Indian Weekender 16 January 2014

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16 January 20151

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The Pulse of Kiwi-Indians Auckland Christchurch Wellington Hamilton Palmerston North Hastings Invercargill

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COVER STORY

Glitter Jewellers

MAYA SHIVAM

MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshibecomes the rst Indian-bornNew Zealander to receive the Pravasi

Bharatiya Samman Award at thePravasi Bharatiya Divas 2015 held at

Gandhinagar. The award recognises

exceptional and meritorious

contributions by recipients in their

chosen eld. Recipients are chosen

by the Indias Ministry of Overseas

Indian Affairs and presented with

the awards on Indias Non-Resident

Indian Day, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.

The three-day Pravasi Bharatiya

Divas, attended by around 4,000

diaspora members, came to an end

with the conferment of the Pravasi

Bharatiya Samman awards by

Vice President Hamid Ansari to 15

prominent diaspora members.

Those recipients of the samman,

the highest honour conferred on

overseas Indians, were Guyanese

President Donald Rabindernauth

Ramaotar; Mala Mehta from

Australia; Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi

from New Zealand; Ashraf

Palarakunnummal and Bharatkumar

Jayantilal Shah from UAE; Essop

Esoop Goolam from South Africa;

Rajmal M Parakh from Oman; Justice

Doraikannu Karunakaran from

Seychelles; Sanjaya Rajaram from

Mexico; Lord Raj Loomba and Nathu

Ram Puri from Britain; Mahendra

Nanji Mehta from Uganda and

Nandini Tandon and Kamlesh Lulla

from the US.

Lisa Singh from Australia, who

could not receive the award last

year, received the samman, while

A Satyanarayana Nadella, CEO of

Microsoft, who was named for the

award was not present.

Ansari congratulated the awardees

and said India is grateful for their

contributions to society.

Terming them deserving

recipients of this recognition, he said,

Through their exemplary work, they

have also proved to be outstanding

envoys of peace, friendship and

cooperation between India and

countries of their residence.

Ansari said that overseas Indians

are in virtually every country and

region of the world, and recited

an Urdu phrase to describe their

ubiquitous presence: Jidhar dekhta

hoon faqat tu hi tu hai (wherever I

look I see only you).

He said that the diaspora can play

an important role in the development

of India with their knowledge and

resources and their experience of

other lands where similar efforts were

pursued successfully.

Minister for Overseas Indian

Affairs Sushma Swaraj, in her

speech, said that the Narendra Modi

government has been specially

proactive in nurturing the bonds with

the diaspora.

The diaspora is close to Prime

Minister Modis heart. Wherever he

has gone, he has made a passionate

appeal to NRIs and PIOs to be

partners in Indias ongoing journey of

development and national resurgence.

We believe in infusing a new

energy and vitality into this lasting

Continued on Pg 4

Another rst for the rst inductee ofthe Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame

National Party MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi receiving Pravasi Bhartiya Samman from Vice President of India Hon. M Hamid Ansari First Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame in 2013


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COVER STORY

relationship between India and its

diaspora, she said.

New Zealands List MP, Kanwaljit

Singh Bakshi is honoured to receive

the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya

Samman Award. It is a great honour

to receive the prestigious Pravasi

Bharatiya Samman Award. In

accepting this award, I would like to

acknowledge the contribution of all

New Zealanders of Indian origin to

Kiwi culture, communities, and the

economy, Bakshi said.

As the rst Indian-born New

Zealander to receive this award, I am

deeply humbled and thankful for all

the support I have received.

Bakshi was awarded for his

services to the community in New

Zealand and for building a positive

prole of people of Indian origin in

New Zealand and the South Pacic.

Bakshi was the First inductee

to the Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame

which has now become synonymous

with the highest Indian honour in

New Zealand. A brand which is

the hallmark of Indian Weekender

recognizes and honours imminent

personalities in the Kiwi-Indian

community for their contribution, that

enriches not just the community but

also society at large.

The award was presented to

him by none other than the Prime

Minister of New Zealand John

Key. Bakshis recognition by the

Government of India clearly indicates

the authenticity and the strength

of the selection process behind the

Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame award. Giri

Gupta, Managing Director of Indian

Weekender, congratulating Bakshi,

stated that it is a matter of great

honour that a diplomat of the Kiwi-

Indian Hall of Fame is recognized

on an international platform like the

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. This just

goes to show our futuristic vision

and our policy of think globally act

locally.

In the current National-led

Government, Bakshi is the deputy

chairperson of Law and Order Select

Committee. He is also a member

of the Commerce Committee. In

the last two terms of the National

Government, Bakshi was member

of the Commerce Committee

and Government Administration

Committee from 20112014, and

the Justice and Electoral Committee

and Government Select Committees

2008-2011.

He was born and raised in the

capital state of India, Delhi, where

he gained a degree in Bachelor of

Commerce from the University

of Delhi in 1985, following high-

schooling at Guru Harkishan Public

School.

He began his career in commerce

by joining his family freight business

and worked his way up to being

a successful marketing manager.

Having a prosperous 29 years

Continued from Pg 3

Bakshi with Indian Prime Minister Narender Modi during PBD 2015;

(right) with his family


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16 January 20155

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COVER STORY

business experience in India as well as in New

Zealand, he acquired expertise in diverse elds

such as fashion and property industry.

Bakshi moved to New Zealand in the

year 2001, where he and his wife, Irvinder

Kaur considered the rising opportunities in

the country that well acted as a catalyst for

their business growth and also gave a strong

foundation to their two sons, Gawan and Rijaks

education. Its a decision they always stood by.

Having a political background, he developed

a profound interest in the supporting eld

while helping his father in various election

campaigns. He has been active both in business

as well as the Indian community since then.

Apart from supporting the Kiwis, he has also

represented the South-East Asian Communities.

Recognizing shared values and principles, he

became actively involved in the National Party

shortly after moving to New Zealand.

I feel privileged to be an MP for National

Party that is working hard to secure a brighter

future for all New Zealanders, recognizes

potential, and rewards hard work.

Bakshi told Indian Weekender that he was

mesmerized by the sheer presence of Prime

Minister Narendra Modi. He stated that it was

an honour to meet him and to invite him to New

Zealand. Bakshi also took this opportunity

to meet with other ministers and dignitaries

present at the event.

Earlier recipients of the Pravasi Bharatiya

Samman Award from New Zealand include

Sir Anand Satyanand and Judge Ajit Swaran

Singh, the reigning Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame

inductee.

Bakshi with former Governer General of New Zealand Sir Anand Satyanand and Lady Susan Satyanand


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COVER STORY

THIS IS

MAYA SHIVAM

This is indeed, India Modi-ed, kicking off the year intrue-blue Modi style - India hasseen the biggest and the grandest

events for the Indian Diaspora

the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas,which has injected a strong

dose of optimism amongst the

Indian populace across the world

followed by the Vibrant Gujarat

Summit. The grandeur and theinternational appeal of both these

events were exactly in line with

Modis modus operandi.

The 2015 Pravasi Bharatiya

Divas is being hailed as the

grandest event for the diasporato date. All kudos for Modis

foreign policy, with he himself

being the biggest draw. The

Pravasi Bharatiya also coincideswith a parallel Youth conclave.

The 13th edition from 7th-9th

January 2015 in Gandhinagar thisyear is said to have crossed 2,500

registrations from delegates from

around the world.

Following the Pravasi

Bharatiya, the 7th Vibrant GujaratSummit was held during 11th-13th January 2015 at Mahatma

Mandir, Gandhinagar, Gujarat,India. Six summits held so farhave been a resounding success

and immensely contributed to thetransformation of Gujarat intoa Global Business Hub. ThisSummit is a platform for otherstates and countries to showcase

their strengths, highlightbusiness opportunities, facilitate

knowledge dissemination etc.

The summit this year was alsobigger and better than all others

in the past. This has been a

historical event attended bysome big names from the worldover. All who witnessed the

event unfolding were left in aweof what had unfolded. Comingout of this, India stands at thehelm of several billion dollarsof investment commitments to

be injected into the countryseconomy.

This weeks India Modi-edis dedicated to the way India haskick started 2015. The storiesthat follow bring you a snapshotof all the main events as theyhave unfolded over the twodays. Clearly, the draw at both

these events was Modi and Modicharisma. Needless to say thatunderlining all this is the optimismthat the world is now viewingIndia with. As Ban Ki-moon said,Vibrant Gujarat has made theworld vibrate with dynamism.

Modi takes centrestage as he offers Vibrant India JAIDEEP SARIN

Sharing the stage with people whotogether control trillions of dollarsand give direction to world economy,

Indian Prime Minister Narendra

Modi last weekend scaled his ideaof Vibrant Gujarat to that of Vibrant

India.

He called upon countries and

corporates to invest in Indias growth

story and sold his Make in India

campaign to the world business

community.

As the proceedings began Sunday

(Jan 11) at Gandhinagars Mahatma

Mandir complex, Modi had UN

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon,

US Secretary of State John Kerry,

World Bank President Jim Yong

Kim, the Prime Ministers of Bhutan

and Macedonia, ministers from

Britain, Australia, the Netherlands,

Japan, Canada, Singapore and other

countries, corporate czars and top

CEOs by his side.

This event is perhaps the biggest

gathering on earth where a budding

entrepreneur has the opportunity to

see the president of the World Bank.

Where a young farmer, dreaming to

set up a food processing unit, can

listen to the views of the UN secretary

general on issues like food security,

said a visibly happy Modi.

The number of private jets bringing

in top industrialists, global CEOs,

leaders and diplomats at Ahmedabads

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel international

airport and the blaring sirens of police

vehicles escorting VIPs to the summit

venue were an indicator of the how

seriously everyone, Modi included,

took the investment summit.

This year, the summit has the US,

Britain, Japan, Canada, Holland,

Australia, Singapore and South

Africa as partner countries. Leading

trade bodies like the United State

India Business Council (USIBC),

which has brought its biggest-ever

delegation of over 130 top business

honchos, and others are part of the

event.

The scaled up summit saw

Prime Minister Modi hosting and

inaugurating the event in Gujrat.

Top Indian industrialists Mukesh

Ambani, Kumarmangalam Birla,

Anil Ambani, Gautam Adani and

ICICI Banks Chanda Kochhar

rubbed shoulders with global CEOs,

including Ajay Banga of Mastercard.

In the next one decade, India

can lead in ending poverty. Till India

is part of our efforts (in removing

poverty), the World Bank cannot

succeed [in its endeavours], World

Bank President Jim Yong Kim said.

US Secretary of State John Kerry

said he was inspired by Modis

slogan Sabka saath, Sabka vikas.

We should all adopt it, he said in a

lighter vein.

Modi last hosted the summit in

2013 as chief minister of Gujarat.

From modest beginnings in 2003, the

investment summit saw 17,719 MoUs

(memorandums of understanding)

being signed in 2013 when Modi still

headed the state.

Modi met around 50 CEOs at the

event. This time the agenda was not

only about investing in Gujarat, but

in India.

India: the land of opportunitiesMaking a decisive push towardsgenerating investment to seethe success of his Make in India

mantra, Modi said that his government

was trying to revive the economy, and

told global investors that India today

was a land of opportunities.

In a short span of seven months,

we have been able to change

the atmosphere of despair and

uncertainty, Modi told the summit.

Since the rst day, my government

is actively working to revive the

economy.

He urged countries, businesses

and investors to be part of Indias

growth story. There is an atmosphereof cooperation towards India. We are

trying to generate condence for

investment in the country.

Modi, speaking dominantly in

English went on: We will have

to change the way we have been

approaching problems. Recession

is often seen just in the context of

business and industry.

The prime minister said hisgovernment was committed to

changing and improving the

economic and social condition of

India including the quality of life.

We want to promote co-operative

federalism in the country. At the same

time, we want a competitive element

among the states. I call this new

form of federalism co-operative and

competitive federalism.At the presence of global

personalities and business leaders,

Modi said, Your (world leaders)

presence today has enhanced the

enterprising streak of 60 million

Gujaratis and has boosted the morale

of 1.2 billion Indians.

He said: We are here as a family,not only in terms of space, but because

we recognise that someones dream is

dependent on someones direction.

The ultimate objective is welfare of

all... All of us want planet earth to

become a better place to live.

Modi refuted criticism that he was

just making populist announcements.

We are not only making

commitments and announcements.

But, we are backing them up with

concrete action at the level of policy

and action, he said.

Opening of 100 million bank

accounts in just four months, allowing

100 percent foreign direct investment(FDI) in railways, allowing 49

percent FDI in defence sector and 49

percent FDI in insurance sector were

some of the steps taken by Modis

government.


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COVER STORY

Investors commit tomillionsLeading companies, international nancialorganisations and countries have madeinvestment commitments worth over Rs 25

lakh crore at the seventh edition of the Vibrant

Gujarat summit, Chief Minister Anandiben

Patel said.

Patel said that a record over 21,000 MoUs

were signed on the rst two days of the three-

day summit.

She said that 1,225 strategic partnerships

were signed during the biennial summit, the

biggest one so far.

Though the summit is for investment in

Gujarat, it will help in attracting investment

for India and for the success of Make in India

idea of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the

chief minister said.

In New Delhi, an US embassy spokesperson

said, Today (Sunday), US Secretary of State

John Kerry and his delegation completed a

historic two-day visit to the biennial Vibrant

Gujarat Summit.

While in Gujarat, the secretary discussed

the importance of the U.S.-India strategic

partnership, and how US technology and

innovation can enhance sustainable economic

growth throughout the Indo-Pacic region.

The secretary also attended the Global

CEOs Conclave, where he spoke to

international business leaders and innovators

on strengthening trade and investment ties

between the United States and India. In a

separate bilateral meeting, Secretary Kerry and

Prime Minister Modi discussed how the United

States and India can together afrmatively

shape global politics and economics in the 21st

century, and the opportunity for our partnership

to bolster sustainable economic growth in India

and across the world.Addressing the summit at the valedictory

event, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh

said that the summit was a brainchild of Prime

Minister Narendra Modi when he was chief

minister of Gujarat.

He (Modi) has changed the political

idiom and political discourse of this country.

The Gujarat model of good governance and

development can be adopted for the whole

country, the home minister said, adding that

Gujarat was not only the land of opportunity

but the mother of opportunity.

Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel

Continued on Pg 8


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Continued from Pg 7

COVER STORY

Reliance will invest Rs 100,000 crore

The Mukesh Ambani led-

Reliance Industries (RIL) will

invest Rs.100,000 crore across its

businesses, including the Gujarat

petrochemical complex, in the next

18 months.

We will invest over Rs 100,000

crore in the next 12-18 months in

contributing to the Make in India and

Digital India initiatives, Ambani said

at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit.

The investments will be in

expanding RILs petrochemical

production capacity as well as through

launch of its 4G broadband services.

As part of the investment

programme, RIL will partner thousands

of small businesses and Gujarati

entrepreneurs to create virtuous cycle

of prosperity, Ambani said.

Reliance has been an inseparable

part of Gujarats success story. Over

the last three decades, we have invested

again and again to convert a business

vision into a reality, he added.

Reliance is investing in raising

polyester capacity by 60 percent

across four locations, in a new

1.5 million tonnes renery of gas-

based petrochemical cracker and

downstream units in Jamnagar,

enhancing rening protability

through petroleum coke gasicationand reducing feedstock costs by

ethane imports from the US.

Aditya Birla Group to invest Rs

20,000 crore

The Aditya Birla Group will invest

Rs 20,000 crore in Gujarat to increase

capacity of various existing facilities

in a state he has a personal bias

towards, Kumar Mangalam Birla

said.

We will be continuing to grow

our businesses here. On the anvil

are browneld expansions at our

cement plant in Sevagram, the VSF

(viscose staple bre) plants in Vilayat

and Bharuch, and along with that,

expansion in metal plants, Birla said.

Were greatly impressed by

proactive approach of government of

Gujarat. I have a personal bias for it,

Birla said.

He said that, not tax incentives, butdelivery of high quality infrastructure

has drawn the group to the state.

The Aditya Birla Groups

investments in Gujarat amount to

over Rs 25,000 crore, and it generates

revenues in excess of Rs 30,000 crore

a year. The company employs 10,000

persons directly and 20,000 indirectly.

Gujarat a cultural crossover to the worldOn his rst visit to Gujarat, UNSecretary General Ban Ki-moon said Gujarat could also be acrossroad for a new era of sustainable

development while it has long been a

cultural crossover to the world.

This dynamic state has long been

a cultural crossover to the world.

Today, it can also be a crossroad for a

new era of sustainable development,

Ban Ki-moon said at the Vibrant

Gujarat Summit.

Invoking the importance of land

of Mahatma Gandhis birth, Ban Ki-

moon said: I hope all world leaders

and businesses will be inspired by

Gandhis vision and teachings.

Gujarat is a state where

technology meets climate action,

where entrepreneur meet clearenergy, where young people meet job

opportunities, he added.

He said that 2015 was crucial

for global action on issues such as

sustainable development, climatechange and inclusive growth.

This is the most important and

crucial year for humanity, Ban

Ki-moon said in his address at the

summit.

He said important decisions on

global issues like climate change,

sustainable development and

inclusive growth were likely to be

taken this year.

He called upon leaders of countries

and the industrial and corporate sector

to work in a way that these issues

were addressed globally.

We are living in a very young

world where half of the population is

young. We have to do much more forthe youth, the UN chief said.

Gross DomesticHappiness

The biggest and almost continuousapplause during the summitinaugural was in honour of Bhutans

Prime Minister TsheringTobgay.

Tobgay spoke just before Modi,

but was able to generate a lot of

interest among those present. He

spoke in English and near uent

Hindi and connected well with

everyone. He spoke about Bhutan

being a tiny Himalayan country and,

while tucked away between giants

China and India, offering abundant

natural resources, tranquility and

quality of life.

Tobgay spoke about the

Gross Domestic Happiness being

paramount instead of the worlds

race for higher GDP. The way he

delivered his address, with facts

about Bhutan, had the whole hall

at the Mahatma Mandir complex

applauding him.

Made in India

Ajay Banga, CEO, Mastercardinternational, pointed out thathe himself was a living example of

Make in India. I was born in Indiaand studied here (IIM Ahmedabad)

and worked in India for 15 years. So I

was made in India. Then I moved (to

the US) and have been there for the

last 15 years. I was exported there,

as most Made in India things are,

Banga said.

Countrysmain economicsummit

Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister,said the Vibrant Gujarat GlobalInvestors Summit had become the

countrys main economic summit

while encouraging other states to

organise events of similar kind.

Today, many other states

have adopted this approach. The

government of India is committed to

supporting any such initiative of any

state government, Jaitley said in his

speech.

Addressing the session on

corporate social responsibility,

Jaitley said there is massive

inequality in society that is visible

through things like lack of access to

clean drinking water and toilets, even

though there is a widespread notion

that the country is growing.

For latestupdates and

breaking news,visit us on

www.iwk.co.nz

Mukesh Ambani,

MD, Reliance Industries Ltd

Ban Ki-moon,

Secretary General of UN

Kumar Mangalam Birla,

Chairman, Aditya Birla Group

Ajay Banga,

CEO, Mastercard

Bhutans Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay with Indian PM

Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley with Anandiben Patel


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16 January 20159

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COVER STORY

Breaking down the barriersJohn Kerry, US Secretary of State, and Modidid not just shake hands as world leadersgenerally do. Both gave each other a warm hugas the others, mostly industry captains, businessleaders and CEOs, applauded.

Kerry said he was impressed with palpableentrepreneurial interest he had seen in thepeople of Gujarat and added, PM Modimade his reputation here in Gujarat. If that

can be extrapolated to the rest of India anddealing with all countries, we all benet.Kerry referred to Modis stint as Gujarat chiefminister, during which he is credited withturning the state into an economic powerhouse.It was also a stint during which the US deniedModi visa over the 2002 riots in Gujarat underhis watch. Since he became Prime Ministerin May last year, however, Modi has multipleinteractions with senior US ofcials and also

visited the country in September.Kerry noted in his speech that he has met

Modi three times in the last six months.He said during their discussions, theyreviewed the relationship between the twocountries and said he was convinced thatIndia and the US will create a healthier,more secure and prosperous future.We are all invested in this relationship becausewe recognise what this offers to us, and also whatit demands of us, Kerry said, adding that Indiaand the US are working together to strengthenmaritime security and anti-terrorism measures.Kerry travelled to India ahead of US PresidentBarack Obamas visit as the chief guest at theJanuary 26 Republic Day celebrations. Amongthe items that top the agenda of the secretaryof state, he tried to break down what US

companies view as barriers.

John Kerry and Narendra Modi during the Summit


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COVER STORY

Seles to jackets, Modi stamp all over Vibrant GujaratHe may have become the PrimeMinister over seven monthsback, but Modi seems to dominate

every inch of space at the seventh

edition of the summit.

Special counters could be seen

at the venue, the sprawling 55-

acre Mahatma Mandir Convention

Centre complex comprisingconference venues, exhibition halls

and landscaped gardens, where

computerized seles with Modi

could be downloaded on mobile

phones.

Though seles with other leaders,

especially Gujarat Chief Minister

Anandiben Patel, werealso being

offered, Modi remained the biggest

draw.

At any given point in time, at

least two queues of people, all Modi

enthusiasts, could be seen near the

main convention hall.

Nearby, at another stall, Modi

jackets and Modi Kurtas were

being sold.Even though the event was

Gujarat-centric and hosted by the

state government, most of the

literature and other material had

Modi stamped all over.

Well protected

With so many most-protected

global leaders arriving at the venue

for the summit, security agencies

were stretched to their limits.

Besides Prime Minister Narendra

Modi, the countrys most protected

person, United Nations Secretary

General Ban Ki-moon, US Secretary

of State John Kerry, World Bank

president Jim Yong Kim, PrimeMinisters of Bhutan and Macedonia,

ministers from the United Kingdom,

Australia, The Netherlands, Japan,

Canada, Singapore and other

countries, corporate czars and top

CEOs; all were provided security

throughout their stay. Added to that

list were central and state ministers

and top ofcials.

As the VIPs crisscrossed the city,

police pilots and escorts led them

with blaring sirens on the roads, an

unfamiliar experience for the city not

used to so many VIPs at the same

time.

All venues choc-a-bloc

On the second day of the summit,

all the venues and public areas

remained full with people. Seminars

on various issues - from future smart

cities to water issues to healthcare -

were held, and all seats were taken

by scores of people. Even then, the

corridors and open areas outside

seemed full with people.

Modi remarked that this was the

biggest summit, an event that he

had conceived and implemented

when he was Gujarat chief minister.

Over 25,000 leaders, corporate

honchos and other delegates from

110 countries, including over

2,500 foreign delegates from 56

international delegations participatedin the summit.

Even though the focus seemed

more on investment in India rather

than in Gujarat alone, as was the

case in previous years, much of the

investment committed at the 2015

summit would go to Gujarat kitty.

Go orange

The delegates from The

Netherlands were easily identiable

in the crowd with all of them putting

on an orange scarf round their neck.

Even the delegation leader, Vice

Minister for Trade Simon Smits,

put an orange scarf around his neck

before he addressed the gathering.With the orange colour being

close to the saffron colour linked

to the ruling BJP, some people at

the venue thought that the foreign

delegates had been saffronised! As

the Dutch men and women roamed

around freely with the orange scarves

around their necks, they seemed

amused by the attention they were

drawing.


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COVER STORY

India and US: The best is yet to be AMULYA GANGULI

President Barack Obamas presence at theIndian Republic Day celebrations Jan 26will mark the highest point in Indo-American

relations.

What lends special signicance to the

occasion is that the US President will spend

nearly two hours in the open with his Indianhosts. Normally, the US Secret Service is wary

of such a long exposure for their chief executive.

The maximum time which he generally spends

outdoors is a little over an hour during the oath-

taking ceremony.

It is obviously the importance which

Obama attaches to the Indian connection which

has made the security agencies shelve their

reservations.

Their willingness to make an exception on

January 26 is all the more signicant in these

unpropitious times when the ever-present

threat of terrorism has been accentuated by the

murderous assaults on journalists in Paris.

No one knows better than those in charge of

guarding the heads of nations that no amount

of scrutiny of the visitors or the stationing of

sharp-shooters on rooftops or the closing of

the airspace over the venue is enough to keep

danger at bay if a terrorist is prepared to die

while targeting his perceived enemy.

So, it is not only Delhis polluted air - about

which concerns have also been expressed by

the Americans - which is a cause for worry, but

the possibility that the psychopathic killers in

Pakistan will be loathe to miss an opportunity

when the man they love to hate will be a sitting

target for a prolonged period.

However, if the hosts and their honoured

guest have chosen to overlook these obvious

concerns, the reason is the upturn that has taken

place between the worlds oldest and largest

democracies in recent years.

For many, the two should have been natural

allies for years together. But, the compulsions

of international relations and the varying

perceptions of ideology kept them apart.

While Washingtons preoccupation with

the menace of communism and, especially,

its use of Pakistan as a tool to counter it,

created a barrier between the US and India,

the dominance of capitalism in the former and

Indias preference for asocialistic pattern of

society, as a Congress party resolution said in

1955, was another factor behind the souring of

relations.

Even when the ties began to improve in the

aftermath of the then Prime Minister Manmohan

Singhs initiative to reach an agreement on

a nuclear deal that ended Indias ostracism

from the nuclear club of the Big Five after the

Pokhran implosion in 1974, the fact that there

was hesitation in India about moving close to

the US was evident from several reactions.

One of these was the opposition of a section

of strategic analysts who were against the

opening up of Indias nuclear installations to

outside inspection. But, the most crucial was

the observation of Congress president Sonia

Gandhi that the communists had a point in

criticizing the deal.

Arguably, India-US relations hung by a

thread at that point of time in 2008 when

the Manmohan Singh government faced a

no-condence motion in Parliament. If the

government had fallen, it would have been

back to the days of former US secretary of state

John Foster Dulles, whose telling phrase - if

you are not with us, youre against us - was a

warning to India about its non-alignment policy

of maintaining equidistance from the two

superpowers of the time.Thankfully, the clouds passed. Besides,

the realization dawned in Washington that it

could not allow a failed state like Pakistan to

embitter its ties with New Delhi.

Two of Obamas predecessors also played

a seminal role in improving Indo-US relations.

One was Bill Clintons rejection of Pakistans

efforts to redraw the borders in Kashmir with

blood. Up to that point, the belief in the US was

that all would be well only if India handed over

Kashmir on a platter to Pakistan.

But, Pakistans reputation as an epicentre

of terrorism was a reminder that redrawing the

boundaries would only extend the backyard

where Islamabad kept its snakes, to quote

Hillary Clinton.

The other President who recognized Indias

distinctiveness was George W. Bush, who

marvelled at the fact that there were virtually

no Indian Muslims in Al Qaeda. Clearly, Indian

democracy had given enough hope to the

minorities to persuade them to shun extremism.

Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi

can be said, therefore, to be carrying forward

what Bush and Manmohan Singh started.

Moreover, Modi is fortunate in that he doesnt

have anyone in his party who will try to

undercut his initiatives.

Ideologically, too, India is today closer

to the US than ever before. Capitalism is no

longer a cuss word in Indian political circles,

where chief ministers are virtually competing

with one another to invite the domestic and

foreign private sector to invest in their states.While Pakistan is falling off the map, its

all-weather friend, China, may be realizing that

India is not quite the pushover that it used to

think. Nor is America an unsteady giant. Its

technological prowess will continue to give it

an edge over the pretentious Middle Kingdom.

For India and the US in the 21st century, the

best is yet to be.


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Smiths victims forgotten

The rights of the victims ofmurderer Phillip John Smith arebeing completely overlooked. The

Summary of Chief Custodial Ofcer

Review in to the Failure to Return

from Temporary Release of Phillip

John Smith is full of good information

and offers 13 recommendations,

unfortunately the rights of victims

have not been taken in to account in

two of the recommendations.

The victims were not informed of

Smiths temporary release, despite

them being listed on the Victim

Notication Register. Appallingly,

they were also not informed that

he had escaped his temporary

release and ed New Zealand.

It has been reported

that Corrections has rightlyapologised to the victims, however,

apologies are just words when there

is no action to back them up.

First: the Victim Notication

Register system needs to be

reviewed. Phillip Smith is subject

to the VNR and his victims are listed

on it, but they didnt know that Smith

was on temporary release let alone

escaped from it

Second: There is a

recommendation that a Temporary

Release Advisory Panel be set up and

chaired by Prison Managers. This is

good, however, the recommendation

about who should be on the

panel does not include victims or

representatives of victims. This is a

complete oversight.

It is New Zealand Firsts beliefthat the victims of crime in New

Zealand should be respected, their

rights are paramount. They should

feel safe they should not live in fear

of the offender escaping.

Every New Zealander should

feel safe and every victim should

be respected and protected by the

Government and systems that have

been put in place to do so. Corrections

has rightly apologised to the victims,

however, apologies are just words

when there is no action to back them

up. The action we need to see is

that the Victim Notication Register

system needs to be reviewed and

victims must be represented on the

Temporary Release Advisory Panel.

Its time the Minister of

Corrections Hon Peseta Sam Lotu-

Iiga showed respect to the victims

of crime in New Zealand and took

action to ensure they are protected.

Dreaming of congestion-free cities

For a Xmas present, I wantedfunding for a better publictransport system in Auckland.

Unfortunately I didnt get it. Nor

did the 1.5 million Aucklanders who

suffer from ever-worsening trafc

jams.

Travelling around Auckland is

a joy over Xmas and New Year.

The roads are no longer clogged, as

people leave the city to go to beach.

Cars and trucks can move around the

city again. This shows that solving

the frustrating and costly trafc

congestion would make a huge

improvement in Aucklanders quality

of life.

Experience from modern cities

across the world shows that more

roads are not the solution. Building

more and more roads just means

more cars and more congestion.

Instead, Auckland needs investment

in a public transport system that

provides frequent and affordable

options. We also need safe routes for

the growing numbers of people (like

me) who ride a bicycle.

Auckland is playing catch up.

Plans for a decent rail system were

shelved in the 1970s and roads

became the only option. In recent

years, there have been improvements

in rail and bus services but more

investment is needed to take the

next step. Auckland can become an

efcient, sustainable city with a train

every ve minutes, but that cant

happen until the Government invests

in the City Rail Link.

Traditionally the central

government has provided investment

for transport in the main urban centres

to supplement local council funding,

reecting the important role that

major cities play in the New Zealand

economy, especially Auckland. But

the current government is refusing to

do so until 2020. This will condemn

Aucklanders to a more congestion

and a sub-standard transport system.

When the government released

its new policy on land transport in

December, it included plans for $33

billion investment over ten years

on roads, many of them expensive

and uneconomic motorways. A far

smaller amount of $5 billion has

been allocated for trains, buses,

cycling and walking. This ignores the

changes in transport patterns - road

use has peaked and there are now

record numbers of New Zealanders

opting to take buses and trains, and

growing numbers of walkers and

cyclists.

In 2015, we need the government

to give the go-ahead to the City

Rail Link and other public transport

projects to make our cities more

efcient, less polluted and better

places to live. Its a win for the

economy, for our quality of life and

for reduced climate impacts. Theres

still time for a late Xmas present.

Barry Coates was a Green Partycandidate for Mt Roskill. He was

formerly Executive Director of OxfamNew Zealand and has more than 20

years experience of internationalnegotiations on climate change. He

has a Masters degree in managementfrom Yale University.

POWER COLUMN / NEW ZEALAND

Barry CoatesGreen Party

Mahesh BindraNZ First MP

Winston PetersNZ First leader

MAYORALDRIVENews from the Counci l

Outdoor repermits neededas risk increases

Across the region people areenjoying a warm, dry start to 2015but with this comes an increase in re

risk. Aucklanders are being urged to

carefully manage all outdoor res.

A restricted re season for rural

areas in the Auckland region is still

in place which allows lighting of

outdoor res on rural land but a

permit is required for res in the

open air. A total re ban is now in

place for all Hauraki Gulf Islands.

The hot and dry summer means

risks of vegetation res are higher so

people needed to be vigilant around

their properties, clearing easily

ammable fuel such as dry leaves

and debris. Council will be issuing

re permits in Aucklands rural zones

free of charge but people are advised

to plan ahead as permits take three to

ve days to issue.

The councils rural re team

advised people to be aware of the

conditions and check before lighting

outdoor res in urban areas as well,

including any non-gas barbecues.

For information on re safety and

tips for the safe lighting of open air

res call Auckland Council on 09

301 0101 or visit aucklandcouncil/

ruralre.govt.nz

Too many missing out on surgery

New Zealand First has beenasking questions about electivesurgery surgery that is not an

emergency but that often changes

peoples lives.

Its hip operations, cataracts,

hernia and many more. A hip

operation, for example, often

completely changes a persons

lifestyle. They are pain free and can

walk without limping.

There have always been waiting

lists for such surgery. But every

government makes changes and the

National government has done that.

But we have discovered that they

system now being used is disguising

the number of untreated patients.

In gures supplied from the

Minister of Healths ofce we found

that in too many cases people going

to hospital for an operation are tossed

out untreated.

The government says it is

targeting these operations yet many

are missing out.

The ratio of untreated elective

surgeries has got worse since 2000.

For example, in the Auckland area

nearly 8000 people left the hospital

waiting list untreated in 2014. In the

Bay of Plenty area a New Zealander

is now nearly twice as likely to be

turned away from surgery as under

the previous government

The government must come clean

on this instead of just trumpeting a

campaign around elective surgery.

So many people are being let down,

after initially having gone through

the GP visits and all the rigmarole to

get on the waiting list.

Lets face it, there is still a huge

demand for elective surgery, so as

well as people going untreated who

were on the waiting list, we have

thousands who never make it to the

list. The Ministry of Health does not

have gures on how many.

Auckland museum to form youth advisory group

Auckland Museum hasannounced the formation of aYouth Advisory Group (YAG) which

will see a select group of Aucklands

youth acting as a source of knowledge

in assisting the Museum to create

stronger links into Aucklands youth

networks and communities.

The instigation of this inaugural

group signals another step in

Auckland Museums Future

Museum journey, the long-term

strategy which lays the foundation

for changes over the next 20

years. The aim of the YAG is to

extend the Museums engagement

with an ethnically diverse youthaudience (15-29 year old Auckland

independent adults), by giving them

the opportunity to assist the Museum

in delivering content relevant to them.

Bethany Edmunds, Museum

Youth Outreach Programmer, says:

were really excited to be launching

this group. The aim is to create

opportunities for them to engage

across the whole Museum.

The benets for the individualsparticipating in the group will

range from valuable organisational,

management, event planning,

marketing and communication skills,

as well as potentially opening their

eyes to viable career pathways in

the sector. The seven members of

the group have been selected as a

result of their demonstrated youth

leadership, academic achievement,

and participation in anything from thecreative industries to science, human

history, media and communications.

The members will sit on the YAG for

an initial period of one year, with an

option to renew for another year.


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NEW ZEALAND

Forum for Global Youth invites applications PAULA RAY

Global Youth is formed by a group ofuniversity students from India under theumbrella of an apolitical and not-for-prot

forum. They are guided by a group of prominent

Indian diplomats, journalists and academicians

in an endeavour to promote cross-border and

cross-cultural interaction among young students

and professionals from across the globe.

As part of the initiative, New Zealand has

been identied as a key country to set up a

student-to-student direct dialogue to facilitate

interaction and an exchange of ideas between

university students in both countries.

So, Global Forum is extending an open invite

to any students in your prestigious university

who might have an inclination to part-take in

the rst ever India-New Zealand Youth Forum.

They will gain a chance for a direct interaction

with students from universities across India.

The forum initially is being set up with the

following immediate goals:

To hold monthly student-to-student

videoconferencing sessions on India-New

Zealand ties, cultural exchange and ideas

exchange

To start a joint India-New Zealand youth

blog for students from both countries to

discuss developments taking place at home

and abroad

To set up the rst India-New Zealand

Youth Award for outstanding efforts in

promoting cross-national understanding,

one award each for an Indian student and a

New Zealander student

To connect Indian and New Zealander

students pursuing similar elds of study

The forum will be mentored in the immediate

time space by senior diplomats and journalists

from both the countries. They are also incommunication with the High commission of

New Zealand in New Delhi, High Commission

of India, Wellington, New Zealand as well as

the Ministry of External Affairs, India, to grant

these bodies observer status to the forum, but

primarily this is designed to be a student-to-

student non-governmental affair.

Interested students are invited to part-

take on a voluntary basis, by emailing an

expression of interest with the following

information to [email protected]:

Name:

Nationality:

Permanent Residence:

Age:

University/College/Institution:

Get

Indian

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mailed to your

address

for just $80for a full year

(50 issues)

Email : admin@

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NEW ZEALAND

WISH YOU A HAPPY NEW YEAR

MTV to lm TV seriesin AucklandNew Zealands lm and televisionindustry has received a majorboost with the news that MTV

Networks and Sonar Entertainment

are set to lm the TV adaptation of

the classic fantasy adventure book

series Shannara at AucklandFilm Studios Limited and various

locations throughout New Zealand.

Based on the series of cult fantasy

books by author Terry Brooks, pre-

production for the TV series begins

this month with lming set to

commence in February 2015.

Welcoming the decision, Auckland

Councils Economic Development

Committee Chair Councillor Arthur

Anae says it will reinforce New

Zealands position as a go-to destination

for quality lm and television

production, increase Aucklands prole

and showcase the citys world-class

facilities and locations.

The agreement underlines the

value Auckland Film Studios brings

to a modern, vibrant Auckland as it

encourages creative industries and

highlights the citys capability to

deliver high quality, Auckland-made

productions to the world, he says.

Screen Auckland, councils

specialist industry developmentteam within Auckland Tourism,

Events and Economic Development

(ATEED), has worked with the lms

producers since early 2014 providing

expert assistance to ensure their

needs were met by Auckland.

Auckland Film Studios Limited

Chairman James Hill says that the

studios are ready for the challenge of

adapting such a well-known series.

We are condent that the

new series will recreate the world

imagined by Terry Brooks in a

faithful manner, and introduce a

whole new generation of fans to what

is already a classic.

Launching Aucklands175th birthday weekendAuckland Council inviteseveryone to come and celebratethe 175th anniversary of Auckland,

from Saturday 24 to Monday 26

January. Auckland Council and

ASB are partnering to transform

Shed 10 and Queens Wharf togive Aucklanders a glimpse into

our past across the three days

of Auckland Anniversary weekend

2015.

Mayor Len Brown says

Auckland is coming of age, and

you can feel a renewed sense of

pride in our place and ourselves. The

175th anniversary is an important

milestone for us so were looking

forward to celebrating with an event

reecting who we are and what

makes Auckland proud.

The centre-piece of the event is

a large-scale, never-seen-before,

immersive multimedia exhibition

which is a tribute to Aucklanders

who have played a signicant part in

the regions history. The exhibition,

produced by acclaimed Creative

Director Mike Mizrahi, features

stories told on screen about the

people who have shaped Auckland;

and stories of Tamaki Makaurau will

unfold in a live story-telling zone.

Quay Street will be closed to

trafc, and as people arrive on

Queens Wharf they will walk

through an historic archway designed

to mark this signicant moment in

the citys history. Then the wharf -

including Shed 10 and The Cloud -

will come alive with entertainment

and historical displays that will take

people back in time.

A highlight of the weekend will

be Sunday evenings free concert

from the HMNZS Otago - berthedalongside Queens Wharf. Curated

by Tama Waipara, a selection of

bands will bring a local avour to

the celebration. The concert will

conclude with a spectacular reworks

display from barges in the harbour

and from the Sky Tower. All three

days will feature buskers, a waka

display in the harbour, photographic

exhibition, vintage cars lining Quay

St, markets, food vendors and more.

Since Sir John Logan Campbell

and James Dilworth opened New

Zealands rst savings bank

in Auckland in 1847, the histories

of ASB and Auckland have been

inexorably linked, explains BarbaraChapman, ASBs Chief Executive.

Mayor Brown adds; We

want everyone to come join the

celebrations as we look back at a rich

history, celebrate our diverse cultures

and acknowledge some of those who

have made Auckland great.

Other events happening

at Aucklands waterfront

over Anniversary Weekend

include; Auckland Regatta, SeePort,

ASB Auckland Seafood Festival,

International Buskers Festival, and

St Jeromes Laneway Festival.

Quick facts:

Queens Wharf events are FREE

to the public from:

Saturday 24 January: 10am 6pm

Sunday 25 January: 10am 10pm

Monday 26 January: 10am 6pm

Shed 10 multimedia

exhibition opening times:

Saturday 24 - Monday 26

January: 12pm - 6pm daily

Exclusive ASB customer access:

daily 10am - 12pm

HMNZS Otago open Saturday

from 10am - 6pm / Sunday from

10am-3pm.

HMNZS Otago concert, Sunday

25 January, 5.30pm 9.30pm.

Harbour/ Sky Tower Fireworks

display, 9.30pm Sunday 25

January


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NEW ZEALAND

Extending hands of friendship across oceans SWATI SHARMA

Alarge gathering at the Hotel Hyatt Regency,Chennai witnessed First Business Summit2015 organised by India-NZ Friendship

Association (INZFA) and Loyola Institute of

Business Administration (LIBA) on January 12

this year.

The Business Summit is envisaged to

be an annual conference organized LIBA incollaboration with INZFA, where eminent

personalities from across the globe are invited

for sharing their valuable insights and for

deliberating discussions towards enhancing

business relations between countries. The

theme for the rst edition of LIBA-INZFA

Business Summit was, Extending Hands of

Friendship across Oceans.

The Business Summit deliberated on the

economic development and collaborative

partnership between India and NZ and provided

an insight into the Asia Pacic business

relations. Light was thrown on the economic

transformation and its impact on business

prospects for India in the Asia Pacic Region.

Eminent industry stalwarts, government

ofcials from India, New Zealand and othercountries graced the event with their presence

Some of the topics covered by the Speakers

included India on the commonwealth map:

strengthening friendship, India and its

friendly regions in Asia Pacic, the way forward

for a strong economic and trade relationship,

and INZFA and its role in promoting trade and

business between India and New Zealand.

Mr. Wenceslaus Anthony, Founder and

Chairman INZFA spoke on the role of INZFA

in the Business Summit. He spoke of the well-

developed relations between India and New

Zealand and further developing two way trade

between the countries in the eld of Food, ICT,

Manufacturing and Services.

The conference had four different sessions:

India and the rest of the world-friendship across

oceans, building friendship through business

across oceans, panel discussion on INZFA

and its role in promoting trade and business

between India and NZ and commenced with

valedictory session which summed up the

theme of extending hands of friendship across

the oceans.

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Dignitaries present at the Business Summit; (right) Rt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand, The Chair of CommonwealthFoundation, addressing the gathering

National MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar

Q & A Session


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NEW ZEALAND

Editorial

Indian Weekender is published by Kiwi Media Group, 98 Great South Road, Auckland

Printed at Guardian Print, Ashburton

Copyright 2014. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

Indian Weekender Volume 6 Issue 24

Publisher:Kiwi Media Group Limited

Managing Editor:Giri Gupta | [email protected]

Editor: Maya Shivam | [email protected]

Associate Editor: Paula Ray | [email protected]

Assistant Editor: Swati Sharma | [email protected]

Chief Technical Ofcer: Rohan Desouza | [email protected]

Graphic Design and Layout:IWK Design Team | designer@ indianweekender.co.nz

Advertising & Business Development Manager:

Gaurav Gupta -M: 021 292 4519 | [email protected]

Sales & Marketing Manager: Leena - M.: 022 0151971 | [email protected]

Accounts and Admin.:Farah Khan | [email protected]

Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisheris not responsible for advertisers claims as appearing in the publication

From the desk of theManaging EditorLast week I had the privilege of visiting a popular Indian fast food restaurant. After weexchanged greetings with the owner, he congratulated us for our publication goingweekly. The conversation that followed is something that I will cherish for a long time. He

complained to me that he does not get enough copies of Indian Weekender for his patrons.

He then added that around the middle of the week he actually goes to other shops n the

neighbourhood to pick up copies of the paper, to make them available for his customers who

enjoy reading our publication.

At this stage I offered to bring him a bunch of papers that I had in my car. On seeing the

number of copies I had brought him, he said that these would run out in one day and I am

better off dropping a couple of more bunches to him.

While on the face of it, this was a pleasant discovery, it made me reect on the growing

popularity and acceptance of Indian Weekender as the number one choice of the Indian

community. It made me realize that all the dedication and hard work we put into making our

publication what it is today, is paying off and the credit for it goes entirely to the support of

our readers. We have come to become the most widely read news magazine amongst Kiwi-

Indians.

This has also been the time for a lot of celebration and excitement back home in India

with the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and Vibrant Gujarat Summit having concluded with

resounding success. A matter of pride for us Kiwi-Indians was the Pravasi BharatiyaSamman

being bestowed on our very own Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi. This news was even more special

for us at Indian Weekender as Mr Bakshi was the rst inductee into the Kiwi-Indian Hall of

Fame. We bring you an exclusive story with more details on this.

Another exciting story for our readers this week is our exclusive interview with Superstar

Akshay Kumar. We hope you enjoy this.

Starting this issue we are adding another new column called Migrant Tales. This is based

on stories and struggles of migrants, who have moved thousands of miles away from their

homeland, in search of their dreams, to the land of the long white cloud. We invite our readers

to share their inspiring stories on settling and succeeding in this country. This will become a

beacon of hope to the new migrants who are still struggling to nd a foothold.

We have received some really good feedback on our childrens page that we started lastweek. We now invite contributions from our young readers to send us their art, poetry, stories,

jokes, riddles - anything that they wish to share and it will be our pleasure to feature them

on our paper.

With everything that is happening in India and the way the world is now looking at India

with optimism and expectation, its time that all of us Indians too, wherever we are, give

our best to achieving our most cherished dreams; to raise the bar on ourselves and commit

ourselves to over-achieving. At the end of the day, the strength of our intention and dreams

will determine the results we manifest. With that in mind, lets draw strength from the

changing environment and give our lives an even greater push forward.

May the force be with you!

Giri Gupta

You can never cross the ocean unt il youhave the courage to lose sight of the shore

- Christopher Columbus

KreroPronounced: ko-rero

Meaning: To talk, to converse

Usage: I would like to have a krero with you.

Freedom of Expression

Pick of the week

US Secretary of State John Kerry visited Dunkin Donuts at Islamabad, Pakistan,to have a little slice of home. This soon started trending on social networks.

Tip from the trenchesTaking a screenshot with iPadWith the iPad you can, take screenshots. To dothat, you need to simultaneously press the centrecircle button (Home) button, and Power button ,

which is located on the top right hand of the iPad.A small flash and a small noise will confirm thatyou have taken the screenshot. The screenshotcan be found in the Photos application. You canuse the screenshots for a multitude of things. Youcan send your screenshots by mail, assign themto a contact, use as wallpapers, print ...etc.


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OPINION / EDITORIAL

Make in India but Make it Green RAJENDRA SHENDEAcentury back, on January 9,Mahatma Gandhi made hisdetermined journey to India with a

singular goal to Make in India. He

wanted to make in India a movement

of freedom from foreign oppression,

discrimination, and social apartheid.

The capital needed for this was in the

form of bold assets of non-violence

and civil disobedience.

Speaking on Independence Day

August 15, 2014 from the ramparts of

New Delhis historic Red Fort, Prime

Minister Narendra Modi launched his

equally historic and rousing Make in

India campaign. His venture capital

in launching this movement is in the

form of Indias unique demographic

dividend - the youth that constitute

65 percent of its population.

The timing of the campaign is

the most promising and opportune.

The last time India arrived on the

world scene with its technological

supremacy was in late 1990s when

software engineering crews of India

created their back-ofce hives to

help digitally managed businesses

of the West. That was a Make from

India campaign! Those hives and

their verticals and scale-ups are

now over-dripping into the nationaltreasury a stream of honey of $125

billion, of which expor ts are near ing

$100 billion.

The role of the Indian diaspora in

Indias transformation into a digital

world had been crucial. Their vast

networks with corporate houses, their

elite image, well groomed expertize

and their nancial muscle-power

helped Indian companies make

inroads in the US and in European

markets.

Once again India has a unique

opportunity for yet another

transformation. India reminded the

world of its brain-power by taking

lead in resolving Y2K bug at the

dawn of this millennium. We now

can remind the world of our belief in

nature-power to address the dening

challenge of this century - climate

change. By turning Make in India

into Make in India with Green

Power, we can create a win-winsituation. The role of the diaspora

in moving forward with sustainable

development by using renewable

energy will again be crucial.

The renewable energy revolution

is literally round the corner. For

last more than ve years renewable

energy has been part of an amazing

story all over the world. It is the only

energy sector where investment and

installed capacity have consistently

grown with surprisingly steep rates

even during the global nancial

crisis that began in 2008 and is still

casting gloom. From 2008 to 2013,

as per United Nations Environment

Programme (UNEP), electricity

produced from solar PV cells has

grown at an average roaring 39

percent. Investment in clean energy

is $275 billion, at least 10 percent

better than in 2013. A whooping 44

GW of solar PV added in installed

capacity worldwide in 2014 is 10

percent more than in 2013.

Nearly 50 GW of wind turbines

have been installed, up from 32

GW added in 2013. Sales of electric

vehicles have increased by 50

percent. The International Energy

Agency chief has shown that solar

energy could become the rst source

of electricity in the world before

2050. Going by its report, the World

Energy Outlook 2014, renewable

sources should in 2040 dethrone coal

as a primary source of electricity, the

cost and variability in availability of

solar and wind energy is no longer

considered an insurmountable

obstacle.

Decoupling fossil fuel based

energy generation from the present

growth model would bring inclusive,

fair, equitable and the sustainable

growth that recognizes the value of

ecosystems and respect for the Sun

and Mother Earth. That indeed was

the foundation on which our ancient

Vedic science and technologies

were built on. Labeling the products

Made in India with Green Power

would once again demonstrate

Indias scientic legacy that values

the ecosystems. Indians can create

unique model for addressing freedom

from poverty, inequality, and impacts

of climate change.

Will the use of green energy,

generated from renewable sources,

be really sufcient enough for the

Make in India campaign? Abundant

availability of solar and wind energy

coupled with Indias proven soft

power is poised to ensure that it

green energy is not a distant dream.

The ability of communities in

India to take bold initiatives has not

been fully harnessed. Communities

of residents, farmers, self-help

groups, SMEs and corporate houses

can come together to build solar

PV electricity generation plants on

rooftops of every building, on the

arid land around villages, unused

land of farmers, on the long routes

of irrigation water canals (as is done

in Gujarat), on railway and bus

stations, on factory shades, corporate

houses, government buildings and

even parking places. These micro-

power plants could then be wiredto develop the community grids - an

energy internet - that would provide

electricity for self-use, with the

surplus tbeing sold to the grid for

commercial purposes.

Deploying an affordable and

efcient storage technology to enable

the stocking of electricity can resolve

the problem related to cloudy days

when solar energy is inadequate

and quiet days when wind energy is

not generated. Such storages could

be based on the present technology

of using nano-technologies or

storing hydrogen produced by water

electrolysis using solar energy. When

millions of buildings are generating

small amounts of electricity locally,

on-site, they can sell the surplus to

the grid and share electricity with

their neighboring communities.

Is this a utopian road map?

Jeremy Rifkin, political scientist

and technology forecaster who is

a promoter of the lateral energy-

network concept, is already assisting

Germany to implement similar plans.

Twenty million Germans (25 percent

of the population) have chosen to

be off-grid and generate their own

electricity. Half of the electricity in

Germany, a country known for its

cloudy weather, is by solar energy.

Nearly 10,000 farms in the US

also harvest renewable energy along

with maze and wheat in their farms.

They use renewable energy for their

own agricultural operations and extra

electricity is sold in the grid-market

to earn money.

Many of the 25 million Indiandiaspora, spread over 180 countries

have the potential to contribute

to the Make in India with Green

Power campaign by providing

their expertise. Venture capitalists

like Vinod Khosla and Kanwar

Rekhi could promote manufacture

of efcient solar cells and storage

technology; software honchos like

Satya Nadella and Sabeer Bhatia

could develop the energy-internet

and nance experts like Vikram

Pandit could provide a nancial

road map. The last diaspora-driven

transformation was seen when the

European diaspora in America helped

Europe rise from ashes after World

War II. India has chance to be the

rst in using the diasporas potential

to ght the global war against the

climate change through the energy-

internet.

A polarised world: the pen or the gun? PAULA RAY

Is the pen mightier than the sword or the gun for that matter? Or isthe gun powerful enough to freeze the

pen?

To keep the gun at bay, after the

massacre of Second World War we got

together to form the United Nationsas an intergovernmental organisation

to promote international cooperation.

To further the peace-keeping efforts,

we picked up the pen as our chosen

weapon to counter conict-ridden

situations and promote international

peace and security, and to safeguard

human rights.

Regular glitches leading to

violent attacks, however, seem to

have become the norm over the

decades. The most recent being the

unfortunate attack on Charlie Hebdo

cartoonists in Paris, which left a

dozen dead, including two National

Police ofcers. In this instance, the

gun apparently silenced the pen.

But each time we have successfully

pulled out the pen to silence the

gun. This time, too, the Charlie

Hebdo team have decided not to get

intimidated by this act of violence and

give in. Instead they are going ahead

with their forthcoming magazine

cover depicting a prophet holding a

Je suis Charlie (I am Charlie) sign

a hashtag that has been trending

in social media platforms since the

incident.

Polarised world

The Charlie Hebdo incident has

polarised the world between a

faction that says the gunmen have

committed an act of terrorism by

killing innocent cartoonists; and

another who feels that the humour

of the cartoonists verge on insult and

making fun of the beliefs and values

held dearly by a certain community.

This is, in fact, a provocation to the

community to emit a reaction. Given

the nature of the provocation, the

resultant reaction is thus.

Whoever we choose to side with,

the fact remains that both the pen

and the gun can be misused. When

weapons are used by one person

or a group to suppress the others,

we term it an act of terrorism. For

example, the gunmen who open red

at the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists.

But when the same weapon is used

by a super power like the US to blow

up cities in the MENA (Middle East

and North Africa) region, we term

it Americas war against terrorism.

The millions of innocent civilians,

who are wiped out in the process, are

killed without any provocation. Yet

we dont call America a terrorist.

The pen is said to have conferred

on us the freedom of expression our

liberty was never as profound as it

is now. With a pen in hand, we can

conquer the world. Add humour and

a generous dose of creativity to this

feeling of freedom and its impact is

more potent than any gunpowder

ammunition.

Yes, we are referring to the Charlie

Hebdo journalists who created a

priceless bunch of cartoons every

week that overowed with sarcasmand political satire. And yes, they did

target one of the timeless factors to

fragment the world: religion. It would

only be fair to mention that the weekly

magazine picked on every religious

belief, including Christianity.

So, the question arises, why did

only one community go up in arms

while the others did not? Pundits

assign it to the fact that certain super

powers, through their war on terror,

have socially and economically

marginalised an entire community.

So much so that acquiring a visa for

any member of this community to

travel outside of their own country

is a nightmare, irrespective of theirsocial standing. Not to mention the

security checks at airports that has

been reduced to a gloried striptease.

Such is the phobia of the other

community.

If an ally of the same super power

dishes out a tease at another level

via the pen, the affected communitys

reaction is understandable. But, this

in no way justies their act: just

because you nd a cartoon offensive,

you cannot, ever, pull out your AK-47

and shoot at the perpetrator.

Interestingly, one of the police

ofcers killed in the debacle is

Ahmed Merabet, thus proving that the

gunmen did not represent the views of

the entire community, but only of the

fundamentalist fraction.

Now the question arises: which

is the right path to choose? More

importantly, who is right: thecartoonists exercising their freedom

of expression or the offended gunmen

who shot them down?

The bottom-line

Western liberalism believes in

complete exercise of freedom of

expression. If it offends you, well

then, its your problem. If you wish,

nd a witty way to counter the liberal

claims. In no way, does it recommend

an armed reaction leading to

bloodshed and death.

We have rationalised MF Husains

depiction of Indian goddesses as well

as the Danish cartoonists creativity.

There was a fair amount of protestagainst both incidences, but it did not

result in shooting down the artists.

However, the fact remains that

with freedom and liberalism, come

responsibility. Whether you choose to

protest with your pen or pick up the

gun to protect the national borders, be

responsible and show respect towards

the people your target.

The right path lies in choosing

your target conscientiously and

responsibly. Only then you hit the

bulls eye.

An illustration by Lucille Clerc that

was widely shared on social media


18/32

www.iwk.co.nz

16 January 201518

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FIJI

NEWS inBRIEF

Fumes force flight to turn backA passenger plane travelling from Fiji to New Zealand was forced to turn

around when its cabin lled with fumes and an oil smell overnight, reports

Fiji Times. The Fiji Airways Boeing 737-800 was on its way to Auckland

from Nadi.

We had an air turn back on one of our B737-800s ..... due to fumes and

oil smell reported in the cabin, Fiji Airways managing director and chief

executive Stefan Pichler said.

The aircraft landed safely without incident. Only one person was seen

by a doctor after landing. The aircraft, currently in the hangar, is being

investigated by one of our engineers, said Pichler.

Film MoU to promote tourismFilm Fiji, Fiji Airways and Tourism Fiji signed an MoU to promote Fiji

as a lm destination, reports Fiji Times.

The MOU was signed on behalf of Fiji Airways, by its managing director

and chief executive ofcer, Stefan Pichler, who is also Tourism Fiji chairman,

and by Film Fiji CEO, Dallas Foon.

A successful international movie always results in a marked increase

in tourism to that location from fans and we want a boost in the tourism

market, Foon said.

Pichler said they were keen to work together to promote Fiji as a lm

destination and the MOU will bring some s tructure to their efforts. Tourism

will be the big winner here if a major production is shot in Fiji, hence, it

makes absolute sense to partner with Film Fiji for this, he said.

Film Fiji had issued 52 approvals to productions ranging from small

budgets to over $10 million last year, and most of these productions ew

Fiji Airways.

Case to be probed by PMMinistry of Education hasaccepted former actingpermanent secretary for Education

Basundra Kumars letter withdrawing

her resignation, reports Fiji Times.

Acting permanent secretary for

Education, Kelera Taloga, set up an

independent team to investigate the

circumstances surrounding Kumarssuspension without pay. The press

release named State solicitor Ropate

Green as the chairperson of the

committee, two deputy secretaries

Kelera Vakaloloma from the Ministry

of Finance and Krishna Prasad from

the Ministry of Strategic Planning

as members of the committee.

Kumar would, however, remain on

suspension pending investigations.

The investigation committee

will investigate the allegations

and provide an opportunity to Ms

Kumar to provide her response to

the allegations, reports Fiji Times.

Thereafter, the investigation

committee will make its ndings onany breach by Ms Kumar of the Public

Service Code of Conduct or any

other terms and conditions, including

her contract of employment, and will

make its recommendations to the

acting permanent secretary, who will

then decide what action, if any, is to

be taken.

Kumar was said to have welcomed

the decision taken to accept her

withdrawal of resignation.She requested that her case be

dealt with by the minister responsible

for the Public Service Commission,

instead of the Education Ministry

acting permanent secretary.

This is a positive breakthrough

for me because they have accepted

my withdrawal of resignation, but

I am requesting that the minister

responsible for PSC makes the nal

decision about my case, she said.I am asking that the cases

starting from the Bhawani Dayal

case to be reopened and everyone to

be interviewed, she added.

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New builds and Reroofs

Rising Stars Of Civil ServiceAs the Government plans reformsin various ministries, the risingstars of civil service have been called

upon to man the fort, reports Fiji Times.

While some could nd their role

challenging, for others it is part of

their regular chores. Previously deputy

secretaries were required to act whenpermanent secretaries were away.

This time they will act for a

longer period because their bosses

are unlikely to be coming back,

explains Fiji Times. Contracts for

all permanent secretaries are said to

have expired on December 31, 2014.

They have to reapply if they

want their jobs back as part of the

comprehensive reforms: Twelve

ofcers have been given a three-

month extension to ensure that the

Government service is not disrupted,

but six have exited the service.

All permanent secretary posts and

other key positions will be advertised

and applications are open to allincluding people living overseas. They

can still reapply if they want to when

the advertisements are published.

Six deputy secretaries have

stepped up and appointed as acting

permanent secretaries. It is indicative

of the Governments condence in

their ability.

These include Esala Nayasi,

who is replacing Amena Yauvoliin Foreign Affairs; Dr Maciusela

Tuicakau replacing Dr Eloni Tora in

Health and Medical Services; Uraia

Waibuta replacing Ropate Ligairi in

Agriculture; Setareki Tale replacing

Filipe Alifereti in Rural and Maritime

Development and National Disaster

Management; Naipote Katonitabua

carrying on in acting role in Prime

Ministers Ofce after the departure

of Pio Tikoduadua now Minister for

Infrastructure and Transport; Kelera

Taloga replacing Basundra Kumar

who was also acting but moved back

to deputy secretary in Education,

Heritage and Arts.

How much do you know aboutthem? Fiji Times proles some of

them.

Esala Nayasi

Nayasi, in his 30s, a lawyer by

profession, was appointed deputy

secretary (operations) in Foreign

Affairs in June 2014. He was the

director of political and treaties since

January 2012. Before that he served

as the the second secretary and lateras rst secretary at the P

Documents

Indian Weekender 16 January 2014