Issue 38 - Volume 2

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Indian

The Indian Government’s top finance ministry offi-cial, Finance Secretary Ashok Chawla, was recently in New Zealand to explore the possibility of increased interaction between India and New Zealand.

New Zealand and Australia were part of India’s “look east” policy, which included the ASEAN states extending all the way to the Oceania region. “We are looking at increased engagement in the Asia Pacific region,” Mr Chawla told Indian Weekender in Auck-land.

India has progressively liberalised its Foreign Direct Investment policy and was further fine-tuning and calibrating it on an ongoing basis, Mr Chawla said. FDI inflows have been toting up to US$30-35 billion annually. Indian companies are investing a similar quantum in foreign countries.

Not much in terms of FDI was forthcoming from New Zealand but “We are impressing upon them for more joint ventures in agriculture, agro process-ing, investment in areas where 100% ownership is allowed. Let’s hope it carries forward,” the finance secretary said.

“Our regulations are open and liberal and we don’t get a sense that there is anything that’s holding this back. We are also regularly communicating about access to financial systems, permissions and other matters. Besides our High Commissioner in Welling-ton is doing his best. And so is the newly set up Bank of Baroda.”

All systems were now in place and it was now up to New Zealand companies to come forward, Mr Chawla said. Deficit problemsMr Chawla admitted that India’s trade deficit needed to be addressed. In the case of New Zealand, India exported only half the value of the goods and services that it imported. While a trade deficit was not neces-sarily a bad thing, it would be good to have the trade

more evenly balanced, par-ticularly in view of the fact of the Indian economy’s size in relation to New Zea-land’s, he added.

As a result of the global economic crisis, Indian exports flattened while imports increased because of India’s contin-ued growth even during the downturn in the west. “As the world economy picks up we’ll see a correction in this,” he said.

Replying to a question from Indian Weekender about the growing chasm between imports and exports with China, Mr Chawla said it was a concern. “Indian companies need to be more competitive – that’s the bottomline. Chinese companies are able to export at much better prices – that’s why we have a deficit. We need to do more to export higher quanti-ties to China.”

When asked why India was still exporting natural resources to China in raw form rather than value added products that would yield better realisation, Mr Chawla replied: “These are certain phases in the process of economic development and these issues are being looked at, I can assure you.” (India exports iron ore and imports steel from China).

There was no single “silver bullet” to tackle defi-cits, Mr Chawla said pointing out the Central Govern-ment’s deficit was about 6.2% of the national GDP. The overall deficit was just under 10%. The aim is to drive it down to the ideal figure of 3%, which will take a few years, he said. “Prior to economic crisis it was 2.6%. Increased spending during crisis is what con-tributed to the deficit. That is now being rolled back. That coupled with increased eco activity should see it

go down.”Mr Chawla said the

India had set no time-frames for the full con-vertibility of the rupee as yet. “There is no roadmap and no time-table. The recent finan-cial crisis has also made us more cautious. But we will get there at some point,” he said.

With foreign exchange reserves at an impressive US$280 billion, there was no restriction on repa-triation of funds but for conforming to tax laws and Reserve Bank of India regulations. For the same reasons, the government did not see merit in issuing sovereign paper denominated in foreign currency for NRI investors, Mr Chawla said.Storm in a teacupAn IAS officer of 1973 batch of the Gujarat cadre, Mr Chawla, who has held several senior positions in the Government of India, dismissed recent demonstra-tions in Mumbai against New Zealand dairy products as a storm in the teacup.

“More was made of it here in New Zealand than in India.” He added it was a provincial party that staged the protest and that there was no possibility of such action creating create “any foul stink” in the ongoing discussions with New Zealand. “We’ve made the point to New and it has understood it well.”

Replying to a question on the Vedanta episode where the multibillion-dollar project was red signaled by the courts, Mr Chawla said regulatory approvals had to be obtained before implementation.

Capital markets were booming, he said, and if anything, “it’s a little too much on the higher side,” he said. “While an active and vibrant stock market is

good we must not have bubbles.”Mr Chawla hoped Bank of Baroda’s New Zealand

business could rope in business enough to encourage other Indian banks to follow suit in establishing op-erations here. “On BOB’s success will depend the commercial response of other banks.”

The articulate, widely experienced senior official politely refused to hazard a guess on the size of India’s highly speculated parallel economy. But he said, with rationalised tax rates that were increasingly in line with international best practice, direct tax collection had increased.

He also added that Swiss authorities had tax sharing agreement providing more specific access for Indian authorities in relation to persons and banks. “We’ll have to see how well it works with not only the Swiss but also other countries. It is also part of the greater transparency in transactions that is being pursued by G20 leaders,” he said.

The affable Mr Chawla did not agree with indus-try captains like Wipro chairman and one of India’s richest men Azim Premji that expenditure on the Commonwealth Games could have been put to better and more productive use.

“The direct expenditure on the Games is not sub-stantial given the size of the country. Total expendi-ture like that on the Delhi Metro should not all be laid at the door of the CWG. Besides, these are events and activities that bring together countries, sportsmen, have a certain significance to the overall profile of the country. Purely doing cost benefit analysis in rela-tion to such activity is neither beneficial nor relevant. There will always be a fringe opinion that will think otherwise.”

With the controversies surrounding the Games that almost threaten their very staging, the numbers sharing Mr Premji’s view must be growing by the minute.

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Indian New Zealand

The Registrar of Electors has complet-ed their investigation into enrolment irregularities in the electoral roll for the Papatoetoe area of Auckland and removed 306 enrolments.

The investigation began last month after the Registrar of Electors identi-f ied apparent enrolment irregularities in relation to the addresses a number of people had been enrolled at.

Some 87 names – nearly all of them Indian sounding and a majority of them having “Singh” as the last name – were found to be registered to two modest sized Papatoetoe homes.

It would stretch the imagination to even imagine so many people living at the abovementioned homes.

The four candidates of Indian origin blamed rivals for playing dirty tricks on them and at press time no person had come forward to indicate who might have been responsible for the mass registrations from the two ad-dresses.

Meanwhile Indian Weekender un-derstands that police raided business establishments and homes and busi-nesses in Papatoetoe and surrounds as part of their investigations into the su-percity electoral roll fraud.

Detective Inspector Mark Gutry, crime manager with Counties Manukau Police, was quoted in the media as saying that over the last two days police had carried out searches in the

Papatoetoe ward. “Properties of inter-est” were searched by up to 40 police following a complaint from the Elec-toral Enrolment Centre, he said.

Meanwhile the Registrar of Electors has invalidated the enrolments after es-tablishing the people did not reside at the addresses stated on the enrolment forms and has informed the Auckland Electoral Officer, who is responsible for conducting the local elections.

Any votes for the upcoming local elections received from the individual enrolments, that have been declared invalid, will be removed from the count.

The Registrar of Electors is con-tacting the people affected and provid-ing assistance to request special voting papers for the local elections area where they live.

“New Zealand has a strong record of integrity in enrolment and voting,” says Murray Wicks, National Manager of the Electoral Enrolment Centre. “The accuracy of the electoral roll is something we work hard to maintain through extensive checks and monitor-ing.”

The police inquiry into the irregu-larities is continuing. “If people do have concerns about irregularities in the Papatoetoe ward then it’s impor-tant they have the confidence to speak up and get in touch with us,” Detective Inspector Gutry said.

Search on for Papatoetoe poll roll fraud perpetrators

The second round of New Zealand’s FTA/CECA negotiations with India was held in New Delhi from 10-13 August.

Good progress was made at the second round with an encouraging measure of convergence around the shape of many of the chapters contemplated for inclusion in the FTA, according to a government media release.

Discussion was assisted through the tabling by one or both sides of draft chapter text which helped provide focus to the discussion around the broad shape of these various chapters.

There was also discussion about each side’s re-spective approach to the treatment of competition policy, intellectual property, government procure-

ment, trade and labour and trade and environment. While there are difficult issues to be worked

through, it was encouraging that in many areas there was a good measure of convergence at the level of principle. A range of intersessional follow-up steps was agreed to help move various aspects of the ne-gotiation forward.

The FTA is intended to foster increased trade and investment flows in both directions. Our aim in these negotiations is to develop a comprehensive agree-ment which will allow this to happen and which will deliver real benefit to both economies.

A third round, to be held in New Zealand, is scheduled for the last week in October.

“Good progress” on FTA second round

Three academics from India’s renowned Institute of Defence and Strategic Analyses travelled to Wel-lington in September 2010 for the second India-New Zealand Track II dialogue hosted by the Asia New Zealand Foundation. This was a return visit follow-ing the inaugural dialogue, which took place in Delhi in December 2009.

The sessions covered four areas over two days: India and the South Pacific, including diaspora; regional security architecture; the China factor in Asia-Pacific security; and non-traditional security threats (NTS), including pandemics. Within this broad agenda, the discussion was robust, frank and wide-ranging.

Concerns about the rise and role of China in the Asia-Pacific were a recurring theme throughout the dialogue. This presented itself in various ways: bi-lateral tensions between India and China, concerns about China’s ambitions for its own role in the Asia-Pacific region, the growth of nationalism in China and whether this was being driven by the leadership or by the people, worsening relations between China and the US (and other countries) in the South China Sea, and China’s use of natural and energy resources in the region to meet its “national interests”.

Similar attention was paid to the relatively subdued role of India in the Asia-Pacific (the Pacific in particular), given what we might expect of a major world power.

Remarks were also made about the role of New Zealand in the Asia-Pacific, in that New Zealand was not just a ‘Western’ country but a country with its unique place in the Asia-Pacific region.

This is partly a result of the many diaspora com-munities within New Zealand and the large New Zealand diaspora throughout the world, with a growing proportion in Asia.

For its part, India has a sizeable diaspora popula-tion, including its own Ministry of Overseas Indians. The Indian communities in the Pacific and in New Zealand represent one way in which India is visible in this part of the world.

The success of the Indian diaspora in the US is bringing greater focus to the way that India success-fully and effectively engages with its Indian diaspo-ra. Within this, the role of remittances is contributing on a very large scale to economic development.

Representing India’s Institute of Defence and Strategic Analyses were Dr Arvind Gupta, Dr Pankaj Jha and Dr Rajaram Panda.

Kiwi, Indian experts brainstorm on security


Indian

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Indian New Zealand

An earthquake that brought out the best in usThe fragility of terra firma came to the fore when Christchurch was struck by a magni-tude 7.1 earthquake on Saturday 4 September.

The first 40-second tremor ripped a new fault line on the Canterbury Plains, now named the Greendale to Rolleston fault scarp. Road surfaces burst open; bricks tumbled from walls, roofs and facades; buildings tilted; railways lines curved into waves from the power of the shock.

The Christchurch inner city and the nearby small town of Kaiapoi took the brunt of the initial tremor and the 19 pre-dawn aftershocks. Ripped earth, tumbled brick walls, caved in roofs, split roads and col-lapsing chimneys pockmarked the city. The Kaiapoi township will find it pretty difficult to return to what it was – a laid-back but thriving community of farmers and commut-ers seeking the idyll life.

While the media had many superlatives to describe the ‘devastated’ city, most Can-tabrians took the earthquake in their stride. They came together briskly, and with some authority, to get their city functioning as nor-mally as possible as soon as possible.

Cantabrians, by nature, are very resilient. It comes with the terrain – the isolation, the attitude of self-reliance and the harshness of the climate makes for a people of sterner stuff than normal.

Christchurch city and its environs had already experienced three moderate earth-quakes in the last 40 years and it was pretty prepared for an earthquake, or any other di-saster, through continued practice of disaster management over the years. Miraculously the ‘devastating’ earthquake did not claim a single life, its timing seeing most of its resi-

dents tucked in bed.The sense of calm that prevailed over the

city, even during the period of aftershocks that numbered 300 plus over the week, was the result of both the high level of prepared-ness from the authorities and the innate nature of Cantabrians. That sense of calm was injected into the residents through quick, effective and open communications. What residents fear most is not knowing what is

happening and Christchurch was clear in its message of what was happening and what was required of the residents.

Police moved in swiftly to stem the initial spate of looting on the first day and although there were continued incidents of robbery and looting throughout the week, mostly by the opportunists, they were very rare.

It took a little over a week to set Christ-church on its feet, thanks to Civil Defence, the Christchurch City Council and partner agencies, and the NZ Government leaping into action from this very strong platform of preparedness.

Yes, the city has several crumpled build-

ings and cracked and fissured roads scattered all over. But the water is back on everywhere except for a very few places and is drinkable straight out of the tap. The power was back on within the day of the earthquake in all but the most affected placed. It was back on in almost the entire city within the week.

Portaloos were deployed to the few places where the sewage system had packed up. Granted, that it was much inconvenience for

many people but the service was there.And there is a $4 billion cost tag on the

damages. But Business Canterbury is raring to go, especially with the summer around the corner. The weather has been marvellous, those business that can open are open, and the local business agencies are already mar-keting the city as a good place to visit. With government funding and support, most busi-nesses will hit their stride sooner rather than later.

People are already asking what Christ-church and Canterbury can learn from this earthquake, and are putting in place proto-cols and procedures to be better prepared for

the future (lest the lessons learnt be forgotten too quickly).

The most surprising element of the earth-quake was the sense of belonging and the sense of responsibility that the residents dis-played.

In the first hours of dawn on the day of the earthquake much of Christchurch was calm. The streets were safe and calm throughout. People were enquiring of their neighbours, or helping out or just standing around calmly on the streets as the city rocked to aftershocks. The look was grim generally but quick smiles were also there. And, of course, a fair bit of rubber necking later once they realised much of the main danger had passed.

At one time, the Civil Defence operations were asking people to stop donating as the welfare centres around the city were surfeit with food, blankets and other materials.

Volunteers were also asked to come back when they were needed as there were just too many of them. One week on, volunteers are now being directed towards the recovery part of the emergency operations.

And offers of help and aid from more for-tunate residents of Christchurch, and from people from other parts of New Zealand, con-tinued unabated throughout the week.

Canterbury will always live with the threat of an earthquake – seismic modelling has found that earthquakes that could cause significant property damage and loss of life could recur on average in the Christchurch area every 55 years.

It is a price one has to pay for living in Canterbury but it does make for a better type of person to be living in the shadow of a giant, it can be said.

“People are already asking what Christchurch and Canterbury can learn from this earthquake, and are putting in place protocols and procedures to be better prepared for the future...”

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Indian New Zealand

NZ swim team farewelled Indian stylebhavna thapar

An Indian style farewell was held in Auckland last weekend for the New Zealand Swimming team as it embarked for the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The official farewell organised by Swimming New Zealand included an array of traditional Indian costume, food, art, music and sculptures.

Kumar Bajaj, who is travelling to the Delhi Games as part of the Indian Contingent was invited to speak at the event and give the young athletes and their families advice on their travels to India.

There have been a lot of doubts surrounding

the Delhi 2010 games but Kumar believes when it comes to the pride of the community the Indian people will make it happen.

“Let’s brush aside any feelings of negativity or adverse publicity and let us go with a positive attitude, enjoy the games, win some medals and above all enjoy the cultural experience,” says Mr Bajaj.

Distinguished guests who attended the event included North Shore City Mayor Andrew Williams, Chairman of New Zealand Olympic Committee and the

official New Zealandswimmers and management. The Delhi 2010

Commonwealth Games begin on October 3, 2010.

AIS St Helens has largest ever graduationAt the largest graduation cere-mony in AIS St Helens’ 20 year history, 221 graduates received their certificates, diplomas, bachelor and master’s degrees at in a well-attended, vibrant and multi-cultural ceremony at the Bruce Mason Centre in Takapuna on Monday 13th September.

After the traditional processions into the audito-rium of staff and graduands in their colourful robes, a traditional Maori ‘powhiri’ (welcome) initiated the formal proceedings. The President, Dr Richard Goodall noted that the number of degree and higher diploma graduates had risen steadily over the years with only seven in 1995, 98 in the year 2000, 218 in 2005 and a total of 450 this year.

In his address the CEO, Mr John Wood, in con-gratulating the graduands on their success reminded them that they were supported by family, friends and faculty and challenged them to define their dreams, continue to develop themselves in an ever-changing world, seize opportunities and use the precious com-modity of time wisely.

Mr David Shearer, Member of Parliament for Mt Albert where the two campuses of the institution are located, was guest speaker and he warmly congratu-lated the graduands on their achievements and high-lighted that their qualifications gave them the poten-tial to not only improve the lives of themselves and their families but to make a contribution to the well-being of global communities. He urged them to take some risks so that in later life they would not regret opportunities and challenges they had not taken up.

The Academic Registrar, Mr Richard Smith, for-mally confirmed the eligibility of the candidates for

their respective qualifica-tions spanning: Hospitality, Arts, Tourism Management, International Business, In-formation technology and Business Administration. The awards were then con-ferred by the President. The new graduates were then individually announced on

stage by their Head of Programme and the Academ-ic Director, Dr Mike Roberts, and congratulated by the President, CEO and guest speaker.

The Academic Director announced the AIS St Helens Top Scholar and Enterprise Award winners and representatives from: Westpac, Southern Cross Travel Insurance, Frog Recruitment and Ezi World Cargo presented an additional seven sponsored awards.

Valedictorians Sarina Pereira PGDipIB and Kalilea Fahiua BTM spoke on behalf of all the graduates and expressed gratitude for the support of family and friends, and thanked all members of staff, especially teachers, for helping them grow and achieve their goals in life. Juanita Helg, General Manager of Telelink, an alumna of the institute (2006), gave a brief address highlighting how her AIS St Helens qualification had assisted her achieve success, and urged all graduates to pursue their goals with passion.

Following the formal proceedings, an enjoy-able reception, including the cutting of a very large graduation cake, enabled people to mix socially and provided further opportunities for photographs cap-turing the happy and very important day in so many people’s lives.


Indian


Indian India

telgi gets 7 year jail term in fake stamp pa-per case Bangalore: Kingpin of the multi-crore fake stamp paper case Abdul Karim Telgi was on Saturday sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment by a special court here. Special Court judge Chnadrashekhar Patil also im-posed a fine of Rs 50,000 each for the two charges under IPC sections 256 and 259 (for possession of material for printing fake stamp paper) against him. The Court also sentenced 16 oth-ers to five years rigorous imprisonment in the same case and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on each. Telgi and the 16 others were convicted on September 14 in the case registered in Madiwala police station in 2001. Telgi has been so far convicted in 46 such cases across the country.

rupee rises to three-month high against us dollar

Mumbai: The rupee was trading at 46.97 per dollar at noon last Friday, the strongest level since June 22. It earlier touched 45.9450 per dollar. Buoyed by strong gains in the local stocks and a weak dollar in the overseas markets, the Indian rupee rose to nearly three-month high on Friday. At around noon, the partially convertible rupee was trading at 46.97 per dollar, stronger than 46.14/15 at close on Thursday. It is up about 1% this week and earlier touched 45.9450, the strongest level since June 22. The rupee, which was

headed for its biggest weekly advance since July, climbed to a three-month high after the Reserve Band of India (RBI) on Thursday raised its bench-mark interest rates for the fifth time this year. The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Sensex was last up 1% at 19,628 after touching a high of 19,639 while the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Nifty was up 1.1% at 5,893 after being as high as 5,898. Both the indices are trading close to their highest levels since January 2008. The India econo-my grew by 8.8% from a year earlier in the second quarter.

1,70,000 pilgrims from India going for Haj

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Thursday gave its approval to various issues concerning the Haj 2010 opera-tions. This year approximately 1,70,000 pilgrims from India will be going for Haj. Out of these 1,25,000 pilgrims will go through Haj Committee of India. The number of pilgrims who could perform Haj during a particular year is decided by the Saudi Arabian Gov-ernment. Air travel arrangements for these 1,25,000 pilgrims will be made by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. These pilgrims will be carried from 21 embar-kation points through chartered flights. Bhopal and Goa have been added as new embarkation points this year. This year each pilgrim going on Haj through Haj Committee of India will pay Rs.16,000 ( plus airport charges) as air fare and the balance air fare (cost of operations) will be borne by the Government. This year most of the pil-grims will be carried by Saudi Arabian Airlines, National Private Air Services

Company Limited (NAS) and Al-Wafeer Air, which have been selected through a sealed tender process. Air India will coordinate the operations and provide support on cost basis, wherever required.

rbI raises interest rates

New Delhi: To fight inflation, the Re-serve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday raised the benchmark short-term interest rates—repo by 25 bps to six percent and reverse repo by 50 basis points to five percent. Repo rate is the short-term lending rate and Reverse repo rate is the short-term borrowing rate. The cash reserve ratio, which is the level of deposits that commer-cial banks must keep with the RBI, remained unchanged at 6.0 percent. “Inflation remains the dominant concern in macroeconomic manage-ment”, RBI said in a press release. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised interest rates for the fifth time this year on Thursday to tame the inflation that is running well above comfort levels in the fast-growing economy. India’s economy grew in the March-June quarter by 8.8 per cent over a year earlier, its fastest pace in nearly three years while industrial output rose 13.8 per cent annually in July, the fastest since April.

India go down in FIFa ranking

Kolkata: Two straight defeats to Thai-land pushed India to 160th, 22nd place down from 138th, according to latest FIFA rankings. India lost 47 points

since the previous rankings last month to tally 82 points and is now just two places above Pakistan (162) but below to other South Asian nations. Whilst Maldives topped among the South Asian countries with 143, Bangladesh (145), Sri Lanka (148) and Nepal (156) are in the higher slots. India, who were 24th among Asian nations last month, now occupy the 33rd place. Besides two back to back defeats, India’s rank-ing lowered due to less number soccer matches they played in recent times.

ex-Pak ruler Musharraf to launch new outfit Islamabad: Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf will launch a new political party in London on October 1 as he prepares to re-enter the politi-cal arena of the country ahead of 2013 general elections. Reports, quoting Musharraf’s spokesman Moham-mad Saif, said on Tuesday that the former military ruler will address a press conference at the UK capital on October one, where he will launch the party’s manifesto and explain before world press the functioning of the cur-rent Pakistani government. It will be followed by a rally at Birmingham on October 3, which has a large popula-tion of people of Pakistani origin. The rally is being described by Musharraf’s aides as a demonstration of the sup-port enjoyed by his new party, the All Pakistan Muslim League, among Paki-stanis abroad. Musharraf’s supporters from other parts of the world are also expected to attend the rally. Another meeting is being planned at Manches-ter on October 9.

Mary Kom wins World Boxing Championship; aims for Olympics medalBridgetown, Sept 19 (IBNS) India’s Mary Kom won her 5th consecutive World Boxing Championsip title, defeating Romania’s Steluta Duta 16-6 in the 48 kg here.She defended her title. Earlier, India’s best known woman boxer MC Mary Kom moved into the final defeating Philippines’ Alice Kate Aparri 8-1 in the semifinals.The mother of two children from India’s northeastern state of Manipur fought her old rival Steluta Duta, who beat Kazakhstan’s Nazgul Boranbayeva 10-5, in other semifinal bout.India’s Kavita (+81kg) was stopped for a bronze after going down 2-14 to Ukraine’s Kateryna Kuzhel in the semi-finals.Mary Kom is the only boxer to have won a medal in each edition of the World Championship.Union Sports Minister M S Gill on Sun-day greeted M C Mary Kom for her fifth successive gold at the World Champion-ships, as the diminutive pugilist vowed for a medal in London Olympics in 2012. Praising Mary Kom for having ‘excep-

tional talent’, Gill said, “ I am delighted that she won the World Champion-ship title for the fifth time. She has an exceptional record. Manipur has great sports talent and Mary Kom is the best. I congratulate here,” he said.The mother of two said,” I’m over-whelmed and do not know what to say. I feel happy. I am just so happy to have done it.” Mary Kom scripted record winning a fifth successive World Championship gold on Saturday night when she out punched Romania’s Steluta Duta in the fly weight 48kg final in Barbados.Kom, also known as “ Magnificent Mary”, said it was very demanding and emotionally draining to leave her sons behind for competing and training. “ But I have managed to do it so far and hopefully I will continue doing it at least till the London Olympics. I want to win an Olympic medal. That’s my dream,” she added.“I’m not hanging my gloves, and I will do my best to look after my family and win medals for the country too,” India’s best-known woman boxer said.

US doc buys Nano for family in Varanasi Varanasi: American doctor Minhaj Naiyer made the first global car purchase on eBay India Motors, the leading online Motors marketplace, for his family in Varanasi.

The USA-based doctor bought a Tata Nano for his family based in Varanasi through eBay Motors from Mumbai dealer JMD Auto India.

Ashish Shah, Head-eBay Motors felicitated Naiyer & his family at an event in Varanasi.

Naiyer wanted to gift a Nano to his family in Varanasi specifically his cousin, Sarfaraz Ahamed. The doctor was specifically looking for an easy way to buy the vehicle and was happy to find it on auction on eBay Motors listed by Trading Assistant Motors Street.

Naiyer won the auction for the 2010 Nano LX at Rs. 180,000 and completed the transaction.

Naiyer said, “I was looking at gifting my mother and cousin brother the Nano after reading & hearing about it. After looking at various options, I turned to my trusted source eBay. I logged onto eBay India Motors and to my luck found a Nano listing.

“I have been transacting on eBay for a long time and trusted the brand to purchase the car. The entire process from selecting the vehicle to making the payment has been a wonderful experience. I thank eBay Motors for making my dream first car into a reality.”

Naiyer is a doctor currently applying for a spe-cialization in Cardiology. Living in the US for a long time, he has become an avid eBay user, with over 500 transactions.

US team visits Sikh shrines ahead of Obama visitAmritsar: Assuming that Barack Obama might pay a visit to some Sikh temples here during his tour of India in November, a US team conducted a security survey in Punjab’s Amritsar district on Wednesday, state police said.

A six-member US team visited Amritsar to inspect different areas, including the holy Sikh shrine Harmandar Sahib, in anticipation that US President Barack Obama may pay a visit to some tourist spots as well holy places during his India visit in November, district police chief K S Pannu was quoted as saying on Thursday.

“They (US team) inspected various tourist spots, important roads and Sikh shrines in the district.”

It was not actually known whether Obama will come to Amritsar. After evaluating various parameters and security arrangements, they will decide the places where the US president will actually go.

The team left for Mumbai, said Pannu. The team comprising security personnel and

officials of the US embassy visited the holy Sikh shrine, Harmandar Sahib, popularly known as the Golden Temple. They met the officials of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC).

“We are very happy and all set to welcome Obama at the Golden Temple,” SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar was quoted as saying.

India briefs


Indian


Indian Fiji

India-ADB-USP collaborate for ICT, educationA Government of India-funded initiative to strengthen higher education and promote climate change research in the Pacific region will take off soon as a result of joint efforts by several leading universities in India, the University of South Pacific (USP) in Fiji, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). As part of the initiative, a team of experts from the ADB and the USP have just conclud-ed discussions with officials from the Indian Institutes of Technology, Indira Gandhi Na-tional Open University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and other higher academic insti-tutions in India.An important outcome of the discussions was a collaboration agreement between USP and the premier Indian universities and tertiary institutions, to facilitate faculty exchange programme and joint curriculum develop-ment to strengthen higher education and promote joint research on key issues such as climate change and private sector develop-ment in the Pacific.The Indian tertiary education sector has been collaborating with the Fiji based USP in Suva for the past few years now. USP Vice-Chan-cellor Rajesh Chandra, who just returned from India as part of the joint delegation, has said the relationship is growing into a major academic collaboration. “It is a new relationship and we are trying to build new relationships. And it could be a major partnership for the future, both because it brings India as a significant cash donor and also because the Asian Development Bank is a very major player and we are looking at a larger partnership between the ADB and USP,” Prof Chandra told Radio Australia’s Gemima Garrett.Prof Chandra said he visited the Indian In-

stitute of Technology at Kharagpur, the first institute of technology in India as also the Jawaharlal Nehru University.USP has signed an MOU with the Indira Gandhi National Open University. This is now the world’s largest university with over 2.8 million students. “The relationship will allow us to procure some material from them to do some joint research and to exchange staff,” Prof Chandra said.The arrangements would substantially and speedily expand USP’s distance learning Prof Chandra said. Half of the University’s 20,000 students study by distance education. India is now a dialogue partner with the Pacific Island Forum and at the last Forum

in August in Vanuatu a large Indian delega-tion was present (as reported by Indian Week-ender). India says it is interested in playing a devel-opment role in the Pacific and it has funded smaller things in the past, especially to do with climate change. The present arrange-ment with USP is a larger amount. This is the first time that the Government of India is funding an ADB-assisted project of this kind in the education sector in the Pacific. The Government of India is extend-ing the assistance in the spirit of South-South cooperation. The US$1 million grant by the Government of India will be used to support ADB’s project

preparatory efforts, which are being imple-mented in partnership with the USP and its 13 different campuses in the Pacific. ADB’s technical assistance will directly support upgrading of the University’s ICT network and pave the way for a larger invest-ment project. As a result, a large proportion of USP courses are expected to be available through ICT-based systems. USP is one of the world’s only two region-al universities and serves the entire Pacific islands region with over 20,000 students and campuses spread across the region. It also runs a successful journalism programme in Suva.

Remember to tick Len Brown for Mayor and freepost your voting papers back straight away. To find out more about my policies and vision for Auckland visit www.lenbrownformayor.co.nz or call our campaign office on 09 921 6786

“AucklAnd it’s our tiME to VotE”

An open letter to the Indian community from Len BrownThe Indian community in Auckland is very important to me. The last census says that 74,442

people in Auckland indentified as Indian. I have strong links to your community and value your

traditions, history and spirit.

The Indian community also plays an indispensible role in our country with growing economic, social

and cultural contributions.

Across Auckland we have a unique blend of people and communities providing us with a vibrancy,

energy and diversity which is the wellspring of our future prosperity.

Our challenge is to build these foundations. We need to make sure local community identities are

protected and enhanced and that the focus does not simply shift to another part of town.

My background is in working alongside diverse communities. I want to see special Indian events,

such as Diwali, India’s National Day and Independence Day celebrated in the new supercity.

I will set up and work alongside a new South East Asian & Indian community advisory group and

build strong economic and cultural links with India.

I meet many people from the Indian community who are worried that their local identity will be lost

in the new supercity. We need inclusive leadership to make sure people retain their voice and I am

committed to working with all communities to develop our city.

As Mayor of Manukau I have delivered the lowest average rates, water and wastewater charges

in the region. I have worked alongside the police to cut crime. My council has helped get rid

of graffiti, promoted education, delivered transport infrastructure and supported community

organisations.

Most importantly, I know how to run a fast growing and dynamic city, and how to get things done.

“The establishment of this new strategic academic partnership between top India-based academic institutions and USP promotes regional economic cooperation through higher education and will hopefully lead to other similar partnerships”

USP Vice Chancellor Prof Rajesh Chandra in his office in Suva. Photo: Dev Nadkarni


Indian Fiji

SIT Queenstown Campus0800 QT 4 SIT / 03 442 5375

[email protected] www.sit.ac.nz

Business

Fiji’s oldest and largest newspaper changed hands last week as ownership of the Fiji Times moved from the Rupert Murdoch owned News Limited to leading local business house, the Motibhai Group.

Speaking to Indian Weekender from his office in Nadi, Motibhai Group chairman Mahendra Patel – also known as Mac Patel – said this was a big moment in the group’s long business history.

“This is indeed an exciting development for all of us. Although I have been involved in the media in my capacity as company director, this is the first time that our group is getting involved in owning an outlet,” he said.

Fiji’s military-backed regime imposed a Media Industry Development Decree in June this year. The decree gave media companies three months to divest foreign shareholdings higher than 10 percent and to sell to local interests.

News Limited was a majority shareholder and therefore became ineligible under the decree’s provisions to continue ownership. The formal sale proceedings were expected to be completed by the end of this week.

Three editors and journalists have welcomed news of the sale of the paper as good for environ-mental journalism reporting in the region. But they reserved judgment on the future independence of the newspaper under future owners Motibhai.

“The paper will continue to function as it pres-ently does and we see no change in its operations,” Mr Patel told Indian Weekender.

Speaking at an event at the University of the South Pacific last week, Mai Life magazine editor Ricardo Morris said it was the one newspaper in Fiji that had the financial and reporting resources to respond to major natural disasters in the country and to report on them.

But Morris questioned whether the paper would be able to afford to continue that role when it is taken over by the Motibhai Group on September 22.

Dawn Gibson, journalism and literature student and former editor of Wansolwara, the USP Journal-ism Programme’s student publication said there would not be much immediate change to the Fiji Times in light of the current censorship climate. She added that the Fiji Times had been forced to become more focused on human interest issues, including climate change, in the post-coup environ-ment.

The Fiji Sun has reported that Motibhai chair-man and chief executive officer Mahendra Patel, who had previously been a director of the Fiji Times would name the new management team on September 22 – six days before the decree deadline expires.

Head of journalism at the University of the South Pacific, Shailendra Singh, said there was general relief the newspaper was in good business hands but there was now another dilemma.

“In terms of local ownership people are saying it’s a mixed bag because of Motibhai’s considerable business interests in Fiji. People are asking how will this affect the Fiji Times editorially? Will the publishers be editorially neutral?” he said.

- Dev Nadkarni

Motibhais take over

Mahendra Patel, Motibhai Group Chairman (Photo: Dev Nadkarni)


Indian Fiji

Community

Suva: This month, the RoC Market turned 10 and with over 120 markets since its inception it is Suva City’s longest running, consistently held street market.

Still RoCing after 10 years the RoC Market is a non-profit, community event that continues to support and develop budding artists and crafts people.

The RoC Market crew had a low key cel-ebration last weekend, with some live music and a relaxed atmosphere. The 10 year birth-day bash is scheduled for December where or-ganisers, market goers and vendors will mark the significant 10 year milestone.

The organisers hope to get the Suva City Council on board to help close an additional road for the Christmas market, as they have outgrown the current space on Loftus Street.

New market event managers Jodi Hayward and Talei Wilson took over the running of the market in April this year and have grown the

market from 32 vendors to a database of 107 with the backing of a small but big hearted group of sponsors/supporters who all chip in the keep the market going.

They say the market has grown so popular, that this month, the market was fully booked before the notifications were sent out to vendors.

From the provision of tents and trans-port vehicles, to rubbish collection and radio

airtime, Suva City’s longest running community street event is sup-

ported by: Matenga Creative Limited (flag-ship sponsor); GDC Communications; ANZ; Green Steps; Legend FM; Wai Tui; Colonial / BSP; Coca-Cola; Nestle; Vodafone; Pasifika Tents; and Esquires.

“We are always on the look out looking for more RoCing supporters, so if you have something to offer, please get in touch,” says Ms Hayward.

“With an overwhelming number of new vendors and the ever faithful stall holders of nearly ten years, the RoC Market is set to RoC this Sunday,” she says.

Market organisers are urging locals, expats and tourists alike to join the 400 other ‘Market Goers’ between 9am and 4pm, on Loftus Street, next to Dolphin’s Plaza in Suva city this Sunday.

Ms Hayward says Market goers can expect to see a variety of goodies on display at this week’s market with over 75 stall holders set to sell their home and hand made wares.

“From delicious home made jams, cakes and pickles to beautiful hand made jewellery and wonderful local art – its all happening at the RoC street market this Sunday,” says Ms Hayward.

“We will have some interesting new vendors this month including the Suva Gramma Ex-students Association, some artists all the way from the west and a variety of hand crafted woodwork, toys, clothes, babywear, t-shirts and sulus.

“We have been keen to get more artists involved and we are very happy to see a growing presence of artists including, tattoo art, Samoa prints, contemporary home-based artists and of course traditional Fijian art on masi,” says Ms Hayward.

Earlier this year organisers started a ‘Buskers Corner’ launched by up and coming Reggae artist Inoke (KNOX) Kalounisiga who entertained the crowd with his mellow live tunes.

“For the Buskers Corner we provide the space, the mic, some speakers and a col-lection box. The artists sit there and sing/perform and people walk past and flick them what ever spare change they have - it’s called

Busking and is very common throughout the world. KNOX was able to sell his CD’s and received some decent donations during his performance,” says Ms Hayward.

KNOX who will be performing at the market again this weekend was the first of many artists organisers hope will take ad-vantage of the market promo spot. Organisers are inviting other performers to come along to showcase their talent during the market and promote themselves. Anyone wanting to profile themselves and get the word out about their talent should get in touch with organis-ders.

The dates for the RoC Market are set in concrete for the rest of the year, If you are in Suva around these times, make sure to take a dekko and pick up a bargain in the unique atmosphere:

• 19th September 2010 - HAPPY BIRTH-DAY RoC• 17th October 2010 – PINK THEME – in support of the Fiji Cancer Society• 21st November 2010 – DIWALI THEME• 19th December 2010 - CHRISTMAS AND 10 YEAR CELEBRATIONS

Still ‘Roc’ing after 10 years

From Mehendi to Moko“Mehndi Moko” and “Rangoli Art for Kids” workshops will be held at the Rotorua Arts Village on October 1 for Rotorua children. These workshops are part of the Rotorua Deepawali Festival, and aimed at building whakawhanaungatanga (Hindu-Maori rela-tions).

The art workshops will be organised by Gina Wright, a Maori artist who is from Tainui (Ngati Naho) on her father’s side and Irish on her mother’s side. Her great grandmother was a gypsy – believed to be originally from tribes from Rajasthan, India.

“I have always felt an affinity with Indian culture and art and have been practising Mehndi since I was a teen,” said Ms Wright.

“Since the focus of this year’s festival is Youth, I wanted to contribute something for the Rotorua children, especially during their school holidays.”

Being an artist, Ms Wright said “organising free art workshops would be the easiest thing to do”.

She enjoys working with Hindu Council of New Zealand. During the 2009 Deepawali Festival, Gina helped with Mehndi (temporary Henna tattoo) and raised funds for Ekal Vidya-laya. Ekal Vidyalayas are one-teacher schools

established in tribal areas of India to bring edu-cation and literacy to underprivileged children.

Ms Wright, along with Shaloh Mitchell from Ohinemutu village and Dr Guna Magesan, General Secre-tary of Hindu Council of New Zealand, was one of the members who organised Rotorua Holi Festival earlier this year.

It was during these Holi fes-tivities, that Mehndi and Ta Moko art forms of two cultures were brought together possibly the very first time in New Zealand, instigating a new phrase, Mehndi Moko.

Hindu Council of New Zealand has been promoting inter-cultural exchanges in arts, culture and heritage. Celebrating Hindu festi-vals such as Deepawali, Holi, Raksha Bandhan

on a wider community scale is part of promot-ing and sharing culture.

A day of fun and creativity with an introduc-tion to local youth on some of the most beau-

tiful ancient Hindu and other Indian art forms at the Rotorua arts village is a way of bring-ing people to-gether and help understanding between cul-tures.

“ C o m b i n -ing the talent of local youth and the explora-tion of Indian art we are sure

to arrive at some exciting creations unique to Rotorua,” said Grace Hoet, Manager of Rotorua Art Village.

“I am happy to assist Rotorua Deepawali Festival in any way to promote it to the wider community,” she added.

Rangoli is an art form which uses mediums

such as coloured rice, sand and flowers to create colourful designs. This workshop is aimed at children aged 5-11 years.

Mehndi is a temporary form of skin art typically applied during special occasions such as weddings and festivals. This workshop is aimed 12-18 age group.

These workshops are free. All interested must email [email protected] or register through our festival website http://ro-toruadeepawali.org

The Rotorua Deepawali Festival will be celebrated at the Energy Events Centre on Sat-urday, 2 October 2010. Last year, more than 3000 people from both Rotorua and out of town came to participate, celebrate, and enjoy this unique smoke-free, alcohol-free and meat-free family event.

The event will start around 10am with in-auguration ceremony, followed by Indian art exhibitions and workshops on Rangoli (ancient Indian art), Mehndi (temporary tattoo) decorat-ing, Indian cooking, and Saree tying.

A spectacular Indian cultural show with various classical and folk dances of India will be performed by artists in the evening at 6.30pm. The festival will conclude with a fire-works display at 9pm.


Indian

Shree Durga Mata Ki ChowkiOrganised by Shri Shirdi Saibaba Sansthan of NZ Inc

to raise funds for the construction of Shirdi Saibaba Mandir

on Sunday 3rd October 2010 at Mahatma Gandhi Centre

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Programme4.00pm-5.00pm- Ganesh & Durga Vandana

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.7.30pm onwards- Aarti followed by Maha Prasad

Mata Chunni &Coconut available at counter from 3.00pm onwards

For Pooja & Sankalp bookings, please contact:Pramod Kapur 09 625 8844, Shivani 09 624 0577 Hari 09-630 5817, Bhaskar 09 820 2534

Bhajans & Chanting by Indu & Pramod Kapur

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future printprint :: design :: digital :: management


IndianIndian

From the Editor

Indian Weekender is published by Kiwi Media Group, 98 Great South Road, New Market and printed at APN Print, Ellerslie, Auckland Copyright 2010. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

Indian Weekender volume 2 No. 13Publisher: Kiwi Media Group LimitedGroup editor-in-chief: Dev Nadkarni [email protected] editor: Arvind Kumar [email protected] Correspondent: Shobha Rao [email protected] technical officer: Rohan Desouza rohan@ indianweekender.co.nzdesign: Tanmay Desai [email protected] / www.desaign.co.nzadvertising: Giri Gupta - Ph: 520 0922, Mob: 021 221 1131. Email - [email protected] email original editorial contributions, community notices and pictures to [email protected] expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisheris not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication

Letters

Ten top stories on iwk.co.nz1. From Mehndi to Moko2. “shera” song launched for delhi CWG 20103. breakthrough eco-friendly product launched4. an earthquake that brought out the best in us5. NZ kids to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi6. Why they loved India7. shahnaz Husain signature salon in auckland8. big kiwi-bolly flick for rWC9. Hindi diwas today10. “I will be doing dangerous stunts”

Delhi’s ugly underbelly on show…

Even if the remaining week to the Delhi Commonwealth Games goes without further incident – a highly unlikely prospect going by the sequence of disastrous events so far – and the Games are actually held, well, successfully, its Indian organisers would have given the country’s signature phrase ‘Incredible India’ a whole new meaning.

The Games have faced an unending stream of problems beginning with the impos-sibly late start to the preparations. Though the country had four years to prepare, any substantial work on infrastructural facilities was begun barely a year ago, resulting in incomplete facilities, substandard construction that has begun falling apart even before the Games have begun and mounting allegations of corruption, nepotism and favouritism in awarding contracts.

The collapse of a foot bridge and parts of the ceiling over the boxing facility besides a random shootout injuring a couple of Taiwanese tourists in central New Delhi have shaken the Games at its very foundation in the past week, creating an unending swirl of rumours and doubts if the Games will go ahead at all.

These problems have been compounded because of a heavier than normal rainy season that has resulted in f loods in large swathes of the subcontinent from Paki-stan in the west to Assam in the east, brining in its wake large scale disruption and outbreaks of mosquito borne diseases like dengue, which has plagued areas around the Games venues for the past month.

It is hardly a surprise that as things stand, a few gold medal-winning star sport-speople have pulled out citing these problems and entire national teams have put their decision to participate in the Games on hold.

Though every organiser of events of such scale is bound to experience tense moments during the run up no matter how well it is planned, the state of affairs we have seen unfold in Delhi these past few weeks is unprecedented for any interna-tional event anywhere.

While everybody everywhere would sympathise with the country on account of the damage done by the weather and the security situation, which indeed are world phenomena today, there can be none of it for the selfishly indulgent mismanagement and the callously blatant corruption that has resulted in embarrassingly delayed and substandard facilities.

Delegations from New Zealand and three other countries were so appalled and disgusted at the filthy conditions at the Games village, that they not only refused to stay there but termed the quarters unlivable – with one having said that describing it as filthy was actually being generous.

At the time of writing, the New Zealand contingent is divided on whether to stay at the alternative accommodation offered to them at the village, stay in hotels or pull out entirely. Prime Minister John Key has said he would respect athletes’ individual decisions on whether to participate given the chaos in Delhi.

Even if the Games go ahead without further incident, their run up has unfortu-nately served to highlight the legendarily monumental corruption that imbues all spheres of public life in India on the world stage.

Delhi’s ugly underbelly has grown so brazenly and glaringly big that the tat-tered and increasingly diaphanous loincloth of a cloying pretence of propriety is no longer enough to conceal it from the world’s eyes.

Corrupt sports politicos have not only thwarted a billion Indians from winning Olympic gold, but have also shown the world how it can thwart a billion Indians from staging an event like the Commonwealth Games.

The stories of corruption surrounding the Games and their consequences which are there for all to see will only serve to intensify long held beliefs of the systemic corruption in the Indian polity in world opinion. This is bound to be ref lected in the world’s dealings with the country in all spheres for years to come and will require a herculean effort to bring about a change in perception.

The Games were a golden chance to showcase the world that India could do it – just as China did with the Olympics. And even if the Games go ahead without further incident and minimal disruptions, it will be rather like the dog walking on two legs – it’s awkward, but everyone is surprised that it’s done at all.

Right thinking Indians, embarrassed beyond words by the shoddy, self-serving machinations of Delhi’s corrupt and unprincipled mandarins that have brought such ignominy to the nation would be hoping for this outcome in the least.

– Dev Nadkarni

… And a bit of the Delhi belly in Papatoetoe

Whoever thought up the idea of rigging the Supercity electoral rolls with dozens of names linked to two residential addresses in Papatoetoe – either for willful fraud or to discredit electoral rivals – must go down as one of the most childishly ham handed acts. It is amazing that the perpetrators assumed that such bluff could be pulled off at all in this country where electoral and other records are all computerised and therefore such brazen and poorly thought out frauds are easily detectable. It took hardly any time for the authorities to determine that two small homes in the Papatoetoe area had dozens of Indian sounding names – mostly Singh – registered as voters. Many of these people obviously did not reside in the electoral area and certainly not in the two small homes cited – if not for anything else, for the sheer physical implausibility. What were the perpetrators thinking? Such bluff is a far cry from the ballot box stuffing, booth captur-ing, candidate kidnapping and voter intimidation that is not uncommon in the more dismally run states in India. Having detected the attempted fraud early, the falsely enrolled names were deleted from the rolls by the authorities without delay and before the ballot papers were posted last week. Meanwhile, none of the four candidates of Indian origin have claimed knowledge of who was respon-sible except blaming the other for a “ frame-up” and offering all sorts of theories of how this might have come to pass. At the time of writing, the NZ Police are investigating who is responsible. Reports said over 40 detec-tives were involved in the enquiries, which constitute a gross violation of electoral law. It is only a question of time before they zero in on the perpetrators. This development comes at a time when India’s image continues to receive a battering on account of the shameful developments in New Delhi in the run up to the Commonwealth Games. The words ‘cor-ruption’ and ‘incompetence’ have been used to describe everything related to the Games in the past few weeks. Those same words will be echoed here in New Zealand as revelations in the Papatoetoe events are reported in the news media in the coming weeks as police investigations progress. Unfortunately, those very words are bound to be associated with people of Indian origin – since clearly it is these who are involved in these developments, given the names in the rigged rolls. The larger community must co-operate with the authorities in every possible way to help the record state and mitigate the effects of the human tendency to paint birds of a feather with the same brush.

Pandit Ganapati Bhat in Auckland US audiences have enjoyed Ganapati during his last 3 visits to US. Thanks to Sri Balakrishna Bhat for sponsoring this fine artist. Kudos to all New Zealand supporters! GG Hegde -- Commonwealh Games I have heard that the sports village and other facilities and the road network in Delhi is still not ready for the games and there will be chaos and it may diminish the name of India. Lot of rumours flying around. Kuldeep Arora -- Why they love India It’s true our past is fabulous, but what we are doing today, senslessly following the western culture and consumerism. Why Indian Government is ashamed of funding Vedas study? I call on big business – Ambani’s of Reliance, Birla’s, Laxmi Mittal, Ratan Tata, Munjals of Hero and other big boys to contribute to the institutions and start serious research in the Vedas and other Indian ancient literature. Indian Weekender take the challenge and start Vedas institute in New Zealand Kuldeep Arora It is so easy to love India! It is Pûrna Bhûmi, Veda Bhûmi, Deva Bhûmi - Bhârat. Shaas Yes we were the first poets [Vedas]; first to have intuited about cosmic reality; Consciousness, but that was and is the contribution of small community; last 300 years mainstream India has copied everything; there is nothing now or very little of ancient wisdom; we have only hunted and gathered easily accessible technology like Mobiles, computers, infrastructure and Delhi imperial-ism .... Lokkur Vasanthi Rao


Indian Comment

rakesH krIsHNaN sIMHa

Will Asia save New Zealand?The reality of western decline and Asian affluence are forcing New Zealand to find new friends in the world’s largest continent.

LIFE magazine once did a photo feature on Australia headlined: The Luckiest Country. “Luckiest” because at the height of the Cold War the sunny nation, tucked away in the armpit of the world, was safe from the danger of nuclear fallout – a very real threat those days. But it seemed the Aussies were not fully satisfied with their location in Asia. “Given a chance most Australians would like to tow their country up the seas and position it somewhere in the North Atlantic between Europe and the United States,” wrote LIFE.

Like their cousins across the ditch, many New Zealanders would like to do the same. It’s understandable given that people would like to be closer to the country of origin. But it’s clearly a fantasy, especially because New Zealand is firmly attached to the Asian shelf – in more ways than one.

Contrary to the popular notion of a shrinking planet, nations – or rather trading blocs – are ac-tually drifting apart. Consider this – dealing with traditional trading partners like the UK, Europe and the United States is becoming a game of dodging carbon footprints. From trading goods we have moved on to trading charges. New Zealand should count itself extremely lucky that it is close to less protectionist Asia, where the economies are growing so fast they are leaving skid marks.

Indeed, Asia has turned out to be New Zea-land’s economic saviour. While other markets shrank, New Zealand’s exports to China, for instance, grew 43 per cent and effectively this increase saved the country from the global reces-sion.

The Asian sweep of local markets is plainly evident. Walk into any branch of The Warehouse, Farmers, Pak ‘n Save, JB or Harvey Norman and you find yourself in a sea of products manufac-

tured in China, Korea and Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Vietnam and Thailand among others. And don’t forget that most motorists wouldn’t go very far without the Jap crap.

In a recent TVNZ interview, Prime Minister John Key acknowledged that a “balance of power is unquestionably taking place from, to a certain degree the West, to the Asia region. Not just China, I mean India’s a big player….so you’re seeing countries like Korea, Malaysia and Indo-nesia, all starting to branch out and be success-ful”. Clearly, New Zealand has come a long way from the xenophobic days of “the Asian peril”.

The importance New Zealand gives to its Asian trading partners can be measured from the fact that democracy – the sacred cow of western civilisation – is being sacrificed at the altar of realpolitik. This was amply demonstrated recently when Key apologised to the head of a Chinese delegation after Green Party co-leader Russel Norman got into a scuffle with Chinese Vice-President Xi Jingping’s security. Protest-ing at China’s atrocious human rights record in Tibet, Dr Norman was waving a Tibetan flag a few metres away from Mr Xi at the entrance to the New Zealand Parliament.

But these are mere roadblocks in New Zea-land’s journey towards becoming an Asian country. While Tibet is a worthy cause, New Zealand has to live with the reality of China rather the chimera of Tibetan independence. After all, how many divisions has the Dalai Lama?

With the inconvenience of democracy and human rights out of the way, Free Trade Agree-ments are being scratched out with a slew of countries, including South Korea and India. Indeed, worldwide there seems to be a scramble to jump into bed with the Asian countries. The European Union, the US and Australia are also negotiating FTAs with Korea.

John Key knows New Zealand must get its act together. Speaking to the media in Seoul last month he said, “The reality for us is if they do complete a deal and we don’t we’re in a relative-ly worse position.” In fact, in the two years since New Zealand signed the FTA with China it has gone from the country’s fourth to second largest trading partner.

Here are some key reasons why it is in New Zealand’s best interests to tango with Asia.

Trade logistics: Flashback to 2008 – a German shopper is reported to have objected to the presence of New Zealand strawberries on a supermarket shelf. According to her, the carbon footprint created in the transportation of the strawberries from the bottom of the world didn’t justify their German consumption. The German produce manager pulled the product. Whether justified or not, New Zealand’s location will handicap its products in the European and Amer-ican markets. However, Asia is right next door and green concerns won’t be echoed there for a couple of decades at least. In Asia the mantra, is grow, grow, grow.

Changing marketscape: Both the US and Europe have been gobsmacked by the reces-sion. Economic growth in the PIGS – Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Spain – is not just unfeasible, it is outside the realm of possibility for a genera-tion. By the time the recession pans out, living standards in wide swathes of Europe will come down to the level of Thailand. On the other hand, Asian economies are unscathed by the recession and an increasingly affluent class middle class is able to afford products like wine, artisan cheeses and designer water – all of which New Zealand can supply in ample quantity.

No business like the food business: Ever noticed that few restaurants close during a re-cession? Asian countries, with rapidly growing

populations, have reached the saturation point in food production. They are entirely concentrating on high tech and IT while neglecting their ag-riculture. New Zealand with its mainly agrarian economy is perfectly poised to export to these economies.

Declining Britain: Britain used to be New Zealand’s fallback option, but today it has become a pale shadow of its former colonial self. Faced with industrial decline, plummeting living standards and insignificant global influence, it is increasingly turning towards continental Europe. Once New Zealand’s leading trading partner, Britain is no longer a major buyer of its goods or a provider of high technology. A key sign of New Zealand drifting away from its western moorings is that 2010 is the first year that more students in New Zealand started learning Mandarin than Latin.

Future conflicts: Who thought the mighty Soviet Union would dissolve itself voluntarily in 1991? It just shows how the world can change suddenly. The current global power play could see the US and China become implacable adver-saries in the near future. In that scenario whose side should New Zealand take? It’s a tricky ques-tion. My guess is trade – rather than any sense of western association – will decide which way the country swings.

Conclusion: Despite the irresistible plunge into Asia, most Kiwis will continue to hope for an Anglo-American revival. Nothing wrong with that but the only hitch is the sun has set on that empire. New Zealanders must realise they are lucky because they are an Asian nation.

- Rakesh Krishnan is a features writer at a

leading New Zealand media company.

A political coup-de-tat is no small undertaking by any standards. It involves treason as by its very definition it attempts to overthrow a “legiti-mate” government by extra-legal means. In fact force and violence are necessary complements of any coup-de-tat. And in order to “build” the sce-nario to justify a coup, an orchestrated process is activated. The aim is to create a situation that allows a treasonous, yet quietly-supported, coup-maker to say “there was no other way”.

This is exactly what happened in Fiji, and that is exactly what Rabuka said after he executed the Father of All Coups on 14th May 1987. The common thread that bound all who supported that coup, whether overtly or covertly, was the perceived need to protect the Fijian heritage and save the Fijian race from the hegemonic designs of a foreign race, the Indo-Fijians. There were mainly 2 reasons for this perception: one, a sus-tained policy of divide and rule based on ethnic-ity; and two, a lack of understanding and appre-ciation of the mechanics of democracy.

Within this framework of politics, the obvious Indian “threat” acted as a diversion that temporarily covered ominously developing un-dercurrents that were to plague ethnic-Fijian pol-itics and the country in later years. The Taukei Marches of 1987 allowed many of these under-currents to surface and join the general wave of dissatisfaction, resentment and rage that swept the main centres of the country. Even in these marches, individual grievances and aspirations remained quietly submerged as the convenient rhetoric of “Indian threat” was enough to rally key support.

Many have pointed fingers at the chiefs, and especially Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara and Ratu

Sir Penaia Ganilau who was Governor General at that time. Many have rubbished Ratu Mara’s explanation when he said, “How could I stand by and watch my house on fire?” This statement has generally escaped objective scrutiny as the ten-dency had been to expect Mara to stop the 1987 coup or take an openly opposed stance after the fact. He did neither because he was a thinking man who could “see” things that couldn’t be openly articulated at the time.

The point is that as a chief, Ratu Mara could not stand back and watch his country and his people get destroyed. It was the same for Ratu Penaia who was not only Ratu Mara’s close po-litical ally, but also Ratu Mara’s brother-in-law through the marriage of his son, Ratu Epeli Ganilau to Ratu Mara’s daughter, Adi Ateca Ganilau. More interestingly, Ratu Penaia was also Ratu Mara’s superior as Tui Cakau and head of the Tovata confederacy, within which Ratu Mara’s Lau province fell.

And as mentioned earlier, the second con-federacy of Burebasaga fell in line because its paramount chief, the Roko Tui Dreketi, was Ratu Mara’s wife. This left Kubuna, which was headed by Ratu Sir George Cakobau at the time. Ratu George’s first cousin, Ratu Edward Cako-bau’s 2nd son, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau is married to Ratu Mara’s daughter Adi Koila Mara. This completed the family link at the apex of the 3 confederacies. Moreover, Kubuna also had among its inter-linked chiefs the Toganivalu clan from Tailevu who were heavily represented in the Mara cabinet through Ratu David, Ratu Josua and Ratu William Toganivalu.

In addition to the above chiefly links, any analysis on chiefly support for the 1987 coup

cannot ignore the fact that the first rationale for that coup involved removal of the Indian threat from the political equation of Fiji. From this per-spective the chiefs were duty-bound to support that coup because it was seen as a necessity. Op-position could not have been justified in any way and once the rebellion gained momentum, there was simply no room for diplomatic chiefly inter-vention.

The second important point of support for that coup had to come from the Fiji military. In 1987, the RFMF was a largely foreign peace keeping-focused entity. Since 1978 when troops were deployed to UNIFIL in Lebanon, the size and skills of the RFMF had expanded signifi-cantly. And the bulk of troop recruitment in-volved rural Fijian youths who had virtually no real exposure to the “Indian threat” that they had always heard of – they had no opportunity to see Indians in any other way.

In fact when they did come to Suva, they were faced with a barrage of things Indian – taxis, businesses, shops, houses, and Indian people all over the place. This left them with little doubt that there was indeed an “Indian threat” to Fiji. Little has been made of the fact that these young soldiers literally saw themselves as modern-day bati (traditional defenders) when they donned the colours of the RFMF. And as bati they were defenders of the Fijian heritage. Nobody epito-mized this better than Sitiveni Rabuka, his deci-sion to execute the 1987 coup had largely to do with this – in fact this was very likely the sole compelling reason at the outset. Military support therefore, was virtually guaranteed once the de-cision was made.

The final card had to do with foreign reac-

tion to an unthinkable act of treason in the Pacific. There was little arguing that this vari-able had to be factored in because Fiji would not have accepted a reduced international status at that juncture – unlike the stance taken now by Commodore Bainimarama. When David Lange tested the ANZUS alliance by closing NZ ports to US nuclear vessels in 1985, Fiji’s strategic im-portance had reached a new high.

Thus US geopolitical concerns within the framework of the ever-heating Cold War pro-vided the foreign lifeline that the coup plotters needed. And even though foreign complicity was a little more subtle and complicated to pinpoint, noted CIA operative Vernon Walters was in Fiji and did meet Rabuka 2 weeks before the coup. He was later providentially posted as US Ambas-sador to the UN and played a pivotal role in mini-mizing subsequent international condemnation of the Rabuka Coups. And US involvement did continue sporadically until the 1997 constitution brought back normality to the country – was this a case of belated conscience and regret?

The 1987 coup thus had key support from the chiefs, military, sections of the Fijian community and the US. It was supposed to provide a transi-tory point to a new model of governance for Fiji. Why then did Fiji have to wait 10 years before the 1997 constitution was finally enacted? Stay tuned.

- Subhash Appana is an academic and po-litical commentator. The opinions contained in this article are entirely his and not necessarily shared by any organizations he may be associ-ated with both in Fiji and abroad. Email [email protected]

Key Support for the 1987 Coup subHasH aPPaNa

Government by Greed


Indian

Candidate Ward / subdivisionRavi Musuku Albert – Eden - RoskillNeelam Choudary BotanyRam Prakash BotanyAjit Singh Counties Manukau DHBAssid Khaleel Corban Henderson Rakesh Nauhria Mangawhau Jugjeet Singh Giam Mangere-OtahuhuMohammad Tauqir Khan Mangere-OtahuhuBalu Mistry ManurewaGurmeeta Singh ManurewaIlango Krishnamoorthy ManurewaSukhminder Singh ManurewaRoshni Golian MaungakiekieObed Unasa OwairakaRajiv Sood OwairakaArunjeev Singh PapakuraRaj Thandi PapakuraAvtar Hans PapatoetoeDaljit Singh PapatoetoeNarinder Kumar Singla PapatoetoeSukhdev Singh PapatoetoeMagan Ranchod PukekoheElla Kumar PuketapapaHari Shankar PuketapapaLingappa Kalburgi PuketapapaRam Rai PuketapapaUrza Balouch Upper Harbour Ann Nisha Pala Whau

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Indian Community

Balu Mistry Candidate For Manurewa Community Board

Why I am standing for the Manurewa Community Board? And what can I offer to the community? And why you should give me your votes?

• Local Resident I have been resident in South Auckland for nearly 35 years. I spent 23 years living in Mangere and for past 12 years living in Manurewa/Manukau. So I am local just like you and not an outsider from Albany or other part of the NZ, just standing for the sake of status or position.

• Judgment I am a qualified profes-sional Engineer. Engineers are respon-sible for designing and making things happen. On local board, the members are responsible for large amounts of expenditure for the community projects. The money has to be spent wisely and not to be wasted. As an Engineer, I have the knowledge and skills to make right decisions when it comes to spending money on community projects. • Maturity. I have been working for 35 years in New Zealand. Maturity is gained by working in community projects and I have selflessly served the Indian Com-munity over past many years in various roles with Manukau Indian Association and New Zealand Central Association.

• Track Record Past president of Ma-nukau Indian Association and currently executive member. Have taught our language to New Zealand born children and helped maintain our culture and heritage. Organised many programs such as Diwali, Navratri etc for the

people of South Auckland.

• Community Services Always have been active in community activities – particularly liaison with Punjabi Asso-ciation and other associations. Repre-senting all Indians as one community whether they are Gujaratis. Bengalis, Marathis, are form INDIA, ENGLAND or FIJI. We are all Indians and one com-munity in New Zealand. All community works has been voluntary and no pay-ments for services.

• I see the following as important is-sues.

• Education: English language for people unable to speak English

• Roads and expenditure on Roads maintenance. This needs to be regu-lated as I think the money spent on maintaining and upgrading the roads are not directed where they should be.

• Police and Traffic control in local area. Instead of revenue collecting activities by police and council traffic wardens, their time to be better spent on crime prevention and road safety.

• Civic sense in maintaining high stan-dards in public – good behavior

• Discourage prostitution activities as happening now in Manurewa

• Ethics Our society needs to have higher standards and ethical values. The cause of many crimes and prob-lems in our community are lack of basic value education from parents and schools. The children must be taught basic values such as honesty, integrity, discipline, diligence, respect for others, respect for elders and parents etc.

• Pride in Super city Auckland – Auck-land is a nice place to live in and inspire pride in the people living in our city. When we belie in ourselves, we can achiee higher goals as a community.

Kiwi Asian Journalism ScholarshipThe Asia New Zealand Foundation is offering an annual scholarship as a way of attracting more Asian New Zealanders into journalism.

The 2010 scholarship will apply to the 2011 calendar year and be for the value of $5000 to be paid on completion of the successful candi-date’s course of journalism study.

It is only the second time this scholarship has been offered. The inaugural scholarship winner is Corazon Miller who is currently studying journalism at AUT University.

The scholarship is designed to encourage greater representation of Asian communities in mainstream New Zealand journalism.

By way of background, a 2007 survey of New Zealand journalists undertaken by the New Zealand Journalism Training Organisa-tion (NZJTO) showed that only about 2 percent of all journalists working in the mainstream English language news media were Asian. This is despite Asian New Zealanders making up about ten percent of the population.

To be eligible to apply for the scholarship, candidates will need to be:• New Zealand permanent residents or pass-port holders• Asian or part Asian in ethnicity• Considering a career in news journalism• Under the age of 25 years• Be accepted into a course of journalism study at an NZJTO affiliated journalism school • Ability to speak an Asian language is an advantage

The deadline for applications is November 30, 2010.For more information, contact Asia New Zealand Foundation media adviser Charles Mabbett on [email protected] or 04 470 8701.

Deepawali fest aims to raise funds for quake victimsHindu Council of New Zealand intends to organise free Pranayama (Yogic techniques to regulate one’s life-force, specifically one’s breathing) and meditation sessions for Christ-church residents who have been affected by the earthquake earlier this month.

These classes will be coordinated through Aotearoa Research Organisation for Generic Yoga and Ayurveda (AROGYA), a division of Hindu Council of New Zealand.

The trauma of the earthquake and the psychological aftermath experienced by the victims is likely to last for weeks or even months after the incident, as psychologists and doctors have pointed out. Pranayama practices are widely used scientific yoga techniques that create mindfulness of the way one breathes, followed by meditation to calm the mind.

“The classes will be conducted by experi-enced volunteers and expert Pranayama teach-ers who will be able to work with the com-munity to manage stress and anxiety” said Dr Rajiv Chaturvedi, Media & Public Relations officer of Hindu Council of New Zealand.

“These techniques will help those who have endured the recent traumatic events and will assist the victims in their recovery process”.

Organisers of Rotorua Deepawali Festival 2010 are keen to support this initiative and will be raising funds for these classes on Sat-urday, 2 October 2010.

The 2nd of October is also the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi who devoted his life for helping others. The council invites anyone in-terested in helping or volunteering in any way to support this initiative for the Christchurch community. They may contact the Hindu Council of New Zealand ([email protected]).

The Rotorua Deepawali festival is a free

community event, the festival organisers are planning to place an appeal and dona-tion boxes at the festival venue to encourage people to contribute towards this cause.

People from various cultures, nationalities, ethnic groups, faiths, and belonging to various organisations will attend the Deepawali festi-val. The evening cultural show is now fully reserved.

The festival which started with a humble beginning in 2008 has grown and is now getting attention from not only the people of Rotorua but also from other parts of New Zealand

“We look forward to welcoming people from Auckland, Hamilton, Taupo, Tauranga, Whakatane, Taumarunui, Palmerston North and Wellington who are participating in this festival” said Dr Meeta Patel, Secretary of the Rotorua Deepawali Festival and Central Sec-retary of Hindu Council of New Zealand.

The focus of this year’s festival is youth leadership. To encourage youth participation and being mindful of their exam schedules, the festival has been advanced from Novem-ber to the first week of October. The festi-val committee has identified potential youth leaders and has involved them by giving them key responsibilities in the committee.

Deepawali (Hindu Festival of Lights) is celebrated all over the world. The Rotorua Deepawali Festival is proudly sponsored by a number of charitable organisations, supported by government agencies, businesses and com-munity organisations, and promoted by both print and electronic media.

The community is invited to enjoy this unique festival in a smoke-free, alcohol-free and meat-free environment on Saturday, 2 October 2010, starting at 10.00 am, at the Energy Events Centre, Rotorua.

Search on for New Zealand’s Community of the YearNominations are being sought from around the country for the Mitre 10 Community of the Year 2011 as part of the New Zealander of the Year Awards.

Nominees should be groups or organi-sations who are working together to build better communities. These groups will share a strong sense of community spirit and their work and accomplishments will play a vital role in enhancing the social, economic, cul-tural and environmental prosperity of their region.

Nominations could be made for a specific community project or the long term work of a group or organisation. It can even be the acknowledgement of an entire town or city

New Zealander of the Year Awards Manager Grant McCabe says “It is important to recognise and encourage the many groups and organisations whose efforts help to make our communities stronger, more vibrant and

better places to live”.The Community of the Year Award ac-

knowledge groups and organisations working together to build better communities while engaging the community to nominate and ac-knowledge these groups who are striving to make a difference.

The winner of the Mitre 10 Community of the Year 2011 will be awarded their trophy and $5,000 prize money at a gala awards presentation dinner in Auckland on the 2nd February 2011. All nominees will receive a certificate of achievement or encouragement in recognition of their contributions.

Nominations close on Friday 22nd October and nomination forms are available from Countdown Supermarkets, Kiwibank and Mitre 10 branches or by free phone 0508 692 927. You can also nominate online at www.nzawards.org.nz or text ‘nominate’ to 244 for more information.


Indian


Indian Community

Foundation plans medical assistance in Fiji Indian Weekender news desk The Friends of Fiji Health Foundation, a New Zealand based charitable organisation, was for-mally inaugurated on September 14 after its reg-istration under the Charitable Trust Act in July this year.

Mike Jaduram, past District Governor of Rotary and a prominent member of the Fijian community in New Zealand inaugurated the foundation at an event in Auckland.

A wide range of people from prominent medical practioners, businessmen, media, medical suppliers and civic leaders attended the function.

Former Fiji residents now living in New

Zealand who had the desire to contribute in a meaningful manner to the country of their birth set up the foundation. Six eminent medical spe-cialists plus seven others with professional and business backgrounds make up the trustees of the foundation.

With association and guidance from the Min-istry of Health in Fiji, the foundation will provide some of the necessary medical services in the public health system to the poor and the needy citizens of Fiji free of cost.

There are a large number of patients in Fiji suffering from a wide range of diseases requiring specialist and or surgical intervention. They are presently unable to receive these treatments in Fiji due to lack of resources. They are also unable

to travel abroad for treatment due to financial constraints. This is where the organisation feels it can be of help.

With the leadership of Dr Sunil Pillay (Chair-man) and its trustees, the foundation has already secured a team of motivated volunteers compris-ing specialist doctors, nurses, anaesthetists and some of the equipment and supplies that are nec-essary for the commencement of this project.

A team has already visited Fiji and in conjunc-tion with the medical authorities in the Western division of Fiji have identified the areas of high need.

Consequently, a team will be visiting Fiji in late November for a period of two weeks to carry out the some of the medical treatments that was

identified in the preliminary visit. This will be the first of many similar missions that will be taken over the years.

The team will comprise of 4 gynaecologists, 4 general physicians, 2 anaesthetists, technician and specialist nurses. An estimated 30 volunteers are expected to travel over a period of two weeks.

Some of the special surgical beds, criti-cal medicine and other specialist equipment have been shipped to Fiji and others will follow to ensure that the highest level of success is achieved.

The foundation is 100 % charitable with no administration costs. All service provided to assist in Fiji is 100% voluntary. The trustees themselves funded the September launch.

Dr Sunil Pillay -Chairman/TrusteeDr Sunil Pillay is from Narewa village in Nadi. He is a proud graduate of Fiji School of Medicine. Sunil did his postgraduate training

at the National Womens Hospital and has specialist qualifications from both England and Australia & New Zealand College of Ob-stetrician and Gynaecologist. He has served as the clinical director of Gynaecology at the National Women’s Hospital between 1998 and 2002. He is currently practising as a leading gynaecological endoscopic surgeon at Auck-land City Hospital. His private practice is at the Fertility Associates, Remuera. His special interest includes fertility medicine and ad-vance key-hole surgery. Dr Pillay performed the first Laparoscopic Assisted Menstrual (LAM) procedure in 2008 and has been recog-nised internationally for his contribution. He loves mountain biking and running.

Daven Naidu - Secretary/TrusteeManaging Director Logical Systems Ltd. Member: New Zealand In-stitute of Director.(NZIOD)Daven Naidu left Fiji in

1982 to pursue his education in NZ, com-pleting his final year secondary school at the Lynfield College, Auckland. Daven has NZCE (Electronics & Computer Technology) qualification from the Auckland University of Technology and Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Science from the University of Auckland. He joined Apple Computer as an Engineer and Technical Specialist holding various managerial positions within Apple/Renaissance & CDL Systems Ltd- one of New Zealand’s most successful Corporate Computer Resellers & Technical solutions providers in New Zealand. In 1994 he started his own business “Logical Systems Ltd” expanding to two branches with acquisition to become business partners with some of the largest brands in the World, Apple Computer, HP, Microsoft, Lenovo, IBM, Cisco, Acer & Adobe Systems. In 2004, he set-up a branch operation of LSL Ltd in Fiji as sole distributor of Apple Computer and a first Apple Centre store in the Pacific Island. Daven is keen golfer and played up to national level repre-sentative hockey for Fiji & NZ.

Rajesh Chaudhary- Trea-surer/ TrusteeRajesh is a graduate of the University of the South Pacific - Fiji and Massey University - New Zealand. He migrated to New Zealand

in 1987 from Fiji. Rajesh has been work-ing in the fields of Audit, IT and Finance in Fiji, New Zealand and Australia for the past thirty five years. He has also served on the Boards of several multinational companies in Australia and New Zealand. Rajesh is also a qualified Personal Financial Adviser.His

current professional affiliations are: Chartered Accountant – Institute of Chartered Accoun-tants of New Zealand Chartered Secretary – Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators – London.

Dr Rajen Prasad-TrusteeMember of Parliament.Dr Rajen Prasad is a former Associate Professor in So-cial Policy and Social Work from Massey University. He was New Zealand’s Race

Relations Conciliator from 1996 to 2001 and served in 2003/4 as a Member of the Resi-dence Review Board. He was the founding Chief Commissioner of the Families Com-mission from 2004 to 2008 before becoming a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party at the last election in November 2008.Dr Prasad is the party spokesperson for Community and Voluntary Sector, Associate Spokesperson for Social Development and Employment with responsibility for Child Youth and Family and for family policy. He is also an Associate Spokesperson for Ethnic Affairs.

Bob Naidu-Trustee Bob Naidu after completing his studies at Auckland Uni-versity returned to Fiji and worked for 4 years before returning with his family to Auckland in 1975.

He joined NZ Steel at Glenbrook and was later transferred to the Head Office of BHP Steel in Melbourne and then to Kuala Lumpur and then back to Woolongong in NSW.In his 33 years career with NZ Steel/BHP Steel and Bluescope steel, he held a number of senior Technical and Management posi-tions until he retired in early 2009 and shifted back to Auckland.He is currently semi retired and does some consultancy work in the field of Process Engineering

Mukesh Parshottam -Auditor BCA (Vic) CA Mukesh graduated from Vic-toria University in 1978 with a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration Degree.

He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Zealand. His working career over the last 30 years has covered both the commercial and professional accountancy sectors. He has worked in large manufacturing companies in senior finance roles with signifi-cant experience in acquisition and mergers. Mukesh has worked in two of the “Big 4” accounting firms, where he held senior audit roles within these firms. As a Director of Oswin Griffiths – DFK Ltd and Partner of Oswin Griffiths - DFK, Mukesh oversees a diversity of services of-fered to clients including commercial property management, financial planning, management accounting for businesses and individuals, tax planning and auditing. Mukesh’s extensive experience enables him to provide both expe-

ditious and cost effective service.

Radhe K Nand LLB -Trustee/Legal Advisor.Radhe Nand migrated from Fiji in 1982. He read law at the University of Auck-land and on achieving his Bachelor of Laws degree in

1986 was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand. Over the past 24 years, Radhe has forayed into various branches of law, including corpo-rate structures, residential and commercial properties, family trusts, family law, com-mercial/corporate, immigration and litigation, amassing in the process a client base that encompasses ordinary individuals to corporate and high profile clients. Radhe has worked in well-established law firms (including being a partner) has been a member of the Property/Business Law and Immigration/Refugee Law sub-committees of the Auckland District Law Society; is a member of the Mental Health Review Tribunal; and besides currently run-ning a successful practice as partner of Patel Nand Legal is also Honorary Legal Counsel to several religious, sporting, cultural and educational organisations in NZ and abroad.

Dr Dhana Gounder -TrusteeTransfusion Medicine Spe-cialist New Zealand Blood Service.Dhana Gounder was the Consultant Pathologist at

Lautoka Hospital, Fiji from 1989 to 2003. He migrated to New Zealand in 2004 to take up his present position with the New Zealand Blood Service. His lead clinical roles are in the area of stem cell harvesting and process-ing, patient plasma apheresis and blood banking and holds membership of several international transfusion medicine societies.

Dr Rishi Ram -TrusteeFRACS General SurgeonDr Rishi Ram is former res-ident of Nadi, Fiji, migrated to New Zealand in 1987. He has completed his surgical training in New Zealand and

Australia. Dr Rishi Ram is a general surgeon and works in Public & Private Hospitals . He works as a general surgeon at public Auckland City Hospital and in Private at the Auckland Surgical Centre based in Remuera, Mercy Ascot and Southern Cross Hospital.

Dr Ajay Kumar -TrusteeDr A Kumar, Former resi-dent of Suva Fiji, Migrated to NZ 1994, Graduate of University of South Pacific/Fiji School of Medicine. Post Graduate education

and dual training completed 2002, Specialist Physician/Geriatrician. For the past 7 yrs with Counties Manukau District Health Board as clinical Stroke Physician, Geriatrician. Dr Kumar is Senior Clinical Lecturer in clinical

Medicine with Auckland University Medi-cal School. Research interest includes Acute Stroke Therapies, Primary, Secondary and tertiary therapies/prevention especially TIA, investigation /prevention and treatment of early Cognitive impairment and Dememtia, Has been involved in Interna-tional Multicenter Acute Stroke Therapies and PI at local site.

Dr Vinod Singh -Trustee.Trustee Friends of Fiji Health (NZ) Inc. Chairman Friends of Fiji Heart FoundationDr Vinod Singh is originally from Nadi and has been living in New Zealand since 1986. He has a very soft spot for people of Fiji hence been back to work in Fiji Hospitals twice during these last 25 years. He is also the Chairman of Friends of Fiji Heart Foundation which has been sending open heart surgery team to Fiji for last 5 years. Dr Singh is a full time Consultant physician in acute stroke and acute internal medicine in North Shore Hos-pital. He has very keen interest in teaching and has been working as a Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer in Medicine ,University of Auckland for last 10 years. He holds other social and academic positions .For the last 3 years he has been the Chairman of New Zea-land VTE prevention Forum, whose member-ship spans across all major hospitals in New Zealand, and has very close ties with medical professionals in England, the pioneers in this field of Medicine.

Mr Deepak Tahal - Chief Executive OfficerTrustee Friends of Fiji Health (NZ) Inc. Trustee Friend of Fiji Heart Foundation.Deepak is a director of Tahal Group of Com-panies with Business Experience of over 20 years in Poultry, Hotel, wholesale and retail business through out Fiji, New Zealand and Australia. Deepak is the founding member of Friends of Fiji Heart Foundation and is the key person behind establishing the Friends of Fiji Health. With Charity in his soul Deepak is leading the organization as the current CEO. Deepak has a keen interest in golfer.

Dr Rajendra Kumar -TrusteeDr Kumar is from Lautoka and a graduate of Fiji School on Medicine. He completed his postgraduate training at National Women’s Hospital and is Fellow of Australian & NZ College of Obstetrician and Gynaecologist. He is a senior Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Waitemata Health. He is keen golfer win-ning many tournaments within the medical golfing community.

Dr Ravindra Raj -TrusteeDr Raj is from Nasinu and a graduate of Fiji School on Medicine. He completed his postgraduate training at National Women’s Hospital and is Fellow of Royal Australian& NZ College of Obstetrician and Gynaecolo-gist. He is a senior specialist at MiddleMore Hospital. A keen runner and does several marathons annually.

trustees


Indian

ram IyerGanesha Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi in the southern parts of India, was celebrated with great devotion and ceremony both in homes, temples and community centres around Auckland and New Zealand.

Celebrations at the Auckland Sri Ganesh Temple, Papakura – the only Ganesh temple in New Zealand was a described as a “huge success” by devotees.

The recent com-pletion of the new hall to accommodate the thousands of devotees who witnessed and enjoyed the poojas conducted by the cel-ebrated chief priest Sivsri Chandru Ku-rukkal and assisted by the second Priest Vasudeva Kurukkal proved timely for the convenience of the surging number of devotees.

More than 2500 devotees are reported to have witnessed and attended celebrations and ceremonies at the temple from all over New Zealand.

The first pooja commenced with the early morning pooja at 5.00am and carried out through the day with the finale at 7.30pm with 108 kalasa abishekam. Maha Prasad was served throughout the day. The grand pooja took place in the evening with the main and final arthi which commenced at 7.30pm.

Lord Ganesh was beautifully decorated with sandalwood paste.

Other major celebrations around Auckland were at the Halsey Drive School in Lynfield where the Marathi Mandal had its well-attended

event and the NZ Amchis celebrations at Mount Eden. As well as the puja and a delicious repast, those present had the opportunity to listed to beautifully sung bhajans by Pandit Balachandra Bhat accompanied on the harmonium by Sameer Bhalodkar and the table by young Vishaal.

The celebrations at the Thiru temple in Ellerslie were also well attended, according to reports received by Indian Weekender.

Community

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated with fervour

Children celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi More than 50 children under the age of 16 years guided by parents performed Ganesh pooja last weekend at two venues in Auckland.

The pooja was held from 11.00 am to 1.00 pm on Saturday, 18 September 2010 at two lo-cations: Mt Roskill Intermediate School Hall, Mt Roskill; and Pakuranga Intermediate School Hall, Pakuranga. Shri Prakash Joshi and Shri Prabhakar presided over the ceremonies at Pak-uranga and Mt Roskill respectively.

This is the first time such programme has been organised in Auckland. The public celebra-tion of this festival in Auckland had a humble beginning. It is hoped that the celebration of the festival will become bigger and better each year.

The kids got an opportunity to learn about the significance of this pooja, as they were ex-plained the meaning of every step in the pooja.

Seven year old Atul Kodla said, “I went to the Ganesh pooja which was taught by a priest. I liked the cute Ganesh idol. With the guidance

of the priest I gave Ganesh a shower by dipping a petal into some water and sprinkling water all over the idol of Ganesh.

“Then I put some kum kum and decorated with flowers. Then we offered food for Ganesh. After that, we showed diya and prayed for good life, excellent education and beautiful health. I was amazed because Ganesh has 108 names and we chanted 16 names. At last I got what I wanted – delicious, soft prasadam.”

The Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) or-ganised the event. “Lord Ganesh is worshipped before the beginning of any auspicious work or occasion by Hindus. Rightly, we also started our first public programme with Ganesh Chaturthi”, said Shrikant Bhave, General Secretary of HSS.

“As our focus is on developing leadership, inculcating good moral values and an under-standing of our culture in children, we organ-ised this festival mainly for kids,” Mr Bhave added.

Over 150 members of the community joined in Muthamil Tamil Sangam’s India Day celebrations last month.

“Both children and adults enjoyed the great food and the presentations in a relaxed and easy atmosphere,” said Mr S. Subbiah, in a report from the Sangam.

What is Ganesh Charthurti?Ganesh Chaturthi is the day when Lord Ganesh was born, he is also known as the god of wisdom and prosperity and remover of obstacles. Ganesh is the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati and his birth is believed in Hindu mythology, he was created through sandalwood paste and Parvati breathed life into him.

Parvati then went to have her bath and asked his son, Ganesh to stand guard and her instructions to Ganesha was not to let anyone in whilst she was bathing. It so happened that Lord Shiva returned home and to find this little Ganesh standing guard and obstructing him from entering his home.

Lord Shiva was very irritated by this obstruc-tion and being stopped by a small child at this own doorstep, irritated and and the very annoyed Shiva in spite of his warnings and requests to give way, had to severe him and enter the house.

On seeing and realising what had happened the very upset mother, Parvati pleaded that the son be revived by Shiva. Shiva requested that a head be brought to replace the severed one and the only life being that of a elephant which was handed over to the Lord who revived the boy with the elephant’s head.

It is this day when the Lord Ganesh was born that the day is celebrated as Ganesh Charturthi. This festival is celebrated in a huge way in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and is believed to be one of the fastest growing festi-vals around the world. In New Zealand this festival is celebrated in a grand style at the Auckland Sri Ganesh Temple in Papakura.


Indian

Senior citizens enjoy Northland tripCommunity

Shahnaz Husain, pioneer and leader of Ay-urvedic Beauty Care has received unprecedent-ed International acclaim and recognition for promoting the ancient science of Ayurveda and making it relevant to modern demands.

She heads the largest organisation of it’s kind in the world with a product range of over 350 formulations for skin, hair, body and health care with a global distribu-tion and franchise network in more than 100 countries where Shahnaz Husain has become an International Brand.

The recently held Summit on Entrepreneurship was par-ticularly significant in terms of women’s empowerment. Shahnaz Husain who was invited to represent India at the prestigious Presidential Summit in Washington DC, spoke about unleashing woman power and received a standing ovation.

Known for her unique busi-ness acumen and marketing strategies, Shahnaz Husain was invited to lecture in Havard Business School, Boston, USA on “How to create a World Class Brand without advertising”. Harvard Business School has made Shahnaz Husain’s success story as a case study. According to Professor Hayes of Harvard Business School, “She vio-lates every norm we teach”.

Shahnaz Husain has opened sales at the Lloyds Pharmacy in London’s most prestigious department store – “Selfridges” at Oxford Street in August this year. Shahnaz Husain’s herbal cosmetics have also sold in stores like Galleries Lafayette in Paris, Bloomingdales in New York, La Rina Scente in Milan and Seibu chain in Japan in the past. She recently launched the revolutionary anti-aging and path breaking skin rejuvenating programme “Plant

Stem Cell” range in London.Shahnaz Husain has contributed signifi-

cantly towards her social responsibility by empowering women and educating physi-cally challenged girls through her own initia-tive “Shamute” and “Shasight” which provide

free beauty training to speech & hearing impaired and blind girls.

Shahnaz Husain in New Zealand and Fiji

Recently Shahnaz Husain has officially opened their first Franchise (Signature Salon) in Auckland jointly with Ehsaas Beauty Care owned by Bindu Grover.

Bindu Grover (pictured) is a NZ Qualified, CIBTAC (Confederation of International Beauty Therapy and Cosme-tology) Certified and Shahnaz Husain Qualified Beauty Expert.

She represents the organisa-tion for New Zealand and Fiji. She has also acquired the sub franchise and distribution rights for Shahnaz Husain’s Products in New Zealand and Fiji.

This Shahnaz Husain’s Signature Salon is located at 40 Lincoln Road, Henderson, Auck-land.

Bindu may be contacted either through the website, which is www.herbalbeautyproducts.co.nz (click on “Ask an expert” on the top left corner) or on 09 9082440 / 0212568484.

Products are available on the website or through our approved stockists.

If you are a Beauty Therapist, and run your own clinic (even from home), or a retailer and would like to be an approved stockist of Shahnaz Husain or any other trade/franchise, contact Vinay on 09 9082440 or 0275568484.

dhiru PatelFor some of the 47 holidaymakers on the bus, this first weekend away with the Auckland Indian As-sociation Senior Citizens Group was also their first trip to the sunny north.

The trip started at 8.35am on the dot after a blessing from Panditji Shree Abhijitbhai of the Radha Krishna Temple at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre.

The weather was just right (after a night of bat-tering wind and rain). Jokes were recited, al-ternating with bhajans and genial banter as the bus reached NZ’s only oil refinery at Ruakaka. The Marsden Point Refinery has a 130 sq metre model on display and the group was given an overview of the complexity of the refin-ing processes as well as background on oil formation and drilling. The chemistry was beyond most peoples’ under-standing but everyone realised the work involved in producing petrol.

Onwards past the famously ornate Kawakawa toilets then lunch at Whangarei Falls, possibly the most photographed site in Whangarei. Most people were keen to walk the circuit and view the beau-tiful veil of water from the gully. A shared lunch, then the group voted to explore Russell by way of a return ferry trip, before settling into the comfort-able motel in Paihia. Landing at Russell, many searched out local sites while a few ventured out and climbed Flagstaff Hill where Hone Heke had once chopped down the flagpole four times in op-position to British Rule. The view over Russell and the bay were well worth the climb.

Sunday was a warm sunny day, everyone eager to get going and so the group set off for Kaitaia via Waitangi, Kerikeri and Ninety Mile Beach. A picturesque drive through rolling farmland, past citrus, pipfruit, avocado and kiwi orchards, then along a tranquil seaside the party stopped for lunch at Mangonui. Curries, cake, chai and hot chips never tasted so good. An early arrival at the motel enabled a get together with all hands on deck to cook and enjoy a homemade meal.

Monday morning saw once again, an earlier departure than scheduled. Snaking its way south through the hilly ranges and state forests, the group stopped for a rest at Omapere just south of Opononi (made famous by Opo the dolphin). The jetty and boat ramp offered beautiful panoramic views of the stunning

harbour and sand dunes. Onto Waipou forest to view Tane Mahuta, the

great Kauri standing 51.5m tall, having a girth of 13.77m and believed to be up to 2500 years old. The party continued south through Dargaville, the kumara growing country around Ruawai, along the Kaipara coast and back to a somewhat dismal Auckland evening.

The group was lucky to have had a very jovial and learned bus driver who not only helped with baggage and sightseeing but also educated the members by imparting her in-depth knowledge of the Maori wars and European settlement in North-land.

Even the dismal Auckland weather could not dampen the group’s spirits. A most memorable trip.

Aik Sham Mehdi Hasan kay naamPrasHaNt beLWaLkarEastern Arts & Cultural Society hosted the sons of legendary Ghazal singer Mehdi Hasan in a concert at the Dorothy Winston Theatre on September 18. Kamran Mehdi Hasan (vocals) and Imran Mehdi Hasan (Tabla), the sons of the maestro, were visiting New Zealand for the first time and a sizeable audience had gathered for their performance.

The evening started with an ayaan by Mirzaji, who followed it up with a ghazal “Meri duniya kharab kar dali”. Shobha Pathak regaled the audi-ences with her favourite numbers “Aaj Jane ki jid na karo” and “Ghungroo toot gaye”. Basant Madhur (Tabla), Surabhi Sharma (Violin) and Dharmesh Parikh on keyboards accompanied the artistes.

Ahsanji of Eastern Arts then introduced the duo of Kamran and Imran to the audience. They rep-resent the 17th generation of musical family, who have been “kalawant” for generations. Under the guidance of their father as well as Ustad Abdul Samar, Imran has honed his skills. He has been ac-companying Mehdiji for several years. Kamran too can play more than 10 instruments, arrange music as well as sing.

Kamran started the evening with the famous ghazal “Ranjish hi sahi” and brought the house down with the opening salvo. The tabla of Imran was exceptional. The ease with which he transi-tioned between pace and tempo of each verse was commendable. Shukdev Madhurji’s accompani-ment on the violin was excellent. The interludes that he played between the verses had a feeling of melancholy which only a seasoned artiste can bring out. Dharmesh had the tough task of filling in for several musicians on the keyboard, which of course he did it with ease. Ravi, on the dholak managed to fill in the void as well.

The evening though belonged to Kamran and Imran as they raced through some of the audience favourites “Jindagi mein sabhi”, “ham teri mehfil mein”, “Duniya kise ke pyar mein”. These ghazals are the most popular ones of Mehdiji and it would have been extremely difficult to please the audi-ence if they were not upto the mark. But Kamran

managed that with ease, with the able assistance of Imran.

Kamran also has the gift of connecting with the audience, his interactions, and translations of dif-ficult verses, made the atmosphere very homely and the got audiences in a mood to savour the flavours of songs by Mehdiji. Kamran then deftly moved to the film songs for which Mehdiji is also famous. Several of his hit songs have been used in Hindi movies as well. “Mohabbat mar nahin sakti” was used in Ashiqui (tu meri zindigai hain). Similarly “bahut khoobsurat hai mera sanam” was used in Sagar (bahut pyar karte hai tumko sanam), “Samne aake tujhko pukara nahi became ‘pardesi, pardesi jana nahin’ as well as ‘tum paas aye’.

Then he sang the famous “pyar ke do sharmile nain” which still is very popular with the audienc-es. The first half came to an end with the powerful “Mitwaa, mere man yeh bata”. It was well past 9 pm and two hours of singing hadn’t tired the duo a bit.

Post interval session started with a Tabla solo by Imran where he showed his range with Tabla styles from the Punjab, Baluchistan, Sind province.

Kamran then had the audiences humming to the tune of the legendary ghazal “guloon mein rang bhare”, an audience favourite. Several other farmai-shi (requests) followed which included “kaise kaise log”, “ek naye mode pe”, “ek kagaj phool jaisa”, tere mere pyar ka nata”, “baat karni mujhe kabhi mushil aise to nathi” and finally Ahmed Faraz’s “ab ke ham bichade”.

He then moved to traditional ghazals like “Rafta Rafta” and “Mujhe tum nazar se gira to na doge”. It was noteworthy that Kamran has written one of the sher (verse) of the ghazal himself, which his father sings at all live concerts. It is a very emotive sher and the audience just love it.

He had promised to sing Punjabi songs as well as pay a tribute to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Saheb at the end of the concert. The audience joined in the chorus of the Punjabi number “ dhai din na javani ke.. kurti malmal di”. The dhamar is a special singing style and has its own metre, which is very fast paced. The final number, a tribute to Nusratji, was “dum mast kalandar, mast mast”.

(Saturday 4th to Monday 6th September)

A picturesque drive through rolling farmland, past citrus, pipfruit, avocado and kiwi or-chards, then along a tranquil seaside the party stopped for lunch at Mangonui.

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Indian bollywood

Salman inspires Arjan Bajwa ‘Always’ wins best short film award at Anime

Dabangg creates bang at BO

Mumbai: Bollywood superstar, Salman Khan has been inspiration for not only commoners, but also fellow-actors.

Whether bringing health awareness among the youths or doing charity, Salman has made his place as an idol in India and abroad.

His star power is unavoidable; which is one of the reasons for his success at this age (45 years) too.

However not just common man, Sallu also in-spires many in Bollywood.

The latest example is, ‘Fashion’ Fame lad Arjan Bajwa, who was bowled over by Salman Khan’s kind gesture of blood donation recently, where the ‘Dabangg’ star pulled Aamir Khan as well to serve humanity.

On his birthday on Sept 3, Arjan started off his day by donating blood at a hospital in Mumbai, fol-lowing the footsteps of Salman.

Though Arjan was scheduled to shoot for Hema Malini’s directorial venture– “Tell Me Oh Khuda”, but he had sought permission from Hema ji to reach on the sets a couple of hours late as he wanted to make his birthday special this year.

“I attend my friend’s birthday parties which are very common but doing something for others is what I had always thought of and what better than donating blood? And when I saw Salman Bhai doing it for humanity, it gave me a boost and moti-vated me to start my birthday in a useful fashion. Also my mother is in town so her presence will double up the joy of birthday for me”, says a mo-tivated Arjan.

“Also I had met Salman Bhai recently at IIFA this year and I am a big fan of him like many others in our film fraternity. He is a true icon,” adds Arjan.

New Delhi: Students from Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC), India’s leading educator in high-end 3D Animation and Visual Effects won the best film award at Anime Cine Experience, 2010, a 3-day film festival orga-nized by Cine Darbaar, in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan, Directorate of Film Fes-tivals, Japan Foundation.

The festival was recently held at Siri Fort auditorium II, Delhi and was for the first time that a festival celebrated the Japanese-Anime, Manga (Comics) and Pop-culture in India.

The jury at the festival awarded ‘Always’ a short film made by the students of MAAC as the best short film in the Short Anime Corner. The film also bagged the 2st runner up position in 24FPS animation awards organized by MAAC.

Ram Warrier, Business Head, MAAC said, “Winning an award has always been an honour and it’s our constant endeavor at MAAC to produce work which would give MAAC, its students a global recognition.”

The festival brought the great anime works created in Japan like The Girl who leapt through time, Grave of the fireflies, 5cm per second, Voices of Distant Star, The Place Prom-ised in Our Early Days. In its inaugural edition the festival showcased Japanese comics, anime serial, short film competitions, pop-culture ex-hibitions.

Along with the short film competition, various workshops and special discussions forums on various topics by industry experts were organized at the festival.

The festival also brought with it an exhibi-tion of Manga (Japanese comics in English) along with a photography exhibition on Japan.

Mumbai: It is Slaman Khan and his latest re-leased movie ‘Dabangg’ that is making news as it broke all box-office history in just one week.

The movie created a new history by break-ing the opening weekend collection record of Aamir Khan’s movie ‘3 Idiots’, reports said.

Trade reports said ‘Dabangg’ has collect-ed a massive amount of approximately Rs 48 crores in the opening weekend.

It is the first movie to earn such a huge amount of collections in the opening weekend itself, reports said.

Earlier, ‘3 Idiots’ had created a new history at the box office by collecting Rs 41 crores in the opening weekend.

“Dabangg ne ‘khan’phuse kar diya sab ko :)” tweeted Arbaaz Khan who not only acted in the movie but also produced it.

“At times I wonder whether my film is as gr8 in merit as the business suggests, honest answer is no? But I’m not complaining. I’m lovin it,” he remarked.

“3 idiots is 1 of my favorite films & an all time classic. I feel so proud when my film is dis-cussed along w/ 3 idiots in terms of business,” he posted in his Twitter account ‘arbaazSkhan’.

The audience has appreciated the role of Salman Khan as ‘Chulbul Pandey’ and has even liked Sonakshi, who started her B-Town journey with this film.

It is indeed a powerful comeback by Salman after his movies like ‘Veer’ and ‘London Dreams’ failed one after the other at the box-office in recent times.

Truly, the movie has set a benchmark for all the future movies about to release in the festive season ahead.

Naseeruddin Shah is known as an actor who never repeats himself. Sreya Basu catches up with the National Award winner during shooting of Michael in Kolkata.

What is Michael all about?The film, directed by Ribhu Dasgupta, is a thriller centering a Kolkata-based Catholic fam-ily. I play Michael, an ex-cop, who tries to get a secured future for his son.

You started with art cinema, moved to commercial films, did television, an-chored cricket shows and also have done theatre. What makes you try differ-ent things all the time?I guess that’s what makes life worthwhile. I want to try everything that I feel I should…grab every dream I have. My earliest dream was to be an actor. I also wanted to be a cricketer; dreamt of being a filmmaker, and always wanted to be on the stage. So I feel pretty much blessed to get the opportunity to try my hand at all these things.

Is there anything that you wanted to do, but haven’t done so far?

Ya. I really, really want to make a film.

What kind of film?The kind of film I would like to see. I am really not fond of Hindi commercial cinema, I never was. These films never caught my fancy. I was fond of Ealing Studios’ comedies when I was a child. I loved westerns always, also war movies. I didn’t see any Hindi movies when in school.

My father was rather strict in selecting which movies we see and he will always accompany us to theatres. But then, there are actors from the Hindi film industry like Motilal, Balraj Sahni and Yakub, whom I find versatile. And I love Shammi Kapoor…I can never do things like he did.

so, which actors/directors really inspired you?People like Anthony Quinn, Paul Muni, Spencer Tracy and Charles Gordon had formative influ-

ence on me.

What was your childhood like?I was an unhappy kid. I had no friends; was not popular in school. I was neither good at studies, nor at games. I was one of the wallflow-ers whom nobody notices. I was withdrawn; didn’t speak much, not because I didn’t have anything to say, but used to feel that I will make a complete fool of myself if I open my mouth. I confessed about my passion for acting to my two brothers, who were extremely supportive; but dared not mention it to my father.

then, how did acting happen to you?As luck would have it, when at Class IX, my father pulled me out of my first school and put me in a school run by Indian Jesuit priests (St Anselm’s in Ajmer). There I got a group of friends and we enacted scenes from The Mer-chant of Venice where I played Shylock in close imitation of my all time favourite actor Geoffrey Kendal. And suddenly, my whole life changed. I was terrified for the first two seconds I was on stage…staring at black space in front of me (audience), with lights shining on my face. But as I started speaking, I could hear a bit of laugh-ter and a bit of approval from that black space. Honestly, that was the first taste of acceptance that I had in life and realized this is the place where I belong.

-TRANS WORLD FEATURES (TWF)

‘Not fond of Hindi commercial cinema’


Indian

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AuctionFriday 15th Oct 2010 at 2pm in rooms, 12 Osterley Way, Manukau (unless sold prior)View Saturday & Sunday 1.00-1.45pm or by appt, 87B & 89A Wallace RoadAshik Ali (Ricky) 262 6715 mobile 021 277 0858Kunaal Prasad 262 6710 mobile 021 240 9930Manukau Office 09 261 2555Don Ha Real Estate Ltd Licensed (reaa 2008)

Community

Vipassana Centre’s open day next monthThe Vipassana Trust extends a warm invita-tion to all to visit the centre on its open day on October 25, which is Labour Day.

There will be a chance to have a look around the Centre and find out about courses offered. Afternoon tea will be provided, and there are pleasant bush walks for those who have time.

Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India’s most ancient techniques of meditation

Vipassana is a technique that will eradi-cate suffering; a method of mental purifica-tion, which allows one to face life’s tensions in a calm, balanced way and an art of living that one can use to make positive contributions to society.

The technique is taught at ten-day residen-tial courses during which participants learn the basics of the method, and practise sufficiently to experience its beneficial results.

Vipassana teaches those who practise it to be self-dependent, rather than to be dependent on a teacher.

The practice is a universal remedy for uni-versal problems and has nothing to do with any organised religion. For this reason, it can be practised by everyone, at any time, in any place, without conflict due to race, community or re-ligion, and will prove equally beneficial to one and all.

Vipassana is a practical technique, which enables one to lead a more positive, balanced and happy life.

Courses are run solely on a donation basis. When: Monday 25 October 2010 (Labour Day) 1.00 – 4.00 pm

Where: 153 Burnside Road, Makarau Kaukapakapa, Phone 09 420 5319(www.medini.dhamma.org)Directions: Go 9.2 km. north of Kaukapakapa on the Main State Highway 16, turn right into Makarau Rd, then, after 2.5 km, turn left into Burnside Rd. The Vipassana Centre is 1.7 km along Burnside Rd on the left, (look for AA signs on SH16 and Makarau Rd).

The people of Indian Community are punching way above their weight in the upcoming local body elections. There are 32 candidates of Indian origin/ethnic-ity standing for the local boards, district health board and council. Among them is Ram Rai, who is a Citizens & Ratepayers candidate for Mt Roskill (Puketapapa) in the Auckland City Council election.

Mr Rai has always evinced keen inter-est both in politics and social work. In fact, he has viewed politics as a means to achieve social objectives. As a young student from Mangalore, Karnataka, he was encouraged by his forward-thinking mother to challenge himself outside his comfort-zone. This saw him take a state scholarship to an engineering college in Kurukshetra, Haryana instead of choos-ing to study closer to home in Mangalore. While there, he learnt the art of states-manship through student body elections. Learning Hindi and garnering a working knowledge of Punjabi, he learnt to work with people across the language and social divide.

Immigrating to New Zealand in the late 1980s, he has travelled widely and was involved in the healthcare industry for a couple of decades before running his own businesses in Auckland. He understands many cultures and looks forward to celebrating a unity within the exciting diversity that is so wonderfully represented in the Mt Roskill electorate.

Mr Rai has a very good perspective both as a well-integrated immigrant and a business owner who employed over 30 staff. He has great empathy towards people who are in exploitative positions due to misinformation or general misfor-tune. Several people have come to him with problems that he has assisted them with, for no pecuniary gain.

His vision for Auckland is to grow this engine-room of New Zealand with af-fordable rates, efficient and cost effective transportation linking the wider Auck-land, and to achieve a greater understand-ing between people of colours and races. There is no reason why Auckland cannot serve as a melting pot in a cultural sense, and set an example to all New Zealanders. He would work towards cost minimiza-tion and culling wasteful expenditure to help keep rates down. His party, Citizens & Ratepayers, has a proven track record of linking rate rises on par with inf lation.

Citizens & Ratepayers support the in-cumbent Mayor John Banks for the top job in the Auckland Council. Mr Rai is a fervent supporter of all activities that present opportunities to the youth of the country. He believes in giving the right guidance and support from an early age so that our youth develop self esteem and become productive members of society.

Phone: 021-655922 Email: [email protected]

Ram Rai: Citizens & Ratepayers candidate for Mt Roskill (Puketapapa) in the Auckland City Council election


Indian


Indian

Nrityabhinaya’s(Anuradha School of Indian Dances)

Present

A Bharat Natyam Dance Drama

Saturday 2nd October 2010 6:30 pm

VenueDorothy Winstone Centre

(Auckland Girls Grammar School)16 Howe Street, Newton

Tickets - $25 & $20Produced, Directed &

Choreographed byMrs Anuradha Ramkumar

Its a CFI Ltd Anniversary Presentation

For tickets contact Anuradha 09 627 4117 / 021 155 0714, Ramkumar 021 072 0027Ram Iyer 09 827 0559 / 021 529 982 or Email: [email protected]

CALVIN ROCHE

HEALTHCARE PHARMACYCLENDON


Indian Column

For chai /coffee machine contact the above phone numbers

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Gaining wealth over time is about sensibly and regularly accumulating good invest-ments. Most people can manage their own lives and find a little extra to invest if they are motivated and are planning about the future. New Zealand has a very open economy and with investments available in virtually every sector New Zealanders can select from some of the Worlds best investments.

Investment Research Group offers clients the full range of investment products.

If you want a higher rate on short term deposits or if you want a very good yield on a quality Bonds, IRG can find these for you. Short term rates can be between 4% and 6%.

Quality bonds like Greenstone offer solid rates of 7.35 % for 6 years (Issue closing on 15th September 2010) and Manukau City (soon to be Supercity) offers a rate of 6.45% for 7 years (Issue closing on 24th September 2010).

These rates are not the silly rates offered by finance companies, they are sensible rates offered by stable and quality borrowers with significant assets. So if you want to invest hurry !!! these issues will close in next 2 to 3 weeks.

IRG also has bonds that give rates as high as 10% but investors should understand the risks that go with such investment.

SharesShare really means share of profit. The

bond market is good but it gives you a fixed return. Shares are open-ended. You can make far greater returns (or losses) buying shares.

IRG can give clients access to shares in NZ (like Telecom, Tower etc); in Australia (like BHP, ANZ, Rio Tinto etc); in the USA

(like Apple, Microsoft etc); and also in Hong Kong, UK, Canada.

IRG has noticed that Indian inves-tors often like Bond investments, but they really get excited by shares. “The ease of opening trading accounts in New Zealand means anyone can open accounts and start to invest” said Mr. Brent King, Managing Director of IRG. Indian Investors like the prospect of 30, 40 or 50% returns.

IRG offers not only accounts opening, investing and trading services but also does research, recommendations, newsletters and media publications that give investment in-formation, knowledge and training which allow Investors to make there own decisions.

“We have had some tremendous returns over the last 12 months in stocks like Lynas Corp (ASX:LYS) an Australian producer of rare earth metals. IRG recommended this in July at A$ 0.59c and the price now is A$ 1.15. A return of 100% in just 2 months !!!!! The Australian resource sector shares have been the winners in recent times” said Mr. King.

This is not an everyday event however opportunities like these do come up and IRG monitors and recommends them to clients who can successfully en-cash such oppor-tunities.

All people interested in knowing more about how and where to invest to gain wealth over time, to secure income after retire-ment and to develop a systematic long term savings plan, should contact Sankul Kothari on 09 304 0225, 0211615448, 0800 474 669, [email protected]

Bonds give good returns but shares give a SHARE OF WEALTH

Shares mean Share of wealth


Indian Heritage

raM LINGaM

Dinner with Mahatma Gandhi….anyone?

Competitions age between – 3-16 yrs

is`K hYrItyj skUl inaUzIlYNf

SIKH CHILDREN'S DAYSIKH CHILDREN'S DAY

Registration forms available at: All Gurdwara Sahib’s

or download form & Guidelines www.nzsikh.org

Register by rddate 3 October 2010

Face Painting on this dayPrize Giving

Lots of Attractions

Speech CompetitionSubject (Sewa/Gurbani)

Art Competition all age groups

Boys Joora& Patka

Tying

Gatka

Registration

$10 p/child

Roti Making

Kirtan

Boys/Girls Dastar

Please PH or TEXT for info:Manpreet Singh - 0273674644

[email protected]@xtra.co.nz

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“Hi. I’m Lilly. And if you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be,” President Obama was asked by a student named Lilly during his discussion (in 2009) with ninth graders at Wakefield High School in Arlington Virginia.

President Obama replied: “Dinner with anyone dead or alive? Well, you know, dead or alive, that’s a pretty big list,” Obama re-sponded amidst laughter. The next moment he was serious and said “You know, I think that it might be Gandhi, who is a real hero of mine,” Obama said. “Now, it would probably be a really small meal because he didn’t eat a lot,” he said amidst laughter. But Mahatma Gandhi is someone who has inspired people across the world for the past several genera-tions, he said.

“What was interesting was that he ended up doing so much and changing the world just by the power of his ethics, by his ability to change how people saw each other and saw themselves -- and help people who thought they had no power realise that they had power, and then help people who had a lot of power realise that if all they’re doing is op-pressing people, then that’s not a really good exercise of power. I am always interested in people who are able to bring about change, not through violence, not through money, but through the force of their personality and their ethical and moral stances. That is some-body that I would love to sit down and talk to,” Obama said.

“In my life, I have always looked to Mahatma Gandhi as an inspiration, because

he embodies the kind of transformational change that can be made when ordinary people come together to do extraordinary things,” he wrote in an ethnic Indian newspaper last year. That is why his portrait hangs in my Senate office; to remind me that real results will not just come from Washington, they will come from the people,” President Obama said.

To know Gandhiji is to know how wisdom is put into practice in every day life. Here is a sample of Gandhiji’s note-worthy words of wisdom on sublime themes like GOD, Life and religion.

God: “I am im-patient to realize the presence of my Maker, Who to me embodies Truth and in the early part of my career I discov-ered that if I was to realize Truth, I must obey, even at the cost of my life, the law of Love”

Sanatana Dharma: “I call myself a Sana-tani Hindu, because I believe in the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas, and all that goes by the name of Hindu scripture, and therefore in avataras and rebirth; I believe in the var-

nashrama dharma in a sense, in my opinion strictly Vedic but not in its presently popular crude sense; I believe in the protection of cow … I do not disbelieve in murti puja.” (Young India: June 10, 1921)

The Teachings of the Gita: “Hinduism as I know it entirely satisfies my soul, fills my

whole being … When doubts haunt me, when disap-pointments stare me in the face, and when I see not one ray of light on the horizon, I turn to the Bhagavad Gita, and find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of over-whelming sorrow. My life has been full of tragedies and if they have not left any visible and indelible effect on me, I owe it to the teachings

of the Bhagavad Gita.” (Young India: June 8, 1925)

God is Strength: “Who am I? I have no strength save what God gives me. I have no authority over my countrymen save the pure moral. If He holds me to be a pure instrument for the spread of non-violence in place of the

awful violence now ruling the earth, He will give me the strength and show me the way. My greatest weapon is mute prayer. The cause of peace is therefore, in God’s good hands.”

All Religions are True: “I came to the conclusion long ago … that all religions were true and also that all had some error in them, and whilst I hold by my own, I should hold others as dear as Hinduism. So we can only pray, if we are Hindus, not that a Christian should become a Hindu … But our innermost prayer should be a Hindu should be a better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim, a Christian a better Christian.

Seeking God: “I worship God as Truth only. I have not yet found Him, but I am seeking after Him. I am prepared to sacri-fice the things dearest to me in pursuit of this quest. Even if the sacrifice demanded my very life, I hope I may be prepared to give it.

Religion - a Matter of the Heart: “True re-ligion is not a narrow dogma. It is not exter-nal observance. It is faith in God and living in the presence of God. It means faith in a future life, in truth and Ahimsa…. Religion is a matter of the heart. No physical incon-venience can warrant abandonment of one’s own religion.

Faith in God: “Everyone has faith in God though everyone does not know it. For every-one has faith in himself and that multiplied to the nth degree is God. The sum total of all that lives is God. We may not be God, but we are of God, even as a little drop of water is of the ocean.”

October 2 is Gandhi Jayanti when India marks the birth of the father of the nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.

“In my life, I have always looked to Mahatma Gandhi as an inspiration, because he embodies the kind of transformational change that can be made when ordinary people come together to do extraordinary things”

– President Obama on Gandhi


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According to the World Health Organisation, “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.

Who does not want to be healthy and how do you define “healthy”?

In simple terms, a healthy person feels good and energetic both physically and mentally and indulges in healthy eating, exercise and restrains from all vices such as smoking.

A few small changes in the daily life of an in-dividual – like adding colour by way of fruits and veggies in their diet, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and so on pave the foundation on which a healthy lifestyle is built.

Eating healthy is an essential part of leading a healthy lifestyle. A balanced diet not only helps in managing our weight but also prevents against the dangers of falling in the vicious trap of chronic ill-nesses.

The key to success is not a rigorous or a dramatic change in one’s daily activity, in fact research has proved that such changes generally fail to lead nec-essary changes and causes an early burn out. It is ideal to lead changes which are simple and minimal but with a significant impact.

Adding fruits and veggies not only provides us with the much needed colour to our plate but are also rich sources of vitamins, antioxidants and fibre.

Choose effectively when shopping, learn to read labels. Join your neighbourhood supermarket tours that will help you to understand labels and make the right food choice. Change to trim or low fat milk in place of full fat milk; make sure you add some salad to your meals; opt for a low fat salad dressing. Pick your favourite food and choose a low fat option the next time you go shopping. Remember it is these small changes that will help you with leading your

lifestyle change.In the forthcoming issues I will discuss and

explain the food pyramid and share a few more tips on healthy food.

Another important component of a healthy life-style is physical activity. Exercise in any form is good and one can start building a healthier lifestyle by adding some activity in everyday life.

Some simple changes could be stepping out of the couch and spending some quality time with your near and dear ones, taking them for walks or going for a run. With summer just around the corner, out-doors is the place to be.

Gardening is another great activity, so pick up the rake and have a go. Give your car a good wash. If confined in the house due to the weather, vacu-uming is a good way to get your body moving. Park your car a couple of blocks away and walk to work or during your lunch – get out and check out the neighbourhood. At your workplace, walk across to your colleagues desk rather than calling or emailing. Make regular workout a part of your daily routine – 30 minutes physical activity of moderate intensity, on most or all days a week is what is recommended. Look around for simpler and enjoyable solutions to get your body moving, if possible add some vigorous activity in your lifestyle for extra benefits.

By leading a healthy lifestyle if you achieve a modest weight loss, this can greatly benefit your health in the long run.

Do you have any health, nutrition or diet related queries? Feel free to let me know and I will endea-vour to include them in my forthcoming articles. Until next time …be healthy …eat healthy ….feel great.

You can also visit my website www.varshaas-rani.com or email me at [email protected] for more information and programmes.

Eat healthy feel healthy: the healthier start to life

varsHa asraNI


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Issue 38 - Volume 2