SAT May 2015

SAT

1

J u l y

southSouth asia times 1 Asia Times

CELEBRATING 12th YEAR OF PUBLICATION

2 0 1 5

WE ARE PROUD OF OUR

2 0 1 0

South Asia Times Vol.12 I No. 10 I may 2015 I FREE s o u t hasiatim es.com .au Editor: Neeraj Nanda

I

VISA SUCCESS

VISA SERVICES  Student Visa, Dependent Visa, Tourist Visa, TR/PR, EOI

offers@aeccglobal.com www.aeccglobal.com facebook.com/AECCGlobal

 Employer Sponsorship (457, RSMS, ENS)  Skill Assessment (TRA, CPA, IPA, ACS, VETASSESS Etc.)  MRT, Section 20 Notice

Address: Ground Floor, 20 Queen St, Melbourne, VIC-3000.



M A Y

03 9614 5900,

0451 125 901

AECC Global: Australia (Melbourne, Sydney) | Europe (Athens, Thessaloniki) | India (New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Ludhiana) | Philippines (Makati, Cebu) | Nepal (Kathmandu)

Ph: (03) 9095 6220 M: 0421 677 082

I

Add: PO Box 465, Brentford Square, Victoria 3131

The lessons Nepal will take from the quake tragedy

READ ON PAGE 17 More on pages 2, 16 & 20

VICTORIA BUDGET 2015-16 Read on page 3

PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST Read on page 4

harmonious victoria Read on page 6

COALITION VIEW Read on page 7

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

south asia 2 South Asia Timestimes

editorial

M A Y

2 0 1 5

Big Victorian and international effort for Nepal

M

elbourne: As we were going to the Press, the news of another earthquake (12 May) hitting Nepal came.

The quake was also felt across North India and Bangladesh.

The epicentre was near the base camp of Mount Everest with a 7.3 magnitude. The earlier devastating earthquake on 25 April had resulted in the loss of more than 8,000 lives, properties and infrastructure destroyed.

Many areas of the capital Kathmandu were also destroyed. The people of Nepal have been doing their best to overcome the difficult situation with the unprecedented support and aid of the international community. They now want to move on and make things moving again in the Himalayan country.

The Victorian Nepalese community, Nepalese organisations, individuals and others mounted a valiant support and aid effort from far away Australia. A Face book page ‘Victorians Stand Together for Nepal’ helped to spread the message and massive materials and money poured in. Thousands of aid packets were airlifted from Melbourne for the quake affected. Fund

raisers including the one at the Thornbury Theatre were done and many more are expected soon. Individuals across Victoria and Australia have also donated massive amounts to international agencies.

Victoria announced $ 500,000 for the Nepal earthquake hit relief and recovery efforts.

Premier Daniel Andrews announced the donation which went to the Nepal Region Earthquake Appeal established by the Australian Red Cross.

Premier Daniel Andrews said, “Victorians always stand by those who are in need and this donation will provide for urgent relief for the people of Nepal.

Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the victims, including that of Victoria’s own Ms Renu Fotedar.”

“In addition to today’s donation, Victoria stands ready to provide assistance as part of any Australian Government personnel support to the people of Nepal,” he said.

World leaders and global charities offered condolences and emergency aid to Nepal following the earthquake while grappling to understand the scope of a disaster. A big effort to help was made by India and many other countries including Australia. According

to Jonathan Amos (BBC Science Correspondent) “Nepal is used to quakes – this is one of the most seismically active regions in the world. You only have to look at the Himalayas to understand that. The mountains are being built as a consequence of the Indian tectonic plate driving under Central Asia (the Eurasian tectonic plate).

These two great slabs of the Earth's crust are converging at a relative rate of about 4-5cm (two inches) a year.”

The BBC report by science writer Kate Ravilious is revealing. It says: “In a sadly prescient turn of events, Laurent Bollinger, from the CEA research agency in France, and his colleagues, uncovered the historical pattern of earthquakes during fieldwork in Nepal last month, and anticipated a major earthquake in exactly the location where Saturday's (April 25, 2015) big tremor has taken place.

Down in the jungle in central southern Nepal, Bollinger's team dug trenches across the country's main earthquake fault (which runs for more than 1,000km from west to east), at the place where the fault meets the surface, and used fragments of charcoal buried within the fault to carbon-date when the

fault had last moved.

Ancient texts mention a number of major earthquakes, but locating them on the ground is notoriously difficult.

Monsoon rains wash soils down the hillsides and dense jungle covers much of the land, quickly obscuring earthquake ruptures. Bollinger's group was able to show that this segment of fault had not moved for a long time.

"We showed that this fault was not responsible for the great earthquakes of 1505 and 1833, and that the last time it moved was most likely 1344," says Bollinger, who presented his findings to the Nepal Geological Society two weeks ago.

Previously, the team had worked on the neighbouring segment of fault, which lies to the east of Kathmandu, and had shown that this segment experienced major quakes in 1255, and then more recently in 1934,” he says.

A National Geographic report says the geological hell of earthquakes in Nepal may not be over and quotes the US Geological Survey (USGS) saying that additional quakes are possible in the area which might be larger than the ones over the past weeks.

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

“Which means the region could see additional aftershocks or earthquakes, although scientists can't predict their size or occurrence because the forces are too complex.

And with the monsoon season is set to begin in Nepal soon, it's possible more landslides may follow, if the shaking made slopes unstable, Oglesby says. It's also possible that mountain lakes that are held in place by weak natural dams, such as Tso Rolpa, are at risk of breaching and flooding,” the National Geographic says.

We all hope the predictions of more aftershocks do not materialise and the people of Nepal live and move with their lives smoothly. It also needs to be mentioned that when we report or discuss a tragedy like this we respect the effected people and their sentiments.

The fine line between reporting and respecting someone’s grief has to be maintained.

Myself & my family, SAT and its staff send their condolence to families who lost their loved ones in the quakes. We are proud of the Nepalese, South Asian and Victorian communities for standing up for Nepal.

—Neeraj Nanda

M A Y

2 0 1 5

cover story

southSouth asia times 3 Asia Times

Victoria Budget

he Andrews Labor Government is building the projects our state needs to get people home to their families safer and sooner, and keep Victoria number one for new visitors.

The 2015-16 Victorian Budget commits up to $22 billion in infrastructure, eclipsing the $2.7 billion spend in the previous Government’s first year in 2011-12.

It includes a record investment in public transport – a 41 per cent increase from 2014-15 – because we’re getting on with the projects that will reduce congestion on busy roads, transform public transport and improve safety.

The Budget commits up to $6 billion – including up to $2.4 billion over four years – to deliver a project that will remove 50 of our most dangerous and congested level crossings.

Removing level crossings reduces congestion, helps reduce the road toll and allows more trains to run on every line. The project will grow our economy, save tradespeople money and time and create 4500 jobs.

The Labor Government will also improve safety at 52 highrisk country level crossings and 25 high-risk pedestrian crossings, because the road toll touches our whole state.

The Budget commits up to $11 billion to deliver the Melbourne Metro Rail Project, including $1.5 billion over four years to complete the planning, design and early works and commence construction by 2018.

Building Melbourne Metro Rail will bring our sluggish and crowded train system into the new era, relieving train congestion in the City Loop, creating space across the network to run more trains and carry 20,000 extra passengers in peak times.

It’s the biggest overhaul to the train system since the construction of the City Loop, and it will lay the foundation for a network that’s so efficient, with services so frequent and reliable, that timetables become redundant.

Melbourne Metro Rail is also the first step to expanding the network in the future. That’s why the Budget also provides $9 million to develop and plan the Mernda Rail Link, in Melbourne’s fast-growing outer north.

The Budget invests $50 million to trial all-night public transport on weekends, to help shift workers and revellers get home safe, and $13 million for the new Frankston Station precinct.

The Labor Government is investing in new trains and trams to cater for more passengers and support local jobs. Public

transport patronage is growing and Victoria’s train and tram fleet is ageing.

The Budget provides more than $600 million to build 20 new E-Class trams, 21 new VLocity train carriages and refurbish the Comeng train fleet and B-Class trams, with 50 per cent local content in all new orders.

Melbourne’s busiest train line will be transformed. Every level crossing between Caulfield and Dandenong will be removed and 37 new high-capacity trains will boost passenger capacity by 42 per cent.

The Budget also provides $100 million to improve bus services by introducing new and expanded routes in growth areas, and includes $15 million for smarter integration of the bus and rail network – services that make sense.

To help people spend less time on busy roads and more time with their families, the Labor Government is investing over $600 million on projects to reduce congestion and travel times.

The Budget provides $273 million towards a project to widen CityLink and the Tullamarine Freeway, from the Burnley Tunnel to the Melbourne Airport, saving businesses thousands of hours a month.

The Budget also provides $110 million to duplicate the Chandler Highway Bridge over the Yarra River. In 2014, the bridge was rated Melbourne’s number one congestion point in the RACV’s Redspot Survey.

Contd. on pg 4

M4 Widening The Australian and NSW governments are building WestConnex, a 33 kilometre motorway, linking the M4 and M5 motorways for the first time.

Work is underway for the $500 million WestConnex M4 Widening. The Rizzani Leighton joint venture has been contracted to design and build this section of the WestConnex Motorway.

The M4 Motorway will be widened to four lanes in each direction between Parramatta and Homebush, and include a new direct ramp access from Homebush Bay Drive.

Most work will be carried out from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays. We will advise you of any activities outside of these times.

Please follow the signs and drive with care.

We apologise for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience.

For more information visit www.westconnex.com.au, email: Community.info@rljv.com.au call 1300 660 248 (24 hours), or write to 75 Carnarvon Street (tenancy 1 and 2) Silverwater, NSW 2128 Z03608_170x130_v 2 (GC)

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

Z03608

T

2015-16 Overview

south asia 4 South Asia Timestimes

COVER STORY

M A Y

2 0 1 5

Victoria Budget...

Contd. from pg 3

The Western Ring Road is at breaking point. The Budget provides $150 million to undertake the next stage of the M80 upgrade, to widen the road and improve traffic management from Sunshine Ave to the EJ Whitten Bridge.

The Budget also invests $86.7 million to resurface unsafe, deteriorating road surfaces around the state, plus $90 million in a range of road upgrades including deployment of intelligent transport systems that will make a big difference to congestion in suburban and regional areas.

To allow heavier freight loads, the Budget provides $76 million to strengthen bridges on key freight routes, on top of $30 million already fast tracked to complete Stage 1 of the Murray Basin Rail Project.

The Budget also provides $80 million to establish and operate the world’s first dedicated road safety education complex and $24.4 million for free defensive driving courses for Year 10 students.

Victoria is the creative capital, home to arts, music, culture, sport, blockbuster major events and the world’s most liveable and multicultural city. That’s what sets us apart and makes us the number

“We’re widening and duplicating some of the state’s busiest roads, to help families save those crucial extra minutes every evening and help businesses save thousands of hours every month.”

—Treasurer of Victoria, Tim Pallas one state for new visitors.

The Budget will help keep Victoria number one, investing an additional $80 million to sponsor major events across Victoria, attracting more visitors and growing our tourism industry.

To boost Victoria’s reputation as a world-leading destination for business and industry tourism, the Budget also invests funding to undertake the Stage 2 development of the Melbourne

Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Victoria’s arts, culture, screen, music and design sectors make up our creative industries, support thousands of jobs. The Budget invests over $200 million to help these sectors create more jobs and attract more visitors.

The funding will expand regional and independent arts and boost the Victorian contemporary music industry. $13.4 million will also be provided to save the crumbling Palais Theatre so live performances can continue. $55.4 million will be invested in an $83.1 million project to redevelop the State Library, increasing public access by 40 per cent and broadcasting its resources into the family home.

Victoria is the sporting capital of the world, and the Labor Government will upgrade stadiums across the state so they can host more events, make room for more spectators and join the MCG in the league of great arenas.

The Budget invests $70 million to build a new grandstand at Geelong’s Simonds Stadium, increasing ground capacity to 36,000, and $25 million to redevelop historic Junction Oval and build a home for Victorian cricket.

Because community sport brings the family and the

“It’s not road versus rail – we’re investing in both roads and rail to reduce congestion and get our state moving.”

—Premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews neighbourhood together, $100 million will be invested to upgrade tired grounds and dilapidated facilities at local clubs, and $9.6 million to build 64 new netball courts.

The Budget invests $174 million to help our state lead the nation on climate change, preserve our pristine natural environment and encourage more families to get outdoors and see our greatest natural assets.

Our greatest human asset is our diversity. The Budget invests $37.9 million in community initiatives to strengthen multiculturalism and $11.1 million to support our state’s bustling cultural precincts.

Putting people first

T

o improve the lives of Victorian families in the fastest growing state, the Andrews Labor Government will fix rundown schools, save TAFE, create 100,000 jobs and relieve the overwhelming pressure on our hospitals.

The 2015-16 Victorian Budget is the biggest education budget in history, investing $3.3 billion so every Victorian, young and old, can get the skills they need for the jobs they want, in schools and TAFEs that are close to home.

For the first time, Victoria will meet Gonski funding levels up to the 2017 school year. The Abbott Government has failed to commit to its share of school funding for the 2018 and 2019 school years, but we’ll keep fighting for it.

Too many children are learning in rundown and overcrowded classrooms.

Parents in growth areas don’t have enough choices for their kids’ future. That’s why the Budget invests $688 million for new and upgraded schools.

Investing $325 million, the Labor Government will rebuild, renovate or

refurbish 67 rundown or overcrowded schools across the state. A further $10 million will provide works and equipment for students with disabilities.

The Budget invests $111.1 million for 10 new schools and $40 million to purchase land for new schools in Melbourne’s fastest growing suburbs, to give families more choice. $35 million will deliver

120 new, safe relocatable classrooms for schools that are bursting at the seams, and $42 million will commence the first stage of a program to remove asbestos from schools across our state.

Early childhood education is the first step to success. The Budget invests $50 million in kinders so children get the best start, and $9 million to assist

children with a disability or developmental delay.

The Labor Government will support families who are struggling to meet the extra costs of education, like uniforms and school camps, investing $178 million to help them through the most important years of their child’s life.

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund will help

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

“This is the biggest education budget in Victorian history. We’re fixing up unsafe, uncomfortable classrooms and building new schools in some of the fastest growing areas in Victoria.”

—Premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews 200,000 disadvantaged students, children in 250 primary schools will get free eye tests and glasses, and Breakfast Clubs will serve up free meals for 25,000 students.

Contd. on pg 6

M A Y

2 0 1 5

southSouth asia times 5 Asia Times

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

south asia 6 South Asia Timestimes

cover story

M A Y

2 0 1 5

Putting people first Contd. from pg 4 The previous Government cut $1.2 billion from TAFE. The Labor Government will bring our TAFE system back from the brink, so all kids have the chance to get a job, start a career and build a decent life.

The Budget invests $300 million to complete the $320 million TAFE Rescue Fund, which will help campuses across the state reopen closed buildings, upgrade workshops and classrooms and get institutes back in the black.

The $50 million TAFE Back To Work Fund will help create new training courses with the needs of local employers in mind, and $32 million in funding will save Local Learning and Employment Networks once and for all.

Secondary students deserve a head start for a hands-on vocation. The Budget provides $12 million to support and establish 10 Tech Schools across the state, so students can learn skills alongside a comprehensive education.

Nothing is more important to families than the health and wellbeing of the people they love. The Budget provides $2.1 billion to relieve the overwhelming pressure on our health system, so people can get the care they need.

With this funding, which includes a $60 million blitz for elective surgeries and

$200 million to increase hospital capacity in line with the Travis Review into hospital beds, hospitals can admit 60,000 extra patients.

The Budget provides $560 million to build and rebuild hospitals in suburban and regional areas across Victoria, because a growing state needs a health system that grows with it.

This includes $200 million to build the Western Women’s and Children’s Hospital. 237 beds and 39 special care nursery cots will reduce pressure on Sunshine Hospital, which is expecting 7000 births a year by 2026.

A massive, $106 million upgrade to Casey Hospital will grow the size of the facility by a third, so it can treat 12,000 more patients, perform 8000 more surgeries and support 500 more births.

Werribee Mercy Hospital will receive an $85 million expansion, and $20 million to build intensive care and short stay units at the Angliss Hospital means families in the outer east have emergency care close to home.

A $10 million cardiac Cath Lab at Ballarat Base Hospital will provide urgent heart treatment and care in the state’s west, and $15 million for planning and development brings the landmark Victorian Heart Hospital a step closer.

The Budget also saves the National Centre for

Farmer Health, funds a helipad at the Monash Children’s Hospital, and provides upgrades to the Moorabbin Hospital and medical equipment in hospitals across the state.

Under a $25 million plan, hospitals and universities will work together to find a cure for our most debilitating genetic diseases. Late night pharmacies for late night emergencies will also be established, with $29 million.

The Budget invests $118 million to treat and support people with a mental illness and $99 million to upgrade ambulance branches and vehicles, cut emergency response times and end the ambulance crisis once and for all.

The Labor Government is protecting the people who protect us, giving firefighters and police the tools, support and resources they need to keep our streets and our homes safe.

The Budget invests $78 million in emergency services, which includes additional funding to begin recruitment of 450 more career firefighters, because more boots on the ground means more communities are safe.

The Budget also includes $33.5 million for 70 new CFA trucks, $9.6 million to fund a program that dispatches firefighters at the same time as paramedics, and $11 million to upgrade CFA

“The best healths care close to home means everything to a growing family.

That’s why we’re building new hospitals, relieving the overwhelming pressure on local services and ending the ambulance crisis once and for all.”

—Treasurer of Victoria, Tim Pallas stations and amenities.

In addition, $30 million will be provided to implement the recommendations of the Hazelwood Coal Mine Fire Inquiry, including a longterm health study of the fire to give locals the answers they deserve.

The Labor Government will put more police on our streets, investing $149 million to recruit and accommodate 400 custody

officers to guard prisoners at 20 police stations, so 400 police can return to the front line.

It’s part of the Budget’s $226 million investment in the safety of our community, which also includes $15 million for a new police station in Mernda and $15 million for new booze and drug buses.

Australia’s number one law and order issue lives in our homes. The Budget provides $81.3 million to support Australia’s first Royal Commission into family violence and relieve the overwhelming pressure on services.

A record 14.4 per cent funding increase for child protection will protect our most vulnerable and support families and carers. The $257 million plan includes $65.4 million to employ over 110 child protection workers.

With $45.5 million, the Labor Government can take action on the ice crisis that’s gripped our suburbs and regional cities and implement the Ice Action Plan that was developed with help from police and health experts.

The Budget also provides $40.3 million to help Victorians experiencing homelessness, $29 million to help Aboriginal Victorians maintain a better standard of living and $148 million to support responsible gambling.

—Treasurer and Premier media release 5 May 2015.

Harmonious Victoria

T

he Andrews Labor Government is investing $74 million to bolster multicultural affairs and social cohesion as well as ensuring Victorians of all backgrounds feel at home.

Victoria leads Australia in multicultural affairs and social cohesion. We embrace, respect and celebrate our diversity, because it makes our society and economy stronger. Our openness and diversity attracts people to live, work, visit and study here.

Social cohesion depends on a strong sense of belonging and acceptance.

The Labor Government will fund community initiatives that foster inclusion, participation and equality of opportunity.

The 2015-16 Victorian Budget will provide $21 million over four years to promote social cohesion

and community harmony.

The dedicated organisations that sustain our diversity and cohesion must be commended and supported.

The Budget includes funding

for the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria, a Vietnamese Dual Identity Leadership Program and the Australian Greek Welfare Society to assist migrant

families across our state. $13.2 million is provided to enhance community capacity and participation for people of culturally and linguistically diverse

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

backgrounds, with specific initiatives to support newly arrived migrants and refugees as well as seniors, women and young people.

Contd. on pg 10

M A Y

southSouth asia times 7 Asia Times

cover story

2 0 1 5

VICTORIAN BUDGET Attributed to Michael O’Brien MP: “This Budget demonstrates yet again that Labor cannot manage money and cannot manage major projects.

This budget has no detailed economic plan to create the jobs of the future for Victoria.

Instead, it’s the story of a government that has no plan to grow jobs.

This is a government which is not doing what it said it would do.

Under Daniel Andrews, Victoria’s economy is stalling.

Unemployment will be higher for longer.

Economic growth is falling.

Inflation and cost of living pressures are up.

Infrastructure spending is down $6.4 billion over four years.

State taxes are up by more than $1.1 billion.

And more than $4 billion has been lost from the surplus.”

Attributed to Matthew Guy MP:

“This budget isn’t about putting people first; it’s about Daniel Andrews playing politics. Melburnians have been double-crossed by

Daniel Andrews. There are no guaranteed funds or start dates for level-crossing removals besides those previously funded by the

Coalition.

Melbourne Metro remains unfunded with Daniel Andrews and his Treasurer unable to agree on how to pay for its construction.

The promised Mernda Rail, Drysdale bypass and the upgrades for Thompsons Road and Yan Yean Road are unfunded.

And the one road that Labor has provided funding for, the West Gate Distributor, was scrapped by Daniel Andrews only last week.

Victoria is growing at around 100,000 people every year. But there is no funding to make sure our services, transport and roads can keep pace with the fastest growing city in Australia.

There is no money in this budget for new police or PSOs for Melbourne.

There is no money in this budget for shovel-ready projects to create new jobs and relieve crippling traffic congestion.

There is no money in this budget for the country roads

and bridges program.

Underpinning this budget is more Labor waste. Buried away under ‘Contingent Liabilities’ is the taxpayers’ money lost on Daniel Andrews’ decision to scrap the East West Link. Just last month, Daniel Andrews claimed losses were limited to $339 million but in today’s budget that figure can’t be quantified.

What we do know is that at least $640 million has been wasted – with more to come – by Daniel Andrews’ political decision to scrap the only shovel-ready project in Victoria which was to employ 3,700 people and relieve traffic congestion.

If it wasn’t for Daniel Andrews’ waste on the East West Link compensation, this Budget could have funded 47 brand new schools, or up to 400 brand new ambulance stations, or 55 brand new 24-hour police stations, or three new Monash Children’s Hospitals.”

Source: Coalition media release

TEST OUR RATE TODAY You get a more competitive rate that’ll knock you for six!

• Send money in minutes1 starting from $8 or to a bank account from $42 • Over 4,0003 locations across Australia and more than 114,0003 across India

See a Western Union Agent today

wu.com | find a location

1 Funds may be delayed or services unavailable based on certain transaction conditions, including amount sent, destination country, currency availability, regulatory and foreign exchange issues, required receiver action(s), identification requirements, Agent location hours, differences in time zones, or selection of delayed options. Additional Restrictions may apply. See Send form for details.

2 Western Union also makes money from currency exchange. When choosing a money transmitter, carefully compare both transfer fees and exchange rates. Subject to applicable taxes, if any.

3 Agent location count valid as of 31 December, 2014

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

© 2015 WESTERN UNION HOLDINGS, INC. All rights reserved.

(2015-16) Coalition View

south asia 8 South Asia Timestimes

M A Y

2 0 1 5

Federal Budget 2015-2016 G

rowing jobs and small business package to help small business invest more, grow more, and employ more The 2015 Budget is the next step in the Government’s plan to build a strong, safe and prosperous future for all Australians.

This Budget is about building jobs, growth and opportunity and providing a credible path to surplus.

The new $5.5 billion Growing Jobs and Small Business package will help small businesses invest more, grow more, and employ more.

This package will help employers create jobs and assist Australia’s unemployed, particularly unemployed youth, to build the skills to get into work.

This is the biggest small business initiative in our nation’s history.

The Government is committed to ensuring Australia is the very best place to start and grow a small business.

Small businesses are the engine room of our economy.

96 per cent of all Australia’s businesses are small businesses, employing over 4.5 million people and producing over $330 billion of our nation’s total economic output.

As our economy changes, the role of our small businesses will be even more important. With the economy in transition we are freeing up small business to create new jobs.

At the heart of the Growing Jobs and Small Business package are tax cuts for over 2 million Australian small businesses to help drive investment and employment across our economy.

The 2015 Budget delivers $3.25 billion in tax cuts for small business and $1.75 billion in accelerated depreciation measures in addition to the benefits Australian small businesses are gaining from the abolition of the carbon tax: • From 1 July 2015, the Government will cut the company tax rate for up to 780,000 incorporated businesses with annual turnover up to $2 million by 1.5 percentage points to 28.5 per cent;

The Government’s Growing Jobs and Small Business package will create the right conditions for Australian small businesses to thrive and grow.

• From 1 July 2015, the Government will also provide a 5 per cent tax discount for over one and a half million sole traders, trusts and partnership structures which are unincorporated businesses with annual turnover up to $2 million, capped at $1,000, through their end of year tax return; and • From Budget night until 30 June 2017, small businesses with turnover below $2 million will be able to fully and immediately deduct every asset they acquire that is valued up to $20,000 for tax purposes - a substantial increase from the previous $1,000 threshold.

Australian small businesses will have the lowest company tax rate for public and private companies since 1967.

The Growing Jobs and Small Business package also includes measures to reduce the red tape and regulatory impediments that hinder small businesses growth:

• Changes to the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) system will expand the FBT exemption for work related portable electronic devices; • Reforms to Capital Gains Tax (CGT) rollover will enable small businesses to change the legal structure of their business without incurring a CGT liability; and

for small businesses; • Streamlined business registration processes will make it quicker and simpler to set up a new business.

A single online registration site will be developed for business registration including company registration;

• The Government will consult on potential changes to the Corporations Act to reduce compliance costs and make it easier for small proprietary companies to raise new capital.

• The Government will remove obstacles to crowdsourced equity funding to help promote small business access to finance by increasing the availability of innovative sources of funding; and

The Growing Jobs and Small Business package will encourage business start-ups and entrepreneurship: • Start-ups will be able to immediately deduct professional expenses incurred when they begin a business, such as legal expenses on establishing a company, trust or partnership, rather than writing them off over five years. This will provide immediate cash flow benefits

• From 1 July 2015, expanded tax concessions for Employee Share Schemes will make it easier for small start-up companies to attract and retain the skills and talent they need to grow.

These measures will help encourage investment, innovation and the startup of new businesses, which will help Australia’s economic future.

The Growing Jobs and Small Business package

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

will also help employers to take on inexperienced and mature workers.

Since the Government was elected, around a quarter of a million new jobs have been created – but there is more work to do.

New measures will focus on making job seekers more employable, reducing the costs of taking on new staff, and bringing job seekers and job providers together.

The Government is investing $6.8 billion to establish job active to improve the quality of services delivered to job seekers and employers. The new job active system will be focused on results and reward performance not process.

There will be a $1.2 billion pool for wage subsidies to support employers to provide job opportunities and assist job seekers into work.

The Government will also deliver a $331 million Youth Employment Strategy, an $18 million National Work Experience programme, and changes to restart to make it easier for small businesses to receive Government support when they employ older workers.

The Government’s Growing Jobs and Small Business package will create the right conditions for Australian small businesses to thrive and grow.

Further details on the Government’s Growing Jobs and Small Business package can be found at www.budget. gov.au Media Release from THE HON. TONY ABBOTT MP, PRIME MINISTER, THE HON. JOE HOCKEY MP, TREASURER & THE HON. BRUCE BILLSON MP, MINISTER FOR SMALL BUSINESS, 12 May 2015.

M A Y

COMMUNITY

2 0 1 5

southSouth asia times 9 Asia Times

$ 500,000 for Indian Cultural Precinct, advisory panel setup

By Neeraj Nanda

M

elbourne, 15 May: The Victorian government has announced a share of $ 500,000 for the Indian Cultural Precinct out of the budget allocation of $ 11 million over four years to maintain or build community infrastructure and to enhance cultural precincts including establishing Victoria’s first Indian precinct.

A media release says

: “The 2015-16 Victorian Budget will provide $500,000 to establish an Indian Cultural Precinct. The Indian Cultural Precinct will recognise the important contribution the Indian community makes to Victoria. It will further strengthen Victoria’s reputation as the multicultural capital of Australia, and will be a place to hold festivals, a hub to support business, a drawcard for tourism, and a meeting place for

the entire community.”

Victoria has Australia’s largest Indian community, with more than 110,000 Victorians born in India, representing 40 per cent of Australia’s Indian population.

Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Robin Scott said, “Victoria’s Indian community is longestablished and wellrespected, and this new cultural precinct will be a welcome meeting place for the community to call its own.”

“The precinct will tell the story of Indian migration to Victoria, and will be home to a number of significant events for the Indian community.

We’re funding community infrastructure and cultural precincts because multiculturalism makes us all stronger,” he said.

The Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Robin Scott, has established an Indian Cultural Precinct Advisory Panel to assist with finding a suitable location for the precinct.

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

Victoria’s Indian community is longestablished and well-respected, and this new cultural precinct will be a welcome meeting place for the community to call its own.

The panel will consult with representatives of Victoria’s Indian community and other relevant experts.

An independent feasibility study of possible locations will be conducted to inform the Panel’s advice to the Minister. The Panel is expected to conclude its work by the end of August this year.

—SAT News Service

south asia 10 South Asia Timestimes

community

Hindi classes start in Craigieburn

By our community reporter

M

elbourne, 25 April: Hindi language classes have started in Craigieburn. Non –profit organisation Gurukul took

the initiative and got the classes started from 25th April.

Talking to SAT Gurukul spokesman, Mr. Narendra Garg said, “We will do everything to keep next generation linked with their roots and teach them our

Harmonious Victoria Contd. from pg 6 The Budget also includes $2 million for the Multicultural Access Program which assists people from a culturally diverse background to access services like Home and Community Care.

Community centres and cultural precincts are the bustling social and economic hubs of our diversity. The Budget provides $11 million over four years to maintain

or build community infrastructure and to enhance cultural precincts including establishing Victoria’s first Indian precinct.

Addressing family violence has been a key priority for the Andrews Labor Government. A commitment of $2 million over two years has been made to support women and children from culturally and linguistically diverse communities who are victims or vulnerable to

family violence.

The Labor Government will provide an additional $25 million to reinforce Victoria’s social cohesion and community resilience and to prevent radicalisation and extremism. This is an important step in keeping Victorian families safe and, in particular, supporting vulnerable members in our community from getting in harm’s way.

—Minister for Multicultural Affairs media release 5 May 2015.

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

M A Y

2 0 1 5

culture, language, faith, Yoga and human values.”

“We are also planning to socialise senior citizens twice a month and guide the young generation with seniors experience, “he said.

Contact : Narinder Garg 0431123045

M A Y

community

2 0 1 5

southSouth asia times 11 Asia Times

Air India flights to India now nonstop from Melb. & Syd

By Neeraj Nanda

M

elbourne, May 8: Air India flights to and from India will be nonstop from May 16 & 17. So now there will be four non-stop services a week between Delhi-Sydney-Delhi and three non-stop services a week between Delhi-MelbourneDelhi. The triangular routing between Sydney-MelbourneSydney stands withdrawn.

Talking to SAT, Mr. Madhu Methan, Australia Manager Air India said “The new nonstop flight from Melbourne to Delhi will take 12 hours and 15 minutes and the flight from Delhi to Melbourne will take 12 hours and 05 minutes. The flight from Sydney to Delhi will take 12 hours and 35 minutes to reach and the flight from Delhi to Sydney will take 12 hours and 15 minutes.”

“These flights are very convenient for the passengers and have been introduced in response to peoples demand,” he said.

An Air India media release says, “On Sunday,

Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, the flight will leave Sydney at 9:45 and arrive at Delhi at 17:50. In the return direction, on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, the flight will leave Delhi at 13:15 and arrive at Sydney the next day at 6:10 “On Monday, Thursday and Saturday, the flight will

leave Melbourne at 9:45 and arrive at Delhi at 17:50.

In the return direction, on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday the flight will leave Delhi at 13:15 and arrive at Melbourne the next day at 6:00.”

On onward flights the media release says: “Onward connections

at free/ nominal cost: Air India offers free onward connections at no extra cost between Delhi and any one of eleven Indian cities: Bangalore, Mumbai, Kozhikode, Kolkata, Coimbatore, Kochi, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Chennai, Trivandrum, and Vishakhapatnam.

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

Onward Connections at Nominal Cost: Economy Class, at $ 25 per one way between Delhi and any one of the twenty eight Indian cities : Agra, Bhubaneswar, Vadodara, Bhopal, Guwahati, Gaya, Goa, Khajuraho, Indore, Imphal, Mangalore, Lilabari, Jammu, Leh, Ranchi, Aurangabad, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Lucknow, Nagpur, Patna, Pune, Raipur, Srinagar, Tirupati, Udaipur, Vijayawada, Varanasi,.

Economy Class at $ 50 per one way between Delhi and any one of two Indian cities: Ahmadabad and Amritsar.

Economy Class at $ 80 per one way between Delhi and any one of ten Indian cities: Agatti, Dehra Dun, Dharamsala, Allahabad, Pathankot, Jabalpur, Kanpur, Kulu, Ludhiana and Surat.”

For further information, Bookings/Reservations, passengers can contact Air India Booking offices in the city. Bookings can also be done round the clock through AI helpline 1800 247 463 and AI website www. airindia.in.

—SAT News Service

south asia 12 South Asia Timestimes

community

M A Y

2 0 1 5

Oxford India expert Prof. Craig Jeffrey new AII Director

By SAT News Desk

M

elbourne, 6 May: Prof. Ceaig Jeffery, leading world expert on contemporary India, will replace Prof. Amitabh Mattoo as next Director, Australia India Institute (AII) of the University of Melbourne. He is currently Prof. of Development Geography at the University of Oxford. He will take up his five-year appointment in October 2015.

Professor Jeffrey is the author of six books including Timepass: Youth, Class and the Politics of Waiting in India (Stanford University Press, 2010) and Keywords for Modern India (with John Harriss; Oxford University Press, 2014). His scholarly output has been academically acclaimed even as its significance for public policy has been recognised.

A Fellow of St John's College, Oxford, Professor Jeffrey is currently leading a large project funded by Britain’s Economic and Social Research Council on educated unemployed youth in South Asia. He was recently elected a Fellow of Britain’s Academy of Social Sciences, and also contributes regularly to BBC Radio 4 and The Guardian.

Professor Jeffrey will also be taking up a professorial position at the University of Melbourne’s School of Geography.

Professor Amitabh Mattoo has returned to India to serve as the Honorary Director of AII@Delhi, and Professor of International Relations at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Professor Mattoo described Professor Jeffrey as a “great successor; an inspired choice” and a “truly exceptional scholar with credentials to position the

Professor Jeffrey is currently leading a large project funded by Britain’s Economic and Social Research Council on educated unemployed youth in South Asia.

Australia India Institute as the leading academic and policy centre for the study of India across the Englishspeaking world.”

—SAT News Service.

Funding allocated for Indian precinct in Melbourne The Andrews Labor Government is investing $74 million to bolster multicultural affairs and social cohesion as well as ensuring Victorians of all backgrounds feel at home.

By Neeraj Nanda

M

elbourne, 5 May: The Andrews Labor government has allotted $ 11 million over four years to maintain or build community infrastructure and to enhance cultural precincts including establishing Victoria’s first Indian precinct.

Premier Daniel Andrews had made an election pledge at the last Diwali event at the Federation Square to build an Indian precinct and allotment of funds

for the same in the budget is being seen as a first step towards it.

The already existing Little India precinct in Dandenong faced difficulties including the collapse of business as a consequence of Places Victoria’s redevelopment plans. Premier Daniel Andrews who was then the leader of opposition had visited Little India and taken stock of the position.

The Labor MP Jude Pereira also raised the issue in the Victorian Parliament. Later Little India traders held a rally outside Parliament demanding from the

then Liberal government to save the livelihood of traders in Little India. The issue stirred the Indian and South Asian community to save the Little India precinct.

Victorian Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Robin Scott says, “Diversity is our asset, and we’re working with multicultural communities to make our society and our economy stronger.”

“The Andrews Labor Government is investing $74 million to bolster multicultural affairs and social cohesion as well as ensuring Victorians of all backgrounds

feel at home.”

The 2015-16 Victorian Budget will provide $21 million over four years to promote social cohesion and community harmony. The dedicated organisations that sustain our diversity and cohesion must be commended and supported.

The 2015-2016 Budget includes funding for the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria, a Vietnamese Dual Identity Leadership Program and the Australian Greek Welfare Society to assist migrant families across

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

our state. $13.2 million is provided to enhance community capacity and participation for people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, with specific initiatives to support newly arrived migrants and refugees as well as seniors, women and young people.

The Budget also includes $2 million for the Multicultural Access Program which assists people from a culturally diverse background to access services like Home and Community Care.

“Addressing family violence has been a key priority for the Andrews Labor Government. A commitment of $2 million over two years has been made to support women and children from culturally and linguistically diverse communities who are victims or vulnerable to family violence, says a media release from Robin Scott’s office.

The Budget will provide an additional $25 million to reinforce Victoria’s social cohesion and community resilience and to prevent radicalisation and extremism. This is an important step in keeping Victorian families safe and, in particular, supporting vulnerable members in our community from getting in harm’s way.

—SAT News Service.

M A Y

southSouth asia times 13 Asia Times

community

2 0 1 5

Stronger Healthier Indian Families Together

S

tronger Healthier Indian Families Together (SHIFT)’ is a new project to support Melbourne’s Indian communities in Brimbank and Wyndham to reduce family violence. Funded by Our Watch and implemented

by Cohealth, in partnership with the Jagriti Forum, the project will trial new ways to stop family violence from starting in the first place.

SHIFT is a 12-month project which aims to build the skills of Indian community leaders and community members so that they can plan, conduct and carry out family violence primary prevention activities in Indian communities.

Primary prevention is about focusing on the main causes of violence. These are attitudes, beliefs and values that give rise to men’s violence against women and their children, such as those that support gender inequality and sexism.

Violence against women and their children occurs across the whole of Australian society and is not restricted to any one

SHIFT Working Group members From Left: Shivani Sharma, Linden Deathe, Ashima Soni, Gautam Parabhakar, Narinder Kumar Garg, Marsha Thomson (MP), Gurdev Rattan, Bharat Shah, Alice Henderson (Project Lead) and Muktesh Chibber. PHOTO: Supplied. community. All women and children, regardless of cultural identity, ethnicity, religion or language, have the right to live without the fear or reality of violence.

The Indian community was selected to be involved in this project from a number of established culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities that face isolation and

limited service support.

Cohealth Project Lead Alice Henderson said, the community has decided to stand up, take action and respond to violence against women and children.

“The Indian community has demonstrated a strong readiness to develop and participate in prevention efforts and cohealth is working to support these

community-led activities get started”, Ms Henderson said.

Member for Footscray, Marsha Thomson, who is also the Jagriti and SHIFT Working Group Chair, said whilst there’s a lot being done in intervention in matters of family violence, SHIFT is targeting prevention. “We can only truly prevent family violence

if we focus on stopping violence before it starts”, Ms Thomson said.

Miss Henderson said it is important to develop violence prevention strategies that work for a particular community, because each community has different needs and circumstances. “The community is central to this project and we are working with them at all stages of the project.”

This project is a first step toward primary prevention of family violence and will provide a model for other established CALD groups and inform other state and national efforts to prevent family violence.

For more information contact Alice Henderson, cohealth, (03) 8398 4148, Alice.Henderson@cohealth. org.au. For more information on primary prevention please go to If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.

—Supplied

SEND MONEY TO A

BANK ACCOUNT IN INDIA from Banks include: YES Bank, ICICI, Punjab National Bank

“Send your love home - be their superstar”.

– SRK

Money arrives in minutes2 to your account from a retail location

$4 transfer fee1

Send money online 24/7 at westernunion.com.au

1. Western Union also makes money from currency exchange. Subject to applicable taxes, if any. When choosing a money transmitter, carefully compare both transfer fees and exchange rates.

2. Funds generally takes minutes to reach a recipient’s bank account in Kotak Mahindara Bank, YES Bank, Union Bank of India, Federal Bank, Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda and ICICI Bank. Service and Funds may be delayed or services unavailable based on transaction conditions, including regulatory and foreign exchange issues, identification requirements, consumer protection issues, delivery restrictions, bank operating hours, banking and local holidays, and differences in time zones. Additional restrictions may apply.

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

south asia 14 South Asia Timestimes

community

M A Y

2 0 1 5

RACV happy speaking your language

By Jenny Brown

M

elbourne, May 2015: Chadstone RACV store sales consultant Radhika Khanna is introducing Indians recently arrived to Victoria to the very exotic concept of emergency roadside mechanical assistance being available at the end of a phone line.

“It is so uncommon in India,” she says. “I think there is only one very small service somewhere. So if people’s cars break down they have to call their own mechanic or get their driver to deal with it.”

Indians are one of the largest of the migrant groups in 21st century Australia and the majority are choosing to settle permanently in Melbourne or Victoria.

With an ability “to speak a few Indian languages” and a infectious enthusiasm for her job, 37-year-old Radhika has become their welcoming guide to explain the menu of products and services RACV can offer its members.

“In the last three years,” she says, “I’ve signed up many to the RACV. Besides tourism and bookings, there is roadside assistance and insurance. We get a lot of queries about our insurance which, as anyone who has ever made a claim would know, is the best.”

With her husband Ambar and two children, aged 13 and eight, Radhika’s family has had

sconced at schools in Glen Waverley, Radhika decided to look for part time work and figured retail was the logical place. A position with RACV was one of the jobs she applied for. “And I got the call”.

Learning about all the systems, services and products involved in being an RACV customer service rep – “products I really believe in” – presented a challenging educational trajectory. “The learning graph pretty well went straight up.

“But it’s been such a good experience and I’ve learned so much”.

Radhika wants other Indians to know what’s on offer to them through RACV and at the massive annual Diwali celebration, the Festival of Lights at Sandown Racecourse, she represented the organisation at an information stand.

RACV wants to build stronger links with the Indian community and has invited members to have their say in a survey designed to improve cultural ties. RACV business manager Mahesh Nagarajaiah is excited about receiving feedback from the community.

“We would like to offer the Indian community some great member benefits,” he says.

“We’re looking at things such as Bollywood film tickets or a discount at Indian supermarkets, but we’d like hear from the community about what they would like.”

Survey participants have the chance to win a $250 RACV Resorts voucher.

Link for the Survey: https://www.research. net/s/RACVresearch two stints of living in Melbourne. She first came in 2002 and ran the Australian arm of a family soft furnishings manufacturing and retail business.

But when in 2008 Ambar was restless to be close to his family, they returned to Delhi.

By 2012, Ambar had changed his mind again and wanted

to come back to Melbourne where he had been educated from year 12 of his high schooling. So back they came.

With the children en-

“I met all kinds of Indians there and being able to speak to them in their own language really made a big difference.

We were able to reach out to a lot of people and as they found out more about us, they signed on.

“I really love my job,” she says. “And it’s good that Indian people connect with me and come into the (Chadstone) shop wanting to see me.”

The Chadstone RACV Shop can be contacted on 9568 3144, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 1pm.

Quite burial for ‘Visa on Arrival’, now called ‘e-Tourist Visa’

By Neeraj Nanda

A

fter much hue and cry over the ‘Visa on Arrival’ not being as the name sounded, the Indian government has now christened it ‘e-Tourist Visa’. The ‘Visa on Arrival’ was announced with much fanfare recently by India for 45 countries including Australia. But it was later realised by many applicants the scheme was actually nothing but an ‘Electronic Travel Authorisation’ which one got by advance applying etc. and the visa was later stamped at an Indian airport. Many travellers were misled and faced hardship on the issue.

Last month Australia based newspapers South Asia Times (SAT) and Indian Subcontinent Times (IST) had raised the issue and quoted Mr. Girish Shankar, Additional Secretary as saying, “to obtain the ‘Tourist Visa on Arrival’ at an Indian airport, one has to carry an ‘Electronic Travel Authorisation’ (ETA). One has to in advance apply online at https://indianvisaonline. gov.in/tvoa.html with a recent photograph and the photo page of the passport uploaded and pay $ 60 fees.”

A later story by prominent Indian journalist Karan Thapar where he described a person known to him was denied a visa on arrival

and was deported from an Indian airport seems to have moved the authorities to rename the ‘Visa on Arrival’ as ‘e-Tourist Visa’.

A media release from Mr. Sunil Nirbhavane, Tourist Information Officer India Tourism, Sydney, says, “Govt. of India has changed the name of Tourist Visa on Arrival enabled by ETA (TVOA-ETA) to e-Tourist Visa (eTV) w.e.f. 15th April 2015. This scheme will be now known by its new name e-Tourist Visa. However, all the other conditions and procedures for seeking the e-Tourist Visa remains the same. More information and online application is available on https://indianvisaonline. gov.in”

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

M A Y

2 0 1 5

southSouth asia times 15 Asia Times

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

south asia 16 South Asia Timestimes

COMMUNITY

M A Y

$500,000 Vic. assistance for quake hit Nepal

By SAT News Desk

M

elbourne, 28 April: Victoria has announced $ 500,000 for earthquake hit relief and recovery efforts. Premier Daniel Andrews today announced the donation which will go to the Nepal Region Earthquake Appeal established by the Australian Red Cross.

Premier Daniel Andrews said, “Victorians always stand by those who are in need and this donation will provide for urgent relief for the people of Nepal. Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the victims, including that of Victoria’s own Ms Renu Fotedar.”

“In addition to today’s donation, Victoria stands ready to provide assistance

2 0 1 5

as part of any Australian Government personnel support to the people of Nepal,” he said.

Reports indicate the earthquake has killed more than 4,000 people with this figure likely to rise.

Around 8 million people are affected by the disaster, with thousands injured.

The Premier said the assistance is being provided in recognition of the severe destruction caused by the earthquake and the urgent need for additional recovery resources.

For more information The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s 24 hour Consular Emergency Centre can be contacted on 02 6261 3305 or, within Australia, on 1300 555 135.

—SAT News Service

Dr Kiran weaves ‘asha’ at the Indian Consulate M

elbourne: On 17 April 2015 : Dr Kiran entertained guests of the Indian Consulate of Melbourne, the Australia India Institute and the Australian Friends of Asha at a concert. She sang some beautiful soulful Lata Mangeshkar Bollywood songs from the ’60′s that were loved by the audience. Dr. Kiran was accompanied by renowned ghazal singer and music composer Vinod Kumar, who sang beautiful ghazals and an extremely difficult Indian classical Tarana in Raag Yaman that he rendered beautifully before a packed audience at the Indian Consulate.

After the concert, Australian Friends of Asha board member Richard Leder invited Dr Kiran to speak about her work. Richard took the opportunity to mention some of the highlights of Dr Kiran’s visit to Australia, including meeting Australian Governor General Sir Peter Cosgrove, meetings with DFAT and other government departments, media interviews, meetings with politicians and with many supporters of Asha.

Richard also described Dr Kiran’s private meeting the previous week with his family. “We were in the foyer of Kiran’s hotel when Kiran saw a beautiful young girl. I can

say that because it was my daughter. It was as if there was no one else around. Instantly she put my daughter at ease and made her feel like she was the most important person in the world. For all of the dignitaries that she met this, I felt, was the true Kiran. A wonderful, warm and generous person, who loves children and is constantly inspired by their beauty, their innocence,

and their potential.”

Dr Kiran Martin is the Founder and Director of Asha Community Health and Development Society.

She studied at the University of Delhi’s Maulana Azad Medical College, gaining a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree.

Afterwards, she specialised in Paediatrics at Lady Hardinge Medical College within the

same university.

In 1988, Dr Martin heard about a cholera outbreak in a south Delhi slum. Her Christian faith inspired her to use her talents to help the poor and marginalised, so she went to the slum, set up a borrowed table under a tree and began working to save lives. Later she formed the Asha Society.

“Now, more than 25 years

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

later, Dr Martin is an influential figure in the field of slum development and Asha’s programmes are benefiting more than 500,000 people in around 60 slum colonies of Delhi, “says the Asha India site.

For detailed information contact: info@australianfriendsofashaslums.org.au Source: Australian Friends Of Asha Slums & Asha India site.

south asia M A Y

South Asia Times

2 0 1 5

south SOUTH asia ASIA

southSouth asia times 17 Asia Times

The lessons Nepal will take from the quake tragedy C

By Amantha Perera

OLOMBO, May 8 2015 (IPS) - There has never been any doubt that Nepal is sitting on one of the most seismically active areas in South Asia. The fact that, when the big one struck, damages and deaths would be catastrophic has been known for years.

Indeed, when this correspondent visited Nepal several years ago, and found himself climbing up the narrow, winding stairwell of the Nepal Red Cross Society office in Kathmandu, a poster on one of the doors demanded a close read: “Kathmandu Valley is most vulnerable during an earthquake,” the sign said.

“One study has shown than in case of an earthquake, 40,000 people may die, 95,000 persons may be seriously injured and 60 percent of houses will be totally destroyed.”

Looking out of the window at the densely populated hillsides, dotted with three-storey concrete structures hugging each other in the jam-packed metropolis, it was clear the warnings were not hyperbolic.

Little over a month before the massive

earthquake struck on Apr. 25, Mahendra Bahadur Pandey, Nepal’s minister for foreign affairs, warned the world yet again of what was to come.

“It is […] estimated that the human losses in the Kathmandu Valley alone, should there be a major seismic event, will be catastrophic,” he told the United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan, in March.

Horrifyingly, his words were prophetic of the tragedy that unfolded not long after.

Caught off guard Less than two weeks after the 7.8-magnitude quake rippled through Nepal, close to 8,000 people have been pronounced dead, while hundreds are still missing.

Families wait for news, while officials wait for their worst fears to be confirmed: that the death toll will likely climb higher in the coming days.

Over 17,500 people are injured, and ten hospitals have been completely destroyed, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

An estimated eight

million people, largely in the country’s Western and Central Regions, have been affected by the disaster – representing over a quarter of Nepal’s population of over 27 million people.

The largest cities, such as Kathmandu and Pokhara, have been badly hit; within 72 hours of the quake, over half a million fled Kathmandu to outlying areas.

Despite ample evidence of the damage a disaster of this scale could wreak on the country, Nepal was in many ways caught unawares, and is now struggling to meet the challenges of providing for a beleaguered and petrified population, who weathered numerous aftershocks in the week following the major quake.

Scores of families are still living in tents, while the World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued an urgent funding appeal for the estimated 3.5 million people in need of emergency food aid.

With so many hospitals destroyed, doctors have resorted to treating patients in the street.

The U.N. health agency has allocated 1.1 million dollars for medical staff and supplies and has so far treated 50,000 patients

in the 14 most severely affected districts.

‘Resources woefully lacking’ But there is a limit to what aid agencies and donor countries can do, and eventually the government will have to shoulder the lion’s share of the recovery effort: something experts feel Nepal is unprepared for.

“It is a massive relief operation, probably the largest in this region that we have launched,” Orla Fagan, regional media officer at OCHA’s office in Bangkok, Thailand, told IPS. The long-term reconstruction bill could be as high as five billion dollars, while U.N. agencies said last week that they need at least 415 million dollars for more immediate efforts over the next three months.

Fagan said that because the threat levels were known, some degree of coordination and disaster preparedness work was being carried out in the Himalayan country prior to the disaster, mostly relating to training and building awareness.

“There was coordination between the government and U.N. agencies, but it

"[This] is one of the poorest countries in the world and resources were woefully lacking."

—Orla Fagan, regional media officer at the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Bangkok was on a very small scale,” she said, adding, “You need to understand that this is one of the poorest countries in the world and resources were woefully lacking.”

Nepal is considered a Least Developed Country (LDC) and currently ranks 145 out of 187 on the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI).

It is also saddled with massive debt – over 3.8 billion dollars owed to donors like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) – and funneled over 217 million dollars into debt repayments last year, money that might have been better spent shoring up its disaster preparation and management systems.

Contd. to pg 18

Experts have said for years that Kathmandu is an extremely high-risk city in the event of seismic activity, yet Nepal was caught off guard when a massive earthquake struck on Apr. 25, 2015. Credit: Amantha Perera/IPS www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

south asia 18 South Asia Timestimes

south asia

M A Y

The lessons Nepal will take from the quake tragedy Contd. from pg 17

Fagan explained that the main gaps in disaster preparedness levels were in information management, with the government failing to collect data gathered by various actors into a cohesive national data bank. The country was also lacking a tried and tested national blueprint on early response and coordination of relief efforts.

A little known fact is that despite the very real threats of earthquakes, heavy rains, landslides and glacial lake outbursts, Nepal’s disaster response policies are governed by the over three-decades-old 1982 Natural Calamities Relief Act. Though a 2008 draft act envisaged a National Disaster Management Authority, it is yet to be ratified by parliament.

“The hope now is that with all the international resources and goodwill pouring in, Nepal can build

a stronger national disaster preparedness policy and mechanism,” Fagan said.

Learning lessons from the region “First the funds need to be used for recovery interventions,” explained S I Arambepola, director of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center in Bangkok. “But a part of the funds should be used to develop a road map for a disaster resilient Nepal.

“The document would also identify the roles and responsibilities [of various government agencies] in implementation, ensuring that the government initiates a long-term plan for disaster risk reduction with the support of the development community,” the expert told IPS. Such a document would specify which branches would issue warnings, which would disseminate them and which would be in charge of evacuations, for instance.

Arambepola also believes Nepal could learn

a thing or two from its neighbors, no strangers to natural disasters.

“Nepal should take the example of other South Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka to develop policy [and] legal frameworks and an institutional set-up for disaster risk reduction,” he stressed.

Sri Lanka in particular presents an excellent case study, since it was just ten years ago that the country was caught in a similar crisis, completely at a loss to deal with the devastating impact of the 2004 Asian tsunami.

Whereas Nepal at least has been aware of the earthquake threat in its densely populated cities for many years, Sri Lanka had no idea that its coast – home to 50 percent of the country’s 20 million people – was in such grave danger.

It found out the hard way on Dec. 24 when the killer waves knocked the stuffing out of three percent of its population,

leaving 35,000 dead, over a million destitute, and a reconstruction bill of three billion dollars.

The country’s former secretary to the ministry of disaster management, S M Mohamed, described the tsunami as an “eyeopener”, sparking efforts at both government and civil society levels to ensure that the country would never again be caught off guard.

While the road to stronger management and preparedness has by no means been a smooth one, Sri Lanka has nevertheless made great strides since that fateful day, including setting up the country’s first-ever Disaster Management Centre (DMC).

In the last decade the DMC has evolved into the main national hub for disaster preparedness levels as well as becoming the nodal public agency for relief coordination and early warnings in the event of a natural calamity.

It has district offices

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

2 0 1 5

in all 25 districts with personnel ready at any time for immediate deployment. In April 2012, the DMC was instrumental in efficiently evacuating over a million people from the coast, due to a tsunami threat.

“The Sri Lankan operation grew from scratch, and now it’s at a somewhat effective level, [though] there are still gaps. Disaster resilience is more about lessons learnt by trial and error,” DMC Additional Director Sarath Lal Kumara told IPS. Although Nepal’s challenges are unique compared to some of the worst disasters in the region’s history – with 600,000 flattened houses after the quake, compared to Sri Lanka’s 100,000 following the tsunami, for instance – it still stands to take away valuable lessons, that will hopefully prevent unnecessary damages and loss of life in the case of future catastrophes.

—Edited by Kanya D’Almeida

M A Y

2 0 1 5

southSouth asia times 19 Asia Times

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

south asia 20 South Asia Timestimes

south asia

M A Y

Families in quake-hit Nepal desperate to get on with their lives

Sixty-five-year-old Rita Rai still has not received emergency relief in the remote village of Mahadevsthan in Kavre district, 100 km south of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. Credit: Naresh Newar/IPS

K

AVRE DISTRICT, Nepal, May 5 2015 (IPS) - Just over a week after a dreadful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Nepal, displaced families are gradually – but cautiously – resuming their normal lives, though most are still badly shaken by the disaster and the proceeding aftershocks that devastated the country.

However, delivery of humanitarian aid and basic relief supplies remains slow, hindered by the scale of the tragedy. With the annual summer monsoon just around the corner – and heavy rains already lashing some parts of the country – experts say the clock is ticking for effective relief efforts.

As of May 3, the death toll was 7,250 in 30 districts, with half of them in Kathmandu and its neighbouring Sindupalchok district, according to the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS), the largest humanitarian NGO in the country.

A further 14,122 people have been injured.

Over one million families have been displaced in 35 districts, while over 297,000 houses have been completely destroyed.

The United Nations says close to eight million people – over a quarter of Nepal’s population of 27 million – have been impacted by the crisis.

Of these, about 3.5 million are in need of food aid. The World Food Programme

(WFP) has issued an urgent appeal for 116.5 million dollars to deliver aid to those most in need – some 1.4 million people – over the next three months.

The U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), meanwhile, is worried about the plight of the country’s wheat harvest.

The agency had predicted a yield of 1.8 million tonnes in 2015, but is concerned that this forecast will change, as farmers struggle to access devastated fields and deal with severely damaged drainage systems and irrigation canals.

As the government scrambles to meet the needs of its people, the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced Tuesday that it had begun to airlift 80 metric tonnes of humanitarian aid to the worst-affected areas.

According to a statement on the agency’s website, “[The] aircraft will deliver water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies, such as chlorination material, diarrhoea and cholera kits, as well as water bladders, to provide clean and safe water supplies as fears of an outbreak of waterborne diseases grow.

Also on board are health kits and tarpaulins, with many families having fled to open spaces under threat of further aftershocks.

“We have stopped crying out of fear because we need to move on now and be brave,” 13-year-old Sunita Tamang tells IPS, hugging

her best friend – 12-year-old Manju Tamang.

The girls hail from the remote Ghumarchowk village of Shankarpur municipality, 80 km from the centre of Kathmandu city. Both of their families lost their homes, cattle and food stocks in the quake.

Their school remains dilapidated and though they are desperate to resume their classes, they must patiently wait out the month-long government-declared closure of schools in case of further natural calamities.

In this village, which is only accessible after a steep, three-hour uphill trek, most of the 500 homes remain unsafe for residence, a major obstacle for families who are getting tired of sleeping under the stars in their potato and squash farms where they are living in makeshift tents, nothing but thin plastic sheets covering their heads.

The torrential rainfall that is lashing this village makes life in agricultural fields difficult, as the ground becomes too muddy to sleep on. “I would rather return home and take the risk,” a social worker named Bikash Tamang from the Scout Community Group tells IPS. The National Society for Earthquake TechnologyNepal (NSET), which aims to create “earthquake safe communities in Nepal by 2020”, has begun a series of assessments of major offices and residential areas across

the country.

Chief of communications for the NSET tells IPS in Kathmandu that the organisation is assessing the extent of the damage, to ensure that key service providing agencies within the government, as well as the medical and communications sector, can access those most in need.

But the destruction is so extensive that an exhaustive assessment will take time.

Residents of affected areas are receiving sporadic assistance from local Nepali engineers, who have been volunteering their services to assess damages and safety issues in neighborhoods across the country.

“These engineers are helping us free of charge, and I am so grateful to them,” Shankar Biswakarma, hailing from Bagdol ward in Kathmandu, tells IPS. But these charitable efforts will not be enou The number of residents in Tundikhel, the largest camp area for the displaced in Kathmandu, has halved over the last few days. The remaining families are largely migrant workers, a 25-yearold mother of two children tells IPS. “Many have left who have relatives and friends to help,” says young Manisha Lama. “Those who come from outside Kathmandu are the ones left here in the camps.”

Her home is in the remote village of Deupur in Kavre district, which is among the most affected districts, nearly

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

2 0 1 5

Over one million families have been displaced in 35 districts, while over 297,000 houses have been completely destroyed.

100 km south of the capital.

Kavre also has a record number of destroyed homes – some 30,000 lost to the quake, according to NRCS records.

“The needs of the most affected families are crucial and the response is becoming a huge challenge,” NRCS Chief of Communications Dibya Paudel tells IPS. He explains that affected people are growing extremely frustrated at the snail’s pace of the emergency response, adding that the government and its relevant agencies are inundated by requests, and under intense pressure to respond to the specific humanitarian needs of million of affected people.

As of May 2, the combined total pledged by the international community to the relief effort stood at 68 million dollars, far short of the required 415 million dollars needed for full recovery, according to estimates prepared by the United Nation’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

To make matters worse, aid agencies are reporting incidents of looting of relief goods before they reach their specified destination; those on the ground say families are getting too desperate to wait for supplies to reach them through formal channels.

“We’re still waiting for relief but I heard the government and agencies are now scared to come because of the incidents of looting,” Sachen Lama, a resident of the affected village of Bajrayogini, 10 km from Kathmandu, tells IPS. He and his fellow villagers have been asking the community to stay calm when the relief arrives, and let the aid workers do their job so that there is no obstruction in the distribution process.

“But there was looting two days ago by some local people as they were desperate, [so our] relief supplies never arrived here,” Lama says.

—Edited by Kanya D’Almeida

M A Y

2 0 1 5

VIEWPOINT

southSouth asia times 21 Asia Times

Bhakti-Sufi traditions: Uniting humanity

By Ram Puniyani

I

n contemporary times, religions’ identity is being used as cover for political agenda.

Be it the terrorist violence or the sectarian nationalism in various parts of the World, religion is used to mask the underlying politics.

While one was talking of separation of religion and politics many decades earlier, the times have been showing the reverse trends, more so in South Asia. Globally one came across the news that American President sent a chador [a ceremonial sheet of cloth] to the annual observation at the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer.

(April 2015). Later one also read (April 22, 2015) that Sonia Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpeyi, and Narendra Modi has also offered chadors at the shrine.

Keeping the relation between state, politics and religion apart, it is interesting that some traditions within religion have appeals cutting across the religious boundaries.

The Sufi and Bhakti tradition in Pakistan-India, South Asia are two such humane trends from within Islam and Hinduism respectively, which harp more on unity of humanity as a whole overcoming the sectarian divides. The saints from these traditions had appeal amongst people of different religions and they were away from the centers of power, unlike the clergy which was close ally of the rulers in medieval times. We have seen rich traditions of people like Kabir, Tukaram, Narsi Mehta, Shankar Dev, Lal Dedh, clearly from within Hindu tradition, while Nizamuddin Auliya, Moinuddin Chishti, Tajuddin Baba Auliya, Ajan Pir, Nooruddin Noorani (also known as Nund Rishi) coming from a clear Islamic Sufi tradition and Satya Pir, Ramdev Baba Pir, having a mixed lineage where Bhakti and Sufi themselves are deeply intertwined.

Sant Guru Nanak did try a conscious mixing of the two major religions of India, Hinduism and Islam. He traveled up to Mecca to learn the wisdom of Islam and went to Kashi to unravel the spiritual moral aspects of Hinduism. His first follower was Mardan and Miyan Mir was the one who was respectfully invited to lay the foundations of Golden Temple; the holy Sikh Shrine. The Guru Granth Sahib has an inclusive approach to religious wisdom and it takes the verses from Koran, couplets from Kabir and other Bhakti saints. No wonder people used to say of him ‘Baba Nanak Sant Fakir, Hindu ka Guru Musalman ka Pir’ (Saint Nanak is sant for Hindus and pir for Muslims) In today’s scenario the global discussion has been centered round religion due to its use in political sphere. Now the renewed interest in Sufi tradition at one level is heartening. Sufism has been prominent in South Asia from last

ten centuries. Word Sufi means coarse wool fabric, the type of clothes which were worn by Sufi mystics. It grew within Shiaism but over time some Sunnis also took to this sect. It has strong streaks of mysticism and gave no importance to rituals and tried to have understanding of God by transcending the anthropomorphic understanding of Allah, looking at him more as a spiritual authority.

This is so similar to the belief held

by Bhakti saints also. Many Sufi’s had pantheistic beliefs and they articulated their values in very humane way.

In the beginning the orthodox sects started persecuting them but later compromises were struck.

The Sufis formed the orders of roving monks, dervishes. People of all religions in many countries frequent their shrines, this again is like Bhakti saints, who have following amongst people of different religions.

On parallel lines Bhakti is probably the most outstanding example of the subaltern trend in Indian religious history. The Bhakti saints came from different streams of society, particularly from low caste. Bhakti opposed the institutionalization of religion, tried to decentralize it, and declared that religion is a private matter. It gave respectability to the separation of state power and religion and merged the concept of God worship with the process of getting knowledge. Travails of poor people are the focus of bhakti saints’ work. Bhakti traditions gave respectability to many low castes. This tradition had inclusive

approach towards Muslims as well.

This tradition posed a challenge to upper caste hegemony.

Bhakti tradition opposed the rituals, hegemony of elite of society.

They adopted the languages more popular with the masses. Also they talked of one God. In India in particular Hindu Muslim unity has been one of the concerns expressed by many of the saints from this tradition.

What one needs to realize is that there are various tendencies with every religion. The humane one’s as represented by Bhakti and Sufi are the ones’ which united Humanity and harped on morality-spirituality of religions. The intolerant tendencies have been usurped by political forces for their political agenda. In sub continent during the freedom movement the declining sections of society, Rajas, Nawabs,

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

Land lords came up with Muslim and Hindu Communalism to begin with. This nationalism in the name of religion had nothing to do with morality of religions. It was use of religion’s identity for political goals.

In the national movements we had people like Gandhi, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad who were religious but opposed to religious nationalism.

The essence of Sufi and Bhakti tradition are reminders to us that spirituality, morality part of the religion has been undermined in the current times. The inclusivehumane nature of these traditions needs to be upheld and the divisive-exclusionary versions of religions have to be ignored for better future of humanity.

—Response only to ram.puniyani@gmail.com

south asia 22 South Asia Timestimes

special report

M A Y

2 0 1 5

No woman, No world

By Sean Buchanan

L

ONDON, Apr 27 2015 (IPS) - Almost exactly two years ago, on the morning of Apr. 24, over 3,600 workers – 80 percent of them young women between the ages of 18 and 20 – refused to enter the Rana Plaza garment factory building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, because there were large ominous cracks in the walls. They were beaten with sticks and forced to enter.

Forty-five minutes later, the building collapsed, leaving 1,137 dead and over 2,500 injured – most of them women.

The Rana Plaza collapse is just one of a long series of workplace incidents around the world in which women have paid a high toll.

It is also one of the stories featured in the UN Women report Progress of the World’s Women 2015-2016: Transforming Economies, Realizing Rights, launched on Apr. 27.

Coming 20 years after the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, which drew up an agenda to advance gender equality, Progress of the World’s Women 2015-2016 notes that while progress has since been made, “in an era of unprecedented global wealth, millions of women are trapped in low paid, poor quality jobs, denied even basic levels of health care, and water and sanitation.”

At the same time, notes the report, financial globalisation, trade liberalisation, the ongoing privatisation of public services and the everexpanding role of corporate interests in the development process have shifted power relations in ways that undermine the enjoyment of human rights and the building of sustainable livelihoods.

Against this backdrop, all too often women fail to enjoy their rights because they

are forced to fit into a ‘man’s world’, a world in which these rights are not at the heart of economies.

What this means in real terms is that, for example, at global level women are paid on average 24 percent less than men, and for women with children the gaps are even wider. Women are clustered into a limited set of undervalued occupations – such as domestic work – and almost half of them are not entitled to the minimum wage.

Even when women succeed in the workplace, they encounter obstacles not generally faced by their male counterparts. For example, in the European Union, 75 percent of women in management and higher professional positions and 61 percent of women in service sector occupations have experienced some form of sexual harassment in the workplace in their lifetimes.

The report makes the link between economic policymaking and human rights, calling for a far-reaching

new policy agenda that can transform economies and make women’s rights a reality by moving forward towards “an economy that truly works for women, for the benefit of all.”

The ultimate aim is to create a virtuous cycle through the generation of decent work and gender-responsive social protection and social services, alongside enabling macroeconomic policies that prioritise investment in human beings and the fulfilment of social objectives.

Today, “our public resources are not flowing in the directions where they are most needed: for example, to provide safe water and sanitation, quality health care, and decent child and elderly care services,” says UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. “Where there are no public services, the deficit is borne by women and girls.”

According to MlamboNgcuka, “this is a care penalty that unfairly punishes women for stepping in when the State

does not provide resources and it affects billions of women the world over. We need policies that make it possible for both women and men to care for their loved ones without having to forego their own economic security and independence,” she added.

The report agrees that paid work can be a foundation for substantive equality for women, but only when it is compatible with women’s and men’s shared responsibility for unpaid care work; when it gives women enough time for leisure and learning; when it provides earnings that are sufficient to maintain an adequate standard of living; and when women are treated with respect and dignity at work.

Yet, this type of employment remains scarce, and economic policies in all regions are struggling to generate enough decent jobs for those who need them.

On top of that, the range of opportunities available to women is limited by pervasive

Your Community Marriage Celebrant • • • • • • •

Marriage registration Notice of intended marriage Overseas Registration Marriage - Notice Special services to overseas students Assist passport applications, overseas visa Interpreting, translating and Secretarial services

For Information contact N.R. Wickiramasingham. CMC JP. Mobile: 0404 059 231 Phone: (03) 9794 7942 Fax: (03) 9794 0414 Email: wickiram@hotmail.com 34 James Street, Dandenong, Victoria 3175 Authorised by the Commenwealth of Australia Reg: A4978

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

All too often women fail to enjoy their rights because they are forced to fit into a ‘man’s world’, a world in which these rights are not at the heart of economies. gender stereotypes and discriminatory practices within both households and labour markets. As a result, the vast majority of women still work in insecure, informal employment.

The reality is that women also still carry the burden of unpaid work in the home, which has been aggravated in recent years by austerity policies and cut-backs. To build more equitable and sustainable economies which work for both women and men, warns the report, “more of the same will not do.”

At a time when the global community is defining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the post-2015 era, the message from UN Women is that economic and social policies can contribute to the creation of stronger economies, and to more sustainable and more genderequal societies, provided that they are designed and implemented with women’s rights at their centre.

—Edited by Phil Harris

M A Y

southSouth asia times 23 Asia Times

2 0 1 5

PANDITH : RAVI VARMA NEW IN MELBOURNE

Call for appointments

0415 599 636 0415 943 035

2/1 Nicholson Court Clayton VIC 3168 1 minute walk from train station PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL

Open 7 Days From 8:30am to 8.00pm

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

South Asia Times south asia 24 South Asia Timestimes

Entertainment

M A Y

2 0 1 5

Shashi Kapoor: The Cinematic Journey of a Phalke Award Winner As seen on Facebook: Were the famous dialogue exchange between the two brothers in Deewaar (1975) take place today. It could go something like this. Vijay (Amitabh Bachchan): Aaj mere paas buildingen hain, property hai, bank balance hai, bangla hai, gaadi hai. Kya hai tumhare paas?

Ravi (Shashi Kapoor): Mere paas… Dadasaheb Phalke Award hai!

Shashi Kapoor in ‘Janoon’ (1978) Directed by Shyam Benagal

By Sean Buchanan

J

okes aside, veteran actor Shashi Kapoor is the latest recipient of Indian Cinema’s highest honor – the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his contribution to Indian cinema. And a significant contribution it has been too. Not just as an actor but also as a film producer, who looked beyond market constraints and made the films he believed in. Kapoor also was one of the early Indian actor who broke through internationally through his association with several Merchant-Ivory Productions (The Householder (1963), Shakespeare Wallah (1965), Bombay Talkie (1970), Siddhartha (1972) and Heat and Dust (1983) among others), besides other films like Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (1987), Jinnah (1998) and Side Streets (1998).

We pay homage to him by highlighting his cinematic journey right from his days as a child actor.

Shashi Kapoor had a small stint as a child actor with films like Sangram (1950) and more importantly, Aag (1948) and Awara (1951), where he played the childhood version of brother, Raj Kapoor.

With Dharamputra and Char Diwari both releasing in 1961, Kapoor made his debut as a leading man in the Hindi film industry.

Dharamputra, directed by Yash Chopra, saw him play a young man, who is brought up in a Hindu household and becomes a fanatic baying for Muslim blood during the Partition only to realize that he is actually a Muslim by birth. Though the film didn’t do well, it still won a National Award for Best Feature film in Hindi.

1963 saw the beginning of Kapoor’s association with Merchant-Ivory with The Householder, where he played a young man in an arranged marriage with Leela Naidu.

His mother (Durga Khote) arrives and causes a spoke in the tender relationship of husband and wife with her interference causing Naidu to return to her family How the couple finally reconcile forms the rest of the film.

Stardom finally came Kapoor’s way with the multistarrer Waqt, where he played the youngest son in a family that gets separated when he is a child and reunites years later, and Jab Jab Phool Khile (JJPK), where he played a simple boatman in Kashmir, who falls in love with modern miss, Nanda. Though they had acted together before in Char Diwari and Mehndi Lagi Mere Haath (1962), the two became a popular pair following the huge success of JJPK. Incidentally, JJPK was the inspiration for Aamir Khan’s big hit, Raja Hindustani, three decades later.

India’s Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information & Broadcasting, Mr. Arun Jaitley presenting the Dada Saheb Phalke Award to Shashi Kapoor, at Prithvi Theatre, in Mumbai on May 10, 2015. Photo: PIB That year also saw Kapoor in Shakespeare Wallah, the film re-uniting him with the Merchant-Ivory team, getting glowing reviews the world over. Shashi Kapoor had truly arrived.

With Sharmilee (1971) , Kapoor reached the peak of his career. The 1970s also saw him being the busiest actor in the Hindi film industry as he shuttled between various sets daily. Still, he found the time to do Conrad Rooks’ Siddhartha (1972), based on the novel of the same name by Hermann Hesse.

The film was shot on location in India and photographed by the legendary Swedish cinematographer, Sven Nykvist.

Deewaar saw Kapoor play the perfect foil as the good son to Bachchan’s ‘bad’ son.

While Bachchan had the author backed role in the film, Kapoor’s pay off was arguably getting to speak the most famous dialogue ever in the history of Hindi cinema.

Kapoor kept up his balance with Hindi cinema

on one side and films like Heat and Dust (1983) on the other, yet another successful collaboration between Kapoor and Merchant-Ivory.

The film, based on a novel by Ruth Jhabwala that won the Booker Prize in 1975, looks at the adventures of a woman (Julie Christie), who travels to India to find more about her step-grandmother in the days of the British Raj in India.

Kapoor came up with one of the best performances of his career with Ramesh Sharma’s New Delhi Times (1986) playing an upright newspaper editor, who exposes the nexus between politics and the media. He would go on to win the National Award for Best Actor for the film.

One of Kapoor’s last films was In Custody (1993), directed by Ismail Merchant, with Kapoor playing a famous Urdu poet. He received a special mention from the jury at the National Awards for his fine performance in the film.

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

—Upperstall.

Kapoor kept up his balance with Hindi cinema on one side and films like Heat and Dust (1983) on the other, yet another successful collaboration between Kapoor and Merchant-Ivory.

M A Y

2 0 1 5

southSouth asia times 25 Asia Times

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

south asia 26 South Asia Timestimes

entertainment

M A Y

2 0 1 5

Punjab enters Cannes, with soul and angst

By Uma Da Cunha

G

urvinder Singh with his second offering “Chauthi Koot” (following his impressive 2011 debut with “Anhe Ghore Da Daan”), creates a record in Cannes. In its 68 years of being, this is the first time that this august festival will be showcasing a Punjabi film, that too, in its second to competition section, and for many, the most key one, Un Certain Regard.

He talks to Uma da Cunha about his journey

into the personal, probing and edgy artistry that marks his style of filmmaking.

I was not brought up in Punjab as people may think. I am Delhi-born and raised, belonging to the migrant Punjabi communities that moved there after Partition.

My initial interest – more like obsession - was in photography and painting. I read books on painting avidly, collected photographs, and looked at acclaimed work from abroad: Cartier-Bresson, for instance.

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

Saturday 4/04/15 - Aditi Gadre and Shoaib Safi Saturday 6/06/15 - Nicholas Buff and Sri Ram Aiyyer Tuesday 4/08/15 - Ustad Aminul Huque and Amitabh Singh Chauhan Saturday 3/10/15 - Radhey Shyam Gupta and Robyn Kerr Saturday 5/12/15 - Madhuri Kamtikar and Shoaib Safi

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

Saturday 3/1/15 Saturday 2/5/15 Saturday 5/9/15

Saturday 7/3/15 Saturday 4/7/15 Monday 7/11/15

Venue: Waverly Meadows Primary School,

Time: 8.00pm

Columbia Drive, Wheelers Hill Free Entry, with ample parking, Free tea, coffee and biscuits Contact: Phone- 0402 074 278 or 0407 559 113 email- sangeetswarsandhya@gmail.com www.facebook.com/sangeetsandhya

It was when I studied Mass Communications at Pune University that I was introduced to films, watching them at the National Archives. I saw Luis Buñuel’s films there and his brilliant, crazed look at life was a revelation. I knew then that films too could reflect the artistry of photography.

I joined the Film and Television Institute in Pune and found the teaching standards frustrating even if we saw good cinema.

But it is here that I got to work with my subsequent mentor, Mani Kaul. I had earlier read the book ‘Abhed Akash’, in Hindi, which contained a series of interviews with him by Udayan Bajpai. To imbibe its philosophical depth more thoroughly, I translated it into English. It took a year, during which I communicated with Mani Kaul on email.

In 1999, Mani Kaul asked me to be his teaching assistant at a four month FTII course he was conducting. There were just ten students. The way this great master approached each one as a distinct individual molded me as well. He told us that we should recognize and respect our duality; that it was our shortcomings that that made us different from one another; and he urged us to realize, understand and express our unique identity in our scripts and filming.

Three years in Mumbai followed but I found the city too claustrophobic, too noisy, too big. I moved to Pune. Now, after Cannes, I want to live in my cottage in Himachal Pradesh and commute to Pune when needed.

I came to imbibe the spirit and character of Punjab when I spent four years wandering at will in various areas of that region. Village to village, I lived with Dalits, traditional street and stage performers and folk singers. I saw the striking caste divisions. The low caste live in the periphery.

There are two Gurdwaras, one for the high caste and one for the low. There is a silent boundary that demarcates and shapes the lives of the two. I made documentaries from this sojourn.

My scripts are shaped by literary work.

“Chauthi Koot” is an amalgam of two short stories. My debut film was based on

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

a novel. But I write my own scripts. I always use actors from Punjab, either theatre actors or new faces.

They know and feel the language and the thinking. There are so many dialects in Punjab. An actor from Mumbai , however adept and trained, will never have that natural, familiar, visceral authenticity. The dialect in my new film is Majhi, spoken in the belt around Amritsar and Lahore.

My first film “Anhe Ghore Da Daan” (Alms for a Blind Horse) was funded by NFDC. It concerns the displacement of Dalits in rural Punjab when a landlord comes to usurp their land for industry. I plunged into making it, instinctively, and to my way of thinking. What interests me is images and sound and how the two integrate. The film released commercially for a week in Mumbai, Delhi, Ludhiana and Jalandhar.

People still see it – in pirated versions.

My second film “Chauthi Koot” is set in the post 1984 Blue Star operation years. It is fifty percent funded by NFDC, with Sunil Doshi contributing as well. The rest is from European backing. It was hard getting it though, in spite of the film winning the Paris Project award at the 10th Hong Kong Film festival. My scripts are spare, not more than 30 pages as against the usual 100 or more. Funders back off thinking there isn’t enough meat in the story. But filming lies in elaborating and visualizing reality.

A brief paragraph in a film can make for a 15-minute compelling scene. I improvise all the time seeing the place and space where I am shooting. I ask my actors to forget written lines and express what they feel.

However the support and guidance from my European backers was a boon.

They never interfered with my writing or my filming. I benefited with Olivia Stewart being my script mentor and Catherine Dussart selflessly nurturing the film’s promotion. I was able to handle my sound quality (for me a scene works only when the sound is right) in Paris working with the highly regarded re-recording mixer, Bruno Tarriere.

My next film is also in Punjabi on a renowned Qawali singer. After that, I may perhaps look beyond Punjab.

—Source: TheCitizen

M A Y

2 0 1 5

southSouth asia times 27 Asia Times

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

south asia 28 South Asia Timestimes

entertainment

M A Y

2 0 1 5

Piku

A simple three-act tale

P

iku lacks ambition by Bollywood standards. It’s barely got a mere essence of a story, no conventional hero actor, no lip sync songs, the slightly hint of a love angel, and no “real” drama. Essentially a three-act film, two of these are bookended in two houses. And yet you come away finding the characters strangely relatable and a warm fuzzy feeling of satisfaction washes over you when the lights come on.

There is much to laugh with in the first half as Piku (Deepika Padukone) – a business owner, her father’s caretaker, and leader of a desultory love life – goes about her days with blistering pace, achieving little happiness for herself and barely keeping her irritable and irritating hypochondriac father (Amitabh Bachchan) at bay as he in pursuit of the perfect bowel movement.

Another fascinating aspect about the first half is its sheer energy, always difficult to maintain when set only amongst indoor conversations and dialogue exchanges. That’s cinema for you isn’t it? When a film like Piku feels a lot more – of all things – ‘energetic’ than a film like say, Avengers: The Age of Ultron. Much credit for this may be given to the actors – specifically Deepika and Bachchan – for not allowing their vivacious tempo to slack.

As the film enters into road trip mode, Sircar keeps it short and simple and doesn’t labor over landscape and locations (always tempting in such situations) instead keeping the camera and consequently our focus on the characters. The smallest incidents begin to affects dynamics and

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

the catalyst of change is the cab company owner and inadvertant driver of their car essayed by Irfan.

You can sense their change as little incidents accumulate. It was always going to happen, but rarely has been handled with subtlety.

Even the film’s big climatic event just eases in without spectacle.

Props to writer Juhi Chaturvedi for thinking up a simple tale and seeing the potential of a film in it.

Shoojit Sircar is quick becoming one of the more versatile and dependable directors in Bollywood and now has three very likable films to his repertoire (let’s just ignore Yahaan for now). Now that he’s got topline stars interested in working with him, there could be interesting developments in the future. Let’s hope he keeps up pushing the envelope as far as themes and content goes. No lack of vision or ambition here.

—Upperstall

M A Y

2 0 1 5

entertainment

southSouth asia times 29 Asia Times

bay BoVm elvet

B

ombay Velvet is an Indian period crime drama film directed and co-produced

by Anurag Kashyap, based on historian Gyan Prakash's book Mumbai Fables. Set in Bombay of the 1960s, the film tells the story of a boxer, Johnny Balraj, and an aspiring jazz singer, Rosie, and how their hopes and dreams collide with their individual realities. It stars Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Karan Johar in lead roles with Kay Kay Menon, Manish Choudhary, Vivaan Shah and Siddhartha Basu appearing in supporting roles. The film was released on 15 May 2015.

Kashyap was inspired to make the film after reading L.A. Quartet, a sequence of four crime fiction novels by James Ellroy, set in the late 1940s through the late 1950s in Los Angeles. The novels inspired him to "dig into the dark trenches of the history of Bombay", where he "found a treasure trove that was neverending".

Bombay Velvet was initially to be produced by Viacom18 but Fox Star Studios decided to co-produce it with Phantom Films. It is based on Gyan Prakash's book Mumbai Fables and set in early 1950's towards 1970's, before Mumbai became a metropolis. Prakash is also one of the scriptwriters for the film. Ranbir Kapoor was cast as a street fighter, and Anushka Sharma was cast as a jazz singer. Kapoor explained his casting, "The script of Bombay Velvet just fell into my lap. I read it and I knew immediately that I wanted to be part of Anurag's grand vision, his

innovative storytelling, his moviemaking process; everything that he does so perfectly." Director Karan Johar made his acting debut in the film; he was cast as the film's primary antagonist, Kaizad Khambata. His role is said to have been inspired from Russi Karanjia.

The first schedule of Bombay Velvet started in the third week of July 2013 and continued till the first week of September 2013.

The first schedule was shot at Sri Lanka's Ranmihitenna Mahinda Rajapaksa National Tele Cinema Park, Hambantota. Filming was also done in Colombo, Galle and Pasikudah. The second schedule was also in Mahinda Rajapaksa National Tele Cinema Park, Sri Lanka, where Sharma and Kapoor rejoined the filming in February. The second schedule completed in March.

A part of the set was left at the National Tele Cinema Park, rather than being dismantled, as it will be used as a tourist attraction site.

The third and final schedule was in Mumbai where shooting was held for a 10-day period. The film was edited in collaboration by Prerna Saigal, the editor of The Lunchbox and Academy Award winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker.

The movie stars Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Karan Johar etc.

Music is by Amit Trividi and direction

by Anurag Kshyap.

In Australia the movie is distributed by the Mind Blowing Films. For more information check www.mindblowingfilms.com. —Wikipedia

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

ihNdI-puãp

south asia 30 South Asia Timestimes

ás;¬q

vWR 11² a'k 10

Eixy;

$;”Ms

s‹p;dkIy

मातृ-दिवस

विश्व के कई दे शों में, जिन में ऑस्ट्रे लिया, कनाडा, अमेरिका आदि शामिल हैं , १० मई, २०१५ को मातृ-दिवस मनाया जायेगा| इस दिन, संतानें अपनी-अपनी माँ को प्रसन्न करने का विशेष प्रयत्न करें गी और उन्हें उपहार दें गी| वैसे तो सभी संस्कृतियों में माँ को विशेष सम्मान दिया जाता है परन्तु आधुनिक रूप में, मातृ-दिवस सबसे पहले अमेरिका में सन ् १९०८ में ऐन्ना जार्विस की माँ की मृत्यु पर उनकी स्मृति में आयोजित एक शोक सभा में मनाया गया| मातृ-दिवस की कहानी, सन ् १९०५ में शुरू हुई जब अमेरिका में ऐन्ना जार्विस ने माताओं को सम्मानित करने के लिए मातृ-दिवस को सार्वजनिक छुट्टी घोषित करने का आन्दोलन शुरू किया| ऐन्ना जार्विस की माँ अमेरिका के गृहयुद्ध में दोनों पक्षों के घायल सैनिकों की सेवा सुश्ष रु ा करती थीं और उन्होंने सावर्जनिक स्वास्थ्य सम्बन्धी मामलों को संबोधित करने के लिए मातृ-दिवसीय कार्य क्लबों (मदर्स डे वर्क क्लब्स) की स्थापना की थी| सन ् १९२० तक, अन्य उत्सवों की भाँति, मातृ-दिवस का भी व्यापारीकरण हो चुका था| ऐन्ना जार्विस को यह दे ख कर बहुत दुःख हुआ क्योंकि उनके अनुसार यह दिन माताओं को बाज़ारी कार्ड या उपहार दे ने की बजाय व्यक्तिगत रूप से उनके प्रति अपनी कृतज्ञता, आभार, स्नेह और सम्मान प्रकट करने का होना चाहिये| अब मातृ-दिवस विश्व के अनेक दे शों में मनाया जाता है | बढ़ते हुए पश्चिमीकरण के साथ, अब यह दिन भारत में भी, विशेष कर महानगरों में मनाया जाने लगा है | सभी माताओं को मातृ-दिवस की बधाई| इस महीने दो महापुरुषों, भारत के सर्वप्रथम नोबेल पुरस्कार विजेता, शिक्षाविद, चित्रकार व साहित्यकार, डॉ. रवीन्द्र नाथ टै गोर तथा बुद्ध धर्म के संस्थापक, महात्मा बुद्ध की जयंती और अंतर्राष्ट्रीय श्रम-दिवस या मई-दिवस भी हैं | यह समय इन महापुरुषों तथा श्रम संगठनों के महत्वपूर्ण योगदान को स्मरण करने का भी है | इस अंक के k;Vyku'j स्तम्भ में मुख्यतः मातृ-दिवस तथा अन्य विषयों से सम्बंधित कविताएँ हैं । साथ में, ‘वी.सी.ई. हिन्दी के मेरे अनुभव’ शृंखला का दस ू रा लेख है और ‘अमृत वृद्धाश्रम’ नामक कहानी का चौथा भाग है | इसके अतिरिक्त, ‘संक्षिप्त समाचार’, ‘अब हँ सने की बारी है ’, ‘महत्वपूर्ण तिथियाँ’ व ‘सूचनाएँ’ स्तम्भ भी हैं | लिखियेगा कि आपको यह अंक कैसा लगा। —दिनेश श्रीवास्तव

p[k;xn sMb'/I sUcn;E\ ihNdI-puãp k; ¬ýeXy a;ŽS$^eily; me' ihNdI k; p[c;r-p[s;r krn; hw) p[k;ixt rcn;ao' pr koé p;irÅimk nhI' idy; j;t; hw) ihNdI-puãp me' p[k;ixt rcn;ao' me' le%ko' ke ivc;r ¬nke apne hote hw'² ¬nke ilye sMp;dk y; p[k;xk ¬Êrd;yI nhI' hw') hStili%t rcn;E\ SvIk;r kI j;tI hw' prNtu ”leK$^^;Žink åp se ¾ihNdI-s'SkOt¾ f¹;\$ me' rcn;E\ .eje' to ¬nk; p[k;xn hm;re ilE ai/k suiv/;jnk hog; kOpy; apnI rcn;E\ ákh;iny;\² kivt;E\² le%² cu$kule² mnor'jk anu.v a;idâ inMnili%t pte pr .eje'-

Editor, Hindi-Pushp, 141 Highett Street, Richmond, Victoria 3121 é-mel se rcn;E\ .ejne k; pt; hw- dsrivastava@optusnet.com.au

apnI rcn;E\ .ejte smy² apnI rcn; kI Ek p[it apne p;s avXy r% le')

माँ की याद

k;

pirixã$â

mé² 2015

-डॉ. सध ु श े , दिल्ली ममता व्यथा समर्पण का जिसे सुनता रहा अनेक वर्षों तक अब भी उस का स्वर गूँजता है कानों में । अब मेरा माथा दु:खों की चोट से

-कुसम ु वीर, नोएडा, भारत

स्मृति पटल पर विचरतीं धूमिल सी यादें घूमतीं चित्र बन - बन बिखरते बिसरे पलों को ढू ँ ढती पहर - पहर नव लहर मेँ जुगनुओं सी चमक जिसमें भाल धवल चाँदनी सम प्रभासती तम वीथियों मेँ दीप नयनों के लिए बाती स्नेह मधु प्रीत की संस्कार की चूनर लपेटे सज रही ज्यों संस्कृति मनुहार की थाली लिए स्वर में सुधा सरसित हुई वात्सल्य का कंबल लिए संबल बनी वह हर घड़ी शिशिर की जब रात गहरी ठिठुरती वह ठं ड में वात्सल्य का कंबल उढ़ाकर दे उष्णता मन गात मेँ भोर की अरुणिम कनि सी दरू छितरी रश्मियों सी विकीर्ण करती स्व प्रभा को हुई धरा मधुमास सी प्रेम - प्रीत पराग सिंचित मधुप तन मकरं द मन प्रसून पुण्य प्रताप जिसका बरसा रहा आशीष कण

माँ

2 0 1 5

k;Vy-ku'j

मेरे खुरदुरे माथे पर अंकित हैं कई कई दु:ख पर माँ की ममता की बदली के नीचे ओझल था पहाड़ सा दु:ख । माँ एक शब्द नहीं महाकाव्य है

आशीष कण

ihNdI

M A Y

-डॉ. प्रीत अरोड़ा, पंजाब, भारत

माँ तुम मेरी प्रेरणा हो ममता की प्रतिमूर्ति हो तुम्हारे आँचल की छाया में मैंने स्वर्ग का सुख पाया तुमने मेरा पथ आलोकित कर जीवन मंगलमयी बनाया तेरी छत्रछाया मुझपर बनी रहे यही कामना मैं करती हूँ

नरे न्द्र मोदी*

और खुरदुरा हो गया है ऊम्र की सलवटों ने कर दिया उसे बदरं ग पर अब भी माँ की याद आने पर आँखों में उतर आता है सावन ।

जननी

-सुमन वर्मा, मेल्बर्न

चमन की हर कली में रूप मैंने तेरा पाया कहाँ समाऊँ हर पल को संग तेरे जो बिताया सुगन्धित सुमन में भी तेरी महक को पाया कोमलता में फूलों की तेरी मुलायमियत को पाया वह गर्मी थी तेरे स्पर्श में या नरमी थी तेरी उँ गलियाँ में रखूँगी पास दिल के हूँ जब तक इस जहाँ में दे खूँ जब दर्पण मैं साया तेरा ही पाऊँ डू ब जाऊँ बचपन की यादों में टपटप मैं आँसू बहाऊँ परे शानी जब मन में आ जाए पास झट से तू पहुँच जाए कंधे पर हाथ जब रखे तू आश्रय जहाँ का मिल जाए किस-किस को याद करूँ मैं हर याद है अब भी ताज़ी बीत चुका है कल तो शायद आशा है फिर भी बाक़ी पाँव जहाँ भी लड़खड़ाया हौसला तूने सदा बढ़ाया डू ब चुकी हूँ उस प्यार में मैं रात दिन जो तूने बरसाया तेरे आते ही चमन में आ जाती थी बहार तेरे छूते ही मुझे मिल जाता सारा संसार बहने लगते थे सोए झरने गूँजने लगती तेरी आवाज़ एक बार फिर लौटा दे जीवन की वह सौग़ात

-प्रोफ़ेसर दे वेन्द्र मिश्र, टोरोंटो

(*भारतीय प्रधान मंत्री की कैनाडा यात्रा पर उनके स्वागत में लिखी व पढ़ी गई कविता)

विश्व गगन में चमके हो, बन भारत का ध्रुव तारा | दामोदर- हीरा सुत नरे न्द्र मोदी, तुम गर्व हमारा || जब से सत्ता में आये, भारत की शान बढ़ाई | जापान, अमेरिका, आस्ट्रे लिया में ऎसी धूम मचाई || बने अग्रणी नायक जग के, गूँज रहा जयकारा | दामोदर- हीरा सुत नरें द्र मोदी, तुम गर्व हमारा || हिन्द-कनाडा संबंधों को सुदृढ़ सशक्त बनाना | भारतवंशी हितों की रक्षा और सम्मान बढ़ाना || आत्मबली साहसी विवेकी, है व्यक्तित्व तुम्हारा | शत शत तुम्हें प्रणाम नरें द्र मोदी, तुम गर्व हमारा || तुमसे इतना प्यार हमें जितना सागर में पानी |

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

भारत माँ के सच्चे सपूत, है नहीं तुम्हारी सानी || सर्वांगीण विकास दे श का अनुपम लक्ष्य तुम्हारा | हो भारत के कर्णधार मोदी, तुम गर्व हमारा || “मेक इन इं डिया” नीति तुम्हारी, लगे राष्ट्र हितकारी | “सबका साथ सबका विकास”, है अनुपम सोच तुम्हारी || बने प्रणेता नव भारत के, है सौभाग्य हमारा | आनंदकंद नयनाभिराम मोदी, तुम गर्व हमारा || हुए प्रवासी हम, लेकिन भारत को भूल न पाए | जब जब आई याद वतन की, नयन अश्रु भर आये || अपना भारत हो महान, बस ये अरमान हमारा | भारत माँ का उन्नत ललाट तुम, मोदी गर्व हमारा ||

M A Y

southSouth asia times 31 Asia Times

2 0 1 5

अमृत वृद्धाश्रम (भाग ५)

-विजय कुमार, है दराबाद

(पिछ्ले अंक में आपने पढ़ा कि अमृतलाल जी ने अपनी वसीयत में अपनी ज़ायदाद का एक बड़ा हिस्सा

अस्पताल और वृद्धाश्रम को, दस ू रा हिस्सा पोते सूरज को और तीसरा हिस्सा चौकीदार ईश्वर के नाम कर दिया था। ईश्वर सोच रहा था कि वह इस रुपये का क्या करे गा| उसके आगे-पीछे तो कोई नहीं है ; वह वृद्धाश्रम के एक कोने में पड़ा रहे गा| लीजिए अब आगे की कहानी पढ़िये–संपादक)

सुबह हुई, हम सब वहीं पास में नदी की ओर चले। रास्ते में श्मशान घाट से अमृत जी की चिता में से राख ली और नदी में जाकर उसे बहा दिया, मेरी आँखों से आँसू बहने लगे। भारद्वाज भी रोने लगे। उनका सबसे पुराना और गहरा मित्र जो चला गया था। अमृत जी का लड़का गौतम, जो कल तक कुछ नहीं बोला था, आज रोने लगा, उसकी पत्नी भी रोने लगी और सूरज भी रोने लगा। कुछ दे र शोक प्रकट करने के बाद सब लोग वापस लौट आये। गौतम पास के ट्रै वेल एजेंट के पास गया और अपनी वापसी की टिकट कटवा ली। वह अचानक ही बहुत शांत हो गया था। अब उसे समझ आ गया था कि जो उसने खोया था वह कभी भी वापस नहीं आने वाला था। तेरहवीं के भोज के बाद, गौतम मेरे और भारद्वाज जी के पास आया। उसने उन्हें एक लिफ़ाफ़ा दिया और कहा, "मैं सारी वसीयत, जो पिताजी ने सूरज के नाम की है , उसे इस वृद्धाश्रम और ईश्वर को दे ता हूँ। इसके सही हक़दार यही दोनों हैं ।" मैं शांत था। मैंने एक बार कहा, गौतम भैय्या, अगर यहीं रुक जाते तो हम सभी को बहुत ख़ुशी होती। गौतम चुपचाप रहा, कुछ नहीं कहा, बेटा शायद कुछ कहने के लिए था ही नहीं। दस ू रे दिन गौतम वापस चला गया, शायद हमेशा के लिए, शायद कभी भी वापस नहीं आने के लिए। कुछ दिनों बाद मैंने वक़ील से कहकर

सारी ज़ायदाद जो मेरे नाम थी वृद्धाश्रम के नाम कर दी। अब चूँकि अमृत जी नहीं रहे तो धीरे धीरे अस्पताल भी बंद हो गया और फिर कुछ दिनों के बाद सिर्फ़ , आज का यह अमृत वृद्धाश्रम ही रह गया। भारद्वाज जी सारा काम काज संभालते और मैं सबकी सेवा करता रहता। मैंने भारद्वाज जी से वचन लिया कि वे किसी से नहीं कहें गे कि इस वृद्धाश्रम में मेरा क्या योगदान है । मैंने कहा कि मैं इसी चौकीदार वाले रूप में ख़ुश हूँ। और मुझे यहीं बने रहने दीजिये। भारद्वाज जी नहीं माने। मैंने फिर उन्हें अपनी कसम दी, वे चुप हो गए। उन्होंने कहा, "बेटा, तू सच में ईश्वर है । भगवान हर किसी को तेरे जैसी ही औलाद दे ।" वृद्धाश्रम चल पड़ा। यहाँ हर महीने कोई न कोई आ जाता, कोई न कोई गुज़र जाता। मैं कई बातों का अभ्यस्त हो चुका था। एक दस ू रे के सुख दुःख बाँटते, ज़िन्दगी चल रही थी। हम सब मिल कर काम करते थे| हम लोगों ने कुछ नर्सें और कुछ लोग रखे हुए थे जो आश्रम की दे खभाल करते थे। भारद्वाज जी ने सभी से कह दिया था कि हर कोई ईश्वर की बात माने। बहुत कम लोग मुझे ईश्वर कहकर पुकारते थे। ज़्यादातर लोग मुझे चौकीदार ही कहते थे। मुझे इससे कोई शिक़ायत नहीं थी। (क्रमशः)

वी.सी.ई. हिन्दी के मेरे अनुभव (२)

-रुद्राक्ष रणदे व (सनशाइन केन्द्र, वी.एस.एल.)

(हम हर वर्ष विक्टोरियन सर्टिफिकेट ऑफ़ एजुकेशन की १२वीं कक्षा की परीक्षा में उच्च अंक प्राप्त करने वाले विद्यार्थियों के अनुभवों के बारे में लेख प्रकाशित करते हैं | इसी ê'%l; में, सन ् २०१४ की परीक्षा में दस ू रा स्थान प्राप्त करने वाले विद्यार्थी का लेख प्रस्तुत है |)

मैं रुद्राक्ष रणदे व मेल्बर्न हाई स्कूल में बारहवीं कक्षा का छात्र हूँ तथा वी. सी. ई. में हिं दी का छात्र रहा हूँ। मेरी हिं दी की अध्यापिका, श्रीमती वंदना गैन्धर जी रही हैं । हाल ही में घोषित परिणाम में मैंने हिं दी में अच्छे अंक प्राप्त किये हैं , जिसका श्रेय मैं अपने माता -पिता व अपनी अघ्यापिका को दे ता हूँ। मैं सन ् २००५ में अपने माता-पिता व बड़ी बहन के साथ ऑस्ट्रे लिया आया था। उस समय, मैं सात वर्ष का था। हिं दी मेरी मातृभाषा है और मेरे माता-पिता व बहन घर पर हिं दी में वार्तालाप करते हैं । इस कारण मुझे भी हिं दी में बात करने की आदत हो गयी है । इसके साथ-साथ, भारत से हमारे लिए हिं दी पत्रिकाएँ, जैसे चंदामामा इत्यादि मंगवाई जाती रहीं हैं , जिससे हिं दी पढ़ने में रुचि बनी रही है । मेरे पिताजी हिन्दू पंडित हैं जो घर पर शाम की पूजा में संस्कृ त मन्त्रों का प्रयोग करते हैं । इस तरह भाषाओं के माधयम से हम अपनी संस्कृति से जुड़े रहते हैं । कई माता-पिता सोचते हैं की अँग्रेज़ी में बात करना प्रतिष्ठा का प्रतीक है , जो बिलकुल ग़लत है । ऑस्ट्रे लिया में रह कर हम अपनी संस्कृति को कदापि न भूलें। मेरी अध्यापिका, श्रीमती गैन्धर जी ने साप्ताहिक कक्षा में मेरा यथोचित मार्गदर्शन किया और हिं दी में लिखने के अभ्यास को बनाये रखने के लिए प्रोत्साहित किया। उनका प्रोत्साहन व मार्गदर्शन मेरे हिं दी के प्रति लगाव में बड़े सहायक रहे । पिछले वर्ष मेरी बहन उमंग ने भी श्रीमती गैन्धर जी से हिं दी पढ़ी थी और बड़े उत्तम अंक प्राप्त किये थे। इस से यह स्पष्ट है

कि वी.सी.ई में हिं दी के अंक एटार (ATAR ) में अच्छा परिणाम ला सकते हैं । मैं हर भारतीय-ऑस्ट्रे लियाई छात्र से कहूँगा कि वे अपनी मातृभाषा को अपनायें, अपनी संस्कृति से जुड़े रहें व कक्षा में अच्छा परिणाम पायें। मेरी रुचि हिं दी संगीत में भी है तथा मैं मुहम्मद रफ़ी साहिब का प्रशंसक हूँ। मैं भारतीय शास्त्रीय संगीत की भी विधिवत शिक्षा ले रहा हूँ। मेरे कुछ हिं दी गीत यू-ट्यूब

पर भी सुने जा सकते हैं | कृ पया निम्न वेबसाइट दे खें और अपनी प्रतिक्रिया मुझे भेजें – (क) https://www.youtube.com/ watch?=3uPOR6czB-4 (ख) https://www.youtube.com/ watch?=OB-TJBnic4 धन्यवाद। जय हिं दी, जय भारत, जय ऑस्ट्रे लिया !

s'i=Pt sm;c;r

अमेरिका में द्वितीय अंतर्राष्ट्रीय हिन्दी सम्मेलन

न्यू जर्सी में अमेरिका के रटगर्स विश्वविद्यालय में शुक्रवार, ३ अप्रैल से रविवार ५ अप्रैल, २०१५ तक अंतर्राष्ट्रीय हिन्दी सम्मेलन का आयोजन किया गया| इस सम्मेलन का मूल विषय था – बढ़ता हुआ हिं दी का संसार: संभावनाएँ और चुनौतियाँ| इस विषय से सम्बंधित उपविषय थे – उच्च शिक्षा में हिन्दी; व्यावसायिक क्षेत्रों (व्यापार, स्वास्थ्य, बैंकिंग) की भाषा हिन्दी; प्रौद्योगिकी और हिन्दी; समकालीन हिं दी साहित्य; हिं दी सीखने के राष्ट्रीय मापदं ड: सिद्धांत और प्रयोग;

यहाँ से आगे अब कहाँ जायें: हिं दी केंद्र, कल्पना से वास्तविकता की ओर; अमेरिका के स्कूलों में हिन्दी: नवीन प्रयोग; सामुदायिक स्थितियों में हिन्दी सीखना – ‘स्टारटॉक’ की भूमिका| इस सम्मेलन में हाई स्कूल के विद्यार्थियों की ‘मैं हिं दी क्यों सीखूँ?’ विषय पर एक वादविवाद-प्रतियोगिता भी थी और कवि-सम्मेलन तथा कहानी-मंच का भी आयोजन था| सम्मेलन में अमेरिका के अतिरिक्त भारत तथा अन्य दे शों के हिन्दी विशेषज्ञों ने भी भाग लिया|

‘इण्डिया ऑस्ट्रेलिया बिज़नेस ऐंड कम्युनिटी अवार्ड्स-२०१५’

ये सम्मान ३० अक्टू बर, २०१५ को सिडनी में प्रदान किये जायेंगे| नामांकन की अंतिम तिथि, १२ जून, २०१५ है | अधिक जानकारी के लिए, निम्न वेबसाइट दे खिये - www.iabca.com.au या ‘गाँधी क्रिएशंस’ की निदे शक, सोनिया गाँधी से ०४१४ ४९७ ७९१ पर संपर्क कीजिए|

mhTvpU,R itiqy;\

१ मई (अंतर्राष्ट्रीय श्रम दिवस), ४ मई (विशाखा पूजा/बद्ध ु

‘ऑस्ट्रेलिया में भारतीय संस्कृति और हिंदी’ पुस्तक का लोकार्पण

श्रीमती पूर्णिमा पाटिल द्वारा लिखी और सर्व सेवा संघ, वाराणसी द्वारा प्रकाशित उपरोक्त शीर्षक की पुस्तक का नयी दिल्ली के विश्व पुस्तक मेले में १६ फरवरी, २०१५ को लोकार्पण किया गया| साथ की तस्वीर में इस पुस्तक की लेखिका और वरिष्ठ पत्रकार अंत में दायीं और खड़ी हैं | इस पुस्तक में ऑस्ट्रे लिया में हिं दी के प्रचार-प्रसार तथा अध्यापन से जुड़े हुए प्रमुख लोगों व संस्थानों के बारे में लेख हैं | इसके अतिरिक्त ऑस्ट्रे लिया में हिन्दी मीडिया और विशेष रूप से हिं दी-पुष्प का भी ज़िक्र किया गया है | पिछले विश्व हिन्दी सम्मेलन में कुछ हिं दी विद्वानों से लेखक द्वारा लिए साक्षात्कारों का भी समावेश है | ऑस्ट्रे लिया में भारतीयों की जीवन शैली का अच्छा वर्णन है और फेडरे शन स्क्वायर के दीवाली मेले, डैं डेनांग के ‘लिटिल इण्डिया’, ‘हार्मनी डे ’, ‘समोसा क्वीन’, ‘ऑस्ट्रे लिया में चाय ठे ला’ आदि पर भी रोचक लेख हैं | इस पुस्तक के बारे में अधिक जानकारी के लिए लेखिका से निम्न पते पर संपर्क किया जा सकता है - poornimapatil52@gmail.com.

ai/k j;nk;rI ke ilE nIrj áf¹on - 0439 980 551â aqv;

ivvek áf¹on - 0402 438 654â se sMpkR kIijye aqv; inMn

जयंती), ७ मई (गरु ु दे व रवीन्द्र नाथ टै गोर जयंती), १० मई (मातृ- vebs;”$ dei%ye - http://www.sharda.org/Events.htm

दिवस) १६ जून (गरु ु अर्जन दे व शहीद दिवस), १८ जून (रमज़ान का आरम्भ)|

sUcn;E\

1³ Svr s'?y; áxinv;r² 2 méâ tq; s'gIt s'?y; áxinv;r² 6 jUnâ

Sq;n - vevlIR me@oj¹ p[;”mrI SkUl² 11 kUliMby; @^;”v² ×IlsR ihl²

2³ s;ihTy-s'?y; - apne log² apnI b;t - ÅI hirhr Z; ke nvIntm

kivt; s'gh[ ¾.Ig gy; mn¾ k; lok;pR, - áxinv;r² 30 मईâÉ mu:y aitiq - suÅI mi,k; jwn² k*'sl jnrl a;f¹ ”i<@y;² meLbnR

Sq;n- ifi¹ls hor åm² KyU áKew) l;”b[re I² koqm áCothamâ ro@

tq; isivk (Civic) @^;”v ke nuKk@¹ pr² KyU (Kew), ámeLve s‹d.R-45

108 512â se sMpkR kIijye) 3³ sùyù Ku t r;ã$^ sùg#n Ã;r; 21 jUn ko ¾a'tr;Rã$^Iy yog-idvs¾ `oiWt ikye j;ne ke ¬pl+y me²'

.;rtIy k*'sl;v;s² meLbnR प्रस्तुत करता है - ¾éx; iÞy; - Ek

pircy¾ á14 méâ²

Sq;n - 344 se$' ikL@; ro@² meLbnR² smy - x;m 5³30 bje

se 6³30 bje tk

”s b;re me' ai/k j;nk;rI ke ilye a*r k*'sl;v;s Ã;r; p[ie Wt

ivK$oiry;

@I-6â

aNy sm;c;ro' v sUcn;ao' ke ilye

smy - r;t ke 8³00 bje se a;rM.) p[vx e in"xuLk hw)

ai/k j;nk;rI ke ilE su.;W xm;R áf¹on-03 9555 4924â²

a*r i$(v$r (Twitter) pr – Cgindia_melb dei%ye y; k*'sl;v;s se

ámeLve s‹d.R-71 jI-11â

smy - r;t ke 8 bje se 10 bje tk) p[vx e in"xuLk hw)

f¹s e buk pr - ConsulateGeneralofIndiaMelbourneAustralia

hirhr Z; áf¹on -0433 178 377â y; niln x;rd; áf¹on -0402 á03â 9682 4370 pr sMpkR kIijye)

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

भारतीय फिल्मोत्सव तथा लघ-ु फिल्म व बॉलीवडु नृत्य प्रतियोगिता इस वर्ष मेल्बर्न में भारतीय फिल्मोत्सव, १४ अगस्त से २७ अगस्त तक होगा| इस से सम्बंधित, वेस्टर्न यूनियन द्वारा आयोजित, लघु फिल्मप्रतियोगिता का मूल-विषय है – समानता| फिल्म १० मिनट या उससे कम समय की होनी चाहिए| अधिक जानकारी के लिए, निम्न वेबसाइट दे खिये- http://www.iffm. com.au/comp.html इस अवसर पर ‘टे ल्स्ट्रा’ द्वारा आयोजित बॉलीवुड नृत्य प्रतियोगिता का भी आयोजन है | अधिक जानकारी के लिए निम्न वेबसाइट दे खिये - http:// www.iffm.com.au/dance.html

ab h\sne kI b;rI hw

पति-पत्नी

एक पारं परिक भारतीय समुदाय में कुछ आधुनिक युवा पाश्चात्य सभ्यता के कुछ तौर-तरीक़े सिखा रहे थे| उन्होंने उपस्थित महिलाओं से कहा – चलिए अब आप कोशिश करके दे खिये| अपने-अपने पतियों को मोबाइल फ़ोन द्वारा संदेश भेजिए मैं आपको बहुत प्यार करती हूँ| सभी पत्नियों ने ऐसा ही किया| इस संदेश के जो उत्तर आये, उनके उदाहरण नीचे दिये गये हैं (क)मेरे बच्चों की माँ, क्या तुम बीमार हो? (ख) अब क्या हुआ? क्या तुमने फिर कार भिड़ा दी है ? (ग) अब तुमने क्या किया है , अबकी मैं तुम्हें माफ़ नहीं करूँ गा (घ) इधर-उधर की बात मत करो, यह बताओ कि तुम्हें कितने पैसे चाहियें| (ङ) क्या मैं सपना दे ख रहा हूँ? तुम कौन हो? प्रेषक– डॉ. सुरे श गुप्ता, मेल्बर्न

South Asia Times south asia community 32 South Asia Timestimes

quick community guide Radio GUIDE

SBS Radio's South Asian

SUNDAY Language Program 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 & SB 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 & SB Radio 2

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

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

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

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

12 to 1 pm – 93.1 FM Nepali Sydney 97.7 FM & SBS1Radio 2 12 pm - 92.3 FM Punjabi............................

1 am to Melbourne 93.1 FM & SB Radio Hindi................................... .8 pm to 29 pm – 97.7 FM Saturday & Sunday 4-5 PM

THURSDAY PUNJABI Hindi...............................

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

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

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

9 pm to 10 pm – 93.1 FM 9-10 PM SINHALESE FRIDAY Sydney 97.7 FM & SBS Radio 2 Indian.................................. .8 Radio am to 29 am – 88.3 FM Melbourne 93.1 FM & SB Monday & Friday

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.................................... am to26 am - 92.3 FM Melbourne 93.1 FM & SB5Radio Monday & Saturday 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 & SB Radio 2(Subscription) 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 & SB 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:

www.ekantipur.com/en THE RISING NEPAL: www.nepalnews.com.np

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/

M A Y

SHEPPARTON Gurdwara Sahib Shepparton 240 Doyles Road, Shepparton VICTORIA 3603 PH: (03) 5821 9309 JAIN Melbourne Shwetambar Jain Sangh Inc 3 Rice Street, Moorabbin, Vic - 3189, Australia. Phone: +61 3 9555 2439 info@melbournejainsangh.org http://www.melbournejainsangh.org

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)

Broadmeadows Mosque 45-55 King Street, Broadmeadows Ph 03 9359 0054 Islamic Call Society 19 Michael Street, Brunswick Ph: 03 9387 7100

Sri Lanka Consulate

Islamic Centre of Australia 660 Sydney Road, Brunswick Ph 03 9385 8423

32A Brunswick Street ,Walkerville 5081 Melbourne , Phone: 9898-6760, 9248-1228 Email: rodney@techno.net.au

Australian Islamic Cultural Centre 46-48 Mason Street, Campbellfield Ph: 03 9309 7605

Bangladesh High Commission, Canberra

Coburg ISNA Mosque 995 Sydney Road, Coburg North

43, Culgoa Circuit, O’Malley, ACT-2606 Canberra, Australia, Ph: (61-2) 6290-0511, (612) 6290-0522, (61-2)6290-0533 (Auto hunting).

Fax : (61-2) 6290-0544 E-Mail :hoc@bhcanberra.com

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

Consulate of Nepal, Melbourne Email: cyonzon@nepalconsulate.net.au Level 7, 28-32 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Ph: (03) 9650 8338 Email: info@nepalconsulate.net.au

United Migrant Muslim Assn.

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

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

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

Huntingdale Mosque 320-324 Huntingdale Road, Huntingdale Ph 03 9543 8037

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

Glenroy Musala 1st Floor, 92 Wheatsheaf Road, Glenroy

TV News

Islamic College of Victoria (Mosque) 201 Sayers Road, Hoppers Crossing Ph 03 9369 6010

SBS1 – Daily NDTV News - 11 am - Monday to Saturday. (From New Delhi, India).

Urdu news SBS1 - PTV News – 9.30 am - Every Sunday – (From Pakistan).

Readymade Garments

Al Nur Mosque 34-36 Studley Street, Maidstone

Roshan’s Fashions 68-71 Foster Street, Dandenong, Vic 3175 Ph: (03) 9792 5688

Meadow Heights Mosque Hudson Circuit, Meadow Heights

Raj Rani Creations 83-A Foster Street, Dandenong, Vic 3175 Ph: (03) 9794 9398

Springvale Mosque 68 Garnworthy Street, Springvale

EMERGENCY CONTACTS EMERGENCY CONTACTS Police, Fire & Abulance ........................

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

Traffic hazards and freeway conditions..........................

Gas escape...........................................

132 771 Poisons information........................

13 11 26 Maternal and Child Line................

13 22 29 Parentline...........................................

13 22 89 Kids Help Line.........................

1800 551 800 Lifeline (provides confidential telephone counselling).................

13 11 14 Suicide Help Line....................

1300 651 251 Animal Emergencies..................

9224 2222

HIGH COMMISSION FOR PAKISTAN,CANBERRA

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

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

KEYSBOROUGH Gurdwara Sri Guru Granth Sahib 198 -206 Perry Road, Keysborough VICTORIA 3073 (see map)

2 0 1 5

desi estyle 76 Foster St., Dandenong 3175 (03) 87744853; 0413707685 000

132 500 13 11 70

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

Heritage India 54-56 Foster Street, Dandenong, Vic 3175, Ph: (03) 9791 9227 Site: heritageindia.net.au

southSouth asia times 33 Asia Times

quick community guide

M A Y

2 0 1 5

contd from previous page DVDs, Music CDs & Film Stuff Baba Home Entertainment 52C Foster St., Dandenong 3175, (03) 97067252 All Banking Needs Rakesh Raizada Commonwealth Bank (Indian Banking) Ground Floor, 378 Burwood Highway Burwood East 3151 Mobile: 0434470095 Email: rakesh.raizada@cba.com.au Immigration iVisa Consulting Level 5, 45 William St. Melb.

Mobile: 0409504094 www.ivisaconsulting.com.au 1st Migration PL, Suite 110, Level 1, 672 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn Vic 3122 Travel Agents Gaura Travels 1300 FLY INDIA or 1300 359 463 info@gauratravel.com.au Supa Cheap Travel 381 Burwood Road, Hawthorn 3122 Ph: (03) 98194656; Mobile: 0420201155 info@supacheaptravel.com.au www.supacheaptravel.com.au Mann Travel 329 Clayton Road, Clayton 3168 info@manntravel.com.au www.manntravel.com.au Travel House 284 Clayton Road, Clayton 3168 Ph: (03) 95435123, Mobile: 0425803071 mail@travelhouse.com.au

INDIAN CONSULATE

Solicitors/Barristors Vernon Da Gama & Associates 28 Fromer St. Beltleigh 3204 Ph: (03) 95038046; Fax: (03) 95038047 Mobile: 0401407280/042193100 Email: vernondagama@msn.com (MELBOURNE) Address : 344, St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia , P.O. Box No: 33247 Domain LPO Vic 3004 General phone: +61-3- 96827836 Fax No: + 61-3- 96968251 Web site: www.cgimelb.org PHONE NUMBERS Phone Number for General Consular Enquiries(operational only during Consular Working Hours i.e. 0930 hrs to 1230 hrs, Monday to Friday) For PCC and PCC and Driving License

VIEW POINT

South Asia Times

Verification enquiries 03- 96825800 02 8223 9908/ 1900 969 969 Email ID for General Consular Enquiries consular@cgimelb.org Visa enquiries: visainfo.inau@vfshelpline.com Passport/Police Clearance Certificate/ Driving License Enquiries passportinfo. inau@vfshelpline.com, OCI/PIO Enquiries ociinfo.inau@vfshelpline.com CONSULAR SERVICES (Passport, Visa, OCI, PIO & Miscellaneous) Please note that all these consular services are handled by VFS Global (Indian Passport and Visa Service Centre) The Consulate General of India in Melbourne will continue to provide to residents of Victoria and Tasmania the following consular services, for which applications would have to be lodged directly with the Consulate: Miscellaneous OCI Services â&#x20AC;˘ Miscellaneous Consular Services (such as attestation of documents, transfer of visas from old to new passport, affidavits, birth certificates, life certificates, certificate required to transport ashes or mortal remains to India etc) IMPORTANT: The Consulate does not accept credit cards, EFTPOS, personal cheques or company cheques. Please send only money orders or bank cheques with applications sent through the post. Cash payments are accepted only at the counter.

WORKING HOURS General Working Hours 9.00 am to 5.30 pm Monday to Friday, Consular Working Hours 09.30 am to 12.30 pm Monday to Friday, (except on public holidays observed by the consulate) International Students International Student Care Service (ISCS) www.multicultural.vic.gov.au/iscs Ph: 1800 056 449 Property FIRST Property PL, Suite 110, Level 1,672 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn Vic 3122

Join SAT @ facebook.com/pages/ South-Asia-Times-SAT www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

South Asia Times south asia 34 South Asia Timestimes

Sports

M A Y

2 0 1 5

Cricket Australia commits to stamping out homophobia in sport

By SAT News Desk

M

elbourne: Cricket Australia has welcomed the release today (10 May, 2015) of the ‘Out on the Fields study’, the world’s first international study on homophobia in sport, and committed to combating the issue through the Pride in Sport Index.

The research, to which Australian Cricket contributed a large number of respondents, uncovered widespread homophobic behaviour, particularly in youth sport and among fans.

In response, Cricket Australia and Australia’s other major sports have reaffirmed their commitment to tackle homophobia in sport by joining with Bingham Cup Sydney 2014, Australian Human Rights Commission and Australian Sports Commission to develop a Pride in Sport Index.

Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland says the study shows sport has work to do to tackle homophobia but is committed to doing so.

“The findings of the study are concerning,” Mr Sutherland said.

“But the support of the study by Australian Cricket – and sport more broadly – shows we are eager to better understand homophobia in sport and take action against it.”

“There is simply no place for homophobia in society – and in particular sport – and we are committed to eradicating it through better education and training at grassroots level.”

The ‘Out on the Fields study’ was conducted by Repucom and overseen by a panel of seven international experts from six universities, including Melbourne’s Victoria University.

“Nearly 9,500 participants

of all sexualities took part, including more than 3000 gay, lesbian, bisexual and heterosexual Australians.

The study focused on issues of sexuality in team sports and compared the six major English-speaking countries,” says a Cricket Australia media release.

Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars vice-captain and openly gay athlete Alex Blackwell said the results of the study are disappointing but that she is encouraged by the action sports are taking.

“It was disappointing to see that a fear of being bullied and being discriminated against by coaches and officials is keeping so many lesbian, gay and bisexual youth in the closest,” Blackwell said.

“Everyone involved in sport must work toward ending homophobic behaviour. Through education and our actions we can tackle the

behaviours uncovered through the study.”

Cricket Australia has joined forces with Australia’s other major sporting codes to combat homophobia in sport as part of the Pride in Sport Index.

Supported by the Australian Human Rights Commission and Australian Sports Commission and undertaken by Pride in Diversity, the Pride in Sport Index is a benchmarking and assessment instrument to identify the shift in inclusiveness within sporting codes in Australia.

Cricket Australia last year signed the Anti-Homophobia in Sport Framework and will later this year release its A Sport for All diversity and inclusion resource, which includes training for Australia’s 4000 cricket clubs, to further counter homophobia in sport.

The full study is available at www.outonthefields.com —SAT News Service

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

M A Y

SPORTS

2 0 1 5

southSouth asia times 35 Asia Times

FIAV Annual Sports Day By our community reporter

M

elbourne: The Federation of Indian Associations of Victoria (FIAV) Annual Sports Day was held on the 19th April, 2015 at the Sportslink, Vermont South.

The sports event was attended by a large number of community members apart from the participating teams.

It had DJ music, Cricket,

Vollyball, Kho-Kho, LemonSpoon Race and lots of fun with a free lunch.

Guest Hon. Robin Scott MP, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Finance addressed the gathering and commended the FIAV for its activities and holding the sports meet.

Mr. Vasan Srinivasan, Chair, Confederation of Indian Australian Associations (CIAA) also addressed the gathering. Miss Hope Kaveta,

young Victorian Indian Cricket star was present and was introduced to the community.

The event was sponsored by the RACV, ANZ, Sai Foods and Shiamak.

People enjoyed the sports events and many teams participated. The winners were given away trophies and certificates. The new FIAV leadership did a good job by organising this event. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;SAT News Service

SRI RAGHU RAM ASTROLOGY CENTRE

PANDITH: RAGHU RAM is in Melbourne He

CALL FOR APPOINTMENT

0424 975 226 0449 864 419

0%

3 Mason Street 100 (Near Dandenong Train Station) Dandenong VIC 3175 E-mail: somuprince1188@gmail.com

7 Days A Week - 10:00 AM TO 7:00 PM www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

south asia 36 South Asia Timestimes

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

M A Y

2 0 1 5

M A Y

2 0 1 5

southSouth asia times 37 Asia Times

0404 599 644

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

south asia 38 South Asia Timestimes

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

M A Y

2 0 1 5

M A Y

2 0 1 5

southSouth asia times 39 Asia Times

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

south asia 40 South Asia Timestimes

www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

M A Y

2 0 1 5