are Sisilia Sevula, Younis Bese, Alesi Finau and Alewalu Raiyawa. Finau

Hari Punja Group contributes for Fiji’s ‘Road to Gold’ campaign

T

he Vodafone Fiji Sevens men’s and women’s rugby teams this week received a financial boost of $20,000 from the Hari Punja Group to help cover the cost of travel and preparations for the upcoming Rio Olympic games.

The cheque was received by the Prime Minister and Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) President, Hon. Voreqe Bainimarama, from the Director and Chairman of the Hari Punja Group, Mr Hari Punja.

The Prime Minister expressed his sincere thanks on behalf of the Fijian government and FRU for the donation.

“It is great to see another Fijian business make a commitment to our men and women rugby players through the Road to Gold campaign.

“Every donation helps take our players one step closer to their goal of bringing home the gold for Fiji, and I hope to see more companies and individuals come forward to provide their support,” the Prime Minister said.

Commander Tawake to visit Fiji troops

T

he Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) director peacekeeping, Commander Humphrey Tawake will this week visit the Fijian troops in Lebanon and the Golan Heights.

RFMF chief of staff Colonel Litea Seruiratu said that Commander Tawake went for a three-week course on national security in Israel and this week would visit the peacekeeping troops in Lebanon and the Golan Heights.

Just before flying out of the country, Commander Tawake said he was looking forward to attending the three weeks course and thanked the Commander RFMF, Rear Admiral Viliame Naupoto for his nomination to attend the course.

He said he was also looking forward to his visit to Lebanon and the Golan Heights.

trained under the guidance of former Olympian Makelesi Batimala at the Oceania Training Centre in Gold Coast, Australia.

ACS’s student Raiyawa is the 2016 Coca-Cola Games senior girls 100m champion.

“Based on current performance, the front-runner is Naulu.

“Although she hasn’t had that opportunity to train abroad, she has been doing well under coach Etonia Rabaliku. She recorded the fastest time of

12.21 seconds,” Yee said. “She is one of the favourites to get that wildcard should she continue to keep up her performance during the Melanesian Athletics Championship.

She is in the Fiji A team with Finau and Sevula.

The Fiji B team has Bese and Raiwaya,” he said.

Yee said the Melanesian Athletics Championship that started at the ANZ Stadium on Thursday, July 7 will be crucial

Alaiwalu Rayawa of ACS during the senior girls 100m final

in the final selection, but Shop N Save Athletics Fiji will make the final decision. “Anyone can do a good race, that doesn’t mean

that he/she gets selected. We might select the one who has been consistently recording good times throughout.”

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Thought of the week

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.

— JRR Tolkien

Editorial

From the desk of the Managing Editor

“

Another illustration of the difference our simple choices can make comes in a powerful book by Mac Anderson and Sam Parker called 212: The Extra Degree.

In the book and a corresponding short video, the authors demonstrate the fact that at 211 degrees water is hot—but at 212 degrees it boils.

“With boiling water comes steam; and steam can power a locomotive. It’s that 1 degree that makes all the difference,’ the authors say. They go on to illustrate the impact of 1 degree through several life examples.

I believe it is that 1 degree that is the minuscule, almost unnoticeable, nearly invisible, yet tantamount difference between choosing an attitude that says, ‘I’m not sure yet,’ and one that says, ‘I’m in for good.’ That is, one that asks, ‘Should I?’ versus one that asks, ‘How will I?’ This 1-degree difference of commitment distinguishes which people you can count on and which ones will flake out on you.”

—Rory Vaden from Take the Stairs I was listening to a lecture by a well-known thinker of current times and he, too, seemed to be talking about paying attention to the “little” things. He explained how the smallest of details or the smallest of changes made, can make a huge difference in life.

I was inspired by the lines above stating that even one degree of difference in commitment distinguishes the people you can count on from the ones who will flake out on you. Often in life, we may tend to rely on people without completely gauging their commitment or sincerity. Even though some amount of faith in our personal or work relationships is important, it is also important that we clearly gauge the situation the other person is in. If at any time we feel that they are not “in for good”, then we should have the prudence to understand and deal with the situation.

On the other hand, sometimes that one-degree difference in one’s attitude or approach can make a huge difference and even turn deadlocks around. Sometimes just pushing yourselves out of your comfort zones just a little bit could make the difference between victory and defeat.

Having said that, the holy month that truly inspires us to push ourselves out of our comfort zones by fasting and maintaining various other disciplines came to an end with a feast and a celebration. Muslim brothers and sisters all over the world are celebrating Eid al-Fitr in the spirit of togetherness, peace, and festivity. On behalf of the entire team, I take the pleasure of wishing all our readers a very happy and an auspicious Eid. Eid Mubarak. Hope this day brings hope and happiness to all.

In India, the most exciting happening has been the reshuffle by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the biggest one has been Smriti Irani’s move to the Ministry of Textiles. We bring you more details of this in our current issue along with all the other happenings locally and around the world.

Until next time.

Giri Gupta

Pick of the week

Fire and ice A dramatic sunset colours Iceland’s landscape and sky | Photograph by Konrad Kulis, National Geographic Your Shot

Indian Weekender : Volume 8 Issue 16 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 Chief Reporter - South Island: Gaurav Sharma Chief Technical Officer: Rohan Desouza | rohan@indianweekender.co.nz Sr Graphics and Layout Designer: Mahesh Kumar | mahesh@indianweekender.co.nz Graphic Designer: Yashmin Chand | designer@indianweekender.co.nz Accounts and Admin.: 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.

Māori Phrase: Kia kaha e hoa ma!

English translation: Let’s go team!

Tip from the trenches

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www.iwk.co.nz | 8 July 2016

OPINION/EDITORIAL

Modi in control; turns focus from Hindutva to development ¡¡Amulya Ganguli

I

t has taken two years but, finally, Narendra Modi appears to have found his feet. In a recent interview, he demonstrated his grip on the situation by covering wide areas of national and international affairs. The earlier silences on crucial issues such as the rampages of saffron mobs and the snide attacks on selected targets by self-appointed saviours of the nation are no longer in evidence.

Given his command performance of more than 90 minutes (on TV), it is odd that he does not engage in more such interactions with media personnel either singly or collectively.

Such an initiative will dispel the impression that he is wary of the press, probably because of his experience during and after the Gujarat riots.

Along with wide-ranging press conferences, Modi can indulge in more humorous exchanges, shedding his present inhibitions born of the “fear”, as he has admitted, of the media taking a word of his comments out of the context and blowing it out of proportion. His apprehension that humour can be “risky” is unwarranted. So is the belief in the media’s mischievousness.

Of all the leaders, he is better placed than anyone else to

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

inject an element of wit and drollery in public life because of his own and his party’s secure political position and his high personal ratings.

Neither Sonia Gandhi nor Rahul Gandhi can afford to look at the funny side of things because there may not be any in their view. It is the same with the regional orders.

Even the stability of their political positions does not make Mamata Banerjee or Jayalalitha or Nitish Kumar any less tense.

In Modi’s case, however, his body language during the interview underlined his confidence. The reason apparently is his success in pinpointing both his successes and difficulties. At home, Modi has had no hesitation in stating

that only one party has been stalling parliamentary debate. In foreign affairs, he is happy about the warmth of the relations with the US and concerned about the hurdles posed by the multiple centres of authority in Pakistan.

China is a problem, but it has been told that the government will not hesitate to take care of India’s interests. That should make it less adventurous in the border areas.

That the prime minister referred to the positive editorials in American newspapers after his visit to the US emphasised the disadvantages of keeping Indian journalists, except one, at arm’s length which, according to a saffronite, has set off a “fratricidal war” in the media.

Such an interpretation, which maliciously distorts the competitive nature of journalism, is the adverse fallout of being selective, which doesn’t suit a prime minister. Interestingly, Modi’s criticisms were all veiled.

He neither named the Congress for its obstructionism, nor Subramanian Swamy for his publicity-seeking stunts.

But the snubs have hit their mark, especially where Swamy is concerned. The prime minister’s advice to the media not to make “heroes” of the hotheads was also well directed since there has been a tendency in the Third Estate to single out relatively minor incidents of saffron excesses to slam the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Sangh parivar.

Notwithstanding the confidence that the prime minister displayed, his assurances on development in the context of the Uttar Pradesh elections are more likely to be believed if the BJP visibly dissociates itself from the Hindutva extremists by showing that it doesn’t consider them to be “heroes”.

Since Uttar Pradesh is the biggest prize to be won before the next general elections, it will prove the veracity of Modi’s assertion vis-a-vis the unstable ground reality in the state. If, as Modi believes, the

17

new generation only believes in development, the BJP should have no hesitation in shunning the militants in its ranks. In that case, the party should be able to repeat its outstanding feat of 2014 when it won 73 of the state’s 80 parliamentary seats.

But, as of now, the signs are not wholly reassuring. Even then, it is to Modi’s credit that he has been able to turn the focus on his party’s policies to development from the militant Hindutva of the 1990s.

The next step is to further illumine the present-day “bright spot” of the Indian economy amid the encircling gloom of the international economic scene, as the World Bank group president, Jim Yong Kim, has said.

In this field, the test lies in ensuring the parliamentary passage of the goods and services legislation, which now has a greater chance because of the increasing support to the government by the regional parties. Its passage cannot but create an atmosphere of buoyancy. Once this hurdle is crossed, it is only the fraught relations with China and Pakistan, which will be a matter of worry.

In other respects, the country’s forward march is obvious as in satellite technology and military preparedness.

Made-in-India Tejas: Historic landmark for aerospace industry ¡¡Retd Admiral Arun Prakash

O

n July 1, No.45 Squadron of the Indian Air Force (IAF) became the proud recipient of India’s first indigenous fourth generation fighter; the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) dubbed Tejas. This marks not just an historic landmark for our aerospace industry but a significant step forward in India’s quest for self-reliance in weapon systems.

It will be a few years before Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) can deliver the squadron’s full outfit of aircraft, but the time would be gainfully employed to acquire flying experience and achieve the mandatory Final Operational Clearance for this sophisticated machine.

The DRDO, usually in the news for its shortcomings, deserves the nation’s compliments on this occasion. The area in which the LCA project has attracted most criticism is the successive time and cost overruns that it experienced. The obvious cause of these was over-estimation of its own competence by the DRDO. This led to the ambitious claim

The Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) during its induction ceremony at HAL, in Bengaluru on July 1, 2016

that they had the capability to develop not only the airframe and engine but also the radar as well as a complex fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control system required for an ‘agile’ fighter.

This miscalculation was perhaps based on the premise that since India had earlier designed and built the HF-24 Marut, we possessed the design skills and manufacturing expertise. The Marut, putatively, India’s first indigenous fighter aircraft, had in fact been designed by a contracted German team.

The assumption that the LCA would benefit from the expertise acquired from Marut project was fallacious because technology had moved far ahead in the three decades that elapsed.

The second contributory cause was DRDO’s decision to pursue this project without ensuring

total involvement of the end-user.

The IAF took a rather detached view of the LCA and remained focused on looking abroad for its needs. This lack of active interest and involvement by the intended end-user of the LCA, deprived the project of impetus, moral support and funding.

The most crippling impediment for the project was, however, posed by denial of crucial technologies by the West.

Starting in 1974, after Pokhran I, America started shutting the technology tap for India.

However, post-liberalisation, advice and consultancy in certain key areas of the LCA design was obtained from the US and the UK, but the post-Pokhran II sanctions brought this to an abrupt halt.

This is where our scientists showed their true mettle and went on to develop and qualify the

complex flight control algorithms, almost entirely on their own.

The sophisticated software for flight control, weapon-aiming, air-data and other computers carried by the Tejas as well as the carbon-fibre composite technology for its fuselage are the pride of our scientists.

A large percentage of the fighter’s major systems have been developed by scientists working in DRDO laboratories, and produced by industrial units, right across the country.

The government must realise that the seeds of an aerospace ancillary industry have been planted, and will, hopefully, be nurtured by a long production run of the Tejas.

However, for all its good work and achievements, there remain two critical areas in which the DRDO has disappointed. One is its failure to deliver the fighter’s primary sensor—a multi-mode radar, which, eventually, had to be imported. The other is the long-awaited Kaveri aero-engine, which has remained in limbo for 40 year.

Six decades after independence, 80–90% of our military hardware remains of foreign origin, and

India has the dubious distinction of being amongst the top arms importers in the world.

The comprehensive capability to design and undertake serial-production of major weapon systems is an imperative that has, so far, eluded us. Not only is this a serious flaw in our national security but also our claims to major-power status will ring hollow as long as we remain dependent on imports for major weapon systems.

For all the criticism that is often, justly, heaped on DRDO and defence PSUs (such as HAL), the fact remains that, properly restructured and synergised with India’s innovative private sector, both these national institutions have the capability to rescue India from the unending armsdependency trap.

For a beleaguered, understrength IAF, the Tejas should not only come as a ray of hope but must also receive full backing of the service—now and for its future versions.

Admiral Arun Prakash is a former Indian Navy chief.

A decorated fighter pilot, he oversaw the induction of the Sea Harrier into the navy.

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8 July 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Modi embarks on fournation African tour

P

rime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a four-nation tour of Africa on July 7.

Modi will be visiting Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya from July 7 to 11, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in his weekly media briefing.

The Prime Minister first visited Mozambique on July 7, where he held bilateral discussions with President Filipe Nyusi to strengthen bilateral ties and enhance development cooperation.

Modi will be in South Africa on July 8 and 9 where he will have meetings with President Jacob Zuma and other senior leaders to further enhance India’s historical relations with that country, according to Swarup.

“With South Africa, we cooperate and work closely... also in multilateral fora [such as] BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India,

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

China, South Africa), IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa), G-20 and BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India, China),” the Spokesperson said, adding that the Prime Minister was also scheduled to visit Johannesburg, Pietermaritzburg and Durban.

Modi will be Tanzania on July 10 and will have meetings with President John Pombe Joseph Magufuli “to further enhance mutual cooperation and

understanding on major issues of common interest”.

On July 11, Prime Minister Modi will be in Kenya and have bilateral discussions with President Uhuru Kenyatta.

He will also address students in the University of Nairobi during the visit.

“The visit of the Prime Minister to the African mainland reflects India’s desire to further strengthen and reinvigorate bilateral ties with our African partners, which were renewed at the successful IAFS-III (India Africa Forum Summit-III) in October last year,” Swarup said.

All 54 African nations attended the summit held in New Delhi.

“The visit will provide opportunities to build on close contacts at the highest political level and enhance mutual cooperation and understanding on major issues of common interests,” the Spokesperson added.

Tech in Asia conference in Bengaluru in July

T

ech in Asia has lined up its conference aimed at finding talent, attracting entrepreneurs, investors, media and corporates to explore the Indian start-up community next week, said a statement from the media, events and jobs platform on Saturday, July 2.

“As India’s tech ecosystem matures, entrepreneurs and investors we have spoken to are eager to learn more about how start-ups and founders have succeeded on a global level,” Tech in Asia COO Andrew Wang was quoted as saying.

Scheduled on July 6 and 7 at Manpho Convention Centre, Tech in Asia featured Yoshiro Tsuwaki, Deputy Director of Information and Communication Electronics in Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Wilson Cuaca, Managing Partner, East Ventures, Singapore and Junde Yu, MD for APAC,

App Annie. The international leaders deliberated with Indian change makers such as Girish Mathrubootam, founder of Freshdesk, Ritesh Agarwal, founder of OYO Rooms and Vani Kola, Managing Director of Kalaari Capital.

“The conference comes to India at an inflection point for its fast rising tech start-up ecosystem, as it tries to balance growth with profitability, against the backdrop of a global economic shift,” said.

Highlights of the event included an arena pitch battle, roundtables, bootstrap alley and diversity summits among others.

Tech in Asia Conference is an annual event held in Singapore, Tokyo and Jakarta.

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www.iwk.co.nz | 8 July 2016

President inaugurates smart model village pilot project

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resident Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday, July 2, inaugurated a smart model village pilot project at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The President said in the last four years of his presidency this was the first time that he was having the privilege of interacting with several sarpanchs and village-level functionaries at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

He called it a landmark initiative to replicate the experience in transforming the President’s estate into a smart model township in five selected villages in Haryana.

He complimented and thanked all stakeholders—the central ministries, the government of Haryana including district and village-level administration, local bodies and governmental and other organisations.

Since assuming office, the President had been emphasising on the opening of Rashtrapati Bhavan to the people.

“However, today he felt that Rashtrapati Bhavan had been truly opened to the public since the village representatives were present there,” a release from Rashtrapati Bhavan stated.

Organ donation should become a social movement: Nadda

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President Pranab Mukherjee

Expressing confidence that this initiative would not remain confined to these five villages but spread to the entire country, the President said it is only the representatives of the villages who can transform this country.

“Our progress and development can be achieved at the desirable speed only in partnership with these decision-makers in the villages,” he said.

Mukherjee also urged the empowerment of women and youth. The five villages, which

will be developed into smart villages under this pilot project are Dhaula, Alipur, Harichandpur and Taj Nagar in Gurgaon district; and Rojka Meo in Mewat district of Haryana.

The President had announced this pilot project on the occasion of the inauguration of the Intelligent Operations Centre (IOC) at Rashtrapati Bhavan and the launching of a Mobile App ‘Monitor’ for transformation of President’s Estate into a smart township on May 19.

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concrete steps for harvesting of cadaver organs and tissues and hope that the government will be able to optimally utilise this vast national resource,” said Nadda.

“The benefits of initiatives should reach out to every nook and corner of the country and should not be limited to cities only,” he added.

He added the demand for organs would continue to increase manifold in the future keeping in view the increased incidence of lifestyle diseases.

“There is a need to create a system for improving the rate of safe, effective and ethical donation of cadaver organs for transplantation in those who need them badly,” Nadda added.

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Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda

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nion Minister of Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda on Saturday, July 2, urged people to come forward and donate organs and said that ‘organ donation should become a social movement’ in the country.

Nadda was speaking at a function organised by Dadhichi Deh Dan Samiti (DDDS) on Saturday. The Samiti organised a dialogue on framing of the protocol to develop respect for donated cadavers and the families of cadaver donors amongst the medical teaching community.

Nadda urged people to come forward and donate organs to save lives. “Donating organs is a gift of life and is an altruistic, egalitarian and essentially moral act. Organ donation can benefit the recipient largely by improving health, quality and span of his life and even save him from death or other critical conditions,” said Nadda.

The minister also urged the participants to list the solutions that will encourage organ and body donation and assured that the government will not delay implementation.

“The ministry has started taking

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8 July 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

In major reshuffle, Modi replaces Irani with Javadekar, gives Prasad law

I

n a major ministerial shake up two years since he took over, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, July 5, inducted 19 new faces, elevated Minister of State Prakash Javadekar to cabinet rank and sent him to replace Smriti Irani in the Human Resource Development Ministry, while also making changes in key portfolios such as law, communications and parliamentary affairs.

He also dropped five junior ministers.

Hours after the ceremonial swearing-in of new ministers including Javadekar and allies Apna Dal’s leader Anupriya Patel and Republican Party of India-A’s Ramdas Athawale by President Pranab Mukherjee, the Prime Minister allotted the portfolios.

In the exercise, Modi sprang a major surprise and replaced high-profile and vocal Irani, who has been at the eye of storm with former Environment

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced mjor ministerial shake up on July 5

Smriti Irani replaced Santosh Gangwar as the new Textiles Minister

The new Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar

Minister Prakash Javadekar, who is credited for being industry friendly. In another key move, he removed lacklustre D.V. Sadananda Gowda of Karnataka as Law Minister and gave the responsibility to Ravi Shankar Prasad. Gowda has been moved to the ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. As

expected, Modi left four major portfolios of Home (Rajnath Singh), External Affairs (Sushma Swaraj), Finance (Arun Jaitley) and Defence (Manohar Parrikar) untouched while senior ministers Nitin Gadkari (Road Transport, Highways and Shipping) and Suresh Prabhu (Railways) have retained their

earlier assignments. Prasad was divested of Communications and allotted Law while Parliamentary Affairs has been taken away from M. Venkaiah Naidu.

Naidu, however, has been given additional charge of the I&B Ministry (held currently by Jaitley) apart from his existing Urban Development and Housing

portfolio, said an official source.

Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister H.N. Ananth Kumar will be the new Parliamentary Affairs Minister.

Irani has been made Textiles Minister, replacing Santosh Gangwar who will be now be Minister of State for Finance.

Former bureaucrat Arjun Meghwal, who was inducted in Tuesday’s expansion, has also been made Minister of State in this crucial ministry.

According to sources, newly-inducted Anil Madhav Dave will be the new Minister of State for Environment replacing Javadekar.

The five Ministers of State who were dropped were Sanwar Lal Jat (Water Resources), Nihalchand (Panchayati Raj), Ram Shankar Katheria (HRD), Mansukh Bhai Vasava (Tribal Affairs) and Mohanbhai Kundaria (Agriculture).

India’s MTCR membership to facilitate high technology tie-ups

I

ndia’s membership of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) will facilitate high technology tie-ups with the Indian industry, a senior official said on Friday, July 1.

“India’s MTCR membership is expected to facilitate high technology tie-ups with Indian industry and ease access to high-tech items for our space and defence programmes,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said at his weekly media briefing.

“While membership of the regime would not automatically entail any preferential treatment

New Delhi Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar receives membership papers of MTCR in New Delhi, on June 27

from other MTCR partners, it would create the grounds for realignment of India in the export control policy framework of other MTCR partners,” he said.

He noted that India’s space and defence research and

development facilities were removed from the US Entities List when the US recognised India as an MTCR-adherent.

The MTCR is an informal and voluntary partnership among 35 countries to prevent

the proliferation of missile and unmanned aerial vehicle technology capable of carrying above 500 kg payload over more than 300 km.

Swarup said that India’s engagement with the MTCR dated back to 1994 “based on a common interest in contributing to international non-proliferation efforts related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) delivery systems”.

“We announced our intention to adhere to the guidelines and control list of the MTCR in July 2005 as part of the civil nuclear initiative,” he said. “We conveyed

BRICS working group on energy meet in Visakhapatnam

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our formal adherence to the Guidelines and control list in September 2008. In November 2010, India expressed its interest in joining the export control regimes including MTCR.” According to the Spokesperson, following a period of enhanced engagement with the regime and its members, India applied for membership in June 2015 and formal accession to the MTCR took place on June 27 this year.

Swarup said that membership of the MTCR would not pose any restrictions on India’s national security programmes.

Authorised by Mahesh Bindra, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

two-day meeting of the BRICS Working Group on ‘Energy Saving and Energy Efficiency’ was held on July 4 and 5 in Visakhapatnam.

This was the first meeting of the group for which participation from all BRICS countries—Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—has been confirmed.

During the two-day deliberations, the BRICS countries made presentations on measures taken by them in the field of energy saving and energy efficiency, a statement said.

India also showcased its efforts in energy saving, energy efficiency, in particular the LED street lighting programme and PAT (Performance Achievement and Trade) programme for Industrial energy efficiency, the statement said.

The five member-countries also deliberated on a work plan on development of cooperation in energy saving and energy efficiency within the BRICS nations.

INDIA ABROAD

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 July 2016

Neerja Bhanot conferred Bharat Gaurav Award in London

B

raveheart flight purser late Neerja Bhanot was conferred the Bharat Gaurav Award at a function at the House of Commons in London, a spokesman said on Sunday, July 3.

The award, instituted by Sanksriti Yuva Sanstha—a Jaipur-headquartered NGO with an international presence—was received

by Neerja’s brothers Akhil and Aneesh Bhanot at the Westminster Parliament building in London.

Baroness Sandip Verma, a member of the House of Lords and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development, presented the award.

The award was conferred on Neerja for “distinguished services to the nation and outstanding individual achievements”, the spokesman said.

After receiving the award, Neerja’s brother Aneesh said, “The Bharat Gaurav Award will inspire other people, especially the younger generation, to follow the principles of Neerja: do your duty, come what may; Never tolerate any injustice and never compromise on your values and principles.”

Neerja, 22, gave up her life to save passengers during a terrorist hijack of a Pan-Am flight at Karachi international airport in Pakistan on September 5, 1986.

The senior flight purser of Pan-Am flight 73 (Bombay-KarachiFrankfurt-New York), Neerja was killed in the shootout following the hijack.

Palestinian terrorists from the Abu Nidal terrorist group had entered the aircraft posing as Pakistani Police personnel, carrying arms and hand grenades.

The hijack left 20 people dead and 150 injured after a bloodbath at the Karachi airport.

There were around 200 Indian passengers on the flight, of which 13 died while more than 100 were injured.

Following her act of bravery and supreme sacrifice, Neerja was given the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime gallantry award for bravery, in 1987.

She became the youngest and first woman recipient of the gallantry award.

Indian doctors in US hold conclave on challenges to profession

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ndian doctors in the US began their annual conclave on Thursday, June 30, looking at the challenges to their profession in a health care system in the throes of change.

The top Indian American medical official, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, spoke of his forthcoming efforts to promote health equity for all at the 34th Annual Convention of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI).

AAPI President Seema Jain said the convention highlighted the organisation’s commitment to “4E’s: Excellence of Education, Empowerment, Enlightenment, and Evolution”.

The meeting’s CEO Forum that brings together leaders in the medical care industry “who will focus on the changing trends in the healthcare sector and how they impact the providers, hospitals and corporations as well as the patients,” Jain said, “is another major milestone in our progress, taking AAPI to the next level and mainstream.”

More than 1,200 doctors from around the country are attending the four-day convention focused on HealthCare 2020 & Beyond.

Media personality Fareed Zakaria, the host of CNN’s Global Public Square (GPS) conducted an

He added, “If you help change people’s attitudes, we can help solve the problem.”

Indian doctors are a major presence in the US medical sphere.

AAPI says it represents over 60,000 doctors and over 20,000 medical students and professionals in training.

According to some estimates, about 80,000 Indian doctors— around 10% of the total number

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy

interview style open forum with Murthy during which the Surgeon General spoke of key public health initiatives, including disease prevention through healthy eating, active living, need for sleep, wise use of modern technologies, and emotional well-being.

Murthy focused on an emerging health crisis in the US, drug addiction.

“How the nation looks at addiction is very important and it can help prevent addiction,” he said.

Criticising the punitive approach of imprisoning drug users, Murthy said, “It adds to the problem.”

of physicians in the US—are currently in practising. They range from doctors in elite institutions to those working in underserved areas like areas of poverty or remote places, providing | vital services.

Another figure cited previously

by Indian Ambassador Arun Singh is that one in seven American patients see a doctor of Indian origin.

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IndianAmericans get immigrants’ award

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n July 1, four Indian-Americans were among 42 professionals who were honoured with the prestigious Carnegie Corporation’s Great Immigrants: The Pride of America award.

Award-winning author Bharati Mukherjee, McKinsey’s Chairman of the Americas Vikram Malhotra, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and PBS NewsHour anchor and senior correspondent Hari Sreenivasan were conferred upon the title for their role in strengthening the country.

“These accomplished Americans are immigrants like our forefathers, who founded this nation of nations,” said Vartan Gregorian, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York.

“They are representative of the millions of immigrants who have come to the US for economic opportunity, education, political or religious asylum, security or reunification with families and relatives. They, like all Americans, share a common faith in this country.”

For 2016, 42 awardees were announced who represent about 30 different countries of origin.

INDIAN WEEKENDER now available at

NEW WORLD, Mt Roskill Don’t forget to pick your favourite newspaper with your groceries If you can’t find a copy of Indian Weekender near you, drop us an email at mahesh.iwk@gmail.com and we will ensure you get your copy every week at your nearest outlet.

22

8 July 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

India held 1–1 by Spain in six-nation hockey meet

I

ndia were held to a 1–1 draw

by Spain in their final match of the six-nation invitational hockey tournament on Sunday, July 3.

Pau Quemada scored in the 10th minute of the tie for the hosts while V.R. Raghunath netted India’s equaliser in the 18th minute. India started off on the front foot early in the game and had a penalty corner as early as the fifth minute, which was saved by experienced Spain goalkeeper Quico Cortes.

The action shifted ends very quickly though. From the counter-attack, Spain earned a penalty corner, which brought

out a sharp save from P.R. Sreejesh. The see-saw nature of the match went on, India in the ascendancy, won another penalty corner, saved again by Cortes who was also at hand to put away Talwinder Singh’s attempt from the rebound.

From there though, Spain started exerting a bit of control over the game and soon made the pressure count. A penalty corner was saved on the line by Sreejesh before an infringement off a defender, earned Spain a stroke.

Quemada scored to give Spain the lead as they went into the break.

India came out much the same in the second quarter, constantly

V R Raghunath scored for India, breaking through to draw the teams level

probing, pushing but Cortes was always up to the task, deflecting the efforts away with sharp saves. In the 18th minute though, Raghunath finally made one count, breaking through to draw

Serena wins her 300th Grand Slam match

U

nited States tennis icon Serena Williams registered her 300th Grand Slam victory as the defending champion defeated Germany’s Annika Beck 6–3, 6–0 in the third round of Wimbledon on Sunday, July 3.

Following Sunday’s victory, Serena still has six Grand Slam wins to make in order to equalise the record of Czech legend Martina Navratilova, reports Efe. Serena, 34, is set to play against Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova who eliminated Sloane Stephens of the US.

Serena Williams

In case Serena wins Wimbledon this edition, she will equal Steffi

Graf’s record, who has won 22 Grand Slam titles.

Hamilton wins Austria GP ahead of Verstappen, Raikkonen

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ritish driver Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes won the Austrian Formula 1 Grand Prix, ahead of Dutchman Max Verstappen of Red Bull and Finn Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari in a thrilling finish on Sunday, July 3.

A vibrant final lap saw Hamilton overtaking team-mate Nico Rosberg, who until then was leading the race. The manoeuvre forced Rosberg to swerve and hit his team-mate’s spoiler. In the end, Rosberg became relegated to the fourth position.

Hamilton’s victory, the 46th in his career and the fourth this season, helped him gain ground on Rosberg, who still leads the drivers’ standings with 153 points, 11 more than Hamilton, while Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari and Raikkonen are tied at 96 points,

sharing third place. Australian Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull came in fifth, followed by a surprise sixth place by Jenson Button of McLaren Honda.

Frenchman Romain Grosjean (Haas) finished seventh, while Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Toro Rosso) came in eighth position, followed by Finn Valteri Bottas (Williams) and German Pascal Wehrlein (Manor).

Spaniard Fernando Alonso (McLaren) once again had to quit the race five laps before the finish, as did Mexican Sergio Perez (Force India) a short time thereafter.

German Vettel, Brazilian Felipe Massa (Williams) and German Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) were also forced to abandon the race due to technical setbacks.

British driver Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes won the Austrian Formula 1 Grand Prix

the teams level. With a minute of the first half left, India had another glorious chance, again from a penalty corner, but Cortes again pulled off a double stop to ensure the two teams went into

half time with the scores even at 1–1.

In the second half, India started taking more control of the ball, and exerted pressure on the Spanish flanks, as they sat deep looking to pounce on the counter.

Much of it though was thwarted away by Spain.

In the final quarter, India pushed higher up the pitch and created waves of attack as Spain struggled to keep the honours even.

With barely seconds left, India came closest to getting the lead, but the effort hit the crossbar and fell safely to leave the two teams with an equal share of the points.

Kumble admires Kohli’s aggression but reminds of a “thin line”

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head of the Indian cricket team’s departure for the West Indies for the four-match Test series, coach Anil Kumble on Monday, July

to the first Test. “We have a couple of practice games where all the players will get a chance to have a knock and then we will decide on what’s going to be the

Indian cricket team head coach Anil Kumble and Virat Kohli during a press conference at Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru, on July 4

4, admired skipper Virat Kohli’s on-field aggression but at the same time reminded the players of a “thin line” which needs to be respected.

“I love his (Kohli’s) aggression. I was also no different, as I was very aggressive. But we were probably different in terms of how we came across in the field. But you don’t want to curb aggression. I will be the last person to curb someone’s natural instincts,” Kumble said.

However, the legendary leg-spinner also cautioned them against crossing the line, being “ambassadors of India”.

“But we all know how important it is to be ambassador of India and part of the Indian cricket team.

That everybody understands. We will ensure there is a thin line and I hope everybody knows that.

I won’t certainly curb anyone’s natural instincts,” Kumble said with Kohli by his side.

Kumble, who will be with the side on his maiden assignment, said instead of looking at the opposition’s strengths and weaknesses, the visitors must improve on their shortcomings in the warm-up games leading

combination for the first Test,” he said. “Only a few of them have played there in Tests, the others have played in the shorter formats. So instead of looking at the opposition, we will look at ourselves on ways to improve.”

Kumble, India’s highest wicket-taker with 619 scalps, wants his side to focus on consistency and winning in the longer version.

“As a coach, you want the team to win and prepare them to the best of their ability. To ensure that all areas are covered, skill-wise as well as strategy-wise, so that they are able to assess any situation and find a solution on their own.

“Good part is that we are playing a lot of Test cricket and we will be able to assess the shortcomings if any and try to plug that. We will be playing 17 Tests, starting with West Indies and then New Zealand, England and Australia at home,” he said.

“The goal is to remain consistent and win as many matches as you don’t go into a match thinking that you cannot win it,” the leggie added.

23

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 July 2016

Find the path

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Did you know...

People say 'Bless You' when you sneeze because when you sneeze, your heart stops for a mili-second.

Did You Know...

If someone places a tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion, It will instantly go mad and sting itself to death

The cows and the lion

was a village near a jungle. The village Tfood.here cows used to go up to the jungle in search of

In the forest there lived a wicked lion.

He used to kill a cow now and then and eat her.

This was happening for quite some time. The cows were frightened.

One day, all the cows held a meeting. An old cow said, Listen everybody, the lion eats one of us only because we go into the jungle separately.

From now on we will all be together.

From then on all the cows went into the jungle in a herd. When they heard or saw the lion all of them united and chased him away.

Moral: Divided we fall. United we stand.

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

24

8 July 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Juno says hello to Jupiter, sits peacefully in its orbit

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outed as a perfect gift as the US celebrated its Independence Day on July 4, cheers erupted at NASA’s California-based Jet Propulsion Laboratory as its solar-powered Juno spacecraft ended an almost five-year journey to enter the orbit around Jupiter.

“Independence Day always is something to celebrate but today, we can add to America’s birthday another reason to cheer—Juno is at Jupiter,” NASA administrator Charlie Bolden told a jubilant team of scientists.

Juno fired its main engine to begin a 35-minute burn to get into orbit around Jupiter. The burn time was within one second of the predicted time, placing it in the orbit it needed.

“What is more American than a NASA mission going boldly where no spacecraft has gone before?

With Juno, we will investigate the unknowns of Jupiter’s massive radiation belts to delve deep into not only the planet’s interior but also into how Jupiter was born and how our entire solar system evolved,” he added.

Soon after the burn was completed, Juno turned so that the Sun’s rays could once again reach the 18,698 individual solar

An artistic image of Juno | Photo courtesy: NASA

Independence Day always is something to celebrate but today, we can add to America’s birthday another reason to cheer—Juno is at Jupiter cells that give Juno its energy.

“This is the one time I don’t mind being stuck in a windowless room on the night of the fourth of July,” noted Scott Bolton, principal investigator of Juno from Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio.

“The mission team did great.

The spacecraft did great. We are looking great. It’s a great day,” he added.

“Success!

Engine burn complete. #Juno is now orbiting #Jupiter, poised to unlock the planet’s secrets,” NASA tweeted.

Over the next few months, Juno’s mission and science teams will perform final testing on the

spacecraft’s subsystems, final calibration of science instruments and some science collection.

“The spacecraft worked perfectly, which is always nice when you’re driving a vehicle with 1.7 billion miles on the odometer,” said Rick Nybakken, Juno project manager from JPL. Once in Jupiter’s orbit, the 1,600 kg spacecraft will circle the Jovian world 37 times during 20 months, skimming to within 5,000 km above the cloud tops.

“Jupiter orbit insertion was a big step and the most challenging remaining in our mission plan, but there are others that have to occur before we can give the

The Juno team celebrates at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, after receiving data indicating that NASA’s Juno mission entered orbit around Jupiter | Photo courtesy: NASA, JPL-Calt

science team the mission they are looking for,” Nybakken pointed out.

With its suite of nine science instruments, Juno will investigate the existence of a solid planetary core, map Jupiter’s intense magnetic field, measure the amount of water and ammonia in the deep atmosphere and observe the planet’s auroras.

The mission also will let us take a giant step forward in our understanding of how giant planets form and the role these titans played in putting together the rest of the solar system.

As our primary example of a

giant planet, Jupiter can also provide critical knowledge for understanding the planetary systems being discovered around other stars.

Juno’s name comes from Greek and Roman mythology. The mythical god Jupiter drew a veil of clouds around himself to hide his mischief, and his wife—the goddess Juno—was able to peer through the clouds and reveal Jupiter’s true nature.

The four largest moons of Jupiter are named the Galilean moons because they were discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1609.

By Manisha Koushik

Weekly forecast: JUly 8 to July 14

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

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

You may not be able to play the sympathy card that you want to play on the social front. Something executed at work may require more thoroughness.

You may be taken for granted by being always available for someone on the family front. Spouse may not see eye to eye with you over an issue.

Tensions may be palpable at home. The eligible may face frustration on the marriage front. Raising capital for a venture may prove difficult.

Lucky No.: 8 / Lucky Colour: Lemon

You will manage to get what you want, by hook or by crook. Success is foretold in a new venture.

You will be able to curry favour with a senior at work. There is a good chance of getting invited to a celebrity do. A religious rite may keep you happily engaged. If you have a soft corner for someone, this is the time to take the next step.

Much fun is in store for those venturing out.

You may be asked to do something at work that you have never done before. This is a good time to realise what you had always wanted to. Romance may beckon some and promises to be immensely fulfilling. You are likely to be on an emotional high on the social front as you get to meet people you have not met in years. Your thoughtful gestures at work are likely to win over your co-workers.

Lucky No.: 5 / Lucky Colour: Turquoise

Something just doesn’t seem right at the present moment, so take the next step only once you are satisfied. You will excel in whatever you have undertaken at work. Higher studies may attract those performing well. Money given in good faith will be returned with interest. You face no problems on the health front by continuing to do what you are presently doing. Catering to the mood of spouse will save you from unnecessary mental tensions.

Lucky No.: 1 / Lucky Colour: Yellow

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Give adequate time to complete a task that you have entrusted to someone. You will be able to mould the workplace environment according to your needs. A senior is likely to support you on the academic front and help you achieve your goal. A monetary gift or inheritance is likely for some. Selfmotivation will drive you to fitness. You may find spouse a bit overbearing, but he or she will have a reason for it.

Lucky No.: 4 / Lucky Colour: Grey

A distant relation may pay you a visit and even stay with you. Your efficiency at work is likely to come up for praise. Keeping a positive outlook will help in dealing with minor setbacks on the professional front. Financially, you are likely to reap the benefits of some wise investments in the past. It will be a good idea to be with health-conscious people in order to come back in shape. Listen to others for a change!

Lucky No.: 2/ Lucky Colour: Blue

A minor problem cropping up at home will be satisfactorily solved. If you are looking for a soul mate, this is the time that you get lucky!

Nearness to each other will generate a new kind of understanding amongst newlyweds. An enjoyable vacation is on the cards, so get set for fun! You may take the family for an outing or a movie over the weekend. Professionally, you will be able to complete what had been entrusted to you.

Lucky No.: 7/ Lucky Colour: Green

You may find it difficult to have your way on the academic front. Chances of promotion may seem to dwindle, as competition grows at work.

Networking will prove worth it in getting you a better break. Getting romantically linked with a coworker or fellow student may adversely affect your reputation. Some changes to the house are likely to be initiated. Unfounded worries may keep you in a serious mould, but it will be a passing phase.

Lucky No.: 3 / Lucky Colour: Coffee

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Too much work and little rest may play havoc with your health. You may find the current line of treatment most beneficial in regaining normal health. Those wanting to come back in shape will manage to avoid fattening foods. You will soon get a chance to express your love for someone you desire. Some time out to someplace away from home will help you relax and rejuvenate.

Some homemakers will get busy resetting the house.

Lucky No.: 7 / Lucky Colour: Pink

You will need to be at your best for taking a favour from the boss. Health may cause worry. Progress of recovery appears to be slow for those ailing. Money flows out of your hand. Expenses are set to increase for some. If you are doing something in haste at work, better check and recheck the work before submitting, as chances of making a major mistake cannot be ruled out. A tiff with someone you don’t like is possible.

Lucky No.: 5 / Lucky Colour: Red

There is an outside chance of meeting someone you had been wanting to for long. Excellent preparation is likely to find some soaring on the academic front. You are likely to get an opportunity to rub shoulders with the bigwigs of the industry. Prayers of those in family way are likely to be heard. Some of you may become religious minded for mental solace. There is much joy foreseen for those in love, so rejoice!

Lucky No.: 7 / Lucky Colour: Electric Blue

Those unwell are likely to show a quick recovery.

Businesspersons may find their business picking up. A few lucrative deals may come your way. An increment or bonus is in the offing. The financial front looks set to get strengthened. Good health is yours for the asking as you maintain a regular routine.

Someone may do you a favour on the academic front. Social obligations will be met satisfactorily. A vacation may beckon some and prove most exciting.

Lucky No.: 6 / Lucky Colour: Crimson

(March 21-April 20)

(July 23-August 23)

(Nov 23-December 11)

(April 21-May 20)

(August 24-Sep 23)

(Dec 22-January 21)

(May 21-June 21)

(Sep 24-October 23)

(Jan 22-February 19)

(June 22-July 20)

Lucky No.: 5 ./ Lucky Colour: Chocolate

(Oct 24-November 22)

(Feb 20-March 20)

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www.iwk.co.nz | 8 July 2016

Importance of a good corporate headshot ¡¡Jeffery Chan

I

n a world where everyone is connected online, it only makes sense that businesses are also using this to get ahead. Your headshot is the first impression you are making to potential clients to stand out among your competitors.

A distinctive headshot will create a positive perception and gain the trust of the prospective client enough to make that initial contact.

You might think it’s just a picture, but it’s more than just a picture; it is your professional image and brand identity.

Something that is unique to you. A brand that shows attention to detail and that you are in command of your industry as a leading expert.

Make a list of how you’d like your customers to perceive you and your business professionally (for example in my case: approachable, friendly, creative, warm and professional). Take a look at your current photo—does it communicate any of the things you listed?

What makes a great headshot?

Great headshots are one of the most challenging photographs to do well.

There is a combination of expert lighting, posing, the chemistry between you and the photographer as well as the right wardrobe and environment for the particular

industry the headshot will represent.

Lighting is important, as it sets the tone of the image. Natural light is generally more pleasing to women as more often than not it compliments their complexion better. We use natural light at our studio for a softer, well-balanced effect that can portrait the

elements of approachable, friendly and warm. In cases where natural light isn’t great, a similar effect can be produced using studio flash.

Choosing a background is the next important element to consider as this sets the story for the picture. It puts the picture in context so that the viewers can quickly understand the nature of your profession.

For example, a chef in his kitchen or property agents in front of houses. For a corporate headshot, I generally recommend a brighter looking background rather than darker ones.

Of course, this has to match the clothes they are wearing. Since most corporate people would come with a dark jacket, photographing on a lighter background will allow them to stand out.

Photographing someone wearing a white shirt on a white background will almost make their head look like it’s floating without a body.

Attire choice is also another important factor. Generally, I would recommend solid colours and avoid busy patterns, as this can be distracting unless you are a fashion designer showcasing your own work. Posing is the final element that will complete your professional image.

Knowing how to stand and look will portray how you want to come across to your viewer. This is where the experience

of the photographer plays a crucial part.

Everyone normally has a better angle to photograph and it’s identifying this angle that can make a good headshot great.

A final point to note is to get professional make-up that will enhance your look. Even a little powdering can help to remove any shine that might appear especially for those with oily skin.

At STUDIO81, we have professional make-up artists so that you can photograph right after your make-up.

If you think you need to update your corporate headshot, we offer a free 30-minute consultation. Just call our friendly team at 09 52225 81 or check out our website: www.studio81.co.nz/ corporate.

To go into the draw to win a $100 credit towards your corporate photo, submit your interest at www.studio81.co.nz/ corporate-contact-form/ and mention Indian Weekender in the comment.

Jeffery is the owner and photographer at STUDIO81 photography, which is located in Newmarket and East Tamaki.

STUDIO81 is one of Auckland’s leading portrait photography studios and specialises in modern glamour transformation. Jeffery is an award-winning photographer.

Theatre talk Our verdict on Prayas’ Love N Stuff and Indian Ink’s The Elephant Thief ¡¡Esha Chanda

Love N Stuff

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t the heart of Prayas’ first full-blown comedy is a popular Sandringham couple who have had a long and happy marriage until the husband decides to pack his bags and

The cast of Love N Stuff with director Sananda Chatterjee (centre)

return to his Delhi. You are introduced to Bindi (Sudeepta Vyas) and Mansoor (Mustaq Missouri) at a frail point of their lives where we see a wife’s last attempt to stop her husband of 35 years from going

back to his hometown. But her efforts (that start with a packet of bhajiiyas and tamarind and date chutney, which she refuses to share) are met with the ironclad decision of Mansoor who chooses to stay silent than justify his determination to return to India.

What follows is 90 uninterrupted minutes of a warm-hearted and hilarious story directed by debutant Sananda Chatterjee.

The drama unfolds at the departure lounge in Auckland’s international airport—a scene that comes to life with Tim Booth’s sofa-laden set—where you meet an eccentric cast that includes an outspoken fitness fanatic (Anisha Bhattacharya), Akbar (Prateek Vadgaonker) who has left a fiancée back in India, and the wannabe gangsta Baggy (Pauras Rege), who hope to help Bindi get Mansoor home.

Flashes from the past reveal the triumphs and troubles of the couple and the back story of the play.

They take us to the days when the young couple (played by Divya Hariharan and Rishabh Kapoor) go on their first movie date, or when they meet the gloomy tourist guide to erotic art—a brilliant performance

by Aman Bajaj—while on their honeymoon.

Adapted from Bengali-English playwright Tanika Gupta’s script, which originally saw only two actors play 16 characters, Love N Stuff has been tweaked to include an ensemble cast and amusing local references of a multicultural Auckland.

The Elephant Thief

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he seventh production of Indian Ink sets out a vivid prediction of a ruined dystopian world. The year is 2066. Elephants are rare and at the brink of extinction and the ones that still walk on Earth are greedily hunted by humans.

Set in a futuristic grim India showcased through Stephen Bain and Sarah-Jane Blake’s beautiful set design of corrugated

Vanessa Kumar (left) with Nisha Madhan in The Elephant Thief

iron panels hanging from the roof, The Elephant Thief follows female Mahout (elephant keeper) Leela Devi, an adventurous young soul, who decides to leave her father in her isolated village and set out to explore the world. Her only

guidance—a 50-year old inherited map that does not paint a true picture of the world, or what is left of it.

As the story unfolds, she meets corrupt officials, black market organ dealers and country leaders who are bound to a capitalist economy.

Newcomer Vanessa Kumar brings her own charm to Leela Devi’s character, while former Shortland Street actor Nisha Madhan bewitches the audience through three important roles: jailer, Rani de Bourban and Prime Minister Sonia Ambhardi (look out for her penultimate speech as the PM).

Her voice as Kali, the Hindu goddess of creation and destruction, echoes as it binds the spiritual journey of the story.

Julia Croft wins over the audience with her charisma and complex character as the Russian-Indian detective Irina Sharma. The five-strong cast also includes enchanting performances delivered by Jonathan Price and Patrick Carroll.

Supporting the vibrancy and energy of the cast is David Ward’s evocative music that takes the story from light-humoured settings to intense moments.

The story outlines the outcomes of the actions taken by humans who are often blinded by greed.

Writers Jacob Rajan and Justin Lewis present a thought-provoking epic that laughs at the silly and the serious, exploring difficult questions that trouble the world.

26

NEW ZEALAND

8 July 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

The stars behind the shimmer Behind anything spectacular is the effort of a team that puts it together. This was true for the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame 2016. As congratulatory messages pour in, it is important that everyone who made it possible is acknowledged. The scintillating gala evening was made breathtakingly memorable by the talent and effort of a group of people. We take this opportunity to introduce these heroes to you.

Amrita Bhende D’Souza

A

mrita took to the stage with Manjit and Ben entertain the crowd with popular songs such as Beatles’ Can’t Buy Me Love.

Daughter of one of India’s most accomplished rock singers, Nandu Bhende, Amrita began singing at the age of five. She began her career singing signature tunes for popular TV commercials most of the Indian audience have grown up listening to such as Maggi, Rasna, Melody chocolates, Dalda, Cadbury Gems, Nutramul and Swad on India’s Doordarshan television.

Amrita was also a host for a popular TV singing show Geet Gaata Chal on Antakshari programme with Shekar Suman. At the age of 19, she had more than three music albums to her credit and was nominated for the Channel V Best Newcomer award for her album Kaun Hain Woh. Amrita has performed at the Spring Festival in North Korea where she represented Indian along with her father. She has recently moved to New Zealand and looks forward to sharing her love

for music with a new audience. With her on stage was Manjit Singh on the tabla. Manjit represents the lineage of Ustad Alla Rakha Khan and Punjab gharana in New Zealand. He has performed for classical music concerts in different countries around the world and has recently composed and recorded music for the opening ceremony of the ICC World Cup. Manjit has a masters in the tabla and also a degree in musicology from University of Auckland. He runs the Rhythm School of Indian Music in Auckland and has played an important role in creating awareness of Indian music in New Zealand.

The jazz pianist for the evening was Ben Fernandez, who has performed at concerts in more than 25 countries. He produces music for jingles, films and theatre and also has a number of CDs to his credit. Ben and Manjit formed the Band Raag Time in New Zealand. The band plays IndoWestern fusion music at concerts and festivals all over the country.

Arabellas Dance Troupe

T

hey set the stage on fire by bringing the excitement, the colour, the craziness and the magic of desi Bollywood music with a Western touch.

Nasha was conceptualised n 2012 to provide a platform for entertainment for both the Indian and Kiwi community.

They started essentially as a Bollywood band with dance teams incorporating tunes from the yesteryear as well as contemporary music to entertain the Indian community in Auckland. Nasha later introduced the concept to a Kiwi audience by doing a concert in 2013. A

A

rabellas Dance Troupe is an awardw i n n i n g professional belly dance troupe, the winners of the 2016 Viva Eclectika Cup, winning first place with fusion piece The Legendary Silk Road.

Arabellas h a s performed i n numerous major shows and festivals across New Zealand, Australia, Egypt, Russia, Europe and Asia.

The troupe has also appeared on popular New Zealand TV shows on TV ONE, TVNZ, TV3 and Maori TV. Their professional team of dancers present a stunning show full of colour, energy and fun. Arabellas troupe is vibrant, enchanting, and fascinating.

Nasha the Band

They captivate the audience with their authentic style, which is full of grace and charisma. Arabellas troupe is directed

by Tais Derbasova—a multi-award winning international Belly dance instructor, performer, and Their professional team of dancers present a stunning show full of colour, energy and fun. Arabellas troupe is vibrant, enchanting, and fascinating. choreographer, and one of the top belly dancers in New Zealand.

She led her team to add that extra something to our evening.

year later, they introduced Kiwi artists into their fold.

With more than 50 performers, musicians, singers and dancers, their mash ups of Bollywood with contemporary pop and rock from the West met with a roaring success.

The band regularly performs at fundraisers and corporate events.

Nasha embraces the diversity seen in New Zealand by blending culture and music between the two communities—the primary reason for their success.

Ashish Ramakrishnan

F

irst to take on stage was Ashish Ramakrishna who began the evening by singing Ganpati Vandana.

A self-taught, Ashish has been singing since he was three years old and has participated in 80 to 100 competitions at national and international levels.

He has performed in around 600 concerts around the globe and has also shared the stage with veterans of Bollywood music and Indian classical stalwarts.

In New Zealand, his band performed at Music in Parks—a first in the 20-year history of the event.

Ashish is the lead vocalist of a New Zealand-based fusion band Sargam Fusion.

He is also a part of a New Zealand-based Blessed Reformers, which regularly tours the country and abroad.

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 July 2016

27

Studio 81

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he evening’s glamorous photos were

DJ Dave Entertainment

courtesy of the team at STUDIO81. From brave beginnings in 2008 when owners Dorin and Jeff decided to throw caution to the wind and work full-time in photography, the team at STUDIO81 has, today, built up a formidable body of work.

The creative team is made up of some of

Professional Photography, STUDIO 81 was also recently acknowledged as one of the most exciting business in the Newmarket area in Auckland in the ANZ Newmarket Business Excellence Awards.

Dorin and Jeff have made a strong

the industry’s finest photographers, editors

personal commitment to give back to the

and make-up artists who play a crucial part

community and are working with Home

in telling a story.

and Family Counselling to help raise

While Jeff has been awarded Master of NZIPP by the New Zealand Institute of

awareness and much-needed funds to support their incredibly important work.

W

ith years of experience in New Zealand and around the globe, DJ Dave is a recognised name in the world of entertainment.

The company is one of the premier wedding and event, and hire and decoration companies in New Zealand, established to deliver the best in the market, and the same was seen at the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame.

The elegant Princess

Ballroom at Pullman Hotel, Auckland was further enhanced by decorations from his team with graceful centrepieces on each table and blue and white drapes that made for a subtle backdrop for the stage.

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28

8 July 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Auckland signs landmark agreement with Mexico

T

wenty Mexican students will have a chance to begin study toward their doctorates at the University of Auckland each year as a result of a new agreement.

The University is the first New Zealand university to sign with Mexican agency Conacyt providing sponsorship for Mexican students wishing to study full PhD degrees here and also promoting postgraduate fellowship visits between the two countries.

Conacyt is the prestigious federal agency charged with the promotion and support of scientific and technological research and activity in Mexico.

“We are delighted to announce our partnership with Conacyt,” says Professor Jenny Dixon, the University of

As part of the agreement, 20 Mexican students wishing to study Phd will get scholarship

Auckland’s Vice-Chancellor for Strategic Engagement.

“It enables our leading expertise in engineering, science and technology to make a contribution to Mexico through research and academic collaboration.”

The new agreement will allow PhD studies for 12 months in any of the eight faculties at the University.

Mexican masters students may also propose visits of up to six months for the purpose of gaining experience in research projects while University of Auckland students can also propose visits of similar duration to accredited Mexican universities.

The agreement strengthens ties between Mexico and New Zealand. Mexico is New Zealand’s

largest trading partner in the Latin American region and one area of considerable potential benefit between the two countries is in the field of renewable energy research.

The University hosts an Energy Centre and its Geothermal Institute is actively engaged in research and exchanges in Mexico.

Head of Engineering Science, Professor Rosalind Archer sees potential for even more collaboration with the signing of the Conacyt agreement.

“This agreement will pave the way for more scientific interchange on renewable energy between New Zealand and Mexico. We hope to see Mexico grow its geothermal energy generation, which will assist it in reducing its dependence on fossil fuels.”

Wellington School of Hospitality wins international award

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ellington Institute of Technology’s School of Hospitality was awarded the City & Guild’s International Centre of Excellence—Asia Pacific award, which is one of the only five awards distributed globally. City & Guilds, a world leader in skills development, has launched the awards to recognise outstanding achievement in its centres around the world. The awards acknowledge excellence in a wide range of areas.

It celebrates the exceptional contribution made by the recipients to strengthening the global recognition of City & Guilds qualifications, highlighting the positive impact on progression opportunities for City & Guilds learners. Wellington Institute of Technology’s School of Hospitality offers a range of

practical, relevant qualifications and link with industry to maximise student’s training and encourage a smooth transition into employment. More than 550 students pass through the School of Hospitality’s doors each year.

Roger Sowry Council Chair, the governing body of the Wellington Institute of Technology says, “We are thrilled and very proud that the School of Hospitality has received international recognition from City & Guilds.

This accolade recognises not only our world-class campus situated in the heart of New Zealand’s culinary capital but also our award-winning staff who teach to the highest professional culinary and hospitality standards. Ruth Pretty, one of New Zealand’s leading cooking experts, renowned author and successful caterer chairs the Wellington

The award is one of the only five awards distributed globally

Institute of Technology Hospitality Industry Partnership Committee. “Our internationally acclaimed School of Hospitality is New Zealand’s centre of culinary and hospitality excellence.

“This award officially recognises our status as a world leader for exceptional hospitality, culinary and tourism training.” City & Guilds Regional Manager for the Pacific, Glenn Fulcher says, “It is an amazing achievement and

recognition of the brilliant work all the team do at the Wellington Institute of Technology.

“WelTec delivers City & Guilds Culinary Arts, Food & Beverage Service, Hotel Reception, International Barista and International Tourism to a world class standard with their graduates gaining employment across New Zealand and the world. Asia Pacific is a large region for City & Guilds and we are proud to have WelTec represent New Zealand at the Lion Awards in London where they will announce the overall International Winner.”

Winning centres have been invited to attend the Lion Awards ceremony in London, which is City & Guilds’ most prestigious awards ceremony, recognising best practice in a range of categories.

Calling young filmmakers

M

ore young people than ever before will take part this year in free film-making workshops run by The Outlook for Someday sustainability film project.

Up to 1,000 are expected to participate in the workshops from June to August.

Forty-three one-day and two-day workshops are planned throughout New Zealand, including six two-day Kaupapa Maori workshops and, for the first time, at least one workshop focused towards Pasifika young people.

The workshops offer an opportunity for young New Zealanders to tell their own sustainability stories—environmental or social, individual or cultural, local or global. They have also proven to be a springboard to international acclaim, with participants going on to make winning films in The Outlook for Someday film challenge and then have their films selected for overseas film festivals.

“It’s a nourishing and exciting day,” said Chris Widdup, Project Manager of The Outlook for Someday.

“Each participant gets to discover their own take on sustainability and go on a storytelling journey from idea to completion.

They work collaboratively with other young people they have never met before. And at the end of the day the lights go down for a screening of the films they’ve made together.”

“The workshops are open to young people from school years 7 to 13 (aged 11 to 18) as well as teachers and youth workers. They run from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.

Space is limited to 25 participants per workshop. To register for a workshop in your area go to www.theoutlookforsomeday.net/ workshops.

New website provides a guide to high school graduates

A

new, free website has been launched to help the 65,000 New Zealand students who finish school each year to find the answers to questions from recent graduates and their families.

SchoolLeaver.nz provides high school students and their parents with information and links to university, polytechnic and ITO study and private training courses offered in New Zealand.

With no log-in or subscriptions needed, SchoolLeaver.nz makes

exploring potential options after high school simpler and easier.

“It’s never been more important for school leavers to have as much information as they can get hold off when deciding on their next step after school,” says SchoolLeaver.nz director Tim Greene.

In addition to core study and training information, SchoolLeaver.nz provides a range of information and guides for students and their families. Details on tertiary

and training institutions are featured, while other topics SchoolLeaver features to help students include money (student loans, allowances, scholarships, banking, tax, KiwiSaver), accommodation (hostels, flatting, home stays), job hunting (resume preparation, how-tos), gap years, and personal lifestyle info (health, sport after school, physical and online safety).

Keeping SchoolLeaver even more useful to students is a bespoke news feed, featuring news

related to tertiary study, training, new courses, work opportunities and the employment landscape current students may face.

SchoolLeaver.nz has been designed as a responsive website, which means parents are more likely to view or use the site, simplifying easy two-way dialogue between students and parents, and importantly, between students and their career advisors. The range of formats allows students to share with friends or be helped

in their explorations if that works for them.

Teachers in a number of locations around the country who have viewed SchoolLeaver. nz rated highly its ‘one-stopshop’ comprehensive nature, and the fact that the site can help all students, not just the most academically able, was also highly valued. These attributes will help SchoolLeaver.nz earn its place among the tool kits students use to base their post secondary school choices on.

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www.iwk.co.nz | 8 July 2016

Arjun Kapoor hopes friendship with Ranveer Singh continues

award me unless and until it’s a necessity for them.

“Even the National Award was given to me when they couldn’t ignore me, they couldn’t avoid me and that’s why they gave me the National Award. Otherwise, I was never nominated for the National Award. I received it for Paan Singh Tomar,” he said when asked about the importance

A

ctor Arjun Kapoor, who shares an “amazing bond” with Bollywood’s livewire actor Ranveer Singh, says he is glad that in a profession where people only mean business, they have managed to maintain the core values of friendship.

The Aurangzeb star says that the two of them are “same, same, but different”.

“I think in a profession where a lot of people wouldn’t want us (Arjun and Ranveer) to be friends, we’ve managed retain the core values of being friends and I hope that continues,” Arjun said.

Talking about his bond with Ranveer, he said, “We have an amazing bond. It’s a friendship that goes beyond the work that we do, which is amazing.”

Arjun also shared that they not just admire each other’s work, but also have “mutual admiration for each other as people”.

“We are diametrically opposite in our personalities, but we have a lot of similarities in our tastes...

So the kind of cinema, hobbies or the conversations we’ve had, it just shows that two different people can also be very similar in their own way.

“So, we are same-same, but different, it’s one of those with me and Ranveer,” he added.

of awards in his life.

The actor believes when the awards are partial there is no sense in it.

“When the awards are partial then there is no point, no sense of that award because it is not genuine. Awards can only mean anything or something when it is genuine. Otherwise I don’t know how people even receive that award when they know that they have exercised a kind of lobbying to win it. How do they face themselves when they receive the trophy,” he said.

“I mean don’t you feel ashamed receiving awards that are not genuine,” said the actor who is currently busy promoting his forthcoming film Madaari.

Parineeti lends her voice to Spielberg’s The BFG

A

fter Bollywood actor Gulshan Grover, actress Parineeti Chopra has joined the voice cast of

I

P

roducer Rhea Kapoor has rubbished rumours about the delay in the shooting of Veere Di Wedding

Rahman understands me as singer: Hariharan

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hazal and playback singer Hariharan feels his collaboration with A.R. Rahman has resulted in several chart-busters because the double Oscar-winning composer deeply understands his singing

approach to dance numbers.

Asked if he thinks rap and EDM are taking over Bollywood melodies, Malik replied, “I don’t think so...I would call it a fresh approach to dance songs…”

Malik, who has crooned foot-tapping numbers such as Rom rom romantic and Chaar shanivaar, says he likes songs by rappers such as Yo Yo Honey Singh and Badshah as their songs are catchy and connect with the youth.

“I like Honey Singh. I love the music that he does. I like Badshah’s songs as they are very cool, catchy and very young. I think that’s very important...It’s connecting with the youth, he added. The 20-year-old singer shared that since he is a part of the youth he finds these genres a “good change”.

“But it’s more like a phase, that’s what I consider it,” he added.

Aamir Khan non-committal on astronaut Rakesh Sharma biopic

capabilities. “He knows me as a singer in a very, very deep way.

He understands my singing capability and knows exactly how to stimulate me with his music,” Hariharan said.

Some of Rahman-Hariharan combo’s best songs are Chanda Re, Hai Rama, Tuhi Re, Ay Hairthe and Chandiranai Thottathu among others.

Asked if one could look forward to collaboration with Rahman in near future, he said, “Time will tell.”

B

ollywood actor-producer Aamir Khan neither confirmed nor denied news that he may have signed up to feature in a biopic on India’s first astronaut Rakesh Sharma.

When asked if he has signed a new film which is about the life of the celebrated astronaut who ventured into space in 1984,

Rap, EDM fresh approach to dance songs: Armaan Malik

Kareena to shoot for Veere Di Wedding in August: Rhea

Don’t care about film awards: Irrfan Khan

nternationally acclaimed Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan says awards can only mean anything to him they are genuine.

The actor says that some awards such as Padma Shri are important for him but film awards hold no importance for him.

“Some awards and recognition matters to me like when I was given the Padma Shri. I don’t care about film awards at all. They (the organisers) also don’t give me

due to Kareena Kapoor Khan’s pregnancy. She says that the actress will join the shooting in August.

Rhea said that the Udta Punjab actress is a “through professional”, who will start shooting for the film in August.

“Ekta Kapoor and I, with our families and companies, are delighted and excited for Kareena and Saif! As producers of Veere Di Wedding, we are thrilled to be part of their special journey!”

Rhea said in a statement.

“Bebo (Kareena) is a thorough professional and will start the shoot of the film in August.

Much like the spirit of our film, which celebrates the modern girl, Kareena is going on with her work and life as usual and we couldn’t be prouder to have her,” she added.

Veere Di Wedding also stars Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania.

It is produced by Rhea and Ekta Kapoor.

Romance co-star Sushant Singh Rajput.

S Oscar-winning film-maker Steven Spielberg’s The BFG. They will lend their voice to characters in the dubbed Hindi version of the fantasy adventure film, set to release in India on July 15. Parineeti will voice the female protagonist of the movie. She has dubbed for Sophie, played by 12-year-old Ruby Barnhill in The BFG aka The Big Friendly Giant, read a statement.

The actress decided to take up the part as she loved the character and it will be her first Hollywood project.

Parineeti will also be seen in Homi Adjania’s next film Takadum, which will see her star opposite her Shuddh Desi

inger Armaan Malik, who has created waves by recreating 1990’s

melodies such as Tujhe Apna Banane Ki and peppy numbers such as Buddhu Sa Mann, says that rap and electronic dance music (EDM) is a new and fresh

Aamir said, “I have not signed any film yet. I have just begun to read scripts and explore the possibility.

“Until I sign a film I can’t tell you (the media) because it’s not fair. There are lot of people approaching me and they are approaching me with confidence, I will not let them down.”

Aamir said he follows a policy of keeping mum about his projects until everything is in order.

“If someone narrates a script to me, I don’t tell anyone about it. If I don’t do it, then they say Aamir has rejected that film. I don’t want that... it’s not fair.

“Whichever script I hear, one will never come to know about it. I will neither deny nor admit to your question,” he said at the poster launch of his upcoming film Dangal.

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8 July 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

Learnt action from Salman, Akshay, Ajay: Sonakshi

A

ctress Sonakshi Sinha who has worked with superstars such as Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn in numerous action films, says that she learnt to do action from them.

At the trailer launch of her film Akira, Sonakshi was asked who her favourite action co-star was, she replied, “Dabangg is Salman, Rowdy is Akshay and Sardar is Ajay.

The past five years I’ve been working with these guys and I have learned only maar peet from them.

“It’s truly been a pleasure watching them do the action on screen. I love action films, I love to be a part of them and I’m really happy, thankful, grateful that I could be doing the action in this film myself.”

Sonakshi worked with Salman in Dabangg, Ajay in Son Of Sardaar and Action Jackson.

In Akira, Sonakshi reunites with A.R. Murugadoss, her director on the film Holiday, also starring Akshay. Did Sonakshi take any tips from Akshay?

“The biggest tip that he gave me was to be away from injuries, which even I was not able to follow. But he is a

very sensible person when it comes to understanding proper form and martial arts.

“Watching him while I was shooting with him in all the movies that I have done with him, watching him do the action, you get to learn a lot, and he’s always very involved with it, so he automatically teaches you without it being intentional.”

About the action she did in the film, Sonakshi said, “It feels great; there is always an adrenaline rush when you do scenes like that on set and with all these amazing stuntmen, fighters and action directors. It was quite exciting and really awesome.”

Sonakshi also sustained numerous injuries, three of them major ones, on her wrist, knee and back.

“It’s very strenuous and very gruelling.

But it’s all worth it,” she said.

Akira also stars Anurag Kashyap and Konkona Sensharma.

India is a difficult country: Priyanka

B

ollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, who has made a name for herself in international showbiz, says India is a difficult country and it will take time for things to change as far as the mindset towards women is concerned as well as in terms of the difference between the rich and poor.

“India is a difficult country. It is like one whole world wherein each state has different traits, different culture, different language, different writing, different thought process and different religion. It (change in mindset for women) is not going to be changed tomorrow,” Priyanka said.

The actress shared her views about the stereotypes that women are subjected to when she became a part of an event. Priyanka, as a Unicef goodwill ambassador launched a ‘Fair Start’ campaign on Tuesday, July 5. The session touched upon various issues like the gap between rich and poor, stereotypes that women face and how can more opportunities be created so that everyone in the country gets a fair chance to prove their potential.

“We have forgotten humanity in this disparity.

And we can overcome

it by creating opportunity to include them (less privileged) in your life. Slowly you will make a difference. Opportunities should be created by the government, which they are, but government cannot change mindset. Change will come from within us,” said the National Awardwinning actress.

Asked to comment on how Indian women are still struggling to get their rights, she said, “Since the time I remember, and it is not our country’s fault, the whole world treats women as second fiddle. It will take some time to change that. And the change can only come when all the girls will stand united and ask f o r

their right.” The Mary Kom actress shared that the most important thing to do right now is that all the “mothers should teach their sons to respect women”.

The actress even urged the people of the country to give opportunities to girls so they can show their calibre.

She concluded with a message for the youth: “Be the best version of yourself—girl or boy.”

Sunidhi Chauhan to make acting debut with short film

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ollywood singer Sunidhi Chauhan is making her acting debut with a short film titled Playing Priya. She says the experience of facing the camera was “awesome”.

“I always wanted to act but never thought that I would enjoy it so much. The whole experience was just awesome,” Sunidhi said in a statement.

The fantasy thriller for Humaramovie is directed by Arif Ali, who made his directorial debut with Lekar Hum Deewana Dil. Playing Priya, based in an urban landscape, will release on the digital platform soon.

When asked how the short happened, Ali replied, “Sunidhi has a thing for thrillers, dark films and twisted characters. So when I narrated this idea to her, she loved it and agreed to act in it.”

Talking about Sunidhi’s acting skills, the director said, “She was a complete natural. She has given 20 years to singing. If she concentrates a bit on acting too and gives it a few years, she can be a full-fledged actor. She has a bright career as an actor.”

Preety Ali, one of the co-founders of Humaramovie, a digital content studio which has produced the short, says they

B-town celebrities attend screening of Sultan

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umerous celebrities from the film industry attended a screening of superstar Salman Khan’s new movie Sultan.

Actors Anupam Kher, Himesh Reshmammiya, Elli Avram, Daisy Shah, Nikhil Dwivedi were

spotted arriving at the Yash Raj studios here. Film-makers Subhash Ghai, David Dhawan, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Divya Kumar Khosla were spotted.

Actor Randeep Hooda, who plays Salman’s mixed martial arts coach in the film, was also

present. Salman’s brother, actor Arbaaz Khan and his rakhi sister Shweta Rohira, ex-wife of actor Pulkit Samrat, were also present.

Salman’s rumoured Romanian girlfriend Iulia Vantur, whose appearances recently had sparked reports of their marriage recently,

was also present. Earlier in the day, Salman was also spotted at another screening where his mother Salma Khan, veteran actor Prem Chopra were present.

Sultan, directed by Abbas Ali Zafar, also stars Anushka Sharma, and was released on

love discovering and launching new talent. “We loved the concept of Playing Priya and found the idea of Sunidhi acting for the first time quite exciting. Sunidhi has done a brilliant job in the short.

Her fans are going to see a glimpse of her acting skills and love her new avatar.”

The movie is about a seemingly bored housewife who gets down to her routine chores when the family members are away. But with the house all to herself, she begins amusing herself by having some ‘alone time’ fun, when suddenly there is a break in and she must do her best to protect herself.

July 6. The film sees Salman playing the role of a rustic wrestler from Haryana, who goes on to win medals for the country, but loses his way post that. The plot of the film revolves around how he reinvents his wrestler streak in mixed martial arts.

31

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 July 2016

Capturing fleeting moments For Parmeet Sahni, her fascination with cameras goes back to her modelling days. Many might recognise her as the first runner-up in Mrs India NZ 2014. It was in the same year when Sahni decided to pursue her passion for photography by starting Soulful Memories. She believes that photos act as time capsules to relive memories—whether it is a shared hug or a laughter frozen in time. Indian Weekender caught up with the photographer to know what inspired her to pursue the art. ¡¡Esha Chanda IWK: What intrigues you the most about photography?

Parmeet Sahni

Parmeet: Time flies but memories stay—I realised it all the more when I shifted to New Zealand from India six years ago. I had to leave behind many precious memories in the pages of photo albums. I have always loved to capture special moments, especially each milestone of my two daughters. When I came here, I could only carry a handful of photos from the thousands I had. It was then that I realised the beautiful role these memories play in our lives IWK: What led you to start Soulful Memories?

Parmeet: I created Soulful Memories to fill the lives of people around me with special moments. Photography is more a passion than a profession for me.

I also do complimentary photo shoots. For me, photography is a medium to spread great, noble, and harmonious messages, just through visuals; sometimes no words are required.

On Valentine’s Day, I was spiritedly looking to photograph an elderly couple. It was a dream that I had for long, for it conveyed the message that love is eternal and has no age.

On Eid, I captured the photo of two children celebrating the festival, to spread the message of togetherness. I am planning to do my first book on colours of India. Most likely, the book will be releasing in October this year.

Above: A photo of the elderly couple clicked by Sahni on Valentine’s Day Top: Photo of the two children celebrating Eid Inset: Parmeet Sahni

My dream is to capture people of India and Pakistan in one book, without mentioning who is from where, to communicate that people are not separated by borders but united by humanity,

Matariki Festival 2016 Date: June 18 to July 17 Time: 6 a.m.to 10:00 p.m.

Venue: Region wide The rising of the Matariki star cluster

heralds in Māori New Year and a monthlong celebration with more than 100 events across the Auckland region, including concerts, theatre, exhibitions, kapa haka, kite flying and much more.

Visit matarikifestival.org.nz for details.

Matariki Festival 2016 has more than 100 events across the Auckland region.

Kaporangi Kiriata Te

Parmeet: I have attended workshops and taken professional training. Photography is a vast subject. When I first started, I had no clue about the technicalities of it. I worked hard day and night.

There have been times when I jumped off the walls around 2 a.m. to jot down ideas while thinking about the forthcoming photo sessions. For me, it is important to always be learning, pushing the boundaries, and finding something new and different with each shoot.

I am a firm believer in possibilities and love to create them, rather than finding reasons, and also that there is no age to pursue passion and dreams. I am constantly looking for courses to enhance my skills further.

Along with my photography pursuit, I am a full-time working woman with two kids and a supportive husband who has helped me to pursue my passion and to take it to a different height.

Without my family’s support, I would not have gone this far!

There is still a lot to learn and do.

all

IWK: As an artist, what is the one thing that you look for in each photo?

IWK: Did you undergo photography training before you set up the business?

Parmeet: To capture and reflect reality. My aim is to make pictures and capture as many moments as I can. Then, at the

and deep the same.

inside,

Reo Maori Film Day

Date: Sunday, July 10 Time: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Venue: Auckland War Memorial Museum, Domain Dr, Auckland Domain, Parnell Join the first-ever Te Reo Maori Film Day at Auckland War Memorial Museum for a day of te reo Maori shorts, dramatic works and documentaries. Films include new

Māori sci-fi short film Tawhiti by Tamati Ihaka. In the film Ruanui has returned from Mars but instead of settling down like he promised, he tries to convince his wife and daughter to return with him to start a new life on Mars. The film is completely in

we’re

te reo Māori.

Health and safety for newcomers

Date: Saturday, July 16 Time: 9:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Venue: CAB Eden Albert, Library Building, 82 St Lukes Road, Mt Albert CAB Eden Albert will hold a free information session for newcomers on Health and Safety for Newcomers to New Zealand where participants can understand the NZ public health service.

Refreshments will be provided. Contact Pauline Proud at 09 573 2611 or drop an

end of my life, I hope to look back with contentment and not regret thinking about the pictures I could have made.

IWK: Apart from portraits, what style of photography would you like to explore?

Parmeet: I do a lot of street photography. I am a blogger and love to relate my pics with a quote, story, or a notion. I do family photo shoots, newborn, maternity, candid photography and anything to do with special moments. Any subject that has people in it always interests me.

My next challenge is event and flash photography.

IWK: Which photographers have influenced you the most and how?

Parmeet: Peter Turnley is one of the photographers who inspires me a lot. He is a photojournalist known for documenting the human condition and world affairs. He has lived in and photographed Paris since 1978.

I absolutely love his pictures, as they speak volumes.

IWK: What is the one thing you wish you knew when you started photography?

Parmeet: That it is an expensive affair! I have noticed that my love for handbags and shoes has changed into love for cameras and lenses. But jokes apart, I really don’t know which one thing I should have known but all I know now is I eat, breathe and sleep photography.

e-mail at attraining.cabac@cab.org.nz for more information.

Networking for jobs and socialising

Date: Saturday, July 16 Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Venue: Level1, 3091 Great North Road, New Lynn CAB New Lynn will hold a free information session for newcomers on Networking for Jobs and Socializing in New Zealand where participants can learn about networking with professionals and the types of work experience projects.

They will also learn tips for gaining New Zealand work experience and learn the language of networking and socialising.

The session will be facilitated by Adon Kumar. Refreshments will be provided. To register, you can drop in, call or e-mail at Citizens Advice Bureau New Lynn, Library Building, 3 Memorial Drive, New Lynn.

Phone 827 7830 or 827 4731; e-mail newlynn@cab.org.nz

Let’s Celebrate India’s

70th Independence Day with

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