SAT March Issue 2018

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southSouth asia times 1 Asia Times

CELEBRATING 15TH YEAR OF PUBLICATION

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READ INSIDE

South Asia Times Vol.15 I No. 8 I march 2018 I FREE

GUEST EDIT PG 03 COMMUNITY PG 04 interview:Dr raji pg 17 MUSINGS

PG 18 SOUTH ASIA PG 19 hindi pushp pg 30-31 CINEMA

PG 36 SPORTS

PG 37

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Mahatma Gandhi: An Immigrant This digital interactive exhibition at the Immigration Museum opens 5 April 2018 Read on page 6

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GUEST 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

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Communalism in Sri Lanka result of cynical politics of past decade

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OLOMBO: Rising communal tensions in Sri Lanka have made Mahinda Rajapaksa, former Sri Lankan President and leader of the Sri Lanka PodujanaPeramuna (SLPP), call for the strengthening of multi-ethnic and multireligious national parties to neutralize ethnic and religious parties which have proliferated across the island.

In a statement issued on on the anti-Muslim riots in the Central Sri Lankan district of Kandy, Rajapaksa said that communalism spurred by ethno-centric and religious parties has spread in the country posing a serious threat to its unity and even its territorial integrity.

Drawing a distinction between what is happening now and the situation prevailing in the early years of independence Rajapaksa said that in the first few years after independence, Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim leaders ruled this country together as partners.

“G.G. Ponnabalam, the then top Tamil leader, had a warm and cordial relationship with the Senanayakes (the first and second Prime Ministers),” Rajapaksa recalled.

“That era ended in the mid-1950s as communalism and separatism came into Northern Tamil politics,” he said.

“But still, in the past, the two main national political parties had Muslim leaders like A.C.S. Hameed, M.H. Mohamed, Badiudin Mohamed and AlaviMoulana who were elected to Parliament not only by Muslims but also by Sinhalese voters.”

“During those decades, tensions between the Sinhalese and the Muslims were virtually non-existent,” Rajapaksa said.

But since the late 1980s a section of the Muslim population has gravitated towards communal political parties, he said and added that this has made it easy for “conspiratorial forces both local and foreign” to inflame tensions between the Sinhalese and the Muslims by using agents provocateurs, he asserted.

“The tension that we see now between the Sinhalese and the Muslims is a fairly recent phenomenon.

Everyone will remember that such tensions did not exist until about 2012. What was started by conspirators who are now in the present

government, for the purpose of dislodging my government, now appears to have taken on a life of its own and mistrust between the communities is growing by the day,” he charged.

Rajapaksa said that settlement patterns in Sri Lanka necessitate tolerance and coexistence and not conflict. But communal and ethnic parties are making coexistence difficult by resorting to communal mobilization for partisan ends.

“Even though there are large numbers of Tamils in the North and East, the majority of the Tamil population permanently resides outside the north and east, among the majority Sinhalese. Similarly, though there is a significant concentration of Muslims in the east, the vast majority of the Muslims permanently live outside the east, among Sinhalese and Tamils.”

“What we are now experiencing is the mismatch between this demographic reality and communalist politics. The very logic of communal politics requires the portrayal of other ethnic and religious groups as enemies or rivals.”

“Today, the situation is such that a dispute or clash between individuals belonging to different religions or ethnicities, automatically leads to a communal riot that spreads throughout the area,” he pointed out.

Rajapaksa said that this is not a situation that can be allowed to continue.

“There is a need to create in this country a nationalistic alliance comprising Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim leaders resembling the first postindependence government,” he said.

“This is not going to be an easy task given the poisonous contagion of communalism that has spread in this country over the past several decades.”

“However on the basis of the recently concluded local government elections, I

have reason to be cautiously optimistic that a window of opportunity exists to be able to turn back the tide of communalism.”

“I intend initiating a dialogue in this regard with national minded Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim individuals and organizations in due course,” Rajapaksa said.

Historically there was no communalism of the virulent kind known in India. It was the most accommodative and tolerant of societies in South Asia till independence was granted by the British in 1948.

Communalism was introduced in 1956 by former Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike, who brought in legislation to make Sinhala the sole official language of Sri Lanka when around 20 to 25 per cent of the population had Tamil as their mother tongue.

By then Bandaranaike had mobilized the Buddhist clergy to take his party to the Sinhalese masses. In the process, he introduced religious communalism which in later years became a powerful force every aspiring leader had to use to come to, and remain in, power.

“Swabhasha” schools replaced the normal schools.

That is, Sinhalese students learned through the Sinhalese medium and Tamil students learned through the Tamil medium. Common class rooms were replaced by ethno-linguistic class rooms.

School kids were unable to mix across language barriers.

To carve a niche for himself as leader, Education Minister Badiuddin Mahmud introduced the religious element and started “Muslim schools” for Muslims were they would be taught the Quran and made to follow Islamic traditions.

Therefore, Muslim and Tamil students who studied together (because they shared the same mother tongue Tamil), got segregated.

Sri Lankan society was thus torn into shreds by communal politics adopted by ambitious political leaders

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of all communities.

Lack of communication, which stemmed from segregation at the earliest stage of Sri Lankans’ lives, led to misunderstanding and misinterpretation of demands. Even a simple demand for regional autonomy (federalism) by the Tamils was seen as communal and separatist and put down with a heavy hand.

State violence led a Tamil militant movement which almost destroyed the country, till it was put down in May 2009 after a three year, fullscale, brutal war.

Having put down the Tamils, the majoritarian communalists turned their attention to the second minority, the Muslims, who are 8% of the total population of 21 million.

Seen as friends of the majority Sinhalese when the later were fighting with the separatist Tamils, the Muslims got privileges and access to political patronage with which they improved their economic lot. Their businesses prospered. They were in the cabinet and the bureaucracy often in key positions.

But prosperity and clout brought in its train communal envy. The Muslims were accused of indulging in sharp business practices, buying up properties using their greater access finance and of using official power to promote their interest.

Added to this was the influx of Saudi money and the introduction of Saudi Wahabism, which further widened the rift between the Muslims and other communities.

With money coming in, Muslim political parties, which were traditionally confined to Muslim majority areas, now began to mobilize Muslims as a distinct political group even in places where they were in a minority and where they traditionally identified themselves with multi-ethnic national parties.

But mobilization of Muslims in Sinhalese or Tamil majority areas sharpened the rift between the Muslims and the other communities in these areas.

The recent riots in the small towns in the Sinhalese majority Kandy district could be an unintended consequence of communal mobilization for political ends over the last decade or two.

—P. K Balachandran, The Citizen, 10 March 2018.

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COMMUNITY

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Andrews govt. supports higher award &minimum wages

By SAT News Desk

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ELBOURNE, 12 March: The Andrews Labor Government is calling for an increase to award and minimum wages to tackle stagnating wagegrowth, rising inequality and reduce cost of living pressures on Victorian families.

In its submission to the Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review, the LaborGovernment says the minimumhourly wage should be increased to $19 an hour.This would translate to a National Minimum Wage of $722 per week.

Minister for Industrial Relations Natalie Hutchins said, “Victorians who rely on minimum and award wages deserve a pay rise – it’s as simple as that.

This modest, fair increase would provide a critical boost for our community’s lowest paid workers, and ensure wedo not create an underclass of working poor in Victoria.”

The number of award reliant employees in Victoria and Australia is increasing rapidly. In the six years from May2010 to May 2016, award reliance has risen from 16.6 per cent to 25 per cent nationally.

Lower award wages are

concentrated in specific sectors including retail, hospitality and cleaning, anddisproportionately affect women, young people and some of our communities most vulnerable – includingAboriginal workers, older workers and workers living with a disability.

With a workforce increasingly reliant on award wages, the decision of the Commission in setting

minimum wageshas become even more important, particularly in a period of stagnating wage growth.

“The Andrews Labor Government will always stand up for the value and dignity of work. All Victorian workers should be paid fairly and feel safe and secure at work,” the Minister said.

The Labor Government’s submission also calls on

the Federal Government to better resource the Fair Work Ombudsman to combat wage theft and to ensure workers receive the wage they are entitled to.

The submission also called for the Fair Work commission to consider the national minimum wage as a proportionof the median wage in light of increasing inequality.

Labor boosts playgroups program with $22.1 million

By SAT News Desk

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ELBOURNE, 1 March: In a big move in Victoria the Andrews Labor Government has announced $22.1 million to expand the Supported Playgroups program, which helps mums and dads improve their skills and gain more confidence in looking after their children.

More than 6,000 families facing disadvantage from across the state will be eligible for the extra parenting help and advice with the boost for supported playgroups.

Ms Mikakos was joined by Member for Broadmeadows Frank McGuire at a supported playgroup in Dallas to meet local families, who are

among 450 Hume families who have access to this important service.

Currently, the playgroups operate in less than half of Victoria’s local government areas, but the expansion means they will soon be available across the entire state.

Minister for Early Childhood Education Jenny Mikakos said, “We are making sure eligible parents can access the extra support they need to raise healthy, happy kids who are ready for kinder, ready for school and ready for life.

“Supported playgroups are just one way we’re helping parents build their confidence and skills, meet other parents and create a positive home learning environment.”

A widening of the

eligibility criteria will also result in more families being able to access the service, such as those experiencing family violence, social isolation, mental health issues or homelessness.

The program is about improving learning outcomes for families that need additional support, by fostering quality parentchild connections and making the most of the home learning environment.

Member for Broadmeadows Frank McGuiresaid,“Supported playgroups have already helped many local families in Dallas and other communities in my electorate – it’s wonderful to know mums and dads across Victoria will now be able to access this service.

“This is an important

investment in the attributes that largely determine where we all end up in life: attitude, education and opportunity.”

Playgroups are convened by trained facilitators, who provide specialist training advice as well as referrals to additional services.

It forms part of the State Government’s landmark $202.1 million Education State Early Childhood Reform Plan, which is focused on delivering better services to parents with young children, as well as early intervention for kids who need extra support, says a media release.

The Plan recognises the importance of providing families with strong support in early childhood, so children get the best possible start in life.

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Supported playgroups are just one way we’re helping parents build their confidence and skills, meet other parents and create a positive home learning environment.

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cover story

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GANDHI'S GRANDDAUGHTER ELA GANDHI COMING TO MELBOURNE FOR MAHATMA GANDHI: AN IMMIGRANT EXHIBITION

By Neeraj Nanda

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ELBOURNE, 13 March: Mahatma Gandhi’s granddaughter Ela Gandhi, a former Member of Parliament in South Africa (1994-2004) representing the Phoenix area of Inanda in the KwaZulu-Natal province for the African National Congress (ANC) will be here in April end for the Mahatma Gandhi: An Immigrant exhibition at the Immigration Museum, Melbourne.

“We are very excited to be bringing this special visitor experience to Melbourne - a must seeexhibition and experience for all families, our youth and our children,” says RohiniKappadath, General Manager – Immigration Museum.

The plan to have the

exhibition in Melbourne was announced by Victorian Premier Hon. Daniel Andrews during his January visit to India after visiting it at the PravasiBhartiya Kendra in Delhi.

“Mahatma Gandhi was an inspirational leader and I’m thrilled that Victorians will be able to enjoy this incredible exhibition at the Immigration Museum,” the Victorian Premier said.

The exhibition (opens Thursday 5 April and continues till July 2018) a Victorian Government’s commitment to engaging the local Indian diaspora and to building people to people links between India and Victoria will be accompanied by an exciting program of events and activities.

Curated from more than 1000 photos, over two hours

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of footage, an hour's worth of film clips and 20 audio recordings, the exhibition focuses on Gandhi's role in leading India to independence.

This digital interactive exhibition honours the period of Gandhi's stay in South Africa and his subsequent personal transformation from this experience.His migrant history led to profound learnings that influenced him and India more broadly.

“Featuring film footage and audio recordings, presented through an array of digital interactive experiences, this exhibition brings to life a person and period critical in India's rich history,” says the Immigration Museum website.

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community

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AmanNath: India is never one thing M

ELBOURNE, 25 February: India is never one thing, says AmanNath, historian, poet, restorer and founder and Chairman of Neemarana Hotels.

Aman who has with Francis Wacziarg acquired over 25 heritage properties in India and converted them into hotels after restoration was speaking at a lecture in Melbourne University organised by the GNG Events and the Australia India Institute (AII).

By SAT News Desk Aman detailed India’s heritage journey in his power point presentation with a touch of philosophy, did not mince words with his lucid style. His presentation reflected the diversity of monuments, dresses, colours, philosophy, fashions, people, languages, cultures, seasons, ethnic groups and much more. It had the Dilwara temples (Mount Abu), TajMahal (Agra), Dwarka (Gujarat), Ellora Caves (Maharashtra) among others, connecting them to

the statement that “India is never one thing.”

Aman’s presentation concluded with the quotation of Mathama Gandhi – “Find purpose and the means will follow”.

A brochure of Neemarana Hotels distributed at the presentation says, “Experience authentic India – in a panorama of 700 years… not an India made superficially aseptic for tourists. The 20 Neemrana ‘non-hotel’ hotels give you a true flavour of India.”

“We introduce you to India’s history, traditions and regional aesthetic

in a very natural way.

Each Neemrana property showcases the culture of that region – its dress, its cuisine, its people who are the soul. Come share real India. Live in the architecture built by Rajput, Sikh, Maratha, Jat and Muslim rulers. Neemrana has also restored colonial properties from the 16th to the 20th centuries: Danish, Portuguese, Dutch, English and Scottish”, says the brochure.

In attendance were a varied range of scholars, academicians, political figures, leading members

of Australian business fraternity, journalists, students and curious minds. The list included Hon. Ted Baillieu (Former Premier of Victoria), Hon. Phil Honeywood (Former Minister for Tertiary Education, Training and Multicultural Affairs and the current CEO of International Education Association of Australia International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), Prof. Craig Jeffrey (Director, Australia India Institute), Mr. Tsebin Tchen (Commissioner, Victorian Multicultural Commission), Mr. Rakesh

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Malhotra (Acting, Consul General, Consulate General of India, Melbourne India in Australia (Consulate General of India, Melbourne).

All this looks interesting.

History remains a controversial but potent subject. One can always give a different methodology. The mix of history, heritage restoration and business, basically, is Aman and Waczaiarg’s project. I am sure apart from everything else it is passion. Not a bad idea in a troubled world.

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COMMUNITY

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Manjit Singh gets Australian Red Cross Influencer Award

By SAT News Desk

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MELBOURNE: Manjit Singh was on 15 February this year honoured with the Australian Red Cross Blood Service ‘Red25 Victorian Influencer Award’ at a ceremony held here for his ongoing efforts as a Group Coordinator at the Australian branch of the SantNirankari Mission (SNM).

Manjit has demonstrated a strong commitment to spreading ‘the Red25 Group Donation movement’ engaging people and increasing donations within their community group through creative and innovative strategies, developed an innovative way to promote Red25 and blood donation within their community group, regular promotional activity that has seen an increase in new donors and/or donations and the use of social media to share challenge and enhance blood donation participation Manjit plays his part in a global effort to unite and coordinate blood drives. The SNM has been organising two blood drives per year for the last 10 years. Organising 100’s of people is a difficult task and so Manjit has a team of coordinators who are

supervised by Sunny Duggal (Volunteers Incharge) and D K Tuli (Administrator) to help with the collection of information/enrolment forms and completing the group booking forms of donors. They also assist on the day of the donation locating donors, assisting with names and keeping a tally.

One of Manjit’s key roles is the promotion and coverage of the blood drives. Along with social media coverage, Manjit also enlists the support

of local councils, multicultural ministers and Indian publications. SNM’s April blood drive was part of the missions global ‘Human Unity Day’ with blood drives occurring at the same time throughout the world to unite their members in donating blood.

It all gets a little hectic on the day the mission rock up, it’s very noisy, there is much celebrating, delicious food and posing for photos, but then if saving lives is not something to celebrate, I don’t know what is! – says

Sarah Lacey (Community Relations Officer at the Mt. Waverley Donor Centre) I’ve have never met a more proud coordinator, or one who takes on board the feedback we discuss to make the next event more manageable.

The SNM is a leading organization in the field of voluntary Blood Donation in India and around the world. It is running four hospitals and 134 charitable dispensaries in India. His Holiness Baba Hardev Singh Ji started the voluntary

blood donation movement in 1986 as a tribute to uphold ideals of truth, peace, tolerance, and nonviolence. Thus spoke Baba Ji "Human blood should flow in veins, and not in drains".

SantNirankari Mission recognizes blood as a universal human lifeline and blood donation camps are organized throughout the year. 5,046 Blood donation camps have been held since 1986 and more than 8, 69,000 blood units have been donated up 31st March 2017.

—Supplied.

Care Lanka expresses concern at anti-Muslim incidents in Ampara& Candy

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Care Lanka, an Organisation in Australia represented by expatriate Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims of Sri Lanka, is immensely concerned about the recent violence in Ampara and Kandy districts. We learn that the incidents were racially motivated and directed particularly against the Muslim community.

We do not want to see Sri Lanka once again plunged into the old cycle of violence and counter violence among communities, irrespective of who started it first. We like to see such

matters dealt with quite methodically and with great sensitivity through proper investigation by the relevant authorities.

Maintenance of Law and order must be the responsibility of the security personnel and not of anyone else.

We wish to acknowledge that the government has acted against the perpetrators, but in addition, we request the government to be alert and proactive to prevent such incidents in the future. An urgent inquiry into this matter must be given top priority to protect inter-ethnic and inter-religious peace and

We wish to acknowledge that the government has acted against the perpetrators, but in addition, we request the government to be alert and proactive to prevent such incidents in the future. harmony in Sri Lanka.

Further, the government must be accountable for rehabilitations including making compensations for everyone affected by these incidents and all such incidents that have taken

place previously, which haven’t been dealt with so far effectively.

In addition to these measures, we request that civil society be mobilised to harmonise community relations, especially in

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regions where communities live intermixed. We also like the long-term reconciliation program by the Office of National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) be strengthened by involving school children, public and private sector workers and religious organisations. We think this is the most important task of the government today. Responsible public discussions on all issues affecting racial and religious harmony must be encouraged.

Sincerely Dr. Noel Nadesan President, Care Lanka uthayam12@gmail.com

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COMMUNITY

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Hindu Cultural and Heritage Centre’s $ 160,000 funding to ease car parking with 300 new spaces

By SAT News Desk

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ELBOURNE, 16 February: The cultural centre attached to the Sri Shiva Vishnu Temple, Carrum Downs will soon have an upgrade with the Victorian government pledging $160,000 to the centre.

Minister for Multicultural Affairs Robin Scott and Member for Carrum Downs Sonya Kilkenny and Manoj Kumar the Labor candidate for Forest Hill among others joined the Indian community to make the announcement at the cultural centre along with devotee’s, office bearers, and temple executive members.

In his address the Minister for Multicultural Affairs Robin Scott said, “The upgrades to the Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple will help our Hindu community enshrine and share their values of compassion, selflessness, harmony, tolerance and respect.

By working together with local communities, we are building a Victoria where everyone belongs, feels accepted and can freely

participate and contribute.”

The Minister and the Member for Carrum Downs went round the cultural centre and later visited the adjacent temple where they were blessed by the priests and took part in the prayer.

The Member for Carrum Downs Sonya Kilkenny said, “Our local Hindu community has been advocating for upgrades to the Cultural and Heritage Centre – we’ve listened and we’re getting it done.”

The Hindu Society of Victoria was established in 1982 and advocates for the cultural and spiritual needs of Victoria’s Hindu community.

Consecrated in 1994, the Society’s spiritual and

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cultural precinct, the Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple, is now largest Hindu temple in the southern hemisphere.

“With new funding from the Labor Government, the driveway and entry points of the Cultural and Heritage Centre will be upgraded and more than 300 car parks will be added on the site,” says a media release from the Minister of Multicultural Affairs office.

Thousands of Hindu, Indian and wider community members from Carrum Downs and surrounding area will benefit from the project which will ease the parking issues for people who come there.

The funding is being provided through the Labor Government’s Community Infrastructure and Cultural Precincts (CICP) program.

CICP promotes greater use of community facilities by Victoria’s culturally diverse communities, increasing their participation in activities, improving access to services and enabling Victoria’s cultural precincts to remain attractive for cultural and tourism activities.

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Auntiji (Krishna Arora) will be missed

By Neeraj Nanda

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ELBOURNE: I met Auntiji some time back at one of the FIAV events in its office in Little India, Dandenong.

She looked a bit frail but was readily mixing with everyone. She asked me about South Asia Times (SAT) and appreciated our efforts to report community events. At 90 she looked confident but was saying I am old now. She advised me what good food is the precautions to be taken

while choosing to eat.

Then for many months I did not see her. Little did

I know she will no more be with us. Her hard work during the initial days of the Australian Indian Innovations Inc. (AIII) with many others can never be forgotten. Nor can one forget her tireless work in the FIAV and senior organisations.

Founder and ex-Principle of the Institute of Hotel Management, Pusa, New Delhi,her settlement story in Australia is full of massive activity in many organisations.

She wrote in the City of Monash site, “The

Multicultural Policy is one of the best things the Government introduced.

Australians are more tolerant and friendly.

Indian restaurants are full of Australians. They have started to be adventurous by eating Indian food.”

Auntiji never took to European dresses and always wore a Saree and wrote, “I have enjoyed working for the community.

I think people who migrate to Australia, adjust to Australian life according to what is available and they enjoy the Australian way of

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life.

Auntiji, Krishna Arora breathed her last on the morning of 26 February peacefully. Her funeral took place on 5 March 2018 at the Boyd Chapel, Springvale Botanical Cemetry.

She was honoured by the Australian government with an Order of Australia (OAM) which she deserved so much. Me, my family and the SAT family pay their homage to this great community worker. She left us in tears. She will be missed.

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COMMUNITY

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community roundup

Multicultural Champions announcement

Funding announcement for Hindu Cultural and Heritage Centre

Dosa Hut Wantrina opening

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COMMUNITY

southSouth asia times 15 Asia Times

community roundup The Manganiyar Seduction@State Theatre

Wyndham Holi 2018

AIII Holi Mela 2018

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COMMUNITY

community roundup

SankatMochan Holi 2018

Hindi Niketan Holi 2018

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INTERVIEW

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Dr.Raji Nair: I possess a high degree of expertise in maternal fetal medicine you at riskfor pregnancy, birth or fetal complications. Based on this, I might discuss possible genetictesting and any specific warning signs and symptoms to watch for. You may also have anultrasound.

And Yes. A GP referral is required. We work closely with many GPs to deliver the best outcomes for our patients. Please ask your GP to contact us directly if they have any questions.

Dr.Raji Nair

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself Dr Nair.

A: I am a practicing obstetrician and gynaecologist with almost 20 years of experience. Prior toworking in Australia, while I lived in India, I worked in the state of Kerala where I have hada wide and fruitful exposure to a diverse range of normal and complex labours and deliveries.

I work across many locations around Melbourne and am also actively involved in the mentoring and training of medical students at Monash Health. I have also been a mentor andan examiner for medical students for quite some time now.

Having worked for many years in tertiary centers, I have considerable experience with high- risk pregnancies and have worked with patients with difficult obstetric histories throughout my

Q: What advice do you have for couples considering pregnancy?

A: When a woman is considering pregnancy, she usually starts with more questions than answers. As an obstetrician, I have helped many navigate through what can be quite complexdecisions. In today’s day and age, there are a lot of sources of information. Not all of them are accurate. And that is where the risk of not knowing the right thing to do exists forcouples.

A medical practitioner is always a good place to start. On numerous occasions, my patients

career.

In my experience, I find that a lot of my patients benefit from coming in when they are considering conception. I continue to have a great interest in prepregnancy consultations. Prenatal tests are a big part of what I do and I possess a high degree of interest and expertise in the area of maternal fetal medicine.

Q: What happens usually during a first appointment?

And does one need a GP referral to come see you?

A:Just as a general guideline, your first appointment, generally between 8 and 12 weeks, willinclude a complete medical history and a thorough physical exam, breast exam, urine test andblood work. This is to check your overall health and identify any factors that put www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082

who are considering pregnancy share how valuable the advice and the assessment has been inmaking an informed decision.

Q: Please tell us more about your interest in high-risk pregnancies.

In my observation, there is a lot of misunderstanding about the term “high-risk pregnancy”.

When not handled properly, it can result in patient anxiety and sometimes result in potentially risky interventions undertaken without valid obstetric advice.

Managing a patient’s expectation in high-risk pregnancies is something I have always focussed upon and for me this starts at the pre-pregnancy stage and continues post-childbirth.

Q: Which locations do you currently practice at? How does one make an appointment?

A:I currently practice at Glen Waverley, Berwick, Clayton and Dandenong. To make an appointment one can call 03 878 878 00. I will assist you to the best of my abilities.

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You think you are good at it, rest assured,we are far better

Has the circle been completed? Or is it being recycled?

By Rashid Sultan

M

ELBOURNE: 2014, in a sense, could be called a watershed moment in India’s electoral history.

In five years of UPA 2.0 term, the surge in scandals was nothing but a Harakiri for them what with 2G spectrum licences and mining auctions. The BJP, in opposition, then, leapt on them with glee, and with their overflowing funds from all over the world and their 24/7 call centres (mainly in the US, then).Spreading fake news on the social as well as mainstream media, captured the imagination of the growing urban upper middle class electorate while simultaneously projecting to be a saviour of Hindutva among the middleclass populace with a dose of Narendra Modi’s gallery-playing rhetoric.

And, thus,UPA2.0 gave them victory on a platter(as I have said before).

The whole nation went aghast when the 2G case was, recently, thrown out of the court because CBI was not able to file a charge sheet against any accused ( big names in politics) after several years of investigations. Every accused went scot free. CBI is often accused of obeying orders of the ruling powers but, this time it proved otherwise. It went against the government in power.

A moment of introspection for political analysts!

Were all the accusations politically motivated? Only God knows. But one thing is for sure, the BJP went to the electoral cash registers laughing all the way.

As far as the auctioning of mines were concerned, they are minor affairs and keep happening all of the times at state as well as central levels, in all governments. “eshammammein sab nangeyhain”.

Now the clock has turned full circle and it would be interesting to look at some of the scams under our ‘honest’ government whose catch call was “na khaunga na khane doonga”and “I will not be a prime minister but a chowkidaar for everyone in the country”.

SrijanGhotala (Bihar): Breaching all norms and regulations, involving Govt. MLAs and ministershefty 1500 crore were stolen. All accused are absconding. Hence no arrests.

Vyapam scam (the department responsible arranging public service exams and placing successful candidates in colleges and universities of Madhya Pradesh): Complaints against the officials, responsible for running the scheme, lodged in mid 1990s; the first FIR registered in 2000; a

And now the latest.

Nirav Modi and MehulChoksy (bhateeja/ bhanja and chacha/ mama): Relationship is still mired in mystery.

Founders and owners of Gitanjali jewellers, involved in importing diamonds and refining/recutting and then selling to franchisees.

4The first letter of understanding (LOU) at Punjab National Bank (PNB) Mumbai for a paltry figure of a few crore in 2011.

4Instead of paying back to PNB after 90 days, LOU is renewed and company is able to seek new loans from Indian banks overseas.

4And,So, the number of LOUs keep increasing every year so much so that bythe end of 2017 the figure reaches 11,000 crore.

4The former managing director (MG), Santosh Shrivastava (an IITian) turns into a whistle blower and sends written complaints to various government agencies alerting them over the rort in 2014. Nothing happens.

4In 2016, complains to the Prime Minister’s Office (the PMO).

4A few months later he receives a reply from the Registrar of Companies (ROC) that the case has been closed, implying that nothing untoward was found.

4In January, PNB catches the fraud and contacts the police about this fraud.

4January 31, the CBI issues a look-out notice for them but, it’s too late because Nirav, his brother and children, wife and uncle Mehul have already left the country in the first week of the same month and are enjoying their stay at the BurjKhalifa in Dubai.

4The figure of Rs 11000 crores reaches Rs 45,000 crore if you believe various business analysts.

4Naturally, the government takes a defensive line and blames the UPA 2.0 under whose time the first LOU was granted. But, factually, the majority of the funds were granted in the last few years under the NDA rule. Some skulduggery!

4Interesting question: PM Narendra Modi knew MehulChoksy personally and he refers to him as Mehul Bhai in one of his public addresses in a laudatory manner praising for his business acumen before this incident happened.

4Nirav Modi appears beside the PM at Davos along with several elite Indian business executives and is invited to participate in a group photo 4with the PM. Are we to believe that the PMO was not aware that he had been declared a fugitive.

The silence and so- called gravitas from the PM is nothing but theatre.

Lastly, I feel that we should change the meaning of ‘chowkidaar’ in our lexicon. special committee formed in 2009; the first report released in 2011.

According to a BBC report: 2530 were accused in this humungous scandal; 1980 arrested; 550 are still to be added to the accused list.

40 people including accused(in custody or on bail) and witnesses died in; 10 in road accidents and a journalist pursuing the case in mysterious circumstances.

140,000 in total sat exams.

The modus operandi was leaking of exam papers to prospective candidates, allowing other people to sit exams instead of the real students in exchange of bribes and auctioning seats in engineering and medical colleges ranging from Rs 1 to 7 million.

Among the accused are former BJP ministers, personal assistant of a high ranking RSS official, aides of Chief Minister and the Governor, bureaucrats and mining magnates.

India produces 30,000 doctors annually. But, on the revelations of the scandal, the Indian Supreme

Court ordered 60,000 students to reappear in the medical school exams.

To quote Chandresh Bhushan , retired judge, “the most audacious and high- tech scandal I have ever come across. One man caught was alone responsible for 300 bogus recruitments. Can you believe it?”

The scandal is so wide ranging that no fiscal figure has yet been counted; varying around thousands and thousands of crores. Probably, the biggest scandal in India’s history.

Lalit Modi, the founder of the Indian Premiere League (cricket): When greed reached its zenith that it could no longer be contained and the case reached higher courts, Mr Premiere League fled the country to escape prosecution. The whole country knew about this case but, still he could count on the help from politicians.

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

According to an interview given to the Hindu, he admitted that his escape was made possible due to Mrs Sushma Swaraj and VasundhraRaje, currently foreign minister and Rajasthan chief minister, respectively.

Only God knows the sum of money involved in the case.

VijayaMallaya the CEO of Kingfisher- brewery and air lines etc.: After resisting for years but, when his case, involving 9000 crore, finally, reached higher courts, one fine morning, this industrialist, often compared to Richard Brenson of Virginia fame, left the country with his entire family, thumbing nose to the Home Ministry and the CBI. Who helped himto escape justice? Only God knows, though, there are many theories in the air.

The author’s personal views.

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Tripura trades decency for false eldorado

By Saeed Naqvi

T

he extraordinary feat the BJP has pulled off leaves one breathless.

Which other Chief Minister in the country will have a decorated Director General of Police, B.L. Vohra, write in his book, Tripura’s Bravehearts, “Manik Sarkar was definitely unlike any Chief Ministers whom I had seen, met, worked with and heard about…. He was honest personally and that had percolated down to all echelons of the government – again one cannot find many examples of his ilk unfortunately in the country.”

This level of decency has been traded by the Tripura electorate for mobs who pull down statues.

The universal assessment of Manik Sarkar even among opposition leaders in Tripura would flatter any politician. It was not just that he was himself a gentleman but he appeared to have instilled his qualities in his cabinet colleagues and the administration across the board. By all accounts his predecessor and Guru, Nripen Chakraborty, was even more admirable.

The staff in the Chief Minister’s house had never ever dreamt that they would serve a boss whose groceries were purchased on a ration card and who never saved enough money to open a bank account.

This may be syrupy stuff in an era when materialism is the mantra, but do, for a moment, reflect on the Chakraborty-Sarkar duo against the amoral wasteland that stretches as far as the eye can see.

Also, it is elementary that 25 years of CPI(M) rule could not have lasted only because of the leadership’s decency. Despite the economic crunch, the government in Agartala implemented every central scheme with greater efficiency than any other state. 96 per cent literacy?

Show me another state. The gender ratio is something of a record. That is how Tripura’s middle class was created. True, having created a new middle class, the government found itself flat footed. It could not cope with the next stage of aspirations. It produced distributive justice but

found itself bereft of ideas to generate wealth to accommodate the educated unemployed and to promote two wheel drivers to the four-wheel level.

Upon arrival in Agartala I was able to find accommodation only in a government guest house.

When I asked the CM if the absence of reasonable hotels was state policy, he was frank: “we are not in a position to cope with social imbalances that come with five star hotels, bars and restaurants.”

This may sound odd, but the reasons for the rout of the CPM in Tripura are, to some extent, similar to the ones responsible for the decline of West Indian cricket.

Never again will the likes of Weekes, Sobers, Viv Richards, Michael Holding and Brian Lara adorn world cricket. In the 70s and the 80s, the West Indies cricket team was like Don Bradman’s invincibles. The culture of cricket was their inheritance from the British colonial period.

Aggressive globalization of the 90s, placed the West Indies in the sphere of American media.

US centered television beamed at the islanders not cricketers but basketball and baseball stars like Michael Jordan and Jose Ramirez, with proselytizing persistence.

Within a generation, all that remained of the cricketing legends were their fading photographs in the scrap books of schoolboys of the 80s in former British colonies.

A CPI(M) government in Tripura was, likewise, as remote from any Left ruled enclave as the West Indies are from cricket’s birth place. After the end of Left rule in West Bengal, it had no structure to lean on. In this friendless era it was exposed to hostile TV bombardment. Riding the crest of economic liberalization, market fundamentalism galloped at breakneck speed to accommodate advertising for rampaging consumerism marketed by dream merchants, architects of plush malls and multiplexes.

CPI(M) Chief Minister, Manik Sarkar’s controlled austerities withstood this barrage of televised razzmatazz for 25 years. By

this time another generation had arisen, torn between a lifestyle of simplicity and the Eldorado on the horizon that metropolitan centres of control teased and tempted them with.

Agartala is in trauma.

Before they find their feet, the stunned CPI(M) cadres are having to adjust to another reality: Party sympathizers are suddenly not making eye contact with them. Some, with an eye on the main chance, have been seen on the margins of mobs attacking CPI(M) offices, even pulling down of the Lenin statue.

To a considerable extent, the outcome in Tripura and elsewhere in the North East is the Congress’s gift to the BJP. Himanta BiswasSarma, a genius in electoral management, walked out of the Congress because he could not bear Rahul Gandhi’s insulting silences.

TarunGagoi, the former Assam Chief Minister, was eager to create his own dynasty, make his son Gaurav the Chief Minister.

This would cut out Sarma whose political brilliance underpinned the latter half of the Gogoi years.

This kind of a dynamo,

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backed by money power that would make Nirav Modi salivate and an adversarial centre controlling the purse strings – this is how the Left was uprooted in Tripura. Just imagine, when state after state is implementing the 7th pay commission, Tripura found itself stranded at the 4th pay commission. CPM dogma also stood in the way: “7th pay commission made some demands which were anti people.”

The change of cultures was imminent from the day the BJP planted Tathagata Roy as Governor of Tripura. The genteel tone of Chakraborty-Sarkar gave way to an inelegant vocabulary. “They should be buried head first in pig’s excreta”, said the Governor by way of a recommendation for dealing with terrorists.

Pulling down of statues is a milder form of retribution compared to the coarse standards set by the Governor.

Source: The Citizen, 10 March, 2018.

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Fear and uncertainty grip Rohingya women in India Rohingya refugee women in Jammu, India. Photo: Stella Paul/IPS

By Stella Paul

J

AMMU, India, Mar 6 2018 (IPS) - In the semi-lit makeshift tent covered with strips of cardboard, five women sit in a huddle. As their young children, covered in specks of mud and soot, move around noisily, the women try to hush them down. Hollow-eyed and visibly malnourished, all the women also appear afraid.

Aged 19-30, they have two things in common: one, they are Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and two, they all live in fear of being sent back to the country they were forced to flee.

“I came here when I was 13. Now I am 19,” says NurKalina, the youngest. She faintly remembers running with her parents from their village in Myanmar’s violence-wracked Rakhine state.

“From Akhyep (Akyab, currently known as Sittwe) we started. We ran through rice fields, then by the river.

When we came to Cox’s Bazar (across the border in Bangladesh), our fellow villagers were there. My aunt was there. They said, there is no food, no work, no future here. So my parents came here.”

All the other women in the room – Leila, Shamshida, Taiyyaba and Rahena – nod.

Their stories are not very different from Kalina’s.

Each one of them came to Jammu in 2012. Since then, the rows of huts in the KiriyaniTalavneighborhood of northern India’s Jammu city have been their home.

They all got married here

and became mothers.

Each one of them has relatives who are still living in Sittwe who call every now and then to talk about the current situation. Every time, they share news of fresh attacks and new names of relatives and neighbors who have been murdered.

“They always tell us, don’t come back here,” says Laila.

Rohingyas in Jammu There are around 5,743 Rohingyas in Jammu & Kashmir state, according to the state government.

Scattered over Jammu, the summer capital of the state, and neighboring Samba

district, their number is a fraction of that in Bangladesh (858,898) or Pakistan (350,000).

Yet this tiny population is at the center of a controversy with some local factions accusing them of indulging in criminal activities such as land grabs, illegal settlement and aiding terrorists, and demanding their repatriation.

One of the political parties spearheading the opposition against the Rohingyas is the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JNKPP), a Jammu-based right-wing group led by Harshdev

Singh. Singh, formerly a minister in the state, would not talk to IPS despite granting an appointment, but his party has been very vocal in demanding a quick repatriation of the Rohingyas. On March 3, he led a protest march in Jammu and urged the home minister of India to send back the Rohingyas, who he described as a security threat.

“The illegal immigrants pose a threat to communal harmony and pluralism of Jammu. The Union Home Minister should personally intervene and direct the state government to take

A child plays outside a makeshift home in a Rohingya camp, Jammu, India. Photo: Stella Paul/IPS www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082

necessary action in this regard otherwise the situation in Jammu could take an ugly turn like in Kashmir,” Singh was quoted as saying by local media.

Opposition to the Rohingyas intensified after a terrorist attack on an army camp in Sunjwan, an area on the city outskirts. Right after the attack, Kavinder Gupta, a local politican, accused the Rohingyas of being involved in the attack.

Although he was criticized by other lawmakers, his party members stood by him.

India, which has not signed the International

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Fear and uncertainty grip...

Refugee Convention, asked the states in August 2017 to identify the Rohingyas for a possible deportation.

The decision, however, has since been challenged in the Supreme Court of India by some Rohingya refugees.

Fear in the air Hazara, who asked to go by her first name only, is a 29-year-old Rohingya refugee woman living in a hut bordering the army camp in Sunjwan. Like all the other women Rohingya refugees, Hazara never went to school. With no education and no specific skills, the single mother of two was earning her livelihood by shelling walnuts for her nonRohingyaneighbors. The wages of INR 12 (less than a quarter) for each kilogramme of walnuts were not very high, but they helped the woman feed herself and her family.

However, since the attack on the army camp, it has become difficult to find work.

“The next day when I went to work, they said, ‘You are troublemakers, we don’t want you here.’ Everyone was looking at me suspiciously, as if I have done something

In Burma, they are still killing our people. Here, they say we are Bangladeshis.

We do not even speak Bangla.

Where shall we go?

--Ansari very bad,” recalls Hazara, who is now working as a part time domestic for a Kashmiri Muslim family. This will help her pay the rent for the hut – a princely sum of INR 500 (about 7 dollars) – but not enough to feed herself and her children. Hazara is largely dependent on a Madrasa (religious school) run by fellow Rohingyas for her survival.

Mushtaq Ahmed, one of the 16 teachers at the school, says that right after the attack on the army camp, security forces entered the school to question them about the assailants.

Since then, the attitude of the neighbors changed dramatically.

“Since 2017, we have been hearing things like we are collabrating with militants, helping them, etc, but this time, the attacks are more direct. Some women are still shelling wallnuts, but once the season is over, who knows what will happen?”

Ahmed said.

Illiteracy, child marriage and poor health There are 40 Rohingya refugee families in KiriyaniTalav locality. None of the women in these families has had a formal education. Uneducated and unskilled, they were married before the age of 18.

NurKalina was married at 14. “The elders in the community said it’s a sin to stay unmarried for long. So my parents got me married soon after I started to menstruate,” recalls Kalina.

All of 19, the young woman already has three children.

“Child marriage is rampant in the Rohingya refugee community,” says Ravi Hemadri, who heads the Development and Justice Initiative (DAJI), a Delhibased NGO that partnered with UNHCR until last month in documenting the Rohingya refugees and helping them access the aid and support they are entitled to.

At DAJI, activists have been campaigning against early marriage, Hemadri says, but the progress is slow. The refugees live in extreme poverty which drives the families to marry off their daughters early, he explains.

Laila Begum, 34, and Taiyyaba, 29, have asthma, while Taiyyaba has a 3-yearold daughter with stunted growth and weak limbs. As many as 12 women in the camp said they are suffering from respiratory diseases, while some, including Kalina’s mother Medina, 54, has tuberculosis. Kalina also has chronic lower back pain that often keeps her in bed.

None of the women gets regular medical treatment because they can’t afford it.

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Laila, who has visited the government-run hospital a few times for free medicine, says that the hospital asked her to pay INR 2000 (about 30 dollars) for medicine the last time.

“I don’t have so much money,” she said, adding that only the widows among them are entitled to some aid – 10 kgs of free rice each month.

Hope in the middle of hopelessness Early this year, the UNHCR ended its partnership with DAJI in Jammu. The UN organization also advised the Rohingyas to move elsewhere in view of the growing political opposition.

Since then, some of the Rohingya refugees – about 200 of them – have indeed moved out of Jammu.

But the women refugees say that despite the growing threat to their safety, leaving is not an option. “In Burma, they are still killing our people. Here, they say we are Bangladeshis. We do not even speak Bangla. Where shall we go? Why shall we leave? There is no safe place for us, so only way is to keep quiet,” says Ansari, a Rohingya woman.

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India: Sharp rise in pending RTI cases

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elbourne, 25 October: Labour leader and leader of opposition in Victoria, Hon. Daniel Andrews, today announced Labour will build an, ‘Indian Precinct’ in Melbourne, if elected to govern Victoria on 29 October, when Victoria goes to polls to elect a new government. The surprise Diwali gift was announced by Hon. Daniel Andrews at the Federation Square Diwali event, organised by the Celebrate India.

The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, a Delhi-based advocacy group, in a new report has said, data accessed from 19 Information Commissions (ICs) show that there are 1.93 lakh pending second appeal and complaint cases of Right to Information (RTI), up from 1.10 lakh cases in 2015. Top five ICs accounting for 77% of the overall pendency are Maharashtra (41,537), Uttar Pradesh (40,248), Karnataka (29,291), Central Information Commission (23,989) and Kerala (14,253 cases).

Pointing out that pendency in Bihar, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu is not known publicly, the report points out, Mizoram State Information Commission (SIC) received and decided only one appeal case in 2016-17. The report, called Rapid Review, has been released to mark the 25th anniversary of CHRI's work in India at the Open Consultation on the Future of RTI: Challenges and Opportunities, held in Delhi.

The report notes, there is no State Chief Information Commissioner (SCIC) in Gujarat since mid-January 2018.

Maharashtra SIC is headed by an acting SCIC since June 2017. There is no Information Commission in Andhra Pradesh (after Telangana was carved out in June 2014), though the state government has assured the Hyderabad High Court that it will set up an SIC soon.

The report says, vacancies have reached at an all-time high, with more than 25% (109) of the 146 posts in the Information Commissions lying vacant. In 2015, as against 142 posts created, 111 Information Commissioners (including Chief Information Commissioners) were working across the country.

The report states, large-sized SICs have huge pendency. Thus, while 47% of the serving Chief Information Commissioners and ICs are situated in seven states -Haryana (11), Karnataka, Punjab

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and Uttar Pradesh (9 each), Central Information Commission, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu (7 each) -- six of these Commissions are saddled with 72% of the pending appeals and complaints across the country.

The report continues, bias towards bureaucrats in appointments has grown, with 90% of the Information Commissions headed by retired civil servants.

It adds, more than 43% of the Information Commissioners are from civil services background.

"This is the trend despite the Supreme Court’s directive in 2013 to identify candidates in other fields of specialisation mentioned in the RTI Act for appointment", complains CHRI's senior RTI activist VenkateshNayak.

According to the report, only 8.25% of the serving SCICs and ICs are women. There are only nine women in all the Information Commissions put together, and of these, three are retired civil servants.

The report regrets, the websites of SICs of Madhya Pradesh and Bihar cannot be detected on any Internet browser, adding, the SICs of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have not published any annual report so far. Jharkhand and Kerala SICs each have six pending annual reports. And Punjab has five and Andhra Pradesh, four pending reports.

Despite the absence of their latest annual reports, the Central Government (57.43 lakhs/5.74 million) and the State Governments of Maharashtra (54.95 lakhs/5.49 million) and Karnataka (20.73 lakhs/2.07 million) continue to top the list of jurisdictions receiving the most number of information requests, the report says, adding, Gujarat (9.86 lakhs) recorded more RTI applications than neighbouring Rajasthan (8.55 lakhs) where the demand for RTI has emerged from the grassroots.

It continues, despite having much lower levels of literacy, Chhattisgarh (6.02 lakh) logged more RTI applications than the 100% literate Kerala (5.73 lakhs).

Despite being much smaller sized States, Himachal Pradesh (4.24 lakhs), Punjab (3.60 lakhs) and Haryana (3.32 lakhs) registered more RTI applications each than the geographically bigger State of Odisha (2.85 lakhs).

—Source: Counterview, 13 March, 2018. www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082

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SPECIAL ARTICLE

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“Merchants of death” ultimate winners in military conflicts

By Thalif Deen

U

NITED NATIONS, Mar 13, 2018 (IPS) - In most military conflicts worldwide, the ultimate winners are not one of the warring parties– but the world’s prolific arms traders, described by peace activists as “merchants of death”.

While fighting keeps escalating, the hunger for conventional weapons continues unabated, as exemplified in several ongoing battles.

The conflicts include the six-year civil war in Syria where multiple warring factions are being armed either by the US, Russia or Iran; the three-year armed conflict in Yemen where American weapons are being used indiscriminately by Saudi Arabia, mostly against civilians; and the simmering 50-year old IsraeliPalestinian conflict which has transformed the heavilyarmed Jewish state into a formidable military power described as far superior to the collective might of all the Arab states put together.

And arms are also pouring uninterruptedly into Egypt, Libya, Lebanon, Iran, India, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The weapons of war include sophisticated jet fighters, combat helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, missiles, warships, battle tanks, armoured personnel carriers, heavy artillery and small arms.

According to a new study, released March 12 by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the world’s five major arms suppliers include the four permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) – namely the US, Russia France and China– plus Germany (which is engaged in a longstanding battle for a permanent seat in the UNSC).

Together, these five biggest exporters, have accounted for about 74 per cent of all arms exports during 2013–17, according to the latest SIPRI figures.

The fifth permanent member of the UNSC, namely Britain, – which finalized an estimated $5 billion dollar arms agreement with Saudi Arabia for the sale of 48 Typhoon jet fighters last week, as reported in the Wall Street Journal March 10 — is not far behind. The proposed agreement also involves trade and investments between the two countries.

“All five permanent

members of the Security Council”, ridicules one UN diplomat, “preach the doctrine of peaceful coexistence and the principles of disarmament — while having no compunctions in simultaneously selling lethal weapons in battle zones.”

The mostly strife-torn Middle Eastern nations alone more than doubled their arms purchases over the last 10 years, says SIPRI. ‘Widespread violent conflict in the Middle East and concerns about human rights have led to political debate in Western Europe and North America about restricting arms sales,’ says Pieter Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme.

“Yet the USA and European states remain the main arms exporters to the region and supplied over 98 per cent of weapons imported by Saudi Arabia,” he noted.

Wezeman told IPS the current ongoing violent conflicts in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Sinai, Libya, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Turkey– and the prevalent view that military force is an important, if not the main instrument to deal with these conflicts– are major

reasons for the demand for arms in the region.

In addition, he pointed out, these conflicts are closely linked to the aspirations of several states to be regional powers, in particular Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iran, Qatar and Turkey, which in turn, leads to deeply entrenched threat perceptions between Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran, and between Israel and Iran.

In addition, he said, the rapidly developed deep rift between Saudi Arabia together with the UAE, on the one hand, and Qatar on the other, shows once again how fast new tensions can develop in the region, even between states that were military allies only shortly before.

“Preparing for such unforeseen tensions is likely to be a motive for regimes in the region to modernize, or as in the case of Qatar, rapidly expand their arsenals. The fast pace of arms procurement by several countries in the region risks becoming a multi-facetted and asymmetric regional arms race,” Wezeman declared.

Arms supplying states, he noted, have shown little signs of restraint aimed at cooling off the situation. The

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economic, and partly, the perceived security benefits of arms exports, remain a driving force for continuing aggressive arms marketing in the region.

Such marketing, he said, also plays into other non-security or power aspirations related reasons for arms procurement, namely prestige and the opportunities that arms procurement offers for corruption Dr. Natalie J. Goldring, Senior Fellow with the Security Studies Program in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, told IPS “the new SIPRI data on the global arms trade represent good news for arms dealers and bad news for the rest of us.”

The new data, she pointed out, confirm a disturbing trend, with the United States widening its lead over Russia, the world’s second largest arms exporter from 2013-2017.

She said the United States retains its title as “the leading merchant of death”. US manufacturers supplied more than a third of the value of the major conventional weapons delivered around the world from 2013-2017, the period covered by this report.

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“Merchants of death” ultimate...

“The situation isn’t likely to get better any time soon, with a report from Reuters earlier this year indicating that the Trump Administration plans to loosen controls on weapons exports and task embassy officials with being more active in pursuing sales”.

This initiative is reportedly a “Buy American” plan, which effectively treats weapons as if they were simply another consumer commodity.

“It seems clear that President Trump is going to continue the unfortunate pattern of previous administrations, exercising little control over US weapons exports.

Rather than seeing the risks inherent in unfettered arms transfers, he merely seems to see dollar signs,” said Dr Goldring, who also represents the Acronym Institute at the United Nations on conventional weapons and arms trade issues.

One hopeful sign, she pointed out, is that “Congress is taking a more critical look at some US arms exports. Last summer, for example, the US Senate fell just three

votes short on a resolution to block a sale of precisionguided munitions to Saudi Arabia. That more critical perspective should also be applied to sales of major conventional weapons to Saudi Arabia.”

“SIPRI reports that arms transfers to the Middle East have doubled in the last decade. If more weapons made people safer, the Middle East should be a remarkably peaceful place.

The opposite seems closer to the truth, with continued conflict across the region,” Dr Goldring declared.

Meanwhile, India was the world’s largest importer of major arms in 2013–17 and accounted for 12 per cent of the global total. Saudi Arabia was the world’s second largest arms importer, with arms imports increasing by 225 per cent compared with 2008–12, according to SIPRI. Arms imports by Egypt— the third largest importer in 2013–17—grew by 215 per cent between 2008–12 and 2013–17. The United Arab Emirates was the fourth largest importer in 2013–17, while Qatar (the 20th largest arms importer) increased its arms imports and signed several major deals in that

period.

‘The tensions between India, on the one side, and Pakistan and China, on the other, are fuelling India’s growing demand for major weapons, which it remains unable to produce itself,’ said Wezeman.

By contrast, he said, China is becoming increasingly capable of producing its own weapons and continues to strengthen its relations with Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar through arms supplies.

Asked about the driving force for arms purchases in the Middle East, Wezeman told IPS the data SIPRI collects about arms transfers for military use includes paramilitary forces, such as militarised police or so-called ‘internal security forces’, which exist in most if not all states in the Middle East, including for example, the Federal Police in Iraq and the National Guard in Saudi Arabia.

He said more or less all countries in the region are involved in armed conflicts.

Many both in internal conflict and in military interventions outside their borders.

The use of heavy arms in

internal conflict is common in Turkish operations against Kurdish groups; by the different groups in Syria;

by US and European forces against the Islamic State (IS); by Egyptian forces in the Sinai; by Israel against Hezbollah and Hamas; and in Iraq and Yemen.

Therefore, demand for arms in the region is driven by an increased demand for weapons by all military actors. The largest deals in terms of value are usually for the regular armed forces, he added.

For example, in Saudi Arabia, the import of combat aircraft and their armaments account for the bulk of the arms imports. These aircraft are heavily used against the comparatively lightly armed Houthi rebels in Yemen, he added.

Deals for arms intended for use in internal operations, against rebel forces or even against unarmed opposition can also be substantial.

A typical example, Wezeman pointed out, is the sale of a large number of armoured vehicles made in Canada for the Saudi National Guard, worth over

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The weapons of war include sophisticated jet fighters, combat helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, missiles, warships, battle tanks, armoured personnel carriers, heavy artillery and small arms. $10 billion.

The deal has become the subject of major debate in Canada, as critics have argued that earlier-delivered Canadian armoured vehicles were used in 2017 by the National Guard against the Shiite minority in Saudi Arabia.

The writer can be contacted at thalifdeen@ips.org

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Bangladesh’s garment industry boom leaving workers behind D

By Naimul Haq

HAKA, Feb 9 2018 (IPS) - Although Bangladesh has made remarkable recent strides like building green factories and meeting stringent safety standards, garment workers here are still paid one of the lowest minimum wages in the world.

While the fashion industry thrives in the West, the workers who form the backbone of the 28-billiondollar annual garment industry in Bangladesh struggle to survive on wages barely above the poverty line.

Meanwhile, annual export earnings in Bangladesh from the industry grew from about 9.3 billion dollars in 2007 to 28.6 billion in 2016.

Encouraged by the growth, Bangladesh has set a target of exporting 50 billion dollars’ worth of apparel annually by 2021, yet the vision mentions no plans to improve workers’ living conditions.

Out of Bangladesh’s 166 million people, 31 percent live below the national poverty line of two dollars per day. The current minimum wage for a factory worker is 5,300 Taka (about 64 dollars), up from 3,000 Taka in 2013.

As the world’s second largest ready-made garments producer, Bangladesh attracts top labels and companies like Pierre Cardin, Hugo Boss, Wal-Mart, GAP and Levi Strauss, mostly from North America, Europe and very recently Australia, seeking cheap labour.

After the tragic Rana Plaza building collapse in 2013, which took 1,134 lives, top buyers gradually increased investment in infrastructure to as much as 400 million dollars in the 2015-16 fiscal year alone to ensure safer working conditions. However, local industry owners have failed to make corresponding improvements to their workers’ quality of life, 85 percent of whom are women.

Research by the international aid group Oxfam shows that only two percent of the price of an item of clothing sold in Australia, for example, goes to pay the factory workers

who made it.

The picture is even worse when it comes to living, food, transport, healthcare and education for the 4.5 million workers employed in about 4,600 vibrant factories. The Oxfam report revealed grim poverty conditions and calculated that a top fashion industry CEO earned in four days the lifetime pay of a factory worker.

There are a number of issues at play, including lack of unity among the 16 trade unions, political pressure by the industry owners, loopholes in the national labour laws and misunderstanding about practical living wages and theoretical minimum wages. , President of the Sommilito Garment Sramik Federation fighting for women’s rights in the garment industry for over three decades, told IPS, “Most buyers have a business perspective on the ready-made garments industry here in Bangladesh.

Their interests are widely on exploiting cheap labour.

“The wages should be fixed on the basis of human rights and not negotiate with what the entrepreneurs can offer. Wages are not part of a business, which is why globally it has set obligatory fees like covering cost of basics – living, food, healthcare, education and transport.”

The garment workers’ organisations are demanding Taka 16,000 (about 192 dollars) as the minimum monthly wage, citing rising costs of living. In January, the government formed a panel to initiate what it says will be a permanent wage board and promised

to issue recommendations in six months. The unions also plan to seek pay grades depending on the category of worker.

Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Project Director, RMG Study Project and Research Director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), told IPS, “The disturbing low wages still paid to the RMG (ReadyMade Garments) industry workers is largely due to lack of clear definition of wages in the labour laws. As a result, it is very difficult to negotiate raise in wages for the workers.”

Moazzem, who also led a team of researchers in conducting a detailed study titled New Dynamics in Bangladesh’s Apparels Enterprises: Perspectives on Restructuring, Upgradation and Compliance Assurance, says, “There are nine indicators of wages as defined in the labour law. Unfortunately, except two, the rest are not made public. So it seems that the laws are themselves very complex and misleading on how to define what is low and what is high income. In such a situation we suggest following International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) set definition of wages.”

Dr Nazneen Ahmed, a senior research fellow of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), told IPS, “Wages in Bangladesh are still the lowest of major garment manufacturing countries. A large proportion of the RMG products of Bangladesh still can be categorized as lowend products and so the brands continue seeking low-cost labour, though they are unskilled.”

Ahmed, who carried out a detailed study on improving wages and working conditions in the Bangladeshi garment sector, explained that while a higher wage for workers is desirable, they would lead to gradual loss of the RMG market in the days of global competition. A sudden increase in wages would also trigger other industries to seek wage hikes.

“I suggest a separate pay scale for the RMG sector workers which would have a separate wage board to suggest the increases. But most effective would be to have a regular system of yearly wage increases according to rate of inflation. At the same time, we should also look at increasing production of the factory units by enhancing the skills of the workers who will be paid higher wages.

“Therefore I refer to as having a technology advancement plan. If the ‘skilled’ workers are capacitated through regular skill development training programmes, the entrepreneurs would then be able to make more profit and so in such situation I believe the industry owners would not hesitate to pay a higher salary.”

Rahman, General Secretary of the IndustriALL Global Union, Bangladesh Chapter (IBC), told IPS, “The minimum wages fixed for any worker at entry level is absolutely unacceptable. I don’t blame the [industry] owners for this. I rather hold the union leaders responsible for their lack of unity and one voice for this situation. The demand for minimum wages should be realistic for survival of any human being.”

Rahman says, “Sadly, today we have 16 RMG workers’ organizations that have separate voices and ideologies. For such reason the entrepreneurs take advantages of lack of understanding among the workers representatives.”

Rahman explains that they proposed Tk 16,000 as minimum wage to the newly formed wage board based on a number of surveys which suggest that a worker requires a minimum of Tk 19,000 for food, shelter, transport, healthcare and other basic needs.

“I believe this is very

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practical and fair proposal as it is merited with evidence on a minimum living standard,” says Rahman.

Dr Zahid Hussain, a lead economist in the South Asia Finance and Poverty group of the World Bank, told IPS, “Most people naturally focus on wages as a cost of production for business.

The significance of wages as a cost is one component of what economists call ‘real unit labour cost”’. This is the cost of employing a person in terms of the value of the goods and services a business would produce.

It depends on two things.

The first is the real wage – the purchasing power of the worker’s pay packet, which brings into play prices of goods and services.

“The second is the productivity of the worker – how much the worker produces over a given time,” he explained. “The real cost of employing a person over time depends on how these two things change. If productivity is growing, then the real wage can grow without an increase in the real cost of labor for business. But productivity also depends on investment. Changes in technology that allow for greater productivity are often embodied in the new plant and equipment that firms invest in.

“What governs investment? A simple answer points to the expected rate of return on the investment relative to the cost of capital. So the bottom line is the following: just increasing minimum wage without addressing the constraints on investment and its financing will most likely kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. The whole issue of ensuring a better quality of life for the workers needs to be approached holistically such that productivity increases in tandem with wages.”

Siddiqur Rahman, President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), told IPS that the industry has been offering minimum wages to factory workers considering inflation and efficiency of the workers.

“We do not do any injustice to any of our workers,” Rahman insisted.

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south asia 28 South Asia Timestimes

finance

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Which Insurance Policy Is Best For You? – Part 1

BY Balki Balakrishnan

I

n the last few articles in this newspaper we identified the types of personal risk insurance you should consider having and the risks to your current wealth and future income if you don’t have the right types of insurance and amount of cover.

Briefly, the types of cover you should consider having are Life, Total & Permanent Disability (TPD), Trauma, Income Protection and Child trauma covers. As we have seen before some of these types of covers can be organized within your super environment and the others outside the super environment. You can also organize some covers, for e.g.

Income Protection, partly within the super environment and partly in non-super environment.

When considering your insurance you should know about ‘Group’ and ‘Retail’ insurance policies and be mindful of the difference between them.

The next series of articles will cover this important aspect of insurance.

‘Group’ insurance as the name suggests is a pooled insurance product provided at large by your superannuation fund or your employer. The insurance is offered to a group of people. The agreement is between the Trustee of the super fund or the employer and the insurer. Most of the Australians, hold a default cover offered by their super fund when they commence contributing to a fund. The default covers mostly will be for Life and TPD (any occupation definition) and in some cases may be for Income Protection as well. The terms and conditions and the features of these covers are agreed to by the super fund and the insurer and therefore could be significantly different from one super fund to another. Therefore, if you have your super in more than one fund and have group insurance

policies in them you may be covered under different terms and conditions.

‘Retail’ insurance is a product offered by an insurer, often designated as retail insurers, to the life insured. The policies are channeled via financial advisors and are obtained after receiving proper insurance advice and thus you purchase a product after due diligence.

As a Financial Advisor I speak to a lot of clients who believe they have adequate and the right types of insurance in their super.

What they do not realize is that the insurance offered through a super fund may not provide an adequate, appropriate types, and levels of cover to an individual.

So, what is the best insurance policy for you? Is group insurance you have within your super fund is enough for your needs? Should you need to seriously consider retail insurance or a combination of both group and retail insurance policies?

Firstly, you need to understand the advantages and disadvantages of ‘Group’ and ‘Retail’ insurance policies.

Let us look at some of the advantages of group insurance.

The premiums are in general cheaper compared to ‘Retail’. The pricing of the insurance product is done at the group as a whole.

However, you should note that the gap between group and retail premiums are shrinking.

In some cases, it might be even cheaper to organize insurance

covers with a ‘Retail’ insurer with super link policies. You will be better off by consulting a Financial Advisor on this.

Individuals who may not be able to get cover or can only get covers with loadings and exclusions are able to access the default minimal cover in group insurance.

You will be most likely given the option to purchase group insurance policy at the time of joining a super fund on employment. The human resources department in your organization will help you with the application and make the process simple.

Normally you don’t have to go through an underwriting process for the default covers offered.

The default covers are also called automatic acceptance levels.

Underwriting for health insurance is the process of assessing the risk associated with providing health insurance coverage.

Medical underwriting involves an examination and analysis of an individual’s medical condition, assessing the risk and ensuring that the cost of the cover offered (premium) is proportionate to the risks faced by the individual.

During this process if any medical condition is observed that may deem to be of high risk, the insurer may increase the premium from normal (insurance premium loading), or eliminate coverage for certain types of risks (insurance exclusion) or both or simply decline to insure the

individual for particular type(s) of insurance.

There are a few disadvantages in group insurance. What are they?

You don’t have any control on the terms and condition of the policy. These terms and conditions can also be changed any time upon an agreement between your super fund and the insurer. Therefore, the terms and conditions may not suit your individual needs when you commence your cover and may also become irrelevant in the future if the terms and conditions of the policy are changed.

The policy will also have restrictive features thus making it harder for you to make a successful claim. The policy also will have reduced options, for e.g. with Income Protection the benefit period (how long the benefit will be paid) and waiting period (how long you can chose to wait before benefits are paid) etc. may be restricted to fewer choices.

The default covers are normally unitized and the amount of cover is determined based on your age, current occupation, and wages. The cover amounts are determined in general by life stage approach and the cover amount will decrease as you age.

This may not be an outcome you want.

Typically only ‘stepped’ premium structure will be offered where the premiums are cheaper in the initial years and increases significantly over time.

In general, TPD will be linked to Life. What it means is that if you make a TPD claim and is successful, the Life cover will be automatically reduced by the amount of payout. You may not be able to buy back the Life cover and restore it to its original amount.

The TPD payout may be tied to rehabilitation processes you may have to go through.

The definition by which TPD is determined could change if you are unemployed.

We will see in the next article the advantages and disadvantages of ‘Retail’ insurance policies.

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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southSouth asia times 29 Asia Times

India’s Ramco Systems to setup state-of the-art innovation centre in Melbourne

By SAT News Desk

M

ELBOURNE, 15 March: The Andrews Labor Government is attracting new investments from top technology players in India with majorsoftware group Ramco Systems today announcing it will set up a state-of the-art innovation centre in Melbourne.

Ramco, which already has its Oceania headquarters in Melbourne, will set up a Workforce Innovation Centredeveloping new technologies in artificial intelligence, facial recognition, language processing and interactivetechnologies like virtual assistants and chatbots.

Minister for Trade and Investment Philip Dalidakis made the announcement today at Ramco Systems’

Chennaiheadquarters.

The Minister said, “While our relationship with China is important, we need to diversify and create new partnerships throughoutSouth Asia so that our economy can continue to grow.”

“We’re strengthening our relationships with India

and Sri Lanka and through our new India strategy we will attract even more investment, more tourists and boost exports to create jobs for Victorians, “he said.

Mr Dalidakis is currently leading a trade mission to India and Sri Lanka which will strengthen Victoria’s ties withthe region in

sectors including digital technology, education, research and sports technologies. He is the firstsitting Victorian Minister to visit Chennai in an official capacity.

Mr Dalidakis also announced a major collaboration between Deakin University and the Indian Institute ofTechnology Madras.

The two will join forces to establish a new centre of excellence in metallurgy and additivemanufacturing.

The new Deakin IIT Madras Centre of Excellence in Metallurgy and Additive Manufacturing builds on the 10-yearrelationship between the two institutions and will offer PhD programs and drive research in light, strong and hightemperature materials.

India and Sri Lanka are key markets for Victoria’s

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booming international education industry. More than 200,000Indian students have been educated in Australia over the last decade and Sri Lanka is one of our fastest growingmarkets – growing by 33 per cent since 2016.

Mr Dalidakis also met with key Indian business leaders including biotech pioneer Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, whowas recently announced as a Victorian Business Ambassador and is already connecting local businesses with theIndian health and biotech sectors so they can expand into new markets and create local jobs.

Premier Daniel Andrews recently released Victoria’s India strategy which sets out plans to double the value ofVictoria’s trade ties with India to almost $1 billion over the next decade.

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SUNDAY Language Programs Hindi..................................9 am to 10 am – 93.1 FM BANGLA Urdu................................10 am to 11 am – 93.1 FM Sydney 97.7 FM & SBS Radio 2 Tamil...............................11 am to 12 pm – 93.1 FM Melbourne 93.1 FM & SBS Radio 2 Hindi.................................8 pm to 10 pm – 88.3 FM Monday & Saturday Singhalese.......................8 pm to 11 pm –97.7 FM 6-7 PM GUJARATI MONDA Y Sydney 97.7 FM & SBS Radio 2 Hindi....................................3 to 4 pm – 93.1 FM Melbourne 93.1 FM & SBSPm Radio Bengali...............................4 pm to 5 pm – 93.1 FM Wednesday & Friday 4-5 PM Hindi...................................6 pm to 8 pm – 88.3 FM Indian (Fiji)..................................6 pm to 8 pm 88.3 HINDI Punjabi........................1 1 am to 12 Sydney 97.7 FM & SBS Radio 2 noon 92.3 FM Melbourne 93.1 FM & SBS Radio 2

Daily TUESDAY 5 PM Hindi.....................................

6 am to 8 am – 97.7 FM Hindi....................................

2 pm to 4 pm – 97.7 FM kannada Sydney SBS Radio 3

Melbourne SBS Radio 3 WEDNESDAY Tuesday 3-4 PM Hindi.................................... .6 am to 8 am – 97.7 FM Hindi.........................................

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5.30 am to 7 am – 97.7 FM Sydney 97.7 FM & SBS Radio 2 9 pm – 92.3 FM Tamil....................................

8 pm to Melbourne 93.1 FM & SBS Radio 2 Sinhalese..........................

Monday & Saturday 1 1 pm to 3 am –92.3 FM Punjabi.............................

9 pm to 10 pm – 93.1 FM 9-10 PM SINHALESE FRIDAY Sydney 97.7 FM & SBS Radio 2 Indian.................................. .8 am to 92am – 88.3 FM Melbourne 93.1 FM & SBS Radio Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri

11AM-12 PM SATURDAY Sinhalese............................ 7 am to 8 am – 92.3 FM TAMIL TSydney amil.....................................

12-12.30 97.7 FM & SBS Radio 2 pm – 88.3 FM Indian....................................

5 am to 62am - 92.3 FM Melbourne 93.1 FM & SBS Radio Sun, Mon, Wed, Sat Punjabi..........................................

12-2 am – 92.3 FM 8-9 PM Indian................................

9 pm to 10 pm – 92.3 FM Punjabi..................................................

11 pm to 1 am urdu Sydney 97.7 FM & SBS Radio24/7 2 Radio stations Melbourne FM & SBS Radio (Subscription) 2 Indian Link93.1 Radio Wednesday & Sunday 18000 15 8 47 6-7 PM Radio Santa Banta (Internet) Santabanta.com.au WORLD NEWS AUSTRALIA RADIO SydneyJhankar 1107AM88.6 & SBSFM; Radio 1 Thursday; 8 to Radio Every Melbourne 1224AM & SBS Radio 1 10 pm; Contact: 94668900 or 0411247320 or Monday & Friday 9404 2111 6-7 am & 6-7 PM

South Asian websiteS India TEHELKA – www.tehelka.com OUTLOOK – www.outlookindia.com FRONTLINE- www.flonnet.com THE HINDU: www.hinduonnet.com TIMES OF INDIA: www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com HINDUSTAN TIMES: www.hindustantimes.com Pakistan DAWN: www.dawn.com THE FRIDAY TIMES: www.thefridaytimes.com THE NEWS INTERENATIONAL: www.thenews.com.pk Sri Lanka DAILY MIRROR: www.dailymirror.lk DAILY NEWS: www.dailynews.lk THE ISLAND: www.island.lk Nepal THE HIMALAYAN TIMES: www.thehimalayantimes.com KANTIPUR NATIONAL DAILY:

PLACES OF WORSHIP HINDU Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple 57 Boundary Rd, Carrum Downs, Melbourne, Vic 3201, Ph: 03 9782 0878; Fax: 03 9782 0001 Website: www.hsvshivavishnu.org.au Sri Vakratunda Vinayaka Temple 1292 - 1294, The Mountain Highway, The Basin, Vic 3154, Ph: 03 9792 1835 Melbourne Murugan Temple 17-19 Knight Ave., Sunshine VIC 3020 Ph: 03 9310 9026 Durga Temple (Durga Bhajan Mandali) Neales Road, Rockbank, Vic 3335 Ph: 03 9747 1628 or Mobile: 0401 333 738 Hare Krishna (ISKCON) Temple 197 Danks Street, Middle Park Vic 3206 Ph: (03) 9699 5122 Email: 100237.354@compuserve.com Hare Krishna New Nandagram Rural Community Oak Hill, Dean’s Marsh Rd., Bambra VIC 3241, Ph: (052) 887383 Fax: (052) 887309 Kundrathu Kumaran Temple 139 Gray Court, ROCKBANK Victoria 3335 Ph: 03-9747 1135 or M: 0450 979 023 http://www.kumarantemple.org.au/

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SHEPPARTON Gurdwara Sahib Shepparton 240 Doyles Road, Shepparton VICTORIA 3603 PH: (03) 5821 9309

JAIN Melbourne Shwetambar Jain Sangh Inc 3 Rice Street, Moorabbin, Vic - 3189, Australia. Phone: +61 3 9555 2439 info@melbournejainsangh.org http://www.melbournejainsangh.org

Melbourne West Mosque 66-68 Jeffcott Street, Melbourne Ph: 03 9328 2067

Indian Consulate Address: 344, St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia P.O. Box No: 33247 Domain LPO Vic 3004 Consular Enquiries: +61-3-9682 5800 (9.30am-12.30noon only) General Enquiries (other than Consular): +61-3- 9682 7836 Fax No:+ 61-3- 9696 8251 Email: consular@cgimelb.org Web site: www.cgimelb.org

Broadmeadows Mosque 45-55 King Street, Broadmeadows Ph 03 9359 0054 Islamic Call Society 19 Michael Street, Brunswick Ph: 03 9387 7100 Islamic Centre of Australia 660 Sydney Road, Brunswick Ph 03 9385 8423

Indian Consulate Consular services are handled by VFS Global Visa / Passport / PCC / IDLV / PIO / OCI services contact VFS +61 2 8223 9909.

Address: Part 4 Suite, Level 12, 55 Swanston Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 Site : www.vfsglobal.com/india/australia/

Australian Islamic Cultural Centre 46-48 Mason Street, Campbellfield Ph: 03 9309 7605 Coburg ISNA Mosque 995 Sydney Road, Coburg North

Services handled by Indian Consulate Melbourne itself: OCI Misc. services, Registration of Birth, Birth Certificate, Renunciation of Indian Citizenship, Surrender of Indian Passport, New Passport Details on PIO, Transfer of Valid Visas, Marriage Certificate, Affidavit for Applying Child’s Passport in India, Documents Attestation.)

Coburg Mosque (Fatih Mosque) 31 Nicholson Street, Coburg Ph 03 9386 5324 Deer Park Mosque 283 Station Road, Deer Park Ph 03 9310 8811 United Migrant Muslim Assn.

72 George Road, Doncaster Ph 03 9842 6491, Footscray West Mosque 294 Essex Street, Footscray

SIKH

Heidelberg Mosque Corner Lloyd & Elloits Streets, West Heidelberg

CRAIGIEBURN Sri Guru Singh Sabha 344 Hume Highway, Craigieburn VICTORIA 3164 (see map), Ph: (03) 9305 6511 KEYSBOROUGH Gurdwara Sri Guru Granth Sahib 198 -206 Perry Road, Keysborough VICTORIA 3073 (see map) LYNBROOK Nanaksar Taath, 430 Evans Road, Lynbrook VICTORIA 3975, (03) 9799 1081 HOPPERS CROSSING Sri Guru Nanak Satsang Sabha 417 Sayers Road, Hoppers Crossing VICTORIA 3029, Ph: (03) 9749 2639 WERRIBEE Gurdwara Sahib Werribee 560 Davis Road, Tarneit VICTORIA 3029 PH: (03) 8015 4707

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9224 2222

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MUSLIM

Sankat Mochan Temple 1289 A North Road. Huntingdale Morning: 10.30 am – 12.30 pm daily Evening: 4:30 pm – 8.00 pm daily Site: http: www.sankatmochan.org.au Contact: 0427 274 462

BLACKBURN Sri Guru Nanak Satsang Sabha 127 Whitehorse Road, Blackburn VICTORIA 3130, Ph: (03) 9894 1800

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Glenroy Musala 1st Floor, 92 Wheatsheaf Road, Glenroy

Islamic College of Victoria (Mosque) 201 Sayers Road, Hoppers Crossing Ph 03 9369 6010 Huntingdale Mosque 320-324 Huntingdale Road, Huntingdale Ph 03 9543 8037

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Al Nur Mosque 34-36 Studley Street, Maidstone Meadow Heights Mosque Hudson Circuit, Meadow Heights

4 Timbarra Crescent, O’Malley ACT 2606 (Australia), Tel: 61-2-62901676, 61-2-62901676, 62902769, 62901879 & 62901031, Fax: 61-262901073 Email: parepcanberra@internode. on.net, Postal Address: PO Box 684, Mawson ACT 2607 (Australia)

Springvale Mosque 68 Garnworthy Street, Springvale

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Victoria State Emergency Service (SES).......................................

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Student Welfare Officer in the Indian Consulate Melbourne Consulate General of India, Melbourne Address: 344, St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC – 3000 Phone: 03-96826203 Fax: 03-96968251 Email: cgo@cgimelb.org Website: www.cgimelb.orgExternal website that opens in a new window Contact person for Students welfare: Mr. Nirmal K. Chawdhary Designation: Deputy Consul General Mobile: 0430020828

Sri Lanka Consulate 000

132 500 13 11 70

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contd from previous page Bangladesh High Commission, Canberra 43, Culgoa Circuit, O’Malley, ACT-2606 Canberra, Australia, Ph: (61-2) 6290-0511, (61-2) 6290-0522, (61-2)6290-0533 (Auto hunting).

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Greening India for a sustainable tomorrow

By Frank Rijsberman

S

EOUL, Mar 12 2018 (IPS) - Actions taken today in the pursuit of environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive growth path in India stand to benefit more than 17 percent of the world’s population. A sustainable future for India carries an impact for the subcontinent and the entire world.

At GGGI – the Global Green Growth Institute – our attention is captured by the impressive economic performance of India and the progress of its more than 1.32 billion people toward improved household incomes and welfare. At a consistent annual GDP growth rate of around 7 percent, environmental sustainability and social inclusivity of growth are our highest priority concerns.

However, given India’s tremendous growth potential, it is important to incorporate green solutions for sustaining the pace of growth. Green low carbon solutions are of paramount importance in extending India’s service delivery of clean water, sanitation and energy for all. This goes hand in hand to ensure resilience of India’s ecology, its capacity to adapt to climate change impact, and enabling marginal

segments of the population to participate in the mainstream economy and the emerging opportunities.

Policy choices are important for achieving the goal of resilient ecosystems. Robust and growing economies have rapidly increasing energy demands. As the third largest energy consumer in the world, India is making substantial interventions in improving energy access through schemes such as DeenDayalUpadhyay Gram JyotiYojna for rural electrification and SAUBHAGYA for intensive household electrification.

However, as energy consumption grows in India and access of about 50 million additional households become a reality, India’s decisions on ways of powering its economy will have farreaching consequences on its sustainability.

Use of modern technology to reduce emissions is a game changer in the pursuit of an inclusive and environmentally sustainable growth path. The collaboration between GGGI, Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation and other stakeholders to introduce the first electric buses to India is an example of how local level innovation can yield positive results in energy efficiency. The

success of this project is in line with the country’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) commitments to reduce its carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency.

Successfully sustained green growth projects, such as Bengaluru electric bus project, have at least two important impacts:They demonstrate success case and the value of national government championing priority sustainability issues; and more importantly, they highlight the longer-term benefits and the more resilient rates of return of green projects that can attract more investment for funding their scaling up.

GGGI understands the importance of facilitating finance for programs to harness benefits of green technology solutions in electrification of the country. We are supporting design and financial structuring of a debt fund for the off-grid energy sector. These sources can help increase the capacity of India’s electricity network. We will continue to develop innovative financing schemes to draw more actors into these effort, especially small and medium enterprises that ordinarily see the overwhelming risks to get involved.

Development institutions and governments must collaborate to achieve their shared aims. India has taken a commendable step in this direction through the International Solar Alliance. As an international organization devoted to collaboration and partnerships, at GGGI, we stand with the Indian Government. GGGI’s experience places an accent on the compounding benefits from working together to successfully and rapidly ramp up India’s electrification network and particularly to increase the presence of solar solutions in extending electrification services country-wide, including to the most marginal households.

At GGGI, we envision a healthy ecosystem of investors, lenders, and development institutions sharing the financial burden. We aim to increase the number of investors and funding committed to increasing low-carbon and climate-resilient investments. The capital itself exits. The New Climate Economy report says the Investor Platform for Climate Actions has attracted investors with a combined $125 trillion assets. This can help governments across the world not to rely solely on budgetary resources.

The task today is to ensure that countries take

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bold steps to commit to reducing emissions to accomplish their carbon emission reduction goals.

We encourage ambitious targets and offer the necessary support for implementation. With India’s commitment tosustainability, technology transfer and capacity building are essential ingredients to its green ambitionsand the International Solar Alliance presents an important opportunity to share knowledge among the partnership.

GGGI will work closely with countries in the ISA.We will leverage our lessons from the renewable energy sector in India and elsewhere and provide a platform for learningamong countries in the region and the world. With these efforts, and support from the governments to incorporate low carbon technology and green policy choices to enable the release of the benefits of cleaner air and extended sustainable services access we envision a sustainable greener planet.

The International Solar Alliance sets our expectations high for a sustainable future for India, the continent and the world as our resolve in sustainable growth momentum accelerates through this global partnership.

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southSouth asia times 35 Asia Times

Internet rreedom rapidly degrading P

By Pascal Laureyn

HNOM PENH, Feb 15 2018 (IPS) Researchers recently evaluated 65 countries which represent 87 percent of internet users globally. Half of them experienced a decline of internet freedom. China, Syria and Ethiopia are the least free. Estonia, Iceland and Canada enjoy the most freedom online.

The most remarkable evolution comes from Southeast Asia. A few years ago, this was a promising region. The economy was growing, democracy was on the rise. Malaysia had free elections, Indonesia started an anti-corruption campaign and the social rights of Cambodian garment workers were improving.

"A few years ago, social media were safe havens for activists. But today these media companies are too cooperative with the autocratic regimes." --Ed Legaspi of the Southeast Asian Press Alliance Internet helped these movements grow,” says Madeline Earp, Asia research analyst with Freedom House. “All kinds of organisations and media started using internet more and more. That was hopeful.”

Today, democratisation has faltered. A military coup in Thailand and the dissolution of an opposition party in Cambodia are just two examples of autocratic governments resisting change.

Censorship, arrests and violence According to the report, seven of the eight Southeast Asian countries researched have become less free in the last year.

“Censorship is on the rise and internet freedom is declining,” Earp says. “Myanmar and Cambodia were the biggest disappointments.”

Recently, journalists were arrested in Myanmar. Fake news spreads hate speech and incites violence against Muslims. Today, Myanmar has more journalists in prison then in the last years of the military regime.

In Cambodia, an independent newspaper was shut down. Activists who denounce illegal activities of companies are being arrested. In Thailan,d the strict lese-majeste law is used to silence opponents.

The Philippines has a growing number of ‘opinion shapers’ to push progovernment propaganda.

The only country that has improved its score is Malaysia. But Freedom House says that is mostly because of increasing internet use. Repression is not keeping up with the rapid growth. This shows that Malaysia is following a trend in Southeast Asia. The restriction on freedom of speech starts when internet use goes up.

“The Malaysian government has censored news websites. At least one Malaysian has been sentenced for a post on Facebook,” Earp adds.

The Chinese example Part of the cause is to be found in China. The influential country has the world’s least free internet for three years, according to the Freedom House report.

It uses a sophisticated surveillance system, known as the ‘Great Firewall’. An army of supervisors check on the internet use of the Chinese, from messaging apps to traffic cameras.

Related IPS Articles Digital Tools Threaten Political Campaigns in Latin America Violence in Ethiopia Stoked by Social Media

from U.S. & Nothing But the Truth: Impact of Media & Communication on Democratic Participation messages are being deleted by Chinese censors.

Sometimes that can lead to absurd situations. A newly discovered beetle was named after President Xi Jinping. But messages about this event were deleted because the predatory nature of the beetle could be insulting to the leader.

These practices play an important role in the decline of democracy in Southeast Asia. “Vietnam is copying the techniques of China,” says researcher Madeline Earp. “More bloggers and activists are being arrested because of their social media use.”

Fake news Not only censorship is an issue. In Southeast Asia, fake news is being used to eliminate opponents or to manipulate public opinion.

This is what Ed Legaspi, director of the Southeast Asian Press Alliance, explains in The Bulletin.

“Worryingly, many governments have taken advantage of existing mechanisms in social media to spread rumours and combat critical voices,” says Legaspi. “Thailand’s lese majeste law, Malaysian’s sedition act and Indonesia’s

blasphemy law have all been used to curtail online speech.”

In Myanmar, inflammatory and racist language against Muslims provokes violent outbreaks regularly. Fake news sites spread rumours about a Buddhist woman who supposedly was raped by a Muslim. This contributed to the violence towards the Rohingya, a Muslim minority. And it helps the army to get support from a large part of the public.

The role of social media cannot be underestimated.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Line, WhatsApp and WeChat are the most popular in Southeast Asia, but their initial power to spread free speech is declining.

“A few years ago, social media were safe havens for activists. But today these media companies are too cooperative with the autocratic regimes,” says Legaspi. “They do nothing to protect their users.”

Manipulated elections Various countries are organising elections this year. How these governments will deal with these moments of tension will determine the evolution of internet freedom.

Cambodia has elections with no opposition,

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"A few years ago, social media were safe havens for activists. But today these media companies are too cooperative with the autocratic regimes." --Ed Legaspi of the Southeast Asian Press Alliance.

Malaysia’s polls are heavily manipulated. Not much positive news is expected there. In Indonesia, the regional elections in June will be the first test since a fake news campaign against Jakarta’s once popular governor, Basuki ‘Ahok’ Tjahaja Purnama. He was convicted of blasphemy and jailed.

The growing knowhow of those in power is being used to improve their fortunes when elections come. Some of them already control internet use and silence activists, a sad evolution in a region that only recently seemed to be making progress.

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The Sydney Film Festival returns 6-17 June, 2018

By SAT Sydney News Desk

S

YDNEY, 7 March: Cine buffs here and all over Australia will once again be treated with world class cinema in June this year. The festival will see an array of films and expose professional film people who will make the festival worth attending.

From Wednesday 6 June to Sunday 17 June 2018, the 65th Sydney Film Festival brings the world’s best new films to Sydney for 12 days and nights of inspiring and entertaining premieres, talks, parties, international director and actor guests and more.

Sydney Film Festival Director NashenMoodley says, “2018 is already shaping up to be another incredible year for Sydney Film Festival.

Audiences will dive into 12 days of cinematic splendour, both world class features and fascinating documentaries plucked straight from Cannes, Sundance, Berlinale, and many more prestigious

festivals on the international circuit.”

Over 250 films from the four corners of the globe will screen alongside a public program of free and ticketed talks and parties that will enrich the Festival

experience. Over 150 local and international festival guests will attend the Festival, including directors, actors and industry professionals.

The Festival takes place across Greater Sydney: at

the State Theatre, Event Cinemas George Street, Dendy Opera Quays, Dendy Newtown, Randwick Ritz, Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Cremorne, Art Gallery of NSW, Casula Powerhouse, Skyline Drive-

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In Blacktown, the Festival Hub at Sydney Town Hall and SFF Outdoor Screen in Pitt Street Mall.

Submissions for the Festival are being accepted through FilmFestivalLife.

The date for international productions closed on 31 January 2018 and will close on 28 February 2018 for Australian productions and Dendy Awardsfor Australian Short Films, and 23 March 2018 for Documentary Australia Foundation Award.

The first titles in this year’s program will be announced on Wednesday 4 April, with the full festival program revealed in May 2018.

The 65th Sydney Film Festival is supported by the NSW Government through Screen NSW and Destination NSW, the Federal Government through Screen Australia and the City of Sydney. TheFestival’s Strategic Partner is the NSW Government through Destination NSW. For more information, visit: www.sff.org.au

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southSouth asia times 37 Asia Times

Cricket unites Australia, 2.3 million attended cricket in 2017-18

By SAT News Desk

M

ELBOURNE, 22 February: More than 2.3 million people attended cricket this summer, setting a new record for attendance for the sport and smashing the attendance record set last season by more than 20%, demonstrating the strength of cricket to unite Australia.

2,349,882 people attended international cricket, the KFC Big Bash League (BBL), and the Rebel Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), representing a 26% increase in attendance on the previous record, 1,863,846, set in the 2016-17 season.

In addition to the record attendances, cricket dominated the summer from a TV broadcast perspective, with impressive ratings results achieved across international and domestic formats thanks to the close collaboration between Cricket Australia and its broadcast partners.

The significant support of Australian broadcast partners, as well as that of worldwide broadcasters and the Cricket Network, meant the 2017-18 season was viewed by more people globally than in any previous year. Australian Cricket was beamed into more than 130 countries around the globe this season.

The summer was also the most digitally connected season on record as Cricket

Australia’s digital platforms recorded another year of outstanding growth, cementing Cricket Network’s position as Australia’s number one digital sports destination across the summer. The unique audience across CA’s digital properties increased by 19% in December to 2.94 million, while video views have increased by 60% globally year to date. Streaming views and minutes watched increased by an incredible 100% year-on-year, while overall subscriptions increased 60% year on year.

Cricket Australia Digital also launched the new MyCricket App, which features personalised content and messaging capability. The market leading Cricket Australia Live also introduced a new Match Day section tailored to fans in stadium, to complement its existing news, videos and live streaming content.

The international season began with the highly anticipated Commonwealth Bank Women’s Ashes Series.

A record 29,158 people attended the seven-match series, the first women’s international series to be ticketed by Cricket Australia, including a soldout first match at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field and a crowd of 12,665 at the inaugural women’s DayNight Test at North Sydney Oval.

Total viewership across

the six matches broadcast on Channel Nine reached just over 4 million, with the final One-Day International televised on the main channel attracting a significant audience, providing further indication of the growing appetite for the women’s game.

The Women’s Ashes delivered 4.5M minutes watched across CA’s digital platforms. Fans around the world could also enjoy every ball of the action, including Ellyse Perry’s recording-breaking unbeaten 213, thanks to the worldclass livestream broadcast of the Commonwealth Bank Day-Night Test at North Sydney Oval.

1,154,321 people attended the Magellan Ashes Series and Gillette One-Day International Series, both contested against England, as well as the Gillette T20INTL Tri-Series between Australia, England, and New Zealand. The Magellan Ashes on its own attracted 866,732 fans, making it the second most-attended Test series on Australian soil, following the 1936-37 Ashes series.

Attendance highlights included the 199,147 fans at the Magellan Day-Night Ashes Test, the most attended match ever at Adelaide Oval, the 252,672 people who packed into the MCG, the second largest crowd for a Boxing Day Test, and the sold-out crowd of 53,781 that attended the

Perth ODI, the first sporting event to be hosted at Optus Stadium.

The record attendances were supported by strong TV ratings across the men’s international series, with an average of 1,291,128 million watching the Test, ODI, and T20INTL matches on the Nine Network. The highest rating session of the international season was the third session from Day 2 of the Adelaide Test, with 2.1 million national viewers.

The popularity of the Rebel Women’s Big Bash League continued to grow in its third season, with 151,931 fans turning out to see the world’s best cricketers in action across WBBL|03, representing a 25% increase in attendance on WBBL|02. The opening weekend was a highlight for the season, with nearly 9,000 fans attending four matches across two days, while the Sydney derby played between the Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunders attracted a season-high attendance of 16,380.

WBBL|03 continued the popularity of the competition with TV audiences averaging 223,000 viewers nationally per match, more than 1.8 million live streams, and more than 9 million minutes viewed on the Cricket Network’s live stream, with all nontelevised matches appearing live and free on cricket.com. au, the CA Live App and Mamamia’s website.

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A total of 1,143,763 people attended the KFC BBL|07, an 8.5% increase on BBL|06 and the third season in a row to have attracted more than one million fans, with an average of 26,599 fans per match. The expanded competition – 43 matches up from 35 in BBL|06 – saw matches taken to new locations across Australia including Canberra, Geelong, Launceston and Alice Springs, with fans in these new markets throwing their full support behind the competition. The Perth Scorchers BBL semi-final was also played at Optus Stadium, with a crowd of 52,960 in attendance.

The KFC Big Bash League was popular once again with TV audiences, with the seventh edition of the tournament averaging 947,000 viewers nationally per match, with a season high peak audience of 1.84 million during the Adelaide Strikers vs Hobart Hurricanes Final match at Adelaide Oval. In addition to the Network Ten broadcast, the BBL and WBBL were also broadcast to more than 130 countries globally.

Across the season, Cricket Australia also raised $1,728,696 for charitable causes, with the McGrath Foundation, Movember, the Allanah& Madeline Foundation, Lord’s Taverners, and Brisbane’s Lord Mayor’s Charitable Trust all receiving contributions.

Contd. on pg 38

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Cricket unites Australia, 2.3 million...

Contd. from pg 37

Funds were raised through a $2 donation from every ticket sold to the Commonwealth Bank Women’s Ashes and the opportunity to donate more at the point of purchase, gold coin donation entry for day 5 of each Magellan Ashes Test, and additional at-match fundraising efforts.

Commenting on the season, Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said that through strong TV ratings, record crowd numbers and digital engagement, Cricket has had its biggest season ever and reinforced its position as the nation’s favourite pastime.

We’re extremely delighted to celebrate the 201718 season as our biggest summer yet. With more than 2.3 million people attending matches around the country and strong audience numbers following the cricket via TV broadcasts or our digital channels, Cricket truly is the sport of the nation - and never more so than when our teams are playing against England in Ashes series.

“Our women’s and men’s cricketers have been

outstanding this summer and I am sure cricket lovers around the country join me in commending them on securing both the women’s and men’s Ashes. We are all immensely proud of their achievements and the way they have gone about representing their country on and off the field.

“The level of support both Ashes series received from fans reinforces the status of cricket as an integral part of the fabric of the Australian summer. It would be remiss not to mention the thousands of visitors who travelled from all parts of the world to support the women’s and men’s England team. They have provided loyal and enthusiastic support - and we hope that this will not be their last visit to Australia.

“Together with other member countries of the ICC, we view the future of Test cricket with increasing optimism, we look forward to the commencement of the Test Championship in 2019, and are committed to ensuring the primacy of this most traditional format of the game.

“2017 marked another year of smashing boundaries for women and girls cricket

in Australia with the game continuing to grow at a rapid rate - particularly at community level.

“The Australian Women’s Cricket Team successfully retained the Ashes on home soil and once again represented their country with pride, inspiring young cricketers across the country in the process. We look forward to supporting them over the next 12 months as they turn their focus to reclaiming the World T20 crown in the West Indies next November.

“The WBBL continues to raise the bar as arguably the best women’s domestic league in Australia and has proven to be hugely effective in highlighting our elite pathway and demonstrating the amazing career opportunities that cricket now provides talented young female athletes.

“The BBL continued its success with nearly 1.2 million fans attending the expanded season. For the first time ever, matches were played in every state and territory, including five new markets; Alice Springs, Canberra, Geelong, and Launceston. We’re looking forward to exploring new

The level of support both Ashes series received from fans reinforces the status of cricket as an integral part of the fabric of the Australian summer. markets for BBL|08 next season.

“We could never have achieved the level of success we did this season without our fans.

The continued success and growth of cricket in Australia is a result of the passion of our fans and we are pleased that so many of our at-match initiatives, our close collaboration with our broadcast partners, and our digital innovations have been so well received.

“With India, South Africa and Sri Lanka touring in 2018/19, we are excited about next season and are

committed to continuing to serve our fans high expectations.

“The interest in the elite level of our game, is also translating to our grassroots, where we are already seeing an increase in our preliminary participation figures compared to last season.

“A huge thanks must go to the players who take part in all our formats. The BBL and WBBL players are continuing to inspire the next generation through their ongoing fan engagement and passion with their captivating action on the field.

“We are also very grateful to our broadcasters and commercial partners and the media for their support across the summer. Without them, we cannot continue to innovate and deliver some of the best and entertaining sporting events in the world.

“We hope that next summer will be even better and we are already looking for more ways to enhance the experience for our fans, whether they are attending matches, following online, or tuning in to the broadcasts,” concluded Mr. Sutherland.

—Story based on Cricket Australia Media Release

Sangeet Sandhya Open forum for music lovers – classical, semi-classical & film music

Saturday 3.2.18 Saturday 7.4.18 Saturday 2.6.18 Saturday 4.8.18 Saturday 6.10.18 Saturday 1.12.18 -

Vijaya Patki Jyoti Rupa Mishra Rahila Sharma Hashmat Kokil, Pratyush and Pavithra Anoop Singh

Swar Sandhya Open forum for music lovers; Karaoke – Popular Indian Music Bring your own music, perform and enjoy

Saturday 6.1.18 Saturday 5.5.18 Saturday 1.9.18

Saturday 3.3.18 Saturday 7.7.18 Saturday 3.11.18

Venue: Brandon Park Primary School,

Time: 8.00pm

1-5 Ninevah Cr Wheelers Hill Free Entry, with ample parking, Free tea, coffee and biscuits Contact: Phone- 0402 074 208 or 0407 559 113 email- sangeetswarsandhya@gmail.com www.facebook.com/sangeetsandhya

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southSouth asia times 39 Asia Times

Australian cricket presses for progress on International Women’s Day

By SAT Sports Desk

M

ELBOURNE, 8 march: The ten bodies of Australian cricket have today released its first Press for Progress Report, which brings a heightened level of transparency and accountability to cricket’s ambition to be Australia’s leading sport for women and girls.

The report, released to coincide with International Women’s Day and two years out from the final of the ICC Women’s World T20 2020, takes its name from the theme for International Women’s Day 2018, Press for Progress, which calls for each of us to think, act and be gender inclusive.

Borne out of the Australian Cricket Strategy released in 2017, which focused heavily on the critical importance of women and girls to the sustainability of cricket in Australia going forward, the report clearly outlines how Australian cricket is performing in five key areas: 1. Gender diversity in the Australian cricket workforce 2. Development of a sustainable participation

base 3. The elite talent pathway 4. Growth of women’s elite cricket 5. Women and girls as fans Commenting on the release of the Press for Progress Report, Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland said: “The Press for Progress Report reinforces our commitment for cricket to become a gender equal sport, and the importance we continue to place upon women and girls as we look towards the future. The report is about more than just talking about what we as a sport need to do to achieve our ambition to become the leading sport for women and girls. It provides transparency about the

progress we are making.

“Our intention is to release an update of this report annually to demonstrate where we are, and aren’t, making progress to close the gap between where we are, and where we want to be. Our public commitment today ensures we will remain open and accountable to ourselves and to the wider community.

“Australian Cricket recognises that equality is the future of cricket, and while women have always been a part of the sport, we know that more still needs to be done to truly make cricket a sport for all.

“We’re proud that we can point to several successes over the past few years as an indication that we are making meaningful steps to

achieving our goal.

“The number of all-girls community cricket teams has increased by 357% in the past two years, the growing popularity of the BBL and WBBL has seen record numbers of girls and women enjoying elite cricket, many for the first time, and the introduction of the WBBL also creating a host of new sporting heroes for young girls and boys around the country.

“The new equity pay model implemented as part of the MOU last year cemented cricket’s leadership in the remuneration of its athletes, and means all elite cricketers earn the same base rate, regardless of gender.

“At the same time, we are under no illusion that we still have significant ground to cover if we are to be successful in our ambitions, and a key element of the Press For Progress Report is to call out those areas.

For example, this inaugural report shows that more needs be done to increase the representation of women working across Australian cricket, from the board level down, with women currently

225 Indian athletes to compete in Commonwealth Games 2018

By SAT Sports Desk

M

ELBOURNE, 23 February: The Commonwealth Games 2018 (Gold Coast, April 4-15) will see the participation of 225 athletes from India. In the Glasgow CWG in 2014 India had 215 participants.

A report published in the Times of India says the Commonwealth Games Federation has increased the number of quota places for India in boxing and athletics and reduced the quota for gymnastics, shooting and cycling. India will participate in 15 disciplines.

Indian Contingent break-up: • Aquatics: Men 3, Total: 3. Athletics: Men 23, Women 14 (Total 37) • Badminton: Men 4,

Women 5, Total 9 • Basketball (qualification): Men 12, Women 12, Total 24. Boxing: Men 8, Women 4 (Total 12) • Cycling: Men 6, Women 3 (Total 9) • Gymnastics: Men 2, Women 5 (Total 7) • Hockey (qualification): Men 18, Women 18 (Total 36) • Lawn Bowls: Men 5, Women 5 (Total 10) • Shooting: Men 15, Women 12 (Total 27) • Squash: Men 5, Women 2 (Total 7) • Table Tennis: Men 5 Women 5 (Total 10) • Weightlifting (qualification): Men 8, Women 8 (Total 16) • Wrestling: Men 6, Women 6 (Total 12) • Para sport: Men 3, Women 3 (Total 6) • Overall Contingent size: 225 www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9884 8096, 0421 677 082

making up just 34% of our workforce.

“Our data also shows that while there have been gains in the number of associations offering all-girls competitions, the majority of female participation is still via school-based sampling programs, rather than a sustainable playing base.

“We also have significant ground to cover in growing the women’s elite game to where we want it, with our stated target for the ICC Women’s World T20 2020 to be the largest women’s sports event seen in Australia.

“Last but not least, with women and girls representing half of all Australians, there is also clearly room for improvement in ensuring our elite matches are entertaining to all.

“I hope that all those involved with cricket in this country can take this report as an opportunity to reflect honestly on where we need to redouble our efforts, celebrate where we are making progress, and recognise the significant opportunity we have to make cricket a sport for all.”

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