SAT
southSouth asia times 1 Asia Times
CELEBRATING 14TH YEAR OF PUBLICATION
2 0 1 7
READ INSIDE
South Asia Times
Vol.14 I No. 7 I FEBRUARY 2017 I FREE s o u t hasiatim es.com .au Editor: Neeraj Nanda
I
GUEST EDIT COVER STORY COMMUNITY SOUTH ASIA HINDI PUSHP BUSINESS CINEMA
PG4 PG5 PG8 PG24 PGS 30-31 PG34 PG38
See page 2
Ph: (03) 98848096 M: 0421 677 082
LOANSDIRECT LOANS MADE EASY!
I
Add: PO Box 465, Brentford Square, Victoria 3131
Car Loans Home Loans
E FRoE bile
Melbourne Office: Suite 19, 17-19 Miles Street Mulgrave VIC 3170
M p! Ap
Pankaj Goyal P: (03) 9819 4656 F: (03) 9818 3300 E: harry@loansdirect.com.au
Personal Loans
www.loansdirect.com.au
Like us and Share on:
FREE Consultation! Call 03 9819 4656
Truck Loans
Australian Credit License: 385597 Credit Ombudsman Member: M0007205 Real Estate Agent License: 074446L
F E B R U A R Y
New Homes, Plans & Permits, S/E Development Sites: iaussiebuilders.com.au
GET UP & GET ACTIVE!
Read on page 5
AMIT SOFAT: 0426 022 965 VIKRAM MANDHOTRA: 0430 405 999
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
south asia 2 South Asia Timestimes
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge + Samsung Gear S3 Frontier
Î104
/mth
$80 MyMix Red Data plan (enjoy $8 off) + $7 phone + $25 watch Over 24 months. Total min cost is $2688. Additional data in Oz added at $10/GB ($0.10/MB) Data for use in Oz. Offer ends 07.03.17.
Vodafone Power to you
Simply bring your student ID in-store. Watch is not immediately available upon purchase and will be sent directly to customer.
The nitty gritty: For personal use by approved customers only. Inclusions expire after 1 month. Plan excludes Premium Services, 1223 & 1225 directory services, 123 Ask-Us-Anything, International Roaming, content purchases, Call Screen and charges for additional data and additional standard international calls. Samsung watch offer: Min monthly spend is $104 plus handset or device payments. Early exit fee: $40 x months left on contract plus any handset or device payments. Services subject to device capabilities, network limitations and customer location. Student 10% off: Discount available to approved new and upgrading students with a valid student ID who sign u p to a $60 MyMix Red 24 month plan, $70 or $90 MyMix Red Data handset 24 month plan, or a $80, $100 or $120 MyMix Red Data or Red Global 24 month plan, $53 MyMix Red Data 24 month Sim Only plan, $58 or $73 MyMix Red D ata or Red Global 24 month Sim Only plan, $50 or $60 MyMix Red Data or Red Global month to month Sim Only plan, $50 or $60 12 month Sim Only plan. Excludes rate p lan change. For 24 month plans, discount available from months 1-24; for month-to-month & 12 month plans, discount is available for as long as you remain connected (‘Discount Term’). Discount is forfeited if you cancel your contract. During the Discount Term min monthly spend $45, $47.70, $52.20, $54, $63, $65.70, $72, $81, $90, $108 ($50, $53, $58, $60, $70, $73, $80, $90, $100, $120 plans respectively) plus any applicable device costs. For 24 month plans, from month 24 onwards min monthly spend $50, $53, $58, $60, $70, $73, $80, $90, $100, $120 ($50, $53, $58, $60, $70, $73, $80, $90, $100, $120 plans respectively)(‘Undiscounted Min Monthly Spend’) plus any applicable device costs. For 12 & 24 month plans, early exit fee is 50% of Und iscounted Min Monthly Spend x months left on contract plus any handset payments. For month-to month plans, minimum connection is 1 month and recurring monthly access fee charged until the end of the month in which you notify Vodafone that you wish to cancel. Offer not transferrable or redeemable for cash, subject to change or available with any other offer. V07246 01.17 226899
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
F E B R U A R Y
southSouth asia times 3 Asia Times
2 0 1 7
Free 3in1 Printer Free Printer with every $50 MyMix Sim Only Plan or higher over 12 or 24 months, or a $60 MyMix Red Plan over 24 months.
Vodafone Partner The nitty gritty: Offer is valid from 1/2/2017 until 31/3/2017 (unless extended) For personal use only. Business customers must have an ABN/CAN. Available to NEW credit approved customers only who sign-up (and stay connected) to the $50 MyMix Sim Only Plan or higher over 12 or 24 months, or a $60 MyMix Red Plan over 24 months. Not for commercial or resale purposes. Offer not transferrable or redeemable for cash and subject to change. Inclusions expire after 1 month. Min monthly spend is $50 MyMix Sim Only or higher plus any handset repayments. Early exit fee = min monthly spend x months remaining on contract. If you have more than one Vodafone plan that supports sharing on your billing account (up to a maximum of 10) the data allowances on those services will automatically combine into one pool which will be shared between eligible users. Any existing international calling allowances on your account are not shareable with this plan. You can find out which plans support sharing or you can opt-out of sharing altogether at any time by calling 1555.Offer is exclusive to Mo’s Mobiles pty ltd and is not available with any other offer. Full Vodafone terms available at: http://www.vodafone.com.au/about/legal/plan-details. All customers should read the Vodafone Fair Use Policy available online and Vodafone.com.au 226063
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
south asia 4 South Asia Timestimes
SAT
South Asia Times
PUBLISHER/EDITOR Neeraj Nanda M: 0421 677 082 satimes@gmail.com
EDITOR (Hindi Pushp) Dr. Dinesh Srivastava dsrivastava@optusnet.com.au
SAT NEWS BUREAU/Australia (Melbourne) Neeraj Nanda satimes@gmail.com
SAT NEWS BUREAU/South Asia (New Delhi, India) RAJIV SHARMA rajeev.anchor@gmail.com PRASHAT TANDON news.prashant@gmail.com
SAT ADVERTISING (Melbourne) M: 0421 677 082 & E: satimes@gmail.com PHOTO SECTION (Melbourne) AP Guruswamy apgfoto@yahoo.com M: 0431 482 258 Kulbir Photographer creativeartmedia.au@gmail.com M: 0430 306 255
SAT Design Bala Imagine
address P O Box 465, Brentford Square, Vic. 3131 Phone: (03) 9884 8096; Mobile: 0421 677 082 Email: satimes@gmail.com/
WEBSITE www.southasiatimes.com.au
E-PAPER Access through website FACEBOOK:
facebook.com/satmelb Twitter:
twitter.com/southasiatimes skype: neeraj.nanda
DISCLAIMER South Asia Times (SAT) is a monthly newspaper published in English (2 pages in Hindi) from Melbourne, Australia. Contributors supply material to SAT at their own risk and any errors will be corrected as quickly as possible. SAT does not accept responsibility for the authenticity of any advertisement, text content or a picture in the publication. No material, including text or advertisements designed by the SAT or pictures may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the editor/publisher. Opinions/stories/ reports or any text content are those of the writers/contributors and not necessarily endorsed by the SAT.
GUEST EDITORIAL
F E B R U A R Y
Major crisis, minor reforms By Jomo Kwame Sundaram*
k
UALA LUMPUR: The 2008-2009 financial breakdown, precipitated by the US housing mortgage crisis, has triggered an extended stagnation in the developed economies, initially postponed in much of the developing world by high primary commodity prices until 2014. Yet, the financial crisis and protracted economic slowdown since has not led to profound changes in the conventional wisdom or policy prescriptions, especially at the international level, despite global economic integration since the 1980s. To be sure, the spread of the crisis caused the G20 group of US-selected important economies to convene for the first time at a heads of government level in a mid-November 2008 White House summit instigated by then French President Sarkozy. Various national initiatives to save their financial sectors were followed by a Gordon Brown UK initiative to significantly augment IMF resources. Soon, however, the appearance of supposed ‘green shoots of recovery’ led to premature abandonment of fiscal recovery efforts, reinforced by Eurozone fiscal rules, the powerful influence of financial rentier interests and bogus academic claims of impending doom due to public debt growth.
Weak response, weak recovery The uneven and lacklustre economic recovery and worsening conditions for many in the world since then have been accompanied by a tremendous new concentration of wealth. Meanwhile, there has been a growing realization in the West that economic conditions for working people, which had been rising rapidly in the post-war decades, have been slowly, but steadily deteriorating in recent decades. This has been associated in the popular imagination with globalization and some of its major manifestations, including increased inflows of cheaper goods and migrants. Widespread political, social and cultural reactions were summarily dismissed by political and
Despite this vortex of globalization, financial crisis, stagnation, rising inequality and populism, somewhat reminiscent of the 1930s, there has been no comparable policy or analytical response, and most certainly, no leadership comparable to, say, Roosevelt’s New Deal or the Marshall Plan. media establishments as unfounded populisms of one kind or another. To be sure, the dominant tendencies have often been xenophobic, culturally chauvinist and intolerant, and sometimes, downright racist. Ostensibly to secure electoral majorities and to move with the times, most European social democrat leaders have joined the consensus of the financial rentiers, discrediting the ‘centreleft’ and strengthening the ‘popularity’ of the ‘far right’ and exceptionally, the left. Despite this vortex of globalization, financial crisis, stagnation, rising inequality and populism, somewhat reminiscent of the 1930s, there has been no comparable policy or analytical response, and most certainly, no leadership comparable to, say, Roosevelt’s New Deal or the Marshall Plan. Some rethinking, but to no end Besides the brief rediscovery of Hyman Minsky’s work, Joseph Stiglitz, Robert Shiller, Thomas Piketty and other dissenters have received far more attention than if not for the crisis. Meanwhile, some distinguished mainstream economists have been forced by recent realities to reconsider elements of the conventional wisdom, without requiring
abandonment of the creed. Since the leadership of IMF Managing Director Dominic Strauss-Kahn, the Fund’s Research Department has contributed to such rethinking, especially on financial regulation, fiscal policy and income inequality. The Fund has been re-legitimized in the eyes of some of its critics elated by its research findings and their policy implications. In some instances, the nature and significance of the research findings have been exaggerated by erstwhile critics pleasantly surprised by the researchers’ apparently critical turn. Such research results have broadened the scope of what is deemed acceptable economic policy discourse. But in fact, these research findings have had rather limited and mixed consequences for its operations, including its policy advice and conditionalities. Meanwhile, the Fund has already begun to back-pedal on some of its bolder critical publications, e.g., on neoliberalism’s responsibility for slower growth and greater inequality in its Finance and Development periodical in June 2016. Thus, while there has undoubtedly been a welcome shift in the Fund’s research findings, it is important not to exaggerate their actual significance
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
2 0 1 7
for its role, impact and operations. Before his passing a decade ago, neoclassical economics guru Paul Samuelson had raised concerns about the biased, one-dimensional and exaggerated claims of the benefits from international trade liberalization. But even now, the Washington Consensus presumption that trade liberalization raises all boats without any need for compensatory mechanisms, continues to be the conventional wisdom. One step forward, two steps back Worse still, so-called free trade agreements have less and less to do with reducing barriers to trade, but instead have become major instruments for advancing powerful corporate interests abroad, and certainly not for enhancing prospects for sustainable development and food security. Meanwhile, as Jagdish Bhagwati has long emphasized, the prospects for multilateral trade liberalization are being undermined by non-trade conditionalities as well as bilateral and plurilateral agreements driven by other considerations. Much more remains to be done if economic research and policy advice are to rise to meet the challenges of our times. Unfortunately, for the time being, it is not clear that political conditions and leadership are conducive to such shifts in the near future. To be sure, some of the recent rethinking is significant, with important policy implications, and could lead to state and collective international intervention mechanisms to rein in the neo-liberal paradigm in extremis. But most actual policy and regulatory reform initiatives have been limited in scope so far, and continue to be deeply compromised by powerful rentier interests and their proponents in the ‘deep state’, academia and the media. *Jomo Kwame Sundaram, a former economics professor and United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, received the Wassily Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought in 2007. —Source: Inter Press Service, February 10, 2017
F E B R U A R Y
COVER STORY
2 0 1 7
southSouth asia times 5 Asia Times
GET UP & GET ACTIVE!
Want to prevent stroke, diabetes, cancer? Get moving… now! By Baher Kamal
household chores to gardening and dancing… Any activity, be it for work, to walk or cycle to and from places, or as part of leisure time, has a health benefit,” according to the Genevabased UN agency. Not really sure? See these 10 facts that the United Nations top health agency has prepared:
r
OME, Feb 2 2017 (IPS) - Tired, lazy, bored, laying down long hours watching TV or seated checking your email? Wrong. And dangerous: not enough exercise contributes to cancer, diabetes, depression and other noncommunicable diseases. The warning is bold and comes from the United Nations top health organisation, which is urging people to get up and get active. And the risks of inactivity are expanding alarmingly: according to a new document by the World Health Organization (WHO), less and less people are active in many countries – with nearly a quarter of all adults and more than 80 per cent of adolescents being too sedentary. WHO’s Global Action Plan for the Prevention
and Control of NCDs [NonCommunicable Diseases] 2013-2020 recommends that inactive people start with
“small amounts of physical activity” and then gradually increase duration, frequency and intensity over time.
“Physical activity can be any activity –not just sport– that uses energy… from playing and doing
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
Fact 1: Physical Activity Reduces Risk of Disease Physical activity reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, diabetes, hypertension, various types of cancer including colon cancer and breast cancer, as well as depression. Physical activity is also fundamental to energy balance and weight control. Globally, about 23 per cent of adults and 81 per cent of school-going adolescents are not active enough. CONTD. ON PG 6
south asia 6 South Asia Timestimes
COVER STORY
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
GET UP & GET ACTIVE!
Want to prevent stroke, diabetes, cancer? Get moving… now!
CONTD. FROM PG 5 Generally, women and girls are less active than men and boys, and older adults are less active than younger adults.
Fact 2: It Helps to Maintain a Healthy Body People who are physically active: 4improve their muscular and cardio-respiratory fitness; 4improve their bone and functional health; 4have lower rates of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, cancer (including colon and breast cancer), and depression; 4have a lower risk of falling and of hip or vertebral fractures; and 4are more likely to maintain their weight. Fact 3: It Is Not the Same as Sport Physical activity is any bodily movement produced by the skeletal muscles that uses energy. This includes sports, exercise, and other activities such as playing, walking, household chores, gardening, and dancing.
Any activity, be it for work, to walk or cycle to and from places, or as part of leisure time, has a health benefit. Fact 4: Moderate, Vigorous Physical Activity Bring Benefits
MEDIA RELEASE 15 January 2017
AIII 9th HOLI FAIR 2017 The Australian Indian Innovations Inc. is this year holding its ninth HOLI FAIR on Sunday 12 March 2017. The event will be held at the TATTERSON PARK, SPRINGERS LEISURE CENTRE, 400 CHELTENHAM ROAD, KEYSBOROUGH,VICTORIA. The starting time is 11.30 am and the fair will end at 6.00 pm. Entry to the fair is free. The dry color Holi event will have nonstop music and dhol for the enjoyment of the community. The excellent venue has free ample parking which makes a visit to the fair worry free. There will be many food and variety stalls, Henna & Tattoo stalls, kids rides and full police presence for security. The fair will also have the 'Spirit & Harmony Music Festival' presented LIVE on stage by SIMDA. The fair is supported by the Victorian Multicultural Commission, Vodafone and the Made In India. GENERAL ENQUIRIES: BABU AKULA 0417 635 033 STALL ENQUIRIES: PANDIT PATIL 0403678513 ALBERT LIM 0431577508
www.aiii.org.au
Intensity refers to the rate at which the activity is being performed. It can be thought of as how hard a person works to do an activity. The intensity of different forms of physical activity varies between people. Depending on an individual’s relative level of fitness, examples of moderate physical activity could include: brisk walking, dancing, or household chores. Examples of vigorous physical activity could be: running, fast cycling, fast swimming, or moving heavy loads. Fact 5: 60 Minutes a Day for People 5–17 Years Old People aged 5–17 should have at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily. More than 60 minutes of physical activity a day brings additional health benefits. Fact 6: 150 Minutes a Week for People 18–64 Years Old Adults aged 18–64 should do at least 150 minutes of moderately intense physical activity each week, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous activity throughout the week, or an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous activity. In order to be beneficial for cardio-respiratory health, all activity should be performed in bouts of at least 10 minutes duration. Fact 7: Adults Aged 65 and Above The main recommendations for adults and older adults are the same. In addition, older adults with poor mobility should do physical activity to enhance balance and prevent falls 3 or more days per week. When older adults cannot do the recommended amount of physical activity due to health conditions, they should be as physically active as their abilities
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
and conditions allow. Fact 8: All Healthy Adults Need to Be Physically Active Unless specific medical conditions indicate the contrary, WHO’s recommendations apply to all people – irrespective of gender, race, ethnicity, or income level. These recommendations also apply to individuals with chronic non-communicable conditions, not related to mobility, such as hypertension or diabetes. Adults with disabilities should also follow WHO’s recommendations. Fact 9: Some Physical Activity Is Better than None Inactive people should start with small amounts of physical activity and gradually increase duration, frequency, and intensity over time. Inactive adults, older adults, and those with disease limitations will have added health benefits when they become more active. Pregnant women, postpartum women, and persons with cardiac conditions may need to take extra precautions and seek medical advice before striving to achieve the recommended levels of physical activity. Fact 10: Supportive Environments, Communities Help People Be Physically Active Urban and environmental policies have huge potential to increase levels of physical activity. These policies should ensure that: 4walking, cycling and other forms of active transportation are accessible and safe for all; 4labour and workplace policies encourage physical activity; 4schools have safe spaces and facilities for students to spend their free time actively; and 4sports and recreation facilities provide opportunities for everyone to be physically active. Still there? Get up! Move… now!
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
southSouth asia times 7 Asia Times
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
south asia 8 South Asia Timestimes
community
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
JLF Melbourne excels, more local flavour desired
By SAT News Desk
M
ELBOURNE, 13 February; The world’s premier literary festival hit the shores of Melbourne on February 11-12th. The opening gala was a colourful affair, but the absence of Shashi Tharoor who was first announced as a keynote speaker was felt. The festival had a quality line-up of Indian writers and performers. Sanjiv Sanyal, Sofia Ashraf and Sampurna Chattarji, all held the complete attention of the packed Deakin edge auditorium. The line-up also claimed to support local talent and featured emerging writers like Aparna Ananthuni and Sunil Badami, an ABC regular who is currently re-writing his first novel.
Roanna Gonsalves, another writer of Indian origin who has recently published her first book The Permanent Resident, also spoke very well about her experiences as a migrant. Transgender writer Laxmi Narayan Tripathi (Main Hijra…Main Laxmi!) frank words during the panel discussion on ‘Gender & the Spaces Between’ mesmerised the literary audience at the Deakin Edge (Federation Square) when she said, “God does not discriminate, humans discriminate.” And “Sexuality is beautiful. The world should respect everybody as human beings.” Taking a dig at the man’s world Laxmi added, “In a man’s world, I am only a sexual toy.” Unfortunately, the festival
could not attract much attention of the powerful Indian community. It could have been more popular in the community if more local talent could be part of the festival. For example, Shriram Iyer’s credentials as an author seemed to be a perfect fit for JLF’s debut in Melbourne. As a published novelist, (both his novels have been published by India’s biggest publishers) he is the only Melbourne author of Indian-origin, picked up by mainstream publishers in India! JLF as part of MWF (Melbourne Writer’s Festival) is the ‘literary marriage’ of India and Australia, and Shriram fits well in it. In fact, there might be many like Shriram Iyer who could have added some extra colour and local flavour to the event.
Though the locally owned books stall of the Eltham Bookstore attracted many and reflected the passion people still have for books. There was a table where authors sat and signed if you bought a book. Well, next time, as proud
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
Indians and South Asians living in Melbourne, it would be a great idea to see other prominent artists of the local community who have achieved acclaim be included as part of a venture that enhances our multicultural ethos.
F E B R U A R Y
southSouth asia times 9 Asia Times
2 0 1 7
SRI SAI BABA ASTROLOGY CENTER
Indian Astrology From My Generation Palm Reading & Horoscope
PANDITH : GANGADHAR IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM I HAVE A SOLUTION FAMILY LOVE HEALTH COURT VISA LOTTO BUSINESS
JEALOUSY
PROTECTIONS
ENEMY PROBLEM
RELATIONSHIP PROPERTY MARRIAGE CHILDREN HUSBAND & WIFE PROMOTION EMPLOYMENT SPIRITUAL PROBLEMS REMOVE BLACK MAGIC
SEXUAL PROBLEM ETC
“I have a goal in helping people with depression and people who are hurt. Sometimes they need someone to talk to. well thats what Astrology Hand Reading, Numerology Horoscope Reading, I am here for!” Face Reading, Remove Black Magic, Evil Spirit Problems, Get your ex-love Predicts Your Past, Present and Future.Performs back by Vashikaram love Laxmi Chakra,Home/Shanti Pujas, Vaastupuja.He will help Astrology and f s n Solut0io% in all problems and work with God and holy spirit. 10
e e t n a r Gua
Call For Appointment
0426 181 166
1/164 Lightwood Road, Noble Park ,VIC -3174 7 Days A Week - 9.00 AM to 8.00 PM www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
south asia 10 South Asia Timestimes
community
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
Hindi Niketan celebrates Indian R-Day & A-Day
By SAT News Desk
M
ELBOURNE, 29 Jan: The large Indian community living in Melbourne has long been celebrating the Indian Republic Day and the Australia Day under the banner of Hindi Niketan. In the true spirit of both of these days, this year’s event was celebrated on January 29, 2017 at the Scoresby Primary School, Scoresby. The event started in the afternoon and was attended by more than 100 guests
from diverse backgrounds and the community leaders including the Mr. Kim Wells (MP), representing Honourable Mathew Guy, the leader of the opposition in the Victorian Parliament, Mr. Nick Wakeling, Member for Ferntree Gully, Mr. Chidambaram Srinivasan, VMC Commissioner, Ms Nicole Seymour, Knox councillor, Dr. Rahul Gupta, the President of Hindi Niketan, Dr. Sharad Gupta, FIAV President. Eminent Hindi/Sanskrit scholar, Mrs. Mridual Kirti was the chief
guest for this event. The celebration started with the signing of the national anthems of both Australia and India. It was followed by patriotic songs sung by Sangeeta Varma, Neeraj Sharma and Rani Sinha. Mr. Vipin Gandhar recited a touching poem. This session was followed by speeches by Kim, Nick, Srinivasan, Nicole Seymour and Rahul Gupta. Mrs. Mridual Kirti narrated the importance of the day in Hindi/English and talked about the value of Indian
culture and language. Dr. Subash Sharma, well known Hindi poet introduced Dr. Mridual. The speakers emphasised on the importance of embracing the values and cultures of both Australia and India and integrating them to the fabric of multicultural Australian society. The speeches were followed by a quiz program conducted by Dr. Rahul Gupta for children of various groups as well as adults. The highlight of the event were sporting events in which
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
women, children and men participated. Various sporting events were organised such as musical chair, races etc. The last event of the evening was well attended game of Bingo. It was followed by prize distribution by Dr. Rahul Gupta and Mr. Vijay Pipariaya (Hindi Niketan Executive Member). Dr. Rahul Gupta thanked the Knox council and VMC for supporting this multicultural event as well as all the Hindi Niketan volunteers. The event concluded with an Indian vegetarian dinner dinner.
F E B R U A R Y
southSouth asia times 11 Asia Times
2 0 1 7
2017
Festival of Colours
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
south asia 12 South Asia Timestimes
community
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
Sankat Mochan Holi 2017 at the Monash Clayton Campus
By SAT News Desk
M
ELBOURNE, 13 February: This year the Monash University has partnered with the Sankat Mochan Samiti (SMS) and the Monash City Council in furthering its commitment of community building by participating in the Indian festival, “Holi - Rang Barase (Shower of Colours) - Festival of Colours�, on Sunday 19 March 2017 at the Monash Sport (Sport Fields) Monash University Clayton Campus, Wellington Rd, Clayton from 11.00 AM to 6.00 PM. The Rang Barase theme is to bring the communities and individuals with
different cultural, religious and national background to come together and enjoy the feeling of companionship and friendship amongst known and unknowns by sharing the fun of sprinkling and dusting the beautiful dry colours on each other. In this day long festival will have the combination of international cultural, food cuisines and children rides creating an attractive festive fair ambience. Holi is celebrated in India during the spring season, when the entire nature is full of colours with beautiful natural and wild flowers and the winter crops are nearly ready to be harvested. On the full moon day of Chaitra
(Hindus follow Lunar Calendar, so the dates fall in March or April close to Easter) a bonfire is lit for Holika who was blessed to be unscathed from the fire and her nephew Bhakta Prahallad a devotee of Lord Vishnu. Holi is celebrated every year as a gesture of victory of Good over Evil. The day following the Holika Dahan signifies the start of Falgun month that is the end of cold and gloomy winter and the start of beautiful spring in India. On this day, also known as Rangwali holi or the Dhulendi (Festival of Colours - Rang Barse), people play with coloured powder and coloured water. This year the celebrations
at the Monash University Sports Centre shall start from 11.00 AM with food stalls with International food flavours with variety of sumptuous food, kiddies rides including the most popular Camel ride and non-stop dancing by the spectators to the beats of DJ Ash, with hundreds of performers on the stage from various age groups with different International and regional flavours, representing the dances from different regions of India ( Giddha, Lavani, Rajasthani, Kashmiri and Bollywood dancing CONTACT: Arvind Shrivastava 0427 274 462 or email at sankatmochansamiti@gmail.com
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
Holi is celebrated in India during the spring season, when the entire nature is full of colours with beautiful natural and wild flowers and the winter crops are nearly ready to be harvested.
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
southSouth asia times 13 Asia Times
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
south asia 14 South Asia Timestimes
community
F E B R U A R Y
Andrew’s govt. slams ‘Libs plan to kill jobs & increase power prices’ By SAT News Desk
M
ELBOURNE. 13 February: The Andrew’s Labor government in Victoria has slammed Opposition Leader Matthew Guy’s plan to scrap Victoria’s Renewable Energy Target (VRET), which it says, will put thousands of jobs at risk – while significantly increasing power prices and pollution “VRET is providing investment certainty that will drive $9 billion in investment in renewables and large-scale energy storage – creating 11,000 new jobs, cutting the cost of power for Victorians and enhancing grid resilience. The vast majority of these jobs will be in regional Victoria. We’ve already seen $450 million invested in a 240MW wind farm in Ararat – a project which will create 165 jobs in the region,” says a media release. The Andrews Government has also supported a further $220 million investment into two new wind farms which
will begin construction this year, bringing hundreds more jobs into regional Victoria, and invested $5 million towards the deployment of grid enhancing utility storage. The media release
from the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio says, “Mr Guy’s announcement comes on the same day that industry and environmentalists
called on state and federal governments to get on with the job of ensuring a reliable, affordable and clean energy supply for all Australians. The Labor Government remains ready to work with state and federal counterparts on a cohesive strategy moving forward, but there are challenges which we must face.” “Reports today indicate Malcolm Turnbull and Josh Frydenberg deliberately misled the Australian people on the cause of the South Australian blackout in September 2016 – ignoring advice from their own experts that the blackout was caused by unprecedented storm damage to the network, and renewables were not to blame, the media release says. Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio says: “Matthew Guy’s plan will kill thousands of jobs, increase electricity prices and send emissions soaring. He's just shown every Victorian he's Malcolm's Guy, no matter
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
2 0 1 7
how many jobs it costs.” “Malcolm Turnbull can’t keep using renewables as a scapegoat – over the weekend NSW, one of the most coal dependent states in the world, came very close to a blackout.” “No matter how hard Malcolm Turnbull pushes, industry is saying that new coal-fired power stations won’t be built. Business groups have slammed the proposal because it’s bad for business and bad for the environment.” Experts agree that greater investment in renewable energy will lower prices, create jobs and significantly reduce emissions – making it hard to understand the Liberal and National push to move away from renewables and go ‘all in’ on ultrasupercritical coal. Recent analysis by Bloomberg New Energy Finance shows that supercritical coal is the most expensive form of new supply, is inflexible and highly emissions intensive.
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
community
southSouth asia times 15 Asia Times
‘Desi Fiesta’ in celebration of Australia Day and Indian Republic Day
procession down Little India by the Global Organisation for Divinity. The welcome address was given by the FIMO President Paramjit Jaswal who thanked Revati Ilanko, Vasan Srinivasan, Subra Ramachandran, Subbu Sangameswaran, Upendra Shah and Sunny Duggal for organising the event. This was followed by speeches by Dr Dinesh Parekh (Museum India), Mayor Cr Jim Memeti, Hon Bruce Atkinson MP, Indian Consular General Manika Jain and Revati Ilanko (FIMO Executive Officer). Dr Dinesh Parekh informed the community of Museum India’s bleak future due to lack of government support and requested the government to prioritise funding the museum and warned the museum may cease operation in the near future. Several stalls were available for the community to which many faith organisations and Little India traders had contributed. Performances for the evening included Indian vocal music, Bharatanatyam, Rajashtani folk dances, Sufi music and kirtans. The event concluded with an Indian dinner by the Tandoori Junction. The Master of Ceremonies was Abinaya Srinivasan.
The main highlights of the festival were the launch of Mr Dya Singh’s book ‘Sikhing Success and Happiness’, FIMO Community Service Honours and Course Completion certificates given to those that had completed the Spiritual Care Volunteer Training through FIMO. In ‘Sikhing Success and Happines’ Dya Singh has attempted to explore, within his background life philosophy, Sikhism, pointers in selfFSA/VICPOL0007
M
ELBOURNE, 5 Feb: The Federation of Indian Origin Multi-Faith Organisations and Museum India hosted its annual ‘Desi Fiesta’ festival commemorating Australia Day and Indian Republic Day. It was held on the 5 February at the ‘Settler’s Square’, Little India, Dandenong. The event was funded by the Victorian Multicultural Commission; and was supported by the Confederation of Indian Associations Australia, Federation of Indian Music and Dance Victoria, Federation of Indian Associations Victoria and Amani Lawyers and Migration Agents. In attendance were Dandenong Mayor Cr Jim Memeti, Hon. Bruce Atkinson MP representing the Eastern Metropolitan Region, Indian Consular General Manika Jain and City of Casey Councillor Damien Rosario. Several organisational heads and representatives were in attendance from organisations such as Jewish Community Council Victoria, Glen Eira Interfaith Network, Southern Migrant Refugee Centre, Casey Multi-Faith Network and the Chinese Community Association of Victoria among others. The evening commenced with Nagar Sangeet (town music)
improvement, progress in life and the pursuit of happiness. As a peak body, FIMO established the Community Service Honours awards system this year to acknowledge a number of people that work tirelessly for the betterment of the Indian community and have worked closely with FIMO. Dr Dinesh Parekh from Museum India and James Waterson from Victoria Police’s Southern Metropolitan Multicultural Liaison Unit were selected for the honours. Nand Dureja and Suria Naidoo were acknowledged for their commitment and passion in serving the community and completing their Spiritual Care Volunteer training. This training was delivered by facilitators Gabbi Sar-Shalom and Bhakta Dasa who were trained to facilitate by Spiritual Health Victoria. This year’s festival engaged many youth and various cultural communities. Crowds stayed on despite a weather change mid-way through the event, which brought heavy showers. This is a testament to the success of FIMO and Museum India’s work in the community and in the Indian precinct. —Supplied.
BE A
ROLE MODEL
BE A
SAFEGUARD
BE
CHALLENGED
NOW RECRUITING policecareer.vic.gov.au
When it comes to choosing a rewarding new career, it’s not just about who you are, but who you’ll be. When you join Victoria Police, you’ll have all the training and support you need to be proud of who you are and what you can achieve in your community and with your career.
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
south asia 16 South Asia Timestimes
COMMUNITY
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
SKGA weaves dazzling ‘Sawan’ in Melbourne
By SAT News Desk
M
ELBOURNE, 13 February: Sawan is romanticized with the onset of monsoon rains in India where July and August are a welcome relief from the scorching heat. This encouraging period has religious and social significance which found reflection through the Sangam Kala Group Australia (SKGA) and its leader Nawal Moudgil. He organised the Sawan Spring Festival 2016 on 4 December, 2016 December at the RMIT University with dazzling Bollywood dances & singing, film workshops, conferences and screenings. On December 11, the closing day, SIMDA – School of Indian Music & Dance Australia, delivered a special show with an energetic, audiencepleasing performances and community workshops in Yoga, music, dance, health & weight loss. It was a brilliant and colourful reflection of
spiritual, Bollywood & crosscultural presentations from Indian, African, Afghan, Chinese, Indonesian, Sri Lankan, Bangla Desh & other cultures. The evening flourished by inaugural candle lighting by prominent guests Multicultural Shadow Minister MP Inga Pulich, Monash Cr MT Pang Tsoi, Indian Consulate Mr. Hari Prasad, VMC Commissioner Mr. Chidambaram Srinivasan and others. The event kicked off with the ‘Ganesh Vandana’ by vocalist duo Arvind and Sunila Shrivastava, set off a musical flight for the evening. Following this, Kunal Sachdeva’s solo rendition of ‘Tukur Tukur’ was as mesmerising as his later teaming up with Nawal Moudgil and Madhubanti for ‘Suno Gaur se Duniya Waalo’. When the child prodigy Mayuri Guhadas enthralled the audience with sweet melody of ‘Surmaiyaee Aankhone Mein’ while Michael Grozadanovic showcased his amazing
talent as English Piano player with a classical purity. Very talented vocalists, KJ Jeemon and Jeeson (father & son duo), Balu Rao, Birpaul Dhillon and dancers Sridevi Anoop, Annika Changkakaoti ensured that it would be an evening of pure bliss for music and dance lovers. Dev Chopra made music lovers delve deep into heart with the number ‘Teri Meri’ on keyboards and Asif (Rabab) & Nasim (Tabla) for afghan instrumentals,
intelligently emceed by Shyama Sasidharan. A SKGA media release says, “Bollywood Workout performance by Babushka Ferenczi from Jalwa Dance Company engaged the audience as they were grooving with her dance moves by moving their arms, legs, abs, and quintessentially performing cardio with great fun. With an active work out comes a focus on healthy life style. Dr. Hiremath of Herbalife, delivered an eye opening
Manoj Kumar addresses colleges in India By SAT News Desk
g
HAZIABAD, INDIA: Mr. Manoj Kumar, ALP leader during his recent visit to India, addressed the students of IMS College, AKG Engineering College and Krishna Engineering College telling that there was no short cut to success. To achieve the goal of one’s life hard work is the only way, he said. Manoj Kumar works for the world famous Australian
company EcoTech and is also the Ex-candidate for the Australian Federal Parliament in Canberra. Manoj told the students that one should be flexible in career choice. Even working at a low salary can lead to a big jump in career. After his speeches in these colleges, Manoj went to the studio of Kumar Hint Radio and spoke there on Indo-Australian relations and the role of overseas Indians in it.
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
presentation to help people achieve healthy life by making simple changes.” “Mohammed and Anna’s masterful African drumming & Babushka’s belly dancing, produced rhythmic torrents of beats electrifying the atmosphere. Watching Desi Stepperz and Laks Dance Group in event’s second half was to feel random synergy and breezy charm, presented Bollywood dance with aplomb, the release says. The last day of the event closed with a vote of thanks by Mr.Nawal Moudgil, who appreciated the support of all sponsors and volunteers from the Victorian Multicultural Commission, City of Monash, Beyond India, Santa Banta & Indian Monthly newspapers , ZZZ Radio, Channel 31, AIII Inc, OFBJP Inc, IAA Inc, AAPA Inc, SMS Inc, and invited all to group’s Spirit & Harmony Music Festival in March & Satrangi Film Festival in May in 2017. —Report based on supplied media release.
F E B R U A R Y
southSouth asia times 17 Asia Times
2 0 1 7
WAVES
CONSULTANCY
Migration & Education Consultants Your Success Is Our Reward
IMMIGRATION SERVICES Premier Consultancy for Australian Immigration & Education with over 22 years of combined experience.
EDUCATION SERVICES Visit us at : Level 4, 50 Queen Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000 Phone: 9629 4529, Fax: 9629 4629, Email: info@wavesconsultancy.com www.wavesconsultancy.com
MA
Member of Migration Alliance
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
QEAC B070
AUSTRALIA
south asia 18 South Asia Timestimes
COMMUNITY
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
Bangladesh Foundation celebrates International Mother Language Day M By SAT News Desk
ELBOURNE, 13 February: Victorian Bangladeshi Community Foundation (VBCF) organized the first ever Multicultural Celebration of International Mother Language day on 11 February at the Penrose Community Centre, Tarneit. The event started off with the homage paid at the martyrs column, specially made for the day. The International Mother Language is observed every year on 21 February "To promote the preservation and protection of all languages of the world". It has been on since 2000 corresponding to the date when students from the University of Dhaka, Jagannath Univ & Dhaka Medical college demonstrated for the recognition of Bengali as one of the languages of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and some were shot by the cops.
CONTD. ON PG 19
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
F E B R U A R Y
COMMUNITY
2 0 1 7
southSouth asia times 19 Asia Times
Bangladesh Foundation... CONTD. ON PG 18
The event had lots of entertainment, patriotic songs in Bangla, kids’ games, books exhibition, readymade garments, jewellery and multicultural events from other communities. The organisers have thanked the whole
team of VBCF for the successful event. Nurul Islam Khan, Manik bhai, Morshed Kamal, Mamun Al Badruddoza ,Polash, Nusrat Islam Borsha apa, Dr Aziz Rahman, Rashidur Rahman Tanveer , Sarod Khandaker , Ripon and team organized this grand event embracing other multicultural groups.
Mr.Mustafa Hasan Yusuf also played a leading role in the success of the event. Twenty-seven different groups participated in the event. Among them there were the Sub Continent Friends of Labor (SCFOL) represented by Mr. Manoj Kumar, Ms. Kaushaliya Vaghela, Mr. Praveen Kumar, Mr. Dinesh Chauhan,
South Asian Public Affairs Council SAPAC represented by Ms. Dilkie Perera, Mr. Neeraj Nanda, Editor South Asia Times (SAT), SACLG represented by Raju Adhikari, and Non Resident Nepali Association NRNA represented by Mr. Narayan Kafle. The Commonwealth Bank also participated
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
in the event represented by Mr. Dean McCluskey, Area Manager, Mr. Luke Azzopardi, Branch Manager Werribie Branch and Mr. Sabir Rana, Home Lending Manager. It was a successful event that highlighted the importance of one’s mother tongue and its importance in family and society.
south asia 20 South Asia Timestimes
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
F E B R U A R Y
southSouth asia times 21 Asia Times
2 0 1 7
SRI RAGHU RAM ASTROLOGY CENTRE World Famous Astrologer from Indian Generations
PANDITH: RAGHU RAM is in Melbourne Speaks
Are you suffering from any of the following problems:
English Hindi Tamil Telugu
VISA HEALTH FAMILY MARRIAGE LOVE BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT HUSBAND & WIFE RELATIONSHIP PROPERTY COURT CHILDREN PROMOTION LOTTO ETC
Has Serviced
He is an expert in Palm, Face, Photo Reading & Numerology & Predicts your Past, Present & Future. Performs Home / Shanti Pujas, Sudarshana Chakras, Laxmi Chakras, Vastu Consultation - Home & Commercial Premises, Protection from Black Magic & any evils don’t worry any more.....
UK Switzerland Germany Singapore Malaysia New Zealand
CALL FOR APPOINTMENT
Specialist in Black Magic Spirit Removal
0424 975 226
SOLUTIONS
1000% GUARANTEE
3 Mason Street (Only 1 Min Walk From Dandenong Train Station) Dandenong VIC 3175 E: somuprince1188 @gmail.com
7 Days A Week - 10:00 AM TO 7:00 PM www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
south asia 22 South Asia Timestimes
FINANCE
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
Do you need Life Cover? BY Balki Balakrishnan
t
he January 2017 edition of this newspaper enumerated the reasons for personal risk insurance to secure your and your loved ones’ financial future in times of adversity. In this article we will explore one of the insurance covers you should consider to safeguard your financial interests. A typical family should have these five types of insurance covers – Life & Terminal Illness (TI), Total & Permanent Disability (TPD), Trauma, Income Protection and Child Trauma covers. Each type of cover is designed to achieve a specific set of objectives and therefore are complementary to each other. For example, a few of the leading causes for claims under TPD are not covered under Trauma policies. Therefore, it is wise to insure yourself for both types of covers to making sure that you are comprehensively covered from various causes that may adversely affect your
capacity to work and retain your wealth. This article looks at Life & TI cover and describes the features you should be aware of. Life & TI insurance pays a lump sum in the event of the death of the insured or if the insured is diagnosed as terminally ill. The payout helps to protect your loved ones’ lifestyle and future. Therefore, this cover becomes essential for people with family or other financial commitments. Common misconceptions about Life & TI covers are that “I have enough savings” and “I have default cover within my super and it’s enough”. But the reality is 60% of the families with dependents will run out of money within one year from the day the breadwinner dies and the default cover inside super represents only 20% of the cover required in most of the cases (Source: IFSA (2005) A Nation Exposed: Investigating the Issue of Underinsurance in Australia) When on average one Australian dies every 3 minutes and 17 seconds
due to illness or injury (Source: ABS (2017) Population Clock), it is time to consider this cover seriously. You may want to review the cover you have and determine the amount of cover you require and the features of cover that is comfortable to you. You want the peace of mind that your loved ones’ will be taken care of financially should the worst happens to you. Mostly this cover is organized within the super environment and premiums are paid from super interests of the insured. This is because of the tax offset available for the premium paid from super interests and this strategy also improves the personal cash flow. There are seven main types of superannuation funds with combined assets of $2.1 trillion as of March 2015 quarter. In the main, Retail Funds, Industry
Funds, and Self-Managed Funds (SMSF) have around 62% of this asset under management (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Superannuation_in_ Australia ). You may be a member in one or more of these funds and may have Life & TI cover(s) under these super environments. You should be mindful that not all Life & TI cover products offered by these funds are the same. For example with some of the funds the cover amount default to an arbitrary amount and therefore may not achieve the financial outcome you may wish to achieve for your family. The cover amounts may reduce as you age and may cease when you reach 70 thus becoming irrelevant over time. With some of the funds you may be unable to continue with the existing Life & TI cover arrangements on change of
employer and may have to go through an underwriting process if you want to retain this cover. It is also possible that a claim by your family may be declined because the super balance has dropped below a certain level at the time of claim. Life & TI cover is intended to protect your family’s mortgage payments/ rent, day-to-day expenses, schooling, future of your children, and protect the retirement savings of the family. This cover is one of the most important covers you can have and you have to get the cover amounts and the features of the product right. You would need the expertise of a Financial Advisor who will educate you, discuss with you and ultimately implement a solution that is appropriate to your circumstances and needs, which you can understand and fits within your budget.
The trustee of COMMUNITY FINANCIAL SERVICES Unit Trust ACN 155 048 132 is an Authorised Representative and Credit Representative of AMP Financial Planning Pty Limited, Australian Financial Services Licensee and Australian Credit Licensee. Balki Balakrishnan
Financial Advisor Authorised Representative & Credit Representative
This article contains information that is general in nature. It does not take into account the objectives, financial situation or needs of any particular person. You need to consider your financial situation and needs before making any decisions based on this information. If you decide to purchase or vary a financial product, your financial adviser, Community Financial Services Pty Ltd and other companies within the AMP Group may receive fees and other benefits. The fees will be a dollar amount and/or a percentage of either the premium you pay or the value of your investment. Please contact us at 0419 506 560 if you want more information. www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
southSouth asia times 23 Asia Times
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
South Asia Times south asia 24 South Asia Timestimes
south asia
SOUTH ASIA
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
Budget 2017: Promotes Recession and import unemployment Being exported by Donald Trump By Prabhat Patnak
N
EW DELHI: The annual budget has an impact on the economy over the year it covers; additionally, it is also an indicator of the direction of policy of the government for the future years. Any budget has to be judged on both these counts. And on both counts the Modi government’s 2017-18 budget is ominous for the people. It will worsen the recessionary crisis unleashed above all by the demonetization measure; and it also portends an economic strategy that, in the face of the protectionism being introduced by Donald Trump, will further import unemployment into the economy. It is amply clear by now that while demonetization has been a complete failure in denting the black economy, it has severely compressed aggregate demand and unleashed a recessionary tendency in the “white” economy. The reason for this is simple: it has led to a transfer of purchasing power in the form of cash from the pockets of the people where it would have been used to buy goods and services, into the vaults of banks where it is just lying idle. The primary impact of this recession is on the so-called “informal sector” where more than 80 percent of the work-force is employed, producing almost half of the GDP. But the multiplier effects of the decline in output in the “informal”, or the petty production, sector are also felt on the “formal” sector that is dominated by big capital. The recession therefore gets generalized to the economy as a whole. This Modi-induced recession, it must also be noted, is occurring in a situation where there are other factors too which are contributing to a contraction in demand, namely the belated impact of the world capitalist crisis which has now spread to India and China, and the protectionism introduced by the Trump
Banks will have to pay an interest on the deposits that have been forcibly extracted from the public and are lying idle with them.
India’s Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Mr. Arun Jaitley arrives at the Parliament House to present the General Budget 2017-18, in New Delhi on February 01, 2017. Photo: PIB, New Delhi. administration (on which more later). With the economy thus sinking into a recession the obvious course which the budget should have taken is to expand demand through larger government expenditure financed by taxing the rich or even enlarging the fiscal deficit. Instead what the budget has done is to further contract demand. The total government expenditure which had increased by around 12 percent between 2015-16 and 2016-17 (RE) is supposed to grow only by about 6 percent between 2016-17 (RE) and 201718 (BE). As a proportion of the GDP, government expenditure is supposed to decrease from 13.7 percent in 2016-17 to 12.7 percent in 2017-18. It is of course true that since the budget has been presented at the beginning rather than at the end of February, the third quarter data for 2016-17 were not available when it was prepared, so that the exact
figures in the budget mean very little. But the fact that the budget is completely unconcerned about the recessionary tendency already underway in the economy, and, far from seeking to counter it, is actually more pre-occupied with “fiscal rectitude” which itself necessarily aggravates recession (since it entails that a reduction in GDP which lowers taxrevenue must also lower government expenditure), cannot be denied. An expansion of the fiscal deficit in the current juncture would have had unambiguously beneficial effects on the economy without the usual possible pitfalls associated with it. Purchasing power has been impounded from the people and is lying idle with the banks. It should not of course have been impounded in the first place; but since it has been impounded, if the government, at the very least, had used this purchasing power for
its own spending, then it could have killed two birds with one stone. First, the demand contraction caused by the withdrawal of purchasing power from the economy could have been offset, and even more than offset (if government spending had been in areas which are more employment-intensive than the areas where the withdrawn purchasing power would have been otherwise spent). And secondly, it would have saved the exchequer resources that would otherwise be transferred to banks. This second point needs clarification. Banks will have to pay an interest on the deposits that have been forcibly extracted from the public and are lying idle with them. There is however little additional demand for credit from borrowers whom they consider “creditworthy”: such borrowers were not credit-constrained to start with, so that they have little
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
incentive to borrow more in the first place; in addition, with recession threatening them, their incentive to borrow is further dented. Banks therefore are threatened with losses because of the Modi government’s saddling them with huge additional deposits: they have to pay interest on these deposits but they earn nothing from such deposits. The government under these circumstances is planning to put some interest income in the hands of banks out of budgetary resources. There are two ways in which it plans to do so. One is through the Reserve Bank selling them government securities which are already in its possession, so that they get an interest income which the RBI foregoes. But since the RBI’s profits come to the government budget (as it is fully owned by the government), this means a transfer from the government budget to banks. But lest the RBI runs short of securities, the government is taking recourse to another measure as well. This is to issue securities to banks on which it pays an interest but whose proceeds it does not spend. This too represents therefore a transfer from the government budget to banks. CONTD. ON PG 25
F E B R U A R Y
south asia
2 0 1 7
southSouth asia times 25 Asia Times
Budget 2017: Promotes Recession... CONTD. FROM PG 24
But compared to either of these channels of pure transfer, if the government issued fresh securities whose proceeds it actually spent, i.e. if it actually ran a fiscal deficit of the same magnitude, then, while the interest paid by it would be no different from in either of the cases mentioned above, the spending of the proceeds would benefit the economy. Not doing so in other words, i.e. avoiding a fiscal deficit would mean handing over an interest income to banks out of budgetary resources, without any benefit accruing to the economy. It would be the silliest policy to pursue; but that is exactly what the budget has done. True, with new notes being printed to replace the demonetized ones, the amount of deposits with the banks would come down, so that these resources would no longer be available with banks for the government to borrow. But the government has already said that it would not fully replace the value of demonetized notes, that it would leave a gap of Rs.1.5
to 2 lakh crores, in order to force people towards cashless transactions. At least this amount, of Rs.1.5 to 2 lakh crores, should be available with banks “for keeps”, and the government could have borrowed it; but it has chosen not to. Even the pitfalls generally associated with fiscal deficits would have been absent in the present context. The first pitfall associated with a fiscal deficit is the possibility of excess aggregate demand, and hence of a demandpull inflation caused by it. But since the current situation is one of recession generated by insufficient demand, the question of inflation simply does not arise at present. The second pitfall is that government borrowing means a corresponding increase in private claims upon the government, and hence in private wealth, which typically entails an increase in wealth inequality in society. But in the present case, since the deposits have been mobilized from people across the spectrum, from the poor as well as the rich alike, the fiscal deficit would not mean an increase in the
wealth mainly of the rich (who usually save a larger proportion of their incomes and with whom therefore government securities are mainly held, directly or indirectly); it would rather entail an increase in claims upon the government by all, so that there would not be so much of an increase in wealth inequality. Sheer common sense therefore would have dictated an increase in the fiscal deficit in the current juncture, but the budget has kept the ratio of fiscal deficit to GDP at the same level as in 201617. And it has done so, while keeping MGNREGS expenditure at virtually the same level as in 2016-17 (Rs. 48000 crores in 201718 BE against Rs.47499 crores in 2016-17 RE), and while keeping social sector expenditures down (e.g. by pegging education and health expenditures as proportions of GDP at the same levels as in 2016-17). The reason it has adopted this silly course of pursuing “fiscal rectitude” in the midst of a recession is because it does not wish to offend global finance which abhors fiscal deficits. But appeasing global
finance, which is anyway against the interests of the people, becomes particularly absurd against the backdrop of Trump’s protectionism. Trump’s protectionism in a context where no increase in aggregate demand is taking place in the world economy (and Trump himself is not visualizing any larger government spending in the U.S. but only large tax concessions to capitalists which does not per se increase aggregate demand) amounts to a “beggar-myneighbour” policy, i.e. to snatching a larger amount of activity and employment from other countries including India. To protect employment in India against this policy of Trump, the Indian government should be imposing protectionism of its own, and, since any such move on India’s part might trigger a financial outflow, putting in place capital controls. In the shadow of such capital controls, the government can expand domestic aggregate demand without worrying about appeasing globalized finance capital. This has to be the response of the Indian
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
government since there is no other possible response to Trump’s “beggar-myneighbour” policy that is not merely silly. This being so, a start could have been made in the 2017-18 budget by increasing the fiscal deficit and turning away from the policy of appeasing international finance which neoliberalism has forced on the economy. The government by not doing so has clearly indicated that it does not understand the new situation arising in the world economy because of Trump’s protectionism. The 2017-18 budget therefore not only has serious adverse consequences for the year 2017-18 itself, but also suggests that the government, trapped within a mindset that does not comprehend what is happening in the world economy, is bent upon importing the unemployment that Trump is trying to export to the rest of the world. *Professor Prabhat Patnaik is a reputed economist and author. —Source: The Citizen, February 8, 2017
south asia 26 South Asia Timestimes
south asia
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
Pakistan moves to end impunity for rapists l By Irfan Ahmed
AHORE, Feb 3 2017 (IPS) - Amid a wave of reforms to tighten the country’s laws on honour killings and sexual assault, on Feb. 2, the Sindh Assembly passed a law making DNA testing in rape cases mandatory in the province. It follows on the heels of a unanimous vote by Pakistan’s Parliament last October to plug gaps in the criminal justice system and boost the rate of conviction in rape cases. For long, the sole reliance on eyewitnesses and circumstantial evidence has benefitted the accused in rape cases and conviction rates have remained negligible in the country. The new national law, called The Anti-Rape Laws (Criminal Laws Amendment) Act, also makes DNA evidence admissible, calls for verdicts in rape cases to be announced within three months, and allows filing of appeals within six months. It also gives approval to holding of in-camera trials and use of technological aids to record testimony of victims and witnesses in order to save victims from humiliation. In the past, many victims and their families would not pursue cases for this very reason. Another important feature of the law is that it tries to ensure protection of victims’ identity in the media. Those who violate victims’ privacy face jail terms of up to three years and fines. Mass media in the past has been criticised for disclosing names and sometimes even publishing the pictures of rape victims. Fauzia Viqar, chairperson of the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW), told IPS that the law will require police to collect evidence from rape victims in the presence of a female officer. She added that stringent action has also been recommended in cases of custodial rape by police officers. Furthermore, the past conduct of a rape victim and her acquaintance with the alleged rapist will not imply that the sexual act was done with the former’s consent, as it would often happen in the past. Amina Bibi, an 18-yearold from Pakistan’s Punjab province, was allegedly raped by four men on Jan. 5, 2014. All the accused were granted bail. A desperate Amina set
The conviction rate for rape in Pakistan has been less than four percent, prompting protests and legal reforms.
Protesters gather outside the Lahore Press Club in the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province on July 12, 2016 to demand justice for victims of sexual violence. Credit: Irfan Ahmed/IPS herself on fire outside a police station on Mar. 13 that year and succumbed to her burn injuries the next day. The Supreme Court of Pakistan took up the case and sought a report from police. The report was presented Apr. 21, 2014, only to be dismissed by the court. The report claimed that Amina had not been raped – something the court was not ready to believe, especially when it could find no other reason for her suicide. Amina’s case trained the spotlight on the plight of thousands of rape victims in Pakistan who suffer due to flaws in the criminal justice system, socio-cultural inhibitions, the negative attitudes of investigators, police failure to collect evidence and the humiliation of victims in trial courts. According to the National Police Bureau (NPB) of Pakistan, around 3,000 cases of rape are reported every year – 3,173 cases were reported in 2012 and 3,164 in 2013. The conviction rate, however, is less than four percent, according to a report released by the NGO War Against Rape (WAR). “One of the foremost reasons for the poor conviction rate is rape cases are mishandled from the very start,” Asad Jamal, a Lahore-based lawyer who has represented several rape victims, told IPS. He says very few police officials know how to collect scientific evidence in rape cases or record the statements of traumatised rape victims. Citing the example of a case he is fighting right now, Jamal
says the police investigator concerned even forgot to preserve the clothes that the victim was wearing at the time of the sexual assault. In the case of Amina Bibi too, it was found that police had failed to conduct timely forensic and DNA tests. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif suspended several senior police officers and ordered the arrest of others in connection with the case. Jamal said sometimes police insist on including the names of fake witnesses to strengthen rape cases but such practices end up benefiting the accused, especially in appellate courts. “Ideally, scientific and DNA evidence should be enough to convict an accused, but unfortunately trial courts depend a lot on eyewitnesses for primary evidence,” he says. Jamal pointed to another reality – rape victims often belong to disadvantaged sections of society while rapists are mostly powerful people. He says crime data indicates that girls in the 9-19 age group from lower income families are most vulnerable to rape. “That’s why the number of domestic workers subjected to rape is on the rise,” he said. Zia Awan, founder of the Madadgar National Helpline for women and children, told IPS, “The number of rape cases reported in Pakistan is only a fraction of the actual number.” He receives a large number of calls from women who are undecided on whether to report the case or remain
silent in order to avoid humiliation and life-long stigma. The impunity of rapists and the ordeal of rape victims deter the latter from seeking justice, he says. “The shameful attitude of society, police and lawyers towards rape victims is the biggest hurdle in securing justice,” said Faisal Siddiqui, a Karachi-based lawyer. His own client, a rape victim, had to seek psychological treatment for two years after appearing in court for cross-examination, he says. The defence lawyer, he says, asked her about the minutest details of the assault and made her recall the traumatic incident over and over again. Unfortunately, he says, many lawyers deliberately confuse rape victims during cross-examination in order to get relief for the accused. “They ask shameful questions which no woman can answer.” Sources privy to rape investigations reveal that due to socio-cultural mores police usually try to put the blame on complainants and prove that rape victims are women of loose morals. Their perception is that a woman who has really been raped would not dare to report the crime out of shame and fear of public humiliation. If the victim has had any association with the alleged rapist or has been socially active or has a ‘modern’ lifestyle, police tend to believe that her allegations are fabricated. In the past, legal provisions in Pakistan also made this possible. Shahid Ghani, a Lahore-based lawyer, cites such a provision: “When a
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
man is prosecuted for rape or an attempt to ravish, it may be shown that the prosecutrix was of generally immoral character.” He says this provision allowed for looking into a victim’s history to prove that she may not be innocent and may be sexually active. Speaking to IPS in 2014, top police officials admitted that investigators needed to handle rape cases differently. Inspector Amjad Naeem, master trainer at the Police Training College, Lahore, said there has to be an element of empathy in rape cases and special care must be shown by investigators in seeking information from victims. “The victim has to be told not to change clothes, wash herself or go to the washroom before evidence is collected,” he told IPS. “In case it is necessary to go to the washroom, the urine and stool should be collected for later examination.” Thanks to a project called Gender Responsive Policing (GRP), launched by the German development agency GIZ in collaboration with NBP, many policymakers have begun to believe that more women should join the police force and handle cases of violence against women. Ali Mazhar, communication manager at GIZ, told IPS that a large number of policewomen have been trained under the programme to understand cases of violence against women. Under the programme, he says, Ladies Complaint Units (LCUs) are being set up at police stations where women officers attend to women’s complainants in an environment that is free of harassment and fear.
F E B R U A R Y
south asia
2 0 1 7
southSouth asia times 27 Asia Times
What's in store for Afghanistan? U.S. General asks for more troops
n
EW DELHI: In a first major indication regarding which way the United State’s 15 yearlong war in Afghanistan is going to go, the commander of US forces in Afghanistan has asked for several thousand new troops to break the stalemate that has developed in the conflicttorn country. Gen John Nicholson told a Senate panel that he was facing a shortfall of troops necessary for training Afghan forces who will ultimately replace their US and Nato counterparts. “They could come from our allies as well as the United States. We have identified the requirement and the desire to advise below the corps level. It would enable us to thicken our advisory efforts across the Afghanistan mission,” the General said on Thursday. Although Nicholson referred to the situation in Afghanistan as a stalemate, he did acknowledge that the Taliban has gained territory in the country in recent years. A report by the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR) office submitted earlier in the year corroborates this, noting a huge decline in the territory controlled by the American-supported Afghan government with corresponding increase in influence of the Taliban and other militant groups, including the Islamic State. In a worrying assessment, the report notes that the Afghan government had 57.2 percent of the country under its control by the end of 2016 — a 6.3 percent decrease from 2015. Reports from the ground paint an even more worrying picture, with the Taliban effectively in control of several Afghan districts, most notably Kunduz and Helmand. This, when civilian casualties continue to climb for another consecutive year. As a spate of attacks have occurred across Afghanistan, 2016 will go down as yet another bloody year, with United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) figures documenting 8,397 conflict-related civilian casualties (2,562 deaths and 5,835 injured) between 1 January and 30 September 2016 (the figures for the
entire year at yet to be released). The actual figures are likely to be far higher. Nicholson blamed Russia in part for the scenario, saying that Russia was seeking to undermine the US and NATO in Afghanistan and adding that there was concern “about the increasing level” of unspecified Russian support for Taliban insurgents.” It is worth reiterating that the request for more troops comes after plans to rollback American troops were repeatedly extended and modified during Obama’s presidency, and even today, more than 13,000 NATO military personnel remain in Afghanistan, most of whom are American. The original plan was to withdraw all troops by Afghanistan by 2014. Trump, interestingly, has publicly advocated the rollback of US troops from Afghanistan, and there is no clear indication regarding how he will respond to the General’s request. Although he has moved on several fronts since assuming Presidency, Trump has remained uncharacteristically silent
on Afghanistan, and the little that he has said has been largely contradictory. In the past, Trump has described the US’ involvement in Afghanistan as a “disaster” -- indicating that US troops should be brought home. However, when he spoke to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in December last year, he assured the Americansupported Afghan President of Washington’s continuing cooperation. Following the assurance, Trump failed to invite Afghanistan to his inauguration -- sending circles buzzing about the Trump administration’s potentially changing stance on Afghanistan. Related to the security situation in Afghanistan is the growing presence of the Islamic State in the country, with a series of recent attacks being claimed by the militant group. Although Trump has put forth a policy of wiping out the Islamic State, there is absolutely no clarity regarding how he intends to do so, and whether the group’s arms and affiliates outside of Syria and Iraq -- in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Libya, Egypt, Tunisia (to name a
few) -- figure in the larger plan. General Nicholson, however, said that he believed the Trump administration was “open to a discussion of an objectives-based approach,” adding that US objectives could be achieved with 30,000 troops. The reality, however, is that no matter how Trump’s administration responds, the disasters of the war in Afghanistan are becoming increasingly apparent. Despite a 15-year engagement and billions of dollars pumped in, not to mention lives lost, the Afghan government today controls less territory than it did at any point since the invasion in 2001. The Taliban is growing stronger, with civilian casualties rising year after year to record levels. At the time of writing, the International Committee of the Red Cross said it was halting work in Afghanistan following an attack on its staff which the aid agency said was despicable. On Wednesday, six workers of the agency were killed in an ambush of their convoy. "Nothing can justify the murder of our colleagues
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
They could come from our allies as well as the United States. We have identified the requirement and the desire to advise below the corps level. and dear friends," the Red Cross said in a statement. The aid agency has been working in Afghanistan uninterrupted for 30 years, with Mike Adamson, chief executive of the British Red Cross, telling the BBC that there was a "profoundly worrying escalation in loss of life of humanitarian workers.” —Source: The Citizen, February 10, 2017.
south asia 28 South Asia Timestimes
south asia
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
Hydro boom sparks violent conflicts In Nepal By Louise Voller
t
he paradox is easy to spot. Running water is Nepal’s strongest asset at the moment, not only for investors in hydroelectric power plants, but also for communities that still lack electricity. Nevertheless, a steady stream of disputes has arisen between local populations, the government, and an increasing number of hydro plants that are meant to create electrical currents out of water currents. Take for example the Khimti Dhalkebar power plant in Nepal’s impassable mountains. Khimti Dhalkebar will be able to provide up to 17 percent of the country’s electricity needs, but it is currently four years behind schedule because of a battle over power cables and the eviction of more than one thousand villagers. Recently, violent conflicts and accusations of police brutality have flared up around the Khimti Dhaldkebar plant, which is now mired in a court case. The Khimti Dhalkebar project is one of six cases of illegal land seizure before Nepal’s courts, while additional complaints have been filed with Nepal’s Human Rights Commission (NHRC), according to Tahal Thami, director of the Lawyer’s Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples (LAHURNIP). “These conflicts arise because locals are rarely asked before the government has transferred their land to a company and they are removed. Fundamentally, the biggest problem is that neither the government nor businesses consult local people as they are required to do by national and international human rights statutes,” says Thami. According to Thami, Khimti is built particularly to sell electricity in India, which will not help to electrify Nepal, he says.
one end of the country by severe drought that made hydro plants unusable, and at the other end by floods that ruined power cables transmitting electricity from India. According to the World Bank, the energy crisis was of “unprecedented severity, caused by years of under-investment and sharp growth in electricity demand.” In Kathmandu, Gyanu Maskey of the South Asia Institute of Advanced Studies researches the social effects of hydroelectric plants. She is co-author of a report entitled Justice brokers, global indigenous rights and struggles over hydropower in Nepal. She explains that the government enacted a plan in 2011 in response to the emergency. The Energy Crisis Management Action Plan suspends procedures meant to ensure indigenous peoples’ rights to consultation and compensation when their land is confiscated, making it easier to “use measures to compulsorily acquire land.” The government had already implemented limits on compensation to local communities in connection with hydro power plants the previous year, but all the political plans came into force when authorities declared the state of emergency in 2011.
Energy crisis triggers state of emergency Nepal has no major fossil fuel reserves, and historically, the country’s per capita energy use has been very low, at about onethird of the Asian average and just one-fifth of the global average, according to Energypedia. In 2008, the country experienced a serious energy crisis, worsened at
Money or rights? Maskey studied a hydroelectric plant project of this kind in Lamjung, where locals demanded compensation for damages connected to its construction, like cracks in their houses that were caused by the drilling of holes in the mountain wall for power lines. Sixty-five-year old Farsi B. K. has been temporarily
removed from his home in Tanglichwok in southern Nepal in order to make room for the hydroelectric project in Lamjung. He is only 100 metres from his former home, but it makes a world of difference. His new home is little more than a shack and not at all to the older man’s liking. “I am sorry to have to leave my house. I don’t know if it was force or fear that made me leave, but this is not in my best interest,” says Farsi B. K. Maskey says that local people have also insisted on their proper share of the profits from the hydro plant, an amount that has been significantly reduced under the government’s energy plan. “The residents wish to be compensated for damages to their property and to receive a share of the profits from the hydro plant. This is in line with Nepalese law regarding hydro projects, in which the distribution of resources is prioritised over rights,” says Maskey. But giving cash to individuals rather than securing collective rights makes it hard for groups that fight for the rights of indigenous peoples, Maskey points out. “These are organisations like the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN), which speak out on behalf of indigenous peoples’ right to free, prior and informed consent before the confiscation of their land, according to the UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the ILO’s Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (#169, ed.).” Local communities, therefore, are not only struggling against the government’s suspension of applicable law, but also amongst themselves, as
collective rights are pitted against the individual’s right to compensation for lost land or property. But why should there be such resistance, when the 107 planned hydro projects can bring electricity to large swaths of Nepal that until now have been in darkness? Rights of indigenous people under pressure At an elaborate press conference in Kathmandu last April, the government launched yet another energy plan: the National Energy Crisis Reduction and Electricity Development Decade master plan. The plan was meant to give new momentum to hydroelectric projects and bring more energy to Nepal by clearing certain “obstacles” out of the way, said Minister of Energy Top Bahadur Rayamajhi to the gathered mass of journalists. “The government will initiate the process to speed up the construction of a few large hydropower projects that have been stalled due to various problems within a few weeks.” Around the same time, the government sent a paramilitary group, the Armed Police Force (APF), to ensure progress in the construction of the Khimti Dhalkebar project’s power lines. This led to violent conflict between demonstrators and the police that was described by activists who witnessed the clashes in an open letter to the World Bank in Washington. “Community members were beaten, arrested, and detained while taking part in peaceful protests. Additionally, armed police officers were deployed to guard construction sites, militarizing areas located amidst homes, fields, and
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
schools,” the letter states. On July 2 and 3, it happened again, with several local residents detained and arrested following a peaceful demonstration. Specifically, the project will require that roughly one thousand people from several municipalities in the Sindhuli district be moved, while four thousand will be affected in all. The power lines will run 75 kilometres through five rural districts in central Nepal. Two hundred and eighteen towers, each 60 metres high, will be built at 700-metre intervals. Because each tower requires a 30-metre radius around it, community members say that the land cannot be used for homes or agriculture. Furthermore, the power lines will pass through several towns, hanging over four schools as well as several areas of historic, cultural and religious importance. The value of the land will decrease, in part because of a loss of agricultural production. The Khimti Dhalkebar Hydro Power project, which is partly owned by the Norwegian state hydro company Statkraft and partly financed by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, has been delayed for several years because of protests from local communities who say that they were not consulted in accordance with international guidelines and Nepalese law. Hydroelectric power in Nepal The majority of electricity in Nepal will come from hydroelectric plants. It is estimated that nearly 43,000 MW of generation is economically viable, compared to the country’s current capacity of 753 MW. Despite Nepal’s current lack of power, its potential hydroelectric resources are sufficient to enable regional energy exports, for example to India and Bangladesh, if they are developed strategically, according to the International Hydropower Association. Seven more projects are expected to be completed in 2016. These are about one year behind schedule due to earthquakes as well as to the border blockade and Madhesi movement, which limited access to the fuel needed to complete construction. —The Citizen (Originally published by DanWatch)
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
southSouth asia times 29 Asia Times
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
South Asia Times south asia community 32 South Asia Timestimes
quick community guide Radio GUIDE
www.ekantipur.com/en THE RISING NEPAL: www.nepalnews.com.np
SBS Radio's South Asian
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
Daily TUESDAY 5 PM Hindi..................................... 6 am to 8 am – 97.7 FM Hindi.................................... 2 pm to 4 pm – 97.7 FM kannada Sydney SBS Radio 3
Melbourne SBS Radio 3 WEDNESDAY Tuesday 3-4 PM Hindi.................................... .6 am to 8 am – 97.7 FM Hindi......................................... 12 to 1 pm – 93.1 FM Nepali Sydney 97.7 FM & SBS1Radio 2 12 pm - 92.3 FM Punjabi............................ 1 am to Melbourne 93.1 FM & SBS Radio Hindi................................... .8 pm to 92pm – 97.7 FM Saturday & Sunday 4-5 PM
THURSDAY PUNJABI Hindi............................... 5.30 am to 7 am – 97.7 FM Sydney 97.7 FM & SBS Radio 2 9 pm – 92.3 FM Tamil.................................... 8 pm to Melbourne 93.1 FM & SBS Radio 2 Sinhalese.......................... Monday & Saturday 1 1 pm to 3 am –92.3 FM Punjabi............................. 9 pm to 10 pm – 93.1 FM 9-10 PM SINHALESE FRIDAY Sydney 97.7 FM & SBS Radio 2 Indian.................................. .8 am to 92am – 88.3 FM Melbourne 93.1 FM & SBS Radio Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri
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/
F E B R U A R Y
SHEPPARTON Gurdwara Sahib Shepparton 240 Doyles Road, Shepparton VICTORIA 3603 PH: (03) 5821 9309
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
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
SIKH
Heidelberg Mosque Corner Lloyd & Elloits Streets, West Heidelberg
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
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
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
BLACKBURN Sri Guru Nanak Satsang Sabha 127 Whitehorse Road, Blackburn VICTORIA 3130, Ph: (03) 9894 1800
2 0 1 7
Glenroy Musala 1st Floor, 92 Wheatsheaf Road, Glenroy
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 Al Nur Mosque 34-36 Studley Street, Maidstone
HIGH COMMISSION FOR PAKISTAN,CANBERRA
Meadow Heights Mosque Hudson Circuit, Meadow Heights
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)
Springvale Mosque 68 Garnworthy Street, Springvale
EMERGENCY CONTACTS EMERGENCY CONTACTS Police, Fire & Abulance ........................ Victoria State Emergency Service (SES)....................................... Traffic hazards and freeway conditions..........................
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
000 132 500 13 11 70
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
Sri Lanka Consulate 32A Brunswick Street ,Walkerville 5081 Melbourne , Phone: 9898-6760, 9248-1228 Email: rodney@techno.net.au
southSouth asia times 33 Asia Times
quick community guide
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
VIEW POINT
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).
SOUTH ASIAN Garments Roshan’s Fashions 68-71 Foster Street, Dandenong, Vic 3175 Ph: (03) 9792 5688
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
Jewellery Bhadra Laxman Jewellers 22ct Gold Jewellery / Silver Pooja (03) 9846 7661
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
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
south asia 34 South Asia Timestimes
BUSINESS
F E B R U A R Y
Net Promoter Score and Its Benefits By Sriram Iyer
h
All right, we good this far? So what does it mean for a business? Well, straight away, your Detractors present you with the biggest churn risk. That is a red flag if I have ever seen one! Secondly, the Promoters are your best chance of acquiring new customers. They are a brilliant acquisition channel! Use them. But to use them, you have to identify them first!
ave you heard about Net Promoter Score? Well, if you haven't here's a quick rundown of what it is. What is NPS? NPS: Net Promoter or Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a management tool that can be used to gauge the loyalty of a firm's customer relationships. It serves as an alternative to traditional customer satisfaction research and claims to be correlated with revenue growth. NPS has been widely adopted with more than two-thirds of Fortune 1000 companies using the metric. Net Promoter Score is a customer loyalty metric developed by (and a registered trademark of) Fred Reichheld, Bain & Company, and Satmetrix Systems. It was introduced by Reichheld in his 2003 Harvard Business Review article "One
2 0 1 7
Number You Need to Grow". NPS can be as low as −100 (everybody is a detractor) or as high as +100 (everybody is a promoter). An NPS that is positive (i.e., higher than zero) is felt to be good, and an NPS of +50 is excellent. Net Promoter Score (NPS) measures the loyalty that exists between a provider and a consumer. The provider can be a company,
employer or any other entity. The provider is the entity that is asking the questions on the NPS survey. The consumer is the customer, employee, or respondent to an NPS survey. How is it calculated? On a very simplistic basis, it is calculated on the basis of the 'ONE' question that Fred Reichheld is talking about: "On a scale of 0 to
10, how willing are you to recommend product A / Brand A to a friend or a colleague?" Now, this question can be used to Segment that consumers of a business into one of three segments: Promoters (9-10), Passives (8-9) and Detractors (0-6). Now, it is very important to note that this is not the time to get creative with it. Just do as Fred says!
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
Some of the benefits can be found below: What Next? A Cup of Coffee! If you are keen to improve your business performance using NPS then, go ahead and give me a call on +61 424 287 904. I have worked with many businesses and know one thing for a fact NPS is very powerful and can impact profitability, but it needs to be done right! I am happy to chat over coffee to see how best we can work together to ensure you invest your marketing dollar in the right place!
F E B R U A R Y
BUSINESS
2 0 1 7
southSouth asia times 35 Asia Times
Fresh trouble for Adani coalmining project? Australian Federal Court "questions" indigenous land use agreement By SAT News Desk
i
n a fresh trouble to India’s powerful Adani Group, the full bench of the Australian Federal Court has ruled in favour of applicants of the traditional Noongar people, who had challenged the Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA), which had allowed the Adanis to go ahead with its $16 billion coalmining project in the country’s Carmichael region. The Noogar applicants had challenged the ILUA, which the Adani claimed it had entered in with local people, seeking to exchange $1.3 billion in land, payments and benefits over 12 years in return for the Noongar people “extinguishing” native title rights on 200,000 ha in southwest Western Australia. Taking note of the development, the American think tank, Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), known to have questioned the financial
viability of Adani’s ambitious coalmining project earlier, said, the ruling has again put in question the group’s ability to secure rights for its mine proposal. In a statement, EIEFA said, “This new legal precedent could have major implications for the financing of the project”, insisting, “Consent of indigenous owners in Australia is critical to the proposed project proceeding and the securing of finance.” The court agreed with five Noongar applicants, who
argued that the deal was invalid because they had refused to sign on with other representatives. Four of the six agreements struck could not be legally registered, the court found, because the Native Title Act required “all” applicants to sign the ILUA. “Financial closure for the Carmichael proposal has been deferred multiple times over the last six years since Adani Enterprises originally acquired the remote coal deposit in three tranches for a total of A$670m”, IEEFA noted.
Adani originally expected first coal by 2014, but in its December 2016 presentations the company said it had deferred the planned start of construction until the start of 2018 with first coal expected in 2020. Suggesting that finances is going to be a major problem for Adanis, IEEFA said, global financial institutions like the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund, Blackrock, Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas, Société Générale and National Australia Bank have become even more wary of funding new coalmine projects. Pointing out that they have all been “historically mainstay equity and debt investors for greenfield coalmine developments”, IEEFA said, “On January 31, 2017 Deutsche Bank amended its guidelines to entirely rule out any future project finance funding for greenfield thermal coal mines or coal fired power plant construction globally.” It further said, the Adani project’s “strategic merits for
India” which existed in 2010, “no longer hold”, as Indian Energy Minister Piyush Goyal had detailed the target to cease thermal coal imports this decade, and India’s draft National Electricity Plan released in December 2016 highlighting that no new coal fired power plants were required in the next decade. Already, it said, “Coal imports into India declined at a record rate of 25% in the month of December 2016, an accelerating trend on the 6% annual decline evident over calendar year 2015 and again in 2016.” In a related development, Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J) Traditional Owners’ Council has have written to Adani to withdraw its application to have an ILUA for its proposed Carmichael mine registered by the National Native Title Tribunal (NNTT), warning, “Should Adani refuse, a declaration will be sought in the Federal Court to have the ILUA struck out.” Letter here. —Source: counterview.net
HCF becomes first health insurer to dump fossil fuels By SAT Business Desk
M
ELBOURNE, 10 February: Finance campaign group Market Forces is welcoming the announcement that private health fund HCF will divest from all fossil fuels in the first quarter of this year. Representing over 680,000 Australians and responsible for $2 billion of assets, HCF holds more than $200 million in equities, about 15-16% of which is likely to be exposed to the fossil fuel sector globally, with their portfolio being more heavily weighted to less fossil fuel exposed international markets. As such, HCF’s divestment decision, revealed in a letter to a member, could see them dump in the order of $20 million worth of shares in fossil fuel companies. Health funds are belatedly waking up to the health impacts of fossil fuels and the resulting impacts of climate change following
clarion calls on the issue from medical bodies around the world, including the Australian Medical Association and the Royal Australian College of Physicians. The World Health Organisation has predicted that between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress.
2003 Australian of the Year Professor Fiona Stanley said of the news: “Fossil fuels are a major contributor to air pollution, which is now close to tobacco as a leading cause of death globally. Moreover, the greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels will put people's health at risk for generations as climate change impacts take effect. “Human health and financing fossils fuels are fundamentally incompatible.
Institutions that are concerned with protecting and improving people's health should be doing everything they can to steer our economy away from fossil fuels." Market Forces Executive Director Julien Vincent said: “While Treasurer Scott Morrison waves coal around in a Parliament House stunt, the smart money is dropping coal like a hot potato. HCF’s commitment adds them to the more than
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
$5 trillion of institutions that have committed to divest from fossil fuels. Health funds have led the broader divestment out of tobacco and in many cases munitions, acknowledging the hypocrisy of investing in products which threaten human health. As the first fund to take the step, we applaud HCF for making the right decision in shifting away from fossil fuels as well. “HCF’s commitment has added an entire new sector to the fossil fuel divestment movement and this should send a clear message to all private health funds, which have nearly $13 billion under management, that fossil fuels are bad for our health.” —Source: Market Forces A wave of health funds divesting from fossil fuels may be the catalyst for passive index managers like Blackrock, State Street and Vanguard to finally produce a fossil fuel free product for the Australian market.”
south asia LETTER FROM SYDNEY 36 South Asia Timestimes
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
Rousing AIBC welcome to High Commissioner H. E. Dr. Gondane By Ashok Kumar
s
ydney, 08 February: Australia India Business Council (AIBC) National Chair Sheba Nandkeolyar has a knack for discovering fascinating yet exciting venues for her events. She chose Commonwealth Bank (CBA) Headquarters building on the bustling Sussex Street in the City overlooking the picturesque Darling Harbour for the welcome of new High Commissioner of India to Australia H.E. Dr. A. M. Gondane, IFS. It may be recalled that at the farewell of former High Commissioner H.E. Mr. Navdeep Suri, Sheba had announced that for the welcome new High Commissioner will be at a new venue. And, success of the event is spelled by the selection of the venue. In his address, Chief Guest, Dr. Gondane said Australia India relations are on an upward trajectory and we need to give it further acceleration. “Australians are happy, dynamic people who are eager to share, and I am looking forward to making my contribution to the Australia-India relationship. Every relationship has its ebbs and flows, and this particular relationship is currently on the rise, he said. Talking about India, he said “You may have heard large numbers, but India is a small economy, and a big nation. Not even a miniscule proportion of my people are like the people you have interacted with. We are home to a large number of poor who can’t afford basic health and education. We bear the responsibility of overcoming these problems.” “He also spoke about the students forming an important link in the path of cementing this relationship. In this process, the humble
diplomat said even he is a student and still learning. Dr. Gondane displayed no airs and mingled with the gathered crowd and invited them with an invitation to his Canberra office. Earlier, Gunjan Pagare, Head of NRI Banking, CBA gave a brief introduction of the longstanding partnership with the AIBC. In fact, CBA is the platinum partner of AIBC in all the events. He apprised the guests that the population of Indian Australian community has grown to about 450,000 and CBA plays a major role in looking after the banking needs of the community. CBA is Australia’s largest bank and provider of integrated financial services, and share-broking products and services. CBA vision is to excel at securing and enhancing the financial wellbeing of people, businesses and communities.
AIBC, National Vice Chair Jim Varghese led the AIBC 30 delegates strong delegation to the Vibrant Gujarat Summit last month. The delegates evinced keen interest in business ventures to develop best business opportunities. Sheba Nandkeolyar in her welcome address, said, “Both India and Australia are more openly looking at this corridor of opportunities and I am certain Vibrant Gujarat is a great foundation to start. The Summit is indeed an amazing world platform to interact with key policymakers, industry leaders, global thought leaders, regulators and renowned academicians from India, Australia and all over the world. This initiative is a valuable means to initiate and foster bilateral relationships between stakeholders through B2B and B2G meetings.” AIBC delegates’ diverse business
interests included education, skills development, mining, pharmaceuticals, fertilisers, toxicology, financial services, digital products and services, and manufacturing. Talking about skills development, Sheba gave an excellent example of an Australian sharpening his skills in dairy farming project in Punjab. Punjab is the leading state as far as dairy farming is concerned. Recently it was revealed that the Australia, India trade balance stands at USD 9654 with export growth rate at -2.1%. And import growth rate of -5.1%. Among the major exports to India is Coal, gold and copper ores. The gathering was addressed by former NSW Premier and Deputy Chairman of the AustraliaIndia Council where he related his experiences in India, especially in Bangalore and Mumbai negotiating
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
with taxi drivers. Barry in his welcome address said, “I’m sure Dr Gondane will feel at home here in Sydney. We have Bangalore traffic, Mumbai house prices and Delhi bureaucracy to negotiate.” Dr. Jim Varghese presented the vote of thanks and said “The Australia India Business Council is proud to once again partner with Vibrant Gujarat for the biennial Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2017 as part of our commitment to providing our AIBC members with the best business opportunities to develop valuable partnerships with business, government, and industry in India. AIBC is honoured and grateful for the strong indication of support from Gujarat Government. This is a platform for businesses and influencers to come together to explore some of the current global opportunities.”
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
southSouth asia times 37 Asia Times
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
south asia 38 South Asia Timestimes
cinema
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
SAT EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH HRITHIK ROSHAN
Brightness of Kaabil is overcoming darkness: Hrithik Roshan By Neeraj Nanda
H
rithik Roshan’s latest movie ‘Kaabil’ is making waves on the box office. Directed by Sanjay Gupta, it has Yami Gautam as the leading lady with music by his father Rajesh Roshan. The 150 minutes’ movie in Hindi has English subtitles. The blind leading pair fall in love, get married and a terrible tragedy strikes. Then the fire of vengeance is unstoppable. I caught up from Melbourne with Hrithik Roshan from Mumbai on the What’s App and he answered my questions about Kaabil, which he calls his best reviewed film. Excerpts from the interview: Q: How was it playing a blind hero. Was it challenging? A: Challenging, yes. It
has a beautiful challenging script which leads to passion making it easy to act in the movie.
Q: Hrithik, while shooting actually the eyes can see but you posed as if they can’t. How did you manage that? A: It was difficult. I practiced at home. I Blind folded myself and walked in the house. I did it every day. Q: So, when you were practicing did you also fall down? A: Yes, I did. Those who fall, learn to get up. Q: Despite being a blind character, you gave a confident positive message, but Yami taking her own life gives a rather negative message. What do you say? A: No, once you see the film you realise that our
weakness can sometimes overcome us. We are all quite fragile. Adversity becomes tough. Yami comes from a small town and what happens is the reality. Rohan (Hrithik) then gives the message that the situation can be overcome. That is the brightness of Kaabil.
some kind of darkness and the blind show us we can have the same potential as they have to fight darkness.
Q: How was it working with Yami? A: The best costar, I have worked in my life. She is simple and does not focus on herself. Instead, her focus is the entire movie. Q: What is the message for blind couples who cannot see the movie? A: In fact, the message is from the blind to all of us – don’t be afraid of darkness in your life. We all have
Q: In one scene you speak in Amitabh Bachchan’s voice. How could you manage it? A: Practice led to that. Dubbing people say if you control your vocal cord
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
muscle then you can utter anyone’s voice. I was able to do it. Q: ‘Andha’ and ‘Andhi’ words used in the film. Aren’t they rude words? A: These are labels. If I am blind and have lost my wife also blind, then I have to say I am ‘Andha’ and my wife is ‘Andhi’. There are no substitute words.
Q: Do you agree despite the loverape-revenge theme this is a message film? A: No, it is not. This is a beautiful entertaining movie. A unique concept film. In the cinema hall there was so much clapping after every dialogue. I enjoyed every bit of this film after my first movie ‘Kaho Na Pyaar Hi”. This is my life’s big success and the best reviewed film.
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7
SPECIAL REPORT
southSouth asia times 39 Asia Times
Why America needs Marvel superhero Kamala Khan now more than ever Kamala Khan is a Muslim, Pakistani-American teenager who fights crime in Jersey City. Marvel Comics
By Katie M. Logan
D
uring the first few weeks of the Trump administration, we’ve seen increased pressure on Muslim and immigrant communities in the United States. In the face of these threats, which Marvel superhero might be best equipped to defend the people, ideals and institutions under attack? Some comic fans and critics are pointing to Kamala Khan, the new Ms. Marvel. Khan, the brainchild of comic writer G. Willow Wilson and editor Sana Amanat, is a revamp of the classic Ms. Marvel character (originally named Carol Danvers and created in 1968). First introduced in early 2014, Khan is a Muslim, PakistaniAmerican teenager who fights crime in Jersey City and occasionally teams up with the Avengers. Since Donald Trump’s inauguration, fans have created images of Khan tearing up a photo of the president, punching him (evoking a famous 1941 cover of Captain America punching Hitler) and grieving in her room. But the new Ms. Marvel’s significance extends beyond symbolism. In Kamala Khan, Wilson and Amanat have created a superhero whose patriotism and contributions to Jersey City emerge because of her Muslim heritage, not despite it. She challenges the assumptions many Americans have about Muslims and is a radical departure from how the media tend to depict Muslim-Americans. She shows how Muslim-Americans and immigrants are not forces that threaten communities – as some would argue – but are people who can strengthen and preserve them. Superhero-in-training After inhaling a mysterious gas, Kamala Khan discovers she can stretch, enlarge, shrink and otherwise manipulate her body. Like many superheroes, she chooses to keep her identity a secret. She selects the Ms. Marvel moniker in homage to the first Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers, who has since given up the name in favour of becoming Captain Marvel.
Khan cites her family’s safety and her desire to lead a normal life, while also fearing that “the NSA will wiretap our mosque or something.” As she wrestles with her newfound powers, her parents grow concerned about broken curfews and send her to the local imam for counselling. Rather than reinforcing her parents’ curfew or prying the truth from Khan, though, Sheikh Abdullah says, “I am asking you for something more difficult. If you insist on pursuing this thing you will not tell me about, do it with the qualities benefiting an upright young woman: courage, strength, honesty, compassion and self-respect.” Her experience at the mosque becomes an important step on her journey to super heroism. Sheikh Abdullah contributes to her education, as does Wolverine. Islam is not a restrictive force in her story. Instead, the religion models for Khan many of the traits she needs in order to become an effective superhero. When her mother learns the truth about why her daughter is sneaking out, she “thank[s] God for having raised a righteous child.” The comics paint an accurate portrait of Jersey City. Her brother Aamir is a committed Salafi (a conservative and sometimes controversial branch of Sunni Islam) and member of his university’s Muslim Student Association. Her best friend and occasional love interest, Bruno, works at a corner store and comes from Italian roots. The city’s diversity helps Kamala as she
learns to be a more effective superhero. But it also rescues her from being a stand-in for all Muslim-American or Jersey City experiences. Fighting a ‘war on terror culture’ Kamala’s brown skin and costume – self-fashioned from an old burkini – point to Marvel Comics’ desire to diversify its roster of superheroes (as well as writers and artists). As creator Sana Amanat explained on “Late Night With Seth Meyers” last month, representation is a powerful thing, especially in comics. It matters when readers who feel marginalized can see people like themselves performing heroic acts. As one of 3.3 million Muslim-Americans, Khan flips the script on what Moustafa Bayoumi, author of “This Muslim American Life,” calls a “war on terror culture” that sees Muslim-Americans “not as complex human being[s] but only as purveyor[s] of possible future violence.” Bayoumi’s book echoes other studies that detail the heightened suspicion and racial profiling MuslimAmericans have faced since 9/11, whether it’s in the workplace or interactions with the police. Each time there’s been a high-profile terrorist attack, these experiences, coupled with hate crimes and speech, intensify. Political rhetoric – like Donald Trump’s proposal to have a Muslim registry or his lie that thousands of Muslims cheered from Jersey City rooftops after the Twin Towers fell – only
fans the flames. Scholars of media psychology see this suspicion fostered, in part, by negative representations of Muslims in both news media outlets and popular culture, where they are depicted as bloodthirsty terrorists or slavish informants to a nonMuslim hero. These stereotypes are so entrenched that a single positive Muslim character cannot counteract their effects. In fact, some point to the dangers of “balanced” representations, arguing that confronting stereotypes with wholly positive images only enforces a simplistic division between “good” and “bad” Muslims. Unbreakable Kamala Khan, however, signals an important development in cultural representations of MuslimAmericans. It’s not just because she is a powerful superhero instead of a terrorist. It’s because she is, at the same time, a clumsy teenager who makes a mountain of mistakes while trying to balance her abilities, school, friends and family. And it’s because Wilson surrounds Kamala with a diverse assortment of characters who demonstrate the array of heroic (and notso-heroic) actions people can take. For example, in one of Ms. Marvel’s most powerful narrative arcs, a planet attacks New York, leading to destruction eerily reminiscent of 9/11. Kamala works to protect Jersey City while realizing that her world has changed – and will change –
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
irrevocably. Carol Danvers appears to fill Kamala in on the gravity of the situation, telling her, “The fate of the world is out of your hands. It always was. But your fate – what you decide to do right now – is still up to you … Today is the day you stand up.” Kamala connects the talk with Sheikh Abdullah’s lectures about the value of one’s deeds, once again linking her superhero and religious training to rise to the occasion. In both cases, the lectures teach Kamala to take a stand to protect her community. Arriving at the high school gym now serving as a safe haven for Jersey City residents, Kamala realizes her friends and classmates have been inspired by her heroism. They safely transport their neighbors to the gym while outfitting the space with water, food, dance parties and even a “non-denominational, non-judgmental prayer area.” The community response prompts Kamala to realize that “even if things are profoundly not okay, at least we’re not okay together. And even if we don’t always get along, we’re still connected by something you can’t break. Something there isn’t even a word for. Something … beautiful.” Kamala Khan is precisely the hero America needs today, but not because of a bat sign in the sky or any single definitive image. She is, above all, committed to the idea that every member of her faith, her generation, and her city has value and that their lives should be respected and protected. She demonstrates that the most heroic action is to face even the most despairinducing challenges of the world head on while standing up for – and empowering – every vulnerable neighbor, classmate or stranger. She shows us how diverse representation can transform into action and organization that connect whole communities “by something you can’t break.” (Katie M. Logan is Assistant Professor of Focused Inquiry, Virginia Commonwealth University). This story was first published on The Conversation. —Source: Sabrang, 15 February 2017
south asia 40 South Asia Timestimes
www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082
F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 7