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CELEBRATING 13TH YEAR OF PUBLICATION
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South Asia Times Vol.13 I No. 9 I APRIL 2016 I FREE s o u t hasiatim es.com .au Editor: Neeraj Nanda
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GUEST EDITORIAL AIII Holi 2016 Wyndham Holi 2016 Jyoti & Arvind INTERVIEWS Arun Jaitley hindi pushp business
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Manjit Singh 04 04 04 00 66 See page 2
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GUEST EDITORIAL
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South Asia Times
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southSouth asia times 3 Asia Times
Clash or Dialogue?
By Jan -E-Alam Khaki
t
he emergence of a global village, where people from different civilisationalbacle grounds are coming together in increasing numbers to work, study, and live together, is creating fault lines that often erupt in violence. This phenomenon has led to an academic and political debate heightened by Samuel Huntington`s thesis on the `clash of civilisations`. Predicting future inter and intracivilisational conflicts, he argues: `The most pervasive, important and dangerous conflicts [in the future] will not be between social classes, rich and poor, or other economically defined groups, but between peoples belonging to different cultural entities. Tribal wars and ethnic conflicts will occur within civilisations. These projections have been given further credence by the unfortunate events of 9/11. The `clash position`, so to speak, sees the encounter of civilisations as an occasion to heighten or revive
historical confrontations, while completely hiding or understating historical symbiotic links among civilisations. On the other hand are those who perceive civilisational encounters as desirable, productive and necessary. They believe in promoting civilisational exchanges and building a culture of dialogue among civilisations. These dialogues occur at three levels: Individual, institutional and state. At the individual level, people, including writers, media, and many far-sighted community leaders, are promoting dialogue.
Enormous quantities of literature are published to promote better understanding among civilisations. At the institutional level, many civil society organisations and educational institutions have structured programmes to teach diversity and pluralism as a `language` of the civilisational discourse. John Esposito in The Future of Islam provides some examples of these programmes in the Western context. Many organisations, whose actions were previously restricted to their own communities, are now opening up to, and
contents P3
GUEST EDITORIAL
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AIII Holi 2016
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Wyndham Holi
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jyoti & arvind INTERVIEWS
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Honthon Se Chu Lo Tum
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Temple tantrums
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Maritime India Summit 2016
P 26
Cash-strapped Sri Lanka
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editor's pick
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Victoria Hockey
P 30-31
HINDI PUSHP
P 34
BUSINESS
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welcoming, others. Schools, colleges, universities, and social welfare institutions, are good examples of this. In fact, they are an example of dialogue within civilisations, a lofty feat indeed. This dialogue is not necessarily restricted to verbal discussions or conference presentations. It has to do with a wider meaning, which encompasses people-topeople contact, as well as cultural, educational and diplomatic exchanges. Such channels of communication, which focus on the perspectives of others in a non-judgemental, and what Marshall Rosenberg calls `non-violent communicative mode`, give further impetus to the dialogue of civilizations. An international Muslim leader once remarked that in a pluralistic world, the con-sequences of ignorance can be profoundly damaging ignorance of other people, and a lack of understanding of the valuable benefits of plurality, can lead to contempt, hatred and even war. It culminates in misery for all. CONTD. ON PG 4
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M. Preneet Kaur slams Akali-BJP govt. for Punjab’s decline
By Neeraj Nanda
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elbourne, 5 April: Punjab is in crisis and its future can only come with “good governance”, said Congress leader taking a dig at the Badal led AkaliBJP government facing a massive anti-incumbency wave in the Punjab. “The state needs to be debt and drug free, she said addressing a big group of supporters here at the Thornbury Theatre. M. Preneet Kaur, MLA from Patiala is the wife of
Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh, MP who is leading the Congress Party in Punjab. Commenting on what is being seen as a watershed election in a year, M. Preneet Kaur in an indirect reference to the rising stakes of the Aam Admi Party (AAP) said, “we need a tried and tested good governance party to rule Punjab “. She said, “ In the last two terms the Badal led AkaliBJP coalition had brought down Punjab from the first state to the 19th spot” and “ criticized the Modi-led
central government for dismantling the Planning Commission. “All good steps the Capt. Amarinder Singh led Congress government (2002 to 2007) took have been dismantled with industry having abandoned the state, agriculture and education in
a mess”, she said. The Congress leader refused to comment on the political scenario and the Congress party’s plans after the Punjab elections, saying it is too early to predict the outcome of the 2017 elections. Earlier, Alok Kumar and
Aakash Kumar of Thornbury Theatre welcomed the Congress leader among others. M. Preneet Kaur then mixed with the local Punjabi community facing many questions. The crowd seemed to enjoy a slice of Punjab politics far away from home. —SAT News Service
The Congress leader refused to comment on the political scenario and the Congress party’s plans after the Punjab elections, saying it is too early to predict the outcome of the 2017 elections.
Clash or Dialogue? CONTD. FROM PG 3
On the other hand, knowledge of other cultures and civilisations can promote better understanding among nations. Learning more about other cultures leads to a better understanding of oneself. Dr. Ali Asani, a professor of religion at Harvard University, in an interview with the Harvard Gazette in November 2015 argues, `As we engage [in a dialogue] with `the other`, we see that
we`re actually engaging with other viewpoints, and in the process, coming to know ourselves better. At the state level, many countries (a prime example being Canada) have promoted policies, laws and positive actions aimed at cultivating diversity. Globally, there is heightened awareness about dialogue although much more needs to be done. For example, in December last year, Muslims, Jews, Christians and Hindusjointly celebrated the births of the
Prophets HazratEsa and Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon them) at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. The event was intended to highlight the role played by these great prophets. A good number of people participated in the gathering, appreciating the effort of bringing people of different faiths together on common themes such as peace. Admittedly, cultural clashes have always been part of the human story. However, inter-cultural
cooperation has also equally been a major part of the mosaic of history. So, what should we opt for today clash or dialogue? Those who support dialogue among civilisations also support building on historic traditions of acceptance, accommodation, and even celebrating each other`s heritage. In sum, we may say that dialogue among civilisations today is not just a pragmatic need, but a strategy to better understand oneself and others. If this is the
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case, we then need to ask ourselves: what can support dialogue and contribute to mitigating clashes? To conclude this discussion, let us recall one of Rumi`s verses that remind us of the need for coming together: `Tubaraiwaslkardanaamadi; Ne baraifaslkardanaamadi` (you have been commanded to unite, not divide [the people]). The writer is an educationist with an interest in the study of religion and philosophy. This was originally published by Dawn, Pakistan.
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community
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AIII Holi 2016
a big splash of colours, music, dance & fun By our community reporter
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elbourne: The eighth AIII Holi Mela on 20th March was a big success with thousands playing Holi with powder colours and enjoying the day with family and friends. The festival of colours kicked off with Holika Dahan with traditional bon fire and puja offered. Hundreds surrounded the bon fire as the flames went up amidst the chanting of Hindu shlokas with the help of priests. It’s a tradition, which goes thousands of years back and still happens each year. This being the eighth year of AIII Holi celebrations at the Sandown Racecourse, special effort was made by the AIII committee to make all facilities available for families. Powder colour was on sale from a special stall managed by committee members and volunteers and did a brisk sale. Different colours were popular with Red and Yellow topping the list. People came again and
again to buy the colours as the day progressed with excellent weather. Meanwhile, the excellent cultural program with sizzling Bollywood dances and DJ music by DJ Baba and DJ Vijay tore through the silence of the Sandown Racecourse. Off course, traditional and regular Bollywood Holi songs were popular with thousands dancing and throwing colour at each other. The faces were glowing with red, yellow, blue, pink and green powder colours. Kids could also be seen throwing colours in the air. The stall area was popular as each year with Indian food and snacks like Chole-Bhutare, Chat-Papri, Gol Gappe, Jalebi, Samosa Chat and so on being the popular ones. The ice cream and coffee vans also did good business. For once Holi became a real fun with lots and lots of stuff to eat and buy a few ethnic stuff. One area that remained popular was the children’s rides as parent’s supervised their kids for the same. As the swings went up and down kids shouted in joy and
celebration. Their noises made the atmosphere more joyous and entertaining. A few VIPs including Mathew Guy, leader of opposition, Gabriel Williams Labor MP, Dandenong and Inga Peulich, Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs spoke to the crowd and wished them happy Holi. The invitees also played Holi with the young
crowds and went round the stalls and met people. Photographs were taken with stallholders and at the powder colour stall. The AII committee did a good job with the organization of such a gigantic event. In fact, they have pledged to keep doing so to make multicultural Australia stronger. It goes without saying that the AIII Holi at the
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Sandown Racecourse was, no doubt, a sign that multicultural Australia is a hard reality. With mainstream Australian participation with the Indian community the festival with different colours reflected the inclusive and broad nature of Australian society. Holi is today one of the many Australian festivals. —SAT News Service
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Wyndham Holi 2016
tops as biggest multicultural event in the West
By our community reporter
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elbourne: Saturday 26 March will go down as a historic day for the Indian community as the Victorian Cultural Association (VCA) managed Wyndham Holi attracted thousands at the President’s Park, Wyndham Vale. Hectic preparations were on for a few months with a massive media blitz in the newspapers, websites, boards, posters in shops and the social media. A large number of volunteers worked hard to achieve the success, which came with a bang. There were stalls of all verities including food stalls with all sorts of eatables. These were the ones with maximum people around as families enjoyed a snack or a nice meal. The entertainment part was already on from the very start as people came to play the festival of colors. The big effort for the staging this big Holi event in the West came with the massive support of the
community and the VCA office bearers Mr. Vinayak Kolaape (President), Mr. Praveen Nalla (Vice President), Mrs. Neha Kolape (Secretary and Public Officer), Mr. Anand Chukka (Treasurer) , Mr. Kapil Katpelly (Asst. Treasurer and Treasurer) and the big support of Mr. Arjun Surapaneni, CEO Victorian Institute of Technology (VIT) as one of the Patrons of the VCA. The family event was attended by people of many communities and reflected the multicultural ethos of Victoria and Australia. With many entertaining dances, rides for kids and a colorful rath yatra by the ISKON temple people that went round the event area with music and religious songs singing. International Punjabi artist Jasbir Jassi sang beautiful Punjabi songs with entertaining music. People danced and clapped as he sang hit and popular songs. He was joined by local Bollywood artist Tania Zaetta
on the stage. The Holi event during the day was used to collect funds for the Warribee Mercy Hospital. Interestingly, many local businesses and prominent people supported the event with all the help. No doubt, the event got appreciation from the community. This was the second year this event was held. About 40 organizations
including the Wyndham City Council, AIII, Indus Age, SAT, etc. sponsored and supported
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the festival of colours in Wyndham. —SAT News Service
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Thinking About a Home Loan? Make Sure You Are Aware Of These Terms
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uying a new home is something which everyone had dreamed for, isn’t it? However, there are many circumstances, which stops them, one of the main reasons is - “Home Loan”. The best thing about a home loan is that it provides you with your own home – no rents; you can make changes accordingly, proudly calling that home yours. Before going for a home loan, it's important to know all the necessary terms, so that you are ready to face all the tricky circumstances otherwise you will get an unexpected surprise. Here are some important terms you should know before
signing up for a home loan: • Childless Couples: Life is pretty good and relaxed when you have no children. Right? No extra expenses, no debt, no demands and all your income are saved. This is the perfect time for you to plan for a mortgage. You can make extra repayments, no tension of skipping any instalment. These small points can make a vast decision on your home loan, thus allowing you to pay sooner. But make sure, you keep a check on your interest rate, as this will provide you with more flexibility in repayments. • New Parents: Starting a
new chapter of life then it’s time to manage your income and expenses. This is the right time to change your mortgage to a fixed interest rate. By doing this, you can easily manage interest rate for a certain time period, by doing this you will lose flexibility, so it's better to leave a certain portion on a variable rate only if your budget allow. • Family Life: Your family is growing and obviously,
your kids need their own separate space, even you do. May be it's time to renovate your home, adding an additional bedroom and bathroom will make a good difference because you don't want to wait outside your bathroom for a shower neither you are willing to get late for your work. Renovation of your home totally depends upon the type of home loan you have opted for. Discuss with your
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bank lender before finalizing anything. • Plans Do Change: As you grow older, your plan changes too. It's important to review your home loan constantly every year so that you are sure about your needs. Are you looking for home loans in Australia? Then Loans Direct is the best choice for you to start planning for your dream home.
south asia EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH SAT 10 South Asia Timestimes
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Jyoti Thakur & Arvind Paranjape touring Australia and New Zealand
Sitar player Jyoti Thakar and tabla player Arvind Paranjape return to perform in Australia, with an extended tour of New Zealand. Their tour begins with concerts in Melbourne from 22nd to 24th April, followed by performances in Sydney on 29th and 30th April, Canberra on 1st May, Brisbane 7th May, Darwin 8th May and Auckland on 14th May. The dates are subject to scheduling changes and final confirmation from the organizers.
By Zadie Parker
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n June 2013 Jyoti and Arvind performed in Australia with concerts in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Darwin. This was perhaps the first ever instance of sitar and tabla artistes performing across such a large geographical area. After completing successful tours of Europe, America, South East Asia and Australia, sitar artist Jyoti Thakar and tabla player Arvind Paranjape return for an encore tour of Australia due to popular demand, with an extended tour of New Zealand. Jyoti and Arvind are also prepared to run workshops for sitar and tabla. Organizations interested in arranging programs and workshops for their organisations may contact Arvind Paranjape by email at asparanj@gmail.com or phone Somnath (Melbourne mobile number 0433 182 531). Jyoti Thakar- Sitar player Born in the Ashtewale family of Ujjain, Jyoti Thakar is the scion of a long tradition of sitar players. From early childhood, the subtlety and grandeur of the sitar have been a part of Jyoti's upbringing. With exposure to a wide range of talent, style and innovation of a vibrant music scene, Jyoti matured her art under first from her father Vasudevrao Ahstewale and then from Dr K.G.Gadgil and Dr N.G.Gadgil, themselves disciples of her great grandfather Bhaiyasaheb Ashtewale. . She has also studied with renowned vocalist Late Pandit Dinkar Kainkini, sarangi maestro Pt Ram Narayan and Talyogi Pt Suresh Talwalkar. Jyoti's performances feature a deep level of musical thought and development. She offers the astute listener a musical experience culled from a centuries-old family tradition and a lifetime of dedicated study. Jyoti seeks to evoke the full range and subtlety of the feeling of the classical ragas while
offering the connoisseur a uniqueness of style and fine nuances of mood. She has taught sitar for more than twenty years. In an interview with South Asia Times (SAT), Jyoti talks about her inspiration and the commitment and hard work that she had invested in her musical career. SAT: Could you please describe your experience of growing up in a musical household. How did you learn the discipline of daily practise of the sitar as a child? Jytoi: My father Vasudevrao Ashtewale was a sitar player. The musical tradition has a long history in our family. My father used to teach students who came to our house to learn sitar. As a result of this rich musical upbringing, I did not have to make any special efforts to learn sitar. I remember several great artists coming to our house. I started learning Sitar at the age of fifteen along with my brothers. As I grew older, I devoted more time to my
sitar practice. It became a passion for me and an indispensable part of my life. SAT: As a mother, how do you balance your household duties and family with your musical career? Jyoti: Like all women, my first duty was to look after my family. Though there were no artists in my husband's family, I received encouragement and support to pursue Sitar playing from them after I finished my household duties. Without my husband's wholehearted encouragement, it would not have been possible to reach this level in my musical career. When my children were growing up, I decided to limit my sitar practise so that I could devote time to them. While my children were young, I did not travel outside my home town of Pune for concerts. Now since they are well settled with their own families I am able to devote as much time as I can to my sitar
practise and concerts. I have performed in different cities in India and also abroad. SAT: What has been your experience of performing around the world to different audiences? Jyoti: I was fortunate to receive appreciation for my performances and a warm welcome wherever I performed both in India and overseas. As a result, my skill and confidence as a sitar player grew. SAT: What suggestions do you have for someone wanting to take up a career in music? Jyoti: As far as possible, children should be introduced to music as early as possible. If they display initial interest, they should be encouraged to continue playing. This is very important as playing the sitar requires both interest and commitment. I practise several hours a day, whether I am at home or on tour. Once children develop a love for sitar, they will
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find themselves willing to devote time to practise and improve their skill. It requires commitment and sacrifice to make a career as a sitar player. I sometimes have to manage personal demands on my time in order to make time for my sitar practice. You also have to be prepared for physical effort. When I practise for long periods, I often develop calluses on my fingers which can be quite painful. I work through the pain and continue to practise as I am fully committed to sitar and have a deep and abiding love of classical music. SAT: Is there an ideal age to begin playing an instrument? Jyoti: The earlier children begin to learn a musical instrument the better. Take the case of Anoushka Shankar, Ravi Shankar's daughter. She began training with her father at the age of seven. She started to accompany her father on the tanpura when she was just ten. CONTD. TO PG 11
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Queensland support for Adani coal mine hypocrisy : Greenpeace By SAT News Desk
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elbourne, 16 March: The Queensland Parliament’s support (on 15 March) for the approval of Adani’s $21.7 billion Carmichael Coal project has come under attack from the Greenpeace. It is ‘utterly irresponsible’ and ‘grossly hypocritical’ two days after saying coral bleaching is worsening in the Great Barrier Reef, the Greenpeace says. The state Development and Natural Resources and Mines Minister Anthony Lynham said the House agreed a motion that all State Government approvals be provided to help create jobs in North and Central Queensland. Government and Opposition speakers, including Dr.Lynham and Treasurer Curtis Pitt, told the Parliament that the project potentially offered thousands of jobs and much-needed economic development. “It’s unbelievable. The Great
Barrier Reef is Queensland’s most precious environmental asset. It is unique, it’s delicate, and it is at grave risk from climate change, as we are seeing right now with coral bleaching,” said ShaniTager, Greenpeace Australia Pacific reef campaigner. “Instead of offering words of support for the coal industry under the banner of creating potential jobs, the Queensland government needs to protect the Great Barrier Reef, which provides jobs for more than 69,000 people already. “Allowing any new coal mines will worsen the threat to the reef, and is incredibly hypocritical, given the Queensland government’s continued promises to UNESCO that it will protect this World Heritage icon. Instead of wasting their time with empty statements of support for the coal industry, the Queensland government should
be working to transition to clean energy and sustainable jobs.” “Jobs associated with Carmichael have been grossly overstated, as the Land Court heard. There are no sustainable jobs in coal. “The Queensland Government seems to have forgotten that coal creates carbon emissions. If the Carmichael mine, the biggest proposed coal mine in Australia,
gets built, the coal will be burnt overseas, driving climate change, warming our oceans and contributing to coral bleaching. “It doesn’t matter if it’s burnt in India, in Korea or Australia. Climate change is a global problem and exporting the coal makes it our problem when the future of the Great Barrier Reef is at stake,” said MsTager. “The Carmichael project is in financial disarray, coal is in structural decline, and the mine still faces legal challenges.” If it ever got to full production, the 28,000ha Carmichael coal mine would put 121 million tonnes of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere each year and ship 60 million tonnes of coal directly through the heart of the Reef, a Greenpeace media release says. —SAT News Service
Jyoti Thakur & Arvind Paranjape touring... CONTD. FROM PG 10
If you develop an interest at an early age, the love for music and commitment to developing your skill tends to stay with you as you grow older. Arvind Paranjape is a tabla player born into a family of artists. He was attracted to music through his uncle and musician Pandit Kamikar Joshi. He started learning tabla from the late Pandit G L Samant and later from tabla maestro and Guru Talyogi Pandit Suresh Talwalkar. Arvind has completed a Sangeet Alankar (equivalent to a Masters degree) from Gandharva Mahamandal. As a solo tabla player and accompanist, he has performed at concerts in India, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Australia. He is passionate about spreading a love of Indian classical music and organizes and participates in various programs consisting of select vocal, instrumental and Kathak artists. Arvind also presents a unique program titled 'Tab bhi bola' which brings out the beauty and versatility of tabla as a solo and accompanying instrument. Arvind is a Chartered Secretary and Cost Management Accountant and works as a financial adviser in his own private consulting practise. He has authored a book on mutual funds and also writes for various newspapers. Arvind gave an interview to South Asia Times (SAT)
prior to his 2016 tour of Australia and New Zealand.
SAT: You mention that you began playing tabla as a child. What kind of discipline is required to learn to play the tabla from an early age? Arvind: It's a question of liking, and I was fortunate to have family members who were interested in various art forms. My father was a medical doctor and also deeply interested in theatre. My mother was very fond of singing and teaching bhajans, and my uncle was a classical singer. Though there was no compulsion for me to take up tabla, it came from within. My school days were more of fun and pleasure compared to today's children. There were also no electronic gadgets around to divert my energy. Nowadays parents want their children to be champions in sports, learn a foreign language, study music, participate in the Olympiad and undertake a whole range of activities. SAT: How should musical talent be encouraged from an early age in today's world with so many demands on time? Arvind: In the initial years, parents should allow their children to experiment and try whatever they would like to learn. After being given exposure to a variety of activities, children can then select their area of interest and that stream should be encouraged. Artists or sportspeople need to be groomed from childhood with
focused attention. Parents should not expect their children to be all rounder and insisting their doing studies, sports, arts etc. Most of the great musicians like Ustad Zakir Hussain started learning from their Guru in their childhood. Tabla playing requires technique, learning and perfecting a certain method of playing from your guru. When you are young, your muscles are flexible so it is easy to master techniques. For an instrument player, (sitar or tabla) mastering the proper technique of playing is very important, as it is the medium of your expression. There are four aspects of learning music. The first is Tantra or technique. The second is Shastra which are the rules, the third is Vidya which means the literature or compositions and the fourth is Kala which is art or aesthetics. The first three can be learnt from your guru and outsiders. Your guru will teach you the rules of music, ragas, and various compositions within a raga. But after mastering the first three, one has to learn Kala on his own, as it cannot be taught, like the first three skills. SAT: You have travelled around the world giving performances. What kind of audience reactions have you received? Arvind: Sitar and Tabla are now universally well known thanks to stalwarts like Ravi Shankar, Allarakhan, Zakir Hussain, Hari Prasad Chaurasiya and Shivkumar
Sharma, who have made Indian classical music popular across the globe. This has made our task easier. The language of music is universal and all cultures can relate to it easily.
SAT: You have started a popular program called 'Tab bhi bola' (talking tabla) . Could you tell me about it. Arvind: Tabla is one of the most versatile and developed percussion instruments in the world. It can accompany both Eastern and Western music. When I realized that there are innumerable admirers of Tabla, I conceptualized this program. There is an unconfirmed story about the inception of tabla. The story goes that two tabla players in the court of the Mughal Badshah had a competition. When one of the players lost, he was so angry that he broke his pakhavaj (or mridangam). It broke in two pieces but he could still play each piece separately. He said "neeche gira, toota, tab bhi bola wo tabla" (the mridangam fell down and broke but still its 2 pieces could produce sound). This is just a story but it demonstrates that music cannot be destroyed. Tab bhi bola is sort of Edutainment program. i.e. lecture cum demonstration with live tabla played by me while narrating about tabla. SAT: What are some of your more memorable experiences while performing and running workshops for tabla? Arvind: Last year I held a workshop for children in
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Southampton in UK. They were pre primary children with no exposure to Indian culture. It was a unique experience for me. I played tabla along with their nursery rhymes. For example, I'd get them to sing Twinkle, twinkle little star and how to play it and vary the speed with help of tabla. Another memorable experience was at a performance during my last tour of Melbourne, at a concert arranged by Radhe Shyamji. After the concert, a lady came up to me and said 'Apne Lucknow ki yaad dikadi.' (you reminded me of Lucknow). Lucknow is famous for Tabla, Kathak dance and gazal. Classical music is popular in North India and there are many famous players from there. Future plans Jyoti and Arvind have a commitment to increasing public interest in Indian music and sitar wherever possible. To that end, the duo have been running workshops for many years. Geographic distance is not a problem with the use of Skype and other online forums. They will continue to tour and share their love of sitar and tabla through performances and workshops. 'The support of lovers of Indian classical music around the world has been invaluable in helping us arrange programs and workshops and we are grateful to our supporters everywhere,' says Jyoti as we conclude the interview.
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Indian market model needs social aspect: Arun Jaitley By Neeraj Nanda
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elbourne, 1 April: The Indian Finance Minister, Mr. ArunJaitley has said reservations in jobs and educational institutions for Scheduled Casts (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) will continue for a long time. Mr. Jaitley was addressing a large gathering at the Melbourne University at an interaction organized by the Australia India Institute (AII) and the Indian
Consulate, Melbourne and conducted by AII, Director Mr. Craig Jeffery. Mr. Jaitley said the ST are still the most deprived section of Indian society for whom the “quality of life” has not improved. Touching on the Indian economic development, Mr. Jaitley said the “Indian market-oriented development model has to have a social aspect” and that for a large population “inequality is a reality”. Agricularists except the few rich ones, Mr. Jaitley
said, were in a bad shape and his government was trying to empower the rural people with different schemes. Answering to a question by SAT, as to what could Australia do in the ‘Make in India’ scheme, when it itself had little manufacturing, the Indian Finance Minister said India was looking at the resources, food processing and infrastructure projects like highways, railway stations and airports. “Lots of investment
funds in Australia were looking for investing and there has been some positive response,” he said. Answering to a pointed question on the Hyderabad and Jawaharlal Nehru universities issues, Mr. Jaitley defended the Modi Government’s stand and said India was worst effected by terrorism (referring to the Mumbai blasts and Parliament attack cases) and the ‘sovereignty of India’ was an exception to ‘freedom of speech’. —SAT News Service
Lots of investment funds in Australia were looking for investing and there has been some positive response.
Victoria’s family violence system to be overhauled
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elbourne, 29 March: The Daniel Andrews led Labor Government in Victoria is all set to build a better system to put family violence victims at the heart of new reforms it plans to implement. The reforms will emanate from the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Family Violence Report, tabled in Parliament today. The state government plans to overhaul Victoria’s broken family violence system from the bottom up, with the help of the report. It will implement all 227 recommendations stemming from the report – with work underway on recommendations around risk management and information sharing. The government says: “We will
establish 17 state-wide safety hubs, boost early intervention services and provide more specialist family violence services within courts. We will ensure stronger accountability for perpetrators, more resources for police, family violence training at hospitals and schools and an independent agency to hold governments to account.” Premier Daniel Andrews said, “I refuse to look back in ten years’ time and admit that we could have done more to save innocent lives. We will get this right. We will punish the perpetrators, listen to the survivors and change the culture that allows family violence to happen in the first place. There can be no more excuses. Our work begins today to overhaul
We will punish the perpetrators, listen to the survivors and change the culture that allows family violence to happen in the first place. our broken family violence system from the bottom up.” “We will introduce new laws so that the privacy of perpetrators doesn’t
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trump the safety of victims. There will be a housing blitz for women in crisis, and more resources for schools to teach the next generation about respectful relationships. Above all, we will put victims at the heart of our reforms. We will work with victims and survivors, and with the people and organisations that support them, to build a better system that will help prevent family violence and keep people safe,” says a media release from the Premier’s office. Minister for Prevention for Family Violence Fiona Richardson said, “This report will change everything. We want to create a new system that helps prevent violence and gives victims and survivors the support they need.” —SAT News Service.
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Om Music Group pays a heartfelt tribute to Sadhana By Hissmukh
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elbourne :What a tribute to one of our most loved actresses in Bollywood! Aephoolon Ki rani baharon Ki malika is exactly how I would describe Sadhana thewell loved actress who sadly passed away recently. A wonderful trip down memory lane in your show, wonderful selection of all her hit songs and beautifully performed by the Om Music Group, thank you Amitabh Singh for putting such fantastic tributes together each month! Your group needs to be commended for all their hard work and paying such wonderful tributes to all our well loved Bollywood actors each month! Anyone who has missed these tributes should come and experience the show and see how wonderful these evenings are!I thoroughly enjoyed all the songs performed in this month’s show ! My favourite would have to be the title song and “Abhinajaochhodkar” from
Hum Dono sung by Amitabh and Priya Singh. Neela, dressed in the spirit of the era to charm the audience along with singers Mandy andTilaka enthralled the audience with her
beautiful performance. The live musicians were outstanding and while I am always in awe of RohitKunar's amazing and versatile talent on the key board it was amazing to
see the ease with which the Guitarist Raul Roxas (Filipino by descent) was playing along despite the minimal exposure he has had with Hindi cinema music.
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Ring Amitabh Singh for all bookings at 0422028076 or send an SMS, you can also find more about it from our event page on facebookhttps:// www.facebook.com/ events/1750553645175558/.
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Labor heat on Turnbull over education cuts By Neeraj Nanda
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elbourne, 5 April: Labor has come down heavily on Prime Minister Turnbulls education cuts. Shadow Finance Minister Tony Burke talking to the multicultural media said, “ He would cut all funding to public schools and continue funding the private schools.” Tony Burke was in Glen Waverley introducing three Labor candidates, i.e., Julian Hill (Bruce), Stefanie Pressi (Chisholm) and Jennifer Wang (Senate). Answering to a SAT question, Tony Burke commenting to the ‘Panama Papers’ story said, Labor had a fully costed plan to make MNCs pay more tax. “We want foreign investment but they should pay their tax,” he said. Julian Hill, grown-up in the southeast, attended high school in Glen Waverley with degrees in science and law and worked for current
federal member for Bruce, Alan Griffin. Stefanie Pessi, takes over from Anna Burke who served as the member for Chisholm since 1998.
Jennifer Wang, two times Mayor of Manningham in 2012/13 and 2015/16. She is contesting for the Senate. Answering to a question during the media
interaction, she said, I want multicultural communities to be reflected in the Australian Parliament, though things cannot change overnight.
The three Labor candidates have expressed willingness to discuss issues and hear suggestions on local or other issues. —SAT News Service
Victoria funding boost for elective surgery
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elbourne, 10 April: Nearly 200,000 Victorians will get the surgery they need sooner this year, with Australia’s largest ever one-off investment to tackle elective surgery waiting lists in the 2016-17 Victorian Budget. Minister for Health Jill Hennessy joined Member for Ivanhoe Anthony Carbines and Member for Eltham Vicki Ward at Austin Health’s Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital to announce a record boost for elective surgery. As part of this package, hospitals
across Victoria – including Austin Health – will also share in a funding boost to build new theatres, open more beds and buy more equipment so they can treat more patients, more quickly. This record investment in elective surgery will mean the patients currently waiting the longest for surgeries will get the surgeries they need sooner and move off hospital waiting lists. Those patients waiting the longest, with the most complex surgeries, will be prioritized. This additional funding for this
year is the equivalent of: • Around 3,100 more coronary artery by-pass grafts • Around 6,700 more hip replacements • Around 6,800 more knee replacements • Around 22,000 more sinus and ear operations • Around 34,000 more eye surgeries Under the former Liberal Government, Victorians were waiting too long for vital surgeries and treatments with an average of 158,000 patients receiving surgery
per year. The $335 million boost includes funding over four years for additional elective surgery and an immediate $20 million capital works injection. Minister for Health Jill Hennessy said, “We know that patients waiting for elective surgeries want to be seen sooner and we’re getting it done.” “We want Victorians happy and healthy. The sooner they can get their surgeries, the sooner they can recover and get back to their normal lives and families, “he said. —SAT News Service
Repeal of Sec 18-A will allow racist hate speech : Julian Hill By our community reporter
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elbourne, 29 March: Julian Hill, Labor’s candidate for Bruce has said that the Turnbull Government should rule out Liberal MPs voting to repeal Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, given comments from the Liberal Party’s new Senator for Victoria, Senator James Paterson.
“Liberal Party Senator James Paterson has been in Parliament barely a week and has already said that his priorities include Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act”, Mr. Hill said. “It is hugely disappointing that one of the greatest priorities of the new Liberal Senator is to repeal decadesold laws to allow racist hate speech. “Sadly, although he’s new, he fits right in as Senator Paterson is far from alone in the Liberal Party in
agitating for the Government to repeal this law to allow racist hate speech. “In 2014 the Abbott Government tried to repeal 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act and were overwhelmingly rejected by the Australian community. “This issue is especially important in the electorate of Bruce as it’s the only Federal electorate where a majority of people were born in another country. In our diverse community
everyone must be able to go about their daily life without fear of being vilified for their race or ethnic background. It’s really unbelievable that we are still having this debate in modern Australia. “In the last 10 months I have knocked on more than 10,000 doors talking with thousands of residents across the Bruce electorate. Funnily enough, not once has anyone suggested to me that I should defend their right to be a bigot.
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The top issues that people raise over and over again are education, jobs and protecting Medicare. “Malcolm Turnbull needs to show some leadership and rule out Liberal members voting to repeal Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. Instead he should focus his government on issues like education and jobs that actually matter to people”, Mr. Hill said. —SAT News Service
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Vaisakhi Bash at Sandown Racecourse
A big Visakhi Mela was held at the Sandown Racecourse on 10 April and attended by thousands. Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams, Julian Hill ( Federal Candidate for Bruce) and Mayor Cr. Heang Tak (Dandenong Council) and Kaushalya Vaghela were honored followed by a massive cultural show.
Uttrakhand Sangeet Sandhya a big hit
The Uttrakhand Sangeet Sandhya on March 28 at the Heritage Receptions, Epping had mind blowing performece by Narender Negi, Meena Rana, Pritam Barthwan and upcoming rising star Parkash Kalah. Music was superb forcing audience to dance. President Umed Bora welcomed the guests and Secretary Prem Rawat thanked the audience for their response . Pattern and organiser of the show Mr Arun Pande who was main architect of the show.
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Honthon Se Chu Lo Tum… an evening of Sukoon
By our music reporter
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elbourne, April 2 : Melbourne music lovers were treated to a fabulous evening of music by a team of dazzling local singers and musicians at Sukoon-A-Layaheld at the Chandler Theatre, Keysborough. The show paid tribute to Jagjit Singh, AshaBhosle and PankajUdhas in the first half, by focusing on the Ghazal genre. Legendary singer Jagjit Singh played a big role in popularizing the ‘Ghazal’ genre by taking it to the masses and leading Melbourne singer Siyer (Shriram) did a great job in taking the audience through the memory lane by singing Jagjit Singh’s hits such as Honthon Se Chu Lo Tum, Kaagaz Ki Kashti, JhukiJhuki Si Nazar to name a few. Siyer has over 400 concerts to his credit along with 2.5 million views on YouTube. Along with that, he is a protégé’ of Shankar Mahadevan and learns classical music from UstadAminulHaque
who himself is the direct disciple of one of the stalwarts of classical music,KishoriAmonkar. Melbourne’s nightingale, SnehaMahajan floored the audience with her rendition of DilCheezKya, the immortal song fromMuzaffarAli’s UmraoJaan. Singer, Neha Sinha,
who was visiting from Pune and is a trained singer, impressed greatly with SalonaSajan. To round off the first half Siyer finished with PankajUdhas’s famous ChittiAaiHai and ChandiJaisa Rang Tera. Popular music has thrilled many, but their deep connection with classical music, the base for all forms of music has not been explored very often in live concerts. In the second half Siyer and his team did exactly that. They rendered amazing medleys in RaagYamanKalyan, RaagShivaranjani and RaagDesh along with a TaalRoopakdemo which included the evergreen hit Tere Mere Milan Ki from the film Abhimaan. All the singers rounded off the evening quite appropriately with Mile Sur MeraTumahra. Jay Dabgar on the Tabla mesmerized the audiencewith his electric performance. On the harmonium, reputed singer and teacher, BikramMalhar also enthralled the audience with some impromptu sargams. Joining them
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on guitar, seasoned performer, NatrajBabji played every interlude with great feeling and completed the 3-piece group wonderfully. The organizers thanked Ali Mohammed of Platinum Insurance & Financial Planning, the title sponsor of the concert and a lover of music. Media partners included South Asia Times (SAT)and Radio Haanji. Refreshments were provided by the courtesy of Sabrini Foods. Pure Acoustics did a great job managing the sound on the night. Special thanks to ‘Indian Junction’, a project that promises a home away from home in Melbourne for supporting the project. DJ Baba, the promoter of the show also did a fine job as did the event manager of the show Giggle Oberoi, who kept things running smoothly. The MC of the evening, RashiDhagat also did a great job throughout the concert. All in all, it was a great evening and we hope to see more from Siyer and his team. —SAT News Service
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GLIMPSES OF MR. PUNJAB/MR. SINGH/MISS/MRS KAUR AUSTRALIA 2016 EVENT @ THORNBURY THEATRE
Sangeet Sandhya Open forum for music lovers – classical, semi-classical & film music
Saturday 6/02/16 - Cyril James Saturday 2/04/16 - Ustad Aminul Haque Tuesday 4/06/16 - Shubhangi Pandey Saturday 6/08/16 - Sneha Mahajan Saturday 1/10/16 - Chanchal Mandal Saturday 3/12/16 - TBA
Swar Sandhya Open forum for music lovers; Karaoke – Popular Indian Music Bring your own music, perform and enjoy
Saturday 2/1/16 Saturday 7/5/16 Saturday 3/9/16
Saturday 5/3/16 Saturday 2/7/16 Monday 5/11/16
Venue: Waverly Meadows Primary School,
Time: 8.00pm
Columbia Drive, Wheelers Hill Free Entry, with ample parking, Free tea, coffee and biscuits Contact: Phone- 0402 074 208 or 0407 559 113 email- sangeetswarsandhya@gmail.com www.facebook.com/sangeetsandhya
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AAP leader H. S. Phoolka welcomed in Melbourne
By our community reporter
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elbourne: Popular lawyer, human rights activist and Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader Mr. H.S. Phoolka was warmly welcomed here by supporters. The local unit of the AAP organized events for him, which was attended by many. This was the first official visit of an
AAP leader to Australia. He also visited Sydney and was also was the chief guest at the recently concluded Sikh Games in Brisbane. He gave away awards to winners and was widely cheered. Mr. Phoolka was accompanied by Ex-Punjab Police Arjun Award winner Mr. Sajjan Singh now an AAP leader. In his address Mr. Phoolka the progress of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases and why he is today with the
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AAP. He described how Punjab was socially and economically in a bad state. Mr. Phoolka called upon Indians and those abroad to support the AAP. Mr. Phoolka’s visit was coordinated by Mr. Rakesh Prajapati, Convener AAP Australia and Victoria, Mr. Balram Singh, Convener AAP NSW and Mr. Kamaldeep Singh Mann, AAP Convener Brisbane. —SAT News Service
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Heavenly havens
By F. S. Aijazuddin
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pr 7, 2016 (Dawn, Pakistan) - Spring has not shed its bloom, yet its roses have turned the colour of congealed blood. The latest massacre of our innocents took place this time at Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park Lahore on March 27. Over 75 children, their parents and other holiday-goers died. More than 340 were injured. It was a cruelly premature Easter resurrection for the Christians amongst them, and a hellish holiday for their Muslim co-victims. Surviving Lahoris did not need to proclaim: `Je suis Lahore.` Over centuries, that slogan has been repeated with less grief in the adage `Lahore Lahorehai` (Lahore is Lahore). L ahore did not need to illuminate its Minar-i-Pakistan in mourning colours. That eastern Eiffel tower stood shrouded already in white, which on our national flag symbolises our terrified minorities. Who, it could be asked, amongst those who lost their lives on that Easter Sunday, secured martyrdom the suicide bomber or his hapless victims? A contemporary Oxford historian Peter Frankopan, speaking recently in Lahore, provided an answer. He differentiated between
a martyr sacrificing his/her own life in the name of faith, and those who commit suicide as an act of faith, to gain martyrdom, but murder unwary martyrs around them. Did that suicide bomber in Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park believe that there are discrete heavens, as there are separate graveyards on earth, for Muslim and Christian martyrs? Surely, divinity does not contain discrimination in its DNA. Whichever heaven those martyrs have gone to, it is certainly not in Panama. That heavenly haven was once thought secure and inviolate. Instead, e-leaks have disclosed reams of secret offshore transactions by luminaries such as Putin, the Bachchans, and the Sharifs. They all assumed that they would take their secrets (if not their money) with them to the grave. Instead, their financial fandango has been exposed. Their fiscal tomfoolery has become known to the public, and probably also to their spouses. The last thing these well-known names expected to see was their laundered money being washed again like dirty linen in public. Money laundering is not a new phenomenon. Nations have been doing it for centuries. Imperial Athens
and Rome, Beijing and Moscow, London and Paris transferred regularly the portable riches of their colonies to swell their treasuries at home. Immoveable assets were kept abroad, in kind. For example, in the 1880s, King Leopold II effectively owned the Congo Free State. That allowed him to exploit its enormous mineral resources and then divert the proceeds to his personal benefit. Victorian Britain became Great Britain riding astride the elephantine economies of its colonies. Even a minnowcountry like Holland expanded its lungs breathing in oxygen provided by the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). By contrast, the rulers of today prefer to denude their own nations and instead window-dress the economies of foreign ones. One single superrich Russian oligarch, for example, can prop up London`s property market on his littlest finger, like Krishna did Mt Goverdhan. The postGorbachev perestroika of the 1980s made the island economy of Cyprus a sanctuary, to cool red-hot Russian money. Dubai`s property boom soared after Arab oil shifted from beneath the sand and transmuted into skyscrapers built above it.
Now that Panama has destroyed its reputation (who needs a tell-tale bank manager?) and damaged those of its trusting clients, one wonders how newer 21st-century Nadir Shahs will hide their troublesome wealth? Will they solidif y it into gold? Each would need a private Fort Knox to safeguard that. In property abroad? As Rockwood Estate once showed, there is always the danger of having to disclose beneficialownership. Through shell companies? Sea clams are more reticent than Panamanian lawyers. In overpriced jewellery? Not any longer. Even majesties dress like frugal republicans. The maladies of the overrich are peculiar to their own species. That is whythey invent their own antidotes. Strange as it may seem but plausible in its perversity, perhaps the safest haven for our Muslim magicians is to make their money disappear into Israeli banks. Who would think of searching there? How could NABeven if it was so inclined retrieve assets that have been squirreled away in a country we do not even recognise? Only a myopic optimist or a na誰ve parliamentarian would believe that money that has been taken out of the country will ever find
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Money laundering is not a new phenomenon. Nations have been doing it for centuries. its way back. Black money has no such homing instincts. Similarly, there is little to be gained from moral finger-wagging and social tut-tutting. Neither will arouse the conscience of either democratically elected kings or of their courtiers. They donotcare. As Nietzsche said: `He who cannot give anything away cannot feel anything either. Money no longer matters to those slaughtered in Gulshani-Iqbal Park and in Army Public School, Peshawar. They paid admission fees with their lives. Pakistanis pay every day to admit their filthy rich into Panama. The writer is an author. www.fsaijazuddin.pk This story was originally published by Dawn, Pakistan.
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Power and greed By ZahidHussain
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pr 6, 2016 (Dawn, Pakistan) - The Panama Papers only confirm what has long been known. The unprecedented leak of confidential documents provides some insight into how the rich and powerful stash away their wealth in secret offshore companies. The trail leads to national leaders, top politicians, celebrities and businessmen around the world. Information gleaned from over 11 million documents from a Panama-based law firm is just the tip of the iceberg. The disclosure has triggered global investigations into secret offshore money. Not surprisingly, the long list of those who use of fshore tax havens include family members and associates of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and the names of several other prominent politicians. Although some information about the Sharif family`s foreign assets is already known, details of the offshore companies owned by them is shocking, and has generated a political storm in the country. The companies owned by Sharif`s sons and daughter were reportedly used to acquire properties worth millions of pounds in Britain. While not directly named in the leaks, the revelations pertaining to his apparently massive family business abroad have certainly put the beleaguered prime minister in a tight spot. It seems hard to believe that Sharif has no connection whatsoever with the wealth belonging to his children. The defence offered by the family and government spokesmen has so far failed to answer basic questions about the money trail. It is not just the nation`s first family that is under scrutiny the leaks have also exposed some 200 prominent
Pakistani businessmen and politicians, raising questions about sources of their alleged hidden wealth. While the Saifullah family is on top of the list, former interior minister Rehman Malik, and many close associates of former president Asif Ali Zardari also figure in the scandal. Most shockingly, however, is the inclusion of a retired and a sitting high court judge in the list. The leaks provide just a glimpse of the money that has been taken out of the country. The revelationsgive credence to suspicions about the relationship between power and greed. Surely it is not illegal to invest in offshore companies. But it is a fact that there are myriad ways in which illgotten wealth is channelled through offshore companies. The Panama Papers show that many dictators, drug traffickers and criminals have exploited offshore havens to hide their wealth. The leaks have linked over 70 current and former heads of state, including some of the most infamous dictators, to billions of dollars parked in offshore accounts. Indeed, this is not the first time that information about the offshore financial assets of Pakistan`s political leaders has surfaced. It was revealed during the Swiss money-laundering case that Benazir Bhutto and her husband AsifZardari were the beneficiaries of an offshore company registered in the British Virgin Islands, through which alleged kickbacks on government contracts were channelled. PPP leaders have denied the charge. But the latest leaks include the names of Benazir Bhutto and some of her close family members. It was not surprising to see the names of some of Zardari`s closest associates on the list. Nawaz Sharif was also accused and investigated for money laundering in the 1990s. The investigation was, however, never completed
after Sharif returned to power for the second time. A major defence of Pakistani leaders was that the cases were politically motivated. Of course, there is no denying that anti-corruption campaigns have often been used by successive governments to beat down their political opponents. But there is little doubt that most of the corruption cases against political leaders were valid, though they were never convicted by a court of law. It is also true that the corruption cases were used as a blackmailing tool and for political bargaining. This biggest data leak in history has triggered protests in various countries. Thousands of people came out on the streets in Iceland demanding the resignation of their prime minister after a leakeddocument showed his wife owned a secret offshore company. France, India, Australia and New Zealand have ordered investigations against their nationals named in the Panama Papers for money laundering and tax evasion. British Prime
Minister David Cameron has also come under pressure after the disclosure that his late father invested money in an offshore company in order to evade taxes. Interestingly, the skeletons tumbling out of Panamanian closets have brought the PML-N and the PPP together in denouncing the leaks as a conspiracy to malign politicians. No one, however, can beat Rehman Malik, who has declared the Panama files a `RAW conspiracy` against him. The leaks tell a rags-to-riches story of a former FIA official who later became the country`s interior minister. Considering his alleged involvement in shady business dealings, is it a surprise that he was the former PPP government`s most powerful member? The Panama leaks have exposed the links between power and greed. Not surprisingly, the offshore financial regime has become the biggest haven for often illgotten money accumulated by political leaders and businessmen. The Panama
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Papers have provided the most substantive evidence of how billions of dollars were taken out of the country. It may be true that not all the money invested in offshore companies was obtained through illegal means. But there is still a need for an impartial and across-theboard investigation. Crying themselves hoarse over perceived conspiracies does not clear Pakistani politicians of allegations of misdeeds. Sharif needs to explain how some of the offshore companies were formed in the early 1990s, during his first term in office. It is hard for him to completely disassociate himself from the business empire that his family has built, in Britain and other countries over the past two decades, under the umbrella of offshore companies. The power elite should not wait for public dismay over the scandal to turn into outrage. The writer is an author and journalist. This story was originally published by Dawn, Pakistan.
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Temple tantrums
EW DELHI, India, Apr 5 2016 (IPS) - Women comprise nearly half of India’s 1.2 billion population, yet gender bias and patriarchal mindsets continue to plague them well into the 21st century. Even holy places — temples and mosques — it seems aren’t free from discriminating against the fair sex. By Neeta Lal
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he country has lately been in the grip of a nationwide furore over a few renowned temples banning women’s entry into their sanctum sanctorum. The reason given for the perpetration of such sexism is as flimsy as it’s regressive — women menstruate and are therefore `impure’ and unfit to enter shrines! However, unlike earlier, when such inequities would be par for the course, and taken by women in their stride, the ladies are now giving it back good by challenging ossified conventions and confronting their tormentors. Unprecedented statements like `menstruation is neither unclean nor shameful, but a simple biological act’ are entering the popular lexicon and resonating with millions. For instance, when a senior priest at Sabarimala Temple in southern Kerala declared last November that women won’t have access to the shrine till a machine was invented to detect if they were “pure” or weren’t menstruating, locals reacted with outrage. An estimated one million Hindu pilgrims flock to Sabarimala in the western ghat mountains every year to pay homage to the deity Lord Ayyappan who meditated at that spot, according to Hindu mythology. The priest’s statement prompted an incensed college student to launch a `Happy To Bleed’ campaign on Facebook, which quickly went viral. The campaign urged women to hold placards saying “Happy to Bleed”, take a picture of themselves and upload it on to their Facebook profile. Soon social media was flooded with women holding placards — some made up of sanitary napkins and tampons. The movement resulted in the Sabarimala ban coming under legal scrutiny with the Indian Young Lawyers’ Association filing a petition in the Supreme Court. The petition seeks entry for all women which prompted the court to ask temple authorities to explain the ban. Similarly, in January this year, 500 angry women marched from the western city of Pune towards the ShaniShingnapur Temple in
Legal experts point out that what complicates the dynamic in India further is that while the Constitution endows duties of social reform on the state, it fails to distinguish between state and religion.
Maharashtra when temple priests precluded them from entering its premises. Local activist group — the RanraginiBhumata Brigade (Women Warriors of Mother Earth) — stormed the temple in an act of rebellion to challenge the 400 yearold tradition. The group faced a formidable security barrier both outside the village and at the temple in the form of armed cops and barricades. But the ladies were undeterred. According to Trupti Desai, leader of the Bhumata Brigade, “These are man-made traditions. God doesn’t discriminate between man and woman. If women want to go into the temple, how can you stop them? Is the temple managed by the Taliban? We don’t need anyone’s permission to visit God.” Public pressure seems to be working. The Bombay high court on March 30 asked the state government of Maharashtra to ensure that women are not denied entry to any temple. Hearing a public interest litigation challenging the prohibition on women’s entry to the ShaniShingnapur temple, the division bench ordered that: “You have to ensure
their access. Provisions in law already allow this. Nothing prevents women from entering. Police and collector will have to act against those preventing their entry.” It added that if men were granted entry to a place of worship, women should enjoy access too. Activists had sought implementation of the Maharashtra Hindu Places of Public Worship (entry Authorisation) Act, 1956. The Act says, “no Hindu of whatsoever section or class shall in any manner be prevented, obstructed or discouraged from entering such place of public worship or from worshipping or offering prayers, or performing a religious service.” As per the Act, prohibiting any person from entering a temple would attract six months in jail. And it’s not just the Hindus, Muslim women too, are fighting for access to the popular 15th century Haji Ali mosque in Mumbai. The Bharatiya Muslim MahilaAndolan – a Muslim women’s rights group – has filed a petition in the high court demanding entry into the shrine. The Haji Ali dargah trust allowed women
up to the mazar prior to 2012 after which they were prohibited for their “own safety and security”. Ironically, in India’s conservative society, where internet porn and risque cinema are considered mainstream and enthral millions of consumers, public discussion on topics like menstruation is taboo. According to AnirudhKashyap, assistant professor, department of history, Delhi University, such attitudes are a manifestation of entrenched patriarchal notions that don’t see women as equal partners nor allow them a level playing field. “The opposition to women’s right to worship is also at variance with India’s claim as the world’s largest democracy helmed by a PM who aspires to put the country at the global high table,” Kashyap told IPS. Legal experts point out that what complicates the dynamic in India further is that while the Constitution endows duties of social reform on the state, it fails to distinguish between state and religion. This gives rise to the pertinent question: do temple/masjid trusts have the right to bar women
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from entering the temple? “The answer to that question is yes and no,” explains high court lawyer PratibhaPandey. While the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, Article 26(b) permits religious groups the right to manage their own affairs in religious matters which often leads to such sexism . Meanwhile, Article 25(2) allows state intervention in religious affairs if it is for the purpose of “social welfare”.” The latter directive, adds the lawyer, often creates abuse of authority. “Political dispensations complicate matters further by pandering to vested interests and kowtowing to the demands of powerful religious trusts while ignoring women’s constitutional rights.” Yet amidst all the temple tantrums, there’s a vital lesson in it for India. Studies have repeatedly emphasised the benefits of a gender-equal society. A high-level committee on status of women, formed by the Indian central government ranked India 141st out of 142 nations last year on health and survival parameters. Economists point out that a developing economy like India can ill afford not to offer its women a level playing field or inclusive policies. According to a McKinsey Global Institute report, improving gender parity can help India add a whopping 2.9 trillion dollars to its GDP in 2025. Allowing women entry into shrines can be a good start!
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Maritime India Summit 2016 to boost investment
By Rajeev Sharma & R. G Narayan
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ew Delhi, 11 April: Union Minister NitinGadkari said today that an investment of Rs 60,000 crore will be made in the port sector by May 26 this year. He added that investments worth Rs 2 lakh crore were
also expected in the Maritime India Summit to be held in Mumbai from April 14 to 16. India is also set to double its ports capacity to 3000 million tonnes (MT) by 2025, Gandkari said. The capacity of ports stood at 1,500 MT in 2015. “We will double the capacity of our ports to 3000 MTPA by 2025,”
the Road, Transport and Shipping Minister said while addressing the media at Foreign Correspondents Club here. Gadkari said the first ever Maritime India Summit 2016 is scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister NarendraModi in Mumbai on April 14 is in pursuance of the
Governments policy of giving prime importance to developing the countries infrastructure . The objective of the threeday Summit from 14th to 16th April 2016 is to attract potential investors to the vast opportunities that the various components of the Maritime Sector have on offer, he said.
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Forty countries in addition to India and Korea, which is the partner country, will participate in the Summit. A Special Ship Museum is being created at the venue by famous art director Nitin Desai. This museum has depiction of India’s glorious maritime history and heritage —SAT News Service
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Bangladesh :Streamlining opportunities to migrate
Mar 30 2016 (The Daily Star, Bangladesh) - In Bangladesh, remittances from people living and working abroad added up to nearly Tk. 1.2 trillion last year—more than four times the nearly Tk. 250 billion that foreign aid agencies spent in the country. By Bjorn Lomborg
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lmost 5 percent of the total working age population is now migrant workers, and every year, roughly half a million more people leave the country to work overseas. Bangladesh Bank estimates that they send the equivalent of 7.4 percent of GDP back to family and friends, from 2001-2015; this totalled to Tk. 9.6 trillion. Despite these remittances from overseas migrants, Bangladeshis reap fewer benefits from migration than they could. The informal process of migration is overly costly and has become riddled with expensive middlemen. How can low-skilled migrant workers, the major contributor of remittance inflows to Bangladesh, boost their earnings and access better opportunities overseas? Bangladesh Priorities can offer solutions to this and many other challenges. The project, a partnership between the Copenhagen Consensus Centre and BRAC, has commissioned dozens of top economists from the country, region, and world to study how Bangladesh can do the most good for every taka spent on her development efforts. New research suggests strategies that can make migration cheaper and make migrants more productive. The researchers – Wasel bin Shadat, Lecturer of Econometrics at the University of Manchester, and KaziMahmudurRahman, Assistant Professor of Development Studies at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh – examined various proposals. The most promising was to formalise the migration process with existing union digital centres or UDCs. The average cost to migrate ranges from about Tk. 168,900 to 216,600 – equal to three years of income for many Bangladeshis. It often takes two years of working abroad for migrants to recover these costs. One reason the costs are so large is that multiple layers of middlemen force migrant workers to pay inordinate
Despite these remittances from overseas migrants, Bangladeshis reap fewer benefits from migration than they could. The informal process of migration is overly costly and has become riddled with expensive middlemen. fees for visas and other expenses. They take advantage of the fact that most lower-skilled migrants have very little information about either the process of migrating or the country they are moving to. Using UDCs to formalise the process, however, could yield tremendous benefits. There is already much interest in formal migration – in 2013, after the national government signed an agreement with Malaysia to formalise the process through a government-to-government (G2G) arrangement, nearly 1.4 million people registered online through UDCs. The G2G process has been extended to G2G plus, engaging the private sectors of both countries, and the present research examined the role that UDCs could play in connecting millions of less-skilled migrant workers with the formal migration process. More than 4,500 UDCs currently operate across the country, providing public and private services to millions of Bangladeshis. Adding migration services would be inexpensive and straightforward, given the experience UDCs have in providing such services. You
would simply have to add a migration “department” – a few more desks and workers – to UDCs to bring formal migration services closer to the people who need them most, especially in rural areas. At a UDC migration desk, which could be funded either by government subsidy or revenue earnings of UDC entrepreneurs, aspiring overseas workers would get services that range from basic forms and photo identification to employment information and visa processing to printing and internet services. And conveniently, UDCs can collect fees on behalf of the government. The experts estimate that it would require Tk. 172,800 of initial investment to set up a migration department in each UDC, and annual operating costs would be Tk. 44,500. The total cost across Bangladesh’s 4,500 UDCs would be Tk. 785 million upfront, plus Tk. 203 million per year in operating costs. But the benefits would be substantial. Services offered by UDCs would allow a conservative estimate of 50,000 people – about 11 people per UDC – to migrate to Malaysia in the first year of operations,
with 5,000-10,000 additional workers in subsequent years. As a result, the cost for one person to migrate would fall to Tk. 36,500 – a savings of up to 83 percent. More than three quarters of the remaining migration cost would be for air fare. Thanks to the elimination of middlemen and their exorbitant fees, visa costs would fall from over Tk. 117,000 to just Tk. 1,092 – the actual cost of the visa. With the most optimistic aspirations, each taka spent toward formalising international migration through UDCs could produce Tk. 40 worth of benefits. It is also clear, however, that the current process with Malaysia has delivered less than originally hoped. Currently, it looks likely that each taka has done much less good. That is why the researchers expect that realistically, improving the process to streamline international migration through the UDCs could generate Tk. 22 of good for every taka spent. Using UDCs could help get more people to migrate, but you could also focus on increasing the skill levels of the people who migrate. Migrants from Bangladesh predominantly
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work in positions such as labourers, cooks, or security guards. From 2005-2012, for example, about threequarters of migrant workers to Saudi Arabia were “lessskilled,” and only 4 percent were in the so-called “semiskilled” category. Lowerskilled workers not only earn less but also have less bargaining power with employers. Helping migrants move up the skill ladder would equip them with knowledge and qualifications to gain access to better jobs. Training could allow them to work as painters or carpenters, for example, or perhaps even become supervisors or nurses with enough education. Spending on training programmes for migrant workers would do an estimated Tk. 3 of benefits per taka spent. What do you think is the best way for Bangladesh to realise her development goals? Join the conversation at https:// copenhagen.fbapp.io/ overseasmigrationpriorities, where you can also read about other exciting opportunities for Bangladesh. We want to know what you think as we continue to search for how the country can prosper most. This story was originally published by The Daily Star, Bangladesh.
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MUSINGS Rashid Sultan
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t seems ‘Anti National’ is on a ‘special‘in Indian super markets, recently. Hardly a day goes by when ministers, MPs and the saffron media do not hurl this epithet on any one opposing the Hindutwa ideology.The moment any one raises their voice against it, is labelled anti national. The latest is the usage of ‘Bharat Mata‘. A Muslim MLA, in the Maharashtra assembly refuses to say ‘ Bharat Mata Ki Jai.’ He says he would chant ‘Jai Hind’ instead of ‘Bharat Mataki jai‘. He explains that this term goes against his religious belies; he has had only one mother who gave him birth. And there is no place, in his beliefs, for a mythical existence. If,Hindu brethren believe in ‘Bharat Mata’, good on them! But, why force me, a Muslim or other minoritiesto chantthe term? Aren’t we living in a secular society where the constitution grants us freedom of belief and speech? Where are you, Dr Ambedkar? Dear reader, how about a short, odyssey, no, sorry, journey, which has been termed by some scholars as the ‘valley of Intolerance’. 4Narendra Achute Dabholkar, 68 , the founder of Anti Superstition Committee, gets fatally shot in August 2013 in Pune. Naturally no Muslims involved here.Any arrests? 4U R Anantmurti, the
Gyanpeeth award winner falls victim to obscene anddeadly threatenings for saying things not liked by the saffron establishment . His death is celebrated by Hindutwa flag bearers.The lesser the better, though the Urdu proverb expresses it better ‘ khaskamjahanpaak ‘ 4PerumalMurugan, the Tamil writer, used to writing pro-dalit literature, afterunder heavy and consistent abuses and threats, declares the death of his writing career and shuts down his website. When words can be more lethal, why use guns. 4GovindPansare, 82, the writer of ‘ Shiva JiKaunHota “ , who refuses to declare that NathuramGodsey was a nationalist gets gunned down in broad daylight in February, 2015 (luckily, his wife survives the attack).Any arrests? 4MM Kalburgi, ex vice chancellor of Humpy university and winner of SahityaAcademy award and known for his rationalist philosophy gets gunned down at his home in the similar way as Pansare- shots going through his forehead and chest. Any arrests? These are the so-calledHifi cases involving nationallyknown academics. What about some pedestrian cases, involving low –earning common citizens? 4InDadari, an old Muslim man along with a minor boy gets lynched by a mob of more than hundred people.
Reason?Suspicion that they were consuming beef. The laboratory tests confirm that the meat in the fridge was not beef but, buffalo meat.Any arrests? 4Bisada Village- a Muslim gets lynched on the suspicion of sacrificing a cow. Any arrests? 4A Muslim Truck driver gets killed on the suspicion of shuttling cows in Himachal Pradesh.Any arrests? 4A Muslim couple gets assaulted in a train in Madhya Pradesh for refusing to have their baggage checked (not by police but, fellow passengers). The lab tests show no beef but, buffalo meat.Any arrests? 4MewarUniveresity, Rajasthan- 4 Kashmiri students are attacked on the suspicion of eating beef curry in the hostel.Any arrests? Now it’s the turn of Dalits. I am not going to touch on the every- day- happening gruesome rapes, hangings and abductions of Dalit girls,here. They have always been a part of our lives. 4-RohithVemula, a Dalitstudent of Hyderabad Central University and a member of Ambedkar Students Association commits suicide. His crime? He organises a rally decrying the hanging of Afzal Guru, the alleged attacker on the Indian Parliament. In this rally no body supports Afzal Guru for his dastardly act. Their complaint is against the treatment of justice. Even, the Supreme Court says that the evidence
is circumstantial, while sentencing him to death. The Akhil Bhartiya Vidiyarthi Parishad (ABVP), part of the saffron brigade, complains to BJP Labour Minister BandaruDattatreya who, in turn, complains to the HRD Minister SmritiIrani, who in turn, complains to the vice chancellor. The chancellor, allegedly, known to be antiDalit, expels Rohith. Result? He commits suicide out of desperation.Any arrests for abetting the suicide? 4The scenario repeats itself at the Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU), in Delhi,where, a rally is organised in support of Rohith. The president of the leftist union (a phenomenon getting rarer and rarer in sync with leftists’ seats in the parliament)Kanhaiya Kumar gets arrested on the charge of sedition. Reason?The slogans raised in the rally were anti- Indian. The video,produced, by the police was found to have been doctored. The consensus is that some rowdies from outside the university joined in and raised those slogans. Who doesn’t want to wash their hands in the flowing Ganges, as the saying goes? And this was sufficient enough for the ABVP, the omnipresent student wing of the BJP, who called the police. At Patiala House, where Kanhayia Kumar was to be presented for the hearing, hundreds of BJP-supporting lawyers assault students and
journalists, including female journalists while chanting ‘ Bharat Mata Ki Jai ‘. The lawyer leading the assault is a well- known BJP activist. Any arrests? Ironically, the BJP is in the government in Jammu and Kashmir with the PDP for whom Afzal Guru is a martyr. No sedition here. All this while about a hundred writers, academics, return their awards and medals in protest against the growing intolerance in the country. The governing party calls it ‘manufactured protest’. Mind you, 98 of them are Hindus. They are not asked to leave the country and go to Nepal, the only other Hindu majority nation. But, when two Musims, Shahrukh Khan and Aamir Khan raise their concern about this growing epidemic of intolerance, they are labelled anti national and are asked to go to Pakistan. Recently, an open letter signed by 123 writers, academics, philosophers, including Noam Chomsky, OrhanPamuk, Judith Butler, Sheldon Pollack, ParthChatterjee et al, comparing the current policies of the government and their inaction in controlling the ‘out of control’ elements in their rank and file, to the 1975 emergency, was released to the press. Which country are we going to send these eminent men? But, no Sir, we are not that thin skinned. Jai Hind!
Yoga can help cure most diseases: Swami Dilip Yogesh By Rajeev Sharma
tension has increased manifold across all age groups. Fast food has become popular, but digesting such food is a problem. Obesity is rampant. Children, too, are suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes.
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elhi-based yoga practitioner, Swami DilipYogesh Guru, has pointed out a harsh reality facing the students. “With the advancement in the medical sciences, there seems to be a proportionate growth of strange diseases. The situation has come to such a pass that even school students are complaining of depression. Children generally fall sick during exam time. The malady remains undiagnosed even after a series of tests recommended by doctors. Then, such a patient is referred to a psychiatrist, who recommends antidepressants, which cause damage to health if taken
for a long time,” he said in an interview. Here are excerpts from a discussion on yoga and diseases.
SAT: Why, after all, do we have so many diseases? Swami Dilip: Physical work has substantially decreased whereas mental
SAT: How much is yoga capable of fighting such ailments? Swami Dilip: One gets 100% success through yoga. Even diseases which are perceived to be extremely difficult get all right by practicing yoga. But one must understand that a yoga teacher has to keep a patient under his strict watch and guidance. The patient has to be given the right kind of diet, which is in tune with individual-specific needs.
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Yoga is never practiced in a mass gathering. All kinds of yogic activities are not prescribed for all patients. Something of this sort is happening these days: people are doing yoga by watching it on TV. Many yogic activities done without guidance can be fatal. For instance, if a high blood pressure patient does intense Kapalbahtipranaayaam, he can put his life on the line. SAT: How do you train? Swami Dilip: First, I ask a patient to see me empty stomach. Then I check his/her pulse. I discuss in detail one’s disease or ailment. This interaction covers issues such as one’s routine, diet and personal problems, if any. CONTD. ON PG 29
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Cash-strapped Sri Lanka turns to China
Apr 3 2016 (The Sunday Times - Sri Lanka) - Former President MahindaRajapaksa once told the then Indian High Commissioner, who complained to him that the contract for the extension of the Colombo harbour had been given to China, not to worry too much as the next extension contract would be given to India. That was his simplistic ‘Non Aligned’ policy of balancing the competing geopolitical interests in Sri Lanka between India and China. By the Editor, Sunday Times, Sri Lanka
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is policy seemed to be to maximise Sri Lanka’s geographic location with these competing forces; give the North to India to develop and give the South to China. It was, ex facie, a simple solution that would also drive his economic development programme and to hell with the West which paid mere lip service to the economic development of the country and adopted an obstructionist posture of lecturing without putting their money where their mouth was, at least as far as President Rajapaksa was concerned. The Rajapaksa Administration eventually took a Sino-centric stance, even relying on China to bail Sri Lanka out of serious troubles orchestrated by Western powers at UN fora. One could be forgiven for thinking that the present Government is adopting the Rajapaksa Doctrine. That doctrine backfired because India felt slighted that Sri Lanka was tilting more towards China that was able to provide quick money in the form of loans. The visit of two Chinese nuclearpowered submarines to Colombo port was the last straw. Already on bhai-bhai terms with the West, India ganged up with it to do Mr. Rajapaksa in. In the process, those in the present Government joined in the anti-China chorus. A hue and cry was raised from every platform of ‘Chinese Imperialism’ and its state-run companies being in cohorts with the corrupt regime of yesteryear. Unsolicited projects from China, the Hambantota port, all such economic activity would make Sri Lanka a fiefdom, a puppet state of China in its quest for the ‘string of pearls’ linking Africa and Asia with China, the critics said. The new Government’s Foreign Minister even went to Beijing to announce that the multibillion dollar Colombo Port City project was to be reviewed, giving the
impression that it was due to corruption factors. That got the Chinese all huffed and hurt. But the Chinese are endowed with an abundance of patience. As US foreign policy czar Henry Kissinger said, “For millennia, Chinese sought to entice her adversaries more often than defeat them by military force”. Kissinger referred to the “Chinese people’s millennially tested capacity for endurance” (Henry Kissinger “World Order”). They knew that the new Sri Lankan political leadership would have to come to them despite the brouhaha for two reasons; one that the Rajapaksa Government had already signed an agreement with the Chinese for the Colombo Port City, and second, because Sri Lanka is in an economic downturn and needs foreign capital to fuel its development programme. The Development Strategies and International Trade Minister who is directly handling the negotiations with the Chinese on this currently stalled project told this newspaper a fortnight ago that the Government would go ahead with the project by reducing the scale of the reclamation site to reduce the environmental damage. It was conceding the fact that there was an element of environmental damage. Last week, this newspaper reported that the permit issued to the developers of the Port City by the Coast Conservation and Coastal Resources Management
Department has identified as many as 70 tough environmental stipulations attached to the go-ahead. It is also agreed that these negotiations have resulted in the fact that the Chinese will not get any freehold land in this area and that the development work will be a joint venture of the two countries. This newspaper reports today that the Chinese developer wants the land area extended as compensation for the delays in the project. There is still a lot of secrecy in these negotiations of what is an extremely large project by Sri Lanka standards with geo-political ramifications. Every new building in a municipality must have its plan displayed in front of the site, but not, it seems these big projects. Sri Lanka is trying to ‘balance’ this about-turn on the Port City project by assuaging India’s concerns — pledging to enter into economic agreements (ETCA), huge housing projects in the North being given to Indian origin companies, ambulance services and ignoring the ‘irritants’ such as the poaching issue in the Northern waters of the island by Indian fishermen. India is pushing for a coal plant in the East coast town of Sampur hoping to expand its footprint in this island. Its grouse is that discussions have been dragging for ten years. Now, the Tamil National
Alliance has suddenly woken from its slumber and taken note of the growing opposition from residents and environmentalists to the side-effects of the coal plant. On the other hand, when the country is struggling for electricity, one wonders how it is going to feed a new port city that will obviously have a huge demand on power. Like the Colombo Port City project, the Sampur coal plant is already ‘in situ’ – and we are still trying to figure out the pros and cons of such projects that are a virtual fait-accompli because the ground has been broken while the discussions are taking place. As the Prime Minister packs his bags to visit China next week, the host country’s unstinted support for Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the Northern insurgency cannot ever be forgotten. It may have come with ulterior motives, but who are we to question motives of friends who come to douse the flames when one’s house is on fire. It is good that the new Government is not severing its ties with an old and time-tested friend as is China and that China plans to continue its ‘investment’ in Sri Lanka’s South. With the West not ‘walking the talk’ in the form of foreign investments, a cash-strapped Government seems sans options to keep the wolf from the door and follow the course of the Rajapaksa Doctrine while learning the lessons from the past.
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India is pushing for a coal plant in the East coast town of Sampur hoping to expand its footprint in this island. Its grouse is that discussions have been dragging for ten years. Let the Dalai Lama come Two of the quid pro quos Chinese Governments have weighed down on successive Sri Lankan Governments for the past several decades have been the non-recognition of Formosa or Taiwan or the Republic of China and the non-issuance of a visa to the Dalai Lama of Tibet to visit Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has obliged on both counts. While the question of Taiwan is a given in world affairs, many countries including Sri Lanka are still trading with it. In the Dalai Lama’s case, while many countries permit visits by him provided he does not make politically sensitive comments especially against Beijing for annexing his country, Sri Lanka has fought shy of doing so. The Tibetan leader has long wanted to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy and the Sri MahaBodhiya in Anuradhapura. That right has been denied to him. If Sri Lanka and China are such good friends as the joint communiqués are sure to say, then it is only right that the Sri Lanka Premier raise this question with his counterpart and the Chinese Government acquiesce to his request. This story was originally published by The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka
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EDITOR’S PICK
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Pak Hindus & Christians among the most oppressed and vulnerable: they are the poorest of the poor
By our reporter
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n a strongly-worded defence of the minorities in Pakistan, the country's human rights activist and journalist RabiaMahmood has said that Hindu girls in Pakistan "are victim of abductions and forced conversions through marriages”, even as pointing towards how poor Hindu farmers are victims of land grab, too. In an interview with her well-known Indian counterpart TeestaSetalvad, pitted against Prime Minister NarendraModi in 2002 riots cases, Mahmood said, "Most of the Hindus in Pakistan live in Sindh, they are at the lowest rung of the economic scale, not just the ‘lower castes’ but also agricultural labourers." "Sindh has been traditionally the more tolerant part of Pakistan unlike Punjab", she said, but regretting, "But over the past years we are seeing things changing, there is fear
and intimidation; Hindus now do not go into the Bazar to celebrate Holi." According to Mahmood, "Many Sindhis I spoke to have reported that more and more mosques are being built up by influential persons in neighborhoods where largely Hindus live", and is the "root cause" of the problem. Giving specific instances, Mahmood said, "In 2013, in Larkana in Sindh –- an important constituency for the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) that rules the Province —- a Hindu Dharamshala was burned and looted after a ‘blasphemy’ case was slapped on a Hindu man." She further said, "Often the blasphemy laws are orchestrated to actually grab land that belongs to the Hindus who are very poor, just agricultural laborers." Then, she added, "there are also increased cases of ‘forced conversions’ and ‘forced
marriages’ as well. Hindu girls from the poorest sections are abducted and married off. Then the Hindu family has no legal recourse. In the rarest cases, these are relationships of choice." "The Hindu community in Sindh has demanded that they will accept a Certificate of Conversion if it comes from a Judge –a judicial authority –but they will not accept it otherwise. They are asking for established procedures", said Mahmood. Hindus constitute about 2.5 per cent, or 26 lakh, of Pakistan’s population. Though sprinkled all over Pakistan, 95 per cent of Hindus live in Sindh. Only Tharparkar district in Sindh has Hindus in majority: 51 per cent. Here Hindus own land. Other districts with sizeable population: MirpurKhas (41 per cent), Sanghar (35 per cent) and Umerkot (43 per cent). Nearly 82 per cent of Pakistani Hindus are lower caste, most of them farm labourers. Cities with some
Hindu population are Karachi, Hyderabad, Jacobabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta. As for the Christians minorities, Mahmood said, like Hindus, they too are also "among the most oppressed and vulnerable: they are the poorest of the poor." Referring to the 2015 Youhanabad bombings, in which churches were targeted, she said, there is "understandably huge anger" among Christians, who "came out in large numbers", only to be "beaten and allegedly lynched". Two of them died. "The Pakistan Interior Minister went on television and spoke against the Christian community", Mahmood recalled, adding, "Many Christian people I spoke to who had survived the blasts have reported how badly even doctors treated them at the hospital." "Then", she said, "the Punjab Police went on this profiling
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The Hindu community in Sindh has demanded that they will accept a Certificate of Conversion if it comes from a Judge –a judicial authority. spree in the Youhanabad area; all those poor people who are domestic workers, perform menial jobs in factories, contractual labour – there were night raids and hundreds of men and boys were picked up." Source: Counterview (heading changed)
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Victoria Hockey event with Australia, India, Malaysia in Nov-Dec 2016 By SAT Sports Desk
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elbourne 25 March: Hockey fans are in for a big bash with the announcement of a new festival of hockey and showpiece international hockey tournament for the next three years. Announced by the Victorian Government, the new men’s tournament, which will be broadcast internationally, will take place from 22-27 November 2016 and will feature Australia, India and Malaysia, with a fourth team to be confirmed soon. “Alongside the men’s competition, Australia and India’s women will play a three match Test series, with a high-profile Friday night encounter set to put world class women’s sport in the spotlight once again, says a Hockey Australia media
release. The festival of hockey will feature a series of spin-off events including community engagement opportunities and a business forum. Two Test matches involving Australia and India men will also be hosted in regional Victoria as part of this partnership. “Victorians love watching the Kookaburras and the Hockeyroos wear the green and gold. This is a rare chance to see our nation’s top players against the best in the world,” said The Hon. John Eren MP, Minister for Tourism and Major Events; and Sport. “We’re thrilled to be taking two Tests to a regional centre, because we know the big sporting events mean big benefits for regional economies. “These are the types of events we want in Victoria, because they mean jobs and
a stronger economy.” Cam Vale, Chief Executive of Hockey Australia, said, “The festival of hockey in Melbourne will be the highest profile event the sport has seen in Australia since the Champions Trophy in 2012, allowing us to showcase the sport and our partnership with India to the country and the rest of the world. “In 2016, it will provide Australian sports fans their first opportunity to see the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras back on home turf after what we hope will be a successful Olympic Games campaign in Rio. “In the Kookaburras and India, we have two of the in-form teams in world hockey right now. Malaysia are hot on the heels of the best, sitting just outside the top ten, and we’re excited about the prospect of including
the proposed fourth team, which we will look to announce after discussions and confirmation of our broadcast partners. “Perhaps the biggest strength of our sport is its gender equality and it’s a great reflection of that strength that the Hockeyroos will host the Indian women’s team for three Tests as part of the event. Their standout Friday night fixture, we are certain will capture the imagination of the public, sponsors and broadcasters alike in the spirit of the famous hockey movie partially shot in Melbourne – Chak De India.” India’s participation in the event comes as a consequence of Hockey Australia’s groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding with the Hockey India, signed last year, which will see the
Indian men’s national team tour to Australia over the next three years. With a strong focus on the Asia region, it is anticipated the event will expand in 2017 and 2018. Other innovative concepts will be developed and announced as part of this festival of hockey. Victorian Festival of Hockey 22-27 November 2016 State Netball and Hockey Centre, Melbourne Men’s four nations: Australia, India, Malaysia plus one Women’s Test series: Australia v India Australia v India, men’s Test series, regional Victoria 30 November – 1 December 2016 (Location to be confirmed). —SAT News Service
Yoga can help cure most diseases... CONTD. FROM PG 25 I reach a conclusion only after such a personal discussion. In the case of children, I talk to parents as well. If it concerns a mental condition, then a lot of questions are asked before a yogic activity is recommended. Nowadays, schizophrenia cases have increased and so have relationship problems. There have been cases where minor issues have led to suicides. SAT: What is your advice to the general public which is beneficial to all? Swami Dilip: Generally, I ask all to do some amount of physical exercises.
Exercises keep you away from many diseases. I suggest at least 4km walk each day. A sedentary lifestyle has led to a variety of diseases. One must, also, try sleep early at night. One must have dinner within an hour after sunset. Early to bed and early to rise can keep many diseases at bay. SAT: What’s right kind of yoga? Swami Dilip: Right yoga is that which has been described in the scriptures, something that has been ordained by rishis (seers). Nothing more can be added or subtracted. Those who meditated and practiced, wrote those very scriptures. By definition,
a book as such is different from a ‘shastra’. Yoga is pure science. People are playing with the originality of yoga by making it like an entertainment exercise. SAT: How’s yoga placed or seen in India? Swami Dilip: Yoga is, as I have said, 100% science and it gives you the required results, but should not be done in a collective, assembly way. In the recent days, Prime Minister NarendraModi has awakened new enthusiasm among the people and he has presented it vigorously before the world. Such efforts are praise worthy. SAT: Do tell us about
yourself, your guru, how did you treat the so-called difficult diseases? Swami Dilip: I am basically from Bihar. My father passed away at age 112 years. My father, Ram Avtar, was associated with Bhu-Andolan (land reform campaign). I learnt yoga from late Swami DheerendraBrahmchari and Swami Ram Lakhan-ji. At present, I hold free yoga classes at Delhi’s Greater Kailash area of Jehapanah forest, which is spread over many miles. I also teach yoga at residences to earn a living. Although there are several cases where medical sciences just gave up and yoga came to the rescue, I would specifically
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like to mention a case of a 22-year-old youth here. He fell down while horseriding and remained bed-ridden for six months because of a spinal cord injury. The parents of the young man wanted me to make him able to simply move about. Today, after a six-month yoga course, that same man is running! I noted one thing in that man: despite his bad injury, he kept his morale high to fight the disabling ailment that he had found himself in. So, in this way, his perseverance and my knowledge worked. My gurus always insisted that first I must understand the man stricken with a disease. The disease itself comes only later.
South Asia Times south asia community 32 South Asia Timestimes
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SUNDAY Language Programs Hindi..................................9 am to 10 am – 93.1 FM BANGLA Urdu................................10 am to 11 am – 93.1 FM Sydney 97.7 FM & SBS Radio 2 Tamil...............................11 am to 12 pm – 93.1 FM Melbourne 93.1 FM & SBS Radio 2 Hindi.................................8 pm to 10 pm – 88.3 FM Monday & Saturday Singhalese.......................8 pm to 11 pm –97.7 FM 6-7 PM GUJARATI MONDA Y Sydney 97.7 FM & SBS Radio 2 Hindi....................................3 to 4 pm – 93.1 FM Melbourne 93.1 FM & SBSPm Radio Bengali...............................4 pm to 5 pm – 93.1 FM Wednesday & Friday 4-5 PM Hindi...................................6 pm to 8 pm – 88.3 FM Indian (Fiji)..................................6 pm to 8 pm 88.3 HINDI Punjabi........................1 1 am to 12 Sydney 97.7 FM & SBS Radio 2 noon 92.3 FM Melbourne 93.1 FM & SBS Radio 2
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11AM-12 PM SATURDAY Sinhalese............................ 7 am to 8 am – 92.3 FM TAMIL TSydney amil..................................... 12-12.30 97.7 FM & SBS Radio 2 pm – 88.3 FM Indian.................................... 5 am to 62am - 92.3 FM Melbourne 93.1 FM & SBS Radio Sun, Mon, Wed, Sat Punjabi.......................................... 12-2 am – 92.3 FM 8-9 PM Indian................................ 9 pm to 10 pm – 92.3 FM Punjabi.................................................. 11 pm to 1 am urdu Sydney 97.7 FM & SBS Radio24/7 2 Radio stations Melbourne FM & SBS Radio (Subscription) 2 Indian Link93.1 Radio Wednesday & Sunday 18000 15 8 47 6-7 PM Radio Santa Banta (Internet) Santabanta.com.au WORLD NEWS AUSTRALIA RADIO SydneyJhankar 1107AM88.6 & SBSFM; Radio 1 Thursday; 8 to Radio Every Melbourne 1224AM & SBS Radio 1 10 pm; Contact: 94668900 or 0411247320 or Monday & Friday 9404 2111 6-7 am & 6-7 PM
South Asian websiteS India TEHELKA – www.tehelka.com OUTLOOK – www.outlookindia.com FRONTLINE- www.flonnet.com THE HINDU: www.hinduonnet.com TIMES OF INDIA: www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com HINDUSTAN TIMES: www.hindustantimes.com Pakistan DAWN: www.dawn.com THE FRIDAY TIMES: www.thefridaytimes.com THE NEWS INTERENATIONAL: www.thenews.com.pk Sri Lanka DAILY MIRROR: www.dailymirror.lk DAILY NEWS: www.dailynews.lk THE ISLAND: www.island.lk Nepal THE HIMALAYAN TIMES: www.thehimalayantimes.com KANTIPUR NATIONAL DAILY:
PLACES OF WORSHIP HINDU Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple 57 Boundary Rd, Carrum Downs, Melbourne, Vic 3201, Ph: 03 9782 0878; Fax: 03 9782 0001 Website: www.hsvshivavishnu.org.au Sri Vakratunda Vinayaka Temple 1292 - 1294, The Mountain Highway, The Basin, Vic 3154, Ph: 03 9792 1835 Melbourne Murugan Temple 17-19 Knight Ave., Sunshine VIC 3020 Ph: 03 9310 9026 Durga Temple (Durga Bhajan Mandali) Neales Road, Rockbank, Vic 3335 Ph: 03 9747 1628 or Mobile: 0401 333 738 Hare Krishna (ISKCON) Temple 197 Danks Street, Middle Park Vic 3206 Ph: (03) 9699 5122 Email: 100237.354@compuserve.com Hare Krishna New Nandagram Rural Community Oak Hill, Dean’s Marsh Rd., Bambra VIC 3241, Ph: (052) 887383 Fax: (052) 887309 Kundrathu Kumaran Temple 139 Gray Court, ROCKBANK Victoria 3335 Ph: 03-9747 1135 or M: 0450 979 023 http://www.kumarantemple.org.au/ Sankat Mochan Temple 1289 A North Road. Huntingdale Morning: 10.30 am – 12.30 pm daily Evening: 4:30 pm – 8.00 pm daily Site: http: www.sankatmochan.org.au Contact: 0427 274 462
SIKH BLACKBURN Sri Guru Nanak Satsang Sabha 127 Whitehorse Road, Blackburn VICTORIA 3130, Ph: (03) 9894 1800 CRAIGIEBURN Sri Guru Singh Sabha 344 Hume Highway, Craigieburn VICTORIA 3164 (see map), Ph: (03) 9305 6511 KEYSBOROUGH Gurdwara Sri Guru Granth Sahib 198 -206 Perry Road, Keysborough VICTORIA 3073 (see map) LYNBROOK Nanaksar Taath, 430 Evans Road, Lynbrook VICTORIA 3975, (03) 9799 1081 HOPPERS CROSSING Sri Guru Nanak Satsang Sabha 417 Sayers Road, Hoppers Crossing VICTORIA 3029, Ph: (03) 9749 2639 WERRIBEE Gurdwara Sahib Werribee 560 Davis Road, Tarneit VICTORIA 3029 PH: (03) 8015 4707
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SHEPPARTON Gurdwara Sahib Shepparton 240 Doyles Road, Shepparton VICTORIA 3603 PH: (03) 5821 9309 Shri Nathdwara Haveli-Hindu Temple Address: 3-5 Princes Domain Dr, Hallam VIC 3803 http://www.nathdwara.org.au/
JAIN Melbourne Shwetambar Jain Sangh Inc 3 Rice Street, Moorabbin, Vic - 3189, Australia. Phone: +61 3 9555 2439 info@melbournejainsangh.org http://www.melbournejainsangh.org
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Service (SES)....................................... 132 500 Traffic hazards and freeway conditions.......................... 13 11 70 Gas escape........................................... 132 771 Poisons information........................ 13 11 26 Maternal and Child Line................ 13 22 29 Parentline........................................... 13 22 89 Kids Help Line......................... 1800 551 800 Lifeline (provides confidential telephone counselling)................. 13 11 14 Suicide Help Line.................... 1300 651 251 Animal Emergencies.................. 9224 2222
INDIAN CONSULATE
MUSLIM Melbourne West Mosque 66-68 Jeffcott Street, Melbourne Ph: 03 9328 2067
Indian Consulate Address: 344, St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia P.O. Box No: 33247 Domain LPO Vic 3004 Consular Enquiries: +61-3-9682 5800 (9.30am-12.30noon only) General Enquiries (other than Consular): +61-3- 9682 7836 Fax No:+ 61-3- 9696 8251 Email: consular@cgimelb.org Web site: www.cgimelb.org
Broadmeadows Mosque 45-55 King Street, Broadmeadows Ph 03 9359 0054 Islamic Call Society 19 Michael Street, Brunswick Ph: 03 9387 7100 Islamic Centre of Australia 660 Sydney Road, Brunswick Ph 03 9385 8423
Indian Consulate Consular services are handled by VFS Global Visa / Passport / PCC / IDLV / PIO / OCI services contact VFS +61 2 8223 9909. Address: Part 4 Suite, Level 12, 55 Swanston Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 Site : www.vfsglobal.com/india/australia/
Australian Islamic Cultural Centre 46-48 Mason Street, Campbellfield Ph: 03 9309 7605 Coburg ISNA Mosque 995 Sydney Road, Coburg North
Services handled by Indian Consulate Melbourne itself: OCI Misc. services, Registration of Birth, Birth Certificate, Renunciation of Indian Citizenship, Surrender of Indian Passport, New Passport Details on PIO, Transfer of Valid Visas, Marriage Certificate, Affidavit for Applying Child’s Passport in India, Documents Attestation.)
Coburg Mosque (Fatih Mosque) 31 Nicholson Street, Coburg Ph 03 9386 5324 Deer Park Mosque 283 Station Road, Deer Park Ph 03 9310 8811 United Migrant Muslim Assn. 72 George Road, Doncaster Ph 03 9842 6491, Footscray West Mosque 294 Essex Street, Footscray Glenroy Musala 1st Floor, 92 Wheatsheaf Road, Glenroy Heidelberg Mosque Corner Lloyd & Elloits Streets, West Heidelberg Islamic College of Victoria (Mosque) 201 Sayers Road, Hoppers Crossing Ph 03 9369 6010 Huntingdale Mosque 320-324 Huntingdale Road, Huntingdale Ph 03 9543 8037
HIGH COMMISSION FOR PAKISTAN,CANBERRA
Al Nur Mosque 34-36 Studley Street, Maidstone
4 Timbarra Crescent, O’Malley ACT 2606 (Australia), Tel: 61-2-62901676, 61-2-62901676, 62902769, 62901879 & 62901031, Fax: 61-262901073 Email: parepcanberra@internode. on.net, Postal Address: PO Box 684, Mawson ACT 2607 (Australia)
Meadow Heights Mosque Hudson Circuit, Meadow Heights Springvale Mosque 68 Garnworthy Street, Springvale
EMERGENCY CONTACTS EMERGENCY CONTACTS Police, Fire & Abulance ........................ Victoria State Emergency
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Student Welfare Officer in the Indian Consulate Melbourne Consulate General of India, Melbourne Address: 344, St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC – 3000 Phone: 03-96826203 Fax: 03-96968251 Email: cgo@cgimelb.org Website: www.cgimelb.orgExternal website that opens in a new window Contact person for Students welfare: Mr. Nirmal K. Chawdhary Designation: Deputy Consul General Mobile: 0430020828
Sri Lanka Consulate 000
32A Brunswick Street ,Walkerville 5081 Melbourne , Phone: 9898-6760, 9248-1228 Email: rodney@techno.net.au
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South Asia Times
contd from previous page Bangladesh High Commission, Canberra 43, Culgoa Circuit, O’Malley, ACT-2606 Canberra, Australia, Ph: (61-2) 6290-0511, (61-2) 6290-0522, (61-2)6290-0533 (Auto hunting). Fax : (61-2) 6290-0544 E-Mail :hoc@bhcanberra.com
Consulate of Nepal, Melbourne Email: cyonzon@nepalconsulate.net.au Level 7, 28-32 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Ph: (03) 9650 8338 Email: info@nepalconsulate.net.au
TV GUIDE SBS1 – Daily NDTV News - 11:05 am - Monday to Saturday. (From New Delhi, India). Urdu news SBS1 - PTV News – 9.30 am - Every Sunday – (From Pakistan).
Travel Agents Gaura Travels 1300 FLY INDIA or 1300 359 463 info@gauratravel.com.au Travel House 284 Clayton Road, Clayton 3168 Ph: (03) 95435123, Mobile: 0425803071 mail@travelhouse.com.au
lAWYERS
MLG Lawyers Ronny Randhawa 144 Sydney Road, Coburg Vic Ph 9386 0204 & 138 Walker Street, Dandenong Vic Ph: 9793 9917 Mobile : 0402 256 712 Vera Lawyers Kusum Vaghela Level 1, Suite 2, 373 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong Vic, Mobile: 0433 827 124
SOUTH ASIAN Garments Roshan’s Fashions 68-71 Foster Street, Dandenong, Vic 3175 Ph: (03) 9792 5688 Raj Rani Creations 83-A Foster Street, Dandenong, Vic 3175 Ph: (03) 9794 9398 desi estyle 76 Foster St., Dandenong 3175 (03) 87744853; 0413707685 Heritage India 54-56 Foster Street, Dandenong, Vic 3175, Ph: (03) 9791 9227 Site: heritageindia.net.au
DVDs, Music CDs & Film Stuff Baba Home Entertainment 52C Foster St., Dandenong 3175, (03) 97067252
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South Asia Times south asia 34 South Asia Timestimes
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NEW DELHI, Apr 6 2016 (IPS) - It was in 2001 that the Chief Economist of Goldman Sachs, Jim O’Neill, coined the acronym, BRICs, to denote the special category of large emerging economies, which he predicted were destined to transform the structure of the global economy, through sustained growth in the twenty first century. According to him, the BRICs, namely, Brazil, Russia, India and China, which at the turn of the century accounted for 25% of global Gross domestic product (GDP), could double their share to 50%.
Indian Economy: Fading Promise or Gearing for Growth
By Shyam Saran*
S
ince then, these emerging economies have traversed differential trajectories. China is the second largest economy in the world after the U.S. but it is now experiencing an inevitable slow-down. Both Brazil and Russia are in deep economic crisis, with their commodity-based economies hard hit by the continuing stagnation in global GDP and trade. It is only India, which has maintained a stable 7-7.5% of GDP growth over the past decade and a half and is today, the fastest growing large emerging economy. What are the prospects of India sustaining an accelerated rate of GDP growth over the next several decades? Will it be able to narrow the as yet expanding gap with China, which is a 11 trillion dollars economy to India’s 2 trillion dollars GDP? India enjoys sound economic fundamentals. It has a large and still growing young population, which with proper education and skills could constitute a “demographic dividend” precisely when most advanced economies, as well as China, are confronting challenge of an ageing population. The country has followed a policy of fiscal prudence and conservative monetary policies that create a stable environment for investments and innovation. The latest budget has pegged the fiscal deficit to 3.5% of the GDP. It has introduced
several important reforms such as allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) into agroprocessing and marketing that has the potential of transforming Indian agriculture. A bankruptcy law is in the offing and legislation has been passed on linking all subsidies and benefits to the ‘Aadhar’ , or the unique identification number which has by now enrolled over 900 million Indians (out of a total population of 1.2 billion). This will allow direct benefit transfer, through bank accounts, to those entitled to subsidies, such as on LPG, kerosene and essential food items. This is expected to reduce leakages and corruption significantly. However, the Government has so far been unable to pass legislation instituting the General Sales Tax (GST), which is indispensable to creating a true national market and reducing barriers to inter-State commerce and movement of goods. India today has a pro-reform and pro-business government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A most important change from the past has been the public embrace by the political leadership of economic reforms, including unrolling a welcome mat for foreign investment, a commitment to improving the ease of doing business and providing incentives for the burgeoning start-up domain. The Prime Minister has been unequivocal in courting foreign direct investment, this being a major priority in his foreign visits. In this sense, India is no
longer engaged in “reforms through stealth”. Reforms have entered the political mainstream and this provides assurance and predictability on the sustainability of the reform process. Despite this congenial political environment for economic reforms, there has been mixed record of progress on the ground. This is, to some extent, the result of a much less favorable international economic environment since the global financial crisis erupted in 2007- 2008. The advanced economies of the U.S., Europe and Japan, are struggling to restore health to their severely impaired economies. The Chinese economy, which had emerged as the engine of global economic growth in the past 3 decades, is now slowing down more precipitously than expected. Global trade, which was growing at double the rate of global GDP (6% against the GDP growth of 3% per annum) since 1990, is now expanding at a slower rate than global GDP (2.5% per annum). Since the 2007 – 2008 crisis, protectionist trends in major economies are on the rise, further shrinking market access for goods and services from emerging
economies like India. Thus, the investment and export driven strategies that were successful in transforming East Asian economies, including China, are not as effective as before. India will need to find other drivers of growth, including within its domestic economy, to sustain accelerated growth. In this context, innovation becomes important. The surge in start-ups in India is an encouraging development. In having to deal with a more competitive and slower-growing global market place, India will need to leverage is strengths. One key asset it has is the very size of its market and its significant growth prospects. For example, it has a mobile market of 900 million and the prospects for similar growth in its smartphone market are immense. Its e-commerce sector is expanding at a rapid rate. It is in these new lines of business that opportunities for leap-frogging exist. However, the Modi government has not so far been able to formulate an overall economic strategy
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that takes into account the altered global economic environment and the implications for India’s economic prospects. Exports have been declining 15 months in a row and domestic investment is at a standstill. The banking sector, in particular, public sector banks, are heavily exposed to nonperforming assets and foreign investors are confused by bureaucratic decisions which contradict the Prime Minister’s positive messaging. There appears to be a lack of capacity and leadership at the ministerial and senior bureaucratic level, leading to contradictory policies and lack of implementation. More recently the development narrative that won the elections for Modi has been in danger of being overwhelmed by the politics of polarization and communal and sectarian divide which appear to be driven by short-term electoral calculations. This also acts as an inhibiting factor on foreign investment. While India may have the best prospects today among emerging economies, it is likely to achieve only sub-optimal results unless some of these structural problems are resolved. *Shyam Saran is a former Foreign Secretary of India. He is currently Chair of Research and Information Systems for Developing Countries (RIS) a prestigious think tank and a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi.
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Apr 7 2016 (The Daily Star, Bangladesh) - That some Indians have stashed money abroad was known even when I began my journalism career almost 60 years ago. The West German government once provided us with a list of depositors from India, but nothing came out of it because the people involved enjoyed political patronage. The much-hidden Swiss accounts were also given to the government when it made an official request. No action followed since it was once again seen that the people who had kept their money were influential.
Money makes the mare go By Kuldip Nayar*
I
recall the Union Home Ministry once making an inquiry into the foreign funding of political parties after a furore in Parliament. The report was never revealed, but it was revealed unofficially that all political parties, including the Left, had their accounts in West Germany or Switzerland. The revelations made now about the offshore investments by Indian businessmen and industrialists are in the same category. One must congratulate the intrepid journalists for this. After talking to the journalists, I found that it had taken more than six months to collect information about the money deposited here and there, and collate it. Understandably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set up a panel of officials from the incometax department, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Enforcement Directorate to probe the matter and apportion responsibility. Yet, nothing concrete would come out of it because the persons connected with the dealings have political clout. The Parliament may take up the matter, since the entire nation is horrified over the disclosures. Yet again, the matter would not go beyond accusations and counter-accusations, since all political parties are involved in some way or the other. Parties have to oil their setups, and they have to have some sources to do so. The bane of the problem is the money needed during elections. Election cost to assembly constituencies is estimated at Rs. 10,000 crore. Naturally, the Lok Sabha elections would need several more crores of rupees. Even individual
voters are being paid in cash or kind by different political parties to woo them. For example, Tamil Nadu, which is going to the polls next month, has already had the maximum number of arrests connected with pre-poll unaccounted money. Many parliamentary committees have gone into the funding with the purpose of reducing the expenditure. Instead, the expenses have gone up. The Election Commission has banned publicity and several ills, which were spotted during the electioneering process. But the overall situation has worsened, not improved. In fact, every political party, particularly the ruling ones, uses all kinds of methods to win elections. Power has come to mean not only authority but also money for the cadres. Therefore, no method is ‘mean’ enough to win. The manner, in which caste is exploited, makes a mockery of free balloting. The Constitution debars all these practices, and yet parties use castes and subcastes because this, apart from money, influences voters the most. Finance Minister Arun Jaitely’s statement that there are “no holy cows for them: is all right as it goes. Yet, he knows that those who finance political parties cannot be touched because they are the ones, which sustain them. How can a political party cut the hand that feeds it? The Election Commission in its various reports has complained that a candidate spends more than the limit laid down. According to the limits defined, an assembly candidate should not spend more than Rs 28 lakh while the Lok Sabha’s limit is up to Rs. 70 lakh per constituency. However, candidates spend many times more. Since there
is no limit placed on the expenditure by political parties, the Election Commission is helpless in taking action when it finds that a candidate for assembly or the Lok Sabha does not stay within the limit. The accounts that the legislatures submit to the Election Commission are all cooked up because they find it not possible to adhere to the rules if they have to cover the constituencies. Several vehicles and volunteers are required to reach every part of the constituency and yet the candidates find it difficult to cover all of them. The television medium has made things easier. But a candidate does not want his message go out as an advertisement. One, it costs a lot of money, and two, the viewers do not like canvassing through advertisements. If the Prime Minister can live with statements of bogus election expenses, he can very well accept the offshore investments that are unethical but not illegal. After all, this is their way of avoiding paying high taxes in India. High taxation in the county is again the reason why businessmen and others prefer to keep their money abroad. The government has declared amnesty many a time and made it attractive for businessmen and industrialists to disclose their assets abroad. But how to make them keep money at home and pay taxes is the problem.
I recall that India was facing acute foreign exchange crisis when I was the High Commissioner at London in 1990. I made a personal appeal to the people of Indian origin living there that the country, which they called Bharat Mata, required their contribution urgently. But my request fell on deaf ears. They were looking for good returns. Once they were offered bonds, which would ensure high returns in foreign exchange, they were very willing to invest. For them, the love of the country had to be translated into money. By all means, the Prime Minister should probe offshore investments. And he is justified in doing so. But he should realize
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that the investors who found tax havens abroad will find some other ways to evade taxes. In fact, a probe is needed to find why Indians prefer money to the interests of their motherland? For this, mere slogans like Bharat Mata Ki Jai will not help. The RSS, which has coined the slogan, should find ways to evoke that kind of love. But how can it do so when it doesn’t believe in a pluralistic society, the ethos of India? *The writer is an eminent Indian columnist, Former Editor of the Indian Express & former Indian High Commissioner to Britain. This story was originally published by The Daily Star, Bangladesh.
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SRK explains how his younger version in FAN was a big effort
By Neeraj Nanda
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elbourne: It was a rather different but candid talk with media persons through a very clear video link, SRK talked about his new movie FAN releasing on 15 April. He still looks like the Hockey Coach in ‘Chak de India’, shot mostly in Melbourne. The Indian /South Asian media with a few others was there and excitement
ran high as the video link was tested. The Friday evening treat with India’s greatest movie star so far away but so near left it’s mark on this scribe. I wonder when will the mainstream Australian media go beyond Hollywood? Anyway, South Asia Times (SAT) eagerness to know about the youngish cute looking 20-yearold SRK (the Fan in the movie) streaming around in trailers,
photos and publicity material bore fruit as King Khan explained some of it. In fact, SRK says, “ I had to be de-aged and the process was cumbersome with at times it took five hours for my forehead wrinkles to be hidden with makeup and in a few hours they would start to diminish because of sweating. This makeup removal took another one and half hours.” “ This man who is famous Hollywood special makeup effects artist Greg Cannom had earlier failed twice in Hollywood in giving a de-aging look but was successful with me. Once it took many hours to remove all lines on my forehead, nose was done, eyebrows redone, eyes made bigger, lips given a new look and the cheeks made chubby,” SRK told SAT. The postproduction work involved complex 3-D visual effects (VFX) where by in the process imagery was created or manipulated outside the context of a live action shot. VFX, reports say, was used for the character of Gaurav (obsessed Fan). “The unique story idea of this film came from Director Maneesh Sharma who is also from Delhi and
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not from Yash Chopra as reported elsewhere, “ says SRK. About his real-life fans, says SRK, I meet and hug my fans whenever I get the opportunity. It’s essential to meet people who admire you. “Aryan (movie star) role was more challenging and emotional. Before I became a star I was a fan. Being a movie star in Fan was more realistic than what I am,” says SRK. About his role as an actor SRK said, “ I feel a huge responsibility and do not want to let down people. I want to make people happy. When I went to Mumbai I was alone but now I have a family of billions all over the world.” About Melbourne, SRK said, I would like to come to Melbourne. It has grown so much. Fan is directed by Maneesh Sharma and produced by Aditya Chopra under the banner of Yash Raj Films.Both Vishal–Shekhar and Andrea Guerra, composes the soundtrack album and original score. In Australia, the movie is being released by the Mind Blowing Films. For all information check – www.mindblowingfilms.com. —SAT News Service.
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Windies thriller at Eden Gardens By Sandeep Nakai
K
OLKATA :Four mighty heaves from Carlos Brathwaite etched his name in cricketing history and earned the West Indies the World Twenty-20 title at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens in a turn of events that even the finest writer of fiction would avoid. After all it is once in a lifetime that a batsmen, in a supporting role to the seasoned partner, smashes four massive sixes off successive balls in the final over to turn the fate of a title encounter on its head. Facing a formidable target of chasing 19 runs for victory, with England’s fans already preparing for celebrations, Brathwaite freely swung his bat to send the ball soaring over th mid-on fence – twice into the spectator galleries – to leave everyone dumbfounded. Chasing England’s 155 for nine from 20 over, the West Indies were struggling at three down for 11, losing big-hitting Chris Gayle and the duo of Johnson Charles and Lendl Simmons who helped them chase a challenging Indian total in the semifinal at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. Man-of-the-final Marlon Samuels (85 not out from 66 balls) fashioned the West Indies
recovery. Samuels kept them in the contest, even though the target kept getting stiffer until Braithwaite unleashed his four breathtaking strokes to spur the West Indies to 161 for six in 19.4 overs. Whatever Brathwaite does, or does not do, hereafter in his cricketing career, he ought to be excused for having a halo over his head. Before the West Indies men stepped into Eden Gardens, the Caribbean women won the World T20 title and marked a unique double. The West Indies women defeated defending champions Australia in the final by eight wickets with three balls to spare. English bowler Ben Stokes, chosen to complete the winning task by bowling the last over, was a broken man after sending just four deliveries, crestfallen and down on his knees until a teammate came console him. What followed was the unleashing of some pent up frustration from West Indies captain Darren Sammy, who berated his own cricket board in an ongoing pay dispute and Samuels, who took a swipe at Ex-Australian cricketerturned-commentator Shane Warne for criticizing him in the media. While Sammy rued the lack of support from the West Indies cricket board, Samuels
sarcastically dedicated his award to Warne – continuing the hostility among them since the Big Bash T20 event in Australia. Sammy said that the team had been spurred on by the berating it had received from Mark Nicholas, the ex-English County cricketer who is now an Australia-based commentator. What had rankled Sammy was the “team short on brains” description by Nicholas in a preview of the World T20 championship. “How can you call someone brainless, probably animals do not have brains,” Sammy said ahead of the final, insisting that these insulting jibes had motivated his team to chase the title. Starting with a victory over England in their preliminary league encounter, the West Indies strokeplay swept everything ahead of them, except succumbing to an unexpected loss to rankoutsiders Afghanistan, but they were already assured of a place in the semifinals. Afghanistan, coming through the qualifiers to play in the World T20, earned a lot of admirers for their performance, and had a six-run victory over the West Indies to show for their efforts. They should have sealed a win over England as well, but the Afghans’ inexperience
allowed England to escape from the dire situation of 57 for six and eventually win by 15 runs. Starting on a disastrous note with their batsmen committing hara-kiri on a spinning track at Nagpur against New Zealand, India bounced back with a fine show to post a wix-wicket victory over Parkistan. But India were on the brink of defeat against Bangladesh, who needed just one run from three balls and yet lost by one runs. Bangladesh were extremely unlucky to lose this match. It was an impulse of two of their batsmen – apparently looking to end the match with a glorious stroke – that allowed India to escape by the proverbial skin of the teeth. Two batsmen were caught on the fence off successive deliveries and the last ball saw a run out in desperation to hand India the narrowest of wins. The escape against Bangladesh was followed by a stupendous ViratKohli innings that dashed Australia’s hopes of winning the only silverware missing from their cabinet. Emerging as India’s most outstanding when chasing targets, Kohli’s brilliance secured the hosts a six-wicket victory and ended Australia’s campaign for their first World T20 trophy. Going into the Wankhede
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Stadium as the favourites, India were themselves knocked out by the West Indies. Replying to India’s 192 for 2 in 20 overs, the West Indies posted 193 for six with four balls remaining. The dew factor late in the evening, said captain MahendraDhoni, had played its part as the Indian spinners could not properly grip the wet ball. In the other semifinals, England stopped New Zealand’s winning spree. Despite a sound start, New Zealand were restricted to 153 for eight in 20 overs and young opener Jason Roy 50-ball 78 steered England to 159 for three in 17.1 overs. England had grown in strength with every game after their early loss to the West Indies. The English cricketers were dreaming of the title until the aspirations were shattered by those four big sixes from Brathwaite. The dance on Bravos’s single “Champions” song was a feature of the West Indies campaign in the World T20. The celebration dance by a few players in the lobby of the Mumbai hotel after defeating India in the semifinal was seen by millions on-line and the netizens went on too comment that the dance celebrations were reason enough for cricket fans to back the West Indies. —SAT News Service.
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south asia 40 South Asia Timestimes
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