8 May, 2015 Vol. 7 Issue 7 | www.iwk.co.

nz

New Zealands first Kiwi-Indian weekly newspaper

The Pulse of Kiwi-Indians

2015

KIWI INDIAN

YOUNG ACHIEVER

2015

FREEY
COP

Auckland Christchurch Wellington Hamilton Palmerston North Hastings Invercargill

2015

KIWI INDIAN

UNSUNG HERO

2015

IN PURSUIT OF
HAPPINESS
over-worked,
under-paid
MIGRANT
WORKERS

NEW ZEALAND

8 May 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

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NEW ZEALAND

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In pursuit of a home away from home

The story of migrant workers trying to build their dreams in New Zealand
Maya Shivam

n continuation of our three

parts story, from last week
on the state of the overseas
(Indian) students, we look at the
state of migrant workers this
week. In reality, a large number
of these students make up the
section we call migrant workers.
The abuse and exploitation of
migrant workers that has come
to light recently, has perhaps
pushed the Government to take
a serious look at the Immigration
amendment bill that takes a
serious look at this.
The Immigration Amendment
Bill (No 2) which cracks down on
employers who exploit migrant
workers, has passed its final
reading in parliament.
I have been concerned about
reports of migrant exploitation
and am confident this new
legislation will make a big
difference in protecting some of

our most vulnerable workers,

says Michael Woodhouse, the
Minister of Immigration. The
fundamental principle is that
migrant workers have the same
employment rights as all other
workers in New Zealand.
Under the new law, employers

who exploit temporary workers

will face a jail sentence of up to
seven years, a fine not exceeding
$100,000, or both. A new offence
has also been introduced for
employers who exploit legal
temporary or unlawful workers
and are reckless as to their

immigration status. This offence

carries a jail sentence of up to
five years, a fine not exceeding
$100,000, or both.In addition,
exploitative employers who hold
residence visas will also be liable
for deportation if the offence was
committed within 10 years of
gaining residence.
The tough penalties reflect the
seriousness of such offences and
reinforces that this Government
does not tolerate employers
who exploit migrant labour for
their own commercial advantage
and will do everything possible
to stamp out this abhorrent
practice, says Woodhouse.
The Bill also extends the search
powers of immigration officers so
they can search an employers
premises and talk to the people
present to identify offending by
employers. They will also be able
to check documents and search
for unlawful workers.
The Government has already

made a number of changes to

detect and address migrant
exploitation that encourages
victims of serious workplace
exploitation to come forward
and report that exploitation, and
this new legislation complements
those changes.
We are also spending more
than $7 million over four years
to boost the number of labour
inspectors
and
immigration
officers
dealing
with
the
Canterbury
rebuild,
says
Woodhouse.
Although the bill covers
off many areas of migrant
exploitation, the problem is
perhaps a little more complex
and reforming the situation will
need time, education, awareness
and also greater support for the
migrants who find themselves in
this predicament.
We tried to delve slightly
deeper into this issue and
Continued on Pg 4

NEW ZEALAND

8 May 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Continued from Pg 3

realised some facts that perhaps

contribute to the state of migrant
workers and what makes them
vulnerable to exploitation. To
start with, temporary migrant
workers can be particularly
more vulnerable to exploitation
because they cannot access social
services and, in particular, income
support. Also if there are certain
restrictions or conditions on their
visa, they are often reluctant to
approach the authorities for fear
of the consequences for their
immigration status. In addition,
many migrants are not familiar
with New Zealands institutions
or their employment rights under
New Zealand legislation.
Statistics show that most
students, specially coming from
India, arrive with a view to
secure a permanent residence
for themselves on completion of
their study. A large number of
them have families back home
who are paying off huge loans
to help them settle overseas.
Generally, students who are
granted work rights, their visa
conditions specify that they may
only work for up to 20 hours in
any given week and full-time over
the Christmas/New Year holiday
period. It has become evident
that students, possibly because
they are underpaid by their
employer, want to work longer
hours, making them in breach
of their visa conditions (with
potential liability for deportation
and/or impacts on subsequent
visa applications). In many cases,
students who do not have work
rights also continue to work to

Red

make ends meet and therefore

do not complain about their work
situations.
Also,
both
international
students with work rights and
those on essential skills visa have
employment conditions on their
visas that, if breached, could
make them liable for deportation
or could potentially affect
subsequent visa applications. This
fear of immigration consequences
can be exploited by unscrupulous
employers. For these workers,
their visa conditions stipulate
the occupation that the worker
must work in and the employer
that the worker must work for.
Because their visa is tied to a
specific employer, if they leave

their job, they can lose their visa

and therefore become liable for
deportation.
Unlike New Zealand citizens
or permanent residents who have
access to our welfare system,
temporary migrant workers do
not have a safety net and may be
more reliant on their employer.
In addition, the ability for
migrant workers to stay in New
Zealand may require the support
of their employer, creating an
even greater power imbalance
between employer and employee.
Therefore, migrant workers need
additional protection over and
above that of other workers.
New Zealand is a small
economy and therefore profits in

small business enterprises are not

very large. Employers therefore
possibly seek to gain a commercial
advantage by employing migrants
on terms below minimum
employment
standards.
For
example, an employer who pays
two workers $5 an hour less
than their entitlement for a 40
hour week is saving $400 per
week or $20,000 per annum in
overheads. By avoiding the full
costs of employing workers on
a lawful bias, the commercial
advantage gained by exploitative
employers can potentially drive
compliant businesses out of the
market.
The Labour Inspectorate has
only been collecting data on

employees migrant status since

July 2012, so an understanding
of the trueBlack
scale of the Orange
problem
is still limited. Between July
2012 and May 2013 the Labour
Inspectorate
has
completed
investigations of approximately
180 complaints that involve
breaches of the Minimum Wage
Act 1983.
The
Labour
Inspectorate
and Immigration New Zealand
(INZ) report that it is common
for employers who exploit
migrant workers to themselves
be former migrants. There are
certain sectors where exploitation
of migrant workers is more
prevalent, for example, lower
skilled work in horticulture/
viticulture, hospitality, retail
and
construction.
Migrant
exploitation is also prevalent
where there is reliance on labour
contracting as a business model.
Looking at the other side of
the coin, some well-intentioned
employers often find themselves
being used by their employees
who leave them in the lurch
as soon as their Residence
formalities are completed. We
heard many stories of employers
who
lost
their
employees
overnight once their residence
applications had been approved.
Having invested and supported
their migrant employees, small
business owners feel let down and
short changed.
Although the passing of this
bill is a step in the right direction
but there is still a lot of ground to
be covered, if the government is
serious about resolving this issue
with migrant workers.

There is a lot to be said and heard on this subject, but we decided to venture into the community and speak to some
employers and employees to hear what the reality on the ground was like. The people sharing their stories here, wish their
identities to be unknown and we respect their privacy. Here is what they had to say:
low as $5 per hour. I was a student when
three years. I started working at a pay rate as
have worked in a liquor store for more than
a job. And at a pay rate that low, I had to
y at that time that I could not survive without
I started working. I did not have much mone
expenses and save some of it for
ate an adequate amount of money to bare my
gener
to
order
in
to,
ed
allow
was
I
than
work more hours
a Dollar. I would work almost 15-18
at the same pay rate, which then increased by
year
half
a
and
one
st
almo
for
ed
work
future. I have
that you are only after Dollars. What
of 4 hours only. My friends used to tease me
sleep
short
a
get
to
home
come
d
woul
and
hours a day
what I was going through.
ld enjoy your life also. But I couldnt tell them
will you do with that lot of money, you shou
visa support from my employer, I had no
a
ed
need
I
or monthly paid leaves. Because
And that wasnt it. I never got any sick leave
orary visas and then we are left with these
companies do not hire immigrants with temp
other option than to get exploited. Because Kiwi
think the employers who complain for their
it as their opportunity to save their money. I
kind of jobs only where employers I think take
oyees with the basic benefits one should get.
make sure that they are providing their empl
staff using them for their visas, should also

Male, 27 years old

Male, 32 years old

wont say that I haven

t been exploited but my
exploitation period did
are not paid very well.
nt go too long. Like mo
And those behind exp
st of the people know,
loiting are also Indian
came here thinking tha
that Indians
s. This is the most dis
t people who belong to
he
art
ening fact of the exploi
ou
r
country will be helpful
our situation very well,
tation. I
to us. But they instead,
are exploiting their ow
having the advantage
n country-people. This
Everyone have heard
of
kn
ha
owing
s also largely ruined the
of the recent Masala
image of Indian in ma
controversy. It is one
for my visa assistance,
ny
cou
of
ntr
suc
ies.
h examples. My immi
told me that in case of
gration lawyer, when
Indian employers, immi
paying illegally in such
I went to him
gration is more carefu
companies. So, its cau
l
because they expect peo
sing a big problem for
misdeeds of a bunch of
ple working or
many genuine cases als
crooks.
o. We are the ones who
have to pay for the

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 May 2015

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Female, 43 years ol
d

am working as a beauti
cian with an Indian em
ployer. Shes
paying me $9 per ho
ur. I have been worki
ng
here from 3
years. My husband is
working in a good com
pany. We both are
PR holders. But we can
t run our house with
only his earnings.
So I have to work as
well. I cant speak ver
y good English so
have to work with Ind
ian employers. I have
to work 8-9 hours
continuously in 15 mi
nutes of lunch break.
I cant complaint
about it to the concer
ned authorities becau
se I cant afford to
lose my job. Now, I ha
ve even stopped think
ing that I am getting
exploited. And moreo
ver, I think I never tho
ught of moving out
of my comfort zone an
d try something challen
ging.

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Female, 25 years old

1 and had started working at

came here as a student in 200
working at the same place,
an Indian restaurant. I am still
are
ers thinks that we (employees)
because I need visa. Employ
ld
wou
I
cy.
den
resi
till we get our
being selfish and only use them
to
like
ld
wou
who
n,
is true. I mea
not lie and would say that it
wth
gro
al
ion
fess
pro
of
e no chance
work at a place where you hav
to
have to work more in order
You
r.
hou
per
and getting $10
rs
loye
emp
the
n
whe
is,
t
than tha
earn a basic salary. And worse
$10
t
leas
at
ing
pay
by
you
ur on
behaves as if hes doing a favo
lower than that. I cant see it
ing
pay
are
er
oth
e
aus
bec
dollars
s is
e migration of Indian student
stopping in near future. Becaus
n
ntio
inte
of them come with the
increasing every day and 98%
ies
pan
com
ently. Most of the Kiwi
of settling here down perman
t
residents of the country. So wha
are
prefer to hire people who
up
ak
spe
can
such jobs where you
are we left with? Nothing but
for you basic rights.

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NEW ZEALAND

8 May 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Continued from Pg 5

Red

aurant
Barry Kundu, Manager at an Indian rest

Black

Orange

people with good

the last 4 years. The employers mostly hire
different restaurants at different times for
come and go. If
le
peop
many
seen
I have been working here as a manager of
have
of recruitments I
e sector. All these years even I have been a part
ience, plus
exper
get
they
until
job
experience and the energy required in the servic
good
a
t
et how can they expec
ience or exposure to the New Zealand mark
week,
every
India
from
land
Auck
to
ng
students are coming here without any exper
comi
nt here. See theres 200-400 students
reme
requi
basic
a
is
which
sh
Engli
ing
most of them have trouble speak
how can 200 jobs be provided every week?
not really matter in service sector.
are hard working, plus their education does
they
if
even
skills
the
lack
them
of
most
We see the skills but
they are paid less than minimum wage and
ening that I have heard of. Students who say
happ
ns
itatio
explo
are
there
yes
n,
itatio
explo
When it comes to
se if they are offered less than minimum wage
employers are guilty then so are students becau
the
If
too.
ke
mista
their
lly
actua
are
hours
have to work long
if they complain, thats not fair.
d to work on less than minimum wage and again
boun
not
are
They
jobs.
r
bette
for
look
and
they can say no

Ninad Joshi, Grocery store in Sandringham

have been working here for the last two years in this store
because it is my cousins store so I am like the employers.
We dont really have big operations
so we have hired only one student at our work, he is
given minimum wage and works for 20 hours weekly
.
Look,
the students who come here are
too many, and there are of course fewer jobs here becau
se it is a small country. We want employees who can
speak fluent English because that is the
demand of the job. Yes there are students who get exploi
ted by the employers by getting less than minimum wage
payment and long working hours so the
employers are guilty and they should be held respon
sible.

Jasmeet Kaur, owner of a snacks restaurant in Sandringham

started this restaurant around in 2001 and have seen so many students working under us. We have around 7-9 employees working with us mostly
students, some are part time and some are full time. I treat my employees as my daughters; they are required in the service section as well as inside the
kitchen. They are all minimum wage paid and we make sure their class hours (if students) do not clash with our working hours. I know many who come
from India are not from very rich families and they have financial constraints as well as other pressures on their head. I can understand getting job here is
difficult because there is so much competition in the market, not just in food business but in every sector. So many students are coming here and looking
for work but where to produce work when you have a budget and certain requirement only. I get around ten to twelve CVs every week asking for part time
and full time work but sometimes we dont really need anyone and everything is stable, where do we hire them for?? I know it is tough for them and I do
know that some Indian employers do not pay them on minimum wage but since I have never discriminated my employees I would not like to comment on
this, its bad to exploit your employees because they are the ones who get business to the firm. I dont know what education agents in India promise the
students there and they come here with huge expectations. Its the agents who need to answer and should be held responsible and are guilty of projecting
false promises to naive students and their families.

Varun Makol, owner of Stop n Sho

p stores in Auckland

came here around 6 years back and work

ed as a bartender in Skycity, my wife was
a student of Accounts at AUT. Soon after
to open up a business instead of just work
she got the job we planned
ing under someone and now I have 5 nece
ssity stores in Auckland, planning to open
year end.
a couple of more by this
I have 25-30 part time and full time emp
loyees of which some are students and
some are on work visa. I have always
dearly and a part of my family. I treat
considered my employees very
them with respect and make them feel
com
forta
ble at workplace since they are our real
dont stay in one store all day; I have
assets. I have 5 stores so I
to manage all of them. When I recruit
employees, I look for their experience
and passion to work, not just for mon
and more than that their enthusiasm
ey but to learn. This is why I dont have
to employ a new person every time, mos
term with my stores. When it comes to
t of my employees work for long
students who complain of being exploited
, yes it is true that some Indian employer
country with a very stiff competition man
s do that and since NZ is a small
y students are not able to secure job in
this place. Now since IELTS is removed
dont have a clue how to communicate
for most students so they really
in this English speaking country, in such
scenario the students cannot really blam
them or the government. Over that I find
e
the
employers of not employing
the agents back in India who send thes
e innocent out of hatch kids to a foreign
and dreams, they are to be blamed and
natio
n
with such high false hopes
caught guilty and to some extent the
parents too. Some students are barely
them to a foreign country with huge inve
18 or 19 years old and parents send
stments, when they cannot secure a job
here, the parents put a pressure on them
they too are having cash crunches.
that to earn their living because
Source: Regulatory Impact Statement Protecting Migrant Workers from Exploitation , www.mbie.govt.nz
Employees and employers comments as told to Swati Sharma and Md Rizwan of Indian Weekender

Free employment workshops for new migrants

in May

uckland
Regional
Migrant
Services
(ARMS) is running two
free job search workshops for new
migrants on 12 and 26 May.
The job search workshops
provides new Kiwis with advice
and guidance on finding work,
writing CVs and cover letters,
answering interview questions,
and communication in the Kiwi
work place.
The workshop will take place
at the ARMS offices at the Three
Kings Plaza, Mt Albert Road from
9.15am 3.15pm.
The workshops are free to
people on full work visas and have
been in NZ for less than two years.
ARMS is also running an

The workshops are

free to people on full
work visas and have
been in NZ for less
than two years.

immigration
information
workshop
with
Auckland
Community Law Centre on 14 May
from 9am to 1pm at the ARMS
Regional Offices. The workshop
covers legal rights and obligations

of holding a residence visa, visa

expiry, and unlawful stay in New
Zealand, where to find the right
information, who can assist, in
what way and how much it would
cost.

To register please contact

ARMS on reception@arms-mrc.
org.nz or call on 09 625 2440.

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 May 2015

Deities Enshrined at Thiru

Subramaniam Temple

Red

Black

Orange

Rizwan Mohammad

he newly made temple in Mangere

was inaugurated by hundreds of
devotees on Sunday 3rd May where
the idols brought from India was placed
during a 2 hour long Puja ceremony.
Thiru
Subramaniam
Temple
of
Aucklandwhich was originally situated
at 41 Stanhope Road, Mt Wellington
has been moved to 69 Tidal Road where
the enshrinement of the new idols took
place last week. The Puja started in the
morning at 10 am with devotees queueing
in their traditional attire and tikas on their
forehead along with.
National MP from Manukau East
Mr Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, NZ First
MP Mahesh Bindra, Labour MP Sua
William Sio, Sunny Kaushal & Priyanca
Radhakrishnan from Labour Party were
also present at the venue to grace the event.
The Puja started with chants from the priest
is Sanskrit and then with the breaking the
coconut and doing the aarti.
Lord Murugan is one of the South Indian
Gods; it was the ceremony to place the
idols since the previous place was smaller
for a large crowd. This ceremony called
Maha Kumbabishegam (Prana Prathista)
or evoking life into the idols from their
stone state.
The idols have come especially carved
by sculptures from India, the idols are
of Lord Murugan, Lord Venkateshwara,
Lord Shiva, Vinayaka and all these idols
have their respective vahanas (vehicles)

like Venkateshwara had Garuda, Shiva had

Nandi, Vinayaka had Mushaka and so on.
The Puja was conducted by the chief
priest of the temple Shri Chandru, the
head priest of the Sri Ganesh Temple in
Papakura, Sri Swaminathan and few of his
volunteered assistants.
The idols were bathed in coconut water,
holy water from the Ganges with herbs
and with milk too. The Puja ended by
noon and lunch was served to almost 500
devotees, and again at 6 pm special puja
and Deeparaathanai was done.

NEW ZEALAND

NEW ZEALAND

8 May 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

First round of Multicultural

Workshop successful

SIT to donate
to Nepal
Earthquake

Red

Black

Rizwan Mohammad

he
Waitakere
Multicultural
Council
hosted a multicultural
workshop on Wednesday 29
April 2015 to discuss the ways
New Zealand can be made more
friendly and welcoming to the
new communities. The subject of
the workshop was to address the
possibilities and barriers to form a
peaceful and striving community
in Auckland.
The workshop was facilitated
by
former
Race
Relations
Commissioner Joris de Bres, who
is also an honorary advisor to
Multicultural New Zealand. The
people present for the workshop
belonged to different work
backgrounds, different ethnicities
living in New Zealand for a long
time.
The people at the workshop
were divided into different groups
to discuss three topics namely:
}} The key to a successful
multicultural society are?
}} The barriers to a multicultural
society? and
}} What new solutions can be

taken to make New Zealand

more
multicultural
and
welcoming
The larger group was broken
up into smaller subgroups and
members exchanged ideas and
brainstormed speaking from
their previous experiences and
the vision that they have for this
country. Of the key points that
were put forward the concept of
Ubuntu derived from African
culture was placed on the table
that means humane-ness and
also expands to looking out for
one another.
Other main feature of the event

was about the topic of getting

rid of close mindedness, being
open to new opportunities and
accepting change to be a part of
life, respecting other cultures
and their norms, standing for
each other and the barriers
discussed were like stubbornness,
superiority complex of individuals
or groups, narrow thinking, self
centeredness etc.
The workshop started with
light refreshments for all present
there then with group discussions
and then putting the contributions
of individual groups to everyone
present there by the individual

group conveners.
Multicultural New Zealands
agenda was to discuss with normal
people as part of a project to
develop a widely accepted strategic
agenda for a multicultural and
multilingual New Zealand. The
project was funded by the New
Zealand
for

National

UNESCO,

document

will

Commission

the

discussion

provide

the

basis for a second round of

discussion to generate actions
that will overcome the obstacles
and achieve the vision of a
multicultural New Zealand.

Orange

he Southern Institute
of Technology (SIT) has
pledged its commitment
to the fundraising efforts by
SIT students, graduates and
the Nepalese community in
Southland with a donation of
NZD$1,500 to go to the relief
efforts organised by the SIT
students in association with the
Red Cross.
The SIT Council agreed on
the decision at Monday nights
council meeting.
SIT Chief Executive Penny
Simmonds said The Nepalese
community in Southland, many
of whom are SIT graduates, and
our current Nepalese students
are working very hard with the
Red Cross to raise awareness and
financial support for the Nepal
earthquake recovery efforts.
Many of our students and
graduates are in a state of shock.
It is a credit to them that they
have focussed their concerns into
fundraising efforts to assist the
Red Cross to provide relief for
their country and SIT is pleased
to make this contribution to
their target.

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 May 2015

Indian woman excels

in early childhood
Orange

ARTISTS IMPRESSION ONLY

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QUA
Y ST
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SKY RESIDENCE $520,000*

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CORNER VICTORIA ST WEST & FEDERAL ST

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OPPOSITE
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CARPARKING ON-SITE

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OPEN DAILY 11AM - 4PM

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www.victoriaresidences.co.nz
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1 Sky Tower
2 Sky city casino
3 Countdown Supermarket
4 Auckland university
5 AUT
6 Auckland Domain
7 Aotea centre
8 Auckland art Pgallery
021 0235 6648
9 Myers
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chetan.k@harcourts.co.nz
10 Albert park
11 Victoria park markets
12 Chancery
13 Vulcan lane
14 Britomart Train/bus station

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N OR

acking up all your worldly

belongings and moving to another
country is a daunting feat, but a
move from India to New Zealand four years
ago has proven invaluable for Ninu George.
George moved to New Zealand with
her husband to pursue her study in early
childhood education at New Zealand
Tertiary College (NZTC) after hearing
about its great reputation from family and
friends in India.
As the first international student to
graduate from NZTC with a Master of
Education in early childhood education,
Georges accomplishment was celebrated
at the annual NZTC graduation ceremony
held in April.
The celebration was made all the more
special by the fact that George is among
the first two Masters students to graduate
from NZTC, the only private education

institution in the
country to offer
this qualification.
I am very
proud to say
I am the first
international
Masters graduate
at
NZTC.
Everyone at the
college is very
happy for me
and proud of my
achievement.
I
consider
it
a privilege to
study at NZTC with the supportive team of
teachers and lecturers, said George.
After working with high school students
in India, George decided that her passion
lay with young children, so she brought her
Indian teaching experience to New Zealand
and wrote her thesis on Transitional
experiences of Indian teachers from
Indian education system to New Zealand
early childhood education - a comparison
between the Indian and New Zealand early
childhood education system.
George plans to further her study
sometime in the future with a Masters
degree in English literature after having
completed a bachelors degree in India. She
aspires to be a lecturer in early childhood
education at NZTC and is looking forward
to having more time to pursue voluntary
work now that she has finished her Masters
in early childhood education.

BS

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10

NEW ZEALAND

8 May 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Prime Minister welcomes Royal baby Next steps in social

rime Minister John Key

has congratulated Their
Royal Highnesses, The
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge,
on the birth of their second child,
a girl.
On behalf of the people of
New Zealand I would like to
congratulate Prince William,
Catherine and Prince George on
this wonderful news.
This is a very special time for
any family. The Duke and Duchess
are excellent parents and I am
sure Prince George will adore his

new little sister.

Mr Key also extended his
congratulations to The Queen and
Prince Phillip, and The Prince of

Wales and Duchess of Cornwall,

on the arrival of the newest
member of the Royal Family.
New Zealands official gift to
the Royal couple will be a selection
of woollen baby items from Hutt
Valley Company, Stansborough,
including a pelt teddy bear.
I wish Prince William,
Catherine, Prince George and the
Royal Family all the very best,
says Mr Key.
A 21 gun salute will be fired from
Point Jerningham, Wellington to
celebrate the birth.

Govt dumps infrastructure costs

on Auckland ratepayers

he Governments failure to
invest in infrastructure to
service its Special Housing
Areas is dumping massive costs
on Auckland ratepayers, Labours
Housing
spokesperson
Phil
Twyford says.
Auckland Council has declined to
approve three new Special Housing
Areas on the city fringes, citing lack
of investment in infrastructure to
support the developments.
If the Government does not
pay its fair share, that burden
either falls on the ratepayer or
developments get built without the
infrastructure they need.
Two hundred thousand extra
people, 80,000 new dwellings and
60,000 extra jobs are planned for
Aucklands North West, but the
Government hasnt thought about
how these people are going to get
to work.
They are splattering Special
Housing Areas around the city,
84 in Auckland so far, without
thinking about what it means for
transport infrastructure.
Aucklands
North
West

Motorway already looks like a giant

parking lot at peak hours. With
such big planned population
increases in the North West, SH16
will jam up altogether.
The Government should be
investing in a dedicated busway
on SH16 like the successful one on
the North Shore which currently
carries the equivalent of three
lanes of traffic into the city every
morning.
But having blown the national
transport budget on wasteful
projects, the Government has no
money left to service the regions or

Aucklands growth.
Although
developers
are
responsible for laying roads, power
and water pipes inside their new
developments and Councils
can levy them for a share of wider
infrastructure costs big new
developments on the city fringes
still impose a heavy cost on local
government to connect these
utilities.
The Government has blindly
been pursuing its Special Housing
Areas without thinking through the
cost to the ratepayer, Phil Twyford
says.

Strong job growth continues

he latest Household
Labour Force Survey
shows
ongoing
job
growth in the New Zealand
economy, while a record labour
market participation rate kept
the unemployment level steady at
5.8% in the March quarter.
This week released HLFS
shows the number of people
employed grew 16,000 in the
March quarter and 74,000 over
the year. The participation rate
was the highest ever recorded for
New Zealand, at 69.6%.
It is encouraging to see
strong job growth continuing

Tertiary Education, Skills and

Employment Minister Steven
Joyce says. We have seen job
growth in 16 out of the last
17 quarters, and job growth
is running ahead of Treasury
predictions.
In Budget 2011 Treasury
forecast 171,000 more jobs in the
four and a half years to June 2015.
The current figure of 194,000 is
23,000 more than that target,
with one quarter still to run.
The Quarterly Employment
Survey, also released today,
shows that hourly wages continue
to increase ahead of the cost of

living. Average hourly earnings

are up 2.1% over the last year,
compared with a consumer price
index increase of just 0.1 per cent.
Other notable elements from
the labour market data released
this week include:
The
South
Island
unemployment rate has dropped
to 3.6%, nearly half of the North
Island unemployment rate of
6.9%
There has substantial
growth
in
Pasifika
employment over the last
year, with 17,500 more
Pasifika people employed at

housing reform
announced

auranga and Invercargill

have been selected as
the first regions for the
proposed transfer of Housing
New
Zealand
Corporation
(HNZC) houses to registered
Community Housing Providers
(CHPs), Ministers Bill English
and Paula Bennett say.
This is another important
step to creating a more effective
and efficient social housing sector
with more housing providers
supporting tenants and their
needs, Housing New Zealand
Minister Bill English says.
As announced by the Prime
Minister
in
January,
the
Governments Social Housing
Reform Programme includes
plans to transfer 1000 - 2000
HNZC houses to registered CHPs
over the next year.
Weve gone through a robust
process to identify the first
areas for potential transactions.
Tauranga and Invercargill have
been chosen because they have
stable demand for social housing,
and active community housing
providers keen to consider the
next steps. Providers in other
regions are also interested,
Social Housing Minister Paula
Bennett says.
No decisions have been made
on the number of houses that
may be transferred. The next step
is to consult with iwi and hap
in the two regions to identify
any particular interests under
the Treaty of Waitangi, before
deciding whether to proceed to
market sounding.
Existing tenants will continue
to be housed for the duration of
their need and their rights will

not be affected if their landlord

changes, says Mr English.
Houses will not be transferred
unless tenants get better services
and taxpayers get fair and
reasonable value.
Any transfer of houses will not
affect the rent tenants pay or their
eligibility for subsidised housing,
and properties transferred as
social houses will also have to
stay as social housing unless the
Government agrees otherwise.
There are a number of tenants
in these regions with long- and
medium-term needs, which gives
CHPs the opportunity to integrate
housing with other services
they may provide, like mental
health and disability services or
budgeting support, Mrs Bennett
says.
Tenants will continue to
be supported to independence,
where appropriate, so that social
housing remains available for
those most in need.
Registered CHPs can partner
with other organisations to
acquire and develop social
housing.
In both regions Housing
New Zealand owns a significant
number of houses so there is
potential for more than one
organisation to acquire houses
for community ownership, Mr
English says.
Since
April
last
year,
Government-registered
CHPs
have been eligible to receive the
Income Related Rent Subsidy
(IRRS), previously only available
for people living in HNZ houses.
Hui with iwi/ hap will be held
later this month and submissions
will close on June 12.

the end of March than one year

ago.
Job growth over the past year
is broad-based across industry
sectors with 15,900 more jobs in
manufacturing, 23,300 more in
construction, and 13,900 more in
retail, accommodation and food
services
The number of hours
worked
grew
strongly,
up

1.4% in the March quarter

It is good to see a continuing
and robust recovery in the
New
Zealand
employment
market.Mr Joyce said.

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 May 2015

Tax avoidance by nonresident targeted

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n officials issues paper released

this week seeks feedback on
suggestions for helping to
ensure that non-resident investors pay an
appropriate amount of tax.

audit activity had uncovered instances

where large multinationals were using
sophisticated techniques to defeat the tax
rules.
This matter is a domestic law issue and

The focus of the issues paper is the

current non-resident withholding tax rules
on interest earned in New Zealand by nonresidents.
The issues paper raises questions
around potential weaknesses in the tax
treatment of interest earned by nonresidents, Minister of Revenue, Todd
McClay says. The issues paper tests what
changes are appropriate.
Non-resident withholding tax has
not been significantly reformed since it
was introduced in 1964. It was originally
designed when financial transactions were
much less complex than today.
Mr McClay says that without changes to
the rules, there is an incentive and ability
for non-residents to shift profits out of New
Zealand with no or minimal New Zealand
tax paid. He says that Inland Revenues

is consistent with the aims of the OECDs

action plan to tackle base erosion and profit
shifting. Acting to remedy this deficiency
in our tax laws is part of New Zealands
response to the issue of multinational tax
avoidance Mr McClay says.
The Government has already taken
steps to tighten the thin capitalisation rules
to stop foreign firms from artificially loading
debt onto their New Zealand operations in
order to minimise their New Zealand tax.
New Zealand has also signed and ratified
the OECD multilateral tax assistance
convention which, together with a growing
network of bilateral tax treaties, allows
information sharing with other countries to
limit tax avoidance opportunities.
Well continue to support the OECD
work to eliminate opportunities for
companies to avoid paying tax says Mr
McClay.

11

More discounts for

SuperGold Card holders

ore than 650 new businesses

are offering discounts for
SuperGold Card holders. These
include 60 dental practices and more than
40 legal firms around the country.
Senior Citizens Minister Maggie
Barry says the latest
S u p e r G o l d
b u s i n e s s
recruitment
campaign
that
ran over March
and
April
has
achieved its aim of
signing up more health
professionals
and
lawyers.
Around 70% of these
new businesses have come
from outside of the main
centres.
There is now even more opportunity
for SuperGold Card holders to save money
when they are considering setting up
legal documents like updated wills and
appointing trusted people to have Enduring
Power of Attorney, Ms Barry says.
I want the SuperGold Card to be more
useful for our older people. I would like
it to have a special focus on attracting
businesses in traditional health categories

that
look
after the eyes, ears and
teeth, as well as legal services.
From humble beginnings in 2008,
there are now more than 8000 businesses
represented by 12,500 outlets offering
discounts for SuperGold Card holders.
More than 200 businesses offering
hearing, dental and legal services across
the country provide a discount, as well as
around 275 optometrists.
An ageing population means it makes
good business sense to join the SuperGold
programme as a way of reaching out to
this ever growing group of older New
Zealanders, Ms Barry says.

12

NEW ZEALAND

8 May 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Working hard for New Zealands seniors

Kanwaljit Bakshi
National List MP

rom our youngest to our oldest

New Zealanders, the National-led
Government is working hard to
make the country a better place to live,
work and raise a family.
We want a society where people can
age positively, and where older people
are highly valued as an integral part of
families and the community.
National understands and respects
the Indian culture and family values that
now forms an essential part of our Kiwi
culture.
We have worked hard to ensure that

senior members of our society continue

to feel that we care for them.
National has maintained financial
security for seniors.
We have kept the retirement age at
65, and the after-tax weekly rates of
Superannuation have increased by 31 per
cent since 2008. We have also maintained
Superannuation for a married couple at
66 per cent of the average wage.
Our successful economic management
means healthcare continues to improve.

National is investing over $400m extra

each year in public health services.
We are shifting resources from the
back office to the frontline and there
are now an extra 1500 doctors and 3300
more nurses across the country.
Latest health target results show
161,933 hip, knee and other elective
operations were performed by district
health boards in the last year.
This helps our older New Zealanders
maintain their independence and get out
and about.
Additionally, National is working hard
to keep Kiwi families safer. We put 600
extra Police on the streets and deployed
them more strategically, in areas and at
times when Police know theres a greater
risk of crime. Under National, we have
achieved the lowest crime rate since 1978.
We have worked hard to maintain
independence for seniors.

The SuperGold Card gives older New

Zealanders the opportunity to do the
things they enjoy, like using free off-peak
travel to visit friends and family.
Over 8000 businesses offer SuperGold
Card discounts and this continues to rise.
We are recruiting more legal services
to the scheme, as well as other businesses
offering those services that incur
unavoidable expenses. This is a way to
take financial stress off families.
Also, weve just released the Positive
Aging Strategy report which shows New
Zealand is progressing well in most areas.
National knows we can improve on this,
and will work hard to raise awareness
of elder abuse and social isolation,
and support and promote our seniors
economic activity.
National remains committed to
ensuring senior citizens have the security,
wellbeing and respect they deserve.

Firing squad deaths needless and deplorable

David Shearer

Labour MP

t was very sad to wake last Wednesday

morning to the news eight men had
been executed in Indonesia overnight.
They had waited 10 years on death row
in a foreign prison thats inhumane, and
surely punishment enough for their crimes.

While in prison, the two Australians

Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran -reformed themselves: Sukumaran studied
fine arts and Chan studied theology to
become a pastor and counsellor of his
fellow inmates.
Punishment and rehabilitation should
be what prison sentences are about.
Tragically for their families well never
know what their future contributions to
society would have been. What a waste.
We understand Indonesia wants to take
a tough stand on drugs and we respect its
right to do so.

But New Zealanders do not support the

death penalty under any circumstances.
Execution is not the solution.
As such, I would have liked to see a
stronger voice from our government, calling
for fairness.
International law is also is very clear
that capital punishment should only used
be for the most serious of crimes, and drug
trafficking is not one of them as opposed
to terrorism or murder.
The executions by firing squad went
ahead despite strong international pressure
on Indonesia and President Joko Widodo

to show mercy.
His focus on executing drug convicts
and the fact that the majority of prisoners
on death row for drug crimes are foreigners
means foreign citizens are now more
likely than Indonesians to be executed in
Indonesia.
Sadly, this is diminishing the countrys
steady progress on human rights in the eyes
of the international community.
In the words of the bereaved families
of Chan and Sukumaran, Today we lost
Myuran and Andrew, our sons and brothers.
They asked for mercy, but there was none.

Ports policies defy logic

Winston Peters
NZ First leader

n the absence of a coherent economic

plan New Zealand is being taken over
by commercial warlords like the
company Ports of Auckland, at the expense
of provincial ports like Northland.
The Auckland company defies its
shareholder, the Auckland Council, the
usual rules, public opinion and is a total
law unto itself over its controversial plans
to expand into the Waitemata Harbour to
take bigger ships.
The plans, kept secret even from its
shareholder, have shocked and alarmed
many Auckland people who want the
proposals stopped for environmental and
cost reasons.
New Zealand First also wants to stop the
plans for the two large wharf extensions
by Ports of Auckland and to bring further

container port development to its natural

place at the Port of Whangarei.
It will be necessary to upgrade the
Auckland to Northland railway line and
also build the rail link to Marsden Point.
Marsden Point has the maritime and
adjacent land assets to become a leading
New Zealand port and we will be pressing
central government to fully develop this
port, build a railway link to it and then
develop a First World double line link to
Auckland.
At present the freight train takes
four hours to travel from Whangarei
to Kaukapakapa and must slow to five
kilometres an hour in some areas. That is
what happens when central government
neglects to build appropriate infrastructure
and allows a province to sink into Third
World status.
The immediate question of the cost of
this development has to be seen in the
context of capital expenditure creating
a valuable asset, compared to the mind
boggling waste of taxpayers money by the
National government in other areas.
For example the cost of extending the
railway link to the port has been estimated
at $100 million. KiwiRail has wasted more
than that on the Cook Strait ferry Aratere

while neglecting provincial rail links like

Northland and thet Gisborne to Napier line.
The Government has also lost hundreds
of millions of dollars in recent months on
five computer programmes and planning is
underway for a $1.5billion upgrade of the
Inland Revenue Departments system. This
also has the potential to become another IT
cost disaster zone.
Northland would be a huge beneficiary
of stopping the unsound Auckland port
expansion. The province will become much
less reliant on seasonal opportunities
and the steady port revenue would help
businesses and create more jobs. Many jobs

would be created by simply getting on with

the project.
Aucklands future and Northlands
future are interlinked. Aucklands harbour
is being constantly dredged.
The current wharves are not big enough
or inoperable.
For the North to grow there has to be real
vision, a cohesive economic and social plan,
and total political commitment. Taking
more and bigger ships to Northland creates
a win-win situation.
The North gets a much needed boost and
the Ports of Auckland gets a much needed
kick in the pants.

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 May 2015

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14

FIJI

8 May 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Iconic logo designer dies

he woman behind the Fiji

Airways masi logo design,
Makereta Matemosi, died
on Sunday morning at her home
following a long-term sickness.
Mrs Matemosi, of Namukai-Lau, was described by her
daughter, Koto, as a loving mother
who always worked hard and
made her family and the Namukai-Lau community proud when
her design was picked by the Fiji
Airways team.
Fiji Airways board director
Stefan Pichler, who made a
statement on the death of Mrs
Matemosi, expressed his deep
condolences to the family who had
lost their mother at the age of 54.
The Fiji Airways Group is
deeply saddened by news of the
passing of Makereta Matemosi,

Journalists mark
World Media
Freedom Day

acific Islands News Association president Moses

Stevens has urged all key
players in the media industry in the
Pacific to re-think the role of the
media in respective communities.
Marking World Media Freedom
Day last week, Mr Stevens said he
would like to see that the focus is on
improving the welfare and security
of media workers in the Pacific.
"I wish to make an urgent appeal
to all key players in the Pacific media
industry, including publishers,
media workers, governments and
other stakeholders to re-think the
role of the media in our respective
communities," Mr Stevens said.
"Let us look within to see if we
have been fair in the treatment of
our media workers and provided
them an environment where they
are free to express themselves and
report freely." Mr Stevens said the
confidence of media workers in
a free and inclusive environment
would reflect positively on the media organisation.

the person who was commissioned

to design our masi logo, he said.
Her collaboration with us
has led to much acclaim and
appreciation of our new logo.
Our thoughts are with Makeretas
family at this time.
She is survived by husband

Meli Matemosi, three daughters

and a son.

Black

Kula Film awards launched

ilm Fiji has promised a

bigger and better HFC
Bank Kula Film Awards
this year.
Film Fiji chief executive officer
Dallas Foon revealed this during its
launch with major sponsors HFC
Bank and Fiji Airways in Suva. Mr
Foon said this year would be a big
year for the Kula Awards because it
would celebrate its 10th anniversary.
We are planning a very big show
this year and planning a much better
and a far more involved professional
manage this year, he said.
The awards are categorised into
three streams, the Kula Film, Kula
Dance and Arts competition. In conjunction with the US Embassy here
in Fiji, schools that would be taking
part would be undergoing training by two professional filmmakers

from America. The schools would be

taught every aspects of filmmaking,
from screenwriting, pre-production,
filming and editing to prepare them
for the awards.
Mr Foon confirmed that so far 15
schools applied for the awards, nine
schools for the dance competition
and nine for the art competition.
HFC Bank chief executive officer
Isikeli Tikoduadua said the bank this
year chose to extend its support for
school children and the growing film
industry.
Meanwhile, Film Fiji yesterday
launched the 2015 Kula Awards Facebook page. The page would enable members of the public to be
updated about this years competition. The date for the event has
not been finalised, but there are
plans to hold it in late July.

Karans golden five successes

aneesha Raksha Karan

is Fijis first Indian
Council for Cultural
Relations (ICCR) scholar to receive
five gold medals.
The 28-year-old was awarded
by the Mysore University, which is
in Karnatak State in India, where
she completed her Masters in
Journalism and Communication.
Originally from Salusalu Street,
Labasa, Ms Karan dedicates her
award to her parents.
I dedicate these awards to my
parents; they were the first two
people who always encouraged and
inspired me to further my studies,
Ms Karan said.
After completing my Bachelor of
Arts in Journalism and Information
System from the University of the
South Pacific my dad would sit down
with me and ask what my future
plans were and always encouraged
me to do post-graduate studies. I
was contemplating on undertaking
some PG units when I met Fijis
Ambassador to India, His Excellency
Yogesh Karan (to whom I am not

related to but am frequently asked

whether I am because we share
the same surname), who advised
me to broaden my knowledge
and expertise in my field, which
was journalism. The third of four
siblings then followed his advice and
applied for the scholarship.
The then ICCR director Dr
Kamal Mishra was very helpful
and he provided his assistance
throughout my stay in India, Ms
Karan said. I wanted to grow my
expertise in my field because there
is a limited number who have the
expertise in journalism in Fiji.
She said her parents were the
proudest when she received the
scholarship. Ms Karan first gained

the knowledge of her awards towards

the end of March at 11pm.
I would also like to thank the
current ICCR director and the
Indian Embassy for their swift
actions in issuing me visa. There was
great competition in my department
amongst the batchmates as many
of us were experienced journalists
and were equally capable for the
gold medals. She explained that
it was intriguing to get first-hand
information on media operations in
various countries.
There were times when we had
to research and prepare for exams,
it was challenging but thats the path
to success, Ms Karan said.
She studied at the Mysore
University which falls in Karnataka
Sate, in South of India. Mysore is
also the second cleanest city in India,
first being Chandigarh. Mysore is
also one of the safest cities. For Ms
Karan, India overall was a wonderful
experience.
My advice to the younger
generation is to stay focused to your
goals and work hard-you are the only

one who can do it, Ms Karan said.

Gain an education, explore
your possibilities and make the
right decisions. You will meet many
people who will try to pull you down,
and many situations that can rip you
apart, but stand strong, and you will
definitely get what you dream of.
Dr Mishra who is currently a
Professor in University of Calcutta,
which is the oldest University in
India, said he was very proud of Ms
Karan and her achievement.
Her achievement reflects how
her dedication to study with full of
commitment, focus and value for
scholarship opportunity, Dr Mishra
said.
When I interviewed her, I had
an assurance in my heart that this
student will make the best use of
scholarship and will make Fiji proud.
With five gold medals she is the role
model for every students studying
in India on ICCR scholarship, Dr
Mishra said.
He added such student would
be a bridge of information for Fiji
and Indian relations.

UNDOF force praises Fijian Soldiers

ijis
permanent
representative
to
the
United Nations Peter
Thomson visited Fijian soldiers
serving in the United Nations
Disengagement Observer Force
(UNDOF).
UNDOF chief of staff, Colonel
Jone Kalouniwai met him when
he arrived at Camp Ziouani, Golan
Heights last week. The force
commander, Major-General Purna
Chandra Thapa, was also present.

At the briefing the force

commander praised the Fijian
peacekeepers serving in the UNDOF.
Mr Thomson was there for
meetings
with
the
UNDOF
command and the officers of the
Fijian contingent.
In his meeting with the UNDOF
senior officers, he received a
comprehensive briefing on the
current security situation within
the Area of Separation between
Syria and Israel that is monitored by

UNDOF. The briefing included plans

for UNDOFs future activities, along
with measures required to reinforce
delivery of the forces mandate.
Lieutenant-Colonel
Vatimio
Leva and the officers of the Fijian
contingent hosted Mr Thomson to
a luncheon during which issues of
importance to the contingent were
discussed. Ambassador Thomson
told the officers that the UN had
expressed its deepest appreciation
for Fijis service in UNDOF.

Orange

FIJI

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 May 2015

Reshammiya for Fiji concerts

Red

Black

Orange

ell-known Bollywood singer

and
producer
Himesh
Reshammiya will hold two
concerts in Fiji next month.
Mr Reshammiya, who is also a lyricist,
writer, music director, background music
composer and playback singer, has been
described as the heartthrob of millions.
Live concerts are planned for the FMF
Gymnasium in Suva on May 28 and Prince
Charles Park in Nadi on May 29. His
audience will get to see him perform live and
will get a chance to meet him, take pictures,
selfies and many more.
Fiji Broadcasting Corporations Mirchi
FM and local entertainment company RS

NEWS in BRIEF
Trade still on with Fiji

espite Fijis non participation

at the Pacific Islands Forum
Secretariat, the Pacific region will
continue to trade with Fiji as long as it finds
it fit.
The secretariat said Fiji played a dynamic
role in the forum as an active and respected
member.
The regions private sector operators
have naturally taken advantage of Fijis
trading infrastructure, and they will
continue to do so independent of regional
politics, the secretariat said.
Decisions on trading arrangements are
usually linked to the economic returns, and
the region will continue to trade with Fiji as
long as it makes economic sense.
And despite Fijis Prime Minister Voreqe
Bainimarama pulling out of being part of
the leaders forum, the secretariat would
continue with its mission to work in support
of forum member governments, to enhance
the economic and social wellbeing of the
people of the South Pacific by fostering
co-operation between governments and
international agencies.
Fiji was reinstated into the forum after
the 2014 September elections but Mr
Bainimarama has maintained his stance
that Fiji would only return when Australia
and New Zealand are out of the forum.

PM happy with flag

response

rime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama

said he was happy with the public
response when the national flag
competition closed last week.
Mr Bainimarama said: We have had a
wonderful response from ordinary Fijians
to our call for a new flag that all of you will
stand before and salute for the rest of your
lives.
The office had received more than 580
individual entries in national competition
to design a new flag.
They have come from all walks of life,
from young people like yourselves to the
very old. From ordinary Fijians right across
the country, from overseas, and from all
sections of the community farmers,
labourers, tradespeople, shop workers,
professionals.
He said even children submitted their
designs on pieces of paper with professionals
sending their designs in slick presentations
via email. He said the officers would start
sifting through the entries and examining
the various concepts in detail.
We want to reflect who we are today, not
how we were 45 years ago at Independence.

Promotion are organising the concerts.

Mr Reshammiya will be accompanied
by Akash Singh, Aman Trikha and Sonia
Kapoor, who is a TV series actress, and 12
other entertainment groups. RS Promotions
director and promoter Samuel Atish Sen
said the company started preparing for the
concerts six months ago.
Aman Trikha he sings in ten languages.
He will sing in Taukei while he will be in
Fiji, he said.
Mr Sen said Mr Reshammiya has heard a
lot about Fiji Islands and would love to meet
the people here.
He heard a lot about the Taukei and
Fijians, the warm welcome and the tropical

15

paradise. He is well known for being multitalented in Bollywood.

Tickets prices have not been decided, but
will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
I assure that the ticket price that will suit
everyones budget, Mr Sen said.
He has urged fans not to miss this concert.
Mr Reshammiya took up a career in
Bollywood after the tragic death of his
brother when was 11 and has quickly made a
name for himself in the industry.
The latest movie he was seen in was The
Xpose, where his music was appreciated by
many globally.
He has more than 700 music hits in
Bollywood.

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Thought of the week

Hard time dont create heroes, it is during

the hard times when the hero within us is
revealed.

- Bob Riley

Editorial

From the desk of the

Managing Editor

Anything but funny

The more you think about something happening the more you improve the
probability of that thing happening. This is what Karoly Takacs did better than
anyone else. He never doubted what he could achieve, but focused constantly
on what he needed to do in order to put himself in a position to achieve his goals.
His story is one that is told throughout the international shooting communities
around the world. While many will use his story as one that proves you should never
give up, I think its Karolys ability to think about what he wanted and do what he
needed to do to achieve it that is the bigger lesson learned. -Troy Bassham from
Attainment
This is the story of Karoly from 1938 who was placed as the Worlds best pistol
shooter and expected to win the 1940 Olympics. Then in a fateful accident during
the war he loses his right hand (the shooting hand) in a grenade accident. He spent
a month in the hospital, depressed that his lifelong dream of winning the Olympics
had disappeared in an instant.
Then, he decided to win anyway. So he started to practice secretly everyday
shooting with his left hand. The rest is history Karoly goes on to win the 1939
World Championships. Even though the 1940 and 1944 Olympics were cancelled
due to World War, he goes on to win the 1948 and the 1952 Olympics.
The fact that Karoly refused to give up is, obviously, remarkable. But Troy
Bassham explains Karolys ability to think about what he wanted and do what he
needed to do to achieve it.
Victory in life can sometimes hinge on simple steps that you take constantly in
the right direction.
The Indian Weekender Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame is one such step in the right
direction that celebrates the achievements of exceptional individuals who have
known what they wanted and have gone for it anyways. Our office has turned into a
hub of activity and is alive with the excitement of the fast approaching event. This
year we walk a little taller as we do not just celebrate the achieve of one person but
three, with the introduction of the two new awards the Kiwi Indian Young Achiever
2015 and the Kiwi Indian Unsung Hero 2015. Keep reading our subsequent issues as
we bring you more updates.
The Indian Theatre Festival also, is picking up the pace and it is heartening to
note that the two shows of the Gujarati play have been completely sold out and now,
on public demand, we are putting a third show together. Also it may be worth noting
that the surplus from these shows are to be donated to Nepal Earthquake relief fund
and to Kids Heart. I am looking forward to all our readers supporting the festival
and the cause.
We really appreciate the response we are getting from the community to our
three part series that we are currently running on the state of our students and
migrant workers. I hope you enjoy reading this issue as we deal with some more
problems and look out for our next issue where we close this story with our final
part of the series.
As they say lifes battles dont always go to the strongest or the smartest, they
truly belong to the ones that do not quit. This is also one of the values we strongly
follow at Indian Weekender. For all the readers who are currently facing any issues
I hope these words bring you hope and for those who are aiming for excellence, I
hope these words take you even further. May the force always be with you.

Pick of the week

Courtesy: DailyMail, UK

The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, welcomed their
second child together, a daughter. The princess was named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana
and will be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge.

Giri Gupta

Indian Weekender : Volume 7 Issue 7

Publisher: Kiwi Media Group Limited
Managing Editor: Giri Gupta | girigupta@xtra.co.nz
Editor: Maya Shivam | editor@indianweekender.co.nz
Associate Editor: Paula Ray | paula@indianweekender.co.nz
Chief Reporter: Swati Sharma | reporter@indianweekender.co.nz
Reporter: Rizwan Mohammad | iwk.rizwan@gmail.com
Chief Technical Officer: Rohan Desouza | rohan@indianweekender.co.nz
Art & Layout Designer: Mahesh Kumar | mahesh@indianweekender.co.nz
Graphic Designer: Yashmin Chand | designer@indianweekender.co.nz
Sales & Marketing Manager: Leena Pal | M: 022 0151971 | leena@indianweekender.co.nz
Accounts and Admin.: Farah Khan | accounts@indianweekender.co.nz
Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher
is not responsible for advertisers claims as appearing in the publication
Indian Weekender is published by Kiwi Media Group, 98 Great South Road, Auckland
Printed at Horton Media, Auckland
Copyright 2015. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

Hard Case
Pronounced: hard case
Meaning: Joker, comedian
Usage: He is such a hard case that everyone enjoys his company.

OPINION / EDITORIAL

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 May 2015

17

Indians in the Great War: Understanding

the unsung heroes
Islam
Part 2

Red

Black

his year on the ANZAC Day,

on the centenary of the
Battle of Gallipoli (started
24 April 1915), we remembered in
numerous dawn services all those
who fought gallantly or died in this
catastrophic battle on the shores of
the Straits of Dardanelles.
Indeed, from last year we have
started observing the centenary of
the First World War (WWI) - often
referred to as the Great War - that
began on 24 July 1914.
The war ended on 11 November
1918, and so for another three
years or more the commemoration
will continue. In New Zealand and
Australia it is of immense significance
as in the fields of Gallipoli - in the
sacrifices of the ANZAC soldiers these two nations have invented
their national identities and found a
basis for trans-Tasman camaraderie.
In all these memorial services and
numerous conferences and seminars
it is rarely remembered that Indians
too participated in this Great War.
This year in New Delhi at a dawn
ceremony on ANZAC Day, jointly
organised by the High Commissions
of Australia and New Zealand, for
the first time the top diplomats of
these two nations acknowledged
the sacrifice and contribution of the
Indian soldiers at the battlefields of
Gallipoli.
But it did not become news in
New Zealand or Australia, where the
general citizens remain completely
oblivious of this contribution.
It is unfortunate, because it was
no insubstantial participation. In
all about 1.2 million Indian soldiers

Orange

n
cademic
ccount

fought in WWI in the battlefields

of France and Belgium, in the
Mesopotamian campaign, and for
defending the Persian Gulf and
the Suez Canal. More than 60,000
Indian soldiers died and about
70,000 were wounded in the war.
In the disastrous campaign
at Gallipoli, it was only the 29th
Indian Infantry Brigade which had
reached the summit of the ridge
from where they could look down
at the waters of Dardanelles. About
1700 Indian soldiers died and more
than 3000 were injured at Gallipoli
alongside the ANZAC troops. This
was no insubstantial participation or
insignificant human sacrifice.
But the stories of these Indian
soldiers, their bravery and great
sacrifices have almost completely
disappeared from public historical
memory. In their own country as well

Prof Sekhar Bandyopadhyay

Director of New Zealand India Research Institute

in the countries they were fighting to

defend they are rarely remembered.
No Indian representative attended
the centennial Remembrance Day in
France last year although 40,000
Indians had defended France from
German aggression in WWI.
A recent British Council Survey
revealed that 78% of the French
respondents believed that India
remained neutral during WWI and
did not send any troops.
The fact is, 5000 Indian soldiers
had died defending Neuve Chappelle
in March 1915 and there still stands
a memorial tomb in recognition
of their sacrifice. Last month the
Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi during his tour of France,
visited this monument, paying his
homage to the fallen soldiers of his
country.
This was the first official
recognisition from the Government
of India, apart from an exhibition
organised by the Indian Army in the
capital city. But among the average
citizenry in India, very few seem
to be aware of this sacrifice. In
remembrance ceremonies in New
Zealand and Australia the Indian
contribution is rarely mentioned. So
the question is, why is this historical
oblivion? In the next few weeks I
intend to write more about this story
of valient sacrifice and the unkind
historical amnesia.

The colour of your community

Paula Ray

n this column, I have

been
addressing
how the existence
of
the
Ministry
of
Ethnic Communities is
actually detrimental for
a multicultural nation
like
New
Zealand.
The
governmental
organisation, by its sheer
existence, is segregating
the multicultural fabric into
pockets of communities.
In
the
name
of
recognising
their
individuality,
we
are
preventing the various
communities
from
integrating. What is considered
mainstream does not include
the community that is the
oldest on this land; rather it
is the community that is the
largest in numbers comprise the
mainstream a community that
has multiplied over a couple of
centuries.
Then, what happened to the
community that resided on this
land before the currently largest
community made their way here?
How come their numbers have
not increased as fast as that of the

largest community? Thats where

the history of the land gets murky.
Let us leave the political analysis
of this for another day.
Today, let us talk about what
makes us different. How can
we overcome our uniqueness to
become one with the mainstream?
Names give us our first identity.
To integrate with the mainstream
culture, immigrants often modify
their given names. So traditional
names like Mohendra become Mo
and Sallishni become Sally. Fair
enough.

The younger generations give

their newly-borns names that
have universal pronunciations.
Thus, they make it easier for other
cultures to get familiar with them.
People across cultures who have
catchy or easy names, usually grow
up to be more popular amongst
their peers. Can you think of a
leader, political or otherwise,
who has a name that is difficult to
pronounce?
Next, lets consider the looks.
How we appear in society depends
on the latest fashion trends.
Accordingly, we tend to choose the
colours and cuts of what we wear.
We style our hair also somewhat
similarly. If we dont, we are
labelled retro or punk, given our
preferences. This is true across all
cultures and communities.
Then what makes us different?
Did you say, it is our accent? Not
so much, I would say, because our
accents are acquired.If you live
with a certain kind of people for
long enough, you started speaking
like them. So this difference boils
down to new and old immigrants
and how fast they acquire foreign
accents.
And that leaves us with our
skin colour - something that we
cannot change. Alas!

t the early stages of

Islam, we remember
how the Makkans tried
to kill the Prophet (saw). Under
the command of Allah (swt),
he migrated to Medina. Our
Prophet returned to Makkah,
this time with a strong army and
the upper hand. Did he kill all
those who had opposed him in
the beginning? No. Rather, he
forgave them. As a result of his
kindness, a lot of them embraced
Islam. This is the way of Islam,
the noble way.
Cast your minds back to yet
another prophetic example. We
all know the story of the woman
who left rubbish on the doorstep
of the Prophets house. Without
any complaint, remorse or ego,
our Prophet (saw) cleared it
every day. Then one day, he
noted that there was no rubbish
on his doorstep, and found out
that she was ill. He visited her,
comforted her, and provided
food for her. Allah (swt) turned
her heart towards Islam. The
kindness that our Prophet (saw)
showed won her heart and she
became a Muslimah. This is the
Islamic way.
And there are many other
examples where people who
fought against the Prophet
(saw) later accepted Islam.
For example, Khalid ibn Walid
and Amr ibn As. Khalid fought
against the Muslims in the
battle of Badr. Later he became a
Muslim, led many battles on the
side of the Muslims and earned
the title Sword of Allah.
Similarly, Amr fought with the
Quraish against the Muslims
in several battles. Then he saw
Muslims praying, learnt about
Islam, and converted.
We dont know. Someday
our worst enemies might accept
Islam and stand shoulder to
shoulder with us. That is Allahs
secret. We all remember Arnoud
van Doorn, the Dutch politician
and producer of a film insulting
Prophet Muhammad (saw).
What did he do? After reading
and learning about Islam, he
became a Muslim!
The Quran says in Surah Al
Maida verse 32 that whoever
kills one innocent life, its as if
he has killed all of mankind; and
whoever saves one life, it is as if
he has saved all of mankind.
We see many youths heading
to the Middle East to fight over
there. More often than not, it is
a battle with Muslims against
Muslims. How do we know that
we are right? How do we know

Have we thought
about the good we
can do over here?
There are many relief
efforts taking place
around the globe.
Many people are
donating clothes and
other essentials, and
are volunteering their
time to help those
who are affected.
Why not join them?
As the idiom goes,
Dont add fuel to
the fire. We as
Muslims should be
fire fighters, not
arsonists!
that we are not going there to kill
innocent life, or even someone
who is beloved to Allah (swt)?
As the famous saying goes The
road to Hell is paved with good
intentions. Therefore we must
be careful in what we do.
Our Prophet (saw) has said
that this is a time of fitna (trial).
People are being killed and they
dont know why they are being
killed. People are killing and
they dont know who they are
killing.
On the other hand, have
we thought about the good we
can do over here? There are
many relief efforts taking place
around the globe. Many people
are donating clothes and other
essentials, and are volunteering
their time to help those who are
affected. Why not join them?
As the idiom goes, Dont add
fuel to the fire. We as Muslims
should be fire fighters, not
arsonists!
This article is an excerpt
from Rocket Science, the
newsletter of Mount Albert
Islamic Trust & is reprinted
with their permission. www.
mtalbertislamiccentre.org

INDIA

18

8 May 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Red

Is Australian coal-lobby blocking

uranium deal with India?
Rekha Bhattacharjee

fter India signed a deal

with Canada on uranium
imports during Prime
Minister Narendra Modis visit to
Ottawa, questions are being raised
as to why it has taken Canberra so
long to clinch a similar pact.
The powerful coal lobby in
Austalia has also come under a
scanner for the role it may have
played in blocking uranium sale to
an energy-starved India.
Even though Australian Trade
and Investment Minister Andrew
Robb said last weekend that the
finishing line is in sight for supply
of uranium to India, many experts
are expressing doubts. Some of
these sceptics blame the so-called
Big Coal for pushing the finishing
line further away.
The logic behind their analysis is
understandable as the importance
of coal to the Australian economy
is immense. Around 200,000
people are employed in businesses
dealing with coal. The value of this
fossil fuel industry is estimated to
be Aus $60 billion. This figure is
huge for a country of 23 million
people.

But the coal mining industry in

Australia is facing a bleak future
as international prices for fossil
fuels continue to fall. A clearly
discernible downturn in the
Chinese demand for Australian
coal has not helped. Add to this is
the increasing global preference
for renewable energy to the
mix and not too bright a future
emerges for the coal industry.
While there are 1,300 mining
firms in Australia, production
is dominated by very large
firms such as BHP Billiton, Rio
Tinto, Xtrata,Shell Chevron and
Woodside Petrolium..
Australia hails the mining
sector as a saviour of the economy.
The country exported Aus $39.96
Billion worth of coal and Aus
$79.67 Billion of iron ore. Coal
industry has 220,000 people on
its payroll or two percent of the
total employed in the country.
Development of mining has
also relied heavily on foreign
investments and has dominated
the export earnings. In the past
decade the rapid growth of China
and India has made significant
demand for the raw material.
India, with a chronic deficit
of energy, has emerged as the

possible saviour of the Australian

coal mining industry.
In this context, it perhaps
makes sense that big coal miners
in Australia see uranium as a
competitor to fuel Indian power
plants. This is where the PR
managers of the mega coal mining
companies step in.
If anyone nursed doubts about
the existence or money power of
the Australian coal lobby, they
were dispelled exactly a year back
when the coal industry lobbying
machine launched a PR campaign
titled Australians for Coal to fight
the market slump. The media
splurge was designed to, as one
industry commentator aptly put,
defend its increasingly tattered
social licence and a fast depleting
market.
It is estimated that the
campaign cost touched Aus $100
million.
The Big Coal clout was also
evident when Australian PM Tony
Abbott appointed CEO of the
worlds second largest miner Rio
Tinto Sam Walsh to the AustraliaIndia CEO Forum. A number of
big names in coal mining in both
Australia and India have been
included in the list.

It would, therefore, not come

as a surprise that coal lobby could
be working behind the scene to
thwart the supply of uranium
required by the Indian nuclear
power plants.
It has been nearly eight years
since the then Australian PM John
Howard gave his nod to lift the
ban on uranium export to India in
August 2007. His Labor successor
Kevin Rudd was quick to restore
the ban saying India was not a
signatory to the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty (NPT).
The
mandarin-speaking
Prime Ministers close affinity
with China was given as one of
the reasons for reimposing the
ban. Those knowing Australian
politics reasonably well pointed
out that Kevin Rudd came from
Queensland - the state which
is home to some of the worlds
largest coal mines.
Kevin Rudds replacement
Julia Gillard lifted the ban after a
dramatic Australian Labor Party
National Conference in December
2011.
Much water has passed under
the bridge in the iconic Australian
river Murray at Aubury Wodonga
after that historic Labor Party

Black

Orange

concession, but the first shipment

of uranium for Indias 21 nuclear
reactors still looks like a distant
dream.
The delay can hamper Indian
governments plans to increase
power from the nuclear-powered
plants from the current 6,000
megawatts (or three per cent
of country electricity needs) to
45,000 megawatts by 2032.
When
Prime
Minister
Narendra Modi visited Australia
in November last year, it was
hoped that the contentious issue
of uranium supply would be sorted
out within a matter of few months.
The precious yellow coloured
nuclear fuel also figured in the
joint statement issued by the
two leaders of the leading Indian
Ocean rim economies. But, in
spite of the grand statements,
Indian nuclear power plants are
yet to get the fuel from Australia.
The finger-pointing at the
coal lobby, which includes the
Minierals Council of Australia,
the NSW Minerals Council
(NSWMC) and the Queensland
Resources Council (QRC), has
taken a new meaning as the
Indian multinationals GVK and
Adani Mining have joined their
ranks. Adani Mining owner
Gautam Adani is said to be close
to the prime minister Modi. How
this equation will work out on the
uranium question is yet to be seen.

CALL : Shell 021 915 346 / Zulfi 021 915 329 / Tony 021 915 340
Unit 0, 8 Bishop Lenihan Place, East Tamaki
P. 09 272 3522 / 272 3544 F. 09 272 3577
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INDIA

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 May 2015

Red

Black

Orange

Salman jailed for five years for hit-and-run

ollywood actor Salman

Khan was sentenced to
five years in jail for a
2002 hit-and-run accident that
left one man dead and four others
injured.
Additional Sessions Judge
D.W. Deshpande announced the
verdict at a packed courtroom
here, stunning the actor and his
family.
Salman, one of the highest
paid actors in Bollywood, was
sentenced for culpable homicide
not amounting to murder.
The judge held Salman guilty of
rash and negligent driving when
he was at the wheels of the Land
Cruiser that killed the poor victim
in suburban Bandra in September
2002. Defence lawyer Abha Singh
said justice had finally been done.
I am very happy, she told the
media. Justice has been done.
The law has been upheld.
She said the long delay had

The judge held Salman

guilty of rash and
negligent driving when
he was at the wheels of
the Land Cruiser that
killed the poor victim
in suburban Bandra in
September 2002.

given the impression that the rich

could get away with murder in
India, and that the moneyed were
above the law.
Earlier on Wednesday, the
actor was found guilty on most of
the charges levelled against him
in the incident. His lawyers had
pleaded for a lighter sentence,
citing the actors social work as
well as heart and other medical
issues.
Salman is likely to be taken
into police custody and sent to the
Arthur Road Central Jail in south
Mumbai.

See Pg 26 for more news on the case

Government supports non-discriminatory

access to Internet: Prasad

elecom
Minister
Ravi
Shankar Prasad said that the
government stands for ensuring
non-discriminatory access to
Internet.
Government
stands
for
ensuring
non-discriminatory
access to Internet for all citizens
of the country, Prasad said in the
Rajya Sabha, as a calling attention
motion was taken up on net
neutrality.
Current debate on net
neutrality should be seen from
this perspective... while resolving
the issue harmoniously and
consistently with constitutional
principles, he said.
The minister added that a final
decision on net neutrality will be
taken by the government.
Whatever be the outcome of
the consultation paper (of TRAI)
the decision will be taken by
government, he informed the
Rajya Sabha.

19

In March, telecom regulator

TRAI released a paper inviting
comments from users and
companies on how over-the-top
services should be regulated in the
country. It asked stakeholders to
send suggestions by April 24 and
counter-arguments by May 8.

A
six-member
panel
of
the
department
of
telecommunications (DoT) is also
conducting a study on the issue.
The minister added: Internet
is one of the finest creations of
human mind, it must belong to
mankind, not to few.

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Net neutrality means that

governments and Internet service
providers should treat all data on
the Internet equally - therefore,
not charging users, content,
platform, site, application or mode
of communication differentially.

Activist targets
Kumar Vishwas,
AAP defends
him

woman
activist
has
urged AAP leader Kumar
Vishwas to clarify his
relationship with her, prompting
both Kumar Vishwas and the
AAP to deny assumptions of
wrongdoing as baseless.
The
Aam
Aadmi
Party
volunteer said she had approached
the Delhi Commission for Women
(DCW) against Kumar Vishwas
seeking his clarification, who
later summoned Vishwas on the
basis of the complaint by the party
volunteer alleging molestation,.
I want Kumar Vishwas to
come forward and clarify that
there was nothing between us. I
have suffered a lot because of this
entire matter, the complainant,
her face partly covered, told the
media.
My family is not with me
because of this issue. I have been
living alone for the last one month.
The AAP is also not supporting
me, she said. I want my respect
back.
She did not hurt any criminal
allegation against Kumar Vishwas.
The AAP contested the charges.
The issue has been played up
as if Kumar Vishwas has illicit
relations with the woman. The
woman herself has named four
people for maligning her image on
social media, AAP leader Sanjay
Singh told the media.
Spare our families... They get
hurt by such baseless reports, he
said.
Kumar Vishwas called the
whole thing a political conspiracy.
The woman is like my younger
sister... People have given their
life for our movement. I am facing
character assassination.
He specifically blamed the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
A rumour is being spread to
malign me and the party. The BJP
lost the elections badly in Delhi...
In pain and frustration they are
targeting AAP leaders, he said.
The woman had taken part in
Kumar Vishwas campaign in the
Amethi Lok Sabha constituency in
2014.
Later I saw a post on social
media in 2015 in which it was
claimed that Kumar Vishwass
wife had caught us in an
objectionable position. When I
confronted Kumar Vishwas he
asked me not to pay attention to
it, and not to make a big issue out
of it, she said.
She said she appealed to Kumar
Vishwas to tell the media that
nothing had happened between
us.
She said he promised to do
that, adding she was like a
younger sister to him... But later
he stopped responding.

20

INDIA

8 May 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indias first satellite-controlled

solar plant opened in Punjab

ndias
first
satellitecontrolled solar power plant
has come up in Lalpur village
in Punjabs Hoshiarpur district.
Built at a cost of Rs.35 crore,
the project will produce 4.2 MW
of electricity.
The plant uses the Single
Axis Tracking East West Tilt
Technology, which follows the
path of the sun during the day to
generate eight percent more units
of electricity compared to solar
power plants having traditional
fixed type structures, Punjabs
New and Renewable Energy
Minister Bikram Singh Majithia
said after inaugurating the plant,
160 km from Chandigarh.
The plant has been set up by
Aditya Medisales, which is part of
the Sun Pharma Group.
Inviting the company to
invest more in renewable energy

production in Punjab, Majithia

said the state was offered
assured 25 years power purchase
agreement (PPA) for projects
generating clean energy.
Punjab has fixed target of
generating more than 4200 MW
solar power by 2022, he said.
He said many companies
have already invested more than

Rs.1,300 crore in solar power

projects in Punjab, while an
investment of around Rs.1,700
crore was in the pipeline.
Majithia said Indias largest
rooftop plant of 7.5 MW at the
Radha Soami sect headquarters
at Beas (Amritsar) would be
expanded to 31.5 MW which
would make it the worlds largest
rooftop plant.

Chaitanya Mallapur

of UAVs possessed by each nation

may be different.
A total of 1,574 UAV transfers
have taken place across the world
between 1985 and 2014. Of these,
16 are armed UAVs, according
to data provided by Stockholm
International Peace Research
Institute (SIPRI), an independent
global conflict-research institute.
UAV trade recorded an
increase of 137 percent between
1985 and 2014. The period
between 1985 and 1990 saw
sales of 185 UAVs globally, which
increased to 439 between 2010
and 2014. Egypt and Italy are
among the other large importers.
The last decade also registered
sales of 16 armed UAVs.
Indias first UAV delivery came
from Israel in 1998. The UK, on

the other hand, imported its first

UAV in 1972 from Canada. But
Japan was the first country in the
world to import a UAV, it got one
from the US in 1968.
Indias UAV imports, have
almost all been from Israel,
according to SIPRI data. Of 176
UAVs, 108 are Searcher UAVs
and 68 are Heron UAVs. Israel
is the leading exporter of drones,
accounting for 60.7 percent 1985
and 2014.
The US, with a 23.9 percent
of UAV exports, ranks second,
followed by Canada with 6.4
percent. Israel shipped has
shipped 783 drones since 1980.
(In arrangement with
IndiaSpend.org, a data-driven,
non-profit, public-interest
journalism platform)

Yadav attacks AAP, says people feel cheated

xpelled Aam Admi Party

leader Yogendra Yadav
has attacked his former
party, alleging it has become
centralised despite enjoying
plenty of goodwill.
The AAP enjoys lot of
goodwill, but has become
centralised. When AAP was
formed, a huge national asset
was created, but it is getting
depleted, Yadav told media
persons.
Yadav, along with other
dissident
leaders
Prashant
Bhushan, Ajit Jha and Anand

Black

Orange

GDP to grow at 8.1-8.5 percent in

2015-16: Sinha

India tops list of droneimporting nations

he decision by Indias
National
Disaster
Response Force to use
drones to help Nepal map the
scale of devastation caused by
last months earthquake indicates
how India has enthusiastically
taken to these pilot-less aircraft -the so-called eyes in the sky.
With 22.5 percent the worlds
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
imports, between 1985 and
2014, India ranks first among
drone-importing
nations,
followed by United Kingdom
and France. UAVs, or drones as
they are commonly known, are
pilotless aerial vehicles used for
reconnaissance,
surveillance,
intelligence gathering and aerial
combat missions.
The advantage of UAVs is that
they come at a fraction of the cost
of manned aircraft with no risk
to human lives. The data here
relate to drone/UAV transfers
(imports/exports)
between
countries. There are also drones
that have been indigenously
developed, so the actual number

NEWS in BRIEF
Red

Kumar were removed from

AAP last month for anti-party
activities.
On a tour to the city in
connection with the Swaraj
Abhiyan movement launched by
the expelled members, he said

that there is a need to create an

alternative politics, and not an
alternative political party.
He said the Swaraj abhiyan
aims to retain, regain and
recreate the energy the country
has seen three years ago when
the anti-corruption movement
culminated into the formation
of the AAP. Our aim is to bring
back the thousands of people
who feel cheated and want to
leave politics, Those who had
dreamt of cleansing the political
system have suffered a blow,
said Yadav, a noted psephologist.

enign oil prices, likely monetary policy easing by the Reserve

Bank and lower inflation will help the Indian economy to grow
in the range of 8.1- 8.5 percent in the current fiscal, the parliament
was told this week.
The increase in GDP growth can be expected on account of
factors like benign oil prices, likely monetary policy easing facilitated
by lower inflation and lower inflationary expectations, Minister of
State for Finance Jayant Sinha told the Rajya Sabha in a written
reply.
The latest Economic Survey has indicated that the GDP growth
rate at constant market prices is likely to be in the range of 8.1-8.5
percent in 2015-16, he added.
The GDP grew at 7.4 percent in 2014-15.

Delhi Metro plans WiFi facility

aboard trains

he Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) plans to provide WiFi

facility aboard its trains as well as in stations, union Minister of
State for Urban Development Babul Supriyo said.
The DMRC has informed the ministry that it has planned to
provide WiFi facility in metro trains, he said in reply to a question
in the Lok Sabha.
Stations on the new line like Mukundpur-Shiv Vihar line and
Janakpuri West-Kalindi Kunj line... will also be covered under this
facility, he said.
The minister said the DMRC had invited proposals from mobile
operators in connection with providing WiFi facility.
The DMRC has floated a tender to explore the possibility of
providing WiFi facility for their existing metro rail network. The
tender envisages total investment and operational expenditure by
the WiFi system provider, he said.

India, Palestine hold foreign office

consultations

ndia and Palestine held the first round of Foreign Office

Consultations in Ramallah, during which the whole gamut of
bilateral ties was reviewed, challenges identified, and mechanisms
strategised to take the relationship forward.
The two sides, during the meeting this week, also discussed
important regional and multilateral issues including Indias
continued support to the Palestinian cause, the latest developments
in the Middle East Peace Process, regional developments, fight
against terrorism and United Nations Security Council reforms.
In this regard, the Palestinian side underlined its support to
the efforts and aspirations of India to obtain a permanent seat in
the United Nations Security Council, an external affairs ministry
statement said.

Air India makes psychometric test

mandatory for trainee pilots

Air India has made psychometric test mandatory for the

recruitment of trainee pilots (commercial pilot license holders).

However, candidates recruited as cabin crew are not subjected to

any psychometric test, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh
Sharma told the Rajya Sabha.
The recruitment test for the post of trainee cabin crew was
conducted by Indian Institute of Psychometry on January 11, 2015
at Delhi and Chennai. As many as 401 candidates were called for
the written test and 394 candidates appeared, out of which 357
candidates qualified the same, he said.
No change in the medical standards of pilots is proposed as they
are in line with ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization)
requirements. However, many airlines are carrying out psychometric
test of pilots at the time of induction, he added.

INDIA ABROAD

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 May 2015

Red

Black

Orange

Two NRIs offer to build 1,200 houses

in Nepal

wo billionaire NRIs have

offered to build 1,200
earthquake-resistant
houses in quake-affected villages
of Nepal immediately, Nepals
embassy in London has said.
Mukesh
Kumar
Sehgal,
managing director of Britainbased SISMO Company that is well
known for its building technology,
met Nepals Acting Ambassador
to Britain, Tej Bahadur Chettri,
and offered to build 1,000
quake-resistant houses in Nepal,
according to the embassy.
Sehgal told Chettri that his
company
was
experienced
in building houses with new
technology and if the Nepal
government accepted the offer, he
would start construction of houses

in remote areas of Nepal that have

been severely hit by the April 25
earthquake in the Himalayan
nation.
Initially we will construct
temporary houses so that affected
people can be relocated, he
told Chettri. Later once debris
is cleared, we will build the new
settlement.

Sehgal mentioned that his

company was not promoting itself
but wanted to help Nepal in this
moment of crisis.
Similarly, another billionaire
NRI, Shree Prakash Lohia, also
offered to build 200 houses in
quake-ravaged villages of Nepal
through his Lohia Foundation.
He also met Chettri in London

and made the offer, said the

embassy. Experts in building
quake-resistant buildings would
construct the houses in 90 days,
he told Chettri, adding that if
Nepal gave the green signal his
foundation would start working
from May 30. Chettri told Lohia
he would consult the authorities in
Nepal and revert back to him, said
the statement. Before shifting from
India to Britain, Lohias father had
run Ashok Textile in Biratnagar in
Nepal, it said.
Lohia, 62, now has businesses in
24 nations. With a personal worth
of $4.4 billion, Lohia is founder
and chairman of Indorama
Corporation,
a
diversified
petrochemical
and
textile
company.

Sikhs explain meaning of turban to

US lawmakers

ikhs have to explain to

American people what
the turban means because
that is the immediate source of
their identification, according
to the author of a new report on
Sikhs in America presented to US
lawmakers.
Sikhs have to explain what
it symbolizes and what values
it represents, said Geoff Garin,
former political strategist for
presidential candidate Hillary
Clinton presenting the key findings
of the report at a briefing arranged
by the National Sikh Campaign
(NSC).
This will have a very powerful
impact on the broader American
public, he said. The study shows
that when people see Sikhs on the

streets anywhere, people are very

confused about what Sikh faith is
and that confusion leads to tragic
consequences, said Garin.
They also feel that they will not
have very much in common with
Sikhs.
Garin, whose current clients
include the World Bank, Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation and
the Harvard University, heads the
Hart Research Associates, one of
the leading survey firms in the US.
The firm conducted a six-month
long nationwide polling and focus
group study to understand how
Sikhs are perceived in America and
what strategies would be helpful to
change perceptions. The report
lists specific messaging techniques
which Sikhs could use in their

media strategies resonating with

American public. Garin said
the survey showed that 6 out 10
Americans acknowledge that they
know nothing at all about Sikhs
and Sikhism.
John Garamendi, co-chair
of the Sikh Caucus, said, Its
extremely important that the
people of the United States and

beyond learn and understand the

multiple cultures that we have in
the United States.
Dr. Rajwant Singh, senior
advisor to NSC, said the NSC
plans to start a media ad campaign
based specifically on this study
and the various intricate details
input collected from common
Americans.

Indian-descent software engineer shares

Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting

software engineer of
Indian descent shared
The Wall Street Journals
Pulitzer Prize for investigative
reporting in growing recognition
of the importance of using
information technology tools
for reporting as well as for
presentation.
Palani Kumanan, who is a
software architect and technical
lead with Dow Jones that publishes
the Journal, was a part of the
winning projects graphics team,

21

according to Michael Siconolfi, the

newspapers investigations editor.
The Journal won the top
journalism award announced
for its mammoth investigative
project, Medicare Unmasked.
The series mined data obtained
from the US government after a
prolonged legal fight. Kumanan,
a graduate of the PSG College of
Technology in Coimbatore, Tamil
Nadu, developed the interactive
database on Medicare billing used
to analyse government payments

made to over 880,000 medical

service
providers,
including
doctors and hospitals.
From the this mountain of
data, readers were also able to use
an interactive database created on
the newspapers website to find
for themselves information about
various medical service providers
and analyse it.
In the digital age, coding
and software applications are
becoming essential journalism
tools and training institutions have

begun incorporating them into

journalism curriculum. Columbia
Universitys Graduate School of
Journalism, for example, has been
offering a dual-degree programme
in journalism and computer
science.
Journals Geeta Anand, who
is now based in India, shared a
Pulitzer in 2003 for reports on
corporate scandals.
The next year, a series on
rationing in healthcare that she
worked on was a Pulitzer finalist.

Sri Sri
brings
meditation
to US
lawmakers

ndian spiritual leader Sri Sri

Ravi Shankar led a meditation
session with US lawmakers on
Capitol Hill that House member
Jan Schakowsky termed as a
beautiful and self-empowering
experience.
The event highlighted how
meditation can help resolve
several concerns particularly Post
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
among Americas veterans and
youth issues.
The secret of meditation is in
letting go, said Shankar to the
gathering, which also consisted of
war veterans and policy leaders.
Stress arises when we have too
much to do, and not enough energy
or time to do it. We can neither
change time nor the number of
things we need to do.
So, the only option is to
increase energy levels. And this can
be accomplished through breathing
techniques and meditation, he
said.
Shankars Project Welcome
Home
Troops
(PWHT)
programme in the US has
helped more than 1000 veterans
experience reduction in PTSD
symptoms, and re-adapt to civilian
life, through breathing techniques
and meditation.
When asked about the secret
behind his philosophy, Shankar
said, What we really look for in
life is happiness. Societal progress
should not only be measured based
on GDP but also GDH (Gross
Domestic Happiness).

22

SPORTS

8 May 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Red

Mayweather vanquishes Pacquiao

to extend perfect boxing record

merican boxer Floyd Mayweather

extended his perfect overall fight
record to 48-0 with a unanimous
decision over Manny Pacquiao here and
said hell retire after one more bout.
He is a hell of a fighter, Mayweather
said of Pacquiao after the bout on Saturday.
The Filipino icon has won world titles in
an unprecedented eight weight divisions,
reports Xinhua.
I take my hat off to him. Now I see why
hes one of the guys that are at the pinnacle
of the sport of boxing.
Total revenues of the fight were
projected to reach as much as $400
million. Mayweather expected to rake in
$200 million and Pacquiao was in line
for a potential $100 million payday once
revenue from sources, including pay-perview television sales, was counted.
Mayweather reiterated that he plans to
fight just one more time.
With one more fight, the 38-year-old
Mayweather will fulfill his rich six-fight deal
with telecaster Showtime.
And with one more victory, he would
match the iconic 49-0 overall ring record of

Black

Orange

Minister
unveils
FIFA U-20
volunteer
uniforms

Rocky Marciano.
Mayweather has insisted throughout
the build-up to the Pacquiao fight that
49-0 would be enough for him -- although
sceptics think that should he get there he
wont be able to resist trying for a 50th win.

My last fight is in September, and then

its time for me to hang it up, Mayweather
said.
Im almost 40 years old now. Ive been
in this sport for 19 years and have been a
champion for 18 years. Im truly blessed.

Indians advance in
Asian squash

ndians made a good start to their

campaign in the Asian senior individual
squash championship with three of
them who made their appearance - Saurav
Ghosal, Harinder Pal Sandhu Aand Mahesh
Mangaonkar - moving to the third round.
All the three Indian players had a first
round bye.
Second seeded Ghosal had it easy against
Abdulrahaman Al-Malki (Qatar) 11-4, 11-3, 112, and Sandhu had to stretch himself to beat
local player Falah Muhammad who gave up in
the third game,11-5, 11-9, 6-0.
Mangonkar, on the other hand, was up
against a fit and agile Korean Park Jong
Myoung. Park even grabbed a game to queer
the pitch, but the Indian played tight and
deservedly won 11-7, 11-13, 11-7, 11-1.

port and Recreation Minister Jonathan

Coleman on Tuesday unveiled the
FIFA Under-20 World Cup volunteer
uniform at a football event in Auckland.
Volunteers play a vital role in the successful
hosting of world class sporting events like the
FIFA U-20 World Cup, says Dr Coleman.
The uniforms launched today have a
distinct New Zealand feel and the 1,500
volunteers wearing them around the country
are going to look great. These volunteers
are passionate about football, with over 970
indicating that after the World Cup they would
like to take up future roles as administrators,
coaches or referees.
They will be joining the 750,000 Kiwis
who give around 50 million hours of their time
volunteering in sport every year.
The volunteer uniforms were unveiled at St
Peters College and the event also marked the
launch of the FIFA U-20 Leverage and Legacy
plan for New Zealand.
Encouraging more Kiwis to be involved
in football for longer is a key part of the
plan, with volunteers playing an essential
role, added Dr Coleman. New or improved
playing fields are another valuable legacy of
the tournament with four new fields built in
Whangarei and upgraded pitches in Hamilton
and Christchurch.
The tournament also presents a great
opportunity to cultivate new players and
further grow the game. Through the College
Futsal programme participation in the fivea-side version of the gamehas grown from
11,218 participants in 2013 to 18,853 at the
end of 2014. The FIFA U-20 World Cup
features 52 matches across seven host cities.
The Tournament kicks off on 30 May when
New Zealand plays Ukraine at North Harbour
Stadium.

India beat Japan 2-0 in second hockey Test

confident India outfit pulled off a

2-0 win over Japan in the second
match of the four Test series this

week.
The Indians surged into the lead
through a 27th minute strike from S.K.
Uthappa,before Dharamvir Singh doubled
the lead in the 48th minute.
The match had an interesting start where
both the teams came out all guns blazing
and played a fast-paced game.
While Japan was relied on planned
offensives to enter into the Indian territory
with their long passes, the hosts opted to
strengthen their defence line.
With both the teams unable to score on
the opportunities, the first quarter of the
game went goalless.
India then took the lead when Yuvraj
Walmiki passed to Uthappa who flawlessly

struck a beautiful field goal in the 27th

minute. India held on to the 1-0 lead at half
time.
The confident Indian boys tried to build
pressure on the opponent team in the third
quarter and displayed some lovely moves
and interceptions.
The fourth and the last quarter of the
game began with the same momentum and
the Indian team was seen attacking from
the right flank. Japan made quick moves
and continued to restrict the opponents
from getting into the circle until Dharamvir
effortlessly attacked the Japanese citadel in
the 48th minute, landing the ball into the
net, making it 2-0.
Keeping up the momentum, Yuvraj
Walmiki made a reverse stick shot but the
Japanese defenders stood tall.

KIDZONE

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 May 2015

Red

Black

Orange

Sculpture by Hari

Drawing and story by

Bhaavana Rajeev
Recently I found four kittens in my neighbourhood along
with their mother. They seem to be very happy, living
in our cul-de-sac. Unfortunately one of it died recently
due to cold weather. Anyways, these kittens made me
want to know more about cats.
I found out that cats can be very smart animals. In
Japan, cats are considered to be good luck. One of my
best friends recently brought me a good luck cat charm
from Japan. In Egypt cats are so rare, that if you
kill a cat, you would be punished. Well thats what I
heard!! I also know that tigers, lions, puma, leopard etc
also belong to the cat family. Cats are enemies with
dogs and mice. They help keep the house, mice and rat
free. I would like to have a kitten as a pet. But they
can sometimes vomit inside the house. And so, I do not
think it as a good idea.
But just in case you have decided to buy a kitten, see
that you buy them a scratching post and a toy mouse.
You should also tie a piece of paper to a string and get
your cat, to chase the paper. I am continuing to learn
more about cats and I hope that I can share more with
you next time.

Dot to Dot puzzle

Dot to Dot

6
24

5
25

23

8
1
4

22

9
10

Drawing by Inara Dutta

11
21

20

19

12

15

18

14
17

www.ActivityVillage.c

13

16
o.uk - Keeping Kids Busy

unscramble....
Answers to last weeks winter

, 6. Blankets,
1. Winter, 2. Cloudy, 3. Snowflake, 4. Chilly, 5. Cold
7. Sneeze,8. Frost, 9. Heater, 10. Ski.

Send us stories, drawings, poems and other

contributions by your little ones along with their
photographs for this page. Email us at editor@
indianweekender.co.nz

23

24

FEATURES

8 May 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

To mA, with love

An ode to the women who shape our lives
Esha ChandA

er love is boundless;
her heart, a cocoon of
comfort and happiness.
She is the giver and nurturer
of life. Of the many jewels a
woman wears, motherhood is
undoubtedly her crowning glory.
There is no bond as strong and
sacred in the world as the one
between a mother and her child.
And to honour this woman,
Mothers Day is celebrated across
cultures every year.
More than a century has faded
away since the first Mothers Day
was celebrated. Anna Jarvisa
name credited with the birth of
this dayspent almost a decade
campaigning in order to dedicate
a day to commemorate mothers. A
determined daughter, she hoped
for the world to appreciate the
devotion and selfless love of the
heart of the family. She expected
simple gestures such as a heartfelt
letter or a single flower to show
your gratitude.
Over the years, the day has
evolved across many cultures.
Hallmark cards, bouquets of
carnations, brunches and the
general outpour of your affection
can make your mother smile, but
words still hold the power to voice
the deepest of emotions, especially
for the ones living away from their
mothers. Many miles separate
them, but the magic of a mothers
love still runs deep in their heart;
such is the beauty of a motherchild
relationship.
Mothers
Day is an empowering occasion
that celebrates the beautiful gift
women posses to breathe life. It
is a time to acknowledge one of
the most endearing experiences
women have.
Indians in New Zealand reside
in a land away from the place
they called home when growing
up; away from the comfort of the
familiar care and loving eyes. But
little can stand against a mothers
love; not even the long distance.
For the ones away, the day takes
on a special and different meaning.
Times have changed. With so

Manish
RedChaturvedi
Black
Orange
I know its the first time to wish my mum and I
really miss my mum. Now I realise importance
her care, her support when I am away from her
especially in these struggling days. I firmly believe
that mothers are the reflections of God on this
earth and there is heaven under her feet. God could
not be everywhere, and therefore he made mums
to shower us with so many gifts. Mum, you gave
me the precious gift of life, of course, but you also
gave treasured lessons that can guide me along my
journeys even when you are not with me. Miss you
and love you so much. I want to wish you a very
happy mothers day.
Elakkiya Prabhakaran
I never knew the value of my mother until I came to
NZ.. Only then I understood the hidden sacrifices in
my luxurious life. I love and miss you mom, there is
no one like you and will never be. Happy Mothers
day mum...

Richard Kandel (7 yrs)

My mom makes me my favorite chicken curry
whenever I ask her. She takes me to shopping and
also to the playground to play with my friends. My
mummy brings me chocolates when she comes
from work and also helps me do my homework. She
loves me more than my brother and I love my mom
more than my brother. I Love you mum.

Mothers Day is an
empowering occasion
that celebrates the
beautiful gift women
posses to breathe
life. It is a time to
acknowledge one of
the most endearing
experiences women
have.
many young souls venturing out
of their home country in search
of better education and career
prospects, the time spent away
from from their mothers only
make them realise the beauty of
their relationship. Although, in
this Internet-dominated era, a
hug would be replaced by a Skype

call, a card by a Whatsapp text,

for the mother, the gesture would
make a world of a difference. For
the ones away, Mothers Day is a
reminder of a mothers unceasing
love and affection; a day of
reminiscence where you look back
at the times spent togetherthose
camping trips, long talks and the
joy of coming back home to your
favourite meal.
Whether she is a single
mother, a working mother or
a homemaker, motherhood is
an enchanting experience for a
woman. So whether it is a small
kiss on the cheek, a hug or a mere
heartfelt phone call, celebrate this
Mothers Day by thanking your
mother for all that she has done
and still does.

Vishal (10 yrs)

What I love about my mum is that she is really
caring and nice kind, she is really helpful and she
encourages me to good stuff stay healthy and fit.
Last birthday she gave me a football jersey and she
waits for me when I come from school. She makes
me sleep beside her and loves me a lot. I love my
mom very much! I want to give a big teddy bear to
my mom on Mothers day.

Hardik Patel (10 Yrs)

I love my mom. She is amazing and knows me well.
She makes food like no one else. I love her Chhole
Bhature and Pao Bhaji. She is sometimes strict also
and I get told off if I become very naughty. I wish
her a very happy Mothers Day. I have a surprise gift
for her which will make her very happy.
Zoey Heatley (4 Yrs)
My mums name is Louise Bex and I like to take
picture of her and I like to draw pictures of her. She
takes to the kindergarten, gets me chocolates and
plays with me every time. She is my best friend and
she cooks nice muffins for me. I want to say mum I
love you and I want to play with you all time...

Mt Albert | Royal Oak | Manukau | Henderson | Lincoln North

FEATURES

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 May 2015

A Festival with a cause

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A sneak peek into what makes the Indian Theatre Festival special

he Indian Theatre Festival being

presented by Rangmanch and
Indian Weekender is all set to not
just be a treat to your senses and a high dose
on culture but comes to you supporting a
cause. The profits from ticket sales will be
donated to the Nepal Earthquake Relief
fund and Kids Heart Charity. So this then
becomes an opportunity for the entire
community to come out and support this
festival for a cause.
There are expected to be some other
exciting promotions that will be taking
place during the festival so there is a lot to
look forward to.

mad for Cricket. Gulbaj which means a

bluffer, his real name is Jahar and he is
so crazy about cricket that he eats sleeps
and dreams only about cricket. The play is
more like a black comedy and the audience
at the end will be left with a heavy heart
and it will make them to ponder about life.
The play was originally written by Sohan
Bandhopadhyay called Natarango and
we have taken the rights to enact it on
Rangmanch. This is very rare that cricket
is projected and is important part of a play
and the story revolves around it. The theme
is unique and I think everyone should
watch it at least once.

several dance numbers in Bengali and

Hindi here in Auckland. By profession I am
a teacher at St. Dominics Primary School
in Blockhouse Bay.
Taposh
pharmacist in Bangladesh, living here with
my 2 kids and grandkids for the last 4 years.
I would like to ask every theatre lover and
even newbies to come and enjoy the plays
organised by Rangmanch.
Vijayendra

I am having been with Rangmanch from

its very inception in 2008, I love acting
and comedy is my favorite genre in acting.
I play the role of a psychiatrist called
Sagar Nil Dutta and I am here to make
a documentary on my father who was an
industrialist and a chief patron of the cricket
club in which Jahar played, and was also
a close associate of my father. Currently I
am working as the store assistant manager
of Briscoes in Henderson.
Sahid
I play the character of Ujwals friend and
his support, it a supporting role but it gives
a connection to the theatre genre. I was a

This week the spotlight is on the Bengali

play Gulbaj and Rizwan Mohammad from
the Indian Weekender caught up with the
cast and crew of this play and spoke to them
about the preparations. So get to know the
people behind the characters:

Poulomi

Santanu

This is my first play in Bengali with

Rangmanch but I have done a couple of
plays earlier in Hindi. Being associated
with Rangmanch for the last 5 years gives
me immense joy and pleasure to say that
this is one of the best platforms for theatre
acting. In the play called Gulbaj The Man
of the Match, I have one of the key roles,
playing a young entrepreneur and a lover
to the central character. Gulbaj is a very
interesting character and I am would
be son-in-law of Jahar. We have been
practicing for the last 3 months, 3 times a
week and it is very exciting.

We come from a very lower middle class

of the society and my father had tough
relationship with my mother who passed
away. He is very close to his daughter
which is my and I am a primary school
teacher and often does odd jobs to support
my father. The character is in love with a
young man and has to leave her father
to be with her partner, there the story
becomes complex. I am a social worker by
profession, I have done Bengali plays here
but it is my 1st venture with Rangmanch.
The script is awesome and is like everyone
can relate to.
Nirmita

Ujjal

Director and central character of the

play, it tells the story of a common man

I have a small but important role

in Gulbaj where I play the role of the
secretary of a rich person who lives abroad.
My character is called Tina and is trying
to convince Gulbaj the title character to
give some inside information about the
cricket club he used to play with. I am very
excited to be associated with Rangmanch;
I mostly work backstage and have done

I play the role of a Sardar called Joginder

who has loaned money to Shantanu to start
business but he is unable to pay his debts
and trouble begins. I am also playing the
role in the Hindi play and I am software
developer by profession in Auckland. I
urge everyone to come and watch the
magnificent plays on Rangmanch platform.

26

ENTERTAINMENT

8 May 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Red

Wont change
my writing style
for Bollywood:
Chetan Bhagat

is books have found

visual translation in
Hindi movies, but author
Chetan Bhagat remains unstirred
by the glitz and glamour of the tinsel
town and says he wont change his
style of writing to suit Bollywoods
sensibilities.
I dont want to change my writing
style. I want to write books as books.
I dont want to change my books
because of some film-related reason.
I will continue to make my books as
they are, Bhagat told media. Most of
his books like The Three Mistakes of
My Life, Five Point Someone and
2 States: The Story of My Marriage
impressed Bollywood filmmakers
enough to turn these into films. The
adaptations have garnered mixed
response at the box office. While
3 Idiots, based on Five Point
Someone, and 2 States, inspired
by 2 States: The Story of My

Marriage, raked in a good business,

Kai Po Che, a take on The Three
Mistakes of My Life, got only tepid
response. Hello, based on One
Night @ The Call Centre, turned out
to be a dud at the box office. Now two
films based on Revolution 2020
and Half Girlfriend are in works.
Its often seen that films arent
able to do justice to the storyline in
the book. But Bhagat notes that he
has been lucky in that case.
People have liked the films and
I feel filmmakers have done justice
to the book said the IIT-Delhi and
IIM-Ahmedabad alumnus.
Bhagat, who is currently seen
judging reality TV show Nach Baliye
7, has tried his hand at screenplay
writing for Salman Khan-starrer
Kick. And he notes that he will take
up more such projects if something
different and unique comes his way.

I dont live in a
dillusional world:
Irrfan

ctor Irrfan Khan says he

doesnt have any attitude
that he is doing Hollywood

projects.
I dont have the attitude that Im
doing Holywood films as such. At the
end of the day, you are a common
man. I dont live in a dillusional
world, Irrfan, who has acted in
Hollywood movies like Life of Pi
and The Amazing Spider-Man,
told reporters in a group interview.
Irrfan will soon be seen in Shoojit
Sircars directorial Piku and he says
he is a huge admirer of the director.
Even if Shoojit came with any other
subject, I would have taken it. Im

a huge admirer of him. The way he

is conducting his own life... I love

so kicked that ull r SO excited about

it! Now Im even MORE charged up
Sonakshi tweeted.
Superstar Salman Khan has been
replaced by an adorable boy in the
song Tere mast mast do nain from
movie Dabangg for the promo
video. In the video, the actress can be
seen matching steps on her popular
song with a small boy.
Set to go on air on Sony
Entertainment Television, the new
season will be hosted by Hussain
Kuwajerwala and Asha Negi.

that. As a director...his craft as a

filmmaker is outstanding, said the
actor. Piku also features Amitabh
Bachchan and Deepika Padukone.

Sonakshi is super
charged up, but
why?

onakshi Sinha says the

excitement level for her
small screen debut as a judge
of Indian Idol Junior has shot up
after the trailer of the singing reality

show turned out to be positive.

Thanks 4 the amazing response
on the #IndianIdolJrTrailer guys!

Black

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Directed by Krish, Gabbar Is

Back hit the theatres on Friday.
Also featuring Shruti Haasan, the
movie is produced by Sanjay Leela
Bhansali and Viacom18 Motion
Pictures. Akshay will next be seen
in Karan Malhotras Brothers
along with Sidharth Malhotra,
Jacqueline Fernandez and Jackie
Shroff. Filmmaker Karan Johar is
co-producing the film.
Brothers is slated to hit the
screens on August 14. The film is
an official Hindi adaptation of the
Hollywood film Warriors and tells
the story of two estranged brothers.

Shraddha s
dance mantra

Never felt so loved:

Akshay

ctor Akshay Kumar is

elated over the response
he is getting for his film
Gabbar Is Back. He says that he has
never felt so loved.
The 47-year-old took to microblogging website Twitter to express
his feelings after seeing a crane
putting a garland on the actors
poster. Just when I felt ull have
given me enough love, Ull go ahead
& hire a crane to garland my poster!
Never felt so loved he wrote along a
photograph of the poster being feted
with a huge garland with the help of
a crane.

ctress Shraddha Kapoor has

found a new reason to smile
-- the positive response to
the trailer of her forthcoming dancebased film ABCD 2. She says dance
is all about a feeling.
The daughter of Shakti Kapoor
took to micro-blogging site Twitter
to share her excitement over the
response to the trailer.
1 week, 3 million views for the
#ABCD2 trailer... thank uuuuu and
always remember, if you can feel
the music then...ANYBODY CAN
DANCE, Shraddha tweeted.
ABCD 2 is a sequel to Remo
DSouzas 2013 dance based 3D
film ABCD - AnyBody Can
Dance also features Varun
Dhawan, choreographer-director
Prabhudheva and international
dancer Lauren Gottlieb. It is
slated to release on June 19.

Verdict after 13 years in Salman Khan accident case:

Timeline

}} May 6, 2015: Additional

Sessions
Judge
D.W.
Deshpande
pronounces
Salman Khan guilty in 2002
hit-and-run case; sentences
him to five years in jail
Charges against Salman:
Indian Penal Code: Section
304 (culpable homicide not
amounting to murder) which
attracts upto 10 years in prison;
Section 279 (rash and negligent
driving) which stipulates six
months jail; Sections 337 & 338
(causing hurt by act endangering
life & causing grievous hurt)
with punishment upto two years;
Section 427 (causing damage
to property) with maximum
punishment of upto two years
Motor
Vehicles
Act:
Sections 34, 181 (driving vehicle
in contravention of rules) and
185 (driving at great speed
after consuming alcohol) with
cancellation of driving license
Bombay Prohibition Act:
Driving under influence of alcohol
with maximum six months in jail

}} April 20: Judge Deshpande

sets date May 6, 2015 for
verdict
Defence counsel Shrikant
Shivade forcefully argues against
prosecution charges and closes
arguments
}} March 25: Special Public
Prosecutor Pradeep Gharat
closed his case against Salman
after examining 27 witnesses
during the re-trial
}} April 2014: First witness
Samba Gowda deposes in
the re-trial, which continues
before the Sessions Court with
regular hearings

}} December 2013: Mumbai

Sessions Court orders a fresh
trial against the actor and
recording of fresh evidence
from all witnesses who had
also deposed before the
Metropolitan Magistrate court.
}} July 23, 2013: Sessions court
frames charges against Salman
invoking the enhanced charge
of culpable homicide not
amounting to murder
}} June 24, 2013: Sessions
court
rejects
Salmans
application, paving the way for
applying the stringent section

}} March 2013: Salman files a

revision application with the
Sessions Court challenging
lower court order
}} December 2012: Bandra
Metropolitan
Magistrate
Court rules that a case has
been made out under Sec. 304
and commits the trial to the
Sessions Court
}} March 2011: The prosecution
seeks
enhanced
charges
against Salman
}} May 2007: Chemical analysis
report suggested that Salman
was drunk at the time of the
accident
}} October
2006:
Bandra
Metropolitan Magistrate Court
frames charges against the
actor under Section 304 of the
IPC and other sections
}} December 2003: In a
breather for Salman, Supreme
Court rules that the magistrate
should, after perusal of all the
evidence, decide whether to
invoke harsher sections of IPC
}} October
2003:
State
challenges in Supreme Court
June 2003 Bombay High
Court order that Section 304 is
not applicable in this case

}} May 2003: Court rejects

Salmans application and asks
the magistrate court to frame
charges under Section 304
}} March
2003:
Salman
challenges the application of
Section 304 in the Sessions
Court
}} October 24, 2002: Salman
arrested for the second time;
secures bail from Sessions
Court
}} October 21, 2002: The
Bandra police file chargesheet, slapping Section 304 on
Salman
}} September
28,
2002:
Around 2 a.m. Salman Khans
Toyota Land Cruiser rams
into a roadside bakery in
Bandra West, close to his
Galaxy Apartments seafront
home. Five people sleeping
are injured, one of whom later
dies.
Later that afternoon, Salman
arrested by Bandra police and
enlarged on bail by a Bandra
Metropolitan Magistrate court

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 May 2015

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ENTERTAINMENT

27

28

FEATURES / EVENTS

8 May 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Red

Besan Ladoo
INGREDIENTS
}} 2cups- coarse gram flour ( besan)
}} 1cup- ghee
}} 1cup- caster sugar or grinded sugar or
powder sugar
}} 1tsp- powdered cardamom
}} 1tsp- sliced pistachios
}} 1tsp- chopped almonds
METHOD
Heat the ghee in a pan or non stick
kadhai over low heat. Add cardamom
powder to the ghee.
Add gram flour and keep stirring
to avoid lumps and keep stirring until
its brown in colour (it will take 25-30
minutes).
Remove from the heat and allow it to
cool.

Add sugar and nuts to the gram flour

and mix thoroughly.
Shape into ladoos and serve.
You will get 15 ladoo.
TIP: In summer always use less ghee
as the ladoos can melt and it can be hard
to make them into ladoo.

ADVERTISE.
STARTING FROM JUST $99* ONLY
Call at 022 3251630 / 022 0151971
or Email at iwk.teamnz@gmail.com
* Conditions apply

A Garland of Songs for

MothersDay

Venue: Highwic, 40 Gillies Avenue,

Auckland
Date: Sunday 10 May 2015
Time: 3 pm to 4 pm
A variety concert for mothers of all ages
with singers harps and cellos.Bring your
mum and her family to Highwic for a
special afternoon concert of music for
Mothers Day by young Auckland harpists,
singers, and supporting musicians
presented by Cathie Harrop. On arrival
you will be welcomed with a glass of wine
or fruit juice and a wee treat awaits you at
the end of the concert.

2015 Run Auckland

Series Race3

Venue: Barry Curtis Park, Stancombe

and Chapel Roads, Auckland
Date: Sunday 10 May 2015
Time: 8 am onwards
The Run Auckland Series now in its 8th
year is New Zealands largest Fun Run &
Walk Series consisting of 6 great races
with well over 1000 entrants per race.
The events are held at a variety of scenic
locations throughout the Auckland region
taking you to places you may never
have gone to otherwise. To top it all off
the Series provides exceptional value
for money (half the price of other similar
events) and a fun, friendly & relaxed
environment to enjoy your Sunday race.
The distances are 5km or 10km, with
Race 6 also including the Run Auckland
Half Marathon.

Black

Orange

Run kids is a 2km or 4km fun run for kids

aged under 16 years.
Get a team together for the Corporate
Cup, Family Cup, Sports Club Cup or
Schools Cup.

Rangmanch Indian
TheatreFestival

Venue: Playhouse Theatre,

15 Glendale Road, Auckland
Date & Time:
Friday 15 May- 7:30 pm to 9.30 pm
Friday 22 May- 7:30 pm to 9.30 pm
Saturday 16 May- 7 pm to 9 pm
Saturday 23 May- 7 pm to 9 pm
Sunday 17 May- 4.30 pm to 7.30 pm0
Sunday 24 May 2015- 4.30 pm to 7.30 pm
This festival will be a mega event to
showcase of 4 x full length Indian plays
in Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi and Bengali
languages of exceptional quality and
value. Such a grand celebration of the
Art form of Theatre in 4 x different ethnic
Indian languages is going to happen for
the first time in the History of Theatre in
Auckland. Rangmanchs mission is to
represent and promote the Indian culture
and heritage amongst all sections of
the migrant Indian communities in New
Zealand through its theatre and other
similar cultural presentation.

ENTERTAINMENT

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 May 2015

Red

29

Krazy Promotions
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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

PRESENTS

SIDDHARTH
RANDERIAs

GUJJUBHAI
BANYA

DABANGG
GUJRATI COMEDY PLAY

AUCKLAND

Saturday 16TH MAY, 7.30pm

Victory Convention Centre 98 beaumont st, Freemansbay

TICKETS
VVIP $60
VIP $50
GOLD $40
SILVER $30

For more info and ticket enquiries contact

Harish 021 62 62 82, Ram Iyer on 09 213 3868 or 021 529982, Hemant 021 629 359
Sponsors

Catering Partner

FOR TRADE ENQUIRIES CALL

SPICE WORLD 09-820 7434

Media Partners

Event Managed By

30

FEATURES

8 May 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

A vision with a mission

ProfessorGuna Magesan, CEO of World Hindu Economic Forum and head of the
department ofEnvironmental Science at Fiji National University, also dabbles with
film-making in biological farming
paula ray
Please tell us about the
recently concluded World
Hindu
Economic
Forum
meetin Kenya. What was it
about, who participated and
what was the biggest takeaway
from a Forum like that?
The World Hindu Economic
Forum seeks to bring financially
successful people together, such
as traders, bankers, technocrats,
investors,
industrialists,
businessmen,
professional,
economists and thinkers. This is
so as to facilitate each group to
share their business knowledge,
experience and expertise with their
fellow brethren, so that everybody
can learn how to generate surplus
wealth and to make society
prosperous.
The reason for conducting the
Forum in Kenya is that East
African region (countries such
as Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda,
Ethiopia, and Zambia) is one of the
most rapidly growing economic
regions. The rate of return on
foreign investment is high. Major
economic growth is coming
from the sectors like wholesale
and retail, infrastructure and
transportation, telecommunication

Professor Guna Magesan

and manufacturing.
Over 150 business people,
investors,
technocrats
from
over 10 countries participated.
Senior Government officials and
Governors of 2 Counties, made
presentations
on
investment
opportunities. The people from
overseas countries were happy that
they participated in this Forum.
Already some collaborations and
Memorandum of Understandings
were discussed.
What inspired you to take up
the responsibility of WHEF?
As a professional, I have worked
as a senior scientist and Professor

in University. It was more for my

personal development and family
requirements. Now a thought came
into my mind: how I can make a
difference to humanity at large? As
we know, the basic problems of the
world today are hunger, poverty
and illiteracy and these problems
cannot be solved just by donations
and charity. However, creating new
surplus wealth and then sharing
could empower the masses. I was
impressed, or rather attracted, by
the vision and mission statement
of WHEF.
Vision- Making society prosperous
MissionMaking
society
prosperous through the generation
and shaping of surplus wealth.
So I decided to join WHEF.
How would you link your
interest in WHEF with your
interested in environmental
sciences? What prompted you
to make documentary films?
When will the second film be
available for public viewing?

In addition to environmental
sciences, promoting biological
farming is one of my goals. After
Red my
presentation on biological farming
at the WHEF2013@Bangkok,
World Hindu Economic Forum
as an organization is interested in
promoting biological farming.
I made my first documentary
film on biological farming to
encourage more farmers to move
into biological farming systems
which is good for food quality and
environment.
The second documentary film will
be released in September/October
when I am back in New Zealand.
What is the third film about?
Where to from here? is my first
short film as a producer and
director. It is a story of a 65-year
old, lonely, bachelor coming to a
new country. It shows his loneliness
and how his mind struggles
between spiritual upliftment and
his physical needs.
My son Murali Krishna Magesan is
a second year student of Electrical
and Electronics Engineering at the
University of Auckland. Although
he is not professionally trained as
an editor, he has natural feeling for
the same. It was his first attempt to
edit this film.
Where are your roots?
I am from a small village near Ooty
in Nilgiri district in Tamil Nadu,
India.
I came to New Zealand in July
1988 for my PhD in soil science
at Massey University, Palmerston

North. After completing the

degree, I joined HortResearch
as a postdoctoral
fellow Orange
in 1992.
Black
After a year, I joined Landcare
Research in Hamilton as an
environmental scientist. In July
2001, I joined Forest Research
(now known as Scion), as a senior
environmental scientist, and lead
a group of scientists working in
land treatment research. Then
set up Maori Research Institute.
In the last two years, I was
Professor and Head, Department
of Environmental Science, at the
Fiji National University.
Community and social work:
As the General Secretary of
Hindu Council of New Zealand,
I am actively involved in social
and community projects such
as youth development, tree
planting, and organizing Hindu
festivals to build links between
the Hindu community and other
New Zealanders. I believe in the
Vedic principle of Vasudaiva
Kutumbakam (The world is one
large family).
Any message for the KiwiIndian community of today?
I would like to share two things:
}} Firstly, for the business
community, there are lots of
opportunities available who
want to invest in African
countries.
}} Secondly, follow your heart.
People should do what they are
really interested in.

FEATURES

www.iwk.co.nz | 8 May 2015

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2015

2015
28th May 2015

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2015

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2015

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