Indian

India | 6
bJP storms back in delhi

April 20, 2012 Volume 4, No. 1

www.iwk.co.nz

New Zealands first Indian weekend magazine

For Free distributioN

The Pulse of Kiwi Indians |8

New section: event Listings

Bollywood | 29
Paoli dam wants to get painted nude

Pg28

King of

Coming soon
Pg3 Pg2

wows Auckland is a state of mind

Pg5

Pg 7

Mcdonald's franchisee of the year

SAVE

Angela & Sam Maharaj

under water by 2030? Pg21

ON > MORTGAGE INTEREST > INSURANCE PREMIUM

Talk to us & we will show you how... Call now on 255 5500

Indian

New Zealand

Sonu puts up a SPellBound Show

GAurAv GuptA

Sonu Nigam captured the hearts and minds of the audiences who came to see him performing LIVE, in Auckland.

The expectations were very high from an artist of his calibre and he proved his mettle. Sonu Nigam enthralled the audiences with his romantic hits. With a huge library of work behind him, it was not a tough task to pick up some hits. After an initial lull, since he came in late, Sonu came and started the show with a bang. The audience took a while to liven up, but he made sure people hummed along with him. An then he sand continuously for three hours, without a break. It was every penny worth. Full marks to SS Telefilms, Gopal Bhatia and

their team for putting a great show, well produced. After a long time or maybe for the first time, could we see such good projection, audio-visual mixing. The production took the show to a whole new level. Even the sound was fantastic and was apt for the venue. Kudos to the technical team too. Shane Sohail, the promoter of the show, said that Sonu loved performing in Auckland in front of his fans and that he has promised to come back again. Well, we hope that happens and next time the promoters may have to book a bigger venue to contain the crowd ... Vector Arena perhaps?

Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian

Indian
there were fewer than 10000, now there are more than 100,000 making Indians the second largest ethnic Asian group. The participation of Indians is huge. When I joined law, Indian lawyers could be counted on one hand now there is a whole roomful and more, he added. While being Governor General, he had the occasion to attend several functions with an Indian dimension throughout the country, he said. Among these he recalled Diwali in many parts of the country, the diamond jubilee of the Wellington Indian Sports Club, the 85th anniversary of NZICA in Palmerston North and the NZICA Womens Conference in Wellington in 2008 that Lady Susan inaugurated. Touching upon relations between Indian and New Zealand, Sir Anand acknowledged the current negotiations on the free trade agreement and the commitment of Prime Ministers John Key and Manmohan Singh. He said there was real substance in the negotiations and that the relationship between the two countries was becoming closer in a substantive way. Sir Anand described the Pravasi Bharatiya Award that was presented to him at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi was one of his most cherished. While it made him proud of his Indian heritage, it also reflected the greatness of a

New Zealand
country like New Zealand where it was possible for a person of Indian, whose grandparents and parents were migrants, could stand proud with achievements as lawyer, judge, ombudsman and finally as Governor General. He said he looked forward to restore the spontaneity and relative anonymity that comes out of stepping down from office. He was carrying a multitude of memories with him, he added, many of these were shared closely with the Indian community. NZICA General Secretary Raj Thandi said, Sir Anand is a great New Zealander and distinguished community leader. He is a fine example of a New Zealander who made good through hard work and a commitment to realising high goals. The Association was very proud to honour Sir Anand and his wife, Lady Susan. A special plaque, designed by myself was presented to Sir Anand that symbolised the respect that he deserves. About 200 members and guests, including representatives of the New Zealand Government attended the function. Sir William Birch, a former New Zealand Minister of Finance, Ramesh Patel, a New Zealand Olympian, Judge Ajit Singh, Auckland City Councillor Des Morrison and Member of Parliament Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi also attended the event among several other community luminaries.

King of Comedy to play Krishan vs Kanhaiya

Paresh Rawals hindi drama Krishan vs Kanhaiya is coming to nZ for the first time.
The drama is about an atheist's battle with God. It is an adaptation of the Gujarati comedy Kanjee Virrudh Kanjee, directed by Umesh Shukla who has also directed the Hindi version. A hilariously entertaining and sensationally shocking Hindi play: Krishan vs Kanhaiya. Along with the ever-versatile Paresh Rawal is his team of talented TV and stage artists including Dharmender Gohil, Chirag Vora, Ankit Trivedi, Manisha Vora and others. The troupe performed 51 shows in 53 days all across USA and Canada; Rawal had staged two comic capers Shaadi@Barbaadi.com and Naughty@Forty over five years ago in various parts of the US and other countries. It is a story of an atheist who incurs huge losses when his antique shop is destroyed by an earthquake. The story revolves around the fight of the atheist with the Almighty. The audience reviewed the play with glorious statements such as, do not miss the hilarious comedy play, Bollywood star Paresh Rawal is the King of comedy acts on stage, Those who could not see this play, will repenting. After his first performance, Paresh Rawal thanked his audience and stated, I am producing and acting in a play after almost 5 years because theater needs lots of time and commitment. I can do justice to it only when I am not shooting for any film. He also said, I love to perform in the United States of America and now I have the chance to make you nonstop laugh. But remember, its not mindless comedy. "I have wrapped up my shooting commitments. In fact, I had kept myself away from movie shoots even when I started rehearsing," says Rawal who was recently seen in Priyadarshan's Aakrosh. "I am producing and acting in a play after a long gap. Theatre needs a lot of time. I can do justice to it only when I am not shooting for any film. This is why I am taking time off to focus only on theatre," he adds. "I will start afresh in Bollywood after I am back." Anyone who knows a bare minimum of Bollywood needs no introduction to Paresh Rawal. He is amongst the elite class of the best actors ever produced by India. A National Award as well as multiple filmfare awards winner he has enthralled us with his performances for over 25 years. Rawal made his debut with the 1984 film Holi. He then appeared in over 100 films throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Paresh Rawal's biggest hit was Hera Pheri (2000 film). Before he attained national recognition, in 1991 Rawal achieved recognition and adulation for his role of a bank robber in Kshana Kshanam. His quirky accent and mannerisms made him an instant hit. He acted in quite a few Telugu films by the RGV school of direction like Money and Govinda Govinda. In 1994, he won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in the films Woh Chokri and Sir. For the latter, he also received his first Filmfare Award for Best Comedian. This was followed by Ketan Mehta's Sardar, which saw him playing the lead role of freedom fighter Vallabhbhai Patel, a role that got him not only national but international acclaim.

membering a dear mate L

09 257 2237 - 021 058 9551
A Driving School With Premium Service

Mor

Pro

Ravi

LTD

NZ certified and qualified instructor from India

Dreaming to Drive a Car on NZ roads in less then 10 days? Having difficulty in reverse parallel parking? Losing confidence in High Speed Area/Motorway?

FEA - Up - Bu - Lif - Re - Ki - Re - Sm - In

Terms and conditions apply*

Book 5 lessons at very affordable price

Hindi/Punjabi speaking instructors
Book your Mock Test in Automatic or Manual
www.PassNow.co.nz

Pro

40 Ph: ww

Indian

New Zealand

New Zealand

nd

f, lower Mt Eden ng areas uckland. followexpand estment

ntrol of platform

eed diswith free es offers, RWC ces. will be national gadgets one Exy of our account ass and work.

The Department of Labour is reminding employers that the law now requires them to keep signed written employment agreements for all their staff. Since 1 July all employers are required to keep signed copies of employment agreements or current terms and conditions for all employees, or they may face a penalty. Employment agreements are required for all employees no matter when they started work, says Annie Newman, the DeIn conversationActing Chief Lodhia regarding partments with Harish Adviser of Employhis effortsRelations. ment to help flood hit victims in Fiji. And This affects all was formed. how friends reaching out employees including those hired on the organizers of this Q. Who all are a verbal agreement or employees who do not have current written agreecause friends reaching out? Ans.ments in Punja, Roshila Prasad and myself Jagdish place, says Ms Newman. are the Having a clearly written employment key people behind Friends Reaching Out. agreement helps reduce the risk of misunderstandings and there are some provisions that did be included in with the idea Q. Howmust you come upemployment agreements, out flood of helping she says. victims in Fiji? They Jagdish thought name be great Ans. Me and must include the it will of the emto help flood hit victims in Fiji as they need us at this time of disaster. We came up with the a name for this noble cause, we named it " Friends Reaching Out". The immediate aim was to do a public appeal to collect clothes, Water and Dry food items for Fiji Flood A multi-media study about Paul Henry Victims. and Hone Harawira is being presented by Jagdish had access to 2 free containers through Wellingtons Centre for Applied CrossPunjas Charity Trust's shipping partners, cultural Research at next months 2011 New Shipping Services, and I hadjointly hosted by Zealand Diversity forum the venue for the collection at his newly built Tulja Centre. the Human Rights Commission and the Jagdish was made in charge Services Trust. Hamilton Multicultural of operations and PR. His Its work examines thethe cartons, conwork was to arrange intense public artainers, local and overaseas freight &by promiguments around comments made cartage and for our counter parts in Fiji such as Henrys nent media figures in 2010, who would do the distributionmispronunciation of an internadeliberate for us. Fiji Sewashram Sangh was approached and they agreed to represent tional dignitarys name and then repeatedly us. laughing about it, and Harawiras alleged Anyone can be part of Friends Reaching racist comments about Pakeha. The forum Out. will also include activities media that has Every donor, volunteer & that tackle race

Employers must keep staff Friends Reaching out foundation is carrying out some good relief effort in Auckland.
Some few hundred volunteers have contributed food, clothes, sheets, and other items of everyday use for the flood victims in Fiji. According to Mr. harish lodhia, one of the main organisers, one container full of material has already been collected and another container will soon be dispatched for Fiji.
ployer and employee, a description of the work to be performed, the place of employment, times the employee is to work, the wages or salary, and an explanation of services available for solving problems. Its the employers responsibility to maintain and keep an up to date copy of each employees agreement and provide a copy of the agreement if an employee requests it, Ms Newman says. The Department of Labour has developed an Employment Agreement Builder to help employers through this process. Failure to ensure an employment agreement is in place for all employees may result in a labour inspector taking a penalty action against an employer. This involves a seven-day notice period to rectify the breach and if this isnt complied with then penalties may be sought in the Employment Relations Authority of up to $10,000 for individuals and $20,000 for companies.

Q. How are you collecting donations? Ans. All items have been dropped off at Tulja Centre 190 Stoddard Rd in Mt Roskill. Q. Message for people, where can they donate stuff/ where can they come to help. Ans. We are no longer receiving any donation as we have reached our target of 2 containers. Friends Reaching Out would like to thank the following: Tulja Centre - Harish & Jyoti Lodhia, Punjas Charity Trust and Punjas NZ - Jagdish Punja, Humm 106.2FM - Roshila, Satyan Prasad & The Team, Future Print - Dave Dutt, Zeik Sen & Visy Board for the Cartons, Shipping Services Fiji & Maersk Line - Jeffery Lin, Ultimate Transport - John, Air Pacific - Azhar Baksh, Gul Khan, Meals for Volunteers provided by: Subway - Deven Maharaj, India Gate - Shivani Arora, Cakes and Bread by Kailash , Volunteers: Adam Ali, Mr AC Dass, Jayanti Dhana, Gerish Punja, Viraj Lodhia, Dheemant Lodhia, Nidhi, Ranjana Gauri, Karan Purohit, The Green S Social Welfare Force, Dolly Reddy, Seema Singh and ATI Students, Lataji - NZ Sanatan Naari Sabha, Mahen and Pala Brothers, Jayanti Lodhia, Ronny Kumaran, Vishal Lodhia, Dr Arora, Bineeta Strid, Jyotsna Chauhan, Kiran Dutt and all the other volunteers whom we have not named here. Not forgetting all the donors. Without you this appeal would not have been a success. Give a pat on your back. God Bless you all.

Diversity forum will focus on media

relations priorities identified in this years Race Relations Report, and feature the presentation of the Annual Diversity awards. A parallel youth forum is being held at the same time. The New Zealand Diversity Forum 2011 is being held at Hamilton on 21-22 August Also on the programme on Sunday at 3.305.00 pm is a forum on Community Media and Diversity hosted by the Community Access Radio Waikato Trust. Attendance on Sunday and for individual forums is free. If you are attending for half a day or more on the Monday the registration fee is $50.

Packing for Chai Gold

Lemon Tea Sweetened & Lite

been associated with this drive is part of Friends Reaching Out. Radio Stations Humm 106.2FM, Apna 990AM, 1ZB and Sky News got our message across to the people of NZ. In doing so they became associated with Friends Reaching Out and a big thanks to them. We would like to thank Air Pacific who have air freighted 2 pallets (80 ctns) of water to Fiji Free of Charge for distribution. Q .How many volunteers are involved in this social cause? Is your family giving a helping hand. Ans. There are no fixed volunteers other than the organizing team and their families, however a special mention must be made about the Green S Social Welfare Force, who have been a huge help to us, plus around 10 other volunteers have been assisting whenever they are free and a big thanks to them. We would like to thank all the volunteers. Q. How much and what all you have to collected to send to the victims? Ans. We have collect over one container of clothes and one container of water and dry Food items. The extra clothes will be sent to Fiji through container and or other containers stationed around Auckland. Q. Are you getting an encouraging feedback from the local communities here. Ans. We have had a huge response. And its good to see people coming out in great numbers to support this cause and help our brothers and sisters who need us at this time. Q. What all items do you still require to send? Ans. We should be asking what is required in Fiji. As a matter of fact lots of things are required such as for schools: books, pencils, bags, lunch boxes, water bottles. For Housing: tarpaulins, Curtains, Beddings, For Individuals: Clothing, water and Food.

Instant Pre-Mix
Easy to make, Instant JUST ADD 200 ml HOT WATER

Sweetened & Unsweetened

Tea Available in Masala, Ginger, Cardamom & New Lemon Tea & Masala Coffee

100% NATURAL, NO ADDED PRESERVATIVES

Available In All Leading Indian Outlets, Foodtown, Countdown & Pak n Save
WES2247/IW

Chai vending machine is also available for purchase or rent

Ideal for Restaurant, Takeaway, Offices, School, Institutes, Workshop, Community center, Shopping Mall, Food court

For further queries contact:Ph: 021 255 0438, kotak@xtra.co.nz, www.chaigold.co.nz

29 PM

Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian

New Zealand
Home, Business & Commercial Loan Specialists. Insurance Advisors

Sam and Angela Maharaj win Mcdonalds 'Franchisee of the Year'

New Zealands best solutions for: l Home Loans - 95% l Easy Business Loans l Comm. Prop. Loans l Loan Restructures l Interest Saver Plans l Life & Medical Insurance
With twenty years experience as Commercial Bank Manager in New Zealand, United Kingdom and India, we get you a stress-free and affordable loan to buy home, business or commerical property you love and save you thousands of dollars. We also provide you appropriate insurance from a wide range of insurance providers. Get your loan examined and restructured by us for free. Some people have saved as much as $30,000. Contact us today for our professional and expert advice for all your loan and insurance needs.
Personal disclosure statement available on request. *Conditions Apply. 3/95, Olsen Ave, Hillsborough, Auckland 1042 cherrymortgage@xtra.co.nz

(Ex NZ/U.K. Bank Manager)

Sam & Angela Maharaj with McDonalds NZ Managing Director, Patrick Wilson

Suresh Sharma
Accredited Member of

Registered Financial Adviser

Sam and Angela Maharaj's Maharaj Corporation ltd. is know for its professionalism and excellence in business. The latest Golden Arch Award is an endorsement of this. Hot on the heels of the announcement that Sam and Angela are to receive the prestigious Golden Arch Award for the top 1% performing franchisees globally, they were also presented with the Franchisee of the Year award. Sam and Angelas restaurants all have consistently high levels of customer satisfaction. They have fantastic people practices and consistently achieve some of the highest employee engagement scores in the business. Their willingness to trial new initiatives have always stood them strong. Sam and Angela are strong supporters of Ronald McDonald House Charities, playing a leadership role on the Auckland house board, and their efforts through their restaurants and on a personal level are tireless. Always striving to be a leader within their community, Sam and Angela recently received the Indian Newslink Business Awards Excellence in Restaurant Trade award, and the Westfields St Lukes Top in Category Award, truly demonstrating the amount of effort, care and time they spend building their brand. Sam and Angela are also active in improving the overall McDonalds business in New Zealand through participation in a number of groups including the Kiwi Leadership Team, the Best Employer Team and the Strategic

Sam and Angela are to receive the prestigious Golden Arch Award for the top 1% performing franchisees globally, they were also presented with the Franchisee of the Year

Franchising team. Sam and Angelas leadership and partnering role is further demonstrated by them making their restaurants available for new franchisee training and market trials. Congratulations Sam and Angela! T h e G l o b a l Award was announced late January and they will recieve the award on 22nd April in Orlando, USA. The Franchisee of the year award was given in March this year, in Wellington. S a m and Angela Maharaj own and run Mc Donald franchises in Royal Oak, St Lukes, Penrose, Dressmart and Balmoral.

P: (09) 625 3800 F: (09) 625 3801 Mob: 021 82 7575

Visit our website: www.cherrymortgage.co.nz

Under new ownership & management of Dr. Sandeep Nagpal

Centrally located in Ponsonby

Affordable quality, dental care in a calm and relaxed ambience

New Patients Introductory Offer

Exam + 2 X-rays + Teeth Clean
(50% off) & receive 10% off on any further dental treatment required (includes fillings, Root canal, Extractions etc.)

Hurry! Dont miss out! Limited time only!

Dr. Sandeep Nagpal

Mention this ad to receive this special offer

Emergency Dental Care same day at no extra cost.

Free ACC & Winz Quotes Free Oral Health Care for 13-17 years olds 20% (discount) for Gold Cardholders & Students Tooth coloured fillings LASER Teeth Whitening (1 hour in-office) Root Canal Treatment Extractions Crowns/Bridges/Veneers

They have fantastic people practices and consistently achieve some of the highest employee engagement scores in the business. Their willingness to trial new initiatives have always stood them strong.

OPENING hOuRS: Mon, Fri: 9am-5pm Tues-Thur: 9am- 6pm ALSO OPEN SATuRDAYS - 9am -2pm

On-site Patient Parking Available

info@freemansbaydental.co.nz www.freemansbaydental.co.nz

40 College Hill, Ponsonby Ph: 09 361 3610

*conditions apply

Indian

New Zealand

Bank of Baroda opens Wellington branch

NZ Vedanta Society gifts Peace of Mind to Aucklanders

As part of its 10 year celebrations, The New Zealand Vedanta Education Society incorp. (NZVES) is presenting a series of illuminating discourses starting from the 26th of April to 6th of May 2012 by most qualified and eminently qualified speakers. The discourses cover a wide range of subject matter and philosophies. Today the global world faces a myriad of problems. The quest for peace of mind and happiness of the soul is paramount in the minds of all people. The Vedanta society encourages people to join, cooperate, collaborate and help each other for a better and healthier learning and living. NZVES aims to foster and share this culture amongst New Zealanders (irrespective of colour, creed, race or religion) under its 2012 activities theme, viz; Understand the fundamental truths on the Art of Life and Living According to Mrs Shanta Naidu, President, these illuminating discourses mentioned below will stimulate the minds of participants and the audience: to focus better understanding of what we are; to understand the zeal to happiness and how to control emotions; and to manage our lives every day and in times of crisis and stress. These worthy goals that need constant emulation will be expounded in the simple English language in a manner understood by every seeker who attends the discourses. For more information, visit: www.vedanta. co.nz The New Zealand Vedanta Education Society invites everyone to an illuminating lecture series by two eminent thinkers: SAT, CHIT, ANANDA AND BEYOND by SWAMI ANUBHAVANANDA SWAMI ANUBHAVANANDA, the Be Happy Swami, is a Karma Yogi of the current information revolution . Suave, witty and Master of Vedanta, he is multi-faceted pesonality and a favourite of children, teens and adults alike. A disciple of HH Swami Chinmayanandaji, he was Acharya at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya Powai, a Post Graduate Academy for Vedantic Studies. His lively discourses on Bhagavad gita, The Upanishads, Srimad Bhagavatam, Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Panchadasi, Ambrutanubhav and Tripura Rahasya have endeared him to his listeners across the globe. His sparkling series titled Mauj Me Raho and his camps for children, youth and adults have been instant hits and have made him the most sought after speaker on Vedanta today. He is the founder of the SAT BHAVANA TRUST, whose Mauj Me Raho logo reflects his approach to life: BE HAPPY. He is a visiting faculty member for teaching Management , Yoga and Vedanta at BITS, Pilani, India and Kaivalyaham, Lonavala, Maharashtra, India. In the year 1999 he was presented with the Doctorate Degree from Inter Cultural Open University, Netherland. Venue: Mt Roskill Intermediate School, Denbigh Avenue, Mt Roskill, Auckland. Topic : SAT | 26th April, Thursday, 07:30 - 09:00 pm Venue: Fickling Convention Centre, Three Kings Shopping Centre, 546 Mt Albert Road, Mt Albert. Topic : CHIT | 27th April, Friday 07:30 - 09:00 pm Topic : ANANDA | 28th April, Saturday 07:30 - 09:00 pm Topic : AND BEYOND | 29th April, Sunday 07:30 - 09:00 pm Spiritual Laws for Positive Living and Success BY SHRI. M. K. ANGAJAN (Based on Bhagavad Geeta Chapter 2) Shri M. K. Angajan has dedicated himself for over twenty years, to the study, research and propagation of Vedanta, and its practical applications in day-to-day living. He is a prolific and accomplished speaker on Vedanta Philosophy, a management Guru and author. He founded the Vedanta Center for Management and Leadership and also a trustee of Vedanta Mission Foundation. He has authored a book entitled Value Systems for Success and From Gods to Godhead, as well as a number of audio CDs and DVDs. Both media have received overwhelming response from the intelligentsia. Shri M. K. Angajan has formulated the management and leader- ship principles from the scriptures and has taken the ancient and time-tested wisdom of the Hindu scriptures to the corporate leadership and management. Venue: Fickling Convention Centre, Three Kings Shopping Centre, 546 Mt Albert Road, Mt Albert Dates: 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th May 2012 | Time: 7.30pm to 9.00pm. Topic: The Power of Positive Mental Attitude and The Art of Recognising Opportunity in Difficulty. Venue: Mt Roskill Intermediate School, Denbigh Avenue, Mt Roskill, Auckland. Date: 6th May 2012 | Time: 7.30pm to 9.00pm. CONTACT: Mr. Raj Naidu: 09 263-6782 / 021 030 3645, E-mail: raja.7@xtra.co.nz Mr. Hari Narain: 0274 421 3939, Mr.Joshi: 09 271-3545 / 022 0756 744 Mr. Vai Ravindran: 09 627 8008 / 027 275 8266, Mr. Amar Singh 021 268 5562, Mr. Subbiah Mahalingam 09 5773325 / 0212050347.

Bank of Baroda (New Zealand) Ltd, the first Indian bank to venture into New Zealand banking sector has opened its second branch in Wellington recently. As part of their expansion plans, the branch is operational in Wellington at Asteron Centre. Bank of Baroda is one of the big Indian banks which provides services like money transfer to India with No service fee. Bank management had earlier this year announced to open up branches in Wellington and South Auckland after an overwhelming response from its customers. Wellington Branch has been made operational and Manuku, South Auckland branch will be operational soon.

We are happy to announce that after getting a great response from our customers in Auckland, we will be serving our customers in Wellington said Mr Navin Chandra Upreti, Managing Director, Bank of Baroda (New Zealand). The new branch became operational from 2nd April, 2012. Contact Details for the Wellington branch TVVS Sarma Branch Manager, Wellington Branch Bank of Braoda (New Zealand)Ltd Post Box No 5813, Post Code 6145 55 featherston Street, Wellington-New Zealand Contact No 04-4710196-4710197

Gift of HealtH for

OSIM uSqueez Fit Foot massager was the best gift i could possibly bought for mum and the family. It provides instant relief after a long, hard day of work.

The Vedanta society encourages people to join, co-operate, collaborate and help each other for a better and healthier learning and living.

uSqueez Fit

Calves, ankles and foot massager

uCozy

Neck, shoulder and back massager

uCozyrelieves strains and soothes aches on your neck and shoulders; combines a Soothing kneading massage, Comforting warmth, and yet lightweight and portable.

uKimono

Slimming belt

uKimono slimming belt combines twin power Osimotion and Double Kneading to trim tummy fat, tone belly, butt and thighs to create a perfectly trimmed body when combined with an effective diet plan.

City: Shop 2, Heards Building, 168 Parnell Rd, Parnell. (Opp. ASB) 09-3666633 East: SK 13, Sylvia Park Shopping Centre. (Outside Hannahs Shoes) North: K20, Westfield Albany Shopping Centre ( Outside New World)

www.osim.co.nz

ADMISSION IS FREE ALL ARE WELCOME

Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian

New Zealand

Communities reach out to Fiji

The Fijian communities across the country are actively involved in raising funds and relief work to help the flood victims in Fiji.
SAllyShNI DevI

The flash flood has drastically affected communities in Fijis largest island of Viti Levu. Flattening villages strong currents have displaced hundreds of people and damaged properties- sweeping away all their belonging. Speaking from Fiji, a flood victims family, Maya Kumar, of Vuniyasi, Nadi, told The Indian Weekender, The flood was worst in the history of Fiji. She said: In 2009 there was a flood but it wasnt so bad and devastating. My daughters house was under flood waters and strong currents took away all their food and household goods. The worst was when few people forced to take shelter on the trees and rooftops while children and elders were rushed to evacuation centres. However, some areas used canoes to transport people crying for help. She said earlier this week that most areas

were still without electricity and proper water supply and people had to stand in a long queue for hours to get their share of food supply. In Auckland, the ANZ Banks Otahuhu branch has opened a new account Fiji Flood Fund Appeal to collect money for the flood victims. The Fiji Flood Fund Appeal is supported by Fiji-Indian staff of ANZ and Sunia Raitava, a Fijian community worker. In 2009, they collected $10,000 for flood victims and are confident they will collect more this year. In an exclusive interview the bank officers, Simla Chandra and Saras Mani encouraged people to donate whatever they can. They told Weekender, The best way to give back to your country is during a time of need and this is the right time. It was disheartening to see video clips of our people crying for help and swimming in

flood waters to collect their belongings, said Saras Mani, originally of Suva. She recalled 20 years ago when her family faced the same situation when they were in Fiji. Said Mrs Mani: We should never forget our days and where we have come from. We were also told that some people were without food for days. This time her family has not being affected but remembering those cold days she has sent clothes, money and other necessary items. She asked others to do the same. Simla Chandra, who is originally of Lautoka, said her families living in Ba emailed her pictures of their furniture floating in flood waters. I couldnt believe my eyes. Im very sad that my family on another side are suffering so badly and we are so helpless because we are far away. According to her it will take some time for families to recover and what worries her most is the childrens future. I feel sorry for the kids because their books and stationery have been washed away. We have sent clothes and food items in containers organised by Radio Tarana and will send more books and stationery again for children.

Thanks to the government of new Zealand and other business organisations here who stood up with programmes to help the people of our nation in pain today.
However, Mr Raitava urged Fijian nationals to join hands and keep on pouring whatever they can to help people back in the island sleeping rough in one clothes, empty stomach. They still need help, some areas people havent received anything and I believe this is the right time for us all to get together and help them. Thanks to the government of New Zealand and other business organisations here who stood up with programmes to help the people of our nation in pain today. All the money will be handed over to Red Cross New Zealand which will transfer it to Red Cross Fiji, Mr Raitava said.

One of the most memorable days of your life at one of Aucklands most iconic venues

Imagine

SURINDER SINGH

for bookings call (09) 976 7777 or email info@pacific.org.nz

Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian

New Zealand

Adults $22, kids (14 and under) $11, under-4s free Call the Auckland Zoo Information Centre on 09 360 3805

Prosad in Concert

Miss India nZ 2012

Friday 13 April, 8pm-10.30pm Artworks Community Theatre, corner Korora and Ocean View roads, Oneroa, Waiheke Island Tickets $15 prepaid/concession from the Artworks Theatre's TimeOut Cafe (open 9am to 3pm Monday to Saturday) or $20 at the door. Call Dee at Artworks Theatre on 09 372 2941 or email Artworks Theatre

On Saturday 21st April, Time-: 7:30-pm -11:00pm At Maidment Theatre, 8 Alfred St, Auckland CBD For Tickets please contact (09) 308 2383 The glitz, glamour, Bollywood, bling bling and even the controversy is part and parcel of this event which has been staged annually in Auckland since 2002. By participating in the Miss IndiaNZ pageants, contestants gain valuable industry experience. Organised by Reshabh D. Parikh Productions also known as Rhythm House Ltd., the Miss IndiaNZ pageants has international endorsement from Miss India Worldwide Beauty Pageants

Auckland Zoo is bringing Dr Seuss' The Lorax to life these April school holidays. During the holidays, every child will be able to travel through the zoo learning how they can speak for the trees (just like the Lorax!) on the Truffula Trail. Bring your family into the zoo to do the Truffula trail and get a kids 2 for 1 voucher to see The Lorax at any EVENT Cinema, plus you'll receive some native New Zealand seeds for you to plant at home!

nZ Music Month at Auckland libraries

Bollywood dance Classes

Friday 27th April 2012, Time 6:30pm-7:30pm At Lainghlom Hall, 69 Victory Road, Laingholm

Prosad is an international musician, composer and well known sitar player whose fusion-style sitar music is catching attention in Hollywood and beyond. The first set will feature traditional sitar music, but the second set will be given over to trance, dance and fusion music. Prosad has recorded four albums of original music and is currently working on a fifth, which is a blend of styles mixing dance, reggae, trance-sitar and world sounds.

nZ International Comedy Festival

Feel the rhythm of NZ Music Month at Auckland Libraries with activities and events for all to enjoy across the Auckland region. Join in the fun with free ukulele lessons and be entertained by a variety of local performers at a library near you. Highlights include: NZ Folk Music | Thursday 3 May, 6pm-8pm & Saturday 19 May, 10am-noon | Whangaparaoa Library Variety Voices Choir | Wednesday 9 May, 4.30pm | New Lynn War Memorial Library Auckland Mandolinata Orchestra Saturday 19 May, 2pm | Mt Albert Library Open Mic Nite | Thursday 24 May, 4pm | Te Matariki Clendon Library.

Friday 27 April - Sunday 20 May Venues across Auckland, Ticket prices vary www.comedyfestival.co.nz The 2012 NZ International Comedy Festival makes Auckland the City Of

up brilliant with a new series of stand-up comedy; its not something one should miss in 2012. You can see shows in Auckland as well as Wellington In 1998, Tarun performed at his first New Zealand comedy Festival doing stand -up and since then has performed all over the world with his own style of stand up. That year, he also went on to start his own company That Indian Guy which went on to produce the comedy shows Curry and Rice, Curry Muncher, Corner Shop Confessions, One Mic Stand, Tarun talks Wedges and the first season of D'Arranged Marriage. nationally and internationally.

discourses By Swamy Anubhavananda

The New Zealand Vedanta Education Society incorp. (NZVES)

BollyworX is a work-out, not dance. BollyworX is just 'plain fun body movements' with Bollywood music. BollyworX is exceptionally easy and fun, suitable for all age groups and all fitness levels. BollyworX is fun without feeling self-conscious. BollyworX has no 'jhatka-matka' or obscene Bollywood moves that will embarrass anybody. Programme is for all age groups, families with kids and working mums, dads and senior citizens can benefit immensely.

holiday experience activities at MoTAT

April school holidays at Auckland Zoo

6-22 April, 9.30am-5.30pm Auckland Zoo, Motions Road, Western Springs

Dates: 6 - 22 April. MOTAT is open daily 10am-5pm. All exhibitions and activities come as part of your MOTAT admission fee, which includes access to both MOTAT Holiday Experiences are educational and fun entertainment at a really affordable cost! MOTAT Holiday Experiences are free with standard MOTAT entry prices (no extra or hidden costs)!

Laughter for three weeks in April and May. For the 20th festival, see a mixture of some old friends returning to our shores, local favourites and some exciting new comedians making their festival debut. Therell be comedy talent you may have spotted on Graham Norton, Michael McIntyres Comedy Roadshow, Live At the Apollo, Mock The Week and Never Mind The Buzzcocks and, of course, 7 Days, Would I Lie To You? and A Night At The Classic.

Joke in the Box

From 15th April Tuesday- 19th May 2012 at Vault Q For further details please call and bookings -09 309 9771 www.awesomenesscomedy.com Tarun Mohanbhai Indian-kiwi is coming

26th to 29th of April 2012 (evenings from 7.30 to 9.00pm daily) Thursday 26 April: Mt Roskill Intermediate School, Denbigh Avenue Fri/Sat/Sunday 27 to 29 April : Fickling Convention Centre, Three Kings Shopping Centre, 546 Mt Albert Road, Mt Albert Contacts: Raj Naidu 2636782/021 030 3645, raja.7@xtra.co.nz Hari Narain 027 44213939

Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian

Feature

TiTAnic: the Indian connection

ANurADhA GuptA
journey from India to America was made in company with her mother and two younger brothers. She was not been impressed with the idea of the Titanic being the largest in world on her maiden voyage, but after 29 days of constant traveling she only wanted to reach her destination as soon as possible. In an old interview to the official journal of the Titanic Historical Society she said, I could not describe the interior of the ship, but she was very delighted with the cabin that she and her family were assigned to. Ruth also had a language problem on the ship because her English was heavily accented and mixed with Telugu, so she faced many problems in conversation with others. At the moment of the collision Ruth was sleeping in her room with her two younger brothers. Suddenly her mother came to her bed and shook her awake. That was the first time that Ruth caught wind of the fact that something was wrong. In her interview she said, My mother was screaming, get out of bed immediately. The boat has hit an iceberg and were supposed to go up on the boat deck. At that time Ruths power to understand her mothers thinking seemed to have lost. When she and her family reached the boat deck she found that lifeboats were being loaded with passengers. Lifeboat #11 was already pretty full, but Ruths mother and younger brothers somehow found places in that boat while Ruth was still trying to find an empty seat. Ruth was left standing on the deck of the Titanic, at which point her mother screamed "Ruth! Get in another boat!!" Ruth eventually found a seat in lifeboat #13, and she reached the Carpathia safely.

Sunday, April 15th, 2012, time carried me 100 years into the past and took me to the decks of a sinking ship named RMS Titanic. Yes, Titanic. This name might remind you only of the James Cameron movie that was released 15 years ago, but the luxurious White Star liner that sank on the night of 15 April 1912 had close connections with India. A detailed exploration of the data shows that several people who were on the Titanic that night had a special association with India even though they were from other countries, since some of these people were born in India while others settled in India before and after disaster. None of these passengers are alive today, but with the help of the book "On Board RMS Titanic" by American author George Behe. Anuradha Gupta successfully uncovered those passengers disaster experiences and presents details of their special association with India. Let's take a look at these people.

Crewman Henry Ryland Dyer

The day of 21 December 1887 was a big day for Thomas and Jemima Dyer, a British couple living in Jhansi in India. After losing their elder son, the Dyers once again got a chance to be the proud parents of another son, who was born in Jhansi on 21 December 1887 and whom they named Henry Ryland Dyer. Henry probably received a big part of his education in India before he traveled to England, where he was determined to further his education. In the UK Henry was admitted to an engineering college, and after applying himself to his education for four hard years, in 1908 he got a job with the world largest ship company, the White Star Line. This firm was like a haven for Henry, and as time flew by he soon completed four years working as an engineer on board the companys vessels. In 1911 Henry received a big promotion when he was given the opportunity to work on board the big White Star liner Olympic, and the following year he was appointed to the Titanic as Senior Assistant Fourth Engineer. That was when Henry's luck with the White Star Line changed abruptly. Deaths open arms were waiting for Henry, but the 24-year-old engineer did not have the slightest clue that the world's largest ship, the Titanic, would be the cause of his death. Henry was on board the great vessel at the time of her sinking, and recovery ships never found his body.

We found an interview with Mary in an old copy of the Evanston Daily News newspaper in which she shared her experiences: It was evidently but a moment after the collision that I was awakened by hearing a noise in the hallway. I noticed the engines had stopped. Getting out of bed I opened my door. There was the steward dressed in full uniform. I asked what was the cause of the commotion and he assured me that nothing was wrong. But Mary had gotten a strong hint that trouble had come on board her ship. Without wasting any time she headed for the liners upper deck. As she said in her interview, On my way I noticed most of the passengers strapping life belts on themselves. I met a man with two lifebelts and asked him for one. He gave me one and I strapped it on myself. After boarding a lifeboat, Mary looked at the Titanic for the last time and only then realized how much damage the iceberg had done to the ship that she had so recently been traveling on. She later told the Evanston Daily News, When I got into the lifeboat it was very nearly filled and there were more men than women. Mrs. Hewlett survived the sinking and was rescued by the Carpathia in lifeboat 13. After concluding her visit to her son in the United States Mary made plans to return to Lucknow, India, and, according to the last available information, she followed through with her travel plans and died in Naini Tal, India on 9 May 1917

According to an old copy of the Paterson Morning Call newspaper, On the night of the sinking, she was asleep in her cabin, was woken by the stewards, dressed and went on deck. She was about to enter a lifeboat, when a woman came from behind, pushing her aside by calling: "My children, My children." The last seat in the boat was gone, and Annie had to step back. She died in the sinking, and her body, if recovered, was never identified. In her memory, her old school in India is now called the Annie Funk Memorial School.

3rd Passenger Miss Ruth Elizabeth Becker

Miss Ruth Elizabeth Becker was born in India and was just twelve years old when she boarded the Titanic at Southampton. Ruths

2nd Passenger Miss Annie Clemmer Funk

1st Passenger Mary Dunbar Hewlett

Mary Dunbar Hewletts journey to New York started from Lucknow but was left unfinished by the sinking of the Titanic. Mary was one of the Titanic passengers who had strong connections with India. She lived with her elder son in Lucknow, but in 1912 she decided to travel to New York to visit her younger son. For the last part of her journey from India to America she travelled second class on the Titanic, having embarked at Southampton.

Even though the Titanic carried more than 1500 lives into the arms of death, there was a woman on board the ship who sacrificed her own life to save the life of another. She was none other than India's first woman missionary. Annie Funk had always dreamt of being a missionary, and this dream was realized in December 1906 when she was sent to India as the first female Mennonite missionary. Annie lived and worked in Janjgir for the next years. In July 1907 she opened a oneroom school for girls and initially taught seventeen girls there, and she got even closer to the people by learning Hindi. But time decided on another fate for Annie a very cruel fate. The day came when a telegram arrived asking her to return home to see her ill mother, who was then breathing the last breaths of her life. As soon as this news came, Annie left for home. Her trip started with a train journey from Janjgir to Mumbai, where she boarded the steamer Persian and traveled to Marseille. After completing this long journey Annie finally reached Liverpool, where the liner Haverford was scheduled to carry her home to America. When this ships sailing was cancelled because of the coal-strike, destiny took Annie on board the Titanic. It was an odd quirk of fate that Annie turned 38 on the Titanic on April 12th just two days before she was catapulted into the jaws of death on the morning of 15 April 1912.

Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian

India

New Delhi: Indias main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has spoken against a government move towards allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) from Pakistan, saying it could be misused by those wanting to harm the country. India may soon allow foreign direct investment from Pakistan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said while union commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma last Friday added that this was part of a trade normalisation process with the neighbouring nation. "India has taken inprinciple decision as part of trade normalisation process to allow foreign direct investment from Pakistan. Procedural requirements are underway. It will notified soon," Sharma said after a meeting with Pakistani counterpart Makhdoom Amin Fahim. Reacting to the move, the right wing BJP expressed its reservations even as the Congress sought to allay security concerns about FDI from Pakistan, saying there will be no compromise on security. "We always believe that trade with countries and neighbours is the best way forward. Because trading is what is the need of the hour

BJP cautions against FdI from Pakistan

we will not make any compromise with security. we want good relationship with our neighbouring countries including Pakistan

Infosys targets 35,000 hirings this fiscal

for consumers of both sides and that is what will be traded, and trade is a good thing, BJP spokesmanPrakash Javadekar said. [However] the Government has to be concerned about the threats of open channels being used by some undeserving elements," he added. The ruling Congress party, however, sought to allay fears with party sources asserting that every FDI proposal from Pakistan will be subjected to an elaborate series of checks before being given a clearance and certain critical sectors like telecoms will remain off limits for now. "We will not make any compromise with security. We want good relationship with our neighbouring countries including Pakistan. That's the reason we have allowed FDI from Pakistan. People of both countries will get benefit out of it," Congress leader Rashid Alvi was quoted as saying. The decision to allow investment from Pakistan comes amid a significant improvement in bilateral ties between the two nucleararmed neighbours who have fought three wars since independence and have a history of suspicion and acrimony.

Bangalore: Indias No. 2 software services exporter Infosys and its subsidiaries expect to add 35,000 new people to their payroll in the current financial year, around 10,000 less than last fiscal, a top company official has said. "We will hire about 35,000 people during the four quarters of this fiscal (2012-13), including 1,200 for our onsite locations across geographies," Infosys chief executive S D Shibulal told reporters in Bangalore. The 22 per cent decrease in hirings from last years 45,000, including 13,000 for its business process outsourcing (BPO) backoffice operations subsidiary, follows the com-

panys lower guidance of 8-10 per cent revenue growth year-on-year for this fiscal. In line with posting disappointing outlook for the current financial year, the IT bellwether, that lost over 25,000 employees last fiscal, bringing net additions to less than 20,000, announced that there would not be any increment for the time being for its 150,000 employees. Infosys management however is not perturbed much. "Attrition rate for our parent company has declined to 14.7 percent from 17 percent on annualised basis. Attrition is more in our BPO subsidiary in line with the trend in the industry," Shibulal said.

TRAVEL TO INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT

Sales untill 16th May 2012. Travel untill 30th October 2012.

$1659*

Please note availability is Limited. Tickets must be issued within 3 days of booking to avoid auto-cancellation. *Airfares Include Fuel and Insurance Surcharges but not Govt Taxes (*taxes may vary for different cities and as per FX variations)

Call Shell 021 297 3259 Zulfi 021 915 329

* Taxes may vary for different cities and are subject to FX variation and seat availablity + other terms and conditions apply (travel dates, etc.)

Unit O, 8 Bishop Lenihan Place, East Tamaki P 09 272 3522/272 3544 F 09 272 3577 E travel_shop@xtra.co.nz www.travelshopnz.co.nz

10

Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian

India

BJP storms back, routs Congress in delhi

Capitalising on issues of corruption and price rise, the BJP routed the Congress Party in the Delhi Municipal elections on Tuesday. In a huge blow to the Congress and the Sheila Dikshit government in the capital, the BJP won all Delhi civic polls, sweeping all the three municipal corporations of Delhi. The BJP trumped the Congress to retain its hold in the Delhi municipal polls winning North and East Corporations and was set to capture South where it had emerged as the single-largest group as this edition went to press. The BJP victory came as a shock to Dikshit of the Congress who has been ruling the capital for the past nearly 14 years uninterruptedly and trifurcated the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in a bid to weaken the saffron party's hold. But the victory in the elections to the newly-created three municipal bodies was not as comprehensive in 2007 as BJP won only 138 out of 272 wards losing 26 seats from its earlier tally of 164 in 2007. Congress tally went up from 64 to 78 seats. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit congratulated Delhi BJP president Vijender Gupta for his party's spectacular victory in municipal corporation polls and asked him to provide better civic facilities to the people of the city. "Dikshit congratulated Gupta and asked him to keep the faith people have reposed in BJP by doing good work," an aide of Dikshit said. In her brief telephone conversation, Dikshit promised support of Delhi government to the three newly-set up municipalties curved out of MCD. BJP captured North and East Corporations with a clear majority while it got 44, nine short of majority in the 104-member House in South Corporation. The party may hope to muster a majority with help from independents who have bagged 14 wards. In North Delhi Corporation, BJP romped home with 59 seats in the 104-member strong body while Congress lagged behind at 29. BSP won seven seats while RLD four, LJP one and independents four. At the end of counting of votes, South Delhi Corporation remained a hung house with BJP emerging victorious in 44 wards while Congress bagged 30 seats. BSP won five, NCP five, INLD three, JD(U) one, RLD one besides 14 independents. But the real shocker for Congress came in its stronghold East Delhi Corporation where BJP came up with an impressive victory, winning 35 out of 64 wards. Congress was behind with 19 seats, INLD

GDP slowdown disappointing, says Mukherjee

New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said this week the slowdown of Gross domestic product (GDP) growth was disappointing. Mukherjee on Tuesday attended the annual meeting and national conference of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here. "Domestically, given the overall fundamentals, the estimated growth rate of GDP at 6.9 per cent in 2011-12 appears disappointing as against 8.4 per cent in 2009-10 and 201011," Mukherjee said. "The slowdown in the growth of the economy in 2011-12 is mainly on account of the slowdown in the industrial sector that registered a growth rate of 3.9 per cent in 2011-12 as against 7.2 per cent in 2010-11 and a moderate growth of 2.5 per cent in agriculture sector following a high growth rate of 7 per cent in 2010-11. "Services sector registered relatively robust growth of 9.4 per cent in 2011-12," he said. He said the global economic recovery has been slow and somewhat uncertain, despite there being some expectations of a U shaped recovery. "Post meltdown in 2008, recovery is turning to be harder than anticipated and it may take longer time to gain traction. Globally, for policy makers this is one of the most challenging phases. Major investors the world over are concerned despite the fact that several steps have been taken by many debt ridden countries with the help of other economic partners to salvage themselves from the crisis. "Apart from soaring debt to GDP ratios, unemployment and high commodity prices are issues that continue to engage the policy attention," he said. "I am looking forward to the revised global

The BJP victory came as a shock to dikshit of the Congress who has been ruling the capital for the past nearly 14 years uninterruptedly and trifurcated the Municipal Corporation of delhi (MCd) in a bid to weaken the saffron party's hold.
six, SP one and independents three. Congress was quick to downplay the defeat saying MCD polls should only be seen as civic polls while BJP attributed its victory to a country-wide wave against Congress which failed to contain price rise and rampant corruption. Rattled by the defeat, Congress leaders spoke in different voices. While Dikshit's son and MP Sandeep Dikshit blamed it on price rise and scams like 2G, Union Minister Kapil Sibal neither national nor state issues had any impact on the results. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said there were winners and losers in every election and one had to accept it with good grace. "These are local elections, local issues, people who work for the people. These are the qualities that count. In every election, there are winners and losers and one has to accept it with good grace," he said

growth projections of the IMF in its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO), which is due anytime and I am hoping that there would be something cheerful for the global recovery," said Mukherjee. "We are not completely insulated from the evolving global economic scenario.There has been a moderation in the level of Foreign Institutional Investment (FII) flows and this has resulted in a decline in the equity indices and a sharper depreciation of the rupee in the forex markets. "A part of this depreciation also reflects the higher inflation in India vis--vis industrialized nations over the past two years. The volatility in the FII flows reflects global uncertainty prompted by the slow unfolding of the euro zone crisis, prospects of sovereign defaults and cascading problems in other sectors. "Not surprisingly, the movements of FII flows to India are broadly in line with indicators in other emerging and developing economies," he said. Slowdown in external demand has led to deceleration in the growth of exports in recent months with the current account deficit widening to over 3 per cent of GDP, said the FM. "During the past three financial years, we navigated the crisis in an exemplary manner and I am confident that we should be able to confront the changed circumstances. However complacency can turn out to be our worst enemy. We need to be ever ready to confront external shocks and respond on a real time basis." Mukherjee said sustained high level of inflation that has been a major policy concern over the last two years has now moderated to under 7 per cent as of March 2012.

YouTube aims double ad revenue from India

New Delhi: Video sharing website YouTube hopes to double its annual revenue from advertisements in emerging markets like India by revamping its social networking features through better integration across platforms, a top company executive has said. The website, owned by Internet giant Google, currently lacks cutting edge social networking features that provide a better experience and helps to keep users engaged, Tom Pickett, global content head for YouTube, said. YouTube, that says it gets around 800 million unique visitors every month, counts

India as its second-biggest source of content after the United States. The company, that is currently working on sprucing up its comments section to possibly allow users to log in from other social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter, aims to more than double its ad revenue in emerging markets, Pickett said, without giving specifics. Founded in 2005 by three employees of Internet payment service PayPal, YouTube, that lets users upload, view and share videos, was acquired by Google in 2006 for $1.65 billion and now operates as a subsidiary of the search engine bellwether.

I W K P r o P e rt y

For Advertising Contact

Gaurav Gupta

Get maximum exposure for your properties

sales@indianweekender.co.nz m: 021 292 4519 p: 09 520 0922 f: 09 522 1187

Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

11

Indian

India

Mamata cartoon: outrage over Ju professor arrest

Kolkata: A Jadavpur University professor in Kolkata was assaulted and got arrested for sending out caricatured works of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and posting them on a social networking site, triggering an outrage against the ruling Trinamool Congress even though the teacher was released on bail last Friday. Jadavpur University professor Ambikesh Mahapatra, who was was arrested early Friday for sending out e-mails with a cartoon of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that is a spoof on characters of the iconic Satyajit Ray detective film of 1974 Sonar Kella (The Golden Fortress), was released on bail later in the day. He was also allegedly beaten up by Trinamool Congress supporters before his arrest, reports said. Mahapatra's neighbour Subrata Sengupta, who was also arrested for the same reason, was released on bail too. Chemistry professor Ambikesh Mahapatra and his neighbour Subrata Sengupta were arrested Friday morning from Garia area in Kolkata for projecting Banerjee, former Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi and Railway Minister Mukul Roy in "a poor light in the cartoon", thereby violating sections of the IT Act which entails using computer to do offence. Charges of eve-teasing (Section 509 of the IPC), defamation (Section 500 of the IPC, humiliating a woman (Section 114 of the IPC and Section 66 A (b) were also slapped. They were produced before local court later last Friday. The 'controversial' cartoon is a caricature of filmmaker Satyajit Ray's thriller Sonar Kella. It has been doing rounds on the internet after the Trinamool Congress supremo forced Trivedi to resign from his post over his Rail Budget. Mahapatra uploaded the cartoon on his Facebook account, besides sending it to 65 people via e-mail, reports said. Meanwhile, outrage over the action on the professor followed while political leaders reacted too. Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari played it safe saying he would get the inputs from the state unit of the party- which is a partner in the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal but is at loggerheadsand comment but said the party stands for freedom of expression. Communist Party of IndiaMarxist (CPI-M) leader Brinda Karat said the actions reminded one of the Emergency. "It is a clear assault on the democratic rights and freedom of expression," said Karat, while her colleague in the party's Polit Bureau Sitaram Yechury said the action is "worse than Emergency". West Bengal's intelligentsia, which had backed Mamata Banerjee against the previous Left Front government in her fight on land acquisition issues, was livid on the development. "This is a cause for great worry. Any cartoon used to be taken in the right spirit previously. But now the ruling class is reacting with highhandedness," said theatre and TV personality Kaushik Sen in his reaction before a news channel. Academician Sunanda Sanyal said the government is actually making the way for the Left to come back to power. Meanwhile, Facebook and Twitter reactions poured in over the action of the Mamata government. The cartoon in question, where Mamata was shown vanishing former Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi "vanishing" to bring in a new railway minister (Mukul Roy), went viral on Facebook. Mamata Banerjee earlier drew criticism over selection of only a handful of newspapers for requisition by the state-run libraries leaving out the state's largest circulated Bengali and English dailies. Her government's decision to cut down on portions on Marxism and Bolshevik Revolution also had drawn flak of people and political classes.

Pune: Indian cricket captain M S Dhoni on behalf of a foundation by the Avinash Bhosale Industries Limited (ABIL) last Friday donated to Baba Amte's Anandwan charity, which has been serving through rehabilitation centre for leprosy patients and the disabled. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was on Pune leading Chennai Super Kings in the ongoing IPL-5 campaign, handed over a cheque of Rs 3.08 crore to Dr Vikas Amte at

Dhoni, ABIL hand over cheque to Amte charity

goal. Speaking at the occasion, Dr. Vikas Amte said such funds were extremely important to keep Anandwan going. The rehabilitation of leprosy patients and taking care of disabled persons from underprivileged sections of society needs help from all sections of society. I am thankful to particularly to Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rahul Dravid for extending their support for Anandwan and in general to Indian cricketers who keep helping

we all should always come forward and help in such yeomen work. we cricketers are always available for such charity initiatives and will continue to do so, dhoni said
a ceremony at Hotel Westin. The Avinash Bhosale Industries Limited, which organizes hugely popular ABIL Corporate Cricket Champions Cup, has come up with funds for Anandwan after having raised Rs 27,82,000 in 2010 through cricket memorabilia auction. The ABIL CCCC, an annual cricket festival, organizes different charity programmes wherein top Indian cricketers participate. In 2010, in Rahul Dravid's presence, cricket memorabilia were auctioned and Rs 27.82 lakh collected and donated for charity in its ethos of giving back to the society. During that auction, Avinash Bhosale had vowed to raised at least Rs 2 crore for the same cause and after two years of relentless efforts wherein corporate houses chipped in graciously, the ABIL achieved the in charity causes, Dr Amte said. Avinash Bhosale, the man behind the mission, thanked his friends and well-known businessmen from the city who helped him achieve the goal of collecting the sum. I intend to continue in same vein in future too. I would like to give it back to the society by raising fund for more such charity initiatives, expressed Bhosale. Chennai Super Kings' captain Dhoni said that work that Baba Amte does is well-known. His third generation is now taking care of Anandwan and are fully into it. That is commendable. I salute to their spirit. We all should always come forward and help in such yeomen work. We cricketers are always available for such charity initiatives and will continue to do so, Dhoni said.

Maruti Suzuki launches Ertiga

Kolkata: Maruti Suzuki initiated a new segment of cars in India with the unveiling of Ertiga in Kolkata last Friday. The Indian automobile industry leader had previously announced their entry in the Utility Vehicle (UV) segment and the suave (nearly) 4.3 m long car is their take on the division. Maruti Executive Officer MM Singh took the opportunity to tout the Ertiga as a Life Utility Vehicle (LUV) which caters to the lifestyle choices of the upcoming generation of Indians with their ever expanding needs. We have not created a car but a whole new segment, he said. While Maruti had previously shown the knack for breaking conventional segment classifications with cars like Swift and Swift 2, Ertiga comes targeted at the space and luxury loving customers whose wallets are rather modest for an upper sedan class car. This is one of the fastest growing segments in the car market with the current total annual sales of around 3 lakh and 70000 units, Singh said. The base of the vehicle is Swift and it sports the next generation K-Series engines with 1373 cc and 1248 cc capacities for the petrol and diesel engines respectively to pack power, performance, space and features in a compact package for the customers. The cars are attractively priced with the petrol versions priced at Rs 6,15,048 (LXi), Rs 6,87,385(VXi) and Rs 7,58,705(ZXi) along with diesel versions priced at Rs 7,58,739 (LDi), Rs 8,19,867 (VDi) and Rs 8,75,903 (ZDi). The focus is on the Indian market and the pricing of the cars is going to be another attractive thing about the car, Singh said. Singh informed that Maruti is going to finalize the land deal with the Gujarat government for 600 acres by June and a capacity increase of 2.5 lakh units is going to be added at the Manesar plant to take the total capacity to 15 lakh by the middle of 2013. For the Greenfield project to come into action there is a need of at least 15 lakh capacity and we are going to achieve that even without the Gujarat plant, he said. We are actually looking to reduce some capacity of the Gurgaon plant and shift that to the Mehsana (in Gujarat) plant in future because Gurgaon is becoming more and more congested, Singh said. Maruti is going ahead with a global launch of Ertiga and following the commencement in India they are moving ahead with plans for other South East Asian markets. After India Ertiga is going to be launched in Indonesia and for almost a month we have started sending parts to Indonesia, Singh said.

Must be willing to work night shift, on an average of 40 hours per week 5 and a half days. Applicant must have some experience in driving a front loader truck. Top wages paid for the right applicant. Please email cv to vanitaandsonia@hotmail. com and call on 09 627 9200 after 5pm.

CLASS 4 LICENSE needed.

For front loader truck.

12

Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian

India

Thankful that I got back my life - Yuvraj Singh

Gurgaon: India's star cricketer Yuvraj Singh, addressing the media here Wednesday for the first time since his return from US for cancer treatment, said he was thankful to god that he got his life back. Yuvraj, who underwent treatment for a rare germ cell cancer in Boston, admitted that it would take at least two more months before he returns to the field. "I am thankful to god that I got back my life. Everybody faces such issues. I am very happy and thankful to everyone that I am out of it," said Yuvraj, who had Indian doctor Nitesh Rohtagi by his side. "All my fans want me to come back soon, I am sure you people will understand that my body will take time. I will have to take care of my health. I will try to return as soon as possible, in the next two months. I have been through a very tough time," he said. Yuvraj said his mother, Shabnam, has been his biggest strength during what was the toughest phase of his career. "My biggest support my mother was there. I don't think without her I would have made this journey. (Cycling legend) Lance Armstrong was very inspiring. 5-6 years back I was reading his book and left it midway for some reason. I had to complete it this way may be. He had similar cancer but his was in the last stage and mine was detected at early stage," he said. Yuvraj said it was hard for accept the illness when it was first diagnosed in October last year. "It was tough for me. Six months it took to diagnose whether I had cancer. I think it was tough because I had lot of trouble breathing, I used to cough a lot. There used to be blood in my cough," he recalled. "I didn't tell anyone, I never showed it to anyone what I was

"It was tough for me. Six months it took to diagnose whether I had cancer. I think it was tough because I had lot of trouble breathing, I used to cough a lot. There used to be blood in my cough," he recalled.
going through. I was always cheerful and kept telling myself that I will be fine but I knew there was a serious issue. I just had to come out of it somehow," he said when asked whether he shared the details of his ailment with his teammates at first. Yuvraj said he is an optimistic person. "Mentally, I think I have to be positive. There is lot of happiness inside me. At the moment, I am really happy. So I am very positive. I am just thinking abouat things and just happy to be back," he said. Yuvraj said he would like to do something for cancer patients given what he himself went through. "Obviously this thing hit me very hard. Cancer is out of my system but the scar remains. In future I will definitely do something for the people," he said. Yuvraj said in the last three months avoided watching cricket as it left him frustrated. "I would stay away from cricket because whenever I saw a match, I used to feel frustrated. Just staying in the house, to get up and do anything was a tough job. I used to try and walk. I played video games,

watched movies. My mother would cook for me. I was not able to do much. It was tough to get out of the house and move around," he said. Yuvraj said American cycling legend Lance Armstrong, who himself survived testicular cancer, was a big influence on him during the treatment. "Cyclist Lance Armstrong helped a lot and he was an inspiration in my fight against cancer. 5-6 years back I was reading his book and left it midway for some reason. I had to complete it this way may be. He had similar cancer but his was in the last stage and mine

Islamic seminary against second marriage

Lucknow: The Darul Uloom at Deoband, India's foremost Islamic seminary known for its strict and conservative interpretation of Islamic law, has advised Muslims against a second marriage when the first spouse is living. The radical decree, that could go a long way at strengthening the institution of Islamic wedding was issued by the Darul Ifta, the fatwa department of the seminary, following an online question posed by a married man with two children. "According to the Shariah, it is lawful to keep two wives at the same time. But it is generally not acceptable in Indian custom. Here in India, it is like inviting hundreds of problems. "Moreover, the husband generally cannot do justice and cannot maintain equality between the two wives. Hence, it is better to have only one wife as the Quran has said. You should discard the idea of a second marriage, otherwise you will feel sorry,' the Darul Ifta said. Curiously, the stance comes in direct contrast to the fatwa it had issued in 2011, when it said, "If you can maintain equality between two wives and give them equal rights, then

Introducing

CLASSIFIEDS
Start advertising from

you can go in for a second marriage." Speaking about the latest diktat, Maulana Mufti Arshad Faruqi, chairman of the fatwa department said: "It is absolutely unacceptable that someone gets married for the second or third time without any valid reason. "The Shariah may give a Muslim the right to keep four wives, but in that case it becomes his responsibility to provide equal rights and a decent life to all four. If he fails in doing so, his marriage cannot be justified. The question in response to which the decree was issued, had been asked by a man who said he has been married for nine years and had two children and wanted to know if he could marry his former love even though his wife was alive. During my college days I loved a Muslim girl though it was a one sided love. She did not accept it then. I met her recently and found that she was still not married and again I gave her my proposal for marriage and she accepted it and now we are planning to get married, she has no problem with my first marriage and she also knows that I have two children. Please advise me whether it will be good for me to marry a second time, the question read.

Book your space now!

For rates and sizes e: classifieds@indianweekender.co.nz p: 09 520 0922 f: 09 522 1187

Indian

India

Stay away from statues: US historian's India visa extended Mayawati to SP govt
New Delhi: US historian Peter Heehs, who was deported from India for writing an autobiography on freedom fighter- turned-spiritual leader Sri Aurobindo, received some good news on Friday as the Ministry of Home Affairs extended his visa by one more year. The extension will come to effect from April 15, when Heehs visa was scheduled to expire. The Home Ministry last week announced the formal extension of Heehs' visa. Heehs had earlier applied for the extension of his stay before the Puducherry Foreigner Regional Registration Officer (FRRO). However, FRRO decided not to extend his visa on the basis of complaints received from

certain sections of Aurobindo followers who claimed that the historian showcased a distorted picture of the spiritual leader. Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said he had asked for a suo motu review of the case and would take an appropriate decision on the matter. Chidambaram made the announcement after the episode was highlighted by media. Several historians criticised the decision of the FRRO and even petitioned to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chidambaram to take steps and sort out the issue in Heehs' favour. Heehs has spent several years in India and been working on a project to of digitizing archival of Aurobindo's works.

Lucknow: Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has warned Samajwadi Party (SP)-led state government that they should not try to do anything with the statues and parks constructed during her regime. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo cautioned that if any new constructions are made in the parks, where she had built statues of Dalit icons, then law and order situation will deteriorate in the entire country. "I would like to tell the Samajwadi Party government that if they plan to create any new constructions in the parks where BSP government had erected statues of Dalit icons, then law and order situation will deteriorate not only in Uttar Pradesh but in the entire nation," Mayawati told reporters. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has said his government will create

hospitals and colleges in the empty spaces present in the parks. Mayawati-led BSP government had constructed a massive 33-acre Ambedkar Park or Dalit Prerna Sthal, a showpiece project that cost nearly Rs 685 crore. The park in Noida hosts 12 life size statues of Baba Ambedkar and late Bahujan Samaj Party leader and Mayawati's mentor Kanshi Ram, besides those of the chief minister herself. A total of 24 pink sandstone elephants adorn the park. Akhilesh is the star of the 2012 assembly polls having led a 224 seat victory of the SP in the 403 member assembly, ousting the Mayawati government and also negating the effect of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the state.

Bal Thackeray criticises Raj for Nitish

VENUE AVAILABLE FOR BIRTHDAY PARTIES & PRIVATE FUNCTIONS

AT ECONOMICAL PRICES

SPECIAL DISCOUNTS ON CORPORATE FUNCTIONS & VENUE AVAILABLE VENUE AVAILABLE OUTDOOR CATERING FOR TAILORED TO SUIT YOUR BUDgET PRICES BIRTHDAY PARTIES FOR BIRTHDAY PARTIES & & PRIVATE FUNCTIONS PRIVATE FUNCTIONS CHRISTMAS PARTYS THREE COURSE MEAL SPECIAL DISCOUNTS ON FROM $30*pp SPECIAL DISCOUNTS ON CORPORATE FUNCTIONS & CORPORATE FUNCTIONS & OUTDOOR CATERING * Terms and Conditions apply
PRICES TAILORED TO SUIT YOUR BUDgET OUTDOOR CATERING

Mumbai: Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray has criticised Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray for opposing Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's visit in Mumbai to participate in 'Bihar Diwas' celebrations in the city. "The role of the natwarya (actor) to first oppose and then not to oppose has been exposed. The vada (Mumbai snack) has

become rabdi (sweet)," Thackeray said in an editorial of his party mouthpiece Saamana. He said votebank politics forces one to resort to 'tamasha' (melodrama). Thackeray praised Nitish Kumar for the developmental activities he had undertaken in Bihar. He said it was for the leadership of Nitish that Bihar was moving 'on the road to development'.

ATAT ECONOMICAL PRICES ECONOMICAL PRICES

Rahul Gandhi calls himself a 'Brahmin'

New Delhi: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi has called himself a 'Brahmin' while he reviewing the party's poor show in the recently concluded Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. According to Congress sources, Gandhi told a local UP leader "I am a Brahmin" and "general secretary in the party" while the worker cited upper caste arguments. Several groups within the party are putting pressure on the Congress high-command to change the strategy of wooing the Schedule Castes, Schedule Tribes, Dalit and pro-Muslim sections and return towards attracting the traditional voters in an attempt to frame a new plan for the upcoming polls. Gandhi met party leaders from Uttar Pradesh for two consecutive days earlier this month to analyze the poor performance in the assembly polls. He met Congress MPs and MLAs from the politically-charged north Indian state in an attempt to "fix things" before the Lok Sabha elections in 2014. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is likely to rename Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar district as Amethi. Yadav took the decision after some newly elected Samajwadi Party (SP) legislators from the region met him and demanded to rename the district as Amethi. Interestingly, the district holds special significance to the Gandhi family that has fought elections from the constituency for several years. Rahul Gandhi is the current MP from the Amethi constituency. Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) formed new district Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar in 2010 after carving out Amethi, Musafirkhana and Gauriganj tehsils from Sultanpur, and Salon, Tiloi from Rae Bareli.

PRICES TAILORED TO FIND OUT MORE CALL US TODAY TO SUIT YOUR BUDgET

14

THREE COURSE MEAL FROM $30*pp

* Terms and Conditions apply

CHRISTMAS3856 PARTYS P : 09 528 THREE COURSE MEAL E: INFO@JEWELOFINDIA.CO.NZ CHRISTMAS PARTYS FROM $30*pp

ON THESE gREAT DEALS

Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian

India

SRK detention not racial profiling: uS

Washington: The US said detention of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan at New York airports twice was not racial profiling. US State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said this time Khan was not 'detained' but 'delayed'. "He was temporarily delayed before admission to the US," Toner told reporters. "I wouldn't necessarily look at this as some sort of pattern but rather two separate incidents," he said. "Obviously, we've expressed our regret about the incident and recognize that he's a very renowned artist and humanitarian," he said. Dismissing 'racial profiling', Toner said: "I mean, I think we all know that that's clearly not the case. The fact of the matter is tens of thousands of Muslims travel to and from the United States every day and are not detained or delayed." Meanwhile, India has summoned US Deputy Chief of Mission for detaining Khan at a New York airport. According to reports on Saturday, the US Deputy Chief of Mission Donald Lu was summoned by Joint Secretary (Americas) Javed Ashraf last Friday. India said it is 'concerned' at repeated detentions at US airports and said it 'did not spare' even former President APJ Abdul Kalam. The US Embassy in New Delhi and The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authorities have already apologized to India for SRK's detention. The US CBP has reportedly sent a letter to the Indian consulate in the US and apologised for detaining Shah Ruukh Khan. However, India reacted strongly against the entire episode as External Affairs Minister SM Krishna directed Indian ambassador to US Nirupama Rao to take up the matter with concerned authorities. Strongly criticizing the incident, SM Krishna said it has become a 'habit these days to first detain' people and then 'apologise'. "This can't continue," Krishna said. Shah Rukh said he was detained for two hours at a New York airport on Thursday. He arrived at New York's White Plain airport in a private plane on Thursday to address Yale University students after being named a Clubb Fellow. According to officials, Khan was stopped for two hours for his immigration clearance. The university officials had to intervene and get Khan out of the airport with the help of the Department of Homeland Security and the Immigration and Customs Department in Washington. While addressing the students at the university, Khan confirmed the news and said he was 'detained' at the airport 'as it always happens'. "We were detained at the airport as always. For one and a half hours. It was nice. It always happens when I come to America," said Khan. "Whenever I start feeling too arrogant about myself I take a trip to America," he said. In 2009, Khan was detained and grilled for two hours at Newark Airport as he was heading to Chicago to participate in an Independence Day celebration. In 2011, APJ Abdul Kalam was frisked twice at a New York airport.

New Delhi: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has written to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requesting him to allow Pakistani scientist Khalil Chishty, who was granted bail recently, return to his native country. According to Indian government sources, Zardari appealed to Singh to send 80-year-old Chishty back to Pakistan on 'humanitarian grounds'. A Pak interior ministry statement said all expenditures of Chishtys return to the country will be borne by the government. Pakistani microbiologist Khalil Chishty, who was serving life term for his connection to a 1992 murder case, was released from Ajmer jail on April 11. His bail order by the Supreme Court was presented at the sessions court on April 11. His brother Jameel Chishty furnished two jail bonds of Rs 50,000 each and a personal surety of Rs 1 lakh. "Problems of prisoners should be addressed sympathetically irrespective of the countries they are from," Chishty told media as he walked out

Zardari writes to PM to return Pak scientist

of the jail around 4.30pm. The Supreme Court on Apr 9 granted interim bail to Chishty, who appealed on grounds that he is 80 years old and has already spent 20 years in prison. The apex court also agreed to hear Chishty's plea seeking permission for his return to hometown Karachi. The court asked his lawyers to file a separate petition in connection to this matter. It directed the scientist to remain in Ajmer till further order. Chishty was sentenced to life imprisonment in January 2011 by a trial court in connection to a murder case that dates back to 1992. He is accused of killing a man during a fight in Ajmer in 1992.

Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

15

Indian
From the Editor

Better mental health services for youth

prime Minister John Key

Friends indeed
They say true human spirit shines brightest in the hour of need. This could not have been better put to the test in the aftermath of the watery disaster that devastated parts of western Fiji in recent weeks following severe flooding that left four dead and thousands homeless, especially in Nadi. Hundreds of homes became submerged in raging floodwaters, and scores were actually dislodged from their original positions. Aid in cash and kind is still pouring in from many parts of the world and New Zealand is at the forefront of it with an initial contribution of $500,000 and following it up with a further $750,000. As did Australia and the United States. But what has been commendable and heartening is the response of the Fijian communities living in New Zealand. From the word go, all have been hard out collecting donations and dispatching containers full of essentials to flood-stricken areas. Among items collected were cash, food and clothes. Also commendable are the campaigns by local radio stations Tarana and Apna990 and Humm FM to get help to the needy in the island nation. Some few hundred volunteers have contributed food, clothes, sheets, and other items of everyday use for the flood victims in Fiji. Among them, Friends Reaching Out foundation is carrying out some good relief effort in Auckland. According to Harish Lodhia, one of the main organisers, one container full of material has already been collected and another container will soon be dispatched for Fiji. Businessman Jagdish Punja, Roshila Prasad and Lodhia are the key people behind Friends Reaching Out. Anyone can be part of Friends Reaching Out. Every donor, volunteer and media that has been associated with this drive is part of Friends Reaching Out, explained Lodia. Radio stations Humm 106.2FM, Apna 990AM, 1ZB and Sky News got our message across to the people of NZ. In doing so they became associated with Friends Reaching Out and a big thanks to them, Lodhia said. In Auckland, the ANZ Bank in Otahuhu is also promoting a campaign to get help across to the flood victims (see article in this issue). Fijis international airline, Air Pacific, air freighted two pallets (80 cartons) of water to Fiji free of charge for distribution. Items can still be dropped off at Tulja Centre,190 Stoddard Rd, Mt Roskill, Auckland. Who said that human spirit was dead in our communities in this day and age? With community campaigns such as those mentioned above, and with the unwavering support of the people for those in need, the world is indeed in good hands in this part of the world. If you are able to help in any shape or form, contact any one of the organisations mentioned. - Arvind Kumar

I hope you and your family have had a safe Easter. Hopefully you took the chance to catch up with your family and friends over the long weekend. Ive been in Europe with my family. On my way home Im stopping in for a state visit to Indonesia and Singapore. Ill lead a 26-strong delegation of New Zealand business leaders. While Im away Ill meet with top Ministers and leaders from the Governments of both countries. There is enormous potential for New Zealand businesses in both the Indonesian and Singaporean markets. Ill be looking to build on the strong connections we already have in place with both countries. Last week I was in Wellington to announce a major package of initiatives to provide better mental health services for young people. This is a project which Ive personally been driving, and its something I feel very strongly about. We all know the transition from childhood to adulthood can be extremely difficult. For kids who struggle with mental health problems like depression and anxiety, this time can be even harder. The package I announced which you can read about in more detail at www.national.org.nz will help us build on services that are already working well, improve in other areas, and try some new and innovative solutions. There are four areas covered by the package. These are: In schools; Online; In families and communities; In our health system. We will help ensure schools offer a safe environment for their students. Well be funding nurses and trained youth workers, who will be there to catch vulnerable young people early. We want to keep up with rapidly changing technology as another way to support young people through their adolescence. This includes funding for a new Social Media Innovation Fund to support existing service providers to better use social media. Parents and families have an important role to play in supporting young people too. Well make sure that parents have access to the right information to help them identify mental health issues early. And well make sure that the health system is better equipped to support a young person when they ask for help. Im proud to be the driving force behind this significant package of changes. Im interested in supporting what works. After two years, Ive asked that these initiatives be reviewed. Its critically important that we get this right for our young people.

Indian Weekender Volume 4 No. 1 Publisher: Kiwi Media Group Limited Managing Editor: Giri Gupta | girigupta@indianweekender.co.nz Editor: Arvind Kumar | arvind@indianweekender.co.nz Chief Technical Officer: Rohan Desouza | rohan@ indianweekender.co.nz Design: Sanket Sonar | sonatadesignnz@gmail.com Advertising & Business Development Manager: Gaurav Gupta M: 021 292 4519 l gaurav@indianweekender.co.nz Accounts and Admin.: Farah Khan - P 520 0922 l accounts@indianweekender.co.nz Views and comments: e-mail at: arvind@indianweekender.co.nz Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher is not responsible for advertisers claims as appearing in the publication

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

16

Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian

Comment

veer KhAr

Richer people weaker nations

bling block, for even a better world; is the artificial borders between the countries. Introspection into the world governance system can easily identify that some of these borders are assisting autocrats and fundamentalist forces. This is highlighted by the Arab Spring where the ensuing fight is between the people seeking freedom better living and governments that are beating the drums of nationalism. And it is not difficult to ascertain that the results are free (rich) people without the hype of strong nationalism (weaker nations). People seem to be more interested in better life than saluting their rulers. Look at the developed world and take New Zealand as an example, where immigrants from different nationalities have formed a nation. These immigrants have moved beyond the nationalism of their homelands to make their lives richer. Recent immigrants may still have passion for their homelands, but they all cheer for All Blacks and want New Zealand to prosper. But this new adopted nationalism is also very fluid. At the first opportunity, people of all ethnici-

The rising awakening of human rights and infrastructural provisions coupled with medical advancements have resulted in a world that is definitely more liveable than ever before.
Comparing todays world with yesteryears, we see less exploitation, reduction in conflicts, facilities that make life a pleasant experience and most importantly there is a sea change in aspects related to human health. Interdependence of communities, world trade, sharing of scientific knowledge and movement of people has made borders more porous and has even dampened the patriotic fervour which people of a country, as a nation; used to identify themselves with and which used to be the root cause of conflicts one nation wanting to fight another to bring honour to their people; rule other nations; loot and plunder to bring more for own people. All this does not look right today. Kohinoor, the big diamond stolen by British and put on exhibition in some art gallery in UK; is seen as a shame by the modern-day civilised world. Today, people in Luxemburg have the same rights as that of the people living in Ghana or in Cambodia. We are the people of the world where individuals want to become richer and they care less about nationalism. In fact; the only stum-

Kohinoor, the big diamond stolen by British and put on exhibition in some art gallery in UK; is seen as a shame by the modern-day civilised world.

ties jump across the ditch on daily basis to seek greener pastures confirming that people today are more concerned with better living than getting trapped into the loyalty of na-

tionalism. This leads to a couple of questions. Firstly, do we actually need a border between Australia and New Zealand? Secondly, do we need to be tied to monarchy? What about India (developing world)? Yes people are richer but has India progressed as a nation? India can take pride in its economic growth and also in sustaining democracy in an otherwise volatile region. But can we explain the mandate of single dynasty ruling for most of the post-independence era. As a pluralistic nation, it is paramount to accept the diversity of people. But can we explain the current situation in Indian Kashmir functioning under a strict code of religious fundamentalism and where even after two decades of forced exodus, more than half a million non-Muslims are still not able to go back to their homes because they believe in secularism one of the pillars of the Indian constitution. In India millions are added to the long list of millionaires every year but what does the word nation mean to the millions of have-nots who still cant access basic facilities like water, waste disposal and

electricity - more so because of the rampant corruption and nepotism. Yes, with every win of the Indian cricket team, the nation is charged but it seems to be a tool of exploitation when one sees the disclosure of scams, particularly in high places supported by the euphoria of nationalism. Today, the human race seems to be totally convinced that by being rich, they can bring happiness to near and dear ones and statistics show that individuals are successfully achieving although with variation in means (path taken) from region to region. In pursuit of happiness, individuals are travelling distances, crossing borders and changing nationalities in big numbers on daily basis and it seems to be working alright. Yes continuing on these paths; people are going to be richer and nations are bound to become weaker. People seem to understand that the chains of nationalism are obstacles to the freedom which is the foundation of richness. Veer Khar is a practising civil engineer, with additional qualifications in management, international relations and human rights

Driving innovation and growth in the primary sector

KANWAlJIt SINGh BAKShI, NAtIoNAl Mp
Our rural communities are a big part of our economy. Our rural industries generate two thirds of New Zealands export dollars and provide one in nine Kiwi jobs. National is committed to lifting long-term growth in our rural economy. We want to ensure that New Zealand farmers and rural businesses stay at the top of the global game. This is a key element in our plan to build a more competitive and productive economy. Weve cut red tape. Weve reformed the Resource Management Act to reduce costs, uncertainties, and delays, and were moving on to our second stage of reforms to achieve the right balance between our environmental responsibilities and economic opportunities. Were reforming local government to get council debt and spending under control. Weve reduced company tax and income tax across the board, providing incentives for hard work and innovation. On 1 April, we reduced ACC levies for farmers and rural businesses. Were providing $35 million through the Irrigation Acceleration Fund to support the development of irrigation proposals that could boost exports by $1.4 billion a year by 2018, and by $4 billion a

national is committed to lifting long-term growth in our rural economy. we want to ensure that new Zealand farmers and rural businesses stay at the top of the global game.
ship is a government/industry investment and so far we have invested over half a billion dollars in primary sector research and innovation. Were investing in rural health and education, and were creating the conditions for ongoing innovation as we continue to invest more in new technologies. Were providing $300 million for rural broadband. National has developed country strategies in our key growth markets, such as India and China,

$75 up to $400 million to support the million in a Joint Border ManageAUCKLA NDof new water harvest- Kolmar Rd, Papatoetoe, Auckland development OFF IC E: Unit 1, 131 ment System between MAF and Ph: 09 278 9302 distribution infra- Customs to improve biosecurity. ing, storage, and | Email: bakshi.mp@parliament.govt.nz The Primary Growth Partnerstructure. Postal Address: PO Box 23136, Hunters Corner, Auckland 2025

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi WeAT I O Nhave Lcommitted N AL IST MP also year by 2026. We will be investing

to increase support for our exporters and make the most of the trade opportunities we have. We are also working towards free trade agreements with South Korea, Russia, and India, and with the United States through the Trans Pacific Partnership. This year weve introduced New Zealands first electronic livestock tracing system. This will improve protection for our rural businesses in the international marketplace and strengthen our biosecurity system. Through sensible policy development, sound financial management, and industry consultation, National is delivering a smarter and more efficient primary sector. This is an important step towards building a brighter future for our rural communities and all New Zealanders.presumably approved investors. It is interesting that one of New Zealands main exports to India is coal, which India seems to have in abundance but which it does not produce at the rate it needs. The minister who sold the 2G spectrum cheaply is awaiting trial. Indian newspapers can be vigorous in reporting bribery scandals. The justice

www.bakshi.co.nz Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

www.national.org.nz

17

Indian

India

India remembers Jallianwala Bagh massacre

New Delhi: India on Friday ob- Hindu, Sikh and Muslim communiserved the 93rd anniversary of the ties had gathered at the Jallianwala Jallianwala Bagh massacre where a Bagh to register their protest British British Brigadier-General ordered persecution of Indians and listen to soldiers to open fire on a crowd in the speeches of their leaders. Dyer kept the firing up for about a public garden in Amritsar, Punjab killing up to a thousand people, in 10 minutes. Official Government of one of the most tragic incidents in India sources estimated the fatalities at 379, with 1100 wounded. The the countrys colonial history. Also known as the Amritsar mas- casualty number estimated by the Indian National sacre, the incident Congress was took place in the more than 1500, Jallianwala Bagh with approximatepublic garden dyer kept the firing up for ly 1000 killed. in the northern Dyer was Indian city of about 10 minutes. official removed from Amritsar, and was Government of India duty and forced ordered by Brigasources estimated the to retire, but he dier-General Regbecame a celebratinald E H Dyer on fatalities at 379, with ed hero in Britain Sunday April 13, 1100 wounded. among people with 1919. connections to the Dyer, conBritish Raj, though vinced that a historians consider major insurrection was at hand, banned all meet- the episode a decisive step towards ings, and hearing that about 15,000 the end of British rule in India. The massacre caused a reevaluato 20,000 people had assembled in the garden, he marched his fifty ri- tion of the Army's role in which the flemen to a raised bank and ordered new policy became minimum force, them to shoot at the crowd which and the Army was retrained and included men, women, and children. developed suitable tactics such as The mixed crowd drawn from crowd control.

James Cook University Singapore offers scholarships

New Delhi: Students aspiring to pursue higher education abroad may bag a chance to secure lucrative scholarship for studying in famous James Cook University Singapore (JCUS), an overseas campus of the Australia's James Cook University. The scholarship tests will be held in four major cities of the country; Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata. In Delhi, the exam will be held at IIT campus on 22nd April, 2012. The test will be conducted between 10 am to 12 noon. Students with 60% above in 12th Standard/Bachelor Degree can enroll for the test. Aspirants would be required to answer the Scholarship Test Question Paper designed by James Cook Universitys academic staffs in a combination of English and Aptitude component in general. The questions will cover topics like Antonyms, Sentence Completion; Mathematics based questions and Questions on General Knowledge. Fifty to 55 % of the participants will get the scholarship and ranges up to 50% of Masters Degree & Bachelors Degree Course fee i.e around 6 Lacs approx. for Masters Degree & approx 9 lacs for Bachelors degree. The lucky candidates, who bag the scholarship will also get a discount in their tuition fee amount in their choice of program be it Business, IT, Hospitality, or Psychology both at UG as well as PG level. There are no Negative marks for any wrong answers and evaluation will be based on work out for right answers in the adjacent side of particular questions. Since its establishment in 2003, JCU Singapore has vigorously worked on its intent of internationalizing its activities and in pursuit of its vision of Providing a Better Life for People in the Tropics. With preuniversity curriculum level specifically designed to provide pathway for students who are unable to immediately attain university entrance standards, the University offers a suite of university level programs for perusal of both UG and PG students. We take immense pride in the overwhelming success of our scholarship campaign since the past 3 years. Every year we review applications that are of a very high caliber and we are more than pleased to support these excellent well deserving students with their future scholastic activities," said Dr Dale Anderson, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, James Cook University, Head Of Singapore Campus. James Cook Australia, Institute of Higher Learning (also known as JCU Singapore) is fully owned by James Cook University Australia, the leading tropical research university in Australia. The university established the company in Singapore in 2003 as part its expressed intent of internationalizing its activities and in pursuit of its vision of Providing a Better Life for People in the Tropics. The campus provides students with access to a full range of facilities and services to support their learning. Facilities include lecture and seminar rooms, a fully equipped library, computer laboratories, an onsite bistro and access to a variety of sporting facilities. All courses are registered with The Council for Private Education (Registration Number 200100786K) and operations are governed by EduTrust. In 2008, the institute also achieved the Singapore Quality Class for Private Education Organizations accreditation.

Indian

Get your car washed, vacuumed and fully groomed at AUTO VALET CAR WASH LTD

LOVE Business Directory YOUR CAR?

Automatic/Self Service Car Wash Full Car Valet and Grooming Centre Car Seats and Carpet Shampoo Machine Cut and Polish

www.autovalet.co.nz

Long Term Rental Cars Short Term Rental Cars

www.grabarentalcar.co.nz
8630471AA

116 Cavendish Drive (behind BP Gas Station) Manukau Auckland Phone 09 263 4133 Freephone 0800 247 247

ONE STOP SHOP TO YOUR QUERIES

Discover yourself and live your life to full potential with Spiritual Awareness through scientific application of Vedic Astrology and other Occult Sciences. If you need help with
Positive Direction to Life l Personal Image & Self Analysis Money & Finance Matters l Medical Astrology & Specific Health Issues l Education and Potential l Love, Romance and Relationships l Marriage and couple compatibility l Career Planning l Business issues l Legal problems l Past Life/Karmic Astrology l Appropriate Astrological remedies to solve specific problems and much more.....
l l

Contact for confidential reading:

RAVINDER GROVER
(Jyotish Vachaspati, Gold Medalist)

Cherish a World Class Treatment and a hygiene environment in one of the Finest Beauty Clinic of New Zealand
40 Lincoln Road, Henderson, Auckland P: 09 908 2440 / 021 256 8484

Tel/Fax: +64 9 815 1670 Mob: +64 21 774 724 Email: rgrover@xtra.co.nz

www.shahnaz.co.nz

* Conditions apply

Budget Decorations

We help turn your big day into a special memory

Nisha
09 5796786 021 1835063 nisha@budgetdecorations.net www.budgetdecoration.net

ADVICE THROUGH ASTROLOGY

RENOWNED ASTROLOGER Maharaj R.K. Swami o ers you Guaranteed solutions to your problems within 5 hours! Well experienced in NOORI, JOOHI, & protects you from BLACK MAGIC R.K. SWAMI JI MAHARAJ (Winner of 7 Gold Medals) Suggests remedies for problems related to Love Marriage, Hypnotism, Extra-marital relationship of spouse, Husband-wife disputes, Domestic quarrels, Love frauds, Financial and Legal issues, Permanent Residency obstacles, and Lottery numbers. 100% Guarantee and 100% Privacy assured

Solution of your problems

Call 0091 76964 84022 | GUARANTEED SOLUTIONS ON THE PHONE

Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz 19

Indian

heritage Fiji

Guru before GOD?

pADMINI GAuNDer

In India children are taught: Mata, Pita, Guru, Daivam (Mother, Father, Teacher and God). That is the order of priority. If the mother comes first in importance and then the father, the Guru comes next so the Guru has a very eminent position and the children are taught to look up to him in the absence of the parents. Guru Nanak taught that one can reach God, who is Truth, only through the Guru: "There is but One God, His name is Truth . He is realised by the kindness of the True Guru" In ancient India the children had their education at the Gurukul, the home of the Guru where they stayed as members of his family and received their education. They did odd jobs for the Guru and his wife who regarded them as their children. It can be compared to a boarding school today but it was much more intimate and binding. The students who lived there like members of the Gurus family regarded themselves as brothers. We have the example of Sri Krishna who lived at Sandeepinis Ashram where Sudama was his fellow student. They studied together and worked together. We hear of their going to collect firewood for the Gurus wife. And for the Guru, there is no difference between his son and his student (sishya). We have the example of Parasurama whose Guru was Siva. One day Parasurama went to Kailas to see his Guru. Siva and Parvati were resting inside and their sons, Ganapati and Subrahmania were outside. Parasurama wanted to go inside but Ganapati and Subrahmania stopped him. There was

an argument and Parasuraman, who is well known for his short temper, got angry and held Ganapatis tusk. The tusk broke and there was blood. Meanwhile hearing the commotion Siva and Parvati came out. Seeing them Parasurama had his hands folded in obeisance and stood quietly. Siva and Parvati saw what had happened and Parvati flew into a rage and started shouting at Siva for what his sishya had done to her son while Siva stood there quietly

Patel, the first Leader of the Opposition in Fiji must have grown up with the firm conviction that a Guru is above reproach at all times. That is the only explanation why he, who all agreed was a brilliant advocate, was so nave when it came to academics as is revealed in his speech at the Fiji Legislative Council about the establishment of the regional university. Patel was shocked by Sir Norman Alexanders statement:

In the western tradition also scholars are held in high esteem. A university is regarded as an institution characterised simply by loyalty to the idea of truth. Universities like Oxford and Cambridge and the graduates these produced were given great

In the western tradition also scholars are held in high esteem. A university is regarded as an institution characterised simply by loyalty to the idea of truth. universities like oxford and Cambridge and the graduates these produced were given great respect. even before these, in India we had universities like nalanda and Taxila (Takshasila) which were patronised by even Chinese scholars.
with folded arms not knowing what to do. On the one hand was his son who was hurt but on the other was his sishya. While Parvati was still in a rage they heard the mellifluous sound of the flute. Sri Krishna and Radha had decided to come for a visit to Kailas. Seeing the commotion and realising what had happened they said calmly: Should a mother get so angry if the children have a fight! And Sri Krishna caressed Ganapati and the bleeding stopped. In India children grew up hearing such stories about the Guru who is more important than God so a Guru can do nothing wrong A.D. Academic freedom is not a prescriptive right; it must be earned. If a university is not fully alive to its social responsibilities and active in meeting them, it deserves a sharp reminder of its duties. Patel thought there was something like academic integrity. If a university does not respect truth, who will? he asked. Patel seemed to overlook the fact that even our classics mention the odd ones among the Gurus who did not live up to the expectations. The meanest of them all perhaps was Dronacharya who demanded gurudakshina (the fees for the teacher) for the knowledge that he did not impart to Ekalavya. respect. Even before these, in India we had universities like Nalanda and Taxila (Takshasila) which were patronised by even Chinese scholars. When the University of the South Pacific was established Patel had implicit faith that it would serve truth. Patel died soon after so he did not live to see how it had become a haven of neo-colonialism. The regional university rightly gave importance to Pacific studies and published works by the Pacific writers but the neo-colonials there decided what would be published and only published those works that met with their approval.

After years of suffering at the hands of these neo-colonials the local scholars decided to start their own publishing outlet. But were they any better than the neo-colonials? They also only accepted for publication what they approved. Anyone who expressed views that they did not agree with met with rejection. So Patels belief that it was essential for any university and men/ women working in them to have open, unbiased minds proved to be wishful thinking. The universities today are not characterised by their loyalty to truth. Today it is a regular feature for many academics to ignore, manipulate and modify truth to suit their whims. This is why the Guru no longer enjoys the reverence that he once commanded. It is still possible for the universities and the academics in them to regain the prestige that they have lost by once again deciding to stick to the truth, and the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

20

Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian

Fiji

nadi under water by 2030

SoloMoNI BIuMAIoNo
TO MOVE or not to move. This is the question that is currently playing in the minds of the fathers of the Jetset town of Nadi right now. Even though it is too early to address it as clean up efforts are still taking place, some of Nadi's prominent citizens clearly know that one way or another, they will have to address this issue in the very near future. The Nadi Chamber of Commerce president Doctor Ram Raju himself admitted that this was something that would be on the minds of Nadi residents. "After this particular incident, many will want to re-consider moving the town to higher grounds. I am saying that is what many people would be feeling right now," Dr Raju toold the Fiji Times. With the bad memories of the January floods still fresh on their minds, the citizens of Nadi were put under siege again last week by flood waters, again, losing more lives and more property in the process. Adding the equally catastrophic flood of 2009 and inundation of the Nadi town area in 2007, counts the number to one flood too many. Added to this, is the knowledge that the dredging of the Nadi River that have been undertaken to prevent further floods, has clearly been ineffective against floodwaters. The debate of relocating the Nadi Town area to elevated lands is not new and was in fact started by Geography professor Doctor Patrick Nunn who revealed that Nadi, Labasa and Navua would be underwater by the year 2030. Dr Nunn's view was once branded by a Nadi businessman as anti-development for Nadi, something he greatly refuses to accept. Replying to emailed questions from Sunday Times, Dr Nunn reiterated his earlier stance, saying that rising sea levels along with the sinking of the Nadi river delta, where the Nadi town sits on, will see the town underwater by the year 2030. "The flooding problem is going to worsen in Nadi over the next 10 years and after that. This is because the sea level is likely to continue rising and the land on which Nadi is built is likely to continue sinking, there is no evidence that either trend will halt or reverse. The issue on which you may care to focus is the sea-level rise, which is a result of climate change. Thus Nadi, like atolls in Tuvalu and Kiribati, is becoming one of the most visible victims of global climate change in the Pacific islands," Dr Nunn said. Dr Nunn's study of the sea level in the Nadi area shows that the sea is 25 centimetre higher in 2012 than it was in 1900. He adds that data from the Fiji Hydrographic Office's Lautoka tide gauge shows that sea level has been rising in the Nadi area at a rate of three to four millimeter per year for several years now. On the sinking of the Nadi town area, Dr Nunn says this is normal for deltas because they are composed of loose particles that will gradually sink to be compacted. "It is my opinion, which I have held for a long time, that sea-level rise is the overwhelming cause of the increase in flooding in Nadi. Given that sea level is likely to continue rising (it may rise another 110cm by the year 2100) in the foreseeable future, the only long-term adaptation option for Nadi (and similar coastal settlements, like Labasa and Navua) is to be relocated to higher ground. Diverting the mouth of the Nadi River will (in my view) make no difference to the situation," he says. However, the Nadi Chamber says that the proposal to relocate Nadi town is one that has to be carefully considered. "The concept of relocating is not really good for many people, especially to those that own properties and those who have businesses," he says. "We have discussed this issue several times already in the past." The issue has been a point of discussion between the Nadi Chamber and the Nadi Town Council and former Nadi Chamber secretary

Rakesh Chandra says they even wrote to government seeking solutions based on Dr Nunn's previous report but nothing substantive has come out of it. "It was nothing major, the issue was only discussed in a small forum and I heard it in the media. It was only in a small forum between the Chamber and the Nadi Town Council and nor was it discussed at length and no priority was given to it. "But we did discuss it and based on his (Dr Nunn) report, we wrote to a government department, I think we wrote to the DNR (Department of National Roads) seeking solutions based on his report," Chandra says. The Ministry which is in charge of the Nadi flood mitigation project is in fact the Ministry of Primary Industries through its Land and Water Resource Management Division (LWRMD). In an email, in reply to Sunday Times questions after the January floods, LWRMD director Collin Simmons ascertained that Government will only consider relocation if alternative land is available to move the town to. "The Integrated Flood Risk Management approach recognises that high level of investment in floodplains, and the lack of alternative land in many countries, means that abandoning flood-prone areas cannot be a viable option for flood damage reduction," Simmons says. Part of this integrated flood risk management approach is to dredge the Nadi River and this took place immediately after the 2009 flood in the Western Division. An 8.5km section of the Nadi River was dredged, from the river mouth right up to the Nadi town bridge to the tune of $7.9million and with 1.1 million cubic metres of soil removed from the river system. Simmons says during January floods, the Nadi River dredging works has been effective by increasing the capacity of the river to quickly discharge flood waters. Their records show that floods waters were drained within 15 hours from the normal period of 24 hours. Other strategies government plans or is already undertaking to mitigate the threat of flood to this tourist town include water catchment management, proper land use planning, flood plain zoning and regulations, hazard and risk mapping, building codes and flood proofing infrastructure, flood forecasting, disaster preparedness and ecosystem conservation to preserve natural resources. Dr Nunn still maintains that despite the best efforts to undertake environment conservation or reconstruction, or undertake the best flood preparedness, Nadi town will definitely be underwater in the future. "But this is not something that happened only 10 years ago, so we cannot blame flooding on the deforestation of the river catchments. For the same reason, replanting the catchments with trees is unlikely to make a significant dif-

ference to the flooding problem in Nadi. "Again this is not a problem that began only 10 years ago when flooding began to get much worse and more frequent in Nadi, so we cannot expect that dredging river channels is going to make much difference to the flooding problem in Nadi. In fact, dredging is largely ineffective; the "hole" made by three years of dredging in river channels like these can be filled up in three hours of flood," Dr Nunn says. As the centre of Fiji's tourism industry, it goes without saying how much the two back to back floods have cost the country's top dollar earner in terms of lost bookings, can-

celled flights and infrastructural damages to businesses. However, one thing that Dr Nunn and the Nadi Chamber agree on is the need to address this issue in an holistic manner. "I would add that in my opinion there should be some effective planning for the relocation of the most vulnerable parts of Nadi to some higher location in the hinterland. Obviously, such planning should involve local stakeholders, government and probably donor partners. In my view, relocation is inevitable. The sooner it is planned for, the easier it will be to do," Dr Nunn says. "The wider picture needs to be talked about by all stakeholders," Dr Raju says. Source: Fiji Times.

Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

21

Indian

Fiji

Fifteen years of waiting has finally materialised after Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama commissioned the opening of the Wairiki Chip Mill in Bua recently. Mr Bainimarana highlighted that it had taken long to open the mill as there was corruption and false promises made by the previous management of Tropik Woods Ltd. However, the Prime Minister highlighted that Governments aim was to eradicate corruption and ensure that the people got the maximum benefit from land based resources. It is a great day for the people of Fiji Pine but also the pine owners and the Vanualevu community. We are witnessing a fundamental transformation of the Vanualevu economy, Mr Baini-

Rachel Hunter in Opening of chip mill to boost Fiji for international trade, employment pageant
marama said. This island will, for the first time, open itself to the direct export trade of pine wood chips and this will drive foreign earning and we will also be making history, through launching a vessel carrying pine chips from the shores of Vanualevu bound for Japan. This further contributes to Fijis place as the hub of the Pacific and underscores the growth potential Fiji has. The Prime Minister thanked landowners for their patience and cooperation with Government as well as the CEO for Tropik Woods, Faiz Khan for having the Wariki Chip Mill running in just over a year. He has also called on the current management of Wairiki Chip Mill to maintain transparency and good co-operate governance. More than a 150 workers will be employed in the first phase, with the first shipment to Japan in June this year. In his speech, Prime Minister Bainimarama said the opening of the Wairiki Saw Mill is part of Governments Look north policy, targeted towards boosting economic growth in the Northern Division and at the same time ensuring that local people are assisted through employment, instead of transporting resources to the Lautoka Chipping Mill in Viti Levu. The Wairiki Chip Mill will operate 12 hours a day with an output three times more than the Chip mill in Drasa, Lautoka which operates 24 hours.

navua River to be dredged

NEW Zealand-born supermodel Rachel Hunter jetted into Fiji on Tuesday morning, bringing her considerable expertise to the Miss World Fiji 2012 pageant. She was joined by Fear Factor Grand Champion USA Mark Hewlett to act as celebrity judges for the pageant. Together with local judges Hupfeld Hoerder, Zelda Thomas Paige and Carl Probert, they will choose the Fijian beauty to represent Fiji to Mongolia. However, current Miss World, Venezuelan Ivian Sarcos and former Miss Australia Laura Dundovic, who were slated to visit Fiji for the pageant, will not attend because of travel scheduling. Hunter was at Pacific Harbour on Tuesday and was in Suva Thursday as the official engagements for the Miss World Fiji pageant begin. National Pageant director Andhy Blake said the contestants would find out tomorrow (this Saturday), who among them would represent Fiji at the Miss World competition. "This Saturday, one of these 13 young beautiful ladies will be crowned Miss World Fiji 2012, it will be an emotional event as they've all grown close over the previous weeks of preparation," Mr Blake said. The Miss World Fiji competition started with the Tavarua Island Beach Beauty Competition. The 13 contestants will find out the winner of the Beach Beauty Competition on Saturday before the crowning.

The Fiji Government is putting aside $4 million for the dredging of the Navua River and will spend around $60m further in dredging rivers around the country. Ministry of Primary Industry permanent secretary Mason Smith signed a Memorandum of Understanding today with the China Railway First Group (CRFG) Fiji Ltd for the dredging of the river. River dredging is a high sociopolitical issue for the Government as a flood mitigation strategy to reduce risks, and impacts of flooding, Mr Mason said. The project will be completed in six months and cost Government

$4m in a bid to reduce flooding, an event that has caused massive damage to infrastructure and livelihood in Fiji. This is one of the solutions to flooding as it improves the discharge capacity at the river mouth as can be seen in the Rewa River, which is why it was able to absorb the floodwaters this time around, Mr Smith said. The Rewa River dredging was done by CRFG and the contract for Navua River was given to the same as they did the work within the budget and on time. The project involves dredging of 2.94km of the river channel and

removing approximately 500,000 cubic metres of sediments. The dredging will result in increased flood discharge capacity, reduced flooding frequencies and duration, reclamation of additional land for village development, improve drainage and improve food security. The president of CRFG, Sun Yong Gang, said the company treated all contracts, whether large or small, with utmost importance and thanked the Fiji Government for having faith in the company. Mr Yong Gang asked the Government of Fiji and people of Navua to rest assured that they will deliver on time.

Water, electricity to normalise this week

It has been confirmed to the Divisional Emergency Operations Centre by the different agencies that the western division would start receiving normal water and power supply by this weekend.Team leader Jiuta Waqavonovono says they have been told by the Fiji Electricity Authority and the Water Authority of Fiji that supply should normalise for the whole division in the next few days. We are expecting full power restoration by the end of business today and water is expecting to be restored over the weekend, he said.

Water will be fully restored by the weekend. Right now 95 per cent of the western division has had their power restored while more than 80 per cent of people are receiving normal tap water. Mr Waqavonovono said FEA had already been able to restore 98% power supply in most of the affected areas as of earlier this week. However, power supply is yet to be restored to certain areas in Sigatoka, Nadi and Lautoka due to access issues or the installations being submerged under flood waters.

22

Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian

Fiji

Fiji Govt thanks USA for flood support

The Ministry of Provincial Development this week thanked the American Government through their Suva based embassy for their assistance for those affected from recent floods in the country. The USA Embassy has donated US$100,000 to Rotary Fiji and a further US$50,000 to the Fiji Red Cross for the provision of emergency relief supplies which includes water tanks, blankets and footwear. The Ministrys permanent secretary, Inia Seruiratu, thanked the USA Ambassador to Fiji Her Excellency Frankie Reed for the support provided by the American people. One of our major needs is water and I thank the embassy for donating water tanks which will greatly assist the people. Our teams in the West are conducting damage assessments and planning short, medium and long terms recovery, Mr Seruiratu said. Mr Reed highlighted the commitment by the American government to assist Pacific Island nations in times of natural disasters. The United States understands the vulnerabilities of its friends in the Pacific to natural disasters. Over the weekend, more relief supplies were distributed and I want to thank Rotary Fiji for their commitment to helping us respond to this crisis under severe time constraints and I want to commend DISMAC for their tireless efforts, Mr Reed said. The emergency relief supplies includes 2,000 blankets, 500 gum boots, 500 gloves, 13,000 diapers, more than 100 water tanks, hygiene kits and water purification systems. Meanwhile the embassy has partnered with the University of the South Pacific and will hold a Flood Appeal Concert to raise more funds for those affected by the floods with USPs Oceania Dance Theatre and Pasifika Voices. An American guest choir main street singers from California will joined them for a song and dance ensemble at the Civic Centre this week.

Chinese delegation visits Fiji to explore trade opportunities

Attorney-General and the Minister for Industry and Trade. Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum met with the Minister for Commerce Chen Deming from the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), to discuss opportunities for strengthening trade and economic relations between the two nations. The visit was welcomed by the Fijian Government amidst Fijis efforts to expand its relations with the international community for strategic and economic development. This is Minister Demings first visit to the region, and Fiji is his first stop. There are many areas of common interest between China and Fiji, and we look forward to exploring the potential that exists for us, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum conveyed appreciation to the Chinese Government for its developmental collaboration and provision of the needed assistance through various means to Fijians.For better economic and trade relations between Fiji and China, necessary measures need to be instituted which can be pursued through further dialogue, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said. In terms of investment, Fiji provides the necessary platform and invites investors from China in areas such as agriculture, construction, tourism and audio visual. The tourist numbers from China to Fiji has grown tremendously over the past few years and there is potential for this to grow further considering the huge market China represents. The Permanent Secretary for Industry and Trade, Shaheen Ali, regarded the meeting as fruitful considering relevant issues were discussed to foster and develop the economic and trade relations between the two nations.

Fijis flood bill continues to rise, with damage estimated at FJ$51 million [US$28.7 million] reported so far for the agriculture sector, water works and roads. The Fiji Roads Authority announced FJ$17 million [US$9.6 million] damage to its infrastructure. Authority spokesman Iliesa Sokia told FijiLive this included the Western Division and the North. Sokia said temporary repairs had been done and they will now identify priority areas where permanent solutions are required and look to the government for possible funding. The bulk of the damage is

Counting the mounting costs of Fiji floods

in the Western Division, with only FJ$740,000 [US$415,870] damage in the Central Division. The figures on estimated damage to homes and power installations are yet to come in, but the bill is likely to be at least the same or more than that incurred during the January floods. The Agriculture Ministry has estimated damage of FJ$17.4 million to the non-sugar sector in the Central and Western Division. The Water Authority of Fiji has estimated FJ$11.9 million damage while the sugar industry has estimated FJ$5 million damage after its initial assessment.

Celeb Tweets
Aamir Khan @aamir_khan Am quite overwhelmed by everyone's response to the Satyamev Jayate song. Super excited! Thank you. Love. a. Amitabh Bachchan @SrBachchan T 717 - Sometimes the smallest gesture that you do for your grandchildren gets you so much love. Just did that for my grandson Boman Irani @bomanirani My confidence is a result of conquering nervousness everyday! Dr Manmohan Singh @PMOIndia Our exports have crossed $300 billion mark for the first time in our history. Here are 2011 Economic Survey figures Barkha Dutt @BDUTT American TV news as much jabber-jabber as Indian networks. When did TV become radio! Suspect backlash against talking heads Vijay Mallya @TheVijayMallya April 17 will go down in history as the day on which two of the most thrilling T20 run chases were achieved. Congrats RR and RCB ! Shekhar Kapur @shekharkapur Cosmetics co's wanna turn us in2 a nation of Albinos with no dark areas anywhere on r bodies.Except r hearts.Can fairness lotions fix that?

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi

N AT I O N A L L I S T M P

AU C KL A N D O FFI CE : Unit 1, 131 Kolmar Rd, Papatoetoe, Auckland

Ph: 09 278 9302 | Email: bakshi.mp@parliament.govt.nz Postal Address: PO Box 23136, Hunters Corner, Auckland 2025

www.bakshi.co.nz

www.national.org.nz

Indian

entertainment

I completely believe in love

Shahid Kapoor has teamed up for the second time with Priyanka Chopra for Kunal Kohlis Teri Meri Kahaani. he will be seen in three different roles as the film is set over a time period of 1910, 1960 and 2012. Correspondent Sreya Basu in conversation with the actor after the first look launch of the romantic drama
Your last release (Mausam) was a love story and your next release (Teri Meri Kahaani) will also be of the same genre. How much faith do you have in love? I completely believe in love and this is the second love story that I am doing back-toback (the first one being Mausam). So obviously, I have a lot of faith in love. I think love is the most beautiful thing in the world. It makes the world go round. What is Teri Meri Kahaani all about? The same two characters meet over three different timesand what happens in each lifetime with themis what the film is all about. I dont think I have seen something like this on the Indian screen or anywhere before. How did the idea come up for the film? The most exciting thing for me in Teri Meri Kahaani is that its about three different love stories of three different generations. Kunal (Kohli, filmmaker) and I were meeting for a long time discussing what to do and how to do. There were many ideas, we even discussed fully developed scripts. But batoon baton mein he one day told me about a thought that when we get married we take saath phere and people say we will stay together for seven lives. So how do we know who we meet, when we meet and how we meet and how our love story culminates! If the same two souls meet over different times, how will it be? I initially found it a very serious-type idea. But Kunal said he wants to make it a fun way. How logical is finding love over different time periods? Why not? Why is it not possible to find love? Why is it not possible to be happy? I believe love has various shadesyou will find a little bit of all that in Teri Meri Kahaaniits happy, sad, exciting, stressfulbut thats what makes a great film regardless whether the love story comes true or not. When its set over three different time periods and you see all of them together, it makes an interesting contrast and makes you think how love has changed over the ages or it hasnt changed and how it would be in three different time periods. Of the three time periods, which one did you enjoy shooting for the most? For me, it was exciting to see myself in Mumbai in 1960s with those trams going all around and I walking with that guitar on my back and if I were actually a struggling musician in the 1960s and was to fall in love with a woman, how would my journey be. Or if I were Javed in 1910, even before India became independent, and knew shayari like him and was to romance in a land that was ruled by the British, how would that be and how different it would be from Krish and Radhas journey in 2012 in Britain! Your character Javed is a dil phek ashiq and mouths shayari every now and then to woo his lady. How well-equipped are you with such verses? I dont know shayari but Kunal does. Thats why he has written all those in the film and seems to be in love with them. But I enjoyed enacting them. I was nervous because shayari is something which someone like Mr Aamir Khan has done it for Kunal (in Fanaa, 2006). I thought God, I dont want to make a fool of myself because he has done it so well.

To avoid darkening of the skin: ShaFair : A Safe and effective preparation for lightening skin colour. Creates an even colour tone, leaving the skin soft and smooth. For normal to dry skin Method Of Use : Clean area with scars or

Method Of Use : To be applied on the affected areas, in the afternoon or evening with gentle circular movements. Avoid application near eyes and exposure to direct sunlight.

BeAuTY TIPS
(For normal to oily skin) Method Of Use : Use alone or under make up.

pigmented patches with Sharose, using cotton wool. Apply in morning and leaving and leave on. For anti-ageing: PEARL WHITENING CREAM Naturally Whitening Anti-ageing moisturizer The use of pearls as a natural whitener, rich in nutrients, has been established as an ancient beauty aid. Pearls reduce the transfer of melanin to the skin, preventing tanning, while fading away dark patches and spots. They also filter the ultra-violet rays ensuring a natural even lightening of the skin. Enriched with minerals, amino acids and proteins, the pearl is potent with powerful age-control nutrients, that moisturise the skin and keep it flawless and youthful. focusing on wrinkle prone areas and uneven patches in gentle upward and outward strokes. Skin Clear Therapy: FLOWER POWER AYURVEDIC SKIN CLEAR FORMULA An exclusive formula, specially created to produce an even colour tone, with a nourishing and healing action. A safe and highly effective preparation for use on pigmented skin, scars and blemishes, it improves the complexion and beautifies the skin.

PRECAUTION : The Shahnaz Husain Group faces a serious problem of fake products, being marketed by unscrupulous people, who are trying to derive illegal benefit from the renowned Shahnaz Husain brand name, thus taking unauthorized and illegal advantage of the Shahnaz Husain brand value and demand for products. So the next time you visit your beauty therapist for any face or hair treatment who uses Shahnaz Husain products make sure you check the packing of these products which reads as Shahnaz Husain International or call us at the below phone to find out if your beautician holds our genuine products or not.

For more advice on the treatment or products offered by Shahnaz Husain NZ, Contact Bindu
(CIBTAC, International Qualified Beauty Therapist and Diploma in Shahnaz Husain, India)

Skin Serum for a healthy skin: SAFFRON SKIN SERUM Enriched with essential natural ingredients, this luxurious saffron skin serum revitalises and restores radiance to the skin. The formulation is specially created to measurably reduce fine lines and wrinkles, fade blemishes, improve skin texture while imparting even skin tone and giving the skin a glowing fairness. Method Of Use : Using fingertips gently smoothen few drops over the entire face,

Shahnaz Husain The Ayurvedic Beauty Clinic 40 Lincoln Road, Henderson, Auckland. Phone : 09 9082440 Email : info@shahnaz.co.nz www.shahnaz.co.nz

24

Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian

entertainment

ArNAB ChArKrABorty

A house full of mindless tamasha

MOVIE REVIEW

Sajid Khan is back with a sequel to housefull to try and prove once again that you dont need a script to get box office success in this part of the world.
THE BACkGRounD Really does it matter? Because if you are a die-hard fan of such comedies then I gather you are too tired to bother for something so silly and are in it for the frills and the gags, both good and cheap, but in case you arent here is the elusive background. Two warring brothers Randhir and Rishi Kapoor want to grab JD seths (Mithun Chakraborty) son Jolly (played by Ritesh Desmukh) for their daughters marriages. In the meantime Shreyas Talpade wants revenge for the insults his father faced at the hands of Rishi following a cock and bull drama and he turns to his fatoo friend Jolly for help. Now Jolly backs out because he is scared of involving his dad and hence steps in the suave pickpocket Max aka John Abraham and a series of mix ups later Sunny aka Akshay Kumar is also dragged in. Post events that defy logic all four end up at JDs mansion as his son along with their muses and a deadly combo of confounding drama and bizarre scenarios come to life. What happens in between and after these points are beyond understanding and best left alone if you are here to enjoy. THE sToRy 1/5 Post Kahaani one would expect more such sensible Kahaanis to crop up but unfortunately the brand of Bollywood comedy in India does not believe in the word story when it comes to the laughter business. Housefull 2 belongs to the genre of Welcome, Golmaal (1,2 and 3) and so on and so on that relies on a series of some funny and some dumb scenarios coupled with a mixed bag of one liner attempts to tickle your funny bone. How that essentially comes down to being mindless is anyones guess but the result is that you must flush your healthy brains down the toilet to enjoy such stuff. Perhaps I am mistaken but I believe that laughter and wit can also be intelligent products attached to a credible if not a mindboggling storyline but Mr. Khan surely wants to repel the thinking populace in favor of those that are either enticed by an extensive list of quips or those that refuse to use their grey matter when it comes to entertainment. (Oh and that one mark is for some moments that do make you genuinely laugh and also for the sheer number of characters Sajid managed to create and relate!) THE DiRECTion AnD TECHniquE - 2.5/5 Technique and stylizing wise this cacophony of hilarity is up there with the recent slick productions. The oomph factor of the bikini clad girls (and a certain Anarkali of course) and the macho men coupled with a panorama of fantastic locales, is a definite treat for the eyes. The progression of the screenplay itself (barring the story) isnt half bad. Though 2 hours and thirty minutes is a tad too long and could have been shortened with a much

tighter editing had the several unnecessary moments of excessive sibling rivalry or overdrawn gag reflexes been rubbed out. THE ACTinG 2/5 How can you act if you are told not to make us think? I am unaware of such a superficial process that does not prevent an actor from simply becoming a comic prop but nevertheless some tried while some didnt have to and then there were others who simply made fun of their off screen iconic images. Akshay Kumar has typecasted himself with these cool charismatic roles and though they certainly worked well at times, too much of anything proves to be a nuisance, as it does for Housefull 2. If Akshay is a clich then I cant say what John is. In flicks like Dostana and Desi Boyz he was okay if not an emblem of comical superiority, but here he just cries like a prickled pansy or chafes like a raging bull while flexing

those golden biceps. He doesnt act towards anything believable or surreal, he simply partners an equally lackluster pair of Ritesh and Shreyas( ya the same dude from Iqbal, if you fail to believe your eyes that is). The girls - Asin, Jacqueline Fernandes, Zarine Khan and Shahzahn Padamsee, wore scanty clothes and mouthed dialogues with scantier conviction (provided they got actual lines). They certainly upped the glam quotient but apart from Asin and Jacquelines few kick off moments, none of them are worth remembering if not for the oohs and the aahs that come from the male audiences. Johnny Lever is no doubt a formidable performer when it comes to comedy but here he just appears too vapid except for few sparks of brilliance, while Mithun just lost some icon points as the frosty dad JD. Somehow Boman Irani too manages to screech to existence in all this confusion while a cameo from yesteryears Ranjeet ("TH-

e-RAPIST") does light up a few smiles. (Note: Malaika, please stick to sleazy item numbers with bared skin but dont bare your acting prowess. Anarkali rocks, not Sarala or Hetal) MusiC 3/5 The music is mostly charming though not worth humming hours later. The item number Anarkali is already a hit and other songs are good as well. Especially when they come with the lady gang they are both auditory and visual treats. So shall you fill this house? Now that means asking yourself if a no brainer comedy with enough slapstick cracks sounds attractive or not. If entertainment means that to you then definitely but if you want a plausible coherent story with it then there is just one way to watch this movie- leave your poor brains at home!

Mumbai: International music sensation Norman Quentin Cook aka Fat Boy Slim will make his maiden visit to India in May. Fat Boy Slim is an acclaimed British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. This is the very first time that he will perform in India. Fans can expect to hear his chartbusters such as Weapon of Choice, Praise You, The Rockafeller Skank, Right Here Right Now" Brimful Of Asha, Blame It on the Bassline, Champion Sound, That Old Pair of Jeans, Everybody Needs a 303 to name a few. Fat Boy Slim confirmed the news and said, Its amazing to know that a culturally enriched country like India is opening up to different genres of music and am very happy to learn that there is such a huge demand for my kind of music. "This is going to be my very first time in India and am looking forward

Fat Boy Slim to visit Madonna's album gets gold in India India
Mumbai: Material Girl Madonnas latest album MDNA has in the first week of its release shipped Gold in India. "The album debuted straight in at #1 on the national Planet M retail charts and is now the fastest selling international album in the India this year," said an official spokesperson. The queen of pops latest offering MDNA which has spawned the hits Give Me All Your Lovin feat. M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj and Girl Gone Wild was released on 26th March worldwide and has debuted No.1 on the iTunes charts in 40 countries. The record has also witnessed the biggest one day pre sale on iTunes by any artist in history. Also, the Girl Gone Wild video, with 32 million views, is her most viewed video on YouTube. `MDNA is Madonnas fifth #1 studio album in a row. Devraj Sanyal, Managing Director, Universal Music India & SAARC, said, Its tough to speak about a diva like Madonna. She is the epitome of everything music stands for and has been for the last two decades. "`MDNA is a record that will excite the oldest Madonna fans as it will excite the youth with her eclectic mix of electronica & new world pop. "The fact that she can still achieve GOLD status on launch itself proves that she is and will continue to be the real pop diva of our times The album is flying off the shelves not only in India but across the world. In the UK, MDNAs No. 1 spot gives Madonna the most No. 1 albums of all (12) by a solo artist - surpassing Elvis Presley, and only behind The Beatles,

who have had 15 No. 1 albums there. Moreover, its the 8th time Madonna has returned to the top of the Billboards Pop Charts with MDNA selling a phenomenal 359,000 albums according to Neilsen Soundscan and is the biggest selling first week debut this year.

to meeting like-minded people from the music industry. "It will be amazing to experience the countrys culture and put on an energetic show that will give audiences a feeling they have never experienced before. The Indian edition of Fat Boy Slim Live In Concert starting from May 4 .

26

Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian

entertainment

Sexiness is a state of mind

What goes into being super fit and super sexy? Super fit is eating right, exercising, following some amount of discipline as far as your means and your work outs are concerned; and super sexy is just a state of mindfeeling sexy and being sexy is a state of mind. If you feel sexy in your head, you look sexy. Whats your fitness regime? I have a very, very naturally tall and lean body structure. So, honestly I dont have to try it too hard to be fit. I have to do very heavy weight-training because cardio is not my form of exercise. I have a very high metabolic range. So I have to take a lot of carbs and macrobolic proteins. I work out about 5-6 times a week. Have you stopped eating sweets to maintain your lean look? I never really like sweets. I never had a sweet tooth ever. The only indulgence I have is bread and I love butter. Are you into dieting? (Laughs) I get hungry oftenin every two hours. So I have to eat constantly. In the night, when I indulge in mid-night snacking, I dont have to go to the kitchen the food is always next to my bed. I know its not a very healthy thing, but when you are watching TV at night, its always nice to have something to munch on. I dont have weight issues, so no one can threaten me of weight gain also. How taxing it is to gain or lose weight for different roles? As an actor you have to utilize your body in different ways to make your characters as believable as possible. You know, we are in a very good time when films that are being made and scripts that are being written have certain sense of reality in them. The more real you look on screen, the better your performance is going to be. Look what Aamir Khan has done in so many of his films! In Ghajini, he changed his body completely or even what Hrithik (Roshan) did in Guzaarish or what Vidya (Balan) did (in The Dirty Picture)thats the dedication of an actor, Its not an easy thing to doits not easy to lose or gain so much weight. Who is the fittest actor in Bollywood? Ranbir (Kapoor) is very fit, but Akshay Kumar is the fittest actorreally. When he (Akshay) will hold your hand you will know how much strength he has in his fists. Hrithik and John Abraham are also very fit. And among actresses? Among actresses, I think Deepika (Padukone), Kangna (Ranaut) and Priyanka (Chopra) are very fit. What tips will you give for Indian women who dont fall into size zero category but want to try bikini? You know, I have seen some girls who dont have flat stomachs but wearing bikinis and walking so confidently. And I feel like Kya baat haiI love it. If you love the way to are looking, then the rest of the world can go to hell.

Anushka Sharma has one of the hottest and fittest bodies in Bollywood. Correspondent Sreya Basu catches up with the actor on fitness at the launch of a womens health magazine in Mumbai
Item numbers are craze of the day in Bollywood. Would you like to try your hand at them? Look, I agree that the item numbers which come on TV are very good. But right now, I am not that much interested in doing item songs. I am doing films and want to concentrate on them. What are the films you are doing at the moment? Right now, I am only doing Vishal Bhardwaj's film (Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola) and Yash Chopras next which I am really excited about. How is it working with Vishal? It feels great working with Vishal Bharadwaj. We just finished a schedule in Rajkot. He really is a genius director. And what about the Yash Chopras untitled next? I have not started shooting for the film yet. I will join the crew May onwards, right after my birthday which is on 1st May. I will start shooting 2nd May onwards.

New Delhi, Apr 13 (IBNS): US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authorities on Friday apologized for the detention of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan at a New York airport on Thursday. The US CBP has reportedly sent a letter to the Indian consulate in the US and apologised for detaining Shah Ruukh Khan. However, India reacted strongly against the entire episode as External Affairs Minister SM Krishna directed Indian ambassador to US Nirupama Rao to take up the matter with concerned authorities. Strongly criticizing the incident, SM Krishna said it has become a 'habit these days to first detain' people and then 'apologise'. "This can't continue," Krishna said. Congress MP Rajiv Shukla told reporters: "This is not fair. They should maintain records and a person who has once gone through the entire procedure should not be forced to go though it again. For wellknown figures data bank should be maintained." "The Foreign Minister has already condemned the matter," Shukla said.

SRK detained again in US

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted: "Honestly what's the big deal?? This airport detention thing happens all the time & to all sorts of people. Get over it." Shah Rukh said he was detained for two hours at a New York airport on Thursday. He arrived at New York's White Plain airport in a private plane on Thursday to address Yale University students after being named a Clubb Fellow. According to officials, Khan was stopped for two hours for his immigration clearance. The university officials had to intervene and get Khan out of the airport with the help of the Department of Homeland Security and the Immigration and Customs Department in Washington. While addressing the students at the university, Khan confirmed the news and said he was 'detained' at the airport 'as it always happens'. In 2009, Khan was detained and grilled for two hours at Newark Airport as he was heading to Chicago to participate in an Independence Day celebration.

28

Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

IPhone App Android App

D I A R Y
Paoli Dam wants to get painted nude

BESTINDIAN ENTERTAINMENT
THE
OF

Mumbai: Bong beauty Paoli Dam has caught attention of the Indian audience by posing topless for the poster of her upcoming Hindi film 'Hate Story'. However, if reports are to be believed, Dam has a hidden desire to pose nude for a painting of her own. The bold actor said she wished to get herself immortalized on the canvas with the brush strokes of late painter MF Hussain. It was after watching the recently released 3D version of evergreen classic 'Titanic' that Dam thought of such a painting. However, posing nude is nothing new for her as she has already shot a sex scene in full monty for Sri Lankan filmmaker Vimukthi Jayasundaras film Chatrak (Mushroom) in 2011. The scene went viral on the internet even before the release of the film. The much talked-about scene was removed from the promotional video of the film but it was seen by innumerable netizens on a particular site. The posters and clips of her debut Bollywood flick 'Hate Story' has already grabbed eyeballs. The Vikram Bhatt film is considered to be the first onscreen erotica of India. The 'bongshell' is playing a reporter who becomes a victim of forced abortion and later turns into a prostitute to take revenge on the man who ruined her life. 'Hate Story' hits the silver screen on April 20.

2 fun great
$
**

a day

everyday!
**The price is exclusive of GST

Big-B mum on Zanjeer controversy

Mumbai: Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan chose to maintain silence over the recent controversy that has sparked to life regarding the remake of Zanjeer. The original film starring the Angry Young Man himself along with his wife Jaya Bachchan, was a 1973 blockbuster directed by Prakash Mehra and co-written by Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar. Mehras son Amit has decided to take up the mantle and while the writer duo of SalimJaved has gone up in arms against the project, Amitabh brushed his hands off the matter. I have been out of touch with all this so I cant really answer, he said. His remark comes as a deep contrast to both Khan and Akhtars resentment, both of whom claimed to have not been asked for permission for the project. We are not doing a charity. Its a business. There is a copyright. If they give us the price we will definitely give our permission. We had sold the rights to Prakash Mehra for making the film once, not over and over again. "Five years ago we had charged Rs 1 crore from Excel Entertainment and director and co-producer Farhan for the Don remake and now these people are making it into two languages," Khan had earlier said. With the bank rolling success of the latest remake of another superhit venture starring Amitabh Bachchan, Agneepath, the decision to redo Zanjeer is hardly a surprise but now it remains to be seen what happens with the controversy gripping the project even before its onset.

Aamir enters TV with 'Satyamev Jayate'

HD
Set Top Box

Now comes with

Install Today
Mumbai: After rocking the silver screen with his thought-provoking roles, Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, is all set to launch his first television project called 'Satyamev Jayate'. Khan, who is the producer of the show, launched the theme song of the programme at Mumbai. The song, sung by Keerthi Sagathia, has been written by lyricist Prasoon Joshi and composed by Ram Sampat. Khan told reporters the show is more about 'connecting' with audiences than Television Rating Points (TRPs). "I don't understand TRPs and GRPs (Gross Rating Points). I have no idea how to calculate it! I don't care about TRPs. It is important to reach out to the Indian audiences. If viewers want to see, they will see or else it is up to them," Khan told reporters. Satyamev Jayate team has also opened page on micro-blogging Twitter where netizens can find updates and information on the show. Promoting the show, Khan tweeted: "Hey Guys... Team SMJ is now on twitter and will keep you posted about my first TV show 'Satyamev Jayate' Follow @ smjindia Love, a."

0
*

*Conditions apply

Exclusive DTH channel to Vision Asia

All NZ: 0508 933 546 Auckland: 09 621 0520 www.visionasia.co.nz

Indian

health

does more meat in diet matter?

vArShA ASrANI

Can meat in diet increase the chances of suffering from allergies like rhinoconjunctivitis in pregnant women? A study from Japan suggests that the answer is probably 'yes'.
Rhinoconjunctivitis is an allergic reaction which is characterized by the presence of 'rhinitis' and 'conjunctivitis'. Allergic rhinitis or inflammation of the mucus membrane of the nose results in symptoms of stuffy and runny nose. Allergic conjunctivitis, or inflammation of the membrane lining the eye, results in itching and watering of the eyes. An allergy can be caused by nearly anything and everything under the sun, including the sun. Food also causes allergy. Common causes of food allergy are milk and eggs. Some studies have suggested that a high fat intake could predispose to allergic reactions. A recently published study examined if the type of food eaten is associated with rhinoconjunctivitis in Japanese pregnant women. The study was conducted on 1745 pregnant women between the fifth and thirty-ninth week of pregnancy. Each participant had to fill in a questionnaire regarding their diet intake over the previous month. They also had to report their body weight and height for the calculation of body the episode was accompanied with itchy or watery eyes. Rhinoconjunctivitis was as common as nearly 26% in the study population. It was more common in women who had a high intake of meat. However, the researchers were unable to demonstrate any association with fat intake. This is in contrast to some of the previously published studies. Meat intake had also been associated with other allergic conditions in the past like eczema. How meat can lead to allergies is not clear. The study also has a number of methodological limitations, which could have interfered with the final results. This Japanese study indicates that meat intake in pregnant women could be associated with rhinoconjunctivitis. Further studies are necessary to check if these results could be applied to the general population. Varsha Asrani is a New Zealand registered clinical dietitian, for personal consultations, queries, suggestions and feedback she can be contacted on info@varshaasrani. com

mass index. The participants filled in details regarding any episode of rhinocon-

junctivitis in the past one year. Rhinitis was said to be present if the participants suffered from sneezing

or a runny or blocked nose when they did not suffer from a cold or flu. The participants also had to report if

recipe TAWA PANEER CUTLET

INGREDIENTS
100g- paneer ( grated) 3- potatoes ( big boiled and pealed) 1/2tsp- ginger paste 1/2tsp- garlic paste 2- green chillies chopped 1/2tsp- amuchur powder 1/2tsp- coriander powder 1/2tsp- chilli powder 2tsp- lemon juice cup- breadcrumbs 1/2cup- coriander leaves chopped Salt according to taste 1tbsp- oil

METHOD
Heat oil in a pan. Add ginger, garlic paste stir for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the gas. Add all the above ingredients to the ginger, garlic except the breadcrumbs. Mix everything together and with your hands roll them into round and press into a flat shape like a tikki. Then roll this cutlet in breadcrumbs. Heat the nonstick tava or non stick pan. Brush the pan with little oil, keep the cutlet on it. When the cutlets are brown from both the sides they are ready to serve. Serve them with mint chutney.

30

Indian Weekender | April 20, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

UNIQUE CARS (NZ) LTD & TEAM MASALA EVENTS & ENT. LTD.
IN ASSOCIATION WITH DJ DAVES ENTERTAINMENT
P R O U D LY PRESENTS

Desi

Major Sponsor:

GIRL

www.spiderpersonnel.com

COMING TO ROCK THE CITY OF SAILS

LIVE IN AUCKLAND
Telstra Clear Event Center
Friday 22nd June 2012 Time 8:00 PM

Ticket Direct: www.ticketdirect.co.nz Phone: 0800 224 224

SPONSORS:
TM

TICKETS: $150 $100 $80 $60 $40

FREIENG PARK
MEDIA PARTNERS:
Design & Printed by: FUTURE PRINT (09) 256 0881

A1 Safety NZ
(09) 270 2011

www.futureprint.co.nz

(09) 579 1660

TICKEoTS w n
no

SALE

TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM Dave: (09) 215 4874 027 200 7368 Hiren Patel: 021 062 4409 Jagdish Punja: 022 684 8200 Ram Iyer: 021 529 982 Sai Sharma: 021 834 733

Auckland Indian Sweets Brownsons Jewellers

Salujas Food & Spices Yogijis Food Mart Rhythm Video Monument Video Moshims (Glenfield / Pakuranga)

IN ASSOCIATION WITH IN ASSOCIATION WITH

PARESH RAWALS PARESH RAWALS LATEST SUPERHIT HINDI PLAY

PRESENT PRESENT

LATEST SUPERHIT HINDI PLAY

Friday 25 May 7:30pm Friday 25 May 7:30pm at the Logan Campbell Centre, 217 Greenlane, Auckland
BOOK AT AT BOOK TICKETS* TICKETS* VVIP - $100 | VIP $80 |A Reserve $65 VVIP $100 VIP $80 |A Reserve $65 B Reserve -$55 | C| Reserve $45 | D Reserve $35 * plus service B Reserve $55 | C Reserve fee | D Reserve $35 $45
GOLD SPONSOR GOLD SPONSOR

Krishan Krishan Vs Vs Kanhaiya Kanhaiya

EXCLUSIVE MEDIA PARTNER EXCLUSIVE MEDIA PARTNER

Com CNming to oZ i n one Z for to Ns g fo one hor only w sho only w

at the Logan Campbell Centre, 217 Greenlane, TICKETS ALSO AVAILABLE AT Auckland
www.iticket.co.nz Ph: 09 361 1000 www.iticket.co.nz or 0508 ITICKET Ph: 09 361 1000 or 0508 ITICKET GRAPHIC DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY
GRAPHICF DESIGN A PPHOTOGRAPHY OTOGR& HICS EVENT CATERING
FOTOGRAPHICS FOTOGRAPHICS

TICKETS ALSO AVAILABLE AT Mt Roskill: 09 624 5757 Mt Roskill: 09 624 5757 Mt Roskill: 09 629 3333 Mt Roskill: 09 629 3333

09 625 1766
PRINT PARTNER PRINT PARTNER

* plus service fee SPONSOR SILVER

SILVER SPONSOR

09 625 1766

EVENT MANAGED BY EVENT MANAGED BY

EVENT ACCOUNTANT EVENT ACCOUNTANT

EVENT CATERING
FOTOGRAPHICS

Lotus Entertainment and ABC Entertainment Ltd Presentation For more details contact Ram Iyer 021 529982 or visit www.cfievents.info Lotus Entertainment and ABC Entertainment Ltd Presentation For more details contact Ram Iyer 021 529982 or visit www.cfievents.info