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3 July, 2015 | Vol. 7 Issue 15 | www.iwk.co.

nz

New Zealands first Kiwi-Indian weekly newspaper

The Pulse of Kiwi-Indians

Auckland Christchurch Wellington Hamilton Palmerston North Hastings Invercargill

MODI
LAUNCHES
DIGITAL INDIA

STOPPING
CYBERBULLYING

BOBBY JINDAL
ENTERS
US PRESIDENTIAL
RACE

CONTENTS

3 July 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

INSIDE
Pg 3

Pg 19

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Black

NEW ZEALAND

Pg 12

POWER COLUMN

Pg 13

FIJI

INDIA

Pg 22

SPORTS

Pg 30

FACE OF
THE WEEK

THIS MONTHS SPECIAL


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Normally $40 / Now $32 Only


Offer valid only from 01/07/2015 ~ 31/07/2015

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More cakes are available for


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NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 3 July 2015

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Cyberbullying is not OKfinally!


IWK Bureau

he much-awaited and
the controversial bill to
curb cyberbullying and
better support victims, passed
its third and final reading in
Parliament with overwhelming
cross-party support. Replacing
New Zealands bullying culture
with a culture that says it is not
ok to bully and intimidate other
people will not happen overnight
but this is an important step,
said MrDavid Rutherford, Chief
Human Rights Commissioner.
All New Zealanders need to
buy into changing our culture
of violence: but it wont happen
unless all of us buy into it.
Bullying isnt just happening on
the sidelines of sports games or in
classrooms: its 2015; we need to
address the bullies who torment
and bully others on social media
platforms and this law change is
a good start.
The
Harmful
Digital
Communications Act introduces
a range of measures to address
damaging online communications

and ensures that perpetrators are


held account for their actions.
New Zealand has the highest
instances of bullying among the
OECD with numerous instances
of cyberbullying. There have been
numerous reported incidents
where bullying on the Internet
has driven young adults even
to the limit of taking their own
life. Then there have been others
like the roast busters. Other
instances of bullying with racism
are also commonly heard of
among the young ones.
Kiwis need to understand
that it is a basic human right to
be free from bullying, violence
and harassment.All of us,
particularly our children, have
a right to be safe.Bullying is a
major human rights issue and one
we need to talk about, address and
challenge, said Mr Rutherford.
Balancing the rights to
freedom of expression with
the need to protect people
particularly vulnerable young
peopleis never easy but it is
imperative if we are to strengthen
the human rights of all New
Zealanders.

More broadly, this law


contains a careful balancenew
initiatives to help people deal
with some of the challenges of
online environments, along with
penalties for those who cause
harm, says Jordan Carter, Chief
Executive of InternetNZ.
We all recognise the harm
that can occur online. However,
dealing with this harm must
involve
workable
processes
and not damage free speech or
expression online, said Carter.
The
Harmful
Digital
Communications Bill introduces
a range of measures to
address damaging electronic

communications spread through


methods such as emails, texts
and social media posts. Justice
Minister Amy Adams says the law
changes will prevent and reduce
the potentially devastating harm
caused by cyberbullying and other
modern forms of harassment and
intimidation. In recent years,
weve seen a number of alarming
incidents that have highlighted
the need for legislation to deal
with perpetrators who use the
internet in ways that traumatise
victims.
This Bill tackles cyberbullying
head on. Under existing laws,
trying to remove abusive,
intimidating and distressing
material from the internet can
be difficult, drawn out and costly,
and there are few sanctions
available to aid such efforts and
to hold offenders to account.
The measures were bringing
in will simplify the process for
getting harmful communications
off the internet quickly and
effectively, while still respecting
free
speech
rights,
says
Ms Adams.The Bill will:

}} Establish an Approved Agency


to resolve complaints in a
quick and efficient way
}} Give the District Court the
power to issue take-down
notices and impose penalties
}} Provide online content hosts
with an Safe Harbour process
for handling complaints
}} Make it an offence to send
messages and post material
online that deliberately cause
serious emotional distress
}} Fill a gap in the law by creating
a new offence of incitement to
commit suicide that applies
where the person does not
attempt to take their own life
}} Amend existing laws to
clarify that they apply to
communications, regardless of
whether tormentors use online
or offline means, and futureproofing the laws against
technological advances.
Once the Bill is enacted, the
new criminal offences and the
Safe Harbour provision will take
effect immediately, and work
will begin to select the Approved
Agency.

NEW ZEALAND

3 July 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Certified copies no
longer required for
visa applications
Swati Sharma

mmigration
New Zealand
has
now
updated the criteria
for
document
s u b m i s s i o n
for most of the
temporary
visas.
According to the
new criteria, from
Monday, 6 July
2015, application for student,
work and visitor visa would no
longer require original or certified
copies of the document. However,
colour copies will be accepted.
Earlier
the
Immigration
NZ required the originals or
certified copies of all documents
submitted. Or in case of online
application, a legible scan of the
original document was must to be
provided.
Also the certified copies must
be stamped or endorsed as being
true copies of the originals by
a person authorised by law to
take statutory declarations, e.g.,
Justice of peace, a lawyer, notary
public or court official, in the
applicants country or in New

Zealand. However, if required, an


immigration officer can still ask
for the original document during
the visa application processing.
But even after this update,
the
criteria
of
document
submission remains the same for
the residence applications and
temporary applications under the
entrepreneur work visa category.
The recent update will reflect
on the all relevant webpages, INZ
Forms, guides and checklists on
July 6.
But INZ will still continue to
accept applications containing
originals or certified copies if they
are provided.
(Information source:
www.immigration.govt.nz)

Call for greater diversity


on school boards
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IWK Bureau

ulticultural
New
Zealand has called
for action to make
school
boards
of
trustees
more representatives of the
communities they serve.
A representative of the NZ
School Trustees Association
attended
Multicultural
New
Zealands AGM in Upper Hutt
last weekend to discuss the issue.
It was noted that Asian students
now make up nearly 20 per cent
of Aucklands school children,
but Asian parents make up only
two per cent (80 out of 4000)
of Aucklands current school
trustees.
MNZ President Alexis LewGor
said her organisation had
offered to work with the School
Trustees Association and the
Ministry of Education to improve
representation in the lead up to
next years trustee elections.
We hope that this issue can be
discussed at the NZSTA national
conference in Auckland later
his week, she said. Its no use
waiting till the elections next
year. The groundwork has to be
done now.
Delegates
also
welcomed
the recently adopted Migrant

Settlement
and
Integration
Strategy
developed
by
Immigration New Zealand and
the draft Police Ethnic Relations
Strategy.
Ms LewGor said the NZ
Police had set a good example in
developing positive relationships
with ethnic communities and
increasing the number of a police
from ethnic communities.
The challenge now is for
other government agencies to do
the same. Every department and
council should be considering
how they can best serve an
increasingly diverse community
and be representative of and
accessible to people of all

Ashima Singh
Barrister/ Solicitor
LLB/MIT/ BCom

ethnicities, she said.


Other topics discussed were
family and community safety
(with the Ministry of Social
Development) and concerns
about international students
being given false expectations
of employment and residency
opportunities
before
they
arrive and being vulnerable to
exploitation.
Ms LewGor, who is from
Rotorua, was re-elected President
for a further year. Other executive
members are Arish Naresh
(Tairawhiti)
Vice
President,
Nirmala
Nand
(Manawatu)
Secretary and Dinesh Taylor
(Auckland) Treasurer).

Raj Pradeep Singh


Barrister/ Solicitor
LLB/BA (Hon)

www.iwk.co.nz | 3 July 2015

NEW ZEALAND

Ahmadiyya Muslim
community condemns global
terror attacks

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IWK Bureau

he
Ahmadiyya
Muslim
Community
in
New
Zealand
unequivocally
has
condemned the horrific attacks on a
factory in France, holiday resort in
Tunisia and mosque in Kuwait last
Friday, July 26.
The true teachings of Islam absolutely
reject such barbarism and all peace-loving
Muslims are left shocked and utterly
horrified by the actions of terrorists.
Our thoughts and prayers are with
the innocent victims and their loved
ones of this appalling crime, said
Mr. Bashir Khan, National Vice
President of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat
NZ in a statement.
The National President of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim New Zealand, Mr.
Mohammed Iqbal said, As Muslims
it pains us when the noble religion of
Islam is maligned by the actions of
vicious extremists.
We therefore continuously seek to
clarify the true teachings of Islam, to
speak out against injustices, suicide
bombings and terrorism. We are clear
and firm in our belief that Islam is a
religion of peace as the word Islam
means peace and any inhumane
actions of ISIS or any such extremist
groups find no support whatsoever from

the teachings of Islam and its founder,


the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him).
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
is a dynamic, fast-growing international
revival
movement
within
Islam.
Founded in 1889 by Hadhrat Mirza
Ghulam
Ahmad
(1835-1908)
in
Punjab, India, the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community spans over 204 countries
with membership exceeding tens
of millions.
The New Zealand branch of this
community was established in 1987
and has just over 400 members. It is
a registered charitable organisation
and endeavours to be an active and
integrated community within New
Zealand society.

We would love to
hear from you.
Share your feedback
and opinions with us.
Email us at

editor@indianweekender.co.nz

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NEW ZEALAND

3 July 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Auckland Council adopts


10-year budget

uckland Council has


adopted
its
10-year
budget, setting rates,
introducing an interim transport
levy and agreeing on the level of
investment in the region for the
next 10 years.
General rates will increase by
an average of 2.5 per cent in the
first year of the budget (2015/16);
3.2 per cent in year two and 3.5
per cent from then on to help
pay for the essential services the
council delivers.
In addition, to help fund a
number of crucial transport
projects
including
busways,
cycleways and walking options
over the next three years, an
interim transport levy will be
introduced while the council
works with central government
on a transport accord to find
alternative funding sources.
Mayor Len Brown says that
this is a watershed moment for
Auckland.
During
our
consultation
Aucklanders told us in record
numbers that they wanted us to
keep rates affordable and debt
low, but they also wanted to
see immediate action tackling
Aucklands transport issues,
he says.
After decades of underinvestment, the public said

Keeping Government
to account on Human
Rights
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clearly their priority is for us to


fix Aucklands transport issues,
and the interim transport levy

will enable a number of critical


transport projects, from roads to
buses to cycleways.

he
Human
Rights
Commission
launched
an online tool to monitor
the Governments human rights
record this week, the first of its
kind in the world.
We
are
keeping
our
Government to account by
monitoring its human rights
actions and making everything
publicly
available,
said
Human Rights Commissioner
Dr Jackie Blue.
Our online National Plan of
Action (NPA) is a powerful way
to highlight human rights in our
country by making it accessible
and visible for every New
Zealander.
Last year the Governments
human
rights
record
was
reviewed by the United Nations
as part of the UPR or Universal
Periodic Review. New Zealand
accepted 121 and rejected 34 of
the recommendations. The NPA
monitors Governments action
on the 121 recommendations
it accepted.
Focusing on violence and
abuse against women and
children,
strengthening
the
human rights of New Zealand
children, reducing inequalities,

...Anyone will be able


to go online, see what
the UN recommended
we do and monitor
what our Government
agreed to do...
responding to the aftermath of
the Canterbury earthquakes and
addressing the place of Maori New
Zealanders in our criminal justice
system were some of the priorities
highlighted in New Zealands
review before the United Nations
Human Rights Council, said
Dr Blue.
From today (30 June) anyone
will be able to go online, see what
the UN recommended we do and
monitor what our Government
agreed to do. We are expanding
and highlighting the conversation
about the human rights of
everyday New Zealanders.
Explore the NPA online
tool:npa.hrc.co.nz

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 3 July 2015

People with disabilities


deserve a fair go at work

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ew Zealands disabled population


has nearly double the level of
unemployment than non-disabled
people. Disability Rights Commissioner,
Paul Gibson says that it is a human right to
work and clearly New Zealand needs to do
better in this area.
Tracking Equalities at Work research
released by the Human Rights Commission
shows that disabled people have higher
rates of unemployment and lower labour
force participation compared to their nondisabled peers at every age and either
sex. They also have lower incomes than
non-disabled people. Disabled Mori
unemployment rate is 17 percent but for
disabled European New Zealanders it is 7
percent.
I am concerned to see the compounding
disadvantage of ethnicity and disability.
I would like to see Government prioritise
achieving human rights for disabled Mori
so that they have a fair go like everybody
else, Paul Gibson said.
This research also highlighted the lack of
data being collected about disabled people
and employment. The Commissioner
says that this missing information means
lack of measurements, lack of goals

for employment, and clearly no decent


employment strategy for assisting people
with disabilities into work.
Data collection on employment status
of disabled people is thin on the ground.
A true picture of how disabled people are
faring in the workforce and the disabled
pay-gap is actually missing, he said, I
hope the recently announced government
working group on disability data collection
addresses this as a matter of urgency.
Fewer people are receiving minimum
wage exemption permits than they were
three years ago. However approximately
half of all minimum wage exemptions
permit wages below $3.00 an hour and the
majority (75%) of exemptions pay below
$5.00 an hour.

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Dairy In Prime Location In Double


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Dairy with Lotto in Central Auckland Asking $45,000 + Stock Ref 45000
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Dairy in Hamilton
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asking $195,000 + stock ref 45025 Dairy with 3 Bedroom

Dairy/Takeaway With 3 Bedroom


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Dairy in Auckland | Weekly Sales
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Accomodation in North Shore


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Dairy in North Shore with
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Fruit & Vege Shop in North Shore


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NEW ZEALAND

3 July 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

The glory of Ramadan


and the virtue of Iftar
Rizwan Mohammad

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he
holy
month
of
Ramadan
reaches
midway as
Muslims
around the wold complete 15
rozas (fasts) on Friday, July 3. The
month of Ramadan is observed
by fasting from dawn to dusk
for 30 continuous days and then
celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr after the
sighting of the moon.
The glory of this month has
been visible in Auckland. As the
clock strikes 4 in the evening, the
footfall at the local groceries goes
up. Families get busy preparing
Iftar, the mosques see followers
towards 5 pm and at the call of
Adhaan (call for prayer) people
break their fast.
It is a wonderful view inside
the mosque when you see scores
of men sitting in a long line facing
each other and/or in small circular
groups and the food is served in
the centre. Some silently recite
the verses of Quran, some raise
their hands in Dua, some chat and
murmur with their friends sitting
beside them, while others serve
food to the visitors.
The virtue of Ramadan is
that it gets families, friends, and
strangers closer to each other
and God. Most of the mosques in

Southern District
welcomes new road
policing manager

Auckland, in fact, all the Islamic


Centres in the country have some
Iftar arrangements made for
the visitors who come for Salah
(prayer), and generally everyone
who would want to open their fast.
The view gets better when you
see men coming with their small
children to the mosque for Iftar
and Salah in the evenings. Children
dressed in kurta or thawb (anklelengthArabgarment, usually with
long sleeves, similar to arobe) eat
and pray alongside . Post Salah,
one can see some children playing
at one corner while elders mix and
mingle .
The Iftar served at all the
mosques are contributions of the
visitors and preparations made
by the mosque authorities. People
volunteer and contribute not only
by making donations but also

getting groceries and devoting


their time at the kitchen, cleaning
and making the arrangements.
In the third part of Ramadan,
there is a special night called
Lailatul Qadr or the night of
decree, a night which is better
than 1,000 months (83 years and
4 months). On this night, a person
is advised to say special prayers,
ask for forgiveness for his past
sins and pray for a better future,
both in this world and hereafter.
Based on the sighting of
the moon, Eid-ul-Fitr will be
celebrated either on Saturday,
July 18, or Sunday, July 19. Indian
Weekender, in its next issue
dated July 10,will publish a list of
mosques and centres where the
Eid-ul-Fitr Salah will be observed
along with the timings and other
details of the arrangements.

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he appointment of a new
Road Policing Manager
marks a milestone for
Southern District with Inspector
Tania Baron being the first
woman to step into the top road
policing role for the region.
Inspector Baron is a Dunedin
local and looks forward to the
challenge of leading the road
policing team across the district
to continue to improve safety on
our roads.
Our district has the largest
road network in the country
withthousands of kilometres of
highways, says Inspector Baron.
Every day our people are out
there ensuring our roads remain
safe by being visible, enforcing
the road rules, and educating
drivers on their behaviour.
My vision is for our roads to
be the safest in the country and
our team will take a strong stance
on unacceptable behaviour.
But we cannot do it alone.
We need the publics help
whether its stopping a drunk
driver getting behind the wheel,
reporting instances of dangerous
driver, or simply making sure you
plan your journey and drive fresh
so you reach your destination
safely road safety is the

responsibility of everyone.
Southern district commander,
Superintendent Andrew Coster,
says he delighted to have
Inspector Baron as part of the
district leadership team.
Tania has shown herself
to be an extremely competent
leader and manager, said
Superintendent Coster.
She
combines
solid
operational policing experience
and a strong strategic ability.
I am confident that, as the
road policing manager, Tania will
position Southern Police to have
the greatest possible impact on
road safety outcomes.
Inspector Baron has previously
held a range of roles in Dunedin,
including frontline policing,
youth, prosecutions and leading
case management across the
district.

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 3 July 2015

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Tackling Aucklands housing shortage

reeing up more than 1000ha of land


for housing enough for around
12,000 new homes is one of the
steps Auckland Council is taking to tackle
the citys housing shortage.
Applications have recently been accepted
to rezone land for residential development
in several special housing area (SHAs),
including Flat Bush and Hingaia, and
hearings are scheduled for Scott Point and
Huapai.
Franklin precinct has been approved,
providing for up to 5500 homes. In total,
these areas allow for a potential 12,300
new dwellings, reducing Aucklands
housing shortage.
Boosting the supply of new homes and
sections through these SHAs is one of the
ways the council is working to improve
Aucklands housing issues. Auckland
Council Chief Economist Chris Parker
wrote anarticle recently about other ways
the council is working to increase housing
supply. These include:
}} ensuring at least seven years worth of
land is available for new housing at all
times;
}} encouraging intensification in areas with
good transport connectivity;
}} plans to provide a housing bond
guarantee so community housing
providers can build more affordable
homes.
Other factors contributing to Aucklands

housing issues are beyond the councils


control, says Chris Parker.
These factors are mostly on the
demand side, and include the high rate of
immigration, ready access to cheap money
and subdued growth in the residential
construction industry.
Solutions to these challenges will require
action from the central government as well
as the council, the development sector and
the community.

Port Future Study underway

o ensure that the wider community


is involved in decisions about
Auckland Council ports future
development, the council has set up a study
to look at long-term options for meeting
Aucklands port needs.
The Port Future Study will be undertaken
by a group of representatives from a range
of sectors that have an interest in the port
and our harbour environment.
A Stakeholder Working Group has been
formed to carry out the study, and will
include representatives from community,
business, marine recreation and heritage
groups;
environmental
organisations

and Mori.
Over the next 12 months, these
stakeholders will consider the social,
environmental, economic, and cultural
impacts of a wide range of options for the
ports future development.
The stakeholders will work with a
smaller Consensus Working Group, which
will decide on the Port Future Studys final
scope and provide direction during the
study. This group will be drawn from the
larger number of stakeholders involved in
the study, and will make recommendations
to Auckland Council on the best way
forward, based on the agreed view of the
studys stakeholders.

MATRIMONIAL
Punjabi Khatri parents invite
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NEW ZEALAND

3 July 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Red

MP Bakshi urges East Manukau


residents to give their feedback

roperty buyers will now


have to pay income tax on
the gains from the sale of
residential property within two
years.
Talking about the new bright-line
test, National MP, Kanwaljit Singh
Bakshi, says the rules around selling
residential property are changing
and he is encouraging people in
Manukau East to have a say.
The new bright-line test will
require income tax to be paid on
any gains from the sale of residential
property bought and sold within two
years, he says.
The proposed bright-line test
will help to clarify whether or not
gains on the sale of your property are
taxable.
Currently,
when
assessing
whether tax should be paid on the
gain from a sale, Inland Revenue
relies on a sellers intention to either
live in the property or sell it for a
quick gain.
The proposed new bright-line
test makes it clear that all property
buyers, including overseas buyers,
who buy and sell a residential
property within two years, will be

out property that will be exempt


from the test.
Public feedback is important
and I would value the input of people
in Manukau East. We want to ensure
that everyone pays their fair share of
tax and you can help by participating
in the consultation process.
The closing date for submissions
is 24 July, 2015. Once enacted,
the bright-line test will apply to
residential properties for which an
agreement to purchase was entered
into on, or after, 1 October, 2015.
The consultation paper, Brightline test for sales of residential
property, is available at www.
taxpolicy.ird.govt.nz

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Falling consents
adding to Auckland
housing woes

F
taxed on their gains, Kanwaljit
Singh Bakshi says.
There are exemptions. Homes
in Manukau East that are a persons
main home (including a main
home held in trust) are exempt, as
is property that is transferred after
a relationship break up and homes
that are inherited.
I would encourage you to have
a look at the consultation paper,
which proposes new definitions of
residential land and main home.
It also clearly identifies the dates
a property is deemed bought and
sold so a seller and Inland Revenue
know if the sale falls within the
bright-line test, and it clearly spells

Black

alling numbers of building


consents being issued
in Auckland will add to
the citys housing shortfall and
fuel skyrocketing house prices,
Labours Housing spokesperson
Phil Twyford says.
The
Productivity
Commissionfound there was a
shortfall of around 32,000 houses
by the end of 2014. It warned that
if the number of new homes in
Auckland doesnt rise more than
the current rate of about 8,000 a
year, there will be a 60,000 house
shortfall by 2020.
New building consent figures
released today show that in the
year to May, only 8,195 homes
were built in Auckland.
Auckland is drifting further
and further away from resolving
its housing shortfall.
So far this year, only 3,329
homes have been consented in
Auckland. If the 13,000 new

homes needed to address the


shortfall are to be built, there
should have been 5,417 consents
issued.
That means a further 2,088
homes have been added to the
shortfall in the past five months.
It
is
concerning
that
Canterbury building consents are
already slowing when there are
still so many people not in their
own homes. In the year to May,
there were 549 consents issued,
down 9.3 per cent on this time
last year and the fifth consecutive
month it has fallen.
The Government needs to
recognise that the only way to
fix the housing crisis is to back
a large-scale affordable housebuilding programme.
Housing
Minister
Nick
Smiths half-baked and piecemeal
measures such as his surplus
Crown land programme just wont
cut it, Phil Twyford says.

Dawn of a new era for Free GP visits and prescriptions


for children under 13
education

uly 1 marks a new era for


teachers as the Education
Council of Aotearoa New
Zealand opens its doors, says
Education Minister HekiaParata.
The
ninemember
council
officially takes over responsibility for
teacher registration and disciplinary
matters from the Teachers Council
on Wednesday this week, but it has a
wider brief than the body it replaces.
In addition to serving as a
gatekeeper, we want the council to
raise standards andthe status of the
teaching profession because research
tells us that the quality of teaching
and school leadership are critical
factors in raising achievement for all
students, says Ms Parata.
The council is chaired by highlyregarded
Auckland
principal
Barbara Alaalatoa and includes
eight other leading educationalists,
all but one of whom emerged
from
an
exhaustive
public
nominations process.

I am delighted with the calibre


of the council members and expect
the new body will make a major
contribution to education in the
coming years, Ms Parata says.
Teachers are too often societys
unsung heroes. I want their
contribution to be recognised and
more of our best and brightest to
regard teaching as an attractive
career option. Ms Parata says she
understands the council members
have already met and work will
begin soon on a strategic plan.
Around 105,000 teachers have
already had letters informing them
of the differences between the
two organisations.Teachers will
notice changes over time, but not
immediately.
Once again I want to than k the
Teachers Council and its staff for
their professionalism during a time
of change.

rom July 1 all New Zealand


children aged under 13 will
be eligible to access free
GP visits at any time of the day or
night seven days a week, as well as
free prescriptions.
All pharmacies across the
country will no longer charge
families the $5 co-payment for
each prescription item for their
child under 13.
We want to support families
in giving their children the best
possible start in life. We are
making it easier for families to get
the medical attention their child
needs, says Health Minister Dr
Jonathan Coleman.
The sign up rate has exceeded
expectations fantastically. Of the
1,012 general practices in the
country, 96 percent have opted
in for free medical appointments,
covering 98 percent of children

$438m motor vehicle levy cuts from July 1

ew Zealanders will have


an extra $438 million
a year in their pockets
through ACC motor vehicle levy
cuts that kick in this week, says
ACC Minister Nikki Kaye.
From (July 1), the average
motor vehicle levy, including the
annual licence levy and petrol

levy, will fall from around $330 to


$195, says Ms Kaye.
All car owners will receive
annual licence levy cuts of between
$40 and $130 for petrol cars, and
between $80 and $170 for diesel
cars. The ACC petrol levy also falls
to 6.9 cents per litre from July 1,
down from 9.9 cents per litre.

These levy reductions are


possible because of the improved
financial position of ACCs motor
vehicle account, which funds
support for people injured in
motor vehicle crashes on public
roads.
The account is now fully
funded, which means it has enough

aged under 13. This includes all


rural general practices.
The initial uptake for under 6s
was around 70 percent of general
practices, thats now up to 98
percent. We expect the number
of general practices taking part
in free under 13s will rise to a
similar level.
In Budget 2014 the Government
committed $90 million over three
years to extend the current zerofees scheme for GP visits and
prescriptions for children aged
under six to children up to the age
of 13.
ACC is providing an extra
$27.5 million over three years to
cover accident related GP visits,
says ACC Minister Ms Kaye.
Based on the number of GPs
and clinics who have agreed to
provide free ACC visits to date, at
least 95 percent of children under

13 will get free visits.


We want to help children
bounce back from injuries as
quickly as possible so they can live
healthy active lives.
It is estimated that over
400,000 children will benefit
from the scheme being expanded
to under 13s, taking the total
number of children who are
benefitting from free GP visits and
prescriptions to over 750,000.
DHBs will be required to
ensure that children under 13 can
access free after-hours care and
prescription medicines in their
area.
To find out more, check with
your general practice team or
pharmacist. You can also check
out www.health.govt.nz/visitinga-doctoror phone Healthline on
0800 611 116.

funds to meet the anticipated


lifetime costs of all current motor
vehicle related claims.
Risk rating also came into
effect this week.
Under risk rating, the licence
levy reflects how well a car protects
people in a crash. The safer the
car, the lower the levy, but all car

owners receive a levy cut.


Its important to note that its
not just new vehicles that have
the lowest levies. Half of all cars
in the safest two levy bands are 10
years old or more, so theres room
to choose a safer make or model
when buying a second-hand car.

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 3 July 2015

Accommodation
support rise for
studying sole parents

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Black

tudying sole parents could


be up to $165 a week better
off from today when the
Accommodation Benefit rises
to match the Accommodation
Supplement, Social Development
Minister Anne Tolley says.
A change to regulations means
sole parents who take up full-time
study will be eligible to receive
the same rate of accommodation
support as they would on a main
benefit.
Sole parent beneficiaries are
at the highest risk of long-term
welfare dependence and there is
evidence this risk substantially
reduces if sole parents have
educational qualifications, Mrs
Tolley says.
It makes sense to invest in
education for sole parents and
to make it easier for them to
transition from a main benefit to
student support.
Currently there are around
3,500 sole parents accessing
mainstream student support
and were expecting this to rise
to 5,500 by 2017/18. Its vital we
support these parents as they take
steps to improve their futures, and
the lives of their children.
We know that on average sole

Orange

parents with tertiary qualifications


spend six and a half years less on
a benefit compared to those who
dont, costing $80,000 less over a
lifetime, Mrs Tolley says.
The new rate will apply once
students apply for their next
period of study, usually the next
academic year, and is expected to
cost $3.8 million a year.

11

Economic benefits from Cricket


World Cup

conomic
Development
Minister Steven Joyce
and Sport and Recreation
Minister
Jonathan
Coleman
welcome a PwC report which
confirms the positive economic
impact of co-hosting the ICC
Cricket World Cup 2015.
New Zealand GDP was boosted
by $110 million, over 2,000 new
jobs were created and more
than 78,000 tickets were sold to
overseas visitors.
Regionally GDP increased
by $40 million in Wellington,
$35 million in Auckland and $15
million in Christchurch. A further
$25 million was delivered to the
host regions Hamilton, Napier,
Nelson and Dunedin.
The results of this study
reinforce Government decisions
to invest in major international
events such as Cricket World
Cup, says Mr Joyce
A
dedicated
television
audience of 1.56 billion along with
the tournaments high popularity
across digital mediums made it
one of the most watched sporting
events ever.
Tourism
numbers
were
significantly higher during the
Cricket World Cup. It provided
invaluable
marketing
and

promotional
opportunities
which will have ongoing benefits,
strengthening our reputation
as a tourist and business
friendly destination and further
encouraging travel to the region.
The Cricket World Cup
captivated the nation, inspired
future cricketers and generated
a level of public interest not seen
in cricket for many years, says
Dr Coleman.
Kiwis took up the once in a
generation opportunity be part
of a Cricket World Cup with
over 300,000 people attending
matches, and over 2,000 people
volunteering their time. Over

1,300 schools signed up to the


joint New Zealand Cricket-ICC
Cricket Smart programme.
The tournament provided
a base for future development
of the sport, and contributed to
the development and upgrade of
sporting facilities, particularly
Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
Co-hosting the event further
developed New Zealands event
management capability which
will be valuable when bidding for
and hosting major international
events in the future.
The Government invested
$10.45 million in the ICC Cricket
World Cup 2015.

12

NEW ZEALAND

3 July 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Black

Orange

Government boost to regional cycleways


Kanwaljit Bakshi
National List MP

ycling is a healthy, cost-effective


mode of transport for Kiwis. Thats
why Nationals continuing to invest in
high-quality throughout New Zealand.
This week we announced a further 41
cycleway projects to receive Government
funding. Thats in addition to the 13 already
underway.
Cycling gets Kiwis to and from work, school,
and the places they want to go. It promotes a
healthier lifestyle and an alternative to using
the road and rail system.

$87 million of the total cycleway funding,


which amounts to more than $300 million
worth of projects, will be spent in provincial
centres to ensure the benefits of cycling are
spread far and wide.
Whangarei, Hamilton, Tauranga/Western
Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Gisborne, Napier/
Hastings, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Blenheim, Nelson, and Dunedin are all in line for new routes, thanks to the
Governments Urban Cycleways Programme.
The Programme, designed to pull funding
from a range of sources, ensures these projects
get the funding they need and are accelerated.
Without the Urban Cycleways Programme,
these cycleways might not have got underway
nearly as soon as they have.
Funds from local government, the
National Land Transport Fund, and the
Urban Cycleways Fund have been leveraged
to deliver these projects, as well as others in
Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.

Who is creaming it?


David Shearer

Labour MP

hen I was a child, bottles of milk


were delivered to every primary
school for every child.
Sometimes in the summer it was a little
warm, but Im sure we were better for
drinking it. Milk was cheap, New Zealand
produced the best milk and it was seen as
an investment in the health of the nations
children.
Milk has been good for us in other ways
of course. As an exporting country we earn
more from dairy than any other product we
sell overseas.
But in the shops, were paying too much
for our milk. In fact were being ripped off.

Sadly, that means many Kiwi households


can no longer afford milk as part of their
regular daily diet.
In 2011 the Government told us that
nothing could be done about the high prices.
New Zealand milk prices were a natural
result of high world milk prices. Oh, most
of us said, that sounds plausible.
And we accepted the explanation. That
excuse now looks like nonsense.
How do we know this? Because figures
I have put together from Statistics New
Zealand, show that for the past two
years, international prices have dropped
dramatically, yet our milk prices in shops
and supermarkets have gone up. In May
2013 two litres of milk cost $3.19. In May
this year it had jumped to $3.45 an eight
percent increase in two years. Meanwhile,
international dairy prices have dropped
around 50%.
So why doesnt the milk price we pay in
shops go down?

Transport is an enabler of economic


activity.
Its at the heart of so much that Kiwis do
every day, making sure they get from A to B.
A robust transport system is one that works
for all New Zealanders it gives them choices

and benefits communities nationwide.


Cycling eases congestion on our roads,
promotes an active lifestyle, and serves as a
viable, practical transport choice one that
thousands more Kiwis will benefit from.

Its time the Government came clean


and explained. We need the New Zealand
milk market investigated and those who are
profiteering, exposed. Whats even more
galling, Kiwis now pay more for milk than
Australians and the British.
Compared to our $3.45 for a two litres
of milk, Australians pay just NZ$2.47and it
sells for NZ$1.90 in the UK.
Theres something out of whack when you
can buy milk cheaper in London than you
can at your local dairy.
What we also know is farmers arent to
blame. The amount they receive at their farm
gate has nearly halved in the past two years.
But someone out there between the
farmer selling it and us buying our milk
is making a big profit. And that means it is
less affordable to every New Zealander and
out of reach for many. Milk has been an
important daily staple for generations of New
Zealanders. At a time when child obesity and
diabetes are causing major problems in our

health system, it seems perverse that CocaCola is now more affordable than fresh milk.
The Minister of Primary Industries,
Nathan Guy needs to explain why New
Zealand milk prices have risen while
international prices have dropped.
He needs to tell us who is creaming it
along the way.

Our place in the world


Barry Coates
Green Party

e are living in the midst of a


dramatic change. The rise of
emerging nations, particularly
India and China, has altered the global
economy.
The EU and US now account for around
half of the global middle class, but within
a decade that is likely to be less than one
third, mainly due to economic growth in
Asia.
There are obvious implications for
trade. In New Zealand can benefit from
opportunities for exports to Asia of

our products, tourism and services like


education, as well as welcoming Asian
migration that adds to the richness
of cultures, food and peoples in our
increasingly cosmopolitan society.
But the approach to extend a hand
of friendship to Asia is now in question.
Instead New Zealands foreign policy has
become dominated by our relationship
with the United States. This has become
apparent in three key areas.
Firstly, the decision to send troops to
support military training in Iraq has been a
step towards closer alignment with the US.
Previously New Zealand declined to
send troops for the invasion of Iraq, as part
of its independent foreign policy, and our
contributions in Afghanistan were primarily
to assist provincial reconstruction.
After fifteen years of US-led interventions,
the Middle East is mired in violent conflicts
with millions of displaced people and

massive suffering. New Zealands decision


to contribute to military training can only
be understood as doing our bit to help the
US-led forces.
Secondly, the revelations that New
Zealand has been spying on Pacific and
Asian governments as part of the Five
Eyes alliance, alongside the US, Australia,
Canada and the UK, has resulted in strong
condemnation by some Asian and Pacific
governments.
The Five Eyes group has also faced
allegations that surveillance has been used
to gain commercial advantage for their
companies.
Thirdly, New Zealand is negotiating
the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
(TPPA) with the US, Japan, Australia,
Canada and seven other nations.
President Obama has justified this
agreement to sceptical US Republicans as
creating a trading bloc that will contain

Chinas economic influence in Asia. By


being part of the agreement, the New
Zealand government is aligning itself with
the US in its policy of containment of China.
New Zealands successful campaign
for election onto the UN Security Council
emphasised our record of independence
as a small nation. But recent policies call
this into question. This is a crucial time.
We have taken over the Security Council
Presidency from 1 July.
The Green Party is calling for the
government to use our influence to support
peace and security, particularly in the
Middle East, acting as an independent
voice, and to address the strategic threat of
climate change that threatens the security
issue of our planet and us all.
Barry Coates is on the Green Party
list, just outside Parliament. He was
formerly the Executive Director of Oxfam
New Zealand.

FIJI

www.iwk.co.nz | 3 July 2015

Red

Black

Orange

46,000 plus benefit from govts bus


fare subsidy

ore
than
46,000
Fijians including senior
citizens and persons
with disabilities are benefiting from
governments bus fare subsidy which
was introduced in 2011.
The Minister for Women,
Children and Poverty Alleviation,
Rosy Akbar says the beneficiaries
comprise
of
44,120
elderly
Fijians who are 60 years and
above, and 1892 persons living
with disabilities.
The Ministry has a budget of
$150,000 for this initiative that
allows elderly persons to pay half
the fare and persons living with
disabilities are eligible for free
bus fares. Minister Akbar said

that empowering underprivileged


persons particularly senior citizens
and persons with disabilities is a top
priority for her ministry.
The Ministry works with the

Education audit
reveals abuse of
grants

NZ, Fiji sign audit software deal

n audit carried out by the


Ministry of Education
revealed that 20 per cent of
school managements abused grants
given to them by the Government.
Speaking at the Northern
Division
School
Association
Management in Labasa, Education
Minister Doctor Mahendra Reddy
said he expected the figures to rise
as the audit continued. Dr Reddy
said this was one of the reasons they
were forming alliances with school
management associations around
the country after beginning in the
West last month.

performances and acts will align


closely with the theme Fiji Hindi
Humour on July 1.
Kaise Baat IV will look at FijiHindi and humour in the context
of the myth of the unsmiling
Indian from Fiji found from
James Michener to Paul Theroux,
among others.
Event co-ordinator Dr Mohit
Prasad from The University of
the South Pacifics FALEs School
of Language, Arts & Media, said
groups or solo acts should feel
free to register and perform in
accordance with the theme.
The Kaise Baat series aims to
provide a platform for discussions
on Whats Up or Whats
Happening in Fiji-Hindi and

Fiji National Council for Disabled


Persons (FNCDP) to look after
the welfare of persons with
disabilities. This is done through
ensuring that they are given equal
opportunities to participate in
development programs, accessibility
to
education,
employment,
health,
communication
and
transportation services.
We strongly believe that all
women and men with disabilities
have
fundamental
human
rights, and that it is an inherent
component of economic growth and
development. The Ministry through
its partnership with Police and the
Non-Government Organisations is
also addressing issues concerning
the mentally challenged who are left

on the streets, Minister Akbar said.


The Department of Social
Welfare this year provided a total
of $200,000 as grants to 19 NonGovernment Organisations (NGOs)
that contribute towards the welfare
of disabled persons and senior
citizens. 12 of these organisations
assisted are affiliated to FNCDP.
Rewa
Disabled
Peoples
Association president, Ms Litia
Naitanui
has
acknowledged
the Governments support in
recognizing the needs of disabled
persons. Ms Naitanui has 10 years
experience working as a Community
Based
Inclusive
Development
Officer serving in the areas of
Naitasiri, Tailevu and Rewa.

he Ministry of Finance
and the New Zealand government signed the implementation of a new audit management system at the ministrys
office.
The NZ High Commissioner,
Mark Ramsden, said the new
computer-based software would
help streamline and automate
the audit process which is led by
the Internal Audit Division of
the ministry.
NZ has provided a grant of
approximately F$620,000 to purchase specialised audit software,
upgrade associated hardware
and support to the salaries of the
two new technical staff who are

Fiji Hindi humour


aise Baat IV for 2015 will
be full of humour and
entertainment since the

13

by extension to its larger family


of speakers in other plantation
languages. Kaise Baat, which was
initiated in 2012, was viewed as
encouraging academic community
nexus on promoting, reviving,
and discussing Fiji Hindi as a
plantation language unique to the
Fiji Islands.
As years passed by, the program
for the Kaise Baat series expanded
with guest lecturers coming from
overseas.
Dr Prasad said last year the
event witnessed a prominent
linguist from Australaia.
Last year we had Professor
Jeff Siegel from University of New
England (Australia) who spoke on
the topic Will Hindi Survive in
Fiji: The Importance of Fiji Baat,
Dr Prasad said.

being brought on to help implement the system over the next


two years, he said. The ministrys
director, Mereani Naisara, said
the audit management software

would make the functions of the


Internal Audit Division compliant
with the international standards
for the professional practice of
internal auditing.

Bollywood-Fiji
relationship hailed

he Carpenters Finance Bollywood Night at the Duavata


Northern Crime Prevention
Carnival saw northerners flood
Subrail Park in Labasa.
Speaking at the Carnival, the
Indian High Commissioner to Fiji
Gitesh Sarma said Fiji and India
shared special bonds and both were
doing a great job of strengthening
those ties.
Bollywood is doing a great job
in bringing us together as it is all
about unlimited and diluted fun
and entertainment, Mr Sarma said.
He said Fiji was described as the
nation of the happiest people on
earth.
Its natural beauty is amazing.
The people are so talented and I
look forward to the day when more
Bollywood movies are made here.
Mr Sarma said he also looked

forward to the day when Fijian stars


rock Bollywood.
I want to thank the Police for
doing a great job in keeping us safe
and lets do our part to make police
work easier, Mr Sarma said.

Fiji Airways
expands route
network

iji Airways has expanded


its route network with the
launch of its new direct
service between Wellington and
Nadi. Fiji Airways is now the only
airline flying directly between
Wellington and Fiji all yearround.
Fiji Airways Chairman, Nalin
Patel says Fijis links with Wellingtonians and New Zealanders
from the surrounding region will
be further strengthened by this
new service.
This is one of the most significant new routes recently announced by Fiji Airways, and
reflects the airlines strong performance in NZ. For us, Wellington
was a natural choice for a new service, he said.
The new service is already
proving extremely popular here
in NZ with healthy forward loads.
Were obviously delighted by this
response from Kiwis.
He said NZ is an incredibly important market for Fiji Airways,
and the introduction of this new
route is testament to Fiji Airways
strong performance.
Increasing capacity between
NZ and Fiji is something we have
been focusing on since we announced details of our five-year
strategic plan last year; and the
introduction of this new route reflects our commitment to the NZ
market, and in growing our global
network, Mr Patel added.
Fiji Airways has also doubled
its capacity to Christchurch this
winter, with the weekly Saturday
flight complemented by a permanent additional service on Tuesdays which started this week.
The new service will run twice
weekly, departing Wellington
on Thursdays and Sundays, and
opens up an additional 328
seats per week between New
Zealand and Fiji.
Wellington Airport Chief Executive, Steve Sanderson says
its an exciting time for the city
as the airport looks to extend
its offering with the new Fiji
Airways service creating extra
34,000 seats to Wellingtons
market.

News source: Fiji Sun

14

FIJI

3 July 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Education shocker

he Minister for Education


has revealed that at least
20 per cent of teachers are
not performing and even worse,
some were having affairs with
students.
Dr Mahendra Reddy warned
that teachers would be demoted to
clerks within the ministry if they
became a liability to the school
system.
There are more than 8000
teachers around the country.
In an interview, Dr Reddy said
the underperforming teachers had
Monday sick leaves, affairs with
students, did not cover classes and
were behind schedule.
He gave an example of how
some schools were way ahead in
terms of the curriculum coverage.
See the situation - they
(teachers) are behind coverage,
not giving homework, not
answering students questions and
dividing the community.
He said instead of teaching the
children, some school teachers
were running side businesses

Amnesty period
until October 15

ijians who have assets


overseas now have time
until October 15 to declare.
Government had announced
in the 2015 budget an amnesty
period for all Fijians to declare
the assets they have offshore.
Since then $13.5million worth of
overseas assets owned by Fijians
had been declared.
Attorney-General and Minister
for Finance Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum
yesterday
announced
the
extension to the amnesty period
and stressed that Fijians would
not be taxed on income derived
from those assets held overseas,
retrospectively.
Government had taken its cue
from Australia where a similar
policy was put in place and
Australians ended up declaring
$7billion
worth
of
assets
held offshore.
We had given six months and
today I would like to make the
announcement that the extension
would go on till 15 October. So far,
we have had $13.5million worth
of assets declared by Fijians who
hold it offshore that had not been
previously declared.
We are not going to go back
and say that the property was
bought in 2011 and in 2012 you
earned $80,000 rent on that you
have to pay 20 or whatever per
cent it is as tax.
We are saying that we are also
giving amnesty on that. It is only
assessable income or any income
derived from that going forward.
He clarified that income from
properties held overseas will only
be taxed from 2016.
I want to assure all those
people who have assets offshore
to feel free and come and declare
your assets.
Heavy penalties will be imposed
on those who fail to declare their
offshore assets.

Dr Mahendra Reddy

under someone elses name.


Dr Reddy said teachers have
gone to the extent of dividing
communities and telling them
to push for changes to school
committees.
So these types of things will
divert quality time away from
classrooms, he said.
Dr Reddy said the ministry was
in constant talks with teachers and

telling them to put education of


children first or face disciplinary
actions.
Another option is that if we
really find a teacher who will
become a liability to the school, we
will demote the person and bring
them to the ministry.
We have got sections where
they can do clerical work like
in the exams section, printery
section and HR section.
Dr Reddy said if teachers did
not belong to the school system,
the ministry does not want them
to destroy the school system.
He also outlined that 80 per
cent of the teachers and heads in
the country were good.
Its the 20 per cent who are
tarnishing the image of the 80 per
cent, its that 20 per cent that we
need to fix.
So while we are dealing with
the 20 per cent (teachers), we are
asking the 80 per cent (teachers)
to also work on the 20 per cent
because of them, their good work
is being affected.

PM pledges full support

Red

iji has pledged its support


for Melanesian Spearhead
Group (MSG) solidarity.
Prime
Minister
Voreqe
Bainimarama said, with national
unity, a sense of purpose,
good governance and equality,
opportunity
and
substantive
justice for all, nothing was
impossible even for small island
nations.
This was his message at the
conclusion of MSG Leaders
Summit at the Heritage Park Hotel,
Honiara, in the Solomon Islands
last Friday. He congratulated the
Solomon Islands government for
assuming the chairmanship of the
MSG and its role in chairing the
Leaders Summit.
I am confident that under
your leadership over the next two
years, we will be able to effectively
achieve our collective goals for the
benefit of all our peoples.
He assured them the Fijian
Governments co-operation and
support.
Our final communiqu is a
testament to the way in which

EU representative praises Fiji reforms

he European Union has


praised Fijian reforms
following last years general
elections.
EUs representative for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy, Edgars
Rinkevics, also the Minister of
Foreign Affairs of Latvia, spoke
highly of the reforms in Suva
yesterday after a Fiji-EU meeting.
It was the first high-level political
dialogue between Fiji and the EU
under the EU-ACP partnership
(Cotonou) Agreement since Fijis
return to democracy.
Mr Rinkevics said: Fiji has
carried out remarkable reforms
since its return to democracy.
He said: The Parliament is
up and running, and has already
addressed many important issues
for Fiji, some of which have been
positively noted in the international

context.
He cited as examples the
decision to ratify the United Nations
Convention
Against
Torture
(UNCAT) and to abolish the last
provisions on death penalty.
In addition, Fiji has a number of
women in key positions both in the
Parliament and in the Government,
which may serve as an example
and inspiration to the whole Pacific
region.
He said the EU had also
encouraged an inclusive regional
co-operation especially in the
areas of common challenges such
as climate change, migration and
fisheries.
The discussions covered political
and economic developments in Fiji
and the EU as well as key strategic
topics of mutual interest for both
sides.

The meeting was chaired on


the Fijian side by Prime Minister
Voreqe Bainimarama, and on the
EU side by Mr Rinkevics.
Among the outcomes was
an agreement by the parties to
seek common lines to tackle key
international challenges such as
climate change and responses to
international crises.

EUs representative for Foreign Affairs and


Security Policy, Edgars Rinkevics

Fijian cookbook wins accolade

ealth Ministrys cookbook


Khana Kakana has again
put Fiji on the world map.
This after the book won second
place in the 2015 Gourmand
Cookbook Awards for best health
and nutrition cookbook in the world.
Health and Medical Service
Minister Jone Usamate said the
efforts put in to get the book wasnt
only to improve the health of
Fijians and building pride on local
grown foods, but also to change the
agricultural and tourism sectors
and increase the demand for Fijian
grown produce.
The cookbook has a uniquely
healthy Fijian flavour, made up of
recipes by both renowned chefs and
local Fijians from around the country
using fresh, local and affordable
ingredients. With nutrition advice
snippets and gardening tips, the
cookbook provides a total diet
solution and inspiration for all
Fijians, Mr Usamate said.
Khana
Kakana
cookbook

News source: Fiji Sun

encourages Fijians to eat simple,


healthy and affordable meals.
The International Gourmand
Cookbook Awards are the food
worlds version of the Oscar
Awards where Khana Kakana
competed
against
cookbooks
from 205 countries. 92 countries
were shortlisted along with
Khana Kakana. This was further

shortlisted to seven that included


cookbooks from Canada, UK,
Malaysia,
Oman,
Netherlands
and Sweden.
First place went to a special
cookbook from Sweden which
contained beautiful photography
and specialised recipes for people
with stomas.

Black

Orange

Voreqe Bainimarama

we have all worked in a positive


manner this week to advance the
cause of our organisation and the
position of all Melanesians, Mr
Bainimarama said.
We have faced some difficult
challenges in reaching a consensus
on some of these issues, but I want
to commend you all on behalf of
the Fijian people for approaching
these challenges in an atmosphere
of co-operation and goodwill.
Mr Bainimarama, together with
other MSG leaders, pledged
to redouble efforts in areas on
concern to everyone trade, the
free movement of people across
borders and collective response
to the challenges of terrorism to
name a few.

Need for sustainable


management of the
ocean

ijis Deputy Permanent


Representative to the
United
Nations
and
World Trade Organisation (WTO)
Namita Khatri emphasised the
importance of the sustainable
management of ocean and
its resources for the future of
Pacific people.
Ms Khatri was speaking during
a panel on fisheries subsidies
organized by the Global Oceans
Commission and stressed the need
for concrete specific action not just at
the WTO and at the UN, but equally
at national and regional levels.
She highlighted the Fijian
Constitutional
provisions
on
the right to a clean and healthy
environment and the concerted
action by Fiji domestically through
the launching of the Green Growth
Framework, which includes an
ecosystem approach to management
of the oceans.
Ms Khatri also explained Fijis
international approach through
leadership roles in advocating for
meaningful implementation of the
Sustainable Development Goal on
Oceans at the UN, and as focal point
of the ACP in fisheries subsidies
negotiations at the WTO.
As focal point for the ACP on
fisheries subsidies, Fiji advocates
that improved disciplines on
fisheries subsidies at the WTO must
include targeted prohibitions on the
most egregious forms of subsidies,
and increased notification of all
forms of fisheries subsidies to enable
proper monitoring. As respondent
to the proposal by the Global
Oceans Commission of a three-step
approach on fisheries subsidies, Ms
Khatri outlined what seemed to be
possible within the current scope
of negotiations at the WTO.

FIJI

www.iwk.co.nz | 3 July 2015

15

Fijians prove themselves competitive


T

Red

Black

Orange

he President of the Fiji


Football
Association,
Rajesh Patel, says the
national team proved their
doubters wrong with a competitive
showing
against
Wellington
Phoenix at the weekend.
The Fiji senior team were
beaten 2-1 in Suva in the first of
two matches between the teams,
with striker Roy Krishna opening
the scoring for the home side
against his club.
The National Under 23 side also
beat the Phoenix Premiers side 3-2

NEWS in BRIEF
Speaker attends IPU
meet in Wellington

peaker of Parliament, Dr Jiko


Luveni
attended
an
Inter
Parliamentary Union meet in
Wellington last week at the invitation
of the Speaker of the New Zealand
Parliament, Rt. David Carter.
The visit was part of the wider programme to further strengthen the already
strong ties between the New Zealand and
the Legislatures of the Pacific.
It was also an opportunity to discuss
issues of concern to Pacific Parliaments
with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and
to foster new links between the Pacific
Parliaments and the IPU.
Dr Luveni was invited along with the Rt
Lord Tuivakano, Speaker of the Kingdom
of Tongan Parliament, Hon Niki Rattle,
Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament
and Hon Agafili Tolovaa, Deputy Speaker
of the Samoan Parliament.
The Speakers were accompanied by
Officials of their respective Parliaments.

60+ to exceed
younger population
by 2050

ijis population will increase by


11.3% over the next two decades,
reaching 958,000 by 2030 and
the population aged 60+ is projected to
exceed the younger population around
2050.
And this World Health Organization
(2011) projected data might see an
increase in the number of older persons
being forced out of their homes and being
cared for under state run residential
homes for the elderly, says Minister for
Social Welfare, Children and Poverty
Alleviation, Rosy Akbar.
While handing over more than
$60,000 in grants to residential care
homes, she said age is a crucial stage
of human life cycle that we all have to
embrace and Government is doing its best
to assist Residential Care Institutions
which look after older persons.
The traditional family support
systems that we rely on are becoming
increasingly strained because Fijis family
size continues to decline with a high
dependency on cash based economy.
The signing of the official grants
strengthens the Government and
stakeholder partnerships to formalize
and elevate our service delivery platforms
to serve our senior citizens, Minister
Akbar added.

The Wellington Phoenix beat


Fiji 2-1 in Suva.

in the curtain raiser and Rajesh


Patel says the results showed Fiji
can compete.
We also proved to the critics a
lot of them wrong that Wellington
Phoenix will run over Fiji national
side but, no, it didnt happen.
Our Under 23s were equally
good and this is a good opportunity
for us to go to the Pacific Games
and see that, yes, we are equally
competitive (against New Zealand).
This gave us a great
opportunity and come Tuesday
I think the Wellington Phoenix

will be surprised by the results of


the national team. The boys got it
together in a short space of time they kept on playing football but it
was very good.

Andrew Durante hugs Roy Krishna after


he scores a goal.

News source: Fiji Sun

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Thought of the week

The only way to do great work is to


love what you do. If you havent found it,
keep looking. Dont settle.

Editorial

Steve Jobs

From the desk of the


Managing Editor

Anything but funny

Why the double standard, the generosity toward our neighbour


and the miserliness where we ourselves are concerned ? And so I
propose that we add a new rule, which we can call the Platinum Rule,
to our moral code: Do not do unto yourself what you would not do unto
others.~Tal Ben-Shahar
I found this really interesting but really deep at the same time. How
often do we find ourselves bashing ourselves for little mistake that we
might make and too quick to forgive others who might make the same
mistake? We grew up on the saying - love thy neighbour as thyself,
which if looked at from this perspective, actually means that we must love
ourselves. This must also then mean that if we fail to love ourselves - how
do we love another? Even the Dalai Lama, while speaking on cultivating
compassion stressed that those who are not compassionate to themselves
often lack genuine compassion and empathy towards others.
The more I think of this the more sense it makes. If our friends or loved
ones make a little mistake, do we yell at them all day? We dont. So why do
we bash ourselves endlessly for the mistakes we make. It possibly is easier
said than done but it may be important to start somewhere - so lets start
with ourselves. Slowly but surely ease up on ourselves. And even when we
make mistakes - lets not batter ourselves for too long.
Having said that, this week marks the launch of the Digital India Week.
Although we will get you more on this in our next issue - I think this is
an important phase and will be interesting to note what it means to India
and also to its relationships with different countries around the world,
including New Zealand. From the recent delegation of Parliamentarians
to New Zealand from India - I remember Mr Rudy stated in his address
that India hopes to collaborate with New Zealand for Digital India. I will
certainly be watching this space.
There have also been many other happenings around locally and so we
have them all covered in our local stories. What I am most interested in, is
the Bill that directly affects cyber bullying. This is something that directly
effects many children who regularly report increased instances of bullying
on social network and other online mediums. There have also been several
instances of racially triggered bullying. Its important that we deal with
children about these issues very sensitively and they always know that they
can talk to us, if they need.
I leave you with these thoughts this week with a reminder Do not do
unto yourself what you would not do unto others. Take care of yourselves,
be kind to yourselves and better still treasure yourselves.

Courtesy:
Satish Acharya

Pick of the week

Until next time.

Giri Gupta
Indian Weekender : Volume 7 Issue 15
Publisher: Kiwi Media Group Limited
Managing Editor: Giri Gupta | girigupta@xtra.co.nz
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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.

Love across borders: This image was taken at New York Citys LGBT pride
parade last week on Sunday and is probably one of the most striking
images from the event. While same-sex marriage remains illegal in India
and Pakistan, it was legalised in the United States last week.

Tip from the trenches


WALK RIGHT
Tips to increase walking intensity:
1. Aim for 100 steps per minute
2. Get the arms moving
3. Add a weighted vest
4. Walk on an incline

OPINION / EDITORIAL

www.iwk.co.nz | 3 July 2015

From history: Indian


soldiers in the Great War

Red

Black

Orange

described in my earlier column the


amount of hardship and adversity
Indian soldiers endured in the far flung
warfronts of Europe and Mesopotamia
during the Great War.
It was not unnatural for them to feel
lonely and despondent. But it was also a
fact that in spite of all that emotional stress,
discomfort and disruption of normality in
their daily lives, they fought bravely, gave
their lives and won 11 Victoria Crosses.
Their heroism was recognised both by
their British commanders and German foes.
For example, an English sergeant wrote to
his friend in London:
We got fine with them [the Indians].
They are a decent lot, the ones that are

were in our trenches and truly those brown


enemies were not to be despised. [A letter
from a German soldier in the Frankfurter
Zeitung]
However, despite that valour what was
also explicit in the letters written by the
Indian soldiers was the horror of war that
they faced everyday.
They were constantly living under the
shadow of death, as a wounded Punjabi
Rajput soldier wrote to his father: Do not
think that this is war.
This is not war. It is the ending of the
world. This is just such a war as was related
in the Mahabharata about our forefathers.
Such mythological analogies to describe the
massive scale of death and destruction were

n
cademic
ccount
with us. The ones we have got here are
the Garhwalis and Gurkhas. They are the
chaps. they fight like tigers.
On the other side of the trenches, the
Germans were simply awe-struck by the
valour of these Indian soldiers, as one of
them expressed eloquently in his racially
tinged language of derisive respect:
Today for the first time we had to
fight against the Indians and the devil
knows those brown rascals are not to be
underrated.
At first we spoke with contempt of the
Indians.
Today we learned to look on them in a
different light the devil knows what the
English put into those fellows With a
fearful shouting thousands of those brown
forms rushed upon us At a hundred
metres we opened a destructive fire which
mowed down hundreds but in spite of
that the others advanced in no time they

Love wins
Esha Chanda

utting an end to years of bitter legal


battles, the US Supreme Court ruled
in favour of same-sex marriages
on Friday, June 26, thus legalising gay
marriages across all 50 states, 11 years after
it was first legalised in Massachusetts. Five
out of the nine court justices determined the
right to marriage equality in the case known

Prof Sekhar Bandyopadhyay

Director of New Zealand India Research Institute

also present in some of the letters written


by Muslim soldiers; only they used the
imagery of the battle of Karbala.
Many of them had accepted the reality
that they might not go back home again and
see their loved ones.
A Garhwali soldier wrote to his father
in sheer despondency: It is very hard to
endure the bombs father. It will be difficult
for anyone to survive and come back safe
and sound from the war. A Dogra soldier
wrote to his elder brother:
What more can I write? There are orders
against writing. Oh, my elder brother, by
your favour I am well, and my life has been
spared hitherto; but I am not for the future
and have no hope of life.
The question therefore is, despite this
constant spectre of death and despair, what
was the motivating factor that still kept
their morale high? I will get back to this
question later.

as Obergefell v Hodges. James Obergefell


and John Arthur wanted the Ohio Registrar
to identify Obergefell as the surviving
partner on the terminally ill Arthurs
death certificate. In the suit filed, they
alleged that the state of Ohio discriminates
against same-sex couples who have lawfully
married out of the state.
The courts ruling was a historic triumph
for gay rights movement in the US. As
the news came out on Friday morning,
the crowd outside the court broke into
jubilations with people waving rainbow
flags, holding signs and chanting, Love
has won. Justice Arthur Kennedy wrote,
No longer may this liberty be denied. No
union is more profound than marriage,
for it embodies the highest ideals of love,
fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family.
In forming a marital union, two people

become something greater than once they


were. The courts four other justices were
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Stephen G.
Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kegan,
who shared the opinion.
Barack Obama, the first president to
support gay marriage, said, This decision
affirms what millions of Americans already
believe in their hearts. When all Americans
are treated as equal, we are all more free.
And as the sun disappeared
into the horizon, the White
House lit in rainbow colours
to mark the courts decision.
Other local landmarks across
the country such as the Empire
State Building, the Minneapolis
Bridge and the Niagara Falls
also lit up on Friday night to
celebrate the ruling.
Bans on same sex marriage
are discriminatory and unfair.
The Supreme Courts heartening ruling has
set a tone. They send out a powerful message
to other countries. Love sees no boundaries.
A couples sexual orientation is no longer a
hurdle to cross before saying their vows. It
is one giant step towards equality. It tackles
injustice that hundreds have been forced
to live with until now. Many countries are
now embracing this new vision of a society
where it doesnt matter who you fall in love
with. The US joined the growing number
of governments around the world that
include Ireland, Finland, France, Brazil,
New Zealand, England and Wales and the
Netherlandsthe first one to grant legal
recognitionwho have legalised samesex marriages. It is uplifting to see that
governments are changing their perceptions
and are breaking free of shackles that had
bind them and the society to antediluvian
thoughts for decades.

Because its natural. Period.

We want to voice what affects us; we want to be heard. This is our platform to stand united against all odds.
Paula Ray

was on an invigilation
duty, where no examinee
was allowed to leave the
room during the duration of the
examination. Not even to go to the
rest room. The examinees were
adult international students.
About an hour into the
examination, a female student
requested to be excused for a toilet
break. The co-invigilator and I
reminded her of the exam rules.
Then, this lady of Indian origin
walks up to me and whispers,
Its because I am suffering from
periods.
I tried hard to suppress my
surprise, annoyance, not to
mention the cryptic humour in
her language. But the question
foremost on my mind was: Is the
monthly cycle really a suffering?
In most cultures, women are
considered
weaker,
inferior,
impure (along with several
other adjectives with negative
connotations), because they go
through menstruation the
process of ovulation - every
month. And, did you know that

this experience is limited


not only to the female
gender of the human
specie, but to all other
female primates? Yes, all
female animals also suffer
the cycle. Because, unless
you suffer, you cannot
give birth to the next generation
and your specie will come to an
end. Period.
Would you still call it a
suffering? Or would you not
consider yourself lucky that you
own a body that is blessed? It is
a signal of being equipped with
potential parenthood. So celebrate
it. Celebrate the cycle, as I would
like to say.
Men, who condemn women
at workplace because the latter
go through PMS every month,
need to be reminded about the
repercussions of the absence
of menstruation. They behave
the way they do partly due to
ignorance and most often from
social and economic insecurity.
But how do you analyse the
behaviour of critics, both men and
women, who condemn the public
display of a photograph depicting a

In this column, I share my


experiences that would
perhaps be familiar to
you too.
If you can relate to them,
please share your thoughts
or similar experiences.

Sofy #Imnotdown campaign

fully-clothed young women in bed


with a period stain? To be honest,
I did not find the photograph

17

aesthetically appealing. But if we


are talking about a womans body
and its many facets, the curves
and the languor do appeal.
The abovementioned Instagram
post was even pulled down by
concerned authorities because
they found it objectionable.
Why? Because the menstrual cycle
is too private to be shared on a
public forum? Yeah right. Just as
breast feeding in public is.
I request the moral police to
come up with a solution. Given
the way their socially-constructed
conscience works, is it best to
simply write off the menstrual
cycle? If we do that (and it can
very well be done with medical
intervention), there would be
no need to breast feed babies in
public either; there will be no
more babies. Period.
#Imnotdown is a hashtag
promoted by an Indian sanitary
pad-maker Sofy, to empower
women and eradicate the social
stigma around menstruation.
They put their cause forward via
lilting sing-alongs, poetry and
documentary films. Each one
of them is more endearing than

the other. Each one is depicting


the modern day life in India.
Each one is enacted by young,
independent and working women
who are growing up in a booming
economy. If you are not already
proud of your home country,
these ad-clips are surely going to
fill your heart with pride.
The latest entry to #Imnotdown
is a poetry slam by Rene Sharanya
Verma. A student, Verma has
already earned a name by rapping
to raise awareness against
misogyny in India (including
rap slamming Honey Singh, the
singer).
Quite a skilful poetry, the
#Imnotdown slamming is full of
euphemisms. Reminding us about
our seventh grade biology book
and the way our mothers would
guide us through puberty, Verma
says, A womans journey from
a child to an adult is marked by
menstruation. Beta, leave a mark
in the world. But, na-ah, dont
stain those whites.
What an utterly awesome way
to pimp your cause! Campaigns
such as these kill the malaise by
nipping it in the bud for the upcoming generation. That is the
way to go forward. #Imnotdown.
I am in my period.

18

INDIA

3 July 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Red

Is India globally competitive?


Amit Kapoor

ndias position, since the Narendra


Modi government completed one year in
office, has been a matter of wide-ranging
discussion and speculation. Numerous
articles have been written about the economy
and other aspects of Indias prospects for
the future. A pertinent question to ask in the
economic sphere is how does India fare in its
overall competitiveness in comparison with
other countries?
One approach to answering this question
could be in looking at composite indices like
the Global Competitiveness Index in which
India fares a poor 71st of the 144 countries
considered in 2014-15. However, the problem,
with this approach is that it is static in time for
one year during which many significant things
happen in an economy.
The approach here for assessing Indias
competitiveness would be to use a conceptual
model and look at some recent data and key
developments that have taken place in the past
year. It helps in making a dynamic reflection of
Indias competitiveness at present. For making
an assessment of Indias competitiveness, it
is pertinent to look at a four-part matrix that
consists of external and internal conditions
along one dimension of the matrix while
hard facts and policy are put along the
other dimension of the axis. Along the four
quadrants of this performance matrix, it is
easy to look at the overall efforts and outcomes
of the government/s and the private sector in
making India competitive.
Along the internal conditions hard facts
quadrant, one witnesses an improvement
in the inflation data as well as the old GDP
data. Indias consumer price inflation (CPI)

subdued to 5.01 percent (provisional) in May


2015 against 8.33 percent in May 2014. The
RBI has taken cognizance of this development
and has adjusted key rates accordingly.
An improvement of roughly one percentage
point is also observed if one looks at the GDP
data from the old series.
Also, employment has bettered from May
to December 2014 (2.75 lakh jobs) if one
compares it to May to December 2013 (1.26
lakh jobs). Sector-specific data on power also
shows that a capacity addition of roughly
22,000 MW in a year - the largest in a year in
Indias history.
Data on Index of Industrial Production
(IIP) shows that for April 2014 to March
2015 there was growth of 2.8 percent over a
contraction of -0.1 percent for the same period
in the previous year. Thus, quite a lot has been
achieved in this sphere.
Along the internal conditions policy
quadrant, there are three distinct things
one observes. First, there is a growing
recognition of making states as partners in
the development process. Similarly, there is
a growing recognition of understanding that
states need to cooperate as well as compete

to make India more competitive. The power


to attract investments for states also depends
on competitive tax rates that are a bit higher at
present at the union level.
Second, the urban programme (Smart
Cities, AMRUT, housing for all) will hopefully
empower city leadership to become more
autonomous and independent in deciding the
destinies of cities and their residents. Hopefully,
it will also lead to better environmentally and
economically viable cities of the future.
Third, within the railways sector that
connects India, the recently released Bibek
Debroy committee report is a step in the right
direction for modernization.
Along the external conditions hard facts
quadrant, four points are worth mentioning.
First, trade growth has seen a precipitous
decline. Particularly shocking is the way
in which both exports and imports have
contracted over the past six months from
December 2014 onwards. Experts believe this
is due to the falling demand in the international
region, particularly Europe, the US and China.
Imports have fallen in value terms particularly
due to a commodity price collapse of crude oil.
Second, despite the export performance,
FDI inflows in India remain robust. According
to UNCTADs World Investment Report 2015,
India is 9th overall in attracting FDI inflows.
Indias FDI inflows jumped 22 percent to reach
$34 billion in 2014. China remains the top
destination with approximately four times our
inflows at $129 billion. India also regained the
top slot in remittances with overseas Indians
sending back a staggering $70 billion in 2014,
according to World Bank estimates.
Third, there has been a surge in the capital
markets since Modi took over and the BSE
Sensex has increased from roughly 24,700

Black

Orange

points in May 2014 to near the 27,500 points


mark at present.
Finally, the rupee has depreciated from
59 to a dollar in May 2014 to roughly 63 at
present. This is despite the tightening of the
monetary policy stance by the US Federal
Reserve.
Along the external conditions policy
quadrant, three points merit immediate
mention. The first, is Indias increasing foreign
engagement where it remains a beneficiary of
official bilateral aid and pledges of investment
as well as a donor - as in the recent case of
Nepal. The economic diplomacy space here
has considerably expanded.
Second, the reform process has to be
pursued more aggressively and quickly. It
can be done by opening up sectors of the
economy and also looking Central Public
Sector Enterprises in a strategic manner.
More reform is certainly needed in sectors like
grain storage and coal that are dominated by
government monopoly, and this need not be
opening up the sector for foreign players.
Third, Foreign Policy magazines Baseline
Profitability Index points to India being the top
destination for investment in 2015. It goes on
to show that investor perception remains good
about India.
It is thus visible that India is not extremely
competitive at present but is bettering its
economic prospects. The reforms process
would aid in making India more competitive.
India needs to improve its competitiveness
by making it easier to start, operate and
wind down a business operation in India.
Also to compete infrastructure, tax rates and
skills need to be bettered and much will be
dependent on Indias execution capability.

INDIA

www.iwk.co.nz | 3 July 2015

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Black

Orange

India Inc. commits Rs.450,000 crore


for Modis Digital India

s
Prime
Minister
Narendra Modi launched
the Digital India Week
in New Delhi on Wednesday, India
Inc. committed an investment
of Rs.450,000 crore (some $75
billion) for the initiative that seeks
to empower citizens by deploying
IT and associated tools.
Choosing no less than a sports
stadium to launch the initiative
where whos who of India Inc.
packed the rows, Prime Minister
Modi
said industry captains
have committed investments of
Rs.450,000 crore toward Digital
India and create 1.8 million
new jobs.
The prime minister also
unveiled a logo for Digital India -an umbrella programme that seeks
to transform India into a digitallyempowered, knowledge economy
with a host of initiatives for a
synchronized and coordinated
engagement of the government
and its agencies.
The Prime Minister assured full
support to young entrepreneurs
who wished to launch startups. He called upon the youth
to innovate and said Design in
India is as important as Make
in India.
The event also saw a host of

The larger goal of


Digital India includes
broadband connectivity
in all panchayats, Wi-Fi
in all the schools and
universities and public
Wi-Fi hotspots in all
important cities
by 2019

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the launch ceremony of Digital India Week, in New Delhi on
July 1, 2015. Also seen Union Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information and Broadcasting
Arun Jaitley and Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad.

industrialists announce millions


of dollars of investments in their
own digital programmes. They
included Reliance Groups Anil
Ambani, Reliance Industries
Mukesh Ambani, Bharti Groups
Sunil Mittal and Aditya Vikram
Birla Groups Kumaramangalam
Birla.
For the Digital India scheme,

Modi has already been named the


chair of a high-powered panel
to monitor and all existing and
ongoing e-governance initiatives.
These will be revamped and
aligned with the larger principles
of Digital India, according to an
official statement.
The larger goal of Digital India
includes broadband connectivity
in all panchayats, Wi-Fi in all
the schools and universities
and public Wi-Fi hotspots in all
important cities by 2019. It will
be deployed in delivering services
in areas like health, education,

agriculture and banking.


The vision is centred on three
key areas:
}} Digital infrastructure as a
utility to every citizen
}} Governance and service on
demand
}} Digital
empowerment
of citizens.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
said the Digital India Week was
part of a series of programmes
intended to give a new direction
to the country in terms of the IT
revolution. He also announced
that a Skill India educational
initiative
will
be
unveiled
next week.
The other initiatives launched
under
the
Digital
India
programme included:
}} Digital locker system to
minimize usage of physical

Salman, Amitabh, Akshay and Dhoni among


Forbes Celebrity 100 rankings

ollywood stars Amitabh


Bachchan, Salman Khan
and
Akshay
Kumar,
as well as ace India cricketer
Mahendra Singh Dhoni have
made it to the Forbes annual
Celebrity 100 rankings of the
worlds highest-paid celebrities.
Both Bachchan and Salman
share the 71st rank with earnings
of $33.5 million each, while
Akshay with $32.5 million is
placed 76th. Dhoni with $31
million is ranked 82nd. This years
list ranks the worlds 100 highestpaid celebrities, regardless of
nationality.
American professional boxer
Floyd Mayweather tops the list
with $300 million in earnings,
followed by Filipino iconic boxer
Manny Pacquiao ($160 million).
Singer Katy Perry ($135
million), who is ranked no.3
on the list has been featured
on the Forbes magazine cover.
Bollywood stalwart Bachchan, 72,

19

the magazine noted, has starred


in more than 150 movies in his
50-year career and continues to
earn top rupee for his roles in
flicks such 2014s Bhoothnath
Returns. One of Indias biggest
stars, Salman Khan, 49, has
appeared in some 80 movies since
his 1989 breakout role in Maine
Pyar Kiya.
He also appears on the small
screen, hosting reality show
Bigg Boss, the Indian version of

Big Brother.
Bollywood superstar Akshay
Kumar has appeared in some
150 movies since his 1992
breakthrough in Khiladi.
He earned top rupee for roles
in 2014 movies such as Holiday
and Entertainment.
Dhoni, who retired from Test
cricket at the end of 2014, led
India to the semi-final of the
2015 Cricket World Cup before
suffering a loss to eventual

champion Australia. He is coproducing an upcoming biopic


titled M.S. Dhoni: The Untold
Story.

}}

}}

}}

}}

}}

}}

}}

documents and enable their


e-sharing
via
registered
repositories.
MyGov.in as an an online
platform to engage citizens in
governance through a Discuss,
Do and Disseminate approach.
Swachh Bharat Mission Mobile
app to achieve the goals set by
this mission.
e-Sign
framework
to
allow citizens to digitally
sign
documents
online
using Aadhaar.
e-Hospital
system
for
important healthcare services
such as online registration,
fee payment, fixing doctors
appointments,
online
diagnostics and checking blood
availability online.
National Scholarship Portal for
beneficiaries from submission
of application to verification,
sanction and disbursal.
Digitize India Platform for
large-scale
digitization
of
records in the country to
facilitate efficient delivery of
services to the citizens.
Bharat Net programme as a
high-speed digital highway
to connect all 250,000 gram
panchayat of country -- the
worlds largest rural broadband
project using optical fibre.

20

INDIA

3 July 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Focus on India-Russia-Iran
transport corridor via
Central Asia

head of Prime Minister


Narendra Modis five-nation tour of Central Asia in
July, the focus is back on an agreement for the International NorthSouth Transport Corridor (INSTC)
that India signed more than a decade ago with Russia and Iran -- even
as a June 30 deadline for the Iranian nuclear deal draws near.
The INSTC agreement was
signed more than a decade ago for
better connectivity to the Eurasian
region through Iran. The INSTC
members met earlier this month
and reviewed the status of report on
the dry run between India, Iran and
Russia via the Caspian Sea, while a
follow-up meeting has been slated
for July.
The transport corridor across
Nhava Sheva (Mumbai) through
Bandar Abbas (Iran) to Astrakhan
(Russia) and Baku (Azerbaijan) is
expected to substantially cut cargo
transportation time between India,

the Central Asian region and Russia.


In connection with the deadline
for Irans nuclear agreement with
the P5+1 group of nations, an
official source said that India has
been cautioned by the US to avoid
doing business with Iran till the
nuclear deal is finalised.
Road Transport and Shipping
Minister Nitin Gadkari travelled to
Tehran last month to sign an MoU
on expansion of the Chabahar port
in Iran. In July, Modi is slated to visit

Ufa City in Russia for the Shanghai


Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
and BRICS summits, where he will
also have an extended meeting with
President Vladimir Putin on plans
to further the strategic partnership
between Russia and India.
Thereafter, he will visit the central
Asian nations of Turkmenistan,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan
and Kazakhstan, making for the first
visit by an Indian prime minister
after Jawaharlal Nehru to a region
linked by history with India.
While Kazakhstan is a major oil
producer and Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan have some of the biggest
natural gas reserves, Tajikistan and
Kyrgyzstan are estimated to have
considerable untapped reserves.
Indias historical ties to Central
Asia run deep considering the
journey of the Turkicised Mongols
from the region to India to found
the Mughal Empire.

India to set up chair for crossborder teacher education

ndia will set up a Malaviya


Commonwealth
Chair
for Cross Border Teacher
Education, and has also proposed
a research consortium for the
grouping, an official said last week.
The announcement in this
regard was made by Human
Resource Development Minister
Smriti Irani at the 19th Conference
of Commonwealth Education
Ministers
held
at
Nassau
(Bahamas) from June 22 to 26, an
official statement said.
The chair will focus on
issues pertaining to curriculum
development, pedagogy, student
assessment, pre-service and inservice teacher training and capacity
development. Irani also proposed
the setting up of a Commonwealth
Consortium for Research which
can function in collaboration with
the Commonwealth Education
hub and provide cross-funding for

research projects which member


nations deem appropriate.
India would provide its
e-Learning platform SWAYAM
to host e-courseware developed
by Commonwealth of Learning,
she said, and also proposed that
India post digitized materials of
Commonwealth countries on its
soon-to-be established national
e-Library.
The
conference

which deliberated upon Quality


Education
for
Equitable
Development was attended by
the education ministers of 38
Commonwealth countries.
There could be no more
opportune time than now that
the Commonwealth countries
work towards a more coordinated
and holistic approach towards
rationalizing
methods
and
processes for inclusive and
qualitative expansion of education
in the respective countries, said
Irani at the conference.
The concern of quality in
education would remain the centre
stage of deliberations of each
country of the Commonwealth as
a key parameter for sustainable
development and, therefore, there
is a need to create a platform to
share both the resources and the
best practices, she added.

NEWS in BRIEF
Red

Singh, daughter-in-law Niharika


Singh and Lalit Modi had taken
over a Rajasthan government
property, converted it into a
private high-end luxury hotel and
invested over Rs.100 crore. A
joint venture company is running
Niyant Heritage which is running
Dholpur palace, he said.
Ramesh showed Rajasthan
government documents to claim
that Dholpur palace -- built in the
late 19th century and which has
eight royal palace rooms and 18
luxury villas -- was never a private
property of the erstwhile Dholpur
royal family. Ramesh earlier
asserted that he had conclusive
proof that the Dholpur palace

ational flag carrier Air India will operate its international


flight from Biju Patnaik Airport in Odisha by July.
Air India will operate a flight from Bhubaneswar to
Abu Dhabi in the UAE via Hyderabad.
...it has been decided to start operation of international flights
from Biju Patnaik Airport. Air India will commence international
operations before July 10, said Petroleum Minister Dharmendra
Pradhan.
Meanwhile, the Odisha government decided to double tourist
footfalls to about 2 crore which are at present about 1 crore per
annum. Tourist arrivals in the state increased by 12 percent in 2014
compared to 2013. While the number was 98.66 lakh in 2013, it
increased to 1.08 crore in 2014, said an official.

Deadline to exchange pre-2005


currency notes extended

he Reserve Bank of India has extended the deadline


for exchanging pre-2005 currency notes of various
denominations, including Rs.500 and Rs.1,000, by six
months till December-end.
The Reserve Bank of India has extended the date for the public
to exchange their pre-2005 banknotes till December 31, 2015, the
central bank said in a press release.
RBI had, in December 2014, set the last date to exchange these
notes as June-end, asking the public to deposit the old design notes
in their bank accounts or exchange them at a convenient bank
branch.
It had extended its earlier exchange deadline of January 1 till the
end of this month.
Besides being standard international practice to withdraw old
series notes, the RBI said the pre-2005 banknotes have fewer
security features compared with banknotes printed thereafter,
designed to curb the menace of fake currency.
The finance ministry has informed parliament that over 164
crore pre-2005 currency notes of various denominations, with a
face value of around Rs.21,750 crore, were shredded in regional
offices of the RBI during a 13-month period ending January.

India, Thailand ink agreement on


avoiding double taxation

ndia and Thailand has exchanged the Instruments of


Ratification of the extradition treaty and also an agreement for
the avoidance of double taxation after talks in Bangkok this
week between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Thai
Deputy Prime Minister Gen. Tanasak Patimapragorn.
The two leaders also reviewed the bilateral ties during the
Seventh Thailand-India Joint Commission meeting.
Sushma Swaraj, who was on a two-day visit to Thailand, inked
a treaty to provide the legal framework for seeking extradition
of fugitive offenders, including those involved in terrorism,
transnational crimes, economic offences etc.
The treaty provides for the extradition of any person who is
wanted for trial or for the imposition or enforcement of a sentence
by one contracting state and is found in the territory of the other
contracting state.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mahila Morcha demonstration against the Congress party outside the
Congress headquarters in New Delhi.

belonged to the government.


We sadly have to state that
Vasundhara Rajes husband in
1980 made a statement saying

Orange

Air India to operate international


flight from Odisha

Congress-BJP war rages on, over Raje


tepping up the demand for
Rajasthan Chief Minister
Vasundhara Rajes resignation, the Congress has alleged
that she had direct financial
dealings with former IPL chief
Lalit Modi. The BJP vehemently
refuted the charge as baseless.
Congress
leader
Jairam
Ramesh, who has been at the
forefront of making serious
allegations against Raje, claimed
that the chief minister had helped
convert a state-owned palace in
Dholpur, about 260 km from
Jaipur, into private property.
He alleged that Niyant
Heritage Pvt. Ltd., a company
owned by Raje, her son Dushyant

Black

Dholpur palace belongs to the


government, Ramesh said.
The Congress leader also took
a dig at Prime Minister Narendra

Modi, describing him as Swami


Maunendra Baba for his
continued silence over the Lalit
Modi issue.
The Congress also wants
External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj to quit for helping Lalit
Modi -- who faces charges of
financial impropriety -- get travel
documents.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party
activists staged protests in the
national capital demanding the
sacking of Raje, Sushma Swaraj,
Human Resource Development
Minister Smriti Irani and
Maharashtra minister Pankaja
Munde of the BJP.

INDIA ABROAD

www.iwk.co.nz | 3 July 2015

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Black

21

Orange

Bobby Jindal jumps into 2016 White House race


By Arun Kumar

ouisiana
Governor
Piyush Bobby Jindal
on Wednesday made his
much- anticipated entry into
the 2016 White House race via
Twitter making him the first
Indian-American
and
13th
Republican candidate to do so.
Im running for President
of the United States of America.
Join me, he tweeted with a
link to his campaign site shortly
after noon ahead of a planned
formal announcement in the
New Orleans suburb of Kenner
Wednesday evening.
A Special Announcement
From Bobby Jindal. My name is
Bobby Jindal, and I am running
for President of the United States
of America. There were three
people I think you would agree
my wife Supriya and I had to tell
first, said a second tweet.
Jindals tweet came shortly
adviser Curt Anderson told
reporters at a morning briefing:

Bobby Jindal

We get into the race at 5 oclock


tonight,
A hidden-camera style video of
the governor telling his kids about
his decision to run followed. His
daughter quickly leveraged the
information, requesting a puppy
as her share of the deal.

OK, if we move into the White


House, you can have a puppy,
Jindal told his daughter.
Jindal joins an already
crowded field of Republican
candidates including Jeb Bush,
Rick Perry and Mike Huckabee,
former governors of Florida,

Texas and Arkansas respectively,


US Senators Ted Cruz, Rand
Paul, Marco Rubio and Lindsey
Graham, former Hewlett Packard
CEO Carly Fiorina; and real
estate mogul Donald Trump.
Once viewed as a rising star of
the Republican party, Jindal, 44,
who was the youngest American
governor when first elected in
2007, is now polling toward the
bottom of the Republican field,
registering at just 1 percent in the
latest CNN/ORC poll this month.
Analysts
suggested
that
he faces an uphill task in his
campaign and even faces the
prospect of being eliminated from
Fox Newss presidential debates
starting August 6 as the channel
has decided to limit it to the top
10.
Jindal, who received wide
support from Indian-Americans
in
his
Congressional
and
gubernatorial campaigns, seems
to have lost much traction with
the community since he recently

declared that he was tired of


hyphenated Americans.
His parents, he declared, They
werent coming to raise IndianAmericans. They were coming to
raise Americans.
As Pearson Cross, a political
science professor at the University
of Louisiana at Lafayette who
is writing a book on him told
the Washington Post: Theres
not much Indian left in Bobby
Jindal.
The Louisiana-born son of
immigrant parents from India,
Jindal converted from Hinduism
to Christianity as a teen, and
was later baptised a Catholic as a
student at Brown University.
The Rhodes scholar was the
second
Indian-American
to
be elected to the US House of
Representatives in 2004 after
Dalip Singh Saund, a Democrat,
in 1957. He was re-elected to the
Congress in 2006 before making
his second run for governor in
2007. He was re-elected in 2011.

of slavery was wrong the


imposition of Jim Crow after the
Civil War, the resistance to civil
rights for all people was wrong, he
said amid applause.
It would be one step in an
honest accounting of Americas
history; a modest but meaningful
balm for so many unhealed
wounds. At the end of speech,
Obama to the surprise of the
mourners launched into a solo of
Amazing Grace.
It brought the audience to their
feet as they joined him in the song.
Haley has come in for praise from
civil rights leader Al Sharpton too
after he met her for the first time on
Thursday and shared a hug at the

funeral services for the Charleston


shooting victims.
In clips Sharpton aired on his
MSNBC show, the reverend said
at the services that he spoke to
Haley one-on-one, as opposed to
how she usually sees me out the
window marching on her.
If you were protesting outside
my window, the governor replied
when it was her turn to speak, if
you would have come inside and
held out your hand, I would have
hugged you. Sharpton quickly
responded: Ill hug you back.
Shortly thereafter, the two
hugged each other and Sharpton,
looking back on it, said: Its a step
in the right direction.

Gurudwara holds Iftar Obama praises Nikki Haley for


lead on flag issue
for Muslims in UAE

gurudwara in the United


Arab Emirates (UAE)
held an Iftar party for
Muslims fasting in the holy month
of Ramadan, a media report said
on Wednesday.
The gurudwara in Jebel Ali
organised the iftar for the second
consecutive year.
The guests of honour were
people from Al Manar - a Quran
study Centre, the Khaleej Times
said.
Last year, the Al Manar Centre
started inviting guests from
different religions for Iftar and
the gurudwara reciprocated.
Ten guests, including an
Islamic speaker Ahmad Hamid,
and representative of Al Manar
Centre Abdul Hadi were present
at the Iftar.
They did not stay for long,
however, they opened the fast at

the gurudwara.
Hamid said they completed
the crux of the mission, which
was to share the principles of
why they fast.
This is the best time to
share the principles of religion
with everyone in this part of the
world, Hamid said.
Surinder Singh Kandhari,
chairman of the Guru Nanak
Darbar also invited about 20
other Muslim friends.
He
speaks
about
the
importance of submitting yourself
to God, Kandhari said about
Hamids speech on the occasion.
We recited the Quran,
and we made a speech on the
importance of fasting, the feeling
was wonderful, Abdul Hadi,
representative of Al Manar
Centre said on the evening at the
Gurudwara.

resident Barack Obama


praised South Carolinas
Indian-American governor
Nikki Haley for calling for the
removal of slavery era Confederate
flag from the State Capitol grounds
150 years after the end of the US
Civil War.
For too long, we were blind to
the pain that the Confederate flag
stirred in too many of our citizens,
he said delivering a touching eulogy
at the funeral on Friday of the
pastor of a historic black church in
Charleston, South Carolina, where
a white man gunned down nine
people last week.
Its true, a flag did not cause
these murders, he said turning
his eulogy into a rousing political
speech and a thoughtful discourse
on race in America.
But as people from all walks of
life, Republicans and Democrats,
now acknowledge including
Governor (Nikki) Haley, whose
recent eloquence on the subject
is worthy of praise as we all have
to acknowledge, the flag has
always represented more than just
ancestral pride, Obama said.
For many, black and white, that
flag was a reminder of systemic
oppression and racial subjugation.
We see that now.
Removing the flag from this
states capitol would not be an act
of political correctness; it would
not be an insult to the valour of
Confederate soldiers.
It would simply be an
acknowledgment that the cause
for which they fought the cause

22

SPORTS

3 July 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Red

First Indian athlete to compete


for NZ at World Summer Games

he 36 Special Olympics
New Zealand athletes
and 17 volunteers taking
part in the Special Olympics
World Summer Games 2015 in
Los Angeles, are set to depart for
the competition in just a couple of
weeks.
Amongst them is Special
Olympics North Harbour athlete
Pratima Patel, who is the first New
Zealand athlete of Indian origin
ever to compete at the Special
Olympics World Summer Games.
The Special Olympics World
Summer Games 2015, known as
LA2015, will see 7000 athletes
from 170 countries compete at the
event being held from25 July 2015
to 2 August 2015. The New Zealand
delegation includes34 athletes
with
intellectual
disabilities,
two Unified Partners (athletes
without an intellectual disability),
and 17 coaches, managers and
support staff. The athletes will
compete in aquatics, athletics,
basketball, bocce, equestrian, golf,
powerlifting, and tenpin bowling.
Pratima, who has Down
syndrome, will be competing in
equestrian, but shes also involved
in basketball, swimming and snow
sports at Special Olympics North
Harbour.
Pratima got into Special

Pratima Patel

Olympics about ten years ago


and has never looked back, says
her Mum Jamna Patel. Its given
her so much confidence and the
opportunity to make friends and
compete in sports she never would
otherwise have been able to.
Pratima will be joined by
family members in Los Angeles.
Since being selected to compete
she has been supported by the
community in fundraising for the
event. Curves Birkenhead and the
local Indian community have also
been fundraising for the event and
to help support Pratimas ongoing

training.
Its a real dream come true for
Pratima. Shes had a love of horses
since she was a young girl, so to
be competing in an international
competition is just amazing.
Head of Delegation Max
Brooking said the group of
athletes qualified for the World
Summer Games at the Special
Olympics New Zealand National
Games in 2013 and each athlete
has been working hard to put in a
top performance in LA.
Our training goal has always
been to get all of the athletes
prepared to a point that they
can achieve a personal best
performance at the Games, Max
says.
With
the
support
of
our excellent coaches and
management our athletes have
been very dedicated to their
training and are looking forward
to competing on the international
stage. Im sure they will all return
with renewed confidence and new
goals for the future.
This week is Special Olympics
New
Zealands
first
ever
Awareness Week.Text GIVE
to 2449 to donate $3 to Special
Olympics New Zealand or
visitwww.specialolympics.org.nz

McCullum agrees to lead


NZ for another year

ew Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum


has ended speculation about his future in
international cricket by agreeing to lead
his country for another 12 months.
Following New Zealands first ever World Cup
final appearance and a 2-3 limited-overs series loss
to England this month, McCullum was undecided
on his short term plans in the 50-over game, reports
cricket.com.au last week.
I dont know. Well wait and see, he said earlier
when asked about his limited overs future.
Well let the dust settle on this. Its been a great
year, an incredible summer for us. Weve scaled
some heights that hadnt been done before by our
country and were starting to build a soul to how
we play.
But the 33-year-old ended all speculation by
signing an agreement with New Zealand cricket
on Friday to play for another year. He will lead the
team in its home and away series against Australia
in the 2015-16 season and the World T20 in India
next year.
Its a critical time for the side, McCullum said
last week.
Weve enjoyed a pretty good past 18 months,
but there are some serious challenges ahead and
we need to keep making progress. This is a young,
emerging team with some very big series looming on
the horizon - and its really exciting to be involved.

Black

Orange

Dhoni, Kohli rested,


Rahane to captain India

iddle order batsman


Ajinkya Rahane was
named captain of the
15-member Indian cricket team
that will tour Zimbabwe in July as
Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat
Kohli, among other seniors, were
rested.
Batsmen Shikhar Dhawan,
Suresh Raina, Ravichandran
Ashwin, Rohit Sharma and
Umesh Yadav were also rested by
the Board of Control for Cricket
in Indias (BCCI) All-India Senior
Selection Committee. India will
play three One-Day Internationals
(ODI)
and
two
Twenty20
Internationals from July 10 to 19
in Harare.
We are happy with the way
Rahanes career is shaping up.
He has been the most consistent
batsman for India and we want
to see his other aspects. So we
have given him this opportunity
and will keep backing him, said
chairman of selectors Sandeep
Patil.
Meanwhile, another middle
order bat, Cheteshwar Pujara, has
been named skipper of the India A
squad for the two four-day games
against Australia A. Both games
will be played in Chennai from
July 22 to 25 and from July 29 to
August 1.
This will be the first time the
legendary Rahul Dravid will be incharge of the A team since he was
appointed India Under-19 and
India A coach earlier this month.
Significantly,
all-rounder
Ravindra Jadejas name does not
figure in the squad - impliedly he
has been dropped. The southpaws
performance has dipped of late.
Despite being rested from the
India squad, pace bowler Yadav
was still named in the India A side.
No specialist wicketkeeper has
been named in the India squad

Ajinkya Rahane

but Robin Uthappa, Kedar Jadhav


and Ambati Rayudu, all of whom
have been selected, have kept
wickets in the past.
Meanwhile,
veteran
offspinner Harbhajan Singh made a
comeback to the ODI squad after
four years. He last played an ODI
in June 2011 against the West
Indies while he was last picked for
T20Is in September 2012 against
Australia. He will be accompanied
by left-arm tweaker Axar Patel
and leggie Karn Sharma.
Murali Vijay, who is a regular
opener in Tests, is likely to partner
Rahane at the top of the order
as Manish Pandey and Manoj
Tiwary are the other batsmen
named in the side. Among
pacers, Dhawal Kulkarni, Stuart
Binny, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and
Mohit Sharma were retained
with Punjabs uncapped Sandeep
Sharma joining them.
Team director Ravi Shastri will
not travel to Zimbabwe due to
prior engagements.
The teams are:
India squad: Ajinkya Rahane
(captain), Murali Vijay, Ambati
Rayudu, Manoj Tiwary, Kedar
Jadhav, Robin Uthappa, Manish
Pandey,
Harbhajan
Singh,
Axar
Patel,
Karn
Sharma,
Dhawal Kulkarni, Stuart Binny,
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohit
Sharma, Sandeep Sharma.

Vijender turns
professional

ndias
Olympic
bronze
medallist boxer Vijender
Singh turned professional as
he signed a lucrative deal recently.
Vijender signed a multiyear promotional agreement
with promoters Queensberry
Promotions that will see the
talented middleweight fight a
minimum of six times in the first
year.
Im excited to turn pro and
looking forward to the new
chapter of my life. I want to train
hard and perform for my country

at the global level, Vijender said


in a release.
Vijender won silver at the 2006
and 2014 Commonwealth Games,
bronze at the 2006 Asian Games,
2008 Beijing Olympics, 2009
World Amateur Championships
and 2010 Commonwealth Games;
gold at the 2010 Asian Games and
was rated the worlds number one
middleweight in 2009.
The 29-year-old from Bhiwani
will be based in Manchester under
well known trainer Lee Beard.

KIDZONE

www.iwk.co.nz | 3 July 2015

Red

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COLOR THIS

Spot 15 dif

ferences

The fox without tail

fox was once caught in a trap. It was only after a


tough struggle that he could get free. But, to his
sorrow, his beautiful tail had been cut off and left
in the trap.
How ugly I shall look! moaned the fox, won't the other
foxes laugh at me?
Thinking hard, the fox hit upon a plan to save herself from being laughed at.
He called a meeting of his
friends and said, Brothers! Have
you ever wondered why after
all, we carry these long tails?
Let us cut them off and be free
from their nuisance.
But the other foxes had
noticed his cut-off tail. They laughed aloud and replied,
You used to say that tails looked very fine when your own
was all right. Now that you have lost yours, you want us
to lose ours too.

MORAL: Dirty tricks seldom work.

SCRAMBLE
1. LAMSL
2. NYNUF
3. OULD
4. AEEVIRCT
5. ANRLE
6. ELMIS
7. HPYAP
8. YCR
9. EFIRDSN
10. OSCOLH

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

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

FEATURE

24

3 July 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

From the desk of

Red

Black

Orange

#DespiteBeingAWoman
Esha Chanda

n early June, India woke


up to a social media
storm;
the
hashtag

#DespiteBeingAWoman

was

on the rise. A little probing was


enough to find the cause. The
countrys Prime Minister had
made

his

first

embarrassing

gaffe. His attempt to praise Prime


Minister Sheikh Hasina on his
visit to Bangladesh had sparked
an outrage across the country.
This came soon after Nobel
Prize winner Tim Hunt in his
speech at the World Conference
of Science Journalists in Seoul
said, Let me tell you about my
trouble with girls. Three things
happen when they are in lab: You
fall in love with them, they fall
in love with you, and when you
criticise them, they cry. Female
scientists took to Twitter to mock
Hunts comment with the hashtag
#DistractinglySexy.
Back home, Mr Narendra Modi,
at an event hosted by the University
of Dhaka, said, I am happy that

the Prime Minister of Bangladesh,


despite being a woman, is openly
saying that she has zero tolerance
towards terrorism. I would like to
congratulate Sheikh Hasina for
her courage to deal with terrorism
with zero tolerance.
Two opposite ends of the world
and in both instances the men
were criticised for their sexist
comments; they met with the
same fate.
Did Mr Prime Minister give the
worlds worst compliment? Maybe
yes, maybe no, but the statement
was enough to spark a flurry of
comments on Twitter turning the
hashtag #DespiteBeingAWoman
into a trending topic on the
social media platform on an early
Monday morning. The rest of the
week did not look good for the
countrys Prime Minister as people
tweeted sarcastic comments,
criticised him and uploaded
pictures of successful women.
In the past, Modi has carefully
maintained a pro-woman image.
He has often promoted campaigns
against female indiscrimination.

We help and support people of South


Asian origin living in New Zealand
by mean of various community
development and awareness activities

The Prime Minister has promised


to uplift the condition of women in
India; he is campaigning against
female foeticide and wants to
provide better educational and
work opportunities for women.
For a man, who is considered
to be one of the most eloquent
politicians, this was his first dip
into controversial waters. Modis
backhanded

compliment

for

calling Bangladeshs leader tough


generated

negative

response.

Indians took to Twitter to show


their disapproval against what
is being termed as a sexual and
chauvinist comment. He was
accused of reflecting a patriarchal
mindset and a typical approach
towards gender stereotypes.
It cannot be denied that we
are a part of a country that has
more often than not been unfair
to the fairer sex. But India has
also seen accomplishments of
female leaders and activists such
as Indira Gandhithe countrys
first female Prime Minister. It is
unfortunate that in an age where
on one side women are being
empowered, there are some men
who still have a skewed outlook,
whether at home or beyond. Be
it science, technology, creativity
or national and world politics,
a womans contributions have
been considered to be exceptional
because according to the society,
it is a mans job. Women are
merely walking in their territory,
and therefore if they succeed, it
must be a huge accomplishment
for them. The traditional idea that

a woman has no place in public


still reverberates in our society.
And therefore, it is disheartening
to see that when some influential
women have changed the course
of history, the world still considers
them to be weak and timid.
On the other side of the fence
lies

the

looming

question

did feminists and the media


misinterpret the Prime Ministers
remark? Misogyny might not be
new in Indian politics but did
Modi actually mean to compliment
Bangladeshs Prime Minister for
taking tough measures to fight the
evils of terrorism? Supporters of
Modi fought back with the hashtag
#ModiEmpowersWomen,

empowerment. But no matter how


the statement is read, it cannot
be denied that there is a trace of
sexism in it. This might just be
a case of poor choice of words,
but maybe next time, the Prime
Minister needs to be careful of
what he says, especially on an
international platform.

Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust has been serving the community since 1995.
It was founded by Mr. Jeet Suchdev QSM JP along with Ms. Roopa Suchdev QSM.
We are the largest multi-faith South Asian Group in the whole of Auckland with
over 1000+ members on record.
Our primary objective is to ensure that people of the community are benefited
by the various activities and programs undertaken by us on a regular basis.
We also ensure to foster friendly relations among the community members,
by catering to their social, cultural and emotional needs through our regular
programs and activities.
We offer a variety of services through our Senior Citizens Wing, Children &
Youth Wing, New Migrants Support Wing and Women Welfare & empowerment
Wing. These services are delivered with assistance from Members of Executive
Committee of Bhartiya Samaj and Volunteers from the Community. We also
work in co-operation with other Community Welfare organisations which are
operating Auckland region. We serve from all walks of life irrespective of their
language, religion, region and social status.
Jeet Suchdev QSM JP
Chairperson
Phone : 0212221020, 09 6200579
Email : jeet@xtra.co.nz

while

referring to his efforts for women

Roopa Suchdev QSM


Secretary
Phone : 021665609
Email : roopasuchdevnz@yahoo.co.nz

Bhartiya Samaj Activities Center, 13 May Road, Mt. Roskill

FEATURE

www.iwk.co.nz | 3 July 2015

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Punjabi songs in Hindi movies a necessity: Mika


Natalia Ningthoujam

opular crooner Mika Singh, who has


been in the music industry for over a
decade, says Punjabi music is a rage
across the globe and has become a necessity
in Hindi films ever since he joined Bollywood.
Mika, who has given hit numbers like Bas
ek king, Mauja hi mauja, Dil bole hadippa
and Sawan mein lag gayi aag, says Punjabi
music has been widely accepted and has
become an essential part of all Hindi films.
Punjabi music has become a global trend
for quite a few years now. Since I first entered
Bollywood with my Punjabi touch, a Punjabi
number in each movie has become a necessity.
I definitely feel that this has paved way for
other singers to try their hand at Bollywood,
Mika, who has roots in Punjab, said.
The 38-year-old, who performed at Royal
Stag MTV Bollyland, a series of multi-city
music concerts that see the fusion of popular
Bollywood soundtracks with heady electronic
beats, also believes that electronic dance music
(EDM) is getting popular in the country.
EDM has been a growing trend in India for
quite a few years now, especially with the youth

of India, but yes, I feel that through Royal Stag


MTV Bollyland, Indian artists have understood
its increased popularity, he said adding that:
2015 is the year for EDM in India.
Over the years, the brother of singer Daler
Mehndi has made his fans groove to his fastpaced songs.
Asked if he would like to go beyond dance
numbers, he said: Every song that I lend my
voice to, by the grace of God and my fans,
becomes a hit.
In recent years, these have just happened
to be dance numbers. It just so happens that
even when I sing a slow or romantic song, my
fans are able to dance to my tunes!
I believe I have explored and covered all
aspects for an international artist during my
music career. Nevertheless, I will continue to
make music and sing songs that please my fans
and consider any options that come my way,
added the singer.
And he enjoys rapping too!
I have been rapping since I was a kid and,
in fact, I had already collaborated with the
likes of Bohemia on Dunnali and Honey Singh
on various numbers before rapping was even
known on the Indian music scene, said Mika.

Govindas daughter has no


friend in the film industry

he may come across as another star


kid to enter the Hindi film industry,
but debutante Tina Ahuja, daughter of
hit entertainer Govinda, says she neither has
friends in Bollywood nor was she brought up
in an environment of filmy parties.
Making her debut with Smeep Kangs
Second Hand Husband, Tina said, I dont
have friends in the industry... we have never
had filmy parties in our house and we dont
socialise that much.
Talks of Tinas Bollywood debut have been
on for the past few years, but what took her
so long to finally arrive on the scene?
Sometimes, star kids are exposed to
film industry, whereas my upbringing was
very normal. For me, it was a very different
thing but there are some people who start
off early As they get launched because their
parents have been friends with or associated
with filmmaker... So, it happened quickly for
them. But it was a process for me to get into
films, she said.
Tina always wanted to start her career
with light-hearted cinema, and so, she opted
to debut Second Hand Husband, which,
according to her, is a commercial romantic
comedy with good songs.
The film is based on alimony, so its not
that we are just putting out punches out
there for the people. There is a story there,
said the actress, who will be seen in the film
with Punjabi singer-actor Gippy Garewal.
As the daughter of a star well known for
his dancing prowess, Tina says she too is a
good dancer but did not get a chance to show
off her skills in Second Hand Husband.
Nevertheless, she is aware comparisons
will be drawn between her and her father.
Tina shared that she was indeed
apprehensive of the comparison.
My father taught me that its okay and this
will always make me work harder... because
they are not comparing me to someone who
is of my calibre or my age group.
They are comparing me with my father,

Bollywood projects take up most of his


time, but he does create his own music as
well.
I am always making new music for
my personal satisfaction. Innovation,
I believe is the key. But, yes, in recent
years my demand in Bollywood has been
overwhelming and I thank my blessings for
my continued success, said the Nonsense
ki night hitmaker.
While he is labelled as Singh Is
King by many, he has also earned
the label of being controversial.
Controversies always seem
to follow me. They do not faze
me in any way.
It seems that controversies
always hover around those
who work hard and have
gained popularity. I will
just continue to make my
fans happy, said Mika,
who was in the news for
allegedly assaulting a
doctor in the capital in
April.

Cinema reduced to cash trap


industry: Subhash Ghai
Sandeep Sharma

Tina Ahuja

who has done a lot of good work. So its okay.


Im going with the flow and taking each day
as it comes. The 26-year-old also received a
lot of other advice from her father.
He advised that dont get involved so
much into your work that you stop taking
care of yourself or forget yourself. You have
to keep time for exercise, gyming, your food
and diet, eat while working. A lot of people
get so engrossed in work that they stop eating
and that is where the fainting stories come.
He told me to be like an empty glass, see
what your director wants out of you.
Dont start flaunting your own ideas just
because you have seen a lot of film shoots,
because things were different earlier and
now they are different. You have to move
with times. He told me to give my best and
leave the rest. And not to bother about the
other things, said Tina.
Second Hand Husband will release on
July 3. It is produced by GB Entertainment,
and also stars Dharmendra, Geeta Basra and
Vijay Raaz.

ilmmaker Subhash Ghai, whose


repertoire is studded with films like
Karz, Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak
and Pardes, believes commercialisation has
nowadays made the Indian cinema world a
cash trap -- a mode for brand promotions.
His last few movies Yuvvraaj, Kaanchi:
The Unbreakable and Black & White
failed to spin the magic the Showman was
known for in the 1980s and 1990s.
The (Indian) cinema has been reduced
to a cash trap industry. Earlier, it was
a creative industry, but now more of
commercialisation has entered in it. Now
actors dont talk about a particular scene or
performance, they talk about the collection,
Ghai said. Also concerned by the rising pay
cheques reserved for the A-listers, Ghai
said: Film corporate companies have
faced big losses in recent years. The only
ones who have gained are the stars and the
marketing companies.
Producers should try and make films
having a good story and director rather than
giving out half of the budget to the stars. I
used to pay only 10 percent of my films
budget to the stars... But now, stars are more
interested in endorsing products rather than
acting in a film, added the filmmaker, who
takes pride in the fact that stars used to run
after me during his prime.
The 70-year-old, who was honoured
with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the
International Indian Film Academy (IIFA)
Weekend and Awards in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, earlier this month, is even
against the idea of actors turning producers as he feels it makes the directors job
more difficult.
Directors have become producers
because they dont want any other person to
interfere in their credibility. But when actors
become producers, they try to dominate the
director. Nowadays, the corporate people

are asking every actor to become a producer.


Apart from three to four directors like
Rajkumar Hirani and Rohit Shetty, rest all
are obligant, he said.
Having started his directorial career with
the 1976 film Kalicharan, Ghai considers
himself blessed to have stayed in the
industry for such a long time. He says the
1980s were the best time of his almost fourdecade-long journey.
I was really flying high in the 1980s as
most of my films did well at the box office.
Since Kalicharan, I made 19 films in all, out
of which 14 were blockbusters. From 1975
to 2005, it was the best era of my life which
spanned for 30 years, said Ghai, whose
two 1980s hit films Karz and Hero were
screened on Zee Cinema some time ago.
I feel blessed that Im one of those
achievers who stood in the industry for four
decades. But now I make films on my own
terms and happiness, not under anybodys
pressure. I ran constantly on a treadmill for
30 years. So, Im a happy and peaceful person today, added Ghai, who also has a film
institute in Mumbai.
Enjoying the slow pace on the film direction front, he said: I used to take six months
for making a film prior to 2005, but after
that I took four years gap while directing a
film. Its just that you feel a lot more responsible and try to do something for the upcoming generation and the country.

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I was trapped:
Kangana on
initial days in
Bollywood

ctress Kangana Ranaut


has emerged as a
formidable talent in
Bollywood, where she found
herself trapped when she first
stepped into the industry. Now,
she is fearless and confident.
The actress, who made her film
debut with Gangster, and went
on to feature in films like Woh
Lamhe, Life in a... Metro and
Fashion, said, When I came in
this industry, I was trapped. I was
dying in all my films. So, to come
out of it was not easy for me.
I think it was my destiny and I
have worked really hard to make a
mark in this industry.
The National Award winning
talent, who has scored a hit
with her dual avatar in Tanu
Weds Manu Returns this year
and impressed one and all with
Queen last year, says she isnt
scared of anything at this point of
time in her career.
I think where I am right now,
I am not scared of anything. I
had nothing when I came in this
industry and now I have immense
confidence in myself. I am not
answerable to anyone, and I live
my life on my own terms, she
added.

3 July 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Red

A strong supporter of women


empowerment and education,
especially in rural India, Kalki
said: We have to educate girls,
but we also have to educate boys
about the fact that girls are equal.
Its important for both boys and
girls.
She has never shied away
from picking roles that are
bold whether its Dev.D or
Margarita, with a Straw yet
Kalki Koechlin says she was a shy
person back in school and used
to hide the weakness behind a
sense of humour.
I was a shy person in school
until I reached the age of 13 and
I realised that I had a sense of
humour... so I was the class clown.
I kind of hid my shyness behind
my humour, Kalki said.
The actress, of half French and
half Indian descent, believes that
education is not just important
in the academic sense, but also in
terms of social education.
Launched in 2004, P&G Indias
flagship CSR programme P&G
Shiksha has grown immensely
with the help of strong support
from the Bollywood fraternity
including Rani Mukerji, John
Abraham, Sushmita Sen, Kareena
Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan.

Sang Bajrangi
Bhaijaan song
due to love for
Salman: Adnan

inger-composer
Adnan
Sami, who features as a
qawwal in Bhar do jholi
meri, the latest song from Salman

Education key to
gender equality:
Kalki

alki
Koechlin,
who
has
joined
hands
with the P&G Shiksha
programme, says education is the
key for gender equality.

I was never a front bencher. I


was very bad at maths. My skills
were more on the creative side like
arts, creative writing and acting.
Its important we try different
skills apart from regular studies,
said Kalki.

Khan starrer Bajrangi Bhaijaan,


says he agreed to lend his voice to
the number purely out of love for
the superstar.
Present at an event to showcase
his special rendition for the
movie, Adnan said: I share a
great friendship and bond with
Salman. Being a Pathan, for us,
money never interferes between
friendship and relationships. I
sang this song completely out of
love for him and nothing else.
He also went on to state that his
only condition before agreeing
to sing the song was that Salman
showers a lot of love on him.
The song also features Adnan
singing like a qawwal.

Fatherhood
doesnt stop at
teaching one
lesson: Anil

ctor Anil Kapoor, who


has
three
children,
believes that fatherhood
is an evolving process.
Asked whats the biggest lesson
he has taught his three children
actress Sonam Kapoor, producer
Rhea Kapoor and Harshvardhan
Kapoor Anil told reporters,
Fatherhood does not stop at
teaching one lesson or learning
one lesson. Its a continuously
evolving process.
He also believes that the entire
film industry is like a family to me
where I have got support from

many and given to many. We will


continue to do so.
The actor, who was seen as
a grey-haired dad in his latest
film Dil Dhadakne Do, which
explored the relationship between
a brother and sister and also
focussed on gender equality, had
unveiled the new impact numbers
for P&G Shiksha wherein till
date, P&G Shiksha has built and
supported more than 450 schools.
India is at a stage where all
the issues are surfacing in its true
form, and heading towards solving
of the large issues that have been
prevalent for a while. The issues
cant be solved by individuals,
but by people of the country and
endeavours such as Shiksha. I
am willing to lend my support for
every cause for the betterment of
India, he said. Would he like to
play a teacher onscreen any time
soon or be a part of a film with a
strong social message?
Absolutely... would love to.
Infact, its a great thought and I
will bounce it off my producerdaughter Rhea, said the Mr.
India star, whose constant
endeavour is to give his audiences
something new every time.

Neeraj Ghaywan
credits his
success to
Anurag Kashyap

eeraj Ghaywan, whose


directorial
debut
Masaan
garnered
much appreciation at the Cannes

a producer when he co-produced


films such as Khel, Rakht,
Black
Orange
Mission Istaanbul,
EMI
and
Loot. He also co-produced
Bhagam Bhag that made
substantial money for him.

Im not stupid
to cast myself
in film: Karan
Johar

International Film Festival this


year, says his mentor Anurag
Kashyap is the driving force
behind his success.
In an interview, Ghaywan
applauded Kashyaps Bombay
Velvet a film that failed
miserably at the box office, and
says that he loved it.
I think Anurag made Bombay
Velvet brilliantly with his utmost
dedication. I loved the film, he
said.
There is a lot of negativity
surrounding him as people are
trying to write bad things about
him and pull him down. But
he is the same person who has
inspired someone like me to quit
a corporate job, reach Cannes and
win two awards. And thats why
I think in the truest sense, my
victory is his victory, he added.
Ghaywan, who worked as an
assistant to Kashyap for some of
his films, says that whatever he is
today is because of him.
I was the second unit director
of Ugly and gave two and a half
years as an assistant to Anurag on
Gangs Of Wasseypur. So I can
say with pride that whatever I am
today is because of Kashyap and I
want him to feel my happiness,
he said.
Masaan will release in India
on July 24.

We need
to respect
producers more:
Sunil Shetty

ctor-producer
Sunil
Shetty feels that being
a producer is the most
challenging job in the filmmaking
process and one should respect
them more.
Sunil had come out to support
Vinod Kapris quirky satire Miss
Tanakpur Haazir Ho during the
screening of the film. The film got
embroiled in a Khap controversy
for narrating a story of a man
who is falsely accused by a village
strongman of raping a buffalo.
Having a relationship with
co-stars or directors is fine but
the most important relationship
in films is with the producers.
They are the one who invests huge
amount of money and sometimes
even sell their house for making
films. So i believe that this industry
doesnt respect the producers,
Sunil told reporters.
We need to respect producers
more because if there is any loss,
it is for the producer to bear. Actor
and directors move on, he added.
Sunil has also tried his hand as

ilmmaker Karan Johar


has said he is not that
stupid to cast himself in
his movies.
I cant cast myself, Im not that
stupid, he said at a song launch
function in Mumbai. Karan
and filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli
launched a new song of their epic
drama Baahubali last week. Asked
about acting offers, the producer
said: Not even one person has
offered me a role. Im waiting
eagerly for some offer, at least a
poor offer which I can refuse.
I tried my best but I think

nobody wants to see me act


on screen. Though Anurag
Kashyaps Bombay Velvet failed
miserably at the box-office, Karan
Johar was one of the few actors
who was appreciated for his
magnificent act.

When Diljit went


on special social
media tour

everal stars may be popular


on social media, but actorsinger
Diljit
Dosanjh,
who is making his Bollywood
debut with Udta Punjab, went
a step further when he visited
the headquarters of Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and
Google in the US.
The star, who was in North
America earlier this year, went
on a special social media tour
and visited the hub of some of the
most popular social media outlets
as well as saw their day-to-day
operations.
He toured the facilities, heard
the stories behind the brands and
connected with the culture that
has redefined communication
altogether, according to a source
close to him.
Diljit began his tour with
social media giant Facebook.
After an interactive session with
the team members behind this
innovative social network, he
headed to explore the workspace
of his favourite networking site
Instagram.

ENTERTAINMENT

www.iwk.co.nz | 3 July 2015

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FEATURES

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3 July 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Dream, dream, dreamz


Rizwan Mohammad

mechanical
engineer
by qualification and an
actor by profession!
Rishi Deepak, a popular face in the
Kiwi Entertainment Industry gets
candid with Indian Weekender.
The charismatic young heartthrob
tells us about his love for cinema
and acting.

Rishi Deepak

When did you start acting?


Acting was my passion from
early childhood; I wanted to
become an actor. I used to get
fascinated by the movies I would
see. I got serious about acting
when I was 14. Initially I starred in
a Kashmiri soap, Detective Karan,
Anmol Rishte and few other TV
serials. It gave me exposure as an
actor in small roles, and it is there
that I realised the importance of
every character in a story.
What was your 1st break?

Red

What was your turning point?

point here. As an actor I needed


to evolve with my performance
and try new things. In 2011, my
first film Mr Singh Wants PR
came out and I played one of the
three parallel leads in the film.
It was a small budget film and it
was screened at the Sydney Film
Festival.

I think moving from television


to movies was my first turning

Did you do get any formal


training in acting?

I did a 2 year course in acting


from Studio 111, I completed 4 level
course in 2008 simultaneously to
my TV shows here. Since I have
been acting from a very young
age, I have been learning more
from observing actors, watching
movies and of course directors
have moulded me into the roles I
was cast in. Every film has been a
learning process for me.

Journey Of
Your Soul

With The Divine Guru

Brahmrishi Shri Guruvanandji Swamy

What are the Projects you


have done so far?

The journey as an actor has


been like a roller coaster ride. It
has tested my patience at times but
my hard work paid off eventually.
After my first film Urban Turban
in which I played the role of a
Sikh, then came Highway to Suva
I played the role of a Fijian, in Ek
Ka Do Aur Dhoka Ek I was cast in
a negative character. So far I have
been able to do a diverse range of
roles in my films. I am a partner
at Dreamz Production now and
with their upcoming film Twisted
Families that will hit the theatres
this year, I have taken a new role
as an Executive Producer. As an
EP you learn every tiny aspect
of movie making; from getting
the funds, casting, being behind
the camera and see the directors
point of view, post production etc.
which is once again amazing.

I have done around 1250


episodes of different TV shows
like Bollywood Hungama, Star
Buzz, Kaun Banega Superstar etc.
that were telecast on Sky TV (Face
TV), 4 Indian films in Fiji and NZ,
the shooting for two more films
will start soon and two Bollywood
films are in the pipeline. I have
done commercials for Lotto, ANZ
Bank, Nintendo and Auckland
Transport Accident Prevention.

Sunday, July 12 th 2015


4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
6:30 p.m. Babas Aar ti
F re e A d m i s s i o n and P ra s a d
Brahmrishi Shri Guruvanandji Swamy (Shri Gurudev)

FOR INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:


Laxmi Jhunjhunwala
+64 2177 8322
laxmijj@gmail.com

Shivani Arora

+64 2187 0012

A little faith will take you to heaven, full faith will bring heaven to you
- Shri Gurudev

What fascinates you about


acting?
Acting is like living hundreds
of lives in one life. You step into
the shoes of different people from
various walks of life; you perceive
different feelings every time you
undertake a new role.

Bharatnatyam Dance
by Janani Comar

Date: Saturday 4 July 2015


Time: 5:30pm
Venue: War Memorial Hall, May Road,
Mt Roskill, Auckland.
You are invited to attend a classical
Bharathanatyam Dance performance by
Janani Comar. Admission is FREE. Its a
2 hr program. All are welcome. Visit
www.dancejanani.com

CAB Hamilton on Employment


Date: Wednesday 22 July 2015

Shri Gurudev is a divinity incarnate and a self-realized soul who has


invoked all the spiritual centres of divine energy (chakras of kundalini).
Through intense meditation and spiritual discipline (sadhana) of 45
years, He has rediscovered all the Sidhis (divine powers) of ancient
sages which were lost over time. With this divine power, he has
helped hundreds of thousands of people in distress. His mission is to
guide us to liberation while we continue to fulfill our worldly duties.

12-18 Princes Street, Onehunga


Auckland 1061, New Zealand

I look up to Aamir Khan and


Shah Rukh Khan for the way they
have evolved and done their films.
They are an inspiration to not just
me but millions around the world.

Citizen Advice Bureau


Workshops for Migrants

Join Us For A Sacred Audience With


The Sathguru Whose Blessings Can
Change Both The Direction And
Destiny Of Your Life.

Orange

Tell us about your journey


this far

Who do you idolize in acting?

I was already doing TV shows


back in India and when I moved to
New Zealand in 2006, I auditioned
at Dreamz Production and got
selected for their TV show called
Bollywood Hungama. Bollywood
Hungama was a show about songs
and cinema news and gossip; I was
the host and it was my first break
into the entertainment industry in
New Zealand.

Black

Time: 10:00am to 12:00pm


Venue: Waikato Migrant Resources
Centre, 46G Boundary Road,
Claudelands, Hamilton.
CAB Hamilton will hold a free workshop
on Employment in New Zealand.
Topics to include: Types of Employment,
Employment Agreements, Personal
Grievances, Termination, Mediation,
Employment Relations Authority and
Labour Inspectors.
Presented by Community Law Centre
and Young Workers Resource Centre.
Light refreshments provided.
RSVP: Please confirm your place by
phoning CAB office on (07) 839 0395 or
(07) 839 0808 or
Email at cab.hamilton@xtra.co.nz
by Friday 17 July 2015.

How has been the support


from family and friends?
My family has always been a
big support to my career choices,
obviously they hesitated initially
but now they are very happy for
me. Here in New Zealand, Devesh
Singh and Dr Rachel Singh from
Dreamz Production have been
instrumental in building my
career, they gave me the first
break into NZ TV industry and are
more than my family today.
Where do you see yourself in
5 years
I want to do more diverse roles
in the future, no plans on donning
the directors hat for the next 10
years. I want to keep working as
an actor till I die, I know I will
fall but I will rise again and keep
working to make my art perfect.

Auckland Eid Day Eid ul Fitr

Date: 18 or19 July(Dependent on


sighting of the new moon)
Time: 8:15am - 3pm
Venue: Trust Stadium - Henderson
Auckland Eid Day is NZs largest
congregational prayer and celebration of
Eid, to mark the ending of the Holy month
of Ramadan. With over 10,000 people
expected to attend throughout the day,
everyone will find something to enjoy with
friends and family. To receive the official
FIANZ moon sighting notifications for
Ramadan and Eid, please text EID8 to
5778 (one off cost of 20c).

Sargam Fusion

Date: Saturday 25th July, 2015


Time: 6:30PM
Venue: Blockhouse Bay Community
Hall.
You are invited to be a part of an
upcoming music experience by Sargam
Fusion - a band that brings together
a unique ensemble of Indian musical
offering with a Western touch, backed
by vocal brilliance covering a range of
genres. The band is focussed on a total
team offering, with every team member
playing a crucial part in the collaboration,
and having the liberty to be expressive
in their respective instruments or on
their vocal repertoire. Limited Seats,
Tickets are already on sale. Tickets:
$15. Available at Sargam School, 419
Blockhouse Bay Road and Yogiji Food
Mart, Carr Road

FEATURES

www.iwk.co.nz | 3 July 2015

FREE FEES @ SIT

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Who are we?


Southern Institute of Technology (SIT)
is a New Zealand Government Institute
of Technology operating for the last 44
years.
Why Free Fees?
SIT is dedicated to assisting with the
practical up-skilling of the NZ workforce,
and what better way to show our
commitment then to offer selected
programmes on the Free Fees Campaign.
Contact Us Today!
We hope you will take this opportunity
to study with SIT.

Enrol Now!

NO tuition fees
NO material costs
NO admin charges
Limited places
ENROL NOW!

SIT2LRN - Study Anywhere


Adult Education and Training

Occupational Health and Safety

Intakes starting: 10 August, 21 September

Intakes starting: 10 August, 21 September

National Certificate in Adult Education and Training (Level 5)


National Diploma in Adult Education and Training (Level 6)

Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety (Level 6)


Professional Communication
Intakes starting: 29 June, 17 August, 21 September

Applied Management
Intakes starting: 13 July, 17 August, 21 September

Graduate Certificate in Applied Management


Graduate Certificate in Event Management
Graduate Diploma in Applied Management
Graduate Diploma in Event Management
Intakes starting: 10 August, 21 September

Bachelor of Professional Communication


Graduate Certificate in Communication (Local Government)
Graduate Certificate in Communication (Public Relations)
Graduate Diploma in Communication (Local Government)
Graduate Diploma in Communication (Public Relations)

Bachelor of Applied Management (Applied Management major)

Project Management

Business
Intakes starting: 10 August, 21 September

National Certificate in Project Management


Diploma in Project Management

National Diploma in Business (Level 5)

Intakes starting: 13 July, 17 August, 21 September

Intakes starting: 29 June, 17 August, 21 September

Graduate Certificate in Project Management


Graduate Diploma in Project Management

National Diploma in Business (Level 6)

Intakes starting: 29 June, 17 August, 21 September

Intakes starting: 10 August, 21 September

Business Enterprise

National Diploma in Project Management

Intakes starting: 10 August, 21 September

Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise


Hotel Management
Intakes starting: 29 June, 17 August, 21 September

Diploma in Hotel and Tourism Management

*Direct material costs apply

This offer is valid in 2015 only


The Zero Fees Scheme applies to all New Zealand citizens, New Zealand
residents/permanent residents and Australian citizens residing in New
Zealand.

www.sit.ac.nz
0800 4 0 FEES

31

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