SAT June Issue 2018

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CELEBRATING 15TH YEAR OF PUBLICATION

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South Asia Times Vol.15 I No. 11 I JUNE 2018 I FREE

READ INSIDE EDIT PAGE COMMUNITY SOUTH ASIA MUSINGS HINDI PUSHP TECHNOLOGY CINEMA

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s o u t hasiatim es.com .au Editor: Neeraj Nanda

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Dr. Dinesh Srivastava (4 June 1942-12 June 2018) Dr. Dinesh Srivastava is no more. He was born on 4 June 1942 and breathed his last on 12 June 2018. He is survived by his wife, daughter, and son. He was the flag bearer of Hindi in Victoria and Australia and the Editor of HINDI PUSHP (Hindi section of SAT) for more than a decade. He was instrumental in preparing the first textbook to teach Hindi in Australian schools. We pay our homage to Dr. Dinesh Srivastava. His contributions to promote Hindi in Australia, Editing the Hindi Pushp and various community engagements will always inspire us and will be remembered. We are all mourning but also pledging to take the path shown by him to promote Hindi and different vernacular languages. On behalf of myself, my family, South Asia Times (SAT) and its readers, I express our sincere condolences to Dr. Srivastava’s family, friends and the community. No doubt, he will be missed.

- Neeraj Nanda, Editor, SAT

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EDITORIAL

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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

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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.

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IFFM-2018 to celebrate ‘inclusion’ in the diversity of contemporary Indian cinema

By SAT News Desk

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ELBOURNE, 14 June: The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) – the southern hemisphere's greatest annual celebration of Indian cinema is taking place from 10 - 22 August under the theme of ‘Inclusion’. This year’s festival offers the opportunity to explore the richness and diversity of contemporary Indian cinema, from Bollywood box-office hits, documentaries and art-house premieres, to a Bollywood dance competition and master classes with key figures from the Indian film industry.

BMW is the sponsor of the 2018 BMW Short Film Competition, providing an invaluable platform for aspiring and emerging filmmakers to showcase their work. The winning entry will be shown at screenings throughout the festival, and the winning filmmakers will be flown across the globe: The Australian winner to India, and the Indian winner to Australia.

IFFM Director MituBhowmick-Lange says, “It’s a delight to have BMW come on board as sponsor of this important competition that offers a real gateway to Indian and Australia filmmakers to stellar careers.”

BMW Group Australia CEO, Marc Werner, commented: “BMW Australia is proud to partner with The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne and to showcase emerging local and international filmmakers through the 2018 BMW Short Film Competition.”

Judging the award will be IFFM Special Guest, and acclaimed actor Ali Fazal, named

by Variety as one of ‘10 actors to watch in 2017’. Faizal’s recent credits include the lead role of Abdul opposite Judi Dench’s Queen Victoria in Victoria and Abdul, and the Bollywood blockbuster 3 Idiots.

"I am thrilled to be a part of IFFM 2018. This will be my first time at the festival and I am honoured to be on the jury for the short film competition. It’s great to know that we will get to see some wonderful work by talent from across India and filmmakers down under,” says Ali Faizal Past winners of the IFFM Short Film Competition have gone on to stellar careers, including 2013 winner JehanRatnatunga, currently working at YouTube in Los Angeles, and 2011 winner Varun Sharma, who has taken up a role at leading Indian production company Yash Raj Films.

The Festival is seeking short film submissions of 10 minutes or less that reflect the theme of ‘Inclusion’. Entry is free and the winners will be announced by July 31. Closing date for entries is June 30, 2018. IFFM 2018 is accepting entries via FilmFreeway.

Website link: http://iffm.com.au/shortfilm. html The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne was established in 2012 as an initiative of the Victorian Government and has established itself as an important part of the State’s cultural calendar. In 2016, the festival was honoured with the much respected Melbourne Award for contribution in Multiculturalism.

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SBS Radio broadcasting 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ matches in multiple languages

By SAT Sports Desk

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ELBOURNE, 12 June: A big treat is in the offing for football fans with the SBS Radio deciding to broadcast all the 64 matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ in multiple languages.

With just a few days to go until the biggest single sporting event in the world, SBS Radio is set to broadcast all 64 matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ live and free via the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ and SBS Radio apps.

Matches will be broadcast in up to three languages simultaneously; English and in the languages of the teams competing.

SBS Director of Audio and Language Content, Mandi Wicks, said: “SBS is truly passionate about football, a multicultural celebration that unites Australia’s diverse communities. With the aim of engaging more Australians, SBS Radio is providing the most multilingual coverage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup™, broadcasting in at least 13 languages including Arabic, Korean, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Our multilingual coverage is being produced in partnership with the best sports media from around the world.”

Direct from Red Square, SBS Radio’s The World Game podcast with Lucy Zelic, will deliver audiences a football fix of highlights every morning, with previews, behind the scenes buzz and key moments from each night’s matches.

SBS Radio’s live English match coverage will feature exclusive commentary by former Matilda striker Kate Gill, former Socceroo goalkeeper Clint Bolton and current Melbourne City FC defender Scott Jamieson.

Celebrating Australia’s

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passion for football, SBS Radio’s broadcasters will join events across Sydney and Melbourne, as communities including Arabic, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese, get together with friends and family to share the experience of the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ live.

“Listeners can tune into all the passion of live commentary in multiple languages on the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ app, SBS Radio app and nationwide on SBS Radio 1, SBS Radio 2, SBS Radio 3, SBS Arabic 24, on digital television, digital radio (DAB+), analogue radio (AM/FM) and online,” says a SBS media release.

For further details on how to listen to the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ live on SBS Radio in multiple languages go to - https://www.sbs.com. au/radio/worldcup You can also download the free SBS Radio App for iOS and Android, with the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ app.

In addition to the comprehensive radio coverage across language programs, SBS TV will present the match of the day, every day of the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ live, free and in HD for all Australians along with daily highlights and analysis of all 64 matches on television and online.

The SBS match of the day will be replayed each morning at 6.30am, free and in HD on SBS, and FIFA classic matches will air on Saturday and Sunday afternoons throughout the month.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia kicks off on 14 June live, free and in HD on SBS. SBS is presenting the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ in partnership with Optus Sport. Visit The World Game for details on how to watch every match when competition kicks off on 14 June.

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COMMUNITY

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Tree plantation drive in Little India, parking fee cut from July 1 M

By Neeraj Nanda

ELBOURNE, 5 June: Little India, Foster Street will soon be greener with a Tree plantation drive scheduled to take place on Sunday 17th and 24th June and Sunday 1st and 8th July.

“15 new street trees will be planted between Thomas Street and the station. While the trees are small they will be protected and supported by a metal tree barrier. Existing street trees on the northern side of the street will be retained, but their bases at the footpath will be altered to eliminate tripping hazards and improve root access to rain water,” says the June 2018 Bulletin of the Indian Cultural Precinct. The Bulletin has been emailed to the media today.

The Bulletin further says, “In Foster Street there has long been a gradual loss of trees resulting in most of the trees missing from the south side of the street. Trees, greenery and landscaping were prominent themes through the development of the Framework.

Therefore, it was considered an important part of making the street

feel family friendly, welcoming and comfortable.”

The Bulletin also informs, “A designer is currently being engaged

by Council to consider the best way to apply the precinct branding & the expanded colour palette to shop fronts & improve the overall visual impact of the precinct.”

Traders may be contacted by the designer in the August to discuss how their shop can be part of the changes underway.

Meanwhile, following a recent review in the Indian Cultural Precinct, a new lower fee of $1 per hour (currently $1.80) will become effective on 1 July. This aims to make on street parking more convenient for shoppers and visitors.

In addition, there has been a review of parking layouts in Foster and Mason Streets. Line marking will be adjusted shortly to create a number of extra on-street parking spaces, the Bulletin reports.

The changes in the area are part of the Indian Cultural Precinct Framework which has identified 140 initiatives categorised under the six Precinct Objectives.

Existing street trees on the northern side of the street will be retained, but their bases at the footpath will be altered to eliminate tripping hazards and improve root access to rain water. www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082

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Scienceworks celebrates 10 millionth visitor

By SAT News Desk

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ELBOURNE, 12 June: Scienceworksbig reasons to celebrate, having recently welcomed its 10 millionth visitor since the museum’s inception and being recognised for its strength in curation and exhibition development in the Museum and Galleries National Awards (MAGNAs) recently.

With the opening of ground-breaking new exhibition experiences Ground Up: Building Big Ideas, Together and Beyond Perception: Seeing the Unseen in recent months, it is an exciting time for Scienceworks as it continues to evolve into a futurefocused science museum for visitors of all ages.

Created with the support of the Victorian government, this suite of new experiences makes Scienceworks the goto destination for mindbending innovation and a key driver to engage the next generation of Victorian in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Martin Foley, Minister for Creative Industries says he was thrilled by Scienceworks new direction.

“Clocking up ten million visitors is a huge milestone for Scienceworks which has now introduced generations of Victorian children to the concepts of science, technology, engineering and math. As STEM learning and skills become more and more critical for our young people, we are upping the ante at Scienceworks with ground-breaking new exhibition spaces, like Ground Up and Beyond Perception, and a range of new experiences for all ages. Congratulations to the Museums Victoria team on their award-winning work.”

Lynley Marshall, CEO, Museums Victoria says it has been a triumphant year so far.

“As a critical part of Victoria’s cultural and innovation economy, Scienceworks has inspired and nurtured 10 million inquisitive minds since first opening its doors twenty-six years ago.”

“Our inventive approach to creating new experiences, such as Ground Up and Beyond Perception, is reflective of our current evolution into a Museum for the Future which is playing a key role in preparing young Victorians for a science and

technology-led future.”

Scienceworks was an instant success when it first opened its doors in 1992, and has remained at the forefront of science education in Victoria introducing millions of children to STEM through its interactive and innovative exhibitions and programming.

Today it attracts around 500,000 visitors per year, double the number of visitors it was originally built for 26 years ago.

Its new experiences include, Ground Up: Building Big Ideas, Together, a new exhibition for babies to five-year-olds which opened in December 2017.

It immerses young children in an imaginative world of sensory discovery and construction-play that aims to ignite a lifelong engagement with STEM from the time they are born.

It took out the prestigious MAGNA in the Permanent Exhibition or Gallery Fitout category this week.

Opening to the public last month, Beyond Perception: Seeing the Unseen is an immersive and absorbing new exhibition codeveloped with teenagers, for teenagers that reveals the invisible fields and forces that surround us, such as gravitational waves, invisible light, sound, aerodynamics and turbulence.

To ensure that the experience was appealing and tailored to young adults and reflected the latest and greatest in science and technology, the team collaborated with JBoard, a youth advisory board of 1215 year olds and scientists and engineers from some of Victoria’s top research institutions.

In Australian secondary schools, participation in math and science is steadily declining, while it is predicted that education in these subjects will be crucial for more than 400,000 new jobs for Victorians by 2025.

Lynley Marshall saysScienceworks intends to act as a counterpoint to this trend.

“Beyond Perception, alongside other adult programming such as Planetarium Nights and its upcoming music event Party Beyond on June 22, aim to encourage a wider audience including teenagers and adults to come to Scienceworks and be inspired by the possibilities of science and technology.”

Another trend that Scienceworks is actively aiming to overcome is the gender bias within the STEM industry. In Australia, women make up only 28 per cent of the STEM-qualified population, and research shows that girls as young as

four already have a gender bias when thinking about future careers, being less likely to want to aspire to science and technologybased occupations.

“Our priority is to proactively encourage girls to engage in STEM.

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By promoting female rolemodels and using genderneutral language and colours, we are ensuring that all our exhibitions and programming make science accessible to girls,” Marshall further explains.

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COMMUNITY

SAFETY IS SNOW JOKE

southSouth asia times 7 Asia Times

By Neeraj Nanda

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s winter sets in Victoria Police are gearing up for the snow season and are asking those travelling to Alpine areas to keep themselves safe.

General duties police with the help of the Operations Response Unit will have a seven days a week presence at Mount Hotham, Falls Creek and Mount Buller from the official opening weekend on 9 June, for the duration of the season.

Assistant Commissioner Rick Nugent said police will be focused on the key issues they see every year at the snow. “Generally everyone who visits the snow is well behaved and we don’t have too many issues. However, each year we do see a small number of thefts, car accidents, missing people and rescues,” AC Nugent said. “A lot of these things are avoidable and we ask the community to look after their safety while they are enjoying the snow.

“The best advice police can give is to be prepared for your trip.

Planning and preparation are the keys to having a safe and enjoyable alpine experience.”

Here are our tips for having a safe trip to the snow: When it comes to road safety travelling on alpine roads in winter can be dangerous, unless special driving techniques are used. Driving on roads with snow and/or ice cover not only requires concentration and adept driving skills, but also a lot of patience.

There are a number of common sense measures you can take to reduce theft of your property such as knowing where your skis/board are all times, keeping them secure and keeping valuables out of sight.

There may be occasions where we will not be able to rescue or search for those who are injured or lost due to environmental

There are a number of common sense measures you can take to reduce theft of your property such as knowing where your skis/board are all times, keeping them secure and keeping valuables out of sight. conditions. It is imperative that those attending snow environments, whether in resorts or outside the resorts prepare appropriately and understand the conditions and environment. Be aware that conditions can and will change quickly.

To prevent an emergency search and rescue situation plan your trip carefully, let someone know where you are going and how long you’ll be, wear appropriate wind and waterproof clothing, take care of and check your equipment before skiing or boarding, regularly check weather and snow conditions and if lost – stop, seek shelter and wait.

If going outside the boundaries of the resorts, consider the risks associated with avalanches, in particular after heavy snow falls.

“We also ask everyone to

make sure they enjoy themselves responsibility after a long day of snow activities,” AC Nugent said.

“It’s important in this environment that you have your wits about you so drink responsibly.

“Police will be working with local licensees and doing spot checks on pubs and clubs.”

As always if you need emergency

assistance while you’re on the mountain call Triple Zero (000).

Please visit the Victoria Police website for further advice and to download a trip intentions form.

This form should be filled out and left with a reliable friend, family member or responsible authority. http://www.police.vic.gov.au/ content.asp?Document_ID=23653 Source: Victoria Police, 8 June 2018

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VMC film fest delves into cultural diversity M

By SAT News Desk

ELBOURNE, 6 June: From African-Australian women defying pressure to straighten their hair, to the culturally diverse actors who are sick of being cast as token sidekicks, the VMC Film Festival’s winning short films have skilfully focused their lenses on the everyday experiences of life in a multicultural society.

Presented by the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) in partnership with Swinburne University of Technology, the film festival invited filmmakers to examine cultural diversity in a contemporary context.

VMC Chairperson Helen Kapalos said this year’s theme – My generation: Stories of everyday multiculturalism – produced some inspiring and insightful narratives.

“In an age where identity, race, faith and immigration politics dominate global headlines, these films present the perspectives of a new generation of

multicultural Victorians,” said Ms.Kapalos, who is herself a filmmaker and former journalist.

Out of more than 70 entries, 13 films were shortlisted and screened at the festival held at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) on 24 May 2018.

Winners were awarded across five categories and can be viewed online at https:// culturaldiversityweek.vic. gov.au/get-involved/vmcfilm-festival/ Ivy Mutuku’s Frizz, which won the Under 25s Award, is the young Kenyan-Australian filmmaker’s exploration of how the worldwide Natural Hair Movement is playing out in Australia.

“It’s something that started all the way back in the Sixties, during the Civil Rights Movement,” explains ZarahGarbrah, who features in the documentary.

“The natural hair movement is about accepting everything about yourself and being comfortable with it.”

Acceptance is also a

strong theme in Brotherboy, a short documentary about Indigenous transgender man Kai Clancey, which won the Over 25s Award.

Brotherboy was made by Danish filmmaker Charlotte de la Fuente while on a recent study exchange in Melbourne.

Both filmmakers were awarded with $500 courtesy of Bank of Melbourne and a $500 film gear voucher courtesy of the VMC. Now in its second year, the VMC Film Festival aims to not only recognise outstanding short films about multiculturalism, but to also nurture the talents of the next generation, particularly those from diverse backgrounds.

The prize for the Judge’s Award, which went to Tiffanie-JowieLiew for Romeo Is Not the Only Fruit: A Documentary, is an internship with the ABC. Ms Liew’s documentary explores Asian and minority representation in media by following the cast of a “lesbian pop musical” as they prepare for a season at the Melbourne International

Comedy Festival.

The Encouragement Award, and an internship with Melbourne-based production house Artificial Studios, went to Natalia Chernaya for Outcasting..

The film approaches the current conversation about diversity on screens from a different perspective: that of the actors, and their struggles with stereotyped casting.

Natalie Cunningham’s You

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Know What? I Love You, which depicts her tender yet playful relationship with her Greek-Australian grandmother, won the People’s Choice Award.

The VMC Film Festival is an offshoot of Cultural Diversity Week, and is sponsored by Artificial Studios and the Immigration Museum, with supporting sponsorship from Bank of Melbourne, Bertocchi and PwC.

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Jill Hennessey opens state of the art Eastern Health’s Breast & Cancer Centre

By SAT News Desk

quality care.”

ELBOURNE, 21 MAY: A big boost to health services in Melbourne’s east took place on today with the official opening of the Eastern Health’s new Breast and Cancer Centre.

Based at Maroondah Hospital in Ringwood East, the building was officially opened by Victorian Minister for Health and Ambulance Services the Hon Jill Hennessey MP at a special event on Monday.A large number of people including patients and Mr. Manoj Kumar Labor candidate for Forest Hill were also present.

The Minster in her address said,” I am delighted women’s health being treated as a mainstream health issue.”

Eastern Health Executive Director of Clinical Operations Matt Sharp said the opening of the Centre was an important occasion for the eastern region.

“The centre will provide a

Highlights of the new center include: • Two ultrasound rooms that will be able to conduct guided biopsies • Four medical imaging reading rooms • Mammography screening rooms • Allied health rooms • Consulting rooms • A Breast Nurse consulting room • A wellness lounge where patients can consider their care in a home-like environment Mr. Sharp thanked the State Government and partners BreastScreen for their ongoing support.

“The State Government and BreastScreen have been right behind this project from the beginning. We can’t thank them enough for helping us make this project a reality. It is only by working together are we able to provide enhanced care for our community,” Mr. Sharp said.

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range of services including breast screening, breast cancer treatment, and supportive care services from the one building. For our patients, it will mean less time travelling between

sites to have tests or receive treatment. At the same time, they will continue to receive the outstanding care we provide.”

Mr. Sharp said the new center provided a positive

environment for patients and staff.

“The center is spacious, warm and welcoming. It also gives our patients access to state of the art technology to ensure they can receive

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ACTU, Vic. Govt. welcome minimum wage boost, retailers body calls it ‘unsustainable’

By SAT News Desk

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ELBOURNE, 1 June: The Fair Work Commission to increase the minimum wage by 3.5 per cent, increasing the hourly rate to $18.93 has been welcomed by the Victoria Government and unions. But the Master Grocers Australia (MGA), has called the wage increase ‘unsustainable’.

Minister for Industrial Relations Natalie Hutchins says, “I welcome today’s Fair Work Commission decision.

Victorians who rely on minimum and award wages deserve a pay rise – it’s as simple as that.”

"This would be a better outcome if the Liberal Party had not supported cutting penalty rates for vulnerable workers – those workers are still falling behind."

Australian Council of Trade Unions Secretary Sally McManus says more needs to be done to support

the nation's lowest paid workers. The ACTU boss says while it is a good result, the outcome is still far short of a living wage.

“2.3 million workers to get a pay increase because of unions,” Sally says.

The wage boost gives the workers a $24.30-a-week pay rise with the national minimum wage increasing to $719.20 a week.

A MGA statement says, “The decision by the Fair Work Commission today to

increase the award rates by 3.5% will, according to Jos de Bruin CEO of Master Grocers Australia, be a serious setback to the sustainability of thousands of family enterprises and private businesses in the

Labor candidates at the Buddhist temple

By SAT News Desk

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ELBOURNE, 10 June: At the Thai Buddhist Temple in Vermont, Springvale Road

Labor candidates for Forest Hill, Bayswater and Glen Waverley met devotees.

The three candidates participated in the prayer and related rituals. Manoj Kumar (Forest Hill)

addressed the devotees and the Priest/Monk blessed the three candidates and all others present. This was followed by lunch which was full of variety as the devotees brought it from homes.

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retail industry.”

Mr. Jos de Bruin said, “This increase comes at a time when competition continues to impact on the ability of small businesses to survive and the cost of doing business continues to escalate. Now it’s going to cost more to employ staff, so where is the incentive to provide more jobs?”

“Higher wages mean that less people will be employed in the retail industry.

Retailers will look to putting staff off rather than increasing job opportunities.

Many retailers are losing confidence in their ability to battle on and some will just close their doors."

“MGA was hopeful that the increase would be lower after the 3.3% they had to cope with last year.

An increase of this size will make life harder for family run enterprises to survive at a time when profits are low, and margins are slimmer than ever.”

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35th anniversary of Australia's first Neighbourhood Watch

By SAT News Desk

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ELBOURNE, 14 June: Neighbourhood Watch Victoria has welcomed the recent release of the latest crime statistics by the Victorian Crime Statistics Agency indicating a continued decline in crime across the state.

Despite a decrease of over 10 per cent in the number of criminal incidents in the 12 months from April 1 2017 to March 31 2018, there are those who perceive they are at an increased risk of becoming a victim.

With law and order such a high profile issue across Victoria, it is imperative that communities come together to be informed as to what is occurring in their local area, to drive cohesion, to build relationships with local police, and improve their perception of safety.

“That is where Neighbourhood Watch plays such a vital role”, said CEO, Bambi Gordon.

“Our vision hasn’t changed over three plus decades: To have connected, informed and empowered communities, and community members who feel safe and secure”, said Bambi Gordon, CEO. Neighbourhood Watch

Victoria, the first in Australia, kicked off with a pilot program in Frankston in 1983 and has over the years involved tens of thousands of volunteers and followers. Many of the young families who joined Neighbourhood Watch in the

1980s are still active within the organisation, just as new young families in the growth corridors of the North West and South East are getting involved today.

Graham Ashton, Chief Commissioner, Victoria Police, acknowledges the work that Neighbourhood Watch has done over the years.

“I warmly congratulate Neighbourhood Watch on its 35th anniversary. Over this long period of time our organisations have shared a close relationship, with Neighbourhood Watch playing a key role in crime prevention. Neighbourhood Watch has developed a strong presence across Victoria and is enormously valued by the diverse communities it serves. As our society changes, we look forward to working with Neighbourhood Watch to tackle the challenges that emerge. Together we can work to keep Victorians safe.” said Ashton.

President of Neighbourhood Watch

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Victoria, Brian Welch, encourages people to join Neighbourhood Watch and watch out for each other: "Neighbourhood Watch is a positive choice. Choosing to look out for your neighbours, whether they are in the same suburb or apartment building, using social media or volunteering to help others, is the act of a connected citizen. Get involved!"

Neighbourhood Watch Victoria provides information on how to avoid becoming a victim of crime, together with links to follow Neighbourhood Watch on social media or to join or start a local group at www. nhw.com.au “We are flexible in what it means to be part of Neighbourhood Watch. For some it may be volunteering at our events, for others it may mean getting involved online. We welcome all community members who want to be connected and promote crime prevention” said Gordon.

—Source: Medianet

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JITO Australia Chapter launched in Melbourne

By SAT News Desk

MELBOURNE, 2 June: JITO (Jain International Trade Organisation) Australia Chapter was inaugurated by Mr. Philip Dalidakis. Minister of Trade & Investment, Victoria amidst big overseas and local participation. Members took oath in the presence of Bina Shah, BhupindraSethia, Sanjay Lodha, GautamOswal, Mahavir Mehta among others. Later the delegates went for a cruise celebrating the event.

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Punjab Congress leaders in Melbourne

By SAT News Desk

M

ELBOURNE: Punjab Congress leaders General

Secretary Pawan Dewan and Secretary Sunil Duttvisited the Victorian Parliament during their recent visit to Australia.

There they met MP

Bronwyn Halfpenny and AdemSomyurek MLC and ex Trade and Small Business Minister.

SattiGarewal, Sr. Vice President Indian Overseas

Congress Australia, Sunny Dutt and Praveen Gulati were also present. The two Congress leaders were honoured by MP Halfpenny and they discussed the

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082

contribution of Punjabis in Australia. Pawan Dewan felt that like in Canada, US and UK, Punjabis should in Australia take part in local politics.

south asia 20 South Asia Timestimes

By Altaf Bashir

BOOK REVIEW

The rise of BJP

t

he use of technology to gather data of people across India was one of the biggest political shenanigans of Modi’s rise. When Modi started campaigning after winning Gujrat Chief Ministerial berth third time, his government started working on his bigger role and used the technology to ensure his obvious win in India’s polity.

Fetching data by means of the ruse was a political agenda and a critical part of winning the election of 2014 with major numbers.

Inviting IT pass outs and professionals who were eager to volunteer for BJP and ensure Modi’s win in the 2014 elections.

Gradually, BJP learnt how to use technology effectively to gather the data. The Adhaar was born postcoronation of Modi as Prime Minister, to devise the same policy as used duringprepolls to collect data of people and use it to meet the political intentions and objectives and linking data with other areas was the by product of this scheme in order to have a complete surveillance mechanism in place on the movements of people across the states of India.

Ullekh NP wrote a book on Modi’s rise “War Room” published in 2015, Ullekh was born to a family of politicians in the Marxist hotbed of Kannur, Kerala.

NP is a Journalist and political commentator now based in New Delhi. He worked with India’s biggest news publications such as The Economic Times, DNA, and India Today. He writes on Politics, public health and corporate affairs.

This book “War Room” is titled after the real war room were set up for BJP workers, technicians and volunteers who were seen working for the Modi’s government tirelessly to make him a face of people and overhaul his blemished political image during the electoral process of 2014 elections, and present him in such a way that he would be seen as messiah for the poor Indians. Offlate he was chosen as the best suitable alternative candidature for the Prime Ministerial berth.

India is a thriving middleclass society driven by the idea of change and modernity besotted with the winds of political change around the world, voters across the spectrum during 2014 election were

eager to exercise their choice in a country that prides itself on its vibrant democratic history, the highlights of which is the general election held every five years. The sheer number of India’s democratic machinery is staggering and the frenzy on the streets during election time surpasses that of the world’s biggest carnivals.

The country of 1600 plus languages and dialectics has more than 1,500 large and small parties were prepared to pack a punch.

Politics anywhere is an exercise in selling, and the value of promotion in India is much-enhanced thanks to the enormity and diversity of its voters.

The increasing influence of corporate sector that lavishly funds political parties has distorted India’s secular political tradition, for their part, libertarian’s claim the system is skewed in favour of an ill-informed uneducated majority.

Despite its flaws, the system continues to flourish and inspire innovation.

This time around, the elections acquired a techie halo. More than 65 percent of India’s population is aged and elections in India have never been a tepid affair. In 2014, India saw an unprecedented participation in both voting and campaigning.

In the succinct prose, always concise never

belaboured, Ullekh NP tells the story of Modi’s ample victory in his book ‘War Room’. The book contains seven chapters all related to the Modi’s rise in BJP and how he was placed in Gujrat strategic geography to lead as a Chief Minister backed by Mr. Advani and how did he sever his relationship with family and other relatives in order to do something extraordinary in life.

Ullekh begins his book with the chapter ‘Varanasi’ which is considered as a critical state in terms of political and religious fervour, Varanasi which is an oldest than Jerusalem and Athens continued to be one of the Hinduism’s

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holiest cities, maddeningly dirty, yet undeniably holy, Varanasi also called Banaras is bound to fascinate any political party that espouses the Hindu religion cause.

This place is still a hotbed for upper-caste politics and has seen a shattering of caste hierarchies and the dismantling of Brahmin dominance in most parts.

Much has changed from the 1980s in Varanasi, the late Congress Veteran KamalpatiTripathi managed to stay in power using his ties with the Brahmins, a powerful high-class group of opinion leaders that continued to handle the affairs of various affluent temples and wields tremendous influence among Hindu voters. The Ram Janambhoomi agitation of the late 1980s and the early 19902 changed the equations. The agitation called for building a temple in the name of Lord Ram in the place of a disputed sixteen-century mosque at Ayodhya built by Babar, the invader emperor who founded the Mughal dynasty in India. The dismantling of Mosque and set up a Ram temple kicked up the religious passion across the country and especially in the Hindu belt which suddenly catapulted BJP to the mainstream, since then BJP made deep inroads in this town, winning it in all LokSabha elections since 1991 with the exception in 2004. Lately, it after acquiring the huge position at the national level, Kejriwal in the recent election tried to tap Modi in Varanasi but failed to win the election. Modi polled 5, 81,022 votes, securing 56.37 percent of the votes in the constituency. The runnerup Kejriwal got 2, 09,238, Ajay Rai got 75, 614 votes which made Modi’ margin of victory with 3.71 Lakh votes.

Modi’s was unbeatable despite saddled with the infamous Godhra Riots and wearing the saffron nonsecular and often berated body of thoughts that are synonymous with bigots like RSS, it was hardly possible to inherit an India, with its multitude of peoples and diversities, unless there were many other factors that came into play, prior to the 2014 elections.

Ullekh NP states that the campaign for Modi followed the American – style Presidential Elections. More than two years ago, at the back end of the BJP Offices, a war was already afoot, making Modi the most CONTD. ON PG 22

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Swar Sandhya Evening of Karaoke style singing of Hindi film music. You can bring your own tracks, or choose on the spot from our extensive library.

This is a highly popular event for anyone who loves Hindi film music.

When: Saturday 7 July, 7.30pm for a sharp 8pm start Where: Brandon Park Primary School, 1-5 Ninevah Cres, Wheelers Hill Tickets: Free Enquiries: Sandeep, 0407 612 622

NOTICEBOARD EkShaamSuronKeNaam” with Neha Sinha

11pm Where: 27 Forest Glen Ave, Blackburn South VIC 3130 (Gaindhar Family Residence) Tickets: Voluntary Donations appreciated on the day.

Hindi Musical - MharoPranam

Hindustani classical vocal with Pt. Shantanu Bhattacharya

The Melbourne Hindustani Classical Music Society brings back Pt. Shantanu Bhattacharya to Melbourne. Shantanu is easily amongst the top Hindustani vocalists in India, with breathtaking control and melody. He belongs to the famous Patiala gharana of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.

When: Saturday 16 June, 7.30pm – 11pm Where: Kew Courthouse, 186 High Street, Kew Tickets: $25 per person, purchase your tickets here

southSouth asia times 21 Asia Times

Friends of the Children Foundation is pleased to announce a musical evening with Neha Sinha, accompanied by talented Melbourne-based musicians.

Neha Sinha is a talented young singer from Pune who can sing variety. A graduate of Akhil Bhartiya Gadharv Mahavidyalaya, she sings playback in Marathi movies and serials, composes and sings jingles, and performs in live concerts.

When: Sunday 17 June 4pm-7pm Where: Chandler Community Centre, 28 Isaac Rd, Keysborough Tickets: $25 per person, purchase here Enquiries: Abhay, 0450 901 961 Kathak Dance Concert Annual Kathak Concert 2018 “ChhandaManjir” featuring students of Ghungroo School of

Dance.Established in 2008 - the dance school will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

When: Friday 22 June 2018, from 7pm Where: Doncaster Secondary College Performing Centre, 123 Church Rd, Doncaster Tickets: $12 per person, book here Hindustani classical vocal with "Surmani" MeenalDatar

The Melbourne Hindustani Classical Music Society is presents "Surmani" MeenalDattar in an enchanting traditional home baithak. An A-grade artist of All India Radio for Hindustani classical music, Meenalji is above all, a thinking, intellectual musician with mastery over Khayaal, Taan patterns, and Layakari.

When: Saturday 28th July, 8pm –

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082

Khelaiya Productions is a newly formed team of passionate, local Hindi theatre enthusiasts, who are thrilled to perform Melbourne’s first Hindi musical play, MharoPranam, based on life of the legendary Saint Meera Bai. Please come and witness our maiden production.

When: Saturday 11 August, from 4pm Where: Christine Strachan Theatre, Oakleigh South Secondary College, Bakers Rd, Oakleigh South Tickets: $20 per person.

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BOOK REVIEW

The rise of BJP CONTD. FROM PG 20

preferred candidate for the PMO, in India.

The figures were well known – the Digital cascade had already happened in India; it was known that 65% of the electorate were under 35 years of age and 35% of these were first time voters, in the age group of 18 – 21 years. The Smart Phone users were growing at an unprecedented number in India than it had done in any other part of the world.

And almost all of the 65% of the electorate were on mobile devices and certainly on the internet. They were young, hungry for change; they needed jobs and to get onto the fast track. They were tired of seeing men – and women, with grey heads and bulging paunches whom they could not identify with,

and they were very tired of corruption. They had put all their eggs on a young Leader, ArvindKejriwal who promised a corruptionfree society, in Delhi, but had been lead down by his resignation in 49 days, after being elected as CM in Delhi.

They might have enjoyed an elite Rahul Gandhi, but he was too much of a Mamma’s boy and could hardly be considered a PM candidate, even if all his party people, to please his mother, Sonia Gandhi said so. Moreover, after having one highly educated but a non-vocal puppet – down – Sonia Gandhi’s – string, as PM, they certainly did not want another ‘Madam’s’ boy around. They wanted to make sure that their choice made the difference in India and they were the Change Leaders of India. Their voice

resounded on Social Media, and even before the war was won on the ground, the Modi Wave had swept the Digital space to a landslide victory.

It was strategy, excellent communications, use of technology to the hilt to reach far-flung areas of India, with new ideas like ‘Chai par Chacha’ and Piyush Pandey’s ‘Abki bar Modi Sarkar’, catch lines and deliverables, that caught the imagination of the youth which eventually saw a change maker who promises to take India on a growth path like never before. It is in this background that NarendraModi, who once helped his father to sell tea at railway stations, came to power.

In the last chapter, Ullekh explains that how Modi supporters in diaspora

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helped him to build his image in the remote villages in India. Many NRIs fly into India with an intent of doing what it calls “save” (service) and would work for weeks long among Dalits of central Uttar Pradesh to highlight NarendraModi’s achievements in Gujrat where Modi had been Chief Minister since late 2001. The strong base in abroad gave Modi a kick start to his popularity. His ninety minutes address at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden on 28, Sep 2014 was a stunning hit, with the packed crowd of more than 18,000 people chanting his name and missions of others watching it all over the world. His overhauling image abroad was reminiscent of the foreign relations obsessed PanditJawaharLal Nehru,

An anthropological & historical account of India's complex relationship with garbage

By SAT News Desk

M

ELBOURNE, 1 June: An intensive study of waste management in India "Waste of a Nation: Garbage and Growth in India' by renowned international and Australian India/South Asia experts ASSA DORON & ROBIN JEFFREY was released on 31 May 2018 at the

Wheeler Centre. The book was introduced and a few questions taken in the presence of a large number of scholars. The book published by the Harward University Press analysis in detail the issues of caste and technology related to garbage management and cleanliness in India. The book is available from www. footprint.com.au.

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the first Prime Minister of India. He began to travel many countries, later on, and pleaded the NRIs to come back and build India, but failed in his attempts to what he promised including creating new jobs, and Make in India, bringing back black money and using the tactics of demonetization subsequent to which GST regime implementation crumbled the business community of the India which eventually faded his aura.

Altaf Bashir is a South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation Fellow, he has recently completed his Master’s in International Relations Major’s In Peace and Conflict Studies. EMail ID: isaismoon@gmail.com —Source: Counter Currents, June 8, 2018

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India 136th in Global Peace Index, says Institute for Economics & Peace

By Neeraj Nanda

A

Sydney-based nonprofit institute has ranked India 136th in its Global Peace Index (GPI) of 163 countries across the globe, a “slight” (one point) improvement over the year.

The report, “Global Peace Index 2018: Measuring Peace in a Complex World”, released by the Institute for Economics & Peace, has found, however, that except for Pakistan, all other neighbours ranked much better than India.

Thus, while Pakistan ranks 151st, one of the worst in the world, Bangladesh ranks 93rd, Sri Lanka 67th, Myanmar 122nd, Nepal 84th and Bhutan, one of the best, 19th. Commenting on the “a slightly improved overall score” of India, the report claims: “Government efforts to tackle violent crime have paid off with an improved score, and falling levels of military expenditure, particularly on weapons imports, resulted in a slight improvement in its militarisation score.”

At the same time, the report does not fail to notice, though without providing any evidence, “However, the concentration of power in the office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led to deterioration in India’s score for political instability”.

Interestingly, among the comparable BRICS countries, India’s 136th GPI ranking is worse than China’s (112th), Brazil’s (106th), and South Africa’s (125th), but much better than that of Russia (154th).

The report’s data show that India’s “economic cost of violence”, as a result of different types of conflicts, came to 9% of the GDP, as against Pakistan’s 13%, Bangladesh’s 4%, Nepal’s 6%, Sri Lanka’s 8%, Myanmar’s 10% and Bhutan’s 8%.

The report states that South Asia as a whole may have slightly improved its position in GPI, but “inequality of peace in the region continued to widen over the year, with the least peaceful nations – Afghanistan and Pakistan

– continuing their decline, while the most peaceful – Bhutan and Sri Lanka – continued to improve.”

“The regional scores on the domains of Safety and

Security and Militarisation improved, but Ongoing Conflict, particularly internal and external conflicts fought and neighbouring countries relations, deteriorated”, it

added. “However”, said the report, “Given the wide disparity between the peace performance of the nations of South Asia, the aggregate data tell an incomplete

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picture. Bhutan, famous for trying to maximise Gross National Happiness rather than Gross Domestic Product, was once again the most peaceful nation in the region and was the most significant regional riser last year.”

“Strengthening scores on the Political Terror Scale, refugees and IDPs and terrorism impact were only partially offset by a deterioration in external conflicts fought after a border dispute with China flared in the Doklam Pass”, the report said, adding, “The three-month standoff also involved India, which sent troops to the area.”

The report further said, “Sri Lanka was again the second most peaceful nation in South Asia, and the second largest riser in the region last year. Although the scores for terrorism impact, the incarceration rate and military expenditure improved, there are some worrying signs for the future. The scores for both refugees and IDPs and political instability deteriorated, a reflection of waning confidence that President Maithripala Sirisena can deliver the reforms his government promised.”

Though ranking quite high compared to India, the report, simultaneously, pointed out, “Bangladesh had the largest deterioration in the region. Improvements in political stability and terrorism impact failed to offset a rapid fall in external conflicts fought, and neighbouring countries relations, which were adversely affected by the influx of 700,000 Rohingya refugees from neighbouring Myanmar.”

The report measures GPI using three domains of peacefulness: Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict; Societal Safety and Security, and Militarisation, reflecting the link between a country’s level of military build-up and access to weapons and its level of peacefulness, both domestically and internationally.

Source: Counterview, June 7, 2018.

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Bangladesh’s drug war death toll rises, allegations of political murders

By P. L. Balachandran

B

angladesh is a noisy, vibrant and even a turbulent democracy, though it has gone through military rule. And yet, there is a democracy deficit in that South Asian country of teeming millions.

Intolerance of the political opposition, boycott of elections by the opposition, drug trafficking, Islamic terrorism and extra judicial executions have marked the political landscape irrespective of the party in power.

The latest controversy is over the “war against drug lords and traffickers”.

About a 130 people have been killed in the past three weeks and 9000 arrested and 12,000 prosecuted in an unprecedented armed campaign against drug traffickers.

As the death toll mounts, objections have been raised against the “extrajudicial killings” of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), which is wearing three hats – of the judge, jury and executioner.

There are also charges that the operations are targeted against opponents of the Sheikh Hasina regime.

In the latest “democracy index”, Bangladesh is ranked 80 out of the 129 countries reviewed. It shares the 80 th.place with crime ridden and oligarchic Russia.

Though drug offenses invite the death penalty in many countries, rights activists are alarmed that Bangladesh is mulling to bring the death penalty for drug kingpins, with 32 ministries having recommended it.

Condemning the current spate of extra judicial executions, US Ambassador Marcia Bernicat said: “Of course I express concern about the number of people dying. Everyone in a democracy has a right to due process.”

International rights campaigners believe that the Bangladeshi authorities are “seriously misguided” if they think they can tackle drug crime by committing even more violent, illegal acts. According to them, Bangladesh needs to implement policies that tackle the root causes of drug crime while respecting both human rights and the rule of law.

Raising apprehensions about a political objective in the on-going antidrug campaign is the simultaneous attempt to weaken the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). In February this year, BNP Supremo Begum Khaleda Zia was sentenced to five years’ Rigorous Imprisonment for embezzling funds of the Zia Orphanage.

Khaleda’s son and political heir, Tarique Zia, who lives in London, was sentenced in absentia.

Sentencing of the mother and son has rendered the main opposition party leaderless with only five months to go for the next parliamentary elections.

Indeed, strong action has been the hallmark of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s regime since it was installed in 2008. In 2016, after a group of young upper class Jehadists brutally killed tourists in an up-market restaurant in Dhaka, Hasina had gone hammer and tongs at Islamic terrorists, ruthlessly eliminating them in “encounters”.

Prior to that, Hasina had set up special tribunals to try those who committed crimes against Bengalis in the 1971 war of liberation from Pakistan. International human rights organizations cried foul as many were sent to the gallows.

While rights bodies funded by the West cried

foul against all her strong actions, Hasina felt that she had every reason to be harsh on the forces ranged against her and Bangladesh.

It was for the good of Bangladesh that those who committed “war crimes”; joined Islamic terrorists with global links; became drug traffickers had to be put down ruthlessly. And former Prime Minister Begum Zia had to be jailed for corruption to show that the law does not discriminate between the hoi polloi and the politically elite.

While Western rights activists censured Hasina for transgressions as per their norms, Bangladeshis, by and large, felt that strong action was needed.

Drug Menace is Immense Methamphetamine, called Meth or Yaba, is a cheap and highly addictive drug has become very popular in Bangladesh. There are 7 million drug addicts in the country, 5 million of whom hooked on Yaba. Most (63%) of the addicts are in the age group 15 to 25. A study by Manasreveals that minors (under 16) account for around 25% of drug addicts.

The addiction has spread from cities to deep into villages. A recent report also said that one out of every 17 youths is addicted.

A 2013 study found that people were spending Tk.200 million (US$ 2.3 million) daily on drugs.

Drug addiction has led to

dropping out of educational institutions.

70% of Yaba pills come from in western Myanmar.

The drug is synthesized from pseudoephedrine and caffeine, which are smuggled from India, China and Vietnam.

Courts and jails are inundated by drug cases. In 2017 alone 98,984 narcotics related cases were filed. The total number of pending cases in 2017 was 213,529.

Drug cases were 46% of all cases filed last year. As of March 19 this year, 35.97% of prisoners are in on drug related charges. And drugs are distributed in jails too.

A media report quoted Prof. Zia Rahman, chair of the Department of Criminology in Dhaka University, as saying that the government needs to return addicts to the country’s pool of human resources through psychiatric treatment and that punitive action would not help.

Mekhala Sarkar, psychiatrist and an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Department of National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), is quoted as saying that if an addicted person gets proper treatment, chances of that person becoming addicted to drugs again drop significantly.

Studies have shown that for every US dollar spent, good prevention programs can save governments up to US$10 in subsequent costs.

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Reasons for Addiction Excess money in the hands of the upper class youth due to rapid economic growth, and increasing poverty and joblessness among the youth of the poorer classes, have led to drug abuse.

“Bangladesh has seen economic growth but this has been jobless growth,” observed political commentator Afsan Chowdhury.

According to International Republican Institute (IRI), despite a growing economy, Bangladeshis complain of high unemployment, rising prices, and various other economic challenges. They also say bribes and other forms of corruption limit access to jobs, rule of law, healthcare, education, and other public facilities. All these have led to frustration and drug addiction. Massive smuggling from Myanmar is adding to the problem.

“While the people by and large approve the strong action taken by the Hasina government, the real problem lies in poor governance and faulty functioning of the organs of the State. The root of the problem is governance deficit,”Afsan Chowdhury said.

He stressed the need for a bipartisan approach because the State has behaved in the same way irrespective of the party in power. As regards the jailing of opposition leader Khaleda Zia, Chowdhury said that it is a judicial matter and has to be settled by the court.

But he felt that applying undue pressure on her and the BNP will only alienate the voters and deliver sympathy votes to the BNP. The BNP, which is inherently weak being an urban-based middle class party with few cadres (unlike Hasina’s Awami League), may gain adherents, if Hasina is seen as being vindictive, he warned.

The West’s diagnosis of the problem in Bangladesh is not correct and its solutions will not work, Chowdhury said. The root of the problem is in the faulty functioning of State institutions, class discrimination, corruption and jobless economic growth leading to inequalities, he explained.

—Source: The Citizen, 9 June, 2018

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Bangladesh: Oppressed and tortured abroad, women workers find no respite at home

By Saddif Ovee

T

he oppressed and tortured Bangladeshi women workers who are returning from Saudi Arabia are apparently becoming burdens to their family members.

Laboni (pseudonym), one of those workers who faced inhuman torture there, returned home along with 65 other women workers by an Air Arabia flight at 9pm on Saturday.

She went to Saudi Arabia two years ago, to the town of Al Kharaj, about 77 kilometres from Riyadh, and took a job for a monthly salary of 1,000 Saudi Riyal.

At first she was kept in a jail-like place for 15 days.

Then she was taken to Al Kharaj to her employer, where she worked for four months.

During the four months she worked there, she was not allowed to talk to her family members back in Bangladesh, Laboni told the Bangla Tribune.

She said: “I would sweep the floors of a house that had 10 rooms.

I was not given food properly. My employer

tortured me a lot."

“When I wanted to quit, he tortured me even more.”

Laboni further said there were four members in her employer’s family. “Before going to Saudi Arabia, I gave Tk60,000 to a broker named Miraj. He told me the place where I was going was very nice.”

“But I was sold to my employer. After I escaped from that house, I got caught and was sold by a company for Tk6 lakh to another owner.”

She said: "There are more than 100 girls like me there. They are also forced into prostitution. I once got a chance to call my husband in Bangladesh and after that I was rescued through the Bangladesh Embassy in Saudi Arabia.”

“And now, after everything, my in-laws do not want to take me back. Even my husband is keeping mum, listening to his parents. I have been staying at my sister’s house for the last few days. It seems, they will not take me back,” said a griefstricken Laboni.

When contacted, her husband at first did not want to comment.

However, he later said: “My

parents do not want her to come back, after all that has happened. I cannot go against my parents’ will.”

Like Laboni, AfsanaKhanam also came back to Bangladesh a few days ago after staying only two months in Saudi Arabia.

When asked why she returned, Afsana said in a heavy voice: "I was confined in a house for a week in a room with six other girls when I first got there. I went there giving Tk20,000 to a broker and was told that I would get paid 1,000 Saudi Riyals monthly.”

Afsana suffered torture similar to Laboni’s. “I was beaten a lot by the employer’s wife. I did not understand their language.

She used to beat me with a stick if I was late in doing my work. Then I was sent to another family. I fled from there after facing the same torture."

“I was caught by a local man who forcibly took me to a camp. I was tortured there too. Later, I was sent back to Bangladesh.”

They did not even return her passport before letting her go. “I have returned empty handed. And when

I called my brother after landing in Dhaka, he told me not to go to my village.

The villagers are speaking ill of me, he said. I have no idea where I will go,” Afsana said, breaking down in tears.

Even after immense suffering, these two women did not get the sympathy they deserved from their own families and society.

There are many women workers who are also facing such cruelty after managing to return home alive.

Brac's Migration Program officials say they have been trying to talk to the families of many of these victims, but apparently to no avail.

In some cases the family members do take in the women, but then they are kept in isolation. The majority of returnees are being deprived of their rights, said officials.

Shariful Hasan, head of Brac's Migration Program, said: “We try to explain the situation and convince these families using different methods. Many of them agree to take them back, but then keep these women in isolation.”

“We have arranged shelters and counselling for

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I was beaten a lot by the employer’s wife. I did not understand their language. She used to beat me with a stick if I was late in doing my work. Then I was sent to another family. I fled from there after facing the same torture. these women. But what we need is social awareness and humanitarianism.

These women went there to work and returned after being tortured. Where is their fault in all this?” he asked.

Source: Sabrang/Courtesy: Dhaka Tribune, May 25, 2018.

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south asia

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Shujaat Bukhari: Another voice of reason silenced

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

S

hujaat Bukhari, Editor of Rising Kashmir and a man of deep conviction, known through his fearless writings fell to the bullets of assassins today at the time when festive season of Eid is approaching after the culmination of the holy month of Ramadhan.

Bukhari’s killing also shows us how difficult it is for the journalists of the Kashmiri origin particularly Muslims, to work in such a difficult circumstances as the militants would not like any Kashmiri to influence public opinion against them.

Shujaat Bukhari was among very few who welcomed open heartedly the announcement made by home minister Rajnath Singh even when a majority of those who matters in the valley did not support it. He wrote in his article two days back that though New Delhi can’t be trusted but we have to utilise these occasions.

He called the halting of operations by the armed forces as a sane decision.

That the assassination took place in the holy period of Ramadhan shows the total contempt by those who are fighting the battle of kashmir in the name of Islam. It is very difficult for a Kashmiri journalist to work in such a situation where the entire atmosphere is against the Indian state for its monumental blunders that it has done in Kashmir and without showing any remorse for them. Rather,

the government, it look, want to suggest that it can crush any movement on its military might. One does not know who are the advisors suggesting such silly approach to a very complex issue where people’s opinion is essential to come to a conclusion.

Unfortunately, people dont matter for the government at the moment which has resulted in deep resentment against the government and all its agencies.

The Indian media has played havoc with Kashmir.

Rather than providing a constructive criticism to

government’s failed policies, it became RSS’s mouth piece and put every Kashmiri as suspect. The media which should have been putting healing touch to Kashmiris became the hatemongers of the VHP and Bajrang Dal variety. The saner voices lost. Most of the Kashmiri journalists whether editors or other journalists are also working for this ‘national’ media and it is a fact that they have to toe the line of these nationalists editors.

We all know how the ruling party wanted to use Kashmir’s political issue to bolster its domestic political

purposes. This made these journalist vulnerable to charges like puppets of Indian government and media. Their condition became worst as they were trying to report from the very difficult situation where a balance has to be made between people’s aspirations as well as the stated policy of India’s ‘official’ media which today has become Hindutva media. So, there was little option left for them.

In such a situation, Shujaat Bukhari continued to work unafraid and undeterred. He reported and wrote extensively. He was critical of Kashmiri leadership but also critical of New Delhi who cant be trusted for what it has done to Kashmir. The irony is that those who talked of peace and wanted the cease fire to happen became victim of the terror violence.

Shujaat Bukhari welcomed home minister’s announcement even when rest in the government were not keen or happy.

The terrorist have actually silenced a voice who wanted peace to return to Kashmir. It is people like Shujaat Bukhari who were determined to work in such difficult circumstances when on the one side they have to face the wrath of the people and other side get suspected by the intelligence agencies for their reporting.

Shujaat Bukhari’s brutal killings have indicated that

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there are forces on both the side who dont want peace and negotiations but it is equally important for the government to continue with the peace process and political discussions in the valley. If the peace process is discontinued by this violence then those who oppose peace will win. Shujaat dedicated his life for the cause of peace and democracy but those who killed him have no faith in democratic values and peaceful solution. In the coming days, many other Kashmiri friends might face such threats if they speak up against the violence and talk of peace. Perhaps, the militants in the valley now feel that peace process would halt their ‘dream’ but it is here that the government of India should show maturity and extend the ceasefire and call for an inclusive democratic solutions to Kashmir problem. So far people dont believe the government as they feel it is just passing the time but if the government show sincerity, it will go a long long way.

We condemn the dastardly killing of Shujaat Bukhari and we hope the friends and colleagues who are working in Kashmir despite all the adverse circumstances will inspire from his sacrifices and will work for peace and stability in the region. Shujaat’s death is a huge loss for media fraternity as well as all those who stand for humanity and human rights.

We stand in solidarity with Kashmiri people in their effort to bring peace and justice in their society.

Violence has no place in political negotiations. In fact, it endanger the whole peace process and create a artificial situation for all.

Kashmir issue need to be addressed in all seriousness and government must be prepared for unconditional talks with all the stakeholders in the state.

One hope that the people in Jammau and Kashmir would heed the sincere advise of Shujaat Bukhari. His death is an irreparable loss for all but we hope journalists will get inspired by his dedication despite all the grave threats to his life.

VidyaBhushanRawat is a social and human rights activist. He blogs at www. manukhsi.blogspot.com twitter @freetohumanity Email: vbrawat@gmail.com —Source: Counter Currents, June 15, 2018

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southSouth asia times 27 Asia Times

India betraying Palestinians?

By Sheshu Babu

A

fter Independence, India adopted the policy of nonalignment under the Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

While the prime motive was non-interference, India always supported the cause of Palestinians in UN and also in WHO till 2016. It voted in favour of Palestine in almost every resolution. The year 2017 was the first occasion when India abstained from voting on the Palestine issue clearly from the orders of New Delhi, given the Government's current growing strategic and economic relation with Israel.

India was among 20 countries, which abstained during a vote on 'draft decision' on May 23, proposing to support Palestinians in their endeavour to provide health services in the present conflict ridden situation.

Discussion on the issue was part of the agenda in World Health Assembly, the WHO annual global level event in Geneva taking place this year (May 21 -26).

The draft decision titled

'Health conditions in the occupied Palestine Territory including east Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan' was proposed by Algeria, Bahrain, Cuba, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, South Africa, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, Venezuela (Bolivian Republic of) and Yemen, etc. (May 28, 2018, www.kracktivist.org).

Discussions on the health conditions of Palestinians draft was put to vote. 90

countries voted in favour and 6 against (Australia, Canada, US, UK and Guatemala). Twenty nations abstained. At a time when Israelis massacred about 60 civilians in Gaza, India's abstaining is regrettable.

Jan SwasthyaAbhiyan, the Indian chapter of people's health movement, said that this is shocking (Down to Earth). This comes at a time when Israel is violating human rights consistently.

The seeds of relationship with Israel were laid during the rule of Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao. The

visit of Arafat in 1992 had some indications of India abandoning its four-decade policy of 'no relations' with Israel. According to PR Kumaraswamy (JNU), the Rao-Arafat meet removed the last hurdle in normalisation of relations with Israel, and Arafat had no option but to agree that India had the right to decide its own foreign priorities ("Modi Redefines India's Palestine policy", May 18, 2017, https//idsa. in).

Modi, who admires Rao, has carried the policy forward and established full-fledged relations with Israel. Thus, the India right wing has 'backstabbed' the people of Palestinians.

Their support to Israel has become an integral part of India's Middle-East policy.

Palestine people have been left in the lurch.

People of India should vociferously protest this abstention and force the government to take proactive stance in support of the people of Palestine.

The Zionist Israeli rule backed by US and its allies must be sternly opposed. Human rights activists should see that the traditional support

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The year 2017 was the first occasion when India abstained from voting on the Palestine issue clearly from the orders of New Delhi, given the Government's current growing strategic and economic relation with Israel. to oppressed people like Palestine should not be deviated by the government.

Mass mobilisation to protest the indifferent attitude should be stepped up. Indians should firmly denounce atrocities by Israel and its allies. —Counterview, May 28, 2018.

south asia 28 South Asia Timestimes

finance

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2 0 1 8

How to Make Insurance Affordable – Part 2

BY Balki Balakrishnan

C

ontinuing on from the March 2018 article in this newspaper, we will explore the advantages and disadvantages of Retail Risk Insurance compared to Group Risk Insurance.

In the last article in this newspaper, we saw a few strategies to make insurance premiums affordable for you.

In this concluding article on this topic, we will see a few more strategies to make the premiums affordable and also make it tax effective.

Most of the retail insurers in Australia offer Stepped and Level premium types for insurance covers such as Life, Disability, Trauma and Income Protection. Stepped premium type is where the premiums are low the in the initial years and increases as you age. Level premiums commence higher, but remain stable over the lifetime of the policy. Therefore, Stepped premium type will be appropriate if a cover is being taken for a short term and if the cover is for a longer term Level premium type may be more beneficial. The premium type doesn’t have to be the same for a specific type of cover. For example, a Total & Permanent Disability (TPD) cover may have short term and long term needs.

The cover can be split in to two policies in such a way that the short term needs are organized under Stepped premium type and the long term needs under Level premiums. This will result in savings over the term of the policy instead of opting for Stepped or Level premium for the entire cover.

Most Australians have some form of insurance within their super

environment. You may have Life, TPD and Income Protection covers within your super fund(s). The insurance premiums are paid to the insurer from your super balance. The benefit here is that the premiums are tax deductible for the fund and thus saves you a few dollars on your premium. Since the premiums are paid from your super balance they do not impact your personal cash flow. However, you should be mindful that the outgoing premiums net of tax offsets depletes your super balance and as such you will have less money in your super to support your retirement phase.

There is a better way to manage the above drawback.

The way forward will depend on your individual circumstances and you should seek advice. Let us see what it is in general.

As an individual you can make two types of contributions to build up your super balance – Concessional Contribution (CC) and Nonconcessional Contribution (NCC). For most Australians who work for an employer (PAYG

employee), Concessional Contributions are typically the mandated Super Guarantee Contributions (SGC) your employer makes to your super fund with every pay.

You can also make Concessional Contribution to your super fund even if your employer is contributing for you. Such contributions are tax deductible, i.e., the CC amount is deducted from your annual income along with any other pre-tax deductions allowed in your case. The income tax is then applied to this reduced taxable income at the end of the financial year. There are two important things to note here. The CC is taxed at 15% in the super fund as per current super and tax laws and the second is that your contribution should not exceed the CC cap in a financial year in total which is $25,000 according to current super law across..

Until July 2017, you were not allowed to make personal concessional contribution to super if more than 10% of your income was derived from one single employer which would have been the case with most of the PAYG employees. Only

substantially self-employed could avail themselves of this feature of super. The only way a PAYG employee could top up their super balance was to enter in to a salary sacrifice arrangement with their employer which could be a cumbersome and an inflexible process.

The super law changes effective 1st July 2017 means that any employee is now eligible to make concessional contribution to their super and claim tax deductions on their earnings when they file the return. That is, the 10% rule doesn’t apply any more.

So, what could be your strategy? You could still enter into a salary sacrifice arrangement with your employer and/or you could make a personal contribution before the end of the financial year to cover the cost of the insurance premium from your savings. Hence, for example, if the insurance premium for your covers within your super environment is $500 per annum, you contribute $500 from your cash flow as concessional contribution.

The contribution tax the fund has to pay on this concessional contribution will be offset by the insurance

premium the fund pays to the insurer. It means that effectively the fund will not be paying any contribution tax on this $500 concessional contribution. Your super balance therefore is also not depleted by the premium paid to the insurer and thus works better to support your retirement. The other benefit is that you can claim tax deduction on this contribution in your annual tax return. For example, assuming you are on a 25% marginal tax rate, you will be saving $125 on tax effectively paying only $375 for your covers instead of $500. The down side is that the $375 has to come from your personal cash flow, i.e. roughly 7 dollars per week!

To avail of this tax concession, you have to submit a valid Notice of Intent (NOI) to the super fund trustee in an approved form before you lodge your tax return or by the following June 30, whichever is earlier.

You then need to receive an acknowledgement from the trustee to the effect that a valid NOI has been received before you can claim a tax deduction.

This strategy is a good way to fund your insurance premiums. But make sure that you take advice before you make the contribution because it is not as easy as it looks and the cost of getting it wrong can be the loss of all or part of your tax deduction.

There are also financial planning businesses who reward their clients which can be used effectively to generate cash to fund the premiums organised both within and outside super.

Opes Financial Solutions is one such business that offers a rewards program to make it easy for you to insure yourself and your family properly.

Be wise, Be Prepared, Be Safe!

Opes Financial Solutions Pty Ltd trading as Opes Financial Planning ACN618 122 795 is an Authorised Representative of Merit Wealth Pty Ltd AFSL 409361.

Balki Balakrishnan

Director | Financial Advisor Authorised Representative Number: 409415 Merit Wealth Pty Ltd. AFSL No: 409361 M: 0419 506 560

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. Please contact us at 0419 506 560 if you want more information or need to review your insurance covers.

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J U N E

MUSINGS

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southSouth asia times 29 Asia Times

Press freedom in peril

By Rashid Sultan

I

t is common knowledge that a ground work had already been prepared before 2014 elections

by BJP by setting up call centres in the US and other countries whose job was to spread fake news and poisonous information about Nehru, Indira and Rahul. They targeted not only their births, their families but also their political policies.

In short, their crime was their secularism. At the time of elections, the electorate was so saturated with these lies that people ran to polling booths with only BJP in mind. Yes, of course, the UPA’s scams also worked (it is another thing that most of scams cases have been thrown out of the court).

BJP declared at the elections: all the black money would be brought back into the country within a year; every household would be eligible to receive 15 lakh of rupees; 2 crore jobs would be added every year and ‘achchhey din aayengey ’ .

Not one election promise has so far been fulfilled after 4 years, not counting the fiasco of demonitisation and GST. But they have succeeded, absolutely, in another field.

Supressing the voice of dissent.Dictatorial regimes around the world should take a lesson from us.It is so-called individuals, paid or ideologically corrupted, who are doing the job for the govt. by sending millions of messages throughout the country to people whodon’t toe the line of the ruling party. And, you can’t go to the courts.

First, they have been able to embed most of the print as well as digital media (with a very few exceptions) to their line of thinkingWhoever is against the policies of BJP is antinational.And, this media in Hindi is called ‘ godimedia ‘.

The recent CobraPost sting operations against most major media companies have found them ‘naked’ not in their bathrooms but in their air conditioned offices to promote the Hindutva ideology, siding with the BJP and RSS’ ideologies, in return for money. It is amazing that there has been no shame evidenced.

Those media companies are on ‘silent fast’( maunvrat) as if nothing has happened. So much for journalistic ethics.

In any other democracy , governments would have been unseated for this shameless sting.But,

no, Sir, not in the largest democracy in the world.

In the last few weeks the spate of death threats against journalists has leapt steeply. The names of Dabholkar, Kalburgi andPansare who were murdered for dissenting views have, now, become just numbers. The latest targets are Ravish Kumar, the most acclaimed TV anchor, and Rana Ayyub, a journalist of repute. Their crime? Asking questions?

These journalists are receiving death threats in trolls via Facebook, What’s app and phone calls not in hundreds but in thousands.

The threats: shooting to kill, gang raping not only them but their mother, wife, daughters and kicking them to the Pakistan borders. The language is embellished with not 4 letter words but 10 letter words in Hindi.

Writers and phone callers are no more anonymous but are office holders from different segments of the Saffron brigade which have mushroomed lately. The substance and the language is the same, whether the troll is originating in India or coming from overseas. Just to cite two examples: in one video, Ravish Kumar’s head is superimposed over Dennis Pearl’sin the notorious IS’

BJP declared at the elections: all the black money would be brought back into the country within a year; every household would be eligible to receive 15 lakh of rupees; 2 crore jobs would be added every year and ‘achchhey din aayengey ’ . video of hanging of the reporter; in Rana Ayyub’s case a pornographic video shows (again superimposition) she is indulging in sex with words “ I am available” with her address and phone number.

So much so that callers are now asking her rates.

Ravish Kumar has been known as a fearless anchor for his dissenting views who regularly reveals the

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shallowness of the BJP’s slogans and policies and thus has become a thorn in the eyes of Hindutva supporters who cannot ‘suffer’ different views.

Rana Ayyub is the author of the famous book on the genocide in Gujarat in 2002, in English. It is the Hindi translation, launched recently, which is causing so much Hindu hatred against her.

It is not muzzling the press but sheer murder.

We have seen in the past how these verbal threats led to deaths of journalists, writers and academics.

How about some of the recent victims of this brutal practice.

Gauri Lankesh (Septemer 2017), N Nishchol (March 2018), R Mishra (October 2017), S Shan (March 2018) and the two Bhowmicks (September 2017). There may be others, unreported.

Who knows?

These attacks are certainly organised and not random. Where are the funds coming from and who is the director behind them? A simple dedicated task force with IT experts can, easily, investigate these cases and prosecute these religiously- drunk enthusiasts. But as the Hindi proverb goes ‘ SayyianBhayeKotwaal, Hamein Dar Kahika’.

South Asia Times south asia community 32 South Asia Timestimes

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south asia 34 South Asia Timestimes

NEWS ANALYSIS

Reimagining new Asia, Modi way

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By Vidyadharan MP

C

an we all in Asia come together, settling our differences peacefully, and bring back the past glory? We all should strive for achieving this atmosphere to bring peace and prosperity to all people and countries.

This was the message Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore recently. He was the first Indian prime minister to address the Shangri-La, one of the top strategic dialogues, along with the Raisina Dialogue organised in New Delhi.

While the Shangri-La is more than a decade old, the Raisina Dialogue has become only three-year old.

Modi was clear in reimaging a new Asia, where there is peace and prosperity all around. And also he was clear that to achieve this, both India and China should come together, work closely so that not only both these countries but other nations too can benefit from their cooperation and economic prosperity.

Modi is absolutely right in expressing this thought process. Without cooperation between India and China, the two major economies of the continent, there would be chaos and tension galore. We saw it as the relations between the nations deteriorated following border incursions and the Doklam standoff which continued for 73 days. The fight between the two Asian giants also put smaller countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh in tension. As China increased its cooperation with these countries using its bulging economic muscle, India looked at the economic cooperation suspiciously, fearing the Dragon will capture strategic assets in these countries.

In fact, at the Raisina Dialogue also, leaders from the region, like Chandrika Kumaratunga (Sri Lanka), Hamid Karzai (Afghanistan) and others had expressed the need for better relations between India and China at the inaugural of the first Raisina Dialogue, so that their countries can make use of the economic strengths of both nations.

Hence, Modi’s message of reimagining Asia with a cooperative India and China should send relief to these small countries, which were getting strangulated in the economic and strategic contest between the Dragon and Elephant.

These countries will be as happy as India and China if Dragon and Elephant dance together.

This kind of thought could have been impossible, may be a little more than a year ago. Then, India was feeling cosy sitting firmly on the bench with the United States. Modi and Obama had one of the best working and personal relations. That time, nobody could have imagined India would ever get into the rival camp of Russia and China.

But one mistake by the American people seems to have changed the fate of US supremacy. President Trump has taken the US into isolation, with even allies getting nervous and disappointed with each of his actions. The latest action is the withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal which Obama and other European nations had worked out with support from Russia.

Trump’s many decisions are going against Indian interests too. His visa policy, withdrawal from the Trans Atlantic treaty, Iran deal, sanctions on Russia and trade protectionism will hit India badly. No wonder, Modi thought it is the right time to virtually say goodbye to Trump. Also, Modi and Trump failed to develop the kind of relations he had with Obama or former PM Manmohan Singh with President George Bush.

Anyway, it is good for the people of Asia, who could have been stifled if

India continued in the US camp. The US would have used India to help in its China containment policy, for which it came up with the Asia pivot (during the Obama period) and now the Indo-Pacific strategy.

This would have surely led to fierce India-China competition, affecting other countries as well.

In a way, Trump’s policies could help build the Asian century. A realignment between India, Russia and China could herald wonders in the region. Such an alignment could bring down drastically tensions in South Asia, South East Asia as well as East Asia. With countries like Iran, Pakistan and others also likely to come into this group, terrorism can be fought more effectively and may be helping to make Afghanistan much more stable and peaceful.

In fact, India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who had co-founded the Non-alignment movement in the then bipolar world, had foreseen the benefits of such a friendship. However, then Russia (USSR) and China had border issues, besides China being a poor country.

His desire for India-China friendship ended when he was forced to fight a war with China’s invading army.

Now, the situation is seems to be better. Both nations are developing very fast and are expected to become the biggest economies in a couple of decades. Both are nuclear powers too. A long-lasting friendship between India and China can bring prosperity to the entire region.

So, Modi is reimagining a new Asia. He is not alone.

He had a fruitful informal

summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in April in Wuhan. They seem to have made up a lot of distance. Trust seems to be returning between the two tall and powerful leaders of Asia.

In Modi’s words, “In April, a two-day informal Summit with President Xi helped us cement our understanding that strong and stable relations between our two nations are an important factor for global peace and progress. I firmly believe that, Asia and the world will have a better future when India and China work together in trust and confidence, sensitive to each other's interests”.

He also said that no other relationship of India has as many layers as our relations with China. “We are the world’s two most populous countries and among the fastest growing major economies. Our cooperation is expanding.

Trade is growing. And, we have displayed maturity and wisdom in managing issues and ensuring a peaceful border”.

Recently, Modi also had a successful informal summit with Russian President V. Putin, one of the best any Indian prime ministers had with a Russian leader.

In Sochi, Modi and Putin developed almost the same kind of rapport like that of Modi and Obama. It was a rare occasion for Putin too. “President Putin and I shared our views on the need for a strong multi-polar world order for dealing with the challenges of our times,” Modi said at ShangriLa, though he also said that “India’s global strategic partnership with the United States has overcome the hesitations of history and

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A realignment between India, Russia and China could herald wonders in the region. Such an alignment could bring down drastically tensions in South Asia, South East Asia as well as East Asia. continues to deepen across the extraordinary breadth of our relationship”.

The trio of Putin-XiModi make a great group of shrewd, powerful and capable leaders. If they can bring the leaders of Japan and Korea on the same page, Asia’s journey could be a golden one – where all stakeholders would benefit a lot.

Modi is a good user of Indian Diaspora too. He has the ability to web together the people of the region with similarities in cultures.

Indian influence is seen in many countries, including China and Japan, because of its place in Buddhism.

Hindu religious influence is also seen many countries.

Chinese civilisation and Indus Valley civilization are two of the oldest civilizations in the world.

And India-China ties were also centuries old.

However, the question is will the Dragon and Elephant be able to dance together?

And how long will they be able to sustain the duet?

Can they bring back Asia’s old glory of knowledge and wealth?

For all these, the key word is TRUST. Once the trio develop this, all other things will fall in place, as the people of these countries share good relations and mutual respect.

(The writer is a senior journalist and additional director of communications of Observer Research Foundation, Delhi)

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TECHNOLOGY

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southSouth asia times 35 Asia Times

Remittance on a bullet train

By Rajesh Yogi Recap so far Blockchain presents us with a more secure way of saving and securing data, which can cut down on fraud, and it can also cut down on transaction times and processing fees.

The business case for remittance Remittances are technically described as peer-to-peer transactions from migrant workers to family or friends living in their home country.

Research has found these payments are mainly used for basic expenses such as food, clothing, transportation and education, making them vital to the livelihood of those in developing nations.In many developing countries, international remittances are the important source of national and family income.

Globally, more than $400 billion of annual remittances to developing countries are officially recorded.

The opportunity The banks have become risk-averse and hesitant to offer banking services to Money Service businesses (MSBs), fearing that they may be violating international rules on anti-money laundering

(AML) and combating of financing of terrorism (CFT).

Ultimately, without access to correspondent banking services, MSBs are unable to function.

The World Bank says transaction fees average 7.45% globally, and, in many remittance corridors, they’re a lot higher than that. Sending money to Africa from the U.S. or Europe sometimes costs an extra 15%, and within Africa, the fees can be stupendous.

To transfer 33,000 Angola Kwanza (about $200) from Luanda to Namibia costs about $50, according to the World Bank’s price database.

How it works currently Our current financial system relies largely on wire transfers, which are backed by traditional banks and other financial institutions.

The bank converts the local currency to dollars, transfers them to an account in the recipient's country and then converts them back into the local currency.

There is a loss through converting currencies this many times, not to mention fees and time spent waiting for transfer approvals.

It’s a reasonably good system, but one of the problems with it

is that it takes time to process transactions. The traditional system lacks transparency and efficiency, as the internal processes are hidden, complex and time-consuming.

Banks and other financial institutions also involve middlemen which leads to cost escalation. Decreasing the transaction costs of remittances is not easy, not least due to burdensome regulatory requirements like customer identification (know your customer or KYC) on both sides of the transaction.

How Blockchain is disrupting the remittance Blockchain technology offers great potential to make remittances more efficient and less expensive.

1. Hassle free ID proofs The blockchain can prove to be highly beneficial as it provides the opportunity to issue immutable digital identities (Tamper proof IDs) to senders and recipients of remittances.

Obtaining a digital identity with verifiable data through the blockchain is a far better proposition than consolidating market share in the heavily fragmented remittance business.

2. No Middlemen Transmitting money on the blockchain eliminates the need for remittance

companies (money service businesses or MSBs).

3. Cheaper processing fees For people who regularly send money internationally, the processing fees can quickly add up. Blockchain technology removes the monopoly that traditional banks hold on the market, and that means that processing fees are virtually non-existent. Blockchain eliminates middlemen and enables senders and receivers to connect directly, thereby increasing transparency and reducing remittance costs.

4. Efficiency • Replace "End of Day" (EOD) reconciliation with real time reconciliation of transactions • Eliminate swift cost using free swift like blockchain based messages • Automate critical business processes using Smart Contracts • Lower maintenance and recurring costs for remittance system • Safe, secure and authentic transaction handling • Live tracking of transactions with all parties using the Remittance Dashboard because of "Distributed Ledger Technology"

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The challenges ahead Blockchain based remitters are simply related to be a new player in the remittance market. These businesses are struggling to overcome: • The difficulty of acquiring digitally unsophisticated customers without a bricks and mortar agent network • The high cost of compliance without operating a remittance business at scale.

• Quickly finding an alternative to SWIFT because SWIFT has also made strong efforts not only at upgrading its existing protocols, but also has cautiously explore potential applications of blockchain as well. So far, only a small portion of banks are adopting these new solutions, and without giving up their links to SWIFT. The future is shining with slow adoption rate Speaking with enough low-income consumers who transfer money internationally, one could quickly discover that there is no “tragedy or hurry to adopt new technology,” and, what is most puzzling, this segment is not even that eager to save on sending money.

To be continued…….

south asia 36 South Asia Timestimes

cinema

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RAAZI: Jung Main Jung Ke Siva Kuch Mayane Nahi Rakhta

of hyper-patriotism and nationalistic rhetoric adds to the movie’s excellence.

Alia Bhatt as the female protagonist is the highlight of the movie.

Despite a few shortcomings (easily sending messages from an Army officer’s home etc.), Raaziexcels as an extraordinary espionage movie.

The film’s ambience laced with Shankar-EhsaanLoy’s background score and four tracks sung by Arijit Singh, Harshdeep Kaur (with VibhaSaraf& Shankar Mahadevan) and Sunidhi Chauhan speak for themselves.

By Neeraj Nanda

M

ELBOURNE: Raazi, Director MeghnaGulzar’s intense Indo-Pak spy thriller based on a real story, silently builds up the human drama amidst the rising tension between India and Pakistan in 1971.

The movie based on ‘Calling Sehmat’ by HarinderSikka (published

by Penguin Random House India), a former Indian Navy officer, is a treat seldom surfacing from Bollywood.

Sahmaat (Alia Bhatt), a mixed Kashmiri Muslim-Sikh girl is planted in Pakistan as an Indian spy by the

Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) by marrying her off to a Pakistani Army officer (Vicky Kaushal) belonging to a prominent family.

She adjusts well with her hubby and his family while taking risks passing sensitive information to her Indian handlers. A spate of incidents builds the eerie

human drama as Sehmaat struggles to adjust to her duties as a spy and a ‘bahu’ (daughter-in –law).

She is noticed (in the home) for her skilful and smart acts. The second half builds up as a thriller rarely coming from Mumbai.

Meghna keeps the movie simple and the absence

Two dialogues sum-up the movie: When Sehmaat’s hubby discovers her being a spy says: “Wo Jo Kuch Karti Hi – Apne Mulk Ke Liye Karti Hi – Jaise Hum Karte Hain” and Once Sehmaat is back to India her handler says: “Jung Main Jung Ke Siva Kuch Mayane Nahi Rakhta”.

I give the movie 4 out of 5 stars.

Lankan film’s subtle and intriguing portrayal of sexual exploitation

N

EW DELHI: Sri Lankan Director Prasanna Jayakody’s film 28 (Twenty-Eight) which won the Best Director’s award at the 8th. SAARC Film Festival recently, is a subtle and intriguing portrayal of sexual exploitation in Lankan villages and cities.

Young Director Jayakodi has woven the story around the dead body of a raped and murdered sex worker and brought out the travails of women in a sex starved male-dominated world in a gripping manner but interspersed with humorous interludes to relieve the tension.

Known by the nickname Suddhi, the young woman had run away from her husband, his family and his village, unable to stand the amorous advances of the village men, including her father-in-law.

But in the big bad city where she sought salvation, Suddhi became a sex worker, again, only to be exploited, raped, murdered and abandoned in a mortuary.

Following press coverage of Suddhi’s mysterious death, her husband, Abasiri,

comes to the mortuary to identify the body and in a subdued away, renews his relationship with his wife, albeit only a corpse.

He decides to take it to his village to give it a decent funeral to atone for the injustices done to her.

At the village, there is commotion but Suddhi, through dead, surrealistically speaks to the villagers through a crack in the coffin, telling them about the fate of women in contemporary Sri Lanka in its villages as well as the towns.

But the longest part of the film is Abasiri’s struggle to take Suddhi’s body to the village. He and his bosom friends trick Lenin, the driver of a decrepit van, into carrying the coffin which is supposedly “empty”. But on the way, the lie is exposed when the coffin falls off the roof top rack and Suddhi’s body is exposed. Driver Lenin is shocked and angry at being cheated, but gets round to resuming the journey.

The idiosyncrasy of the embalmer in the mortuary, the challenge of finding a van and facing the risks of transporting a dead body

over a very long distance while keeping the driver in the dark about the cargo, are grippingly told but with flashes of humour.

The jury at the 8th SAARC festival described Jayakodi’s direction as “poignant storytelling about marginalized characters.” It further said: “The director captivates the audience through very clever cinematic storytelling, continuously surfing on the cutting edge of irony and humour.”

Mahendra Perera, who played the role of Abasiri, bagged the Best Actor award “ for the depth, realism and sincere heart-felt

portrayal of his character who gradually releases his emotion and connection to the corpse.”

As a Sri Lankan reviewer put it: the film 28 shows that “sex remains a monopoly of men, and the handful of women that dare challenge that status quo will be put in their place by any means necessary—be it rape, slutshaming, victim-blaming, or even murder.” what made him do a morbid film cantered around a dead body, Director Jayakody himself said that he wanted to do a film to tell the people everywhere in Sri Lanka ,the men and women, about the crass way

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in which women are treated and sexually exploited in Sri Lankan society.

“Neither our schools nor our religious institutions touch the subject of sexual exploitation and harassment of women. I wanted to make a film that will bring out the plight women,” Jayakodi said.

Asked if he expected the film to win an award at the SAARC festival, PrasannaJayakodi laughed and said that the film had already won laurels in international festivals.

At the Rotterdam International Film Festival in 2014 (it was shown in Sri Lanka only in 2017) it won the NETPAC Jury Award for Best Film. Lead actor MahendraPerera and Jayakodi were nominated for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in the categories Best Performance by an Actor and Best Screenplay respectively.

The Jury of the Rotterdam festival said that that 28 was “a well-measured and crafted film that emotionally engages the audience through poetic storytelling of a critical subject.”

—Source: The Citizen, 2 June 2018.

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southSouth asia times 37 Asia Times

Puzzle finds its match in Dev’s Guide

By Ashok Kumar

S

YDNEY, 12 June: Marc Turtletaub (of Little Miss Sunshine fame) directed Puzzle premiered in Australia at the Sydney Film Festival stars Kelly Macdonald as Agnes and Bollywood super star, Irrfan Khan (Lunch Box SFF2016) as Robert, David Denman as Louie and Austin Abrams is a story about a housewife with two grown up kids discovers her talent for solving jigsaw puzzles and which draws her closer to new world. She gets in touch with Robert (Irrfan), a champion, who was looking for a partner to play at a Puzzle championship and both discover that they are made for each other. They fall in love and chart a new life.

Agnes is straightforward and admits to having sex with her puzzle friend to her husband, Louie (David Denman). On a similar theme, Puzzle finds a parallel in Bollywood’s 1966 film ‘Guide’ where

an estranged dancer (WaheedaRehman) finds love in a tourist guide (Dev Anand), after her husband (Kishore Sahu) shows no interest in her and later starts living together. In Puzzle too, Louie shows

least interest in puzzle playing and Agnes finds her voice after getting close to her new love interest, a Puzzle champion.

While ‘Guide’ was full of songs and dances, Puzzle revolves around just one

song ‘Ave Maria’. Puzzle is a remake of 2010 Argentine movieof the same name, while Guide was based on R.K Narayan’s novel Agnes in her late forties is first introduced as she prepares meticulously for

a birthday party in her home, a modest row house that hasn’t been decorated since the 1970s, when it belonged to Agnes’ parents.

She vacuums, straightens knickknacks and bakes a cake, then serves all the guests drinks and snacks, waiting hand and foot on her husband Louie and fullgrown sons Ziggy (Bubba Weiler) and Gabe (Austin Abrams). It’s only when she brings out the cake with lit candles and the guests sing “Happy birthday, dear Agnes!” do we realize she’s the birthday girl as well as the hostess, caterer and cleaner.

Robert is so infatuated that he begins to call Agnes as Maria after listening to the song ‘Ave Maria’ and she shows her liking to be called Maria. Dustin O’Halloran’s music is catchy.

MacDonald gives a subdued performance and expresses the upheavals in her life remarkably well. Puzzle is cute film worth watching.

The film was shown at the Sydney Film Festival - 2018

Mahira Khan: I wanted to do something lighter, I am funny by default

By Neeraj Nanda

M

ELBOURNE, 12 June: ‘7 Din Mohabbat In’ is Mahira Khan’s latest movie with Sheheryar Kahn and directed by Meenu-Farjad, is releasing on Eid. Both Mahira and Sheheryar talked to a

select group including me through Skype at the Mind Blowing Films office here from Karachi today. The rather casual but candid interaction gave some idea

about the upcoming movie and the leading pair.

Mahira, known for her role in SRK’s Raees in India and Pakistani films like Bol, Verna, Manto and Maula Jatt 2 among others, on a question by SAT said, “I was earlier trying to imitate life but liked to be lighter. My work has been serious.”

“When I signed Varna or before Verna, I thought, I want to do something lighter. The side of mine no one else keen to do.

I am funny by default. You

should play yourself, I felt, says Mahira.

“The film is going to be amazing. It is a light hearted comedy. People can go to the cinema and have good time”, says Sheheryar.

So, what roles do the leading pair play.

“I am cute, pure blood living in a fantasy world in

my room, love dramas and old songs, can be described as a realistic idealist,” says Mahira.

And, Sheheryar describes his role as “a cared fellow, suppressed by his mother and others, plus emotionally not grown.”

Her subcontinent moorings emerged when

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Mahira said, “Our staple diet is Indian movies and for Indians it is our dramas.”

Mahira and Sheheryarlove their fans and want them to see and enjoy this 2-hour amazing movie releasingon 15 June 2018 in Australia and New Zealand. Check www.mindblowingfilms.com for details.

south asia 38 South Asia Timestimes

FOCUS

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Food waste enough to feed world’s hungry four times over

By Thalif Deen

S

TOCKHOLM, Sweden, May 28 2018 (IPS) The United Nations is continuing to fight a relentless battle to eradicate extreme hunger – particularly in the world’s poorest nations—by 2030.

But it is battling against severe odds: an estimated 800 million people still live in hunger— amidst a warning that the world needs to produce at least 50 percent more food to feed the growing 9.0 billion people by 2050—20 years beyond the UN’s goal.

Still, the World Bank predicts that climate change could cut crop yields by more than 25 percent undermining the current attempts to fight hunger.

The hunger crisis has been aggravated by widespread military conflicts – even as the Security Council, the most powerful body at the United Nations, was called upon last month to play a greater role in “breaking the link between hunger and conflict.”

Holding out the prospect of wiping out famine “within our lifetime”, Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, told the Security Council that almost two thirds of people living in hunger were in conflict-stricken countries.

He singled out wardevastated Yemen, South Sudan and north-eastern Nigeria, which still faced severe levels of hunger, while the food security situation in Ethiopia, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo was “extremely worrying”.

In an interview with IPS, Alessandro Demaio, Chief Executive Officer of the Norway-based EAT, an organization promoting healthy and sustainable food for all, said: “At EAT, our mission is a simple but ambitious one: to transform the global food system and enable us to feed a growing global population with healthy food from a healthy planet – leaving no-one behind.”

“We do this by bringing together leading actors from business, science, policy and civil society to close scientific knowledge gaps, translate research into action, scale up solutions, raise awareness and create engagement,” he noted.

Excerpts from the interview: IPS: One of the UN’s 17 SDGs (Goal 2, Zero Hunger) aims to eradicate extreme

hunger – particularly in the world’s poorest nations– by 2030. Do you thinks this is feasible?

Demaio: Food is, in one way or another, linked to all UNs 17 Sustainable Development Goals. As a doctor, it deeply concerns me that more than 800 million people go hungry and more than two billion are overweight or obese, worldwide. These numbers are accompanied by a ballooning epidemic of dietrelated and preventable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancers.

While working in Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Cambodia at the frontlines, I saw firsthand how hunger has many forms.

Undernutrition manifests in children in two key ways: by becoming dangerously thin for their height (wasting), or permanently impeding their growth (stunting). In the other extreme, populations with calorie dense but nutrient-poor diets drive the global burden of overweight and obesity.

There is a deeply unjust disconnect between food availability and quality in different parts of the world.

One third of all food produced gets lost or goes to waste — that’s enough to feed all of the world’s hungry four times over!

But slow response to increasing pressures from climate change and increasing social inequalities means that not everyone gets access to the right foods. In fact the United Nations last year declared that hunger, after more than a decade in decline, was on the rise again.

I do believe that we can reach zero hunger by 2030. We have many of the solutions to do so, such as connecting smallholder farmers to markets, removing barriers to trade and boosting food production sustainably.

But we just need the political will to match, and to get stakeholders across sectors, borders

and disciplines to work together and pull in the same direction.

Food is our number one global health challenge and a formidable climate threat.

We´re not only producing what makes us sick and destroys the planet, we continue to subsidize it with billions of dollars annually. It is the worlds’ poor and the communities who are least responsible for creating them who are disproportionately affected by these trends.

IPS: What is your agenda to help reform the global food system, including increasing agricultural productivity, and recycling food waste?

Demaio: In our work to reform the global food system, we at EAT connect and partner across science, policy, business and civil society to achieve five urgent and radical transformations by 2050: Shift the world to healthy, tasty and sustainable diets; Realign food system priorities for people and planet; Produce more of the right food, from less; Safeguard our land and oceans; and Radically reduce food losses and waste.

About 1.3 billion tons of food is lost or wasted every year, that’s an estimated one in three mouthfuls of food every day. In poorer nations, this waste generally occurs pre-market and can be part-solved by simple technologies in supply chains including transport, packaging and refrigeration.

Technological interventions such as precision agriculture or investments in post-harvest processes will make huge differences.

In wealthier countries, the majority of waste occurs after market, in supermarkets and in our homes. This is where buying less but more frequently, avoiding impulse buys and taking measures to reduce the “buy one get one free” that incentivize over-

purchasing, are all key.

IPS: The world needs to produce at least 50 percent more food to feed the growing 9.0 billion people by 2050. Is this target achievable because climate change can cause devastation to crop yields?

Demaio: The bad news is that modern agriculture doesn’t feed us all and it does not feed us well. The good news is that we have never had a bigger opportunity, more knowledge or the ingenuity and skills to fix it.

Increasing investment in harvesting infrastructure combined with improving access to markets and technology can result in minimizing field losses for farmers in low and middleincome countries, as well as help to pull millions out of poverty. In high income countries, business and consumers have a transformative role to play in reducing wasted food.

Through new business models, improved production, packaging and educational campaigns, businesses can nudge consumers in the right direction. By nudging better purchasing habits, better evaluations of portion size and improving food preparation techniques, consumers can dive headlong towards a circular food economy. Every pound of food saved from loss or waste will create economic, health and environmental gains.

Through working with remote communities, health professionals, and science and business leaders, I have seen how plant-based dietary trends have fueled a rediscovery of countless crop varieties with promising nutritional and environmental profiles.

With their abilities to deliver ‘more crop per drop’ and withstand unpredictable seasonal changes, diversifying what we grow can help meet local and global nutrition needs. In contrast, gene editing or lab grown meats offer to increase productivity, nutrition and tolerance to environmental uncertainties.

Essentially, the future of agriculture doesn’t lie in intensive expansion only — it lies in the harnessing of holistic, precise and tech savvy methods that enhance the production of more nutritious and more climate resilient foods.

IPS: How are ongoing military conflicts, particularly in Asia and Africa, affecting the world’s food supplies?

Demaio: Major regional or national conflicts have

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often profound impacts on food supplies as they disrupt society. Conflicts often originate from a competition over control of the factors of food production, such as land and water.

A growing global population, lower yields and diminished nutrient content of some crops due to changing climatic conditions contribute to increasing stress, raising the risk of civil unrest or military conflict.

Countries under the greatest stress often have the least capability to adequately respond to civil unrest.

Contexts are important and whether it is climate change, food shortages, water crises, ocean sustainability, or geopolitical conflicts — many or most are interlinked.

An example of this is how ocean acidification and warming impacts fishery yields and the redistribution of already overfished and stressed fish stocks, which can cause new geopolitical tensions. Given that many of these challenges are intertwined, they also present common opportunities for comitigation.

IPS: What is the primary goal of the upcoming EAT forum in Stockholm, June 11-12? What’s on the agenda?

Demaio: Feeding a healthy and sustainable diet to a future population of almost 10 billion will be a monumental challenge, but it is within our reach. The EAT Stockholm Food Forum is a contribution to solving this challenge. The concept is simple genius — my favorite kind.

Bring together innovators, leaders and forward thinkers who usually rarely meet but are working on interrelated, global challenges — food systems, climate change, food security, global health and sustainable development.

Put them in one room and get them to share ideas, share best practice, share the latest research and hopefully reshape the broken systems driving our planetary shortcomings.

This year we’re hosting the fifth EAT Stockholm Food Forum in partnership with the Government of Sweden.

We have an incredible lineup of speakers, including: World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva; climate leader Christiana Figueres, an architect of the historic Paris Climate Agreement; Sam Kass, chef and former chief nutritionist to the Obama Administration; plus, a host of global food heroes representing twenty-nine countries and six continents.

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