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SAPAC mourns terror victims

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We mourn

By Arjun Puri

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ew Delhi: I was stuck in traffic when I first saw the news flash across my phone.

There are times when the noise and chaos that we’re so used to becomes almost non-existent when such heartbreaking and terrible events occur, not too far from where we live. The world stops and makes no sense.

What happened in Peshawar (Pakistan) has repercussions across boundaries and borders. We are human, at least most of us.

No act of terrorism can or should be compared. A loss of life to a family is in reality their loss alone. We mourn as strangers, we mourn as a collective wing of arm chair social media enthusiasts, and we mourn as human beings – as sons, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters. We mourn in our own ways – we update statuses on Facebook, we turn profile photographs into an empty and lonely shade of black. We organize vigils and marches, and light a candle or two. We remain paralyzed and stare into nothingness.

But if we are mourning, we owe it to those we mourn for.

And that’s the question we need to ask of ourselves. Not as Indians or global citizens –

but as human beings.

Yet, we mourn far lesser than those families that have to deal with a son or daughter not returning from school.

Yes, you read that right – from school. I can’t imagine a world where we have to worry about our children being safe at school. We prepare them for a world – after school. We prepare them for life and all its difficulties and challenges and struggles. But, here we’re dealing with a situation where schools and in the larger scheme of things education is being targeted. Who wins?

Who decides? When does this senseless act of killing come to an end? What is the solution? And, is there one?

I cringed as images came through on the Internet.

Friends in Pakistan were consoling one another – mothers found it difficult to sleep. A nation lay awake.

And, their neighbors were left sleepless in support of their friends from across the border. #IndiawithPakistan made waves on the Internet and as the wave surged, it showed that in the deepest darkest corners of our hearts – we must learn to love in the time of need. We put aside wars and cricket and acts of terrorism suffered by us

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(like I mentioned no acts of terror can or should ever be compared) but for that moment, we stood still… our heads hung and hearts aching at the huge loss to mankind. Over a 130 children brutally murdered.

Easier said than done, those in Pakistan must continue to fight. The children must go to school, education reforms must continue. From the North West Frontier across the nation, no child should be denied how to learn to read and write. We live in a day and age where without education we are close to nothing. I work in education and for the year that I lived in villages across India I learned the importance to provide EACH child with the access to education. Whether they take it up or not is a choice they make but that option MUST exist for EVERY child.

My friend Samar Abbas

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Kazmi wrote on his Facebook page, “If our mourning is to have any meaning greater than an instinctive, knee-jerk response to the sheer scale of the tragedy, we must confront these truths about ourselves and find that we are not merely hapless victims of war by an unidentified enemy.

We have condoned, if not nurtured, the conditions in which this enemy exists and thrives. If our mourning is to have any meaning, we must change these conditions. So tonight, we mourn. Tomorrow we must change. We simply cannot afford to go back to our petty squabbles and finger pointing, our fantasies of foreign hands, our notions of grandeur and ‘strategic assets’, and, most crucially, the preposterous idea that ‘talks’ with terrorists amount to anything other than unconditional surrender to them.”

I read Samar and several

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other friends outpouring words of heartbreak, coming together and fighting for a new tomorrow. We as human beings can only promise to help and fight with them.

But today, we mourn.

(About the writer: Arjun Puri was born and raised in Kolkata, back when it was still called Calcutta. As a young child he spent time in Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru – before their names changed. His last long-term home was London, and he fully expects it to call itself something else soon.

Arjun graduated from the University of St Andrews in 2007 and worked as a banker for 5 years, before he realised it was not for him. Arjun now lives in Delhi and works in the education sector. He loves books, sport, people and travel -- and most of all, Leyla, his German Shepherd).

Source: TheCitizen

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Indo-Oz N-deal under cloud: Ex-Aussie chief N-watchdog “warns” pact lacks safeguards

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he International Business Times (IBT), Australia, has reported that Australia’s uranium deal with India has come under severe scrutiny following warning of a former Aussie chief atomic watchdog that the treaty “did not have all the safeguards necessary to prevent India from fuelling its nuclear bombs.”

The top business paper said, while the treaties committee of the Australian Parliament was “urged” to endorse the deal signed by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September, enabling exports of uranium to begin, things seem to be changing now.

Reporting the development, the paper said, John Carlson, former head of Australia’s nuclear safeguards organisation, told the Parliament committee recently that “the nuclear weapons programme of India is expanding with complex links to non-government reactors”.

Basing on what Carlson told the Parliament committee, the paper quotes unidentified analysts to say that there is “fear” that the warning may

become a reason for the Australian Labour Party to “scale back its support” to the nuclear deal.

The paper said, the Labor was partially opposed to the sale of uranium to India in the beginning, and “put an end to a proposal during the Howard government.” However, “Labor had a change of heart in 2011 when it was urged by former Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the promise of strict guidelines”, it added.

The paper reported, “Carlson warned that the treaty signed

by Abbott had lower measures of protection that the other uranium deals the government has approved with Russia or

China. In his submission to the parliament committee, Carlson said the proposed deal with India would not allow for a definite monitoring of uranium used in India’s nuclear programme.” Carlson also said that Australia “will have no right to demand a return of uranium from India if the agreement is violated as it is possible with other 41 countries in the same export deal.” Reporting on simialr lines, another paper, The Age, Australia, said, in his detailed submission, Carlson said that under the proposed deal Australia “could not definitively track uranium used in India’s nuclear programme and what

happened subsequently to fuel reprocessed into plutonium” “Nor would Australia have the right to demand the return of uranium should the agreement be breached, as it can with 41 other countries covered by similar export deals”, The Age quoted Carslon as telling the Parliament committee. It added, things are particularly tricky as “India is estimated to have between 90 and 110 nuclear weapons and has refused to sign international disarmament treaties”.

The paper said, “Several Indian nuclear reactors are designated ‘dual use’ for civilian energy and military needs…

The deal would not be the first on uranium to run afoul of the treaties committee, with the Russia deal held up almost two years over concerns that yellowcake could be diverted into nuclear weapons.”

The Age quoted Labor MP Kelvin Thomson as saying that the Parliament committee had received detailed submissions expressing concern “not so much at the idea of supplying uranium to India but about the provisions of the agreement”, and “clearly the committee

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will need to consider those submissions carefully”.

Melissa Parke, another Labor MP on the committee has been quoted also as saying that “India’s nuclear record was far from impeccable, it having reneged on an agreement with Canada in the 1970s and tested an atomic weapon.” The Age also reported “several other submissions, including one from Ron Walker, a former governor of the International Atomic Energy Agency, expressed concern”.

It suggested, things would become even clearer when the committee holds public hearings before reporting in February or March.

Pointing towards the importance of Carlson, The Age said, he was “in charge of the Australian Safeguards and NonProliferation Office for more than 20 years until 2010 and was criticized during that time by anti-nuclear campaigners for facilitating uranium exports.”

It added, “In Carlson’s view there were “good reasons for concluding a nuclear cooperation agreement with India, but not this agreement”.

Source: counterview.net

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Martin Place, the day after

By Ashok Kumar

S

ydney: Tens of Thousands of shocked Australians gathered at Martin Place, the spot where the hostage crisis had taken place a day before and laid floral wreaths as a tribute to the departed souls. Some women could be seen wiping their tears while some were distributing facial tissues. Posse of media personnel had been looking for willing people ready to speak to them.

As Prime Minister Mr. Tony Abbot appealed to Australians not to get perturbed by the incident and get back to business as usual, Australians were literally back to their offices or businesses but the poignant and sombre mood prevailed. As Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione and NSW Premier Mike Baird have stated this incident should not change our lives, this is a time to come together, not be divided. True to this spirit, people from all cultural backgrounds came together at Martin Place to lay floral wreaths Martin Place is the prominent location for celebrations every year during Christmas and Diwali being in the centre of Sydney. A couple of months ago the Diwali celebration had taken place and now a huge Christmas tree stands erected for the celebrations. As a mark of respect for the killed hostages, a Christmas choir performed alongside the site where people formed long queues to lay floral wreaths.

Everyone expressed one concern why such criminals are allowed to roam freely in the society A cross section of Indian Australians and others expressed anguish and concern at the Lindt Cafe incident.

Dr. Yadu Singh, a Sydney Cardiologist on being asked,” How as Sydneysider/ Australian you felt about the incident as it has never happened in Australia, said: “I was very concerned, upset and scared about terrorism reaching our shores. Until now, some terrorists’ modules were operating, but they were arrested before they could act on their plans. This has now changed because this terrorist, Man Haron Monis, has perpetrated a terrorist attack right in the centre of Sydney’s business district.

I agree with what Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that there are some people amongst us in Australia, who wish, and have plans, to harm us. It is a sad reality unfortunately. I am unable to understand why people migrate to Australia, or live in Australia, if Australia and Australian values are not acceptable to them.

And “Was the situation handled professionally, according to you?

He replied, “Yes, the situation was handled professionally. Police authorities did frequent media briefings and managed the flow of information appropriately. They did not divulge sensitive information which could have had an impact on Operational matters in relation to this hostage crisis. They were able to work with the media, persuading them to work with them in regards to the appropriate flow of information out to the public. Channel 7 was persuaded to not show live pictures of the site of the hostage crisis. I commend their actions, particularly when they entered the Lindt Cocolat Café, 6 seconds after they heard the first gun shot inside the cafe. Who shot whom and how will come out after a thorough enquiry, but, from what I know, they did a professional job as a great police force. This is in clear

contrast from what happened during Mumbai terrorist attacks, where some Indian media were irresponsible and in fact, harmful.

When asked, “How as Indian Australian you felt when you learnt there is an Indian among the hostage?

“I am an Australian, albeit with Indian heritage, but I felt, thought and behaved like an Australian. To me, people inside the Café were all Australians, who were kept as hostages while they were doing what we do every day, i.e., working and having a cup of coffee. There was no justification for what they were forced to go through. A person of Indian heritage inside the Café did not matter too much to me, and I did not give any special importance to this fact. I felt everyone inside the Café was one of us, i.e., Australian, and my heart went out equally to each of them. I and my family had tears for all of them. Incidentally, it could have been I or anyone else from my own family in their place because I and my family were in the area that morning for shopping, and my son works in the area. Terrorism affects all of us and it certainly affects the whole world,” he said.

Ana Tewary a broadcaster and Producer with ABC said it was a “Sad day… innocent people killed at the hands of a coward criminal… there are violent psychopaths/sociopaths in every religion, race, nationality… some hide behind religion, some behind ideology, politics, power, money… some use flags & guns others use entire armies to bully and control… the important thing is to be able to identify violent psychopaths and not give them any power. On a day like this, here is a reminder that thankfully there is more good than evil in our world.”

Harmohan Singh Walia, former Labor federal candidate from Mitchel sad, “The Sydney siege incident at Martin Place is very disturbing. Such acts are inhuman and deeply unfortunate. Our heart goes out for those hostages who have been killed and pray for speedy recovery of injured hostages and a policeman.

It seems from tv news that the police, law makers and law carers were aware of the fanatic activities of Man Haron Monis, even then, he was living freely in the society. Such persons with fanatic mind and with political motivation for violence should be dealt with stern laws and should not be allowed to live freely in the society as they are dangerous for

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the society.”

Sheba Nandkeolyar, Director at Multiconnexions said, “Very tragic ending despite trying for a peaceful outcome. A well known bad guy in Australia also known as fake cleric who came to Australia as a refugee from Iran in 1996 finally dead along with another hostage. We believe he killed a hostage after which police had to move in. Some hurt and in the hospital and the rest escaped unharmed.

Illridewithyou: A young Sydney woman, Rachael Jacobs, appears to have inspired the campaign after posting a moving Face book status about her encounter with a Muslim woman earlier in the day. “…and the (presumably) Muslim woman sitting next to me on the train silently removes her hijab,” Ms Jacobs said.

“I ran after her at the train station. I said ‘put it back on. I’ll walk with u’. She began to cry and hugged me for about a minute – then walked off alone.

At Martin Place, a lot of Muslim women were seen laying floral wreaths.

When asked about if they had any problem in travelling to Martin Place in chorus they said no not at all we are safe. Prominently placed was a placard next to these ladies aptly stating “Please remember forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. Be strong.”

Source: The Indian Subcontinent Times

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SAPAC Mourns Sydney & Peshawar Terror Victims by newsdesk

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outh Asian Public Affairs Council (SAPAC), Australia held a 'Floral & Candlelight vigil for the recent Sydney siege & Peshawar school victims' of terrorism on 20 December, 2014. About 25 South Asian organisations in Victoria participated in the event in the city. The meeting condemned terrorism and violence and pledged to stand up against such incidents. They also mourned the victims and sent their condolence to the effected families. Candles were lit and the names of the victims read and a two minutes silence was observed to pay homage to those departed.

Photos: SAT/NN.

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community

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Victorian Shadow Cabinet New Victorian Labor Goverment 4Daniel Andrews: Premier 4James Merlino: Deputy Premier, Education 4Gavin Jennings: Leader of the Government in Legislative Council, Special Minister of State 4Jaala Pulford: Deputy Leader of the Government in Legislative Council, Agriculture, Regional Development 4Tim Pallas: Treasurer 4Jacinta Allan: Public Transport, Employment 4Lily D'Ambrosio: Industry, Energy, Resources 4Luke Donnellan: Roads, Road Safety, Ports 4John Eren: Tourism, Major Events, Sport, Veterans 4Martin Foley: Housing, Disability, Ageing, Mental Health, Equality, Creative Industries 4Jane Garrett: Emergency Services, Consumer Affairs, Gaming, Liquor regulation 4Jill Hennessy: Health, Ambulance Services 4Steve Herbert: Training, Skills 4Natalie Hutchins: Local Government, Aboriginal Affairs, Industrial Relations 4Jenny Mikakos: Families, Children, Youth Affairs 4Lisa Neville: Environment, Climate Change, Water 4Wade Noonan: Police, Corrections 4Martin Pakula: Attorney-General, Racing 4Fiona Richardson: Women, Family Violence Prevention 4Robin Scott: Finance, Multicultural Affairs 4Adem Somyurek: Small Business, Innovation, Trade 4Richard Wynne: Planning

4Matthew Guy- Opposition leader; Liberal Party leader 4Peter Walsh - National Party leader; Deputy Leader of the Opposition; Shadow Minister for Agriculture; Water 4David Hodgett - Liberal Party deputy leader; Shadow Minister for Public Transport; Ports 4Ryan Smith - Shadow Minister for Roads and Infrastructure; Industry 4Mary Wooldridge - Opposition leader in the Legislative Council; Liberal leader in the Legislative Council; Shadow Minister for Health 4Damian Drum - National Party leader in the Legislative Council; Shadow Minister for Regional Development; Veterans; Sport 4Gordon Rich-Phillips - Liberal Party deputy leader in the Legislative Council, Shadow Special Minister of State; Assistant Treasurer 4Michael O'Brien Shadow - Treasurer 4Russell Northe - Shadow Minister of Consumer Affairs; Liquor and Gaming Regulation 4Tim Bull Shadow Minister for Disability; Senior Victorians; Mental Health; Housing; Racing 4Edward O'Donohue - Shadow Minister for Police; Community Safety; Corrections 4Robert Clark - Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations; Manager of Opposition Business 4Heidi Victoria - Shadow Minister for Tourism and Major Events; Arts and Culture; Aboriginal Affairs 4David Davis - Shadow Minister for Planning; Local Government; Equality 4Steph Ryan - National Party deputy leader; Shadow Minister for Training, Skills and Apprenticeships; Young Victorians 4Brad Battin - Shadow Minister for Environment; Emergency Services 4Neale Burgess - Shadow Minister for Small and Medium Businesses 4Georgie Crozier - Shadow Minister for Families and Children; Prevention of Family Violence; Women; Cabinet Secretary 4Craig Ondarchie - Shadow Minister for Investment and Jobs; Trade 4John Pesutto - Shadow Attorney General 4Inga Peulich - Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs; Scrutiny of Government 4Nick Wakeling - Shadow Minister for Education 4David Southwick - Shadow Minister for Innovation; Energy and Resources; Renewables 4David Morris - Shadow Minister for Finance Source: ABC

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MoneyGram expands kiosk service through select United Petroleum outlets

By Neeraj Nanda

A

ustralia-based customers looking to transfer funds to family and friends now have access to more easy-to-use kiosks as part of a new agreement between MoneyGram (NASDAQ: MGI), a leading global money transfer company, and Australia fuel company United Petroleum, one of the country's fastest growing independent companies. The kiosks, which have multilingual capabilities, will allow customers to stage transfers with the click of a button.

This move is part of MoneyGram's strategy to revolutionize self-service money transfer through innovative channels like kiosks and mobile services.

Now, through MoneyGram's dedicated kiosks, consumers can easily send money at

retail, petrol and convenience stores that were not previously equipped to offer such products. With consumers sending over $5 billion AUD annually across borders, Australia is an important remittance market for MoneyGram to expand its self-service platform. Over six million immigrants reside in Australia, including residents from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, China, India and Vietnam.

"MoneyGram is committed to providing customers with innovative ways to quickly send and receive funds, and by working with United Petroleum to provide userfriendly kiosks, we are placing customer accessibility first," says Grant Lines, MoneyGram's executive vice president of Asia Pacific, South Asia and the Middle East. "United Petroleum's relationship with Cullinan

Consulting Group, which provides the kiosks and retailer assistance technology, has enabled us to offer this easy-to-use, technologically advanced service to our customers at their local petrol stations."

The agreement is a step forward in MoneyGram's global transformation to focus on innovative self-service

channels that enhance the customer experience. The company's internal goal is to grow self-service channels to represent 15-20% of money transfer revenue in 2017.

Founded in 1993, United Petroleum specializes in the retail and wholesale fuel markets, ethanol manufacturing and convenience stores.

The agreement is a step forward in MoneyGram's global transformation to focus on innovative self-service channels that enhance the customer experience.

New Dandenong Mayor

AGM of the VTCA took place at the Drum theatre magistrate’s room with the newly elected committee including former Mayor Cr. Youhorn Chea.

The newly elected Mayor Sean O'Reilly (Centre) with the Tamil community leaders Wicki Wickiramasingham Greater Dandenong Living Treasure and V.S Sachithanandam. Patron of the Victorian Tamil Cultural Association Inc. Mayor Sean O'Reilly. Cr O’Reilly lives in Springvale with his wife and two children, and works as an information technology professional in Mulgrave. He was first elected to Council in 2012, with a desire to improve local cleanliness and ensure fairness for all. The newly elected Mayor is also President of the Springvale Rise Primary School Council and an active parent at Killester College. As part of his acceptance speech, the Mayor said that “it is with a great deal of gratitude that I accept this position as Mayor of Greater Dandenong, the City of Opportunity.”

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Indian students come to Western Senior Secondary College

By News Desk

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elbourne: Against the trend, Indian students are coming to Australia for school. Australian education is not just for those seeking higher education, but senior schooling. The INDIAN STUDENTS COME TO SCHOOL Against the trend, Indian students are coming to Australia for school.

Australian education is not just for those seeking higher education, but senior schooling. The Western Senior Secondary College offering includes the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning. The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) is a unique vocational education program that leads to employment, further education in the vocational sector, e.g. TAFE, and from there to university if students have successfully completed a relevant Diploma program. The Western Senior Secondary College (WSSC) has been offering VCAL for twelve months and increasingly the interest is

Against the trend, Indian students are coming to Australia for school. Australian education is not just for those seeking higher education, but senior schooling. coming from Indian students.

This is in line with the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi's, speech to Australia's Federal Parliament where he talked about the need for skilling India in a partnership with Australia.

Newly located in Jeffcott St, Melbourne, the facility is an open and encouraging environment with staff who care and are good at their teaching. A week ago, one

of their teachers, James Convery, took them on a visit to the Victorian Parliament (see picture) where they got to sit in the Chamber and hear about how Australian democracy works.

Vocational education is at the core of skilling nations and the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning has been designed for this and provides students with an end of school

leaving certificate. This then enables them to pursue other opportunities. The Western Senior Secondary College has been set up by the Western Institute of Technology CEO, Mr Intaj Khan. He has a vision for the WSSC as providing skill training and further education to young men and women from India who have completed Year 10 of schooling.

College Principal, Dr David

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Warner, said: VCAL and WSSC provide a wonderful opportunity for young people to obtain initial vocational certification and go on then to develop their passions into high level vocational skills. Some will use this as a pathway to University but many will recognise the lifelong value of skill training and continue their pathway to higher certification. —SAT News Service

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Mind Blowing Films bags AIMC’s award for the highest grossing foreign movie for Dhoom3

By SAT News Desk

G

old Coast, 15 October: Bollywood has conquered Australia with Yash Raj’s ‘Dhoom3’ winning the title of highest grossing foreign film in 2013. The Australian International Movie Convention hosted the annual Box Office Achievement Awards at the 69th Jupiters Hotel & Casino and the ‘Highest Grossing Foreign Language Film ‘was awarded to Dhoom 3, distributed by the Mind Blowing Films in Australia.

Mind Blowing Films’ director Mitu Bhowmick Lange and partner John Molloy accepted the award at the Australian International Movie Convention awards luncheon. The highestgrossing movies within the previous 12 month period have been recognised through these awards since 1994.

After receiving the award Mitu Bhowmick Lange said, “It’s an honour and absolute delight to receive this award. This is the first time that an Indian film has won this prestigious award which makes it even more special. With the growing popularity of Bollywood films overseas, Dhoom 3 receiving the highest grossing foreign language film is yet another acheivement on global platform for the Indian film industry.My heartfelt thank you Australia for embracing Indian cinema.”

Director of Dhoom 3 – Vijay Krishna Acharya thanked the

The response and success of the film is extremely gratifying and humbling. I’d like to thank the Australian audience who made this possible. And I shall certainly be filming in your beautiful and unique country for one of my next ventures.

Australian audience and said “ The response and success of the film is extremely gratifying and humbling. I’d like to thank the Australian audience who made this possible. And I shall certainly be filming in your beautiful and unique country for one of my next ventures. I’d love to film in Australia for one of my next ventures.”

Yashraj Films’ own Vice President of international operation Avatar Panesar mentioned the team’s journey

of more 10 years since they entered Australian Film Market while thanking HOYTS and Mind Blowing Films for their contribution towards this extraordinary success.

“From a territory that released Hindi films in 1 or 2 ghettoised theatres just over a decade ago, to partnering with a cinema chain with a vision – Hoyt’s and to being bestowed with this wonderful honour, the journey of Indian cinema in Australia has been very rewarding and fruitful.

On behalf of Yash Raj Films, I thank our local Distributors Mind Blowing Films, our exhibition partners Hoyt’s and most of all the people of Australia – You all made it possible” Hoyts General managerProgramming & Content, Michele Garter congratulated Mind Blowing Films team.

“Hoyts would like to congratulate Mitu Bhowmick Lange and John Molloy of Mind Blowing Films on receiving the Rentrak Coca

AII appoints Executive Director of business development

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elbourne: The Australia India Institute (AII) has appointed Mr Jim Varghese, AM, as AII’s Executive Director of Business Development. The announcement was made by Professor Amitabh Mattoo, Director and CEO of the AII, Mr Varghese will lead AII’s mission to strengthen ties with business and develop

partnerships with Australian firms interested in investment in India.

Mr. Varghese is uniquely qualified for this senior executive role with AII. His outstanding record as a chief executive in both the public and private sectors, includes running multifaceted businesses, fostering innovation, and delivering ex-

cellent results in a challenging and ever-changing environment.

Mr Varghese was awarded the Centenary Medal for services to the Public Sector and in 2009 was awarded an Order of Australia for Services to Public Sector Reform and Services to the Community.

—SAT News Service.

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Cola award for highest grossing foreign language film of 2013 for Dhoom 3 in the Australian market. Hoyts looks forward to continued success working with Mind Blowing Films screening highly anticipated Bollywood films in Australia” In recent years, the movies that have won the Highest Grossing Foreign Language Film category were: 2013 – The Untouchables, 2012 – The Women On The 6thFloor, 2011 – The Girl Who Played With Fire, 2010 – The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and 2009 – Coco Avant Chanel.

—SAT News Service

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Christmas Special

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Non-violence and the lost message of Jesus

By SAT News Desk

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n this column, Mairead Maguire, peace activist from Northern Ireland and Nobel Peace Laureate 1976, argues that in a world that has moved far from the Christic life of non-violence, a clear message and unambiguous proclamation is needed from spiritual or religious leaders that armaments, nuclear weapons, militarism and war must be abolished.

BELFAST, Dec 18 2014 (IPS) - I recently visited Assisi, the home of St. Francis and St. Clare, two great spirits whose lives have inspired us and millions of people around the world.

St. Francis, a man of peace, and St. Clare, a woman of prayer, whose message of love, compassion, care for humans, animals and the environment comes down through history to speak to us in a very relevant and inspirational way.

Today, in the 2lst century, as we the human family face increasing violence, we are challenged to admit that we are on the wrong path, and that we need to find new ways of thinking and doing things from a global perspective.

Peace is a beautiful gift to have in life, and it is particularly treasured by those who have known violent conflict, war, famine, disease and poverty. I believe that Peace is a basic human right for every individual and all people.

Love for others and respect for their rights and their human dignity, irrespective of who or what they are, no matter what religion – or none – that they choose to follow, will bring about real change and set in motion proper relationships.

With such relationships built on equality and trust, we can work together on so many of the threats to our common humanity.

“For the first three hundred years after Christ, the early Christian communities lived in total commitment to Jesus’s non-violence. Sadly, for the next 1700 years, Christian

mainline churches have not believed, taught or lived Jesus’s simple message: love your enemies, do not kill” Poverty is one such threat and Pope Francis challenges us to take care of the poor, and has declared his desire that the Catholic Church be a church of the poor and for the poor. To meet this challenge, we can each ask ourselves ‘how will what I do today help the poor’?

Pope Francis also has spoken about the need to build fraternity amongst the nations. This is important because building trust amongst people and countries will help bring peace to our interdependent, inter-connected world.

Violence begets violence as we witness every day on our television screens, so the choice between violence and non-violence, is up to each one of us. However, if we do not teach nonviolence in our education systems and in our religious institutions, how can we make that choice?

I believe that all faith traditions and secular

societies need to work together and teach the way of non-violence as a way of living, also as a political science and means for bringing about social and political change wherever we live.

A grave responsibility lies with the different religious traditions to give spiritual guidance and a clear message, particularly on the questions of economic injustice, ‘armed resistance‘, arms, militarism and war.

As a Christian living in a violent ethnic political conflict in Northern Ireland, and caught between the violence of the British army and the Irish Republican Army, I was forced to confront myself with the

questions, ‘do you ever kill?’ and ‘is there such a thing as a just war?’

During my spiritual journey I reached the absolute conviction that killing is wrong and that the just war theory is, in the words of the late Fr. John L. McKenzie, “a phony piece of morality”.

I became a pacifist because I believe every human life is sacred and we have no right to kill each other. When we deepen our love and compassion for all our brothers and sisters, it is not possible to torture or kill anyone, no matter who they are or what they do.

I also believe that Jesus was a pacifist and I agree with McKenzie when he writes: “if we cannot know from the New Testament that Jesus rejected violence absolutely, then we can know nothing of Jesus’ person or message. It is the clearest of

themes.”

For the first three hundred years after Christ, the early Christian communities lived in total commitment to Jesus’s nonviolence. Sadly, for the next 1700 years, Christian mainline churches have not believed, taught or lived Jesus’s simple message: love your enemies, do not kill.

During the last 1700 years, Christians have moved so far away from the Christic life of nonviolence that we find ourselves in the terrible dilemma of condemning one kind of homicide and violence while paying for, actively participating in or supporting homicidal violence and war on a magnitude far greater than that which we condemn in others.

There is indeed a longstanding defeat in our theology. To help us out of www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

For the first three hundred years after Christ, the early Christian communities lived in total commitment to Jesus’s nonviolence. Sadly, for the next 1700 years, Christian mainline churches have not believed, taught or lived Jesus’s simple message: love your enemies, do not kill. this dilemma, we need to hear the full gospel message from our Christian leaders.

We need to reject the ‘just war’ theology and develop a theology in keeping with Jesus’ non-violence.

Some Christians believe that the ‘just war’ theory can be applied and that they can use violence – that is, ‘armed struggle/armed resistance’ – or can be adopted by governments to justify ongoing war.

It is precisely because of this ‘bad’ theology that we need, from our spiritual or religious leaders, a clear message and an unambiguous proclamation that violence is not the way of Jesus, violence is not the way of Christianity, and that armaments, nuclear weapons, militarism and war must be abolished and replaced with a more human and moral way of solving our problems without killing each other.

(Edited by Phil Harris) The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, IPS – Inter Press Service or the SAT-South Asia Times.

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SPECIAL REPORT

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Aboriginal knowledge could unlock climate solutions

By Neena Bhandari

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AIRNS, Queensland, Dec 17 2014 (IPS) - As a child growing up in Far North Queensland, William Clark Enoch would know the crabs were biting when certain trees blossomed, but now, at age 51, he is noticing visible changes in his environment such as frequent storms, soil erosion, salinity in fresh water and ocean acidification.

“The land cannot support us anymore. The flowering cycles are less predictable. We have to now go much further into the sea to catch fish,” said Enoch, whose father was from North Stradbroke Island, home to the Noonuccal, Nughie and Goenpul Aboriginal people.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who comprise only 2.5 per cent (548,400) of Australia’s nearly 24 million population, are part of the oldest continuing culture in the world. They have lived in harmony with the land for generations.

“But now pesticides from sugarcane and banana farms are getting washed into the rivers and sea and ending up in the food chain. We need to check the wild pig and turtles we kill for contaminants before eating,” Enoch told IPS. With soaring temperatures and rising sea levels, indigenous people face the risk of being further disadvantaged and potentially dislocated from their traditional lands.

“We have already seen environmental refugees in this country during the Second World War. In the 1940s, Torres Strait Islander people were removed from the low-lying Saibai Island near New Guinea to the Australian mainland as king tides flooded the island”, said Mick Gooda, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Global sea levels have increased by 1.7 millimeters per year over the 20th century. Since the early 1990s, northern Australia has experienced increases of around 7.1 millimetres per year, while eastern Australia has experienced increases of around 2.0 to 3.3 millimetres per year.

For indigenous people, their heart and soul belongs to the

Elaine Price, a 58-year-old Olkola woman who hails from Cape York, would like more job opportunities in sustainable industries and ecotourism for her people closer to home. Photo: Neena Bhandari/IPS land of their ancestors. “Any dislocation has dramatic effects on our social and emotional wellbeing. Maybe these are some of the reasons why we are seeing great increases in self-harm,” Gooda, who is a descendant of the Gangulu people from the Dawson Valley in central Queensland, told IPS. Displacement from the land also significantly impacts on culture, health, and access to food and water resources.

Water has been very important for Aboriginal people for 60,000 years, but Australia is becoming hotter and drier.

2013 was Australia’s warmest year on record, according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s Annual Climate Report. The Australian area-averaged mean temperature was +1.20 degree Centigrade above the 1961–1990 average. Maximum temperatures were +1.45 degree Centigrade above average, and minimum temperatures +0.94 degree Centigrade above average.

“On the other side, during the wet season, it is getting wetter. One small town, Mission Beach in Queensland, recently received 300mm of rain in one night. These extreme climatic changes in the wet tropics are definitely impacting on Indigenous lifestyle,” said Gooda.

Researchers warn that

climate change will have a range of negative impacts on liveability of communities, cultural practices, health and wellbeing.

Dr. Rosemary Hill, a research scientist at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Ecosystem Sciences) in Cairns said, “The existing poor state of infrastructure in indigenous communities such as housing, water, energy, sewerage, and roads is likely to further deteriorate. Chronic health disabilities, including asthma, cardiovascular illness and infections, and water, air and food-borne diseases are likely to be exacerbated.”

Environmental and Indigenous groups are urging the government to create new partnerships with indigenous Australians in climate adaptation and mitigation policies and also to tap into indigenous knowledge of natural resource management.

“There is so much we can learn from our ancestors about tackling climate change and protecting country. We have to transition Australia to clean energy and leave fossil fuels in the ground. Our communities don’t have to rely on handouts from mining companies, we can power our homes with the sun and the wind, and build economies based on caring

for communities, land and culture that is central to our identity,” says the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) communications director, Kelly Mackenzie.

AYCC is calling on the Australian government to move beyond fossil fuels to clean and renewable energy.

Indigenous elder in residence at Griffith University’s Nathan and Logan campuses in Brisbane, Togiab McRose Elu, said, “Global warming isn’t just a theory in Torres Strait, it’s lapping at people’s doorsteps. The world desperately needs a binding international agreement including an end to fossil fuel subsidies.”

According to a new analysis

by Climate Action Tracker (CAT), Australia’s emissions are set to increase to more than 50 per cent above 1990 levels by 2020 under the current Liberal-National Coalition Government’s climate policies.

The Copenhagen pledge (cutting emissions by five per cent below 2000 levels by 2020), even if fully achieved, would allow emissions to be 26 per cent above 1990 levels of energy and industry global greenhouse gases (GHGs).

It is to be noted that coal is Australia’s second largest export, catering to around 30 per cent of the world’s coal trade. Prime Minister Tony Abbott has declared that coal is good for humanity. His government has dumped the carbon tax and it is scaling back the renewable energy target. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its fifth and final report has said that use of renewable energy needs to increase from 30 per cent to 80 per cent of the world’s energy supply.

Dr. Hill sees new economic opportunities for indigenous communities in energy production, carbon sequestration, GHG abatement and aquaculture.

“Climate adaptation provides opportunities to strengthen indigenous ecological knowledge and cultural practices which provide a wealth of experience, understanding and resilience in the face of environmental change,” she told IPS. With the predicted change in sea level, traditional hunting and fishing will be lost across significant areas. A number of indigenous communities live in low-lying areas near wetlands, estuaries and river systems.

Elaine Price, a 58-year-old Olkola woman who hails from Cape York, would like more job opportunities in sustainable industries and ecotourism for

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Our communities don't have to rely on handouts from mining companies, we can power our homes with the sun and the wind, and build economies based on caring for communities, land and culture that is central to our identity." Kelly Mackenzie her people closer to home.

Credit: Neena Bhandari/IPS Elaine Price. Credit: Neena Bhandari/IPS “These areas are important culturally and provide a valuable subsistence source of food, particularly protein, unmet by the mainstream market,” said Andrew Picone, Australian Conservation Foundation’s Northern Australia Programme Officer.

Picone suggests combined application of cultural knowledge and scientific skill as the best opportunity to address the declining health of northern Australia’s ecosystems. Recently, traditional owners on the Queensland coast and WWFAustralia signed a partnership to help tackle illegal poaching, conduct species research and conserve threatened turtles, dugongs and inshore dolphins along the Great Barrier Reef.

The Girringun Aboriginal Corporation and Gudjuda Aboriginal Reference Group together represent custodians of about a third of the Great Barrier Reef.

Elaine Price, a 58-year-old Olkola woman who hails from Cape York, would like more job opportunities in sustainable industries and ecotourism for her people closer to home.

“Our younger generation is losing the knowledge of indigenous plants and birds.

This knowledge is vital to preserving and protecting our ecosystem,” she said.

Edited by Kitty Stapp

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Melbourne Durbar Ashok Jacob quits as Director Crown Resorts

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ELBOURNE: Crown Resorts Limited (ASX: CWN) announced today that Ashok Jacob has resigned as a director. In a media

release on 16 December, Crown Resorts’ Chairman, Mr James Packer, said, “I would like to thank Ashok for his valuable contribution to Crown over many years.”

DSP overhaul

T

he ‘Greek Herald’ sourcing News Limited on 13 December says that Disability Support Pension (DSP) applicants will be sent to Commonwealth-appointed doctors before they can be approved for the welfare scheme under a sweeping overhaul aimed at ending

a “doctor shopping” rort.

The Federal Government will announce GPs will no longer be allowed to approve new DSP applications for the $16 billion taxpayer-funded scheme. Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews has confirmed the changes would begin on January 1, 2015.

By Desi Oz

Six deaths of Punjabi youngsters

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he Indian community is an utter shock after listening to the news of at least six deaths of Punjabi youngsters at different places only in the last two months. The latest report done by SBS radio Punjabi says, “The body of a 38 year old man found in Yarra River in the first week of December is of a Punjabi youngster, named Pradip Kumar (38) from Saila Kalan, Dist Hoshiarpur - Punjab (near Gadhshankar). Earlier the tragic demise of Rehmat Sandhu – bhangra artist was reported. Another youngster who lost his life was Harpreet Singh Jaurn (26), a taxi driver.

Rehmat Sandhu

Greens protest party Wyndham rejects Oromo centre

T

he Wyndham Council has rejected a move to setup a ‘COMMUNITY & RESOURCE CENTRE (PLACE OF ASSEMBLY)’ for the Oromo Community in the Hoppers Crossing area. A resolution in the Council meeting on 15 December, 2014 on the issue was supported by Councillor Fairclough and Councillor Khan (they also moved the motion) and opposed by Councillor

Brittan, Councillor Gibbons, , Councillor Gibbons, Councillor Goodfellow, Councillor Gupta, Councillor Hegedich, Councillor Marcus, Councillor Maynard and Councillor Wharrie, according to the Council website. The motion was defeated 9 against and 2 for. The Oromo, are an ethnic group originating from Ethiopia, northern Kenya, and parts of Somalia.

T

he Greek ‘Neos Kosmos’ has reported Labor Federal Member for Calwell, Maria Vamvakinou,

posted on social media that the Greens are a "protest party" whose mission is to "smash Labor". Her comments were made after

AMC members announced

T

he Minister for Social Services Kevin Andrews and Parliamentary Secretary Concetta Fierravanti-Wells have

announced the new members of the Australian Multicultural Council (AMC).

The Council advises the Government on multicultural affairs. The Council members

Tourist visa on arrival

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ndia now allows Visa on Arrival Facility for holders of passport of Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Djibouti, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, New Zealand,Niue Island, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russia, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands,Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, UAE, Ukraine, USA, Vanuatu and Vietnam.

International travellers whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation ,

the Greens secured two lower house seats in the Victorian Parliament for the first time following the recent state election.

sightseeing , casual visit to meet friends or relatives, short duration medical treatment or casual business visit are eligible.

The passport should have at least six months validity and those applying should have return ticket or onward journey ticket, with sufficient money to spend during his/her stay in India.

To apply for tourist visa on arrival go to https:// indianvisaonline.gov.in/ visa/tvoa.html and access the Tourist Visa Application Process by following four steps (Apply online, Pay visa fee online, Receive ETA online and Fly to India - print ETA and carry at the time of travel. Source: indianvisaonline.gov.in www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

are: Dr. Sev Ozdowski OAM, Chair, Dr. Bulent Hass Dellal OAM, Ms. Helena Kyriazopoulos, Ms. Faiza Rehman, Mr. Vasan Srinivasan and Ms. Charlotte Vidor.

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south asia

SOUTH ASIA

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Sri Lanka elections: What’s the future for the poor?

By Amantha Perera

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OLOMBO, Nov 28 2014 (IPS) - Priyantha Wakvitta is used to seeing his adopted city, Colombo, transform into a landscape of bright sparkling lights and window dressing towards the end of the year.

This year, he says, he is having a double dose of visual stimulation, with publicity materials for the January Presidential Election competing with Christmas décor at every turn.

Though the presidential race could shape up to be a close one, there is no competition over which event will take Colombo by storm: political propaganda is drowning out the festive mood on every street corner.

Four days after the elections were announced on Nov. 21, at least 1,800 cutouts of the incumbent president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, had been deployed within the limits of the Colombo Municipality, according to national election monitors with the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE).

Head of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), Rajapaksa has enjoyed massive support around the country for his role in decimating the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, thus bringing an end to nearly three decades of civil war in 2009.

But as the post-war years revealed themselves as a time of hardship of a very different nature – economic rather than political – his popularity has waned.

His main challenger in the presidential race, Maithripala Sirisena, was until recently the general secretary of Rajapaksa’s own political party, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

Last week Sirisena stepped out of government and into the role of Rajapaksa’s contender as the common opposition candidate.

The election is turning out to be a keen contest; already there have been eight defections from the ruling coalition’s United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), while the powerful nationalist party, the Jathika Hela Urumaya, once the government’s staunch ally, has declared its opposition to the Rajapaksas.

The poster campaign around the capital city and throughout the country is a

bid to win hearts and minds, but the beaming cutouts of politicians have left people like Wakvitta at best annoyed, at worst disgusted.

“They are spending millions just to get their faces all over the city, while I am struggling to keep my family fed and my children in school,” said the 50-year-old father of two, originally from the southern district of Galle, but self employed in the capital for the last decade.

Wakvitta is an enterprising man. He runs his own small bakery in a Colombo suburb and makes a living by distributing bread to households. He used to make a profit of around 30,000 rupees, or roughly 250 dollars, a month. But that figure has been going down steadily over the last year.

He tried to branch out to a small vegetable business earlier this year, but burnt his hands and lost his 100,000-rupee investment, the equivalent of about 700 dollars, no small sum in a country where the average annual income is about 550,000 rupees or 4,100 dollars.

“People don’t have money, they are finding it hard to make ends meet,” Wakvitta said.

Though Sri Lanka has maintained an impressive economic growth rate of 7.5

percent and the Rajapaksa government has a string of high-profile infrastructure projects under its belt, including a new seaport and airport, low-income earners say they are struggling to survive.

The national poverty rate is 6.7 percent but most rural areas report higher figures. In Wakvitta’s native Galle District it is 9.9 percent, in the southcentral district of Moneragala it is 20.8 percent and in Rathnapura, capital of the southwestern Sabaragamuwa Province, it is 10.4 percent, according to government data.

The problems the poor face are multi-faceted; while wages have remained static, basic commodities have quietly increased in price. Most significant among them has been the upward trend in the cost of rice, a dietary staple here.

Fueled by an 11-month drought that has caused a loss of almost a third of the planted area, the 2014 rice harvest is expected to be at least 20 percent less than last year’s four million metric tons, and a six-year low.

Rice prices have risen 33 percent according to the World Food Programme (WFP), and vegetable and fish prices have also shown periodic upward movement primarily due to inclement weather.

Token gestures or sound economic policies?

Cognizant of the hardships faced by the Sri Lankan masses, political parties across the spectrum frequently use the election run-up to promise the earth to the average voter – from subsidies to assistance packages – pledging to make life easier for those who form the majority of the electorate.

Ajith Dissanayake, who is from the southern Galle District and makes a living from paddy cultivation, says that token gestures will not do.

“Election handouts will not work, there needs to be some kind of concerted plan to help the poor,” he told IPS. In the northern regions of the country, where the population is still trying to shake off the residual nightmare of nearly 30 years of civil war, the situation is even worse.

The conflict ended in May 2009, and since then the government has injected over three billion dollars into the reconstruction effort in the Northern Province, largely for major infrastructure projects.

But the region is mired in abject poverty. The Mullaithivu District, which witnessed the last bloody battles in the protracted conflict between the Sri Lankan armed forces and the LTTE over five years ago, is the poorest in the nation, with a poverty ratio of 28.3 percent.

The adjoining Kilinochchi District has a recorded poverty headcount of 12.7 percent.

“It is very difficult, it is like we are fighting another conflict: this time with poverty,” said Thiyagarasa Chandirakumar, a 38-yearold disabled father of two from Oddusuddan, a small village located deep inside Mullaithivu.

He told IPS that despite new electrification programmes, many in his village are still waiting for the supply to light up their homes.

“Most of us don’t have the money to get new connections, we don’t even have money sometimes to take a bus,” explained Chandirakumar, who is confined to a wheelchair due to a wartime injury.

Both Wakvitta and Chandirakumar have simple requests from the candidates standing for the highest office in the country: “Make sure our lives are better off than they were before,” Wakvitta said.

That request, however, is unlikely to be realised any time soon. News of the

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snap election, coupled with the surprise announcement this past week of a common opposition candidate, has thrown the country into a period of uncertainly, at least in the short term.

Two days after elections were announced, the Colombo Stock Market took a nosedive, with the All Share Price Index falling by 2.3 percent on Monday, Nov. 24 – the worst slide since August 2013.

Analysts say that investors are likely to hold off for the time being, with long-term policy measures also taking a back seat to what promises to be a fierce contest.

“Investors – whether local or foreign – like certainty,” Anushka Wijesinha, an economist with the national think-tank the Institute for Policy Studies, told IPS. “Policy and political certainty have been established fairly well over the last few years and any disruption to this would no doubt be viewed negatively by investors. So, the recent political developments will be watched closely,” he added.

Wijesinha also said that elections should be more about long term policies than about handouts aimed at winning votes.

“This calls for a shift from the heavy focus on subsidies, welfare payments, and other generous transfers for rural populations – which may help alleviate poverty in the short term – to improving skills, productivity and access to new economic opportunities, which help raise living standards on a more sustained basis,” he said.

Despite the end of the war ushering in renewed hopes of development, income disparities have stubbornly persisted. According to government data, the country’s richest 20 percent still enjoy close to half of the nation’s income, while the poorest 20 percent only share five percent of national wealth among them.

For those like Wakvitta and Chandirakumar, the future looks bleak, with or without elections. Both know for sure that in the short term nothing much will change for the better.

“Hopefully whoever becomes the next president will take the bold steps needed to help people like me,” Wakvitta said as he sped away on his motorbike, looking for his next customer.

Edited by Kanya D’Almeida

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SOUTH ASIA

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Pakistan: Fight against religious fundamentalism is political L

By Farooq Tariq

AHORE: It was the most deadly attack on any school by religious fanatics. A total of 146 persons were killed in a Peshawar Army Public School, including 136 children, ages ranging from 10 to 17 years. The attackers asked the children to recite the Kalma and then fired at them. It was an attack on Muslim children by Muslim fanatics.

Tehreek Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility and sent a group photo of the seven militants who took part in the “operation” holding guns and bombs. This was in response to the online posting of the dead faces of the seven who were killed by the army in the counterattack, but not before they had caused maximum damage.

The fanatics claimed that they do not kill little children.

Their claim was that the children of the “enemy” aged less than 12 are not allowed to be killed by their “Islam”.

Almost 11 percent of the total children enrolled in the school were killed within 15 minutes of their occupation of the school.

The principal of the school was fired on to the extent that her body was not recognizable.

Her fault: she tried to help the children escape from the school during the attack. Children were asked to line up and then were shot. Those who dared to run were chased and shot also.

Such was the devastating effect on children across Pakistan that my son aged 14 asked his mother what should he do in case they come to his school, “line up or run”.

The day shocked Pakistan and the world. The news of the killing of the innocent children was flashed all over the world as the main story of the day.

There was great anger and shock. A spontaneous general strike in all parts of Pakistan was observed on December 17 a day later, not called by any political party. It was a spontaneous shut down, and one of the most successful strikes with no transport on the roads and almost all shops and institutions were closed. This reminded us of the aftermath of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination in December 2007, when all of Pakistan was shut in grief and anger.

A two minute silence in all the schools in India, a so-called arch rival, was observed, with the Indian Parliament passing a resolution condemning the

attack.

On the same day, heads of all the political parties represented in Pakistan’s Parliament met in Peshawar for a useless day agreeing to “work together” with no mind-set change and no concrete proposal for dealing with fanatics. How could they?

In the meeting was Imran Khan whose party is in power in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa where the incident took place. He was too busy in campaigning for the overthrow of the federal government with his sit-ins and rallies in other parts of the country while totally ignoring the task of securing lives in the province.

Imran Khan’s philosophy of “good and bad Taliban” meant that no action was taken against the fanatics who had built safe heavens in the tribal areas. He was a strong advocate of “talks with good Taliban” to divide the fanatics. There are no good or bad Taliban. They are all in the same family of neo-fascism.

The ruling Muslim League had long term contacts with most of the religious fanatic groups and used them to win the 2013 general elections.

Fanatics carried out suicide attacks on most of the opponents of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and PTI, thus preventing them from running effective election campaigns.

Sitting in the meeting was the Jamaat-e- Islami, whose former head, declared the dead Taliban as Shaheed (martyrs). There was also the Jamiat Ulema-iIslam, the known political wing of one section of the religious fanatical organisations. Also several other political parties who maintain regular contacts and links with religious

extremists groups for their narrow political interests and subscribe to the same millenarian ideology of the Jihadists attended the meeting.

The meeting agreed to form a committee to formulate the security policy for the state within a week, as in one week they could come up with any magic formula.

The Pakistani state failed miserably to curb the rise of religious fundamentalism. There is always a soft spot for these people in the establishment.

For a long time, they were encouraged by the state as a second line of security. The security paradigm meant an anti-India enmity was the core purpose of state patronage.

The process of Islamisation was accelerated by military Dictator Zia Ul Haq with the full support of American imperialism.

Apart from creating and supporting Jihadist groups, for decades the state and military with the financial and political assistance of imperial powers, has indoctrinated millions with conservative Islamic ideology for the purpose of safeguarding its strategic interests.

The three decades since 1980 are seen as the years of madrassas, over 20,000 at present providing home ground for recruitment for suicide attackers. Supported mainly by Saudi Arabia and many million Muslim immigrants, they have become the alternative to the regular school system. Most of the terrorist activities carried out in Pakistan and elsewhere are linked to the organizational and political support of these madrassas.

After 9/11, the state’s close relationship with the

fundamentalists has changed to some extent but not broken in real terms. The banned terrorist groups change their name and carry out activities on a regular basis. They hold meetings and public rallies, collect funds and publish their literature without any state intervention.

Pakistan has become more conservative, more Islamic and more right wing resulting in the growth of religious extremism.

Blasphemy laws are frequently used for settling personal and ideological scores. Religious minorities, women and children are the easy targets. These soft targets are paying the greatest price for this decisive right wing turn.

The rise of religious fundamentalism has emerged as the most serious challenge not only to progressive forces but also to the very foundation of a modern society. Education and health are the real targets of the fanatics.

Polio workers, mainly women, are killed by fanatics, on the assumption that a team working for the elimination of polio led to the discovery of Osama Bin Laden, leading to his assassination. The net result is that the World Health Organization has recommended a ban on all Pakistanis traveling abroad without a polio vaccination certificate.

The primary and high school syllabus in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa provinces are amended to give room to more unscientific and pro-Jihad ideas in the name of religion.

Education in most schools has been littered with warpromoting philosophy.

Religious fanatics groups are the new version of fascism.

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

They are fascists in the making.

They have all the historic characteristics of fascism.

They kill opponents en masse.

They have found considerable space among the middle class, particularly educated ones.

They are against trade unions and social movements. They are promoting women as inferior to men, and aim to keep them in the home. Attacking the religious minorities has become a norm.

The religious fanatic groups are internationalists. They want an Islamic world. They are against democracy and promote Khilafat (kingdom) as a way of governance. They are the most barbaric force recent history has seen in the shape of “Islamic State” and Taliban. There is nothing progressive in their ideology.

They are not anti-imperialism but anti-U.S. and anti-West.

They have created and carried out the most barbaric terrorist activities in the shape of suicide attacks, bomb blasts, mass killings and indiscriminate shootings.

They must be countered.

The American way of fighting back in shape of “war on terror” has failed miserably. Despite all the American initiatives of occupations, wars and creating democratic alternatives, the religious fundamentalists have grown with more force.

Fundamentalists are stronger than they were at 9/11, despite the occupation of Afghanistan.

A whole package is needed.

The state must break all links with fanatic’s groups.

The mindset that religious fundamentalists are “our own brothers, our own people, our security line and guarantee against “Hindus”, some are bad and some are good” and so on must be changed. The conspiracy theories are most favorable arguments among the religious right wingers. They do not want to face the reality.

There is no short cut to end religious fundamentalism.

There is no military solution. It has to be a political fight with dramatic reforms in education, health and working realities in most Muslim countries.

Starting from nationalization of madrassas, it must go on to provide free education, health and transport as one of most effective means to counter fundamentalism.

(Farooq Tariq is the General Secretary of Pakistan’s Awami Workers Party. He is a strong and consistent voice against religious fundamentalist organisations in that country)

SOUTH ASIA

D E C ' 1 4 - j a n ' 1 5

southSouth asia times 25 Asia Times

Amit Shah & Mamata Banerjee declare war for 2016 electoral spoils

By Seema Mustafa

N

EW DELHI: Money and Power makes Indian elections tick, and both are being infused into West Bengal polity in a heavy dose

by Bharatiya Janata party President Amit Shah who has acquired a formidable reputation of overturning the most stable in politics.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is fighting with her back against the wall as the BJP grows on a daily basis in a state where it had not been able to win a municipality in the 35 years of Left rule.

The Sharada scam and the terror accusations over the Burdwan blast have hemmed in “Didi” who finds herself on the defensive while fighting back. She is also friendless in the state, as her blistering attack on the Left after coming to power has turned the communists against her to the point of no rapprochement.

"I am Amit Shah.. I have come to uproot the Trinamool Congress from West Bengal", declared the BJP president at a rally in Kolkata on November 29.

Banerjee followed this with her own rally a day later but observers point out that she was unable to reach the expected numbers.

Interestingly, the Left that also decided to hold a public meeting to counter the communal forces received unprecedented support and according to journalists who had attended all three outranked the other two insofar as numbers were concerned. However, it went largely unreported.

This is also because

The knives are out, and the battle for 2016 has clearly begun in West Bengal.

the Left is still licking the wounds inflicted by the TMC supported violence against its cadres, and the field seems to be open for a direct confrontation between the TMC and the BJP. TMC cadres have been leaving to join the BJP and independent analysts point out, that there are many within the TMC itself who are in direct touch with the BJP. “Whenever disgruntled or angry with the chief minister these leaders raise a banner of revolt every now and again by threatening to join the BJP” the sources said, and thereby keep Banerjee on her toes and the TMC shaky from within.

Banerjee in fact is being credited, by even members of the BJP, for preparing the ground for their party’s rise. One, the chief ministers concerted “appeasement” of the minorities in the state has aided the growth of the BJP. CPI(M)’s Mohammad

Saleem told The Citizen that when the TMC came to power, the state Muslim League dissolved itself and merged in the new party.

These fundamentalist leaders had been calling the shots, and according to Saleem’s assessment and he is an astute politician, the rise of the BJP can be linked directly to the constituencies where the erstwhile IUML has been active.

And two, Banerjee started by attacking and bloodying the Left as soon as she came to power. To a point where many of their members went indoors, or joined other political parties. In short the Left was made ineffective as a political force, and has not been able to recover from its own internal issues as well as the consequences of the attack by TMC. The BJP under Shah has grown in this vacuum and is leaving no stone unturned in a bid to wrest the state

from the TMC in the 2016 elections--- a crucial year as the Uttar Pradesh polls will also be held then. Sources said that Shah has set a one crore figure for a membership drive, and money is certainly not in short supply to wean over cadres from all the other political parties including the TMC, CPI(M) and the Congress that is also being rapidly decimated on the ground.

The media is already turning saffron in the state, and has been covering the BJP and Shah extensively, Reports that the party will be opening a television channel in West Bengal are also making the rounds.

Significantly, the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval known for his ‘covert’ operations as a sleuth earlier is taking keen interest in West Bengal. As is the RSS that has increased the number of shakhas in the state from a near negligible

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

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to over 1200 and will be working closely with the BJP to win this state less than two years from now.

Banerjee, not an astute but a militant politician is fighting back. It is difficult though as the Left has spurned her tentative advances and while the Congress did welcome her, it was not particularly enthusiastic in its reception of her when she rushed to attend the Jawaharlal Nehru birth anniversary celebrations in Delhi. She has however, retaliated to the corruption charges against her, by insisting that Amit Shah is linked to the Sahara scams and has been campaigning along those lines. Her MPs were in the forefront in demanding the resignation of the hate speech Minister Jyoti during the protests in Parliament.

Banerjee has made it clear she is not one who is going to be cowed down, and that violence can beget violence with clashes already being reported between TMC and BJP supporters. The knives are out, and the battle for 2016 has clearly begun in West Bengal.

Source: TheCitizen

south asia 26 South Asia Timestimes

SOUTH ASIA

D E C ' 1 4 - j a n ' 1 5

Legal challenge to Indian coal expansion mine

It’s time for policymakers to implement strict new air quality standards in line with the international community to avoid the level of impacts we’ve seen in China,” said Dr. Sarath Guttikunda Executive Director of Urban Emissions.

By News Desk

N

ew Delhi : India’s Conservation Action Trust, and research group Urban Emissions has released a new report – Coal Kills: An analysis of health impacts of India’s proposed coal power expansion -- that quantifies the death and disease attributable to air pollution from proposed coal fired power plants in India. The report finds that premature deaths from the burning of coal will grow 100 percent to 186,500 - 229,500 annually by 2030.

The report comes as Australia, running against the tide of international action on climate, dramatically expands its coal interests, including with India, granting approval for Indian giant Adani to mine and export 60 million tonnes of coal from its massive Carmichael mine in Queensland’s Galilee Basin to India for burning each year.

In October, the Conservation Action Trust mounted a legal challenge to Carmichael on the grounds that its coal, when burnt in India, will seriously harm the health of the Indian rural poor.

The challenge will be

heard in the Queensland Land Court in March-April 2015.

The Coal Kills report, which relies on modelling from Urban Emissions, found significant human health impacts from the country’s proposed 300 percent growth in coal power plant capacity from today’s levels. The authors found that due to a 200 percent increase in particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide emissions, premature deaths will grow 100 percent to 186,500 to

229,500 annually by 2030. In addition, asthma cases will grow 100 percent to 42.7 million over the same time period.

“India’s planned coal expansion will be deadly,” said Debi Goenka Executive Director of Conservation Action Trust. “We’ve seen the catastrophic levels of air pollution in China, it’s time for a wake-up call for policymakers in Delhi,” Goenka added.

The heavy burden to human health is exacerbated by a lack of air quality

standards. India currently has no standards for either sulphur dioxide or nitrogen oxides both of which drive a large portion of the estimated health impacts.

“It’s time for policymakers to implement strict new air quality standards in line with the international community to avoid the level of impacts we’ve seen in China,” said Dr. Sarath Guttikunda Executive Director of Urban Emissions.

“More importantly, these standards must be rigorously monitored and enforced with data transparency a key

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

principle,” Guttikunda added.

To read the report, click here. http://www. urbanemissions.info/indiapower-plants Founded in 2005, the Conservation Action Trust is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the environment through advocacy and action.

Founded in 2007, Urban Emissions (Pvt. Ltd.) is an independent research group, with the vision to bridge the knowledge gap between science and policy related to air pollution, through information, research, and analysis.

—SAT News Service.

D E C ' 1 4 - j a n ' 1 5

southSouth asia times 27 Asia Times

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

south asia 28 South Asia Timestimes

seniors corner

D E C ' 1 4 - j a n ' 1 5

RETIREMENT: “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!”

Top 8 things you must plan: • Must have your own enough assets, super annulation and income sources to support your lifestyle, future health and aging requirements. Do not rely on kids.

• Do not distribute your estate now; make a will, which ensures your estate will be distributed according to your wishes after your all retirement needs are meet.

• Your accommodation should be small on single level, which should not have steps / stairs at entry / Garage or inside house. It should be have wider doors, corridors and toilets for easy wheel chair access as you never know when you may need it and it would be

difficult and costly to change later.

• Your house should be less than 10 min easy walk to – Shopping, Medical facilities, Entertainment and your friends, who can come to your help any time of day or night.

• Develop hobbies, sports and interests so that you could live without boredom in retirement to keep you active even when you cannot drive. You may be spending all the time with your partner and making each other crazy.

• Plan frequent social and mental activities. Loneliness in seniors is bigger killer than smoking and obesity.

• Consider how you or your partner would manage life alone, if you cannot drive, cook or someone dies or

PT fare changes from 1 Jan., 2015

By SAT News Desk

M

Melbourne: An annual fare rise will take place in the New Year.

From 1 January 2015, public transport fares across Victoria will rise by an average of 2.5 per cent plus Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 2.3 per cent. But there will be no change to Early Bird fares on 1 January 2015.

A new Free Tram Zone will make getting around the Melbourne CBD and Docklands more affordable than ever. Travel on trams within this zone will be free and you do not need to touch on your myki. However, if your journey starts or finishes outside the boundaries of the Free Tram Zone, you must touch on your myki in the normal way to make sure you have a valid ticket, says Public Transport Victoria.

From 1 January 2015 you will also be able to travel on trains, trams and buses across Zone 1 + 2 for the price of a Zone 1 fare.

For customers travelling with a myki pass, Zone 1 passes will no longer be sold after 1 January 2015. Instead you will be able to purchase a Zone 1+2 myki pass at no extra cost, which will cover all your travel across zones

1 and 2. To stay informed about extra services running over summer for special events and about changes to timetables due to holidays and network improvements,

sign up to PTV’s weekly travel update email.

For more information, visit the PTV website.

Follow PTV on Twitter @PTV_Official. www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

becomes disabled.

• Plan for how you could be eating healthy freshly cooked meals when you can’t cook or shop.

Indians in Australia are not the least bit interested in sitting alone in home and feeling old. They’re active and spunky. They appreciate the finer things in life. Most of all, they want the very best in their life because they can afford it. They want to live healthy, enjoy Indian food and culture. Expect timely and appropriate health care. They want physical and mental activities and company of friends from same cultural background.

They want to enjoy second half of their life, live longer, healthier and happier life.

D E C ' 1 4 - j a n ' 1 5

southSouth asia times 29 Asia Times

senior citizen

RETIREMENT PLANNING

STAYING AT HOME vs LIVING IN COMMUNITY For so many of the issues seniors face while living at home, Community living can offers a positive alternative. Consider them side by side and see how community living could be the wise choice for you and your family.

HOME

COMMUNITY LIVING

Isolation from friends;

The warm company of people enjoying

inability to participate

similar cultural, social, educational and

in favourite activities

entertainment opportunities

Reliance on others'

Consider conveniently located

availability to get to

community living facilities, where not

and from

only Train and bus service but Daily

appointments and

needs are walkable such as shops,

events

Medical, Library. Share car availability could be an big advantage.

By Pravin Vaghani

Y

ou hired a CFP for financial planning and a broker for share market. You have consulted a doctor for your health, a psychiatrist for your stress management and a dietician for your diet. At gym your exercise routine is prepared by a fitness instructor.

But, have you searched for your retirement lifestyle planner? If not, Here is your lifestyle ready planned for you.

Have you been on a cruise? How wonderful the life is on a cruise ship? No worries. A smorgasbord of breakfast, lunch and dinner is ready every day. Walk around the ship and take part in your choice of exercise, games, entertainment, swimming, dancing, etc.

Attend education classes and learn something new every day. At every port, your off-shore excursion is organised. No worries. You are in a secure environment.

And what a pleasure it was to have dinner with the captain of the ship, chatting with him and listening to his experiences at the sea?

You didn’t have to know who built or owned the ship. You didn’t have to know who did the planning of everything and who did the hard work of shopping of grocery, cooking,

cleaning, washing, etc.

You just enjoyed the life.

And you wish you had that lifestyle all the time. But the few number of days you had booked were over and you had to get off the cruise ship. So sad!

How would you like to be a part owner of a cruise ship so that you don’t have to get off it? Can you make that lifestyle of a cruise to be permanent part of your life?

Yes, you can.

That lifestyle is Jeevan Dhara Living. This lifestyle reservation is being done so that you could aboard the cruise ship Jeevan Dhara going to be parked right here in Melbourne in Tarneit Junction near Tarneit Station.

Jeevan Dhara Living is Coming to Reality Jeevan Dhara, Australia’s First Indian food based, co-operative community luxurious lifestyle Retirement living concept, for the Financially Independent Indian Silvers is now going to be a reality.

Many of us have showed strong desire to live Jeevan Dhara lifestyle but faced challenge on how this dream could become a reality.

Tarneit Junction developers have undertaken the challenge to bring Jeevan Dhara dream into a reality and decided to Incorporate and build Jeevan Dhara living concept as a part of their over $250

Cooking &Eating

Food cooked by others, Dining with

alone; pre-packaged

friends; freshly prepared hot cuisine

meals; difficulty

made from fresh supplies;

following special

accommodations for special diets, lower

dietary guidelines

food costs

Greater difficulty with

Affordable Housekeeping, linen service

household chores and

and maintenance options available by

maintenance as age

professional staff

Anxiety over whether help will be available immediately.

Emergency call system provisions. Some can have Medical centre or visiting doctor planned in the community living

Limited or no access to

Daily fitness opportunities available to

adequate exercise

help maximize mobility, strength and

programs and

overall health. Group living encourages

equipment

and motivates people to live healthy and Longer

Greater dependence

Appropriate, cost effective food and

on family for

health support provided by a skilled

assistance with daily

staff, which makes true independence

tasks; feeling like a

possible

"bother"

Most houses / units

Many come with Age friendly facilities

have steps, stairs.

such as easy ramps, wider doors and

They do not have

toilets for easy wheel chair access,

railings in Toilets

larger electrical switches, Toilets with hand rails, wider corridors and Lifts etc.

million dollars project at culture based living is substantial difference in Tarneit. Mr. Sunil Kumar and planned, which will offers quality of life.

Many of our seniors have been cravingan foralternative the dream community half is of clear our lifeisfor his wife Dr.Rekha Kumar, tomany living for second What that many decades. Now and culturepeople based living is planned, the developers of“Jeevan TarneitDhara” Australia’s seniors, first whoIndian wantfood a better enjoy living in Junction themselves are tomanylife.

They nowant longer have toThey no retirement which will offers an alternative seniors, who a better life. longer havevillages to worry– 94 planning live Jeevan about daily chores, enjoy your per cent peopleand who about dailyto chores, safety and security;worry they can choose new interests, friendsofcompany Dhara lifestyle. safety and security; they can live in retirement villages explore each day's with new activities for keeping their mind and body fit for longer and happier life.

Many of our seniors choose new interests, enjoy indicate village life meets or Community living lifestyle can make a substantial difference in quality of life. have been craving for the your friends company and exceeds their expectations. dream community living explore each day's with new Community living provide What is clear is that people enjoy living in retirement villages – 94 per cent of people who live in for second half of our life activities for keeping their fit for purpose housing that retirement villages indicate village life meets or exceeds their expectations. Community living provide for many decades. Now mind and body fit for longer enables people to live in fit for purpose housing that enables people to live in secure environment as they desire post “Jeevan Dhara” Australia’s and happier life. Community secure environment as they retirement. first Indian food and living lifestyle can make a desire post retirement.

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

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मोदी जी की ऑस्ट्रे लिया यात्रा

मोदी

पिछ्ले महीने, भारतीय प्रधान मंत्री, श्री नरें द्र मोदी जी की ऑस्ट्रे लिया यात्रा बहुत सफल रही| उन्होंने ब्रिसबेन में ‘जी-२०’ के दौरान विदे शी बैंकों में जमा काले धन के बारे में महत्वपूर्ण मुद्दा उठाया और कई प्रमुख नेताओं के साथ द्विपक्षीय बातचीत की| सिडनी में भारतीय समुदाय ने उनका भव्य स्वागत किया| इसके पहले ऑस्ट्रे लिया में किसी भी राजनीतिक नेता का इतना भव्य स्वागत नहीं हुआ था| मेल्बर्न से चली मोदी-एक्सप्रेस में लोग गाते-बजाते, नाचते और "मोदी-मोदी" के नारे लगाते हुए सिडनी पहुँचे| मेल्बर्न में मोदी जी ने ऑस्ट्रे लिया के प्रमुख उद्योगपतियों तथा प्रादेशिक नेताओं से भेंट की और भारत तथा ऑस्ट्रे लिया के सम्बन्धों को और अधिक सुदृढ़ बनाने के बारे में बातचीत की| कैनबरा में, उन्होंने ऑस्ट्रे लिया के संसद में रोचक और प्रभावशाली भाषण दिया जिसमें भारत और ऑस्ट्रे लिया के प्राचीन सम्बन्धों का अच्छा विवरण था| आशा के विपरीत, यह भाषण अँग्रेज़ी में था परं तु इस भाषण ने उन लोगों को मुँह दिया बंद कर दिया जो कहते थे कि मोदी जी, हिन्दी में भाषण दे ते हैं क्योंकि वे अच्छी अँग्रेज़ी नहीं बोल सकते हैं | आशा है कि भविष्य में भी मोदी जी हिन्दी को उचित स्थान दिलाने के लिये प्रयत्न करते रहें गे और भारत को उपयुक्त नेततृ ्व दे ते रहें गे| इस अंक के k;Vyku'j स्तम्भ में मोदी जी तथा अन्य विषयों पर रोचक कविताएँ हैं | साथ में, ‘अमृत वृद्धाश्रम’ नामक कहानी का प्रथम भाग तथा ‘हम-तुम’ निबंध प्रतियोगिता में तृतीय पुरस्कार पाने वाला निबंध भी 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| आपको तथा आपके प्रियजनों को बड़े दिन (क्रिसमस) की बधाई| आप सबकी छुटियाँ आनंदमय हों| —दिनेश श्रीवास्तव

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k;Vy-ku'j -डॉ. सुभाष शर्मा, मल े ्बर्न मोदी इसको कहें या कहें पुण्य कोई परमारथ का भाग्य उदय होने वाला है लगता अपने भारत का चाहत की यह चाय बेचता थका नहीं दे खो अब तक भारत माँ की सेवा करने पहुँच गया सिंहासन तक चाय कहें या इसको चाहत अपने प्यारे भारत का भाग्य उदय होने वाला है लगता अपने भारत का (१)

धरती ही हिल गयी किसी की मात्र एक ही करवट से गांधी इसको कहें या कहें आँधी इसको भारत का भाग्य उदय होने वाला है लगता अपने भारत का (३) गुजराती धरती पटेल की गांधी की या मोदी की या मिट्टी की या सोने की या फिर है यह मोती की इसका कोई मेल नहीं है यह पटेल, यह भारत का भाग्य उदय होने वाला है लगता अपने भारत का (४)

नमो नमो जय नमो शिवाय काशी के प्रभु सदा सहाय भक्ति पूजा करे वही जन जिसके मन में प्रभु बसाय नमो कहें या मनोकामना इसको अपने भारत का भाग्य उदय होने वाला है लगता अपने भारत का (२)

अपनी बोली अपनी भाषा सिसक रही थी कोने में आज धरा पर गूज ँ उठी है हिन्दी कोने कोने में न सौराष्ट्री ना गुजराती गौरव है ये भारत का भाग्य उदय होने वाला है लगता अपने भारत का (५)

कैसी आँधी चली गिर गए पेड़ खड़े थे परवत से

ऑस्ट्रेलिया में रंगग ें े

-रे खा राजवंशी, सिडनी

समय की करवटों के साथ यादों की अँगलु ियों ने

उसके अधरों की स्मित रे खा

हौले से छे ड़ दिया है

समय की करवटों के साथ

संघर्षों की सलवटों में सिमटी

हिचकोले खाता यह अधीर मन

यादों की कुछ धुध ँ ली रे खाएँ

चकित सा, भीतर में

उचक-उचक कर

कुछ खोजने लगता है

अचानक मेरी बाँह पकड़

तभी, कोई धीमी आहट आकर

झकझोर दे ती हैं

थपथपा जाती है मेरे बोझिल कन्धों को

और जगा जाती हैं ,

और, गुनगुना जाती है ,

उनींदी तन्द्रा से मुझे

आकाश, चाँद, सूरज सब कु छ हुआ हमारा ‘ऑज़ी’ शहर का मौसम लगने लगा है प्यारा काला, सफ़े द, भूरा हर रं ग सज रहा है

अपना तिरं गा लेकिन कु छ अलग जंच रहा है होटल में शेफ़ बने या हम बने टै क्सी ड्राइवर न शर्म की किसी में, इं जिनियर या क्लीनर पाई हैं नौकरियाँ मेहनत से पढ़ के हमने

आई टी हो या मेडिसिन आगे बढ़े हैं सबमें ले आए हम वतन की ख़ुशबू में लिपटी बातें

बटर चिकन तंदरू ी चिकन, अब हर किसी को भाते कान्हा की बांसरु ी के सुर सजे ‘डिजरी डू ’ में

गंगा है ‘मरी’ रिवर, अल्लाह हर इक सू में कंगारूओं की दनि ु या सबको रिझा रही है यूरेनियम की बिक्री भारत को भा रही है

बॉलीवुड और क्रिकेट ने ऐसा चलाया जाद ू हर दिल हुआ दीवाना, हर कोई है बेकाबू

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

होली, दीवाली क्रिसमस मिलकर मना रहे हैं

लगता है माँ कहीं से, दे ती हमें दआ ु एँ

योग और ‘मेडिटे शन’ सबको सिखा रहे हैं अपने नए रं गों से ऑस्ट्रे लिया रं गेंगे

-कुसुम ‘वीर’, नोएडा, भारत

जिनमें सिकुड़ चली है , अब

मन वीणा के तारों को

चन्दन की महक लेकर, आती हैं जब हवाएँ

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

ihNdI

D E C ' 1 4 - j a n ' 1 5

मद्धम सा कोई गीत

देखती हूँ, दरू कहीं, एक चेहरा

जिसके मधुर स्वर झंकृत कर जाते हैं

झरोखे से झाँकता

मेरी सोई मन वीणा को

ज़िन्दगी को जीने की ललक में

समय की करवटों के साथ

मासूमियत से मुस्काता

सुःख स्वप्नों में विचरता

जीवन की चादर को

समेटने की नाकाम कोशिश में

समय की करवटों के साथ

धीमा हो चला है साँसों का स्पंदन स्मृतियों की लड़ियों के बीच टू टते कई बन्धन

मेरा यह उद्विग्न मन

किसी नए संसार को पाने को विकल

फिर लौट चला है आज दरू कहीं अस्ताचल में

तूफ़ान मरे ा क्या करेगा?

-डॉ मृदल ु कीर्ति, अमरे िका

बंद मरे ी मुट्ठियों में रात है , हास बन बिखरा अधर पर प्रात है | मैं पपीहा मेघ क्या मेरे लिए, ज़िन्दगी का नाम ही बरसात है |

श्वास में मेरे उनंचासों पवन,* यह पवन पवमान मेरा क्या करे गा? बेध से बिंध कर ही पाया बोध है , यह हमारी वेदना का शोध है |

श्वास में मेरे उनंचासों पवन*, यह पवन पवमान मेरा क्या करे गा? यह तिमिर तूफ़ान मेरा क्या करे गा?

दर्द की ही दीप्ति से संचत े ना, सोई कब, जगती रही है चेतना| वेदना से जो जगा, वह जागरण, नींद उसको आ सकी है कब भला|

विघ्न को सोपान सा मैं मानती, चढ़ उन्हीं पर जगत को पहचानती| आपदाएँ मार्ग दिखलातीं मुझ,े आफ़तें बढ़ना सिखाती हैं मुझ|े शैल की उतग ्तुं दर्ग ु म घाटियाँ, ध्येय गिरि चढ़ना सिखाती हैं मुझ|े एक भू पर एक नभ पर पग मेरा, यह पतन उत्थान मेरा क्या करे गा?

इतिहास सफलता का मिलकर नया रचेंगे|

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

अब जगत के द्वन्द से भी दरू हूँ| एक रस अद्वैत्व भावित, चूर हूँ| मान और अपमान का न बोध जब। मान और अपमान मेरा क्या करे गा? श्वास में मेरे उनंचासों पवन,* यह पवन पवमान मेरा क्या करे गा, यह तिमिर तूफ़ान मेरा क्या करे गा?

*वेदों में उनन्चास तरह की पवन का वर्णन है | यहाँ उसी पवन शक्ति का संकेत है ।

southSouth asia times 31 Asia Times

D E C ' 1 4 - j a n ' 1 5

अमृत वृद्धाश्रम (भाग १) -विजय कुमार, हैदराबाद ||| एक नयी शुरुवात ||| मैंने धीरे से आँखें खोलीं, एम्बुलेंस शहर के एक बड़े अस्पताल की ओर जा रही थी। मेरी बगल में भारद्वाज जी, गौतम और सूरज बैठे थे। मुझे दे खकर सूरज ने मेरा हाथ थपथपाया और कहा, ईश्वर अंकल, आप चिंता न करें , मैंने अस्पताल में डॉक्टरों से बात कर ली है । मेरा ही एक दोस्त वहाँ पर हार्ट सर्जन है । सब ठीक हो जायेगा। गौतम और भारद्वाज जी ने एक साथ कहा, हाँ सब ठीक हो जायेगा। मैंने भी धीरे से सर हिलाकर हाँ का इशारा किया। मुझे यकीन था कि अब सब ठीक हो जायेगा। मैंने फिर आँखें बंद कर लीं और बीते बरसों की यात्रा पर चल पड़ा। यादों ने मेरे मन को घेर लिया। ||| कुछ बरस पहले ||| कार का हॉर्न बजा। किसी ने ड्राइविंग सीट से मुंह निकाल कर आवाज़ लगाई, अरे चौकीदार, दरवाज़ा खोलना। मैंने आराम से उठकर दरवाज़ा खोला। एक कार भीतर आकर सीधे पार्किंग में जाकर रुकी। मैं धीरे धीरे चलता हुआ उनकी ओर बढ़ा। कार में से एक युवक और युवती निकले और पीछे की सीट से एक बूढ़ी माता। युवक कुछ बोलता, इसके पहले ही मैंने कहा, अमृत वृद्धाश्रम में आपका स्वागत है , ऑफ़िस उस तरफ है । मैंने गहरी नज़रों से तीनों को दे खा। इस वृद्धाश्रम के लिए यह एक आम नज़ारा था। कोई अपना ही अपनों को छोड़ने यहाँ आता था। सभी चुप थे पर लड़के के चेहरे पर उदासी भरी चुप्पी थी। लड़की के चेहरे पर गुस्से से भरी चुप्पी थी और बूढ़ी अम्मा के चेहरे पर एक खालीपन की चुप्पी थी। मैं इस चुप्पी को पहचानता था। यह दनि ु या की सबसे भयानक चुप्पी होती है । खालीपन का अहसास, सब कुछ होते हुए भी डरावना होता है और अंततः यही अहसास इं सान को मार दे ता है । तीनों धीरे धीरे मेरे संग ऑफ़िस की ओर चल दिए। मैं बूढ़ी अम्मा को दे ख रहा था। वे क़रीब-क़रीब मेरी ही उम्र की थीं। बहुत थकी हुई लग रही थीं और उनके हाथ कांप रहे थे। उनसे ठीक से चला भी नहीं जा रहा था। अचानक चलते-चलते वे लड़खड़ाईं तो मैंने उन्हें झट से सहारा दिया और अपनी लाठी दे दी। लड़के ने ख़ामोशी से मेरी ओर दे खा। मैंने बूढ़ी अम्मा को सांत्वना दी। ठीक है अम्मा। धीरे चलिए, कोई बात नहीं। बस आपका नया घर थोड़ी दरू ही है । मेरे ये शब्द सुनकर सब रुक से गए। युवती के चेहरे का गुस्सा कुछ और तेज हुआ। लड़के के चेहरे पर कुछ और उदासी फैली और बूढी माँ की आँखों से आंसू छलक पड़े । युवती गुर्राकर बोली, तुम्हें ज़्यादा बोलना अच्छा लगता है क्या ? चौकीदार हो, चौकीदार ही

रहो। मैंने ऐसे दनि ु यादार लोग बहुत दे खे थे और वैसे भी मुझे कोई फ़र्क नहीं पड़ता था। मैं इन ज़मीनी बातों से बहुत ऊपर उठ चुका था। मैंने कहा, बीबीजी, मैंने कोई ग़लत बात तो नहीं कही, अब इनका घर तो यही है । युवती गुस्से से चिल्लाई, हमें मत समझाओ कि क्या है और क्या नहीं। युवक ने उससे शांत रहने को कहा। बूढ़ी अम्मा के चेहरे पर आंसू अब बहती लकीर बन गए थे। शोर सुनकर ऑफ़िस से भारद्वाज और शान्ति दीदी बाहर आये। उन्होंने पूछा, क्या बात है ईश्वर, किस बात का शोर है ? मैंने ठहर कर कहा- जी, कोई बात नहीं, बस ये आये हैं बूढ़ी अम्मा को ले कर। युवती फिर भड़क कर बोली, तुम जैसे छोटे लोगों के मुंह नहीं लगना चाहिए। भारद्वाज जी सारा मामला समझ गए। उन्होंने शांत स्वर में कहा, मैडम जी, यहाँ कोई छोटा नहीं है और न ही कोई बड़ा। ये एक घर है , जहाँ सभी एक समान रहते हैं । मुझे बड़ी ख़ुशी होती अगर ऐसा ही घर समाज के हर हिस्से में भी रहता ! युवती कसमसा कर चुप हो गयी। युवक ने सभी से भीतर चलने को कहा। जाते जाते बूढ़ी अम्मा ने मुझे पलटकर दे खा। मैंने उन्हें आँखों ही आँखों में एक अपनत्व भरी सांत्वना दी ! ऑफ़िस में मैंने बूढी माता जी के लिए कुर्सी ला कर रख दी। मैं उन सभी को और इस दनि ु या के ख़त्म होते रिश्तों को दे खते हुए ख़ुद दरवाज़े के पास खड़ा रहा। थोड़ी दे र की चुप्पी के बाद युवक धीरे से बोला, भारद्वाज जी, आपसे कल बात हुई थी, मैं अमित हूँ, यह मेरी माँ है । इनके बारे में आपसे बात की थी। इतना बोलने के बाद वह चुप हो गया। वह असहज सा था। उसका गला रुक रुक जाता था। मैंने अपने लम्बे जीवन में यह सब बहुत दे खा था। मैंने युवती की ओर दे खा। वह अभी भी गुस्से में ही थी। बूढ़ी अम्मा अपने बेटे की ओर दे ख रही थी, इस आशा में कि अब

जो होने वाला है , वह नहीं होगा और वे फिर वापस चल दें गे। लेकिन मैं जानता था कि यह नहीं होने वाला था। मैंने चुपचाप अलमारी से रजिस्टर और रसीद बुक निकाल कर भारद्वाज जी के सामने रख दी। भारद्वाज जी ने अमित को वृद्धाश्रम के खर्चे के बारे में बताया। अमित ने चुपचाप अपने पर्स से रुपये निकाल कर दे दिये और ज़रुरी कागज़ात पर दस्तखत कर दिए। बूढ़ी अम्मा की आँखों से आंसू बहे जा रहे थे| वे अब भी अपने बेटे को दे खे जा रही थीं। भारद्वाज जी ने धीरे से कहा, अब सब ठीक है जी।" यह सुनते ही युवती चलने के लिए उठकर खड़ी हो गयी। बूढ़ी अम्मा ने अपने आंसू पोंछ लिए और युवती से कहा, बहू, अमित का ख्याल रखना। युवती ने कोई जवाब नहीं दिया और बाहर की ओर चल दी। युवक बैठा रहा चुपचाप। फिर उसकी आँखों में से भी आंसू टपक पड़े । बूढ़ी अम्मा ने कहा, जाने दे बेटा। सब ठीक है । यहाँ ये सब मेरा ख्याल रखेंगे। तू अपना ख्याल रखना, समय पर खाना खा लिया करना। युवक, बूढ़ी औरत के पैरों पर गिर पड़ा और रोने लगा, माँ मुझे माफ़ कर दे । माँ बेचारी क्या करती। वह तो है ही ममता की मूरत। उसने उसे उठाया और कहा, अमित, कोई बात नहीं, चलो अपना घर बार संभालो, मेरा क्या है , आज हूँ, कल नहीं। तू जा। हाँ, अब कभी मुझसे मिलने मत आना। युवक अवाक सा चुप खड़ा रहा। यह ख़ामोशी विदाई की थी। यह खामोशी रिश्तों के टू टने की थी। यह खामोशी इं सान की इं सानियत के मरने की भी थी। इतने में दो आवाज़ें एक साथ आईं। उस युवती की, जो बाहर से चिल्ला रही थी, अब चलो भी, यहीं नहीं रहना है मुझे और दस ू री आवाज शान्ति की थी, जिसने बूढ़ी अम्मा को सहारा दे कर अन्दर चलने के लिए कहा था। (क्रमशः)

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-रोहित मेहमी

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‘छोटा परिवार सुखी परिवार’ कहावत तो सभी ने सुनी होगी लेकिन यह सच्चाई नहीं है | सुखी और ख़ुशहाल परिवार की चाबी छोटा परिवार नहीं बल्कि परिवार के सदस्यों द्वारा एक दस ू रे का सम्मान करना है | परिवार छोटा हो या बड़ा, एक दस ू रे के साथ कंधे के साथ कंधा मिला कर चलने वाला परिवार ही एक छत के नीचे मिल कर रह सकता है | प्यार, दे खभाल, चिंता, आपसी समझ, समायोजन, परिवार के सदस्यों के बीच में एक अटू ट बंधन बनाता है जो सम्मानित सम्बन्ध क़ायम करता है और एक ख़ुशहाल परिवार बनाये रखता है |

एक ख़ुशहाल परिवार में सब एक दस ू रे का दिल से सम्मान करते हैं | अगर कोई भी समस्या हो तो उस पर हम एक साथ बैठ कर विचार करें तो उसका उचित हल निकाल सकते हैं | ख़ुशी के मौकों पर हम मिलजुल कर उनका आनंद लेते हैं | मेरे परिवार के सदस्य एक दस ू रे का सम्मान करते हैं और ख़ुशी से जीते हैं | हम सारे , बड़े या छोटे लोगों का आदर करते हैं और उन्हें स्नेह भी दे ते हैं | मेरे परिवार में हम परिवार की भलाई को सबसे बड़ा महत्व दे ते हैं | इसलिये हमारा परिवार एक ख़ुशहाल परिवार है , जो एकजुट हो कर रहता है | यह एकजुटता और स्नेह हमें यह दर्शाता है कि ऐसे परिवार के साथ कोई परे शानी का सामना बड़ी आसानी से किया जा सकता है | परिवार हमें काम या विद्यालय से वापस या विश्व के किसी भी कोने से घर लौटने के लिये उत्साहित करता है | दस ू री ओर, जिन परिवारों में परिवार के सदस्यों में आपस में बोलचाल नहीं होती और वे एक दस ू रे को समझ नहीं पाते और उनके रिश्तों में दरार आ जाती है और हिं सा और दःु ख से परिवार बिखर जाता है | आखिर में यह कहना ग़लत नहीं होगा कि संसार में आप चाहे कहीं भी रहते हों, ऑस्ट्रे लिया में या भारत में या फिर किसी अन्य दे श में, अगर परिवार का साथ तथा आपसी सम्मान हो तो इं सान अपने जीवन को क़ामयाबी तथा फलदायक तरीके से व्यतीत करता है | जॉन बारिं ग नामक लेखक ने ठीक ही कहा है कि ‘एक ख़ुश परिवार सबसे पहले स्वर्ग कहलाता है ’|

डैं डीनांग में हिन्दी कविता प्रतियोगिता

वी.एस.एल. के ब्लैकबर्न केन्द्र का हिन्दी समारोह

विक्टोरियन स्कूल ऑफ़ लैंग्वेजेज़ के ब्लैकबर्न केन्द्र की प्रेप से कक्षा ९ तक विद्यार्थियों ने मिलजुल कर १५ नवम्बर, २०१४ को एक आकर्षक कार्यक्रम प्रस्तुत

किया| सर्वप्रथम सब बच्चों ने मिल कर ‘कक्षा में हम ...’ गीत प्रस्तुत किया, जिसमें उन्होंने गा कर बताया कि कक्षा में वे क्या करते है | तत्पश्चात विद्यार्थियों ने विभिन्न भारतीय त्योहारों (होली, दीपावली, रक्षा बंधन, बैसाखी, ईद, क्रिसमस) आदि को नृत्य-नाटिका के रूप में प्रस्तुत किया और विभिन्न विषयों पर लेख तथा पोस्टर प्रदर्शित किये| अंत में सब बच्चों ने मिल कर भारतीय राष्ट्रगान गाया| इस अवसर पर ‘हिन्दी-पुष्प’ के सम्पादक, डॉ. दिनेश श्रीवास्तव तथा ब्लैकबर्न केन्द्र के ‘एरिया मैनेजर’, श्री टोनी क्यूंग ने विद्यार्थियों को

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५ दिसम्बर (नेल्सन मंडेला की पुण्य–तिथि), ८ दिसम्बर (बोधि-दिवस), २५ दिसम्बर (बड़ा दिन/क्रिसमस), १ जनवरी (नव-वर्ष दिवस, सत्येन्द्र बोस जयंती), ५ जनवरी (महायान नववर्ष दिवस, गुरु गोविन्द सिंह जयंती), १० जनवरी (विश्व हिन्दी दिवस), १२ जनवरी (स्वामी विवेकानंद जयन्ती, राष्ट्रीय युवा दिवस –भारत), १३ जनवरी (माघी), १४ जनवरी (मकर संक्रांति/पोंगल), २४ जनवरी (वसंत –पंचमी)|

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तथा उनके माता-पिता और अध्यापिकाओं, श्रीमती अनुश्री जैन तथा श्रीमती गुरुशरण कौर को उनके महत्वपूर्ण योगदान के लिये बधाई दी|

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हिन्दी शिक्षा संघ (ऑस्ट्रे लिया) ने ८ नवम्बर, २०१४ को विक्टोरियन स्कूल ऑफ़ लैंग्वेजेज़ के डैं डीनांग केंद्र में एक हिन्दी कविता प्रतियोगिता आयोजित की| इस प्रतियोगिता में पहली से ग्यारहवीं कक्षा के कुल ८९ छात्र-छात्राओं ने कविता-पाठ किया| विजयी १८ विद्यार्थियों को हिन्दी शिक्षा संघ के अध्यक्ष डॉ. नरेन्द्र अग्रवाल द्वारा नक़द पुरस्कार प्रदान किये गए और अन्य सभी बच्चों को प्रतिभागिता प्रमाण-पत्र तथा मिठाई के बक्से दिये गए| विभिन्न कक्षा श्रेणियों में प्रथम पुरस्कार प्राप्त छात्रछात्राओं के नाम हैं :- दे लिषा बोरिषा (कक्षा १-२); बक्ष्टियार रेड्दिगुदेन (कक्षा ३-४); द्विज जोशी (कक्षा ५- ६); नेहा शेंवी (कक्षा ७,८,९ ) और पार्थ चंदारना (कक्षा १०-११)| सभी विद्यार्थियों ने स्मृति, उच्चारण की

गरम चाय–ठं डी चाय

ab h\sne kI b;rI hw

दो मित्र एक रे स्त्राँ में चाय पीने गये| एक मित्र चाय चुस्की ले कर धीरे -धीरे पी रहा था| उसके मित्र ने उससे कहा- “यार, चाय जल्दी-जल्दी पियो| मित्र ने पूछा – क्यों, किस बात की जल्दी है ? मित्र ने कहा – तुमने दे खा नहीं, व्यंजन–सूची में लिखा था – गरम चाय -१० रुपये और बर्फीली ठं डी चाय – २० रुपये|

अपराधी की खोज

चन्दन अपने किंडरगार्टन के सहपाठियों

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

शुद्धता व अच्छी प्रस्तुति का प्रदर्शन किया| प्रतियोगिता के निर्णायक थे - श्री रमेश दवे, श्रीमती कोमल, श्रीमती वीणा श्रीनिवासन, श्री कैलाश गुप्त एवं श्रीमती ऋतु शौरी| इस प्रतियोगिता में वी. एस. एल. के पदाधिकारी, सर्वश्री नोर्ड होलगर एवं एलन के अतिरिक्त कुछ अभिभावकों की उपस्थिति ने समारोह की शोभा बढ़ाई| दो-एक विद्यार्थियों ने स्व-रचित कविताएँ भी पढ़ कर सुनायीं | इस अवसर पर प्रतिभागियों की शिक्षिकाओं श्रीमती अंजलि गुप्ता, विभा जोशी, सलोनी गुप्ता और मंजू अग्रवाल को उनके योगदान के लिये, हिन्दी शिक्षा संघ ने पुरस्कार दे कर सम्मानित किया| इस प्रतियोगिता को ‘विक्टोरियन मल्टीकल्चरल कमीशन’ का सहयोग भी प्राप्त हुआ|

और अध्यापिका के साथ स्थानीय पुलिस स्टेशन गया| वहाँ उसने दे खा कि नोटिस बोर्ड पर दस अपराधियों के फ़ोटो लगे हुए हैं , जिनकी पुलिस को खोज है | चन्दन ने एक फ़ोटो की ओर इशारा करते हुए पूछा कि क्या वास्तव में यह फ़ोटो उस व्यक्ति की है , जिसकी पुलिस को तलाश है | एक पुलिस अधिकारी ने कहा –हाँ| चन्दन ने पूछा – फिर आपने जब यह फ़ोटो खींची, तभी उसे क्यों नहीं पकड़ लिया? (प्रेषक – डॉ, सुरेश गुप्ता, मेल्बर्न)

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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

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

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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................................

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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

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D E C ' 1 4 - j a n ' 1 5

info@melbournejainsangh.org http://www.melbournejainsangh.org MUSLIM Melbourne West Mosque 66-68 Jeffcott Street, Melbourne Ph: 03 9328 2067 Broadmeadows Mosque 45-55 King Street, Broadmeadows Ph 03 9359 0054 Islamic Call Society 19 Michael Street, Brunswick Ph: 03 9387 7100 Islamic Centre of Australia 660 Sydney Road, Brunswick Ph 03 9385 8423 Australian Islamic Cultural Centre 46-48 Mason Street, Campbellfield Ph: 03 9309 7605 Coburg ISNA Mosque 995 Sydney Road, Coburg North Coburg Mosque (Fatih Mosque) 31 Nicholson Street, Coburg Ph 03 9386 5324 Deer Park Mosque 283 Station Road, Deer Park Ph 03 9310 8811 United Migrant Muslim Assn.

72 George Road, Doncaster Ph 03 9842 6491, Footscray West Mosque 294 Essex Street, Footscray Glenroy Musala 1st Floor, 92 Wheatsheaf Road, Glenroy Heidelberg Mosque Corner Lloyd & Elloits Streets, West Heidelberg Islamic College of Victoria (Mosque) 201 Sayers Road, Hoppers Crossing Ph 03 9369 6010 Huntingdale Mosque 320-324 Huntingdale Road, Huntingdale Ph 03 9543 8037 Al Nur Mosque 34-36 Studley Street, Maidstone Meadow Heights Mosque Hudson Circuit, Meadow Heights Springvale Mosque 68 Garnworthy Street, Springvale

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cinema

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Lingaa: A mixed bag

southSouth asia times 33 Asia Times

Tamil, Action, Drama, 2014, Color: Starring Rajinikanth, Anushka, Sonakshi Sinha etc.; Directed by S. Ravikumar

As against the mediocre present day sections, the 1939 portions of the film are plotted much, much better in terms of its characters, treatment and the dealing of its main conflict.

By Seema Mustafa

S

YNOPSIS Lingaa (Rajinikanth) is a petty thief with a grudge against his grandfather, Raja Lingeswaran (Rajinikanth again,) for not leaving any of his enormous wealth for his descendants. He is tricked by TV reporter Lakshmi (Anushka) to come to her village where UK returned Engineer and District Collector Raja Lingeswaram, in 1939, took on the British and built a dam and a temple there for villagers of 36 villages. The British through deceit had the villagers turn against the benevolent King who sacrificed all his wealth for them, and shut down the temple. Today, the local politician (Jagapathy Babu) wants to destroy the dam saying it is unsafe and have a new one built. However an upright Engineer (Ponvannan) will have none of it. He is murdered but before dying throws the piece of incriminating evidence declaring the dam safe in the compound of the temple and tells a village elderly that the temple must be opened to save the dam and the village. The elderly villager (K Vishwanath) gets Lakshmi, his granddaughter, to trace Lingaa out to open the temple for them. Lingaa, on the run from the police, comes there only to try and steal the idol from the temple and escape. But on hearing his grandfather's story, he realizes he has misjudged him and decides that he

has to take up the fight of the villagers and live up to his grandfather's name and save the dam...

REVIEW One wonders if a film like Lingaa even needs reviewing. The primary aim of the film overriding any so called cinematic aesthetics is to keep Rajinikanth's huge fan pace happy. And with the film giving them two Rajinis - one in 1939 and the other in present day India, who are actually grandfather and grandson - there's more than enough to keep them ecstatic.

With Rajini in every frame, there's also just enough of a story mounted lavishly on a huge scale (not including the terribly tacky CG work in the climax) to keep events going even if the pace is somewhat sluggish and the running time of 175 minutes begins to tell. But with Rajini doing what he has to do, the fans are on cloud nine, the shows are all full, record collections are expected everywhere, and the festivities are on.

So in that sense mission accomplished. End of story, end of review.

Still, if one were to actually review the film, then one would have said that the film is a mixed bag. While it throws in many elements into its plot, the safe and typical screenplay makes it appear wafer thin and just about functional. The film, after a lightweight start in the present with stereotypical items like the hero's intro with a solo song, its focus on comedy (handled ably

enough by Santhanam), gets into a higher gear once the 1939 flashback segment kicks in. Inspired

by British Army Engineer Colonel John Pennycuick who constructed the Mullaiperiyar dam after mortgaging his property, this portion of the film, even if much too long, still has its share of moments. Rajini is much more at home in the comparatively more human character of the benevolent Raja Lingeswaran who is a king, collector and engineer, and who on his own builds a dam for villagers of 36 villages to secure their future against drought and floods. In fact, these sequences see the actor in Rajini struggling to come out of his huge image. It has to be said he even succeeds in sequences like the one where the villagers meet him and find him living humbly and he forgives them for kicking him out after all he has done for them. Yes, there is an accomplished actor beneath the mask of the superstar.

Otherwise, it is at times sad to see a performer so trapped in his image that he becomes a parody of himself. And even if the film is huge, KS Ravikumar lacks the skill and flair of a Shankar and this is invoked in the film as we find references to Sivaji the Boss (2007) and some set pieces even designed similar to the earlier film.

As against the mediocre present day sections, the 1939 portions of the film are plotted much, much better in terms of its characters, treatment

and the dealing of its main conflict. Even the obvious mainstream elements work so much better here be it the developing romance between Rajini and Sonakshi Sinha, the confrontation scenes with the British villain (ineffectual performance by him though), and the well executed train fight. The dialogue cleverly weaves in patriotic dialogue, a strong spiritual philosophy of living a simple and kindly life, a memorable punch line or two or more (I have not failed. I have postponed my success) with elements of Rajini's life outside of the screen. So yes, the script weaves in a sequence where Raja Lingeswaran celebrates his birthday, and a happy birthday song is sung to him and with the film releasing on the superstar's birthday, the fans in the theatre erupted with glee! And as the Rajini character is hailed as a messiah, everyone suggests to him that he could make it right to the top in politics if he so desired. Clearly echoes of real life here.

Of the rest of the cast, though the heroines are functional, Sonakshi Sinha comes off better.

Photographed beautifully, she breathes some life into a character of a village belle with some spunk and is endearing. Anushka Shetty is handicapped by an inconsistent characterization. If on one hand, she is a smart journalist involved in sting operations, on the other, her romantic sequences with Rajini are dull and she appears the perfect stereotypical bimbo in

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them. The huge supporting cast do their bit well enough particularly K Vishwanath and Radha Ravi making a strong impact. However, the antagonists in both stories are weak and this somewhat dilutes Rajini's victories over them. This is a major shortcoming in the film. Jagapathy Babu, in particular, makes no impression at all.

The other major disappointment is that AR Rahman's music fails to make the impact it should, both in the songs and in the background as well. Otherwise on the technical side, one has to make a mention of Rathnavelu's camerawork and Sabu Cyril's lavish Production Design in some of the sequences. One has to mention that merely having an old steam engine train and some antique cars doesn't make for authentic period recreation.

Rajinikanth is shown reading Joseph Campbell's Hero With a Thousand Faces (yes, we get the connection) a decade before it was actually published and the look and styling of the characters is nowhere 1939. But then audiences in our films have never cared about these things and they will not here either.

I am not going to rate this film. But what I can say is that as a film for Rajini's fans, it easily qualifies for an 80% plus score. But if I were to delve more into its cinematic content and filmmaking aesthetics, I'd have to give it about 37% at most. —TheThirdMan, UpperStall

south asia 34 South Asia Timestimes

cinema

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Bollywood Calender 2015 It looks 2015 will mark a year packed with Bollywood flicks starring top acting talents directed by well known directors:

Tevar Arjun Kapoor has openly admitted that this particular film has a certain emotional connectivity for him and goes much deeper than his previous films. Not only are we super pumped to see what the Kapoor clan has in store for us, but after having caught a glimpse of Sonakshi Sinha and Arjun’s sizzling on-screen chemistry in Tevar’s trailer – we’re totally excited to see what this new ‘jodi’ has to bring to screen!

Dolly Ki Doli

Jagga Jasoos ABCD 2

Ranbir Kapoor has been missing in action for quite some time now – which is why we’re more than curious to finally see what he’s been working on so intently. Is this going to be Ranbir’s huge comeback?! And that too, with Katrina Kaif by his side – I guess we’ll have to wait and see!

Have you seen Sonam Kapoor’s new ‘badass bride’ avatar for this film? Just have a look at the poster that was released recently and we promise you’re going to want to see more! Sonam looks smouldering and we’re hungry for more!

After the rampant success of Ram Leela, we can’t wait to see what the Ranveer, Deeps and Piggy Chops trio are bringing next to the big screen with yet another Sanjay Leela Bhansali flick! The sets for this film have been rumoured to be one of the biggest, most expensive sets ever made in Bollywood and Bhansali even had Ranveer shave his locks off in preparation for his role as a maharashtrian warrior.

Now this should be interesting!

ABCD 2 Whether you’re a dance fanatic or not, this movie’s definitely a must-watch. Shraddha Kapoor and Varun Dhawan have been working extraordinarily hard for this fast approaching dance flick, and under Remo’s direction, anything’s possible! Eagerly waiting to see the two flaunt their new moves on screen! Will this be it?!

Detective Byomkesh Bakshi

Fan

Bajirao Mastani

Dil Dhadakne Do

With this dazzling star cast – who in their right minds wouldn’t be in high anticipation of this film? With Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar, Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma and Anil Kapoor all coming together for Zoya Akhtar’s next big project – this film is certainly one that promises ‘dhamaka’!

Not many details have been revealed about SRK’s next big project to hit screens later next year under the Yash Raj banner.

Then again, not much can go wrong when our very own King Khan is in the equation as the leading man! www.southasiatimes.com.au - (03) 9095 6220, 0421 677 082

Sushant Singh Rajput has already churned out some pretty successful films and proven his worth as one heck of an actor! This next film has Sushant undertaking a rather intriguing role as a Detective. Now we can’t help but wonder whether the talented Sushant will be able to do justice to this character, or not?

2015 will certainly tell!

southSouth asia times 35 Asia Times

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Bollywood Calender 2015 What’s that? Another Ranbir starrer you say?! We all know Ranbir’s been on the D-low, but it seems that the talented actor will be at the front of not one, but two films as of next year! Now this bit of information definitely makes our heart race. Can’t wait to see what Anushka and Ranbir are going to bring to the screen and we even get to see more of budding actor vivaan shah!

Fitoor Aditya Roy Kapur has allegedly put up a photo of Katrina Kaif on his bedroom wall in preparation for this upcoming film. His role requires him to draw her and he also claimed that it helps, considering his character in the film is madly in love with Kat’s character! Now that’s dedication! Can’t wait to see all of Aditya’s efforts materialize on the big screen alongside the beautiful Kat.

Phantom Phantom Saif Ali Khan and Katrina have been working hard in the freezing cold valleys of Kashmir for this Kabir Khan film which promises no shortage of action! We’re rather curious as to how this new pair will fare together on screen. In fact, Kat and Saif’s begum Kareena were seen bonding over a coffee while hubby Saif was sick and napping during the shoot. Can’t wait to see how Kat and Saif will look together!

you want to keep a lookout for in the upcoming year, coming together again, after Sonam’s very first film Saawariya. Don’t even know what to expect from this one?!

Bombay Velvet

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo It really does seem as though 2015 is the year of some very interesting pairings! Salman Khan and Sonam will certainly be a pair

Fitoor

SAT CRICKET GUIDE

(Australia - India matches) Commonwealth Bank Test Series (India tours Australia) 24 NOV 2014 - 25 NOV 2014 | 2-DAY TOUR MATCH Cricket Australia XI- India Gliderol Stadium, Glenelg 10 30 AM Local

12 DEC 2014 - 16 DEC 2014 | SECOND TEST Australia - India Adelaide Oval, Adelaide 10 30 AM Local

28 NOV 2014 - 29 NOV 2014 | 2-DAY TOUR MATCH Cricket Australia XI - India Adelaide Oval, Adelaide 10 30 AM Local

26 DEC 2014 - 30 DEC 2014 | THIRD TEST Australia - India MCG, Melbourne 10 30 AM Local

04 DEC 2014 - 08 DEC 2014 | FIRST TEST Australia - India Gabba, Brisbane 10 00 AM Local

03 JAN 2015 - 07 JAN 2015 | FOURTH TEST Australia - India SCG, Sydney 10 30 AM Local

Teams

AUSTRALIA: George Bailey, Michael Clarke, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Phillip Hughes, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Chris Rogers, Peter Siddle, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner & Shane Watson.

INDIA: MS Dhoni, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan, Ashok Dinda, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Pragyan Ojha, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Virender Sehwag, Ishant Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Sachin Tendulkar & Murali Vijay.

BROADCAST PARTNERS for Test Matches: Ch-9 on TV and ABC Grandstand & Fairfax Radio for Radio.

For more information –www. cricket.com.au & www.bcci.tv

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south asia 36 South Asia Timestimes

ECONOMY

GDP and the Unaccounted for 82 percent of national wealth

By Anantha Duraiappah*

N

EW DELHI, Dec 19 2014 (IPS) - Virtually all countries use Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as their primary measurement of economic progress and overall societal progress. At the same time, countries express allegiance to the doctrine of sustainable development. This exposes an obvious disconnect.

GDP measures the value of all the goods and services a country produces. Thus, maximising production is the best way of achieving high GDP. And increasing production is fine as long as it is within one’s means to maintain that production.

But relate this in terms of personal spending patterns: our list of desirables are seemingly infinite –- the majority of us have insatiable appetites constrained only by personal budgets.

You can increase your spending by taking on debt, but this too is determined by your ability to pay. We are constrained!

At the country level, the situation is no different. A nation can’t produce goods and services without the required assets. It can borrow or buy from other countries but again, consumption is constrained by an ability to pay, which in a well-behaving market is determined by national assets.

Granted, the system of national accounts upon which GDP is computed tracks changes in capital assets such as infrastructure, transport and communications, among other types of national capital produced.

But the skills and education of people determine a country’s output. So too do natural assets, like land, minerals, fossil fuels, and forests, and the many other goods and services nature offers as direct production inputs.

Where are these assets accounted for in GDP? The Inclusive Wealth Report, first introduced at the Rio+20 summit and welcomed by The Economist magazine as an ambitious effort, provides fresh insights.

This year’s second edition, IWR2014, created in a collaboration with the UN Environment Programme and the UN University, provides a comprehensive analysis of 140 countries, up from 20 two years ago. And the results are sobering, to say the least.

When climate change, oil price fluctuations and total factor productivity is included, less than 50 percent of the 140 countries assessed are on a sustainable trajectory; more than half are consuming beyond their means.

A key factor, according to the report: a lack of effort in promoting creativity and

innovation, primarily in developed countries.

As well, the 2014 report further substantiates an earlier finding: Human capital in a country’s asset base is most highly valued by policymakers, followed by natural capital. Produced capital comes in third.

What does this mean?

Using a combination of market prices, when appropriate, and social prices when no market prices are available or are imperfect, the data shows people in most countries place highest value on human capital, key to which is education.

This is followed by natural capital — energy sources and timber, for example — but also the many ecosystem services nature provides to humankind.

Using these values, the IWR2014 report finds that the produced capital our national accounts help to track and manage only represents 18 percent of the total value of a country’s asset base.

In other words, some 82 percent of a nation’s productive base — its “inclusive” wealth — is not reflected in national accounts. This simply makes no economic sense. And, as the popular saying goes, “you manage what you measure.”

The remedy?

Let’s build momentum to revise the system of national

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When climate change, oil price fluctuations and total factor productivity is included, less than 50 percent of the 140 countries assessed are on a sustainable trajectory; more than half are consuming beyond their means. accounts, expanding it to include education and natural resources as part of the core accounts.

While there has been some movement to develop satellite accounts for these categories, the scale of their contribution to the asset base of an economy makes it imperative that they be an integral part of core accounts. They can no longer be treated as externalities.

Developing inclusive wealth accounts is complex and challenging, involving some strong assumptions and projections of the future flows of existing asset bases for our offspring and theirs. Despite this degree of uncertainty, initial reactions from national statisticians have been positive.

The former prime minister of India, Manmohan Singh, a prominent economist, established a high level panel under his national statistics office and the intellectual leadership of Cambridge economist Sir Partha Dasgupta to explore the development of inclusive wealth accounts.

The initial report was a innovative and intellectually robust national document identifying possible actions over the short, medium and long terms.

If a country such as India with its myriad challenges can acknowledge such a need, every country can embrace the challenge and

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GDP measures the value of all the goods and services a country produces.

Thus, maximising production is the best way of achieving high GDP. And increasing production is fine as long as it is within one’s means to maintain that production. start to revise its system of national accounts.

—Edited by Kitty Stapp * Anantha Duraiappah is Director of the UNESCO / Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development in New Delhi & Director of the Inclusive Wealth Report, a collaboration of the UN Environment Programme and UN University.

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0404 599 644

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