Indian Weekender 16 January 2016

15 January, 2016 Vol. 7 Issue 41 www.iwk.co.
nz
NZs first Kiwi-Indian weekly newspaper
The pulse of Kiwi-Indians
CONTENTS
15 January 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz
Red
Pg
New Zealand
AirAsia X returns to
New Zealand skies
Pg
21
India Abroad
Nikki Haley seen as
potential Republican
Vice Presidential pick
Pg
27
Techmate
CES 2016the
magnificent seven
Black
Pg
Orange
17
Opinion/Editorial
Why is the US turning
Indian students back?
Pg
24
Travel
Maldives: to the
sunny side of life
Pg
30
Face of the Week

A master storyteller
Me
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NEW ZEALAND
www.iwk.co.nz | 15 January 2015
Red
Black
Orange
Makar Sankrantia multi-cultural

sun festival
Ram Lingam
the Sun is symbol of the Supreme.

The Rig Veda declares that the
Sun is the soul of both moving
and unmoving beings. The
daily chanting of the famous
Gayatri Mantra invokes the Sun
(Savitur) to manifest intelligence
and wisdom. For those who like
reading the horoscope in the
newspaper, Sun (in all astrology
western and Vedic) signifies the
individual self, self-esteem, eyes,
personality, higher office and
our spirit.
akar Sankranti is a
festival for all natureloving people. After
all, our world is illumined only
by the light of the Sun and its life
giving rays. Here are three aspects
of Makar Sankranti that will
hopefully add clarity to why this
festival is important.
Makar Sankranti means...
Makar is the sign of Capricorn
in our Zodiac and the word
Sankranti comes from the words
sam meaning good and kranthi
meaning change. So a change for
good. Another simpler meaning
for Sankranti comes from the
word
sankramana
meaning
transits. Only the navagrahas
(five planets, two nodes of the
moon, the moon and the Sun)
transit as far as astrology goes.
Every month the Sun transits into
one of the 12 signs of the Zodiac.
On Makar Sankranti day, the
splendid Sun enters the sign of
Why Makar Sankranti is a

multi-cultural Sun festival?
Makar (Capricorn). For many, the
entry of the Sun begins its journey
into the Northern Hemisphere.
From this day onwards, the days
slowly start becoming longer
and warmer.
Rejoicing on solar events
The importance of the Sun
to life on Earth is a no-brainer.
Nature is an integral part of life.
The position of the sun on the

sky implies change in climate
and weather patterns affecting
agriculture and vegetation. So no
Sun, no fun. No Sun, no seasons.
No Sun, no life. No Sun, no
rotation. No Sun, no time. In fact,
No Sun, no Sunday.
For spiritual aspirants, it is
the Sun, which is the symbol of
manifest divinity. In the highest
philosophy of India i.e. Vedanta,
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Indians over millennia have

indeed perfected the art of being in
line with nature and divinity. Add
to that a dose of dharma and the
practice of seeing the divine, you
have a rich Hindu festival. Then
make sweets and savoury and give
that bhog (acknowledgement) to
the divine, you have a memorable
festival bringing joy and harmony
to everyone. It is not a coincidence
that
almost
all
important
astronomical events have a

significance in nourishing the
Indias cultural life and calendar.
Cosmic actions relate to human
life and has been incorporated
in the Indian cultural calendar.
No wonder it is a product of the
longest, continuous civilisation.
A cosmic event is a scientific
empirical
phenomena
and
bringing it to human life is to
integrate a culture of syncing
spirituality and nature.
Makar Sankranti is also a multicultural festival. It is celebrated in
many states of India, including
countries in South East Asia. It
is the day of the Pongal harvest
festival in Tamil Nadu. In Gujarat,
it is celebrated with colourful kite
flying, which also implies that
the divine holds the kite-strings
(sutradhaar) of our lives. In Uttar
Pradesh, the famous Magha Mela
begins on this day at Prayaag with
holy dips in the Triveni and people
holy-dipping in the Ganga sagar of
West Bengal.
NEW ZEALAND
Shriya Bhagwat-Chitale
Sara Janvekar
This year I have an invitation to attend a

Sankranti lunch at a friends home. True to
tradition, the dress code is all black. We
will share a traditional meal, til-gul laddoos
and exchange small gifts (haldi-kunku). I
find such low-key celebrations to be a really
great opportunity to
bond with my friends.
In India, we would
celebrate Sankranti
similarly, except that
the seasons would
be exactly opposite at
the same time in the
Northern hemisphere.
This year, Ill be celebrating Sankranti in

a special way, as it is our babys first. So I
plan to dress him in a special black outfit
complete with edible jewellery made out of
sugar. The ceremony is known in Marathi
as bor nahaan, and we will shower the
baby with chocolates (to
replace
traditional
berries). In India,
kids
particularly
enjoy this festival,
as theyre all invited
home and entertained.
I
am very excited to be
planning this in New Zealand.
Recipe
Red
Black
Orange
Til Gur laddoo
oasted sesame seeds combined

with jaggery and shaped as
laddoos
Prep time: 610 minutes

Cook time: 1115 minutes
Ingredients:
Sesame seeds (til), lightly roasted, 11/2
cups
Jaggery (gur), chopped, 1 cup
Dry coconut, grated, 1/2 cup
Green cardamom powder 1/4 teaspoon
Method:
Grind sesame seeds and jaggery to a

coarse mixture using a mixer or a mortar
and pestle.
Step 2
Transfer the mixture onto a plate,
add dried coconut and green cardamom
powder and mix well.
Step 3
Divide this mixture into equal portions
and shape into lemon-sized ladoos.
Step 4
Store in airtight jars.
Step 1
Aditee Naik
In India, Sankranti is celebrated as
a winter festival, and growing up in
Mumbai, I have great memories of flying
kites with my friendsone of the special
traditions observed in the community to
celebrate the festival.
Here in New Zeland,
Ill mark the festival
by making the
traditional sweets
at home.
Ususally, when the
sweets are shared, it is
accompanied by a cute reminder to speak
sweetly and use gentle words with each
other in the forthcoming year. That is the
most charming ritual, which I follow in
New Zealand too.
Shweta Vaidya
Yummy food, family all around you and
the feeling of God blessing you. That
is Sankranti for me. Like all the other
festivals, I am going to yearn to fly to India
for this one and be there when the young
ones fly kites and eat
sweets and go to the
temple.
Lohrithe bonfire festival

Swati Sharma
n India, the country of festivals, Lohri

marks the first main celebration of
the year. It is observed on January
13 every year and with Indians now living
across the world, the festival is celebrated
among the Indian diaspora, and especially
Punjabi communities the world over.
Lohri celebrations are associated
with different events related to history,
agriculture and astrology.
In historical context, Lohri is celebrated
in the praise of Dulla Bhatti, a bandit
who stayed in Punjab during the reign of
Emperor Akbar. He is remembered as a
legend, as he would steal from the rich of
the state and distribute them among the
poor. He was a Muslim bandit who also
rescued Hindu girls from the slave market
of the Middle East and helped them get
married to Hindu boys even helping with
their dowry. Often referred to as the Robin
Hood of the community, Punjabis express
their gratitude towards him by singing
songs in his praise.
Groups of children go door to door and
sing the Lohri song demanding Lohri loot
in the form of money, sweets, peanuts,
jaggery, fruits and other sweets such as
gajak and rewri. Some of the popular songs
of Lohri are:
Sunder mundriye ho, tera kaun
vichara ho,
Dulla Bhatti wala ho, Dulle di
dhee vyahi ho,
Ser sakkar payi ho..
And
Dabba bhareya leera da
Ae ghar ameera da (for those who give
Lohri) or
Hukka bhai Hukkaa
Ae ghar bhukha (for those turn them

empty-handed)
In astrological context, this day is
celebrated to mark the winter solstice, as on
this day, Earth is the farthest from the sun
and starts moving towards it from the next
day, thus marking the beginning of Magh
and the auspicious uttarayan period. In the
agricultural context, Lohri is the harvest
festival when the rabi crop is reaped.
Celebrations
The festival is celebrated by lighting a
bonfire and dancing and singing around
it. The fire is also worshipped with jaggery,
peanuts and sesame seeds. People eat the
traditional makki ki roti (India bread made
of maize flour), sarson ka saag (mustard
leaves and spinach curry) and jaggery rice.
With the modernisation of festivals, the
way Lohri is celebrated nowadays has also
changed. Families with a recent wedding or
birth celebrate Lohri in hotels, restaurants
or even at their home with guests, DJ
parties and food.
It is said that a good Lohri sets the tone
for the whole year aheadthe more joyous
and exuberant the occasion, the greater
will be the peace and prosperity. We wish
you also have a jubilant week of festivals.
Celebrating festivals away from home
is always different. Lets see how KiwiIndians are celebrating Lohri this year:
Preet Bains: I miss how we celebrate Lohri back in India with our
family, friends and neighbours. The festival is all about dance and
fun. In New Zealand, I celebrate it with my brother. Although we do
not light a bonfire, we visit the gurudwara. We eat rewdi and peanuts,
and cook special food at home. I have just been back from India
and I wish I could have stayed there longer to celebrate Lohri with
my family.
Manpreet Bhullar: For Punjabis, Lohri is an important festival and
is celebrated with much fervour. Our Lohri is never complete without
bhangra. Like in India, here too we get together with friends, eat
traditional food and dance to the beats of dhol. Although it is summer in
New Zealand but we still eat rewdi and peanuts (even if they are warm
foods) and most importantly sarson da saag. Going to the gurudwara
is a must. These are the little things that have become the symbol of the
festival and keep us connected to them even when we are far from home.
Abhishek Sharma: I have been here in New Zealand for nearly a
year now. Being a student and a part-time worker, there is not much
I do to celebrate our festivals. Like many others here, my day also
begins with college and then ends at job. There have been days that I
didnt even remember that it is a festival and only knew when I talked
to my parent in India at night.
NEW ZEALAND
Recipe
Red
Black
Orange
Sarson ka saag
traditional Punjabi dish made of

mustard leaves and spices
Prep time: 1115 minutes

Cook time: 610 minutes
Ingredients:
Fresh mustard leaves (sarson),
5 bunches
Fresh spinach leaves (palak),
1 bunch
Bathua or Bathuwa, 1 bunch
Mustard oil or desi ghee
(clarified butter), 5 tablespoons
Ginger, sliced, two one-inch pieces
Garlic, sliced, 6-8 cloves
Onions, sliced, 2 medium
Green chillies, 4
Salt to taste
Cornmeal, 2 tablespoons
Method
Step 1
Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a
pan, add ginger, garlic and onion and saut
for two to three minutes. Roughly chop
mustard leaves. Add to pan and stir.
Step 2
Roughly chop spinach and bathua. Add
to pan and stir. Break the green chillies and
add to the pan.
Step 3
Add salt to taste and stir well. Let it cook
till the greens turn soft.
Step 4
Add cornmeal dissolved in a little water
and continue to cook till the greens are
completely cooked. Cool and grind to a
coarse paste.
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NEW ZEALAND
Pongal: celebrating the journey of the sun

Red
Black
Orange
Kumar Suresh
hey say nothing in

this world comes
easy and if you
ask an Indian farmer,
they can probably give
you a never-ending list of
problems ranging from
delayed monsoon to the
stepmotherly
treatment
from the government. But
when it is time for harvest,
the smiles on their faces is a
sight to behold.
As the sun, the source
of energy and light, takes
his journey towards north
for the next six months,
it marks the beginning
of uttarayan. Pongal and
Makar
Sankranti
are
some of the names given
to this festival in South
India, which celebrates
the harvest of sesame,
turmeric,
sugar
cane,
lentils, etc. It is in a way a
seeking the blessing from
sun for a better year ahead,
void of famine, floods and
other obstacles.
Although the festival
is celebrated throughout
India and Nepal, it has a
special place in the hearts
of south Indians. The word
Pongal, itself mean to
boil in Tamil. It involves
boiling of lentils and rice in
a pot until it boils over and
overflows, symbolising the
abundance of the harvest.
Celebrated over four
days, the first day of Pongal,
called as Bhogi is about
getting rid of all the old and
unwanted things. People
clean up their houses and
burn all the rubbish and dirt
accumulated over the year.
The second day begins with
worshipping of the Sun and
women in the house usually
decorate the house with
rangoli made of rice flour.
The milk is boiled and is
allowed to overflow as an
offering to the Sun. On the
third day, which is called
the Mattu Pongal, the cattle
are washed and decorated. They

are revered for their help in the
fields for ploughing and providing
milk and fertilizers. It is worth
mentioning that in many places,
there are beauty competitions
held for the cattlean event that
is taken seriously by many.
The fourth day is called Kanum
Pongal, when the whole family
goes out for an outing. In fact, the
word, Kanum means to visit. It
is a time for the family to take a
break from work in the fields and
spending time with each other.
Pongal in Tamil Nadu and
Makar Sankranti in Karnataka
and Andhra Pradesh is not just
a festival but a worship and a
thanksgiving to Mother Nature for
the prosperity bestowed upon us.
It is one of the few Hindu festivals
that involves direct worshipping
of the natural element(in this
case, the sun).
Although the city life of today
is far away from the fields and
cattle, it is important to know
where our source of energy comes
from. It is a time to appreciate the
work that goes into farming and
celebrate the most important and
one of the oldest professions in the
history of mankind, agriculture.

We at Indian Weekender,
wish our readers a very happy
and a prosperous Pongal and
Makar Sankranti.
Gnanasekaran
Happy Pongal to all. I work for Auckland transport and there are many South Indians
working with me here. Although it is impossible to celebrate the Pongal in an elaborate
way for four days, as in India, we try to get together at one place and celebrate the
festival by cooking pongal and later going out for an outing. That is the least we can do
to follow the traditions passed to us by our previous generations.
Varun
In India, we distribute a mixture of sesame seed, jaggery, ground nuts and dried
coconut called Ellu-bella. We go to everyones home and give them this mixture
along with a sugarcane stem. It is a tradition where at least five people are given Ellubella, so I make it and give to my friends and colleagues around me. It gives me great
satisfaction and pleasure explaining to everyone the significance of the prasadam and
concept of the festival.
Samskruta
Wishing happy Pongal to all. For people of Karnataka, the first five celebrations after
marriage is the grandest Makar Sankranti in ones life. It is unfortunate that I cant
celebrate the festival in a big way even as I am getting into my second year of marriage.
Having said that, I have special puja plans for Sankranti and plan to visit temple. I
have also invited some friends for the dinner and plan to cook pongal for them.
Lakshmi
Happy Pongal to all. I belong to a farmers family. It is a tradition in our family
that we pray to cattle during Pongal. Without that, the festival is incomplete.
Last year I went looking for a
place where I could find cows for
worship and at last, I ended up
finding goshala in an ISKCON
temple. This year too, after puja
I will go there and do Go-puja.
NEW ZEALAND
Recipe
Red
Black
Orange
hat is a Pongal celebration

without the traditional pongal
on your dining table? Here
is the recipe of the two authentic pongal
recipes that require no more than moderate
cooking skills to achieve authentic taste.
Sweet/ Sakkarai
Pongal
Step 5
Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins
Step 6
Khara Pongal or
Ven Pongal
Rice cup
Moong dal/pesara pappu, cup
Powdered or grated jaggery or palm
sugar, cup
Green cardamom powder, tablespoon
Small pinch of edible camphor/pacha
karpooram (optional)
Ghee, 2 to 3 tablespoon
Raisins, 1 tablespoon
Cashews, broken, 1 to 2 tablespoon
Cloves (optional), 1 to 2
A few coconut pieces sliced or chopped
(optional)
Ingredients
Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 15 mins
INGREDIENTS
Raw rice cup
Split yellow moong dal (pasi paruppu)
cup
Cashew nuts
Salt to taste
For the seasoning:
Ghee or oil, 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds, 1 tablespoon
Ginger, finely chopped, 1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon
Whole black pepper, 2 tablespoon
(to be broken but not finely grounded)
Few curry leaves
METHOD
Step 1
Mix rice and dal, pressure cook adding
salt, 2 1/23 cups of water for 45 whistles.
The rice has to be cooked in such a way that
it should be mushy.
Step 2
Open the cooker and mash the contents
well when it is still hot.
Mix and cook on a medium flame till the

jaggery syrup blends with rice.
Heat a pan with ghee, add coconut
pieces, cashews, clove and fry till golden,
off the stove and add raisins. Mix this with
the rice.
Method
Step 1
Add moong dal and rice in pressure
cooker. Pour 2 cups of water. Cook till
soft or for 4 pressure cooker whistles.
Step 3
Step 2
Heat oil and ghee on to a pan and add

mustard seeds, chopped ginger, pepper,
jeera/cumin seeds, curry leaves.
Pour cup water to grated jaggery. On a

low flame stir and melt it.
Step 4
When the pressure from the cooker is

down, remove the lid and mash the rice and
dal mix.
Pour it over the rice and dal mix.

Step 5
Add fried cashew nuts and mix
everything well on low flame for 2 minutes.
Serve hot with sambar or coconut chutney.
Step 3
Step 4
Filter jaggery syrup to the cooked rice
dal. Add green cardamom powder.
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NEW ZEALAND
Celebrate the kite fest

IWK Bureau
akar Sakranti is the day

when the sun starts to travel
northwards marking the decline
of winter.
The days become longer, the skies

clearer and the breeze cooler. A feeling of
anticipation, joy and jubilation grips all
who celebrate the occasion of thanksgiving
and merry-making.
The fascination and the fun associated
with the kite flying cuts across age groups
and communities.
It is a competitive fun sport where family
enjoys not only flying kite in air but also to
outdo rivals kite as well.
Vaishnav Parivar Inc. (VPNZ), a
charitable organisation operating from
Blockhouse Bay in Auckland, is organising
its annual kite flying festival on January 16
at Avondale Racecourse. The festival has

been gaining momentum each year.
In 2015, 8,000 to 9,000 people attended
the event, and this year, the number is
expected to grow with more Indians and
locals joining the festival. VPNZ imports

kites and threads from India each year for
sale to the public at the festival.
In addition there are several food and
other stalls along with live performances.
Entertainment for kids include fun rides
and climbing the wall, slides, face painting
and drawing competitions.
A $5 raffle ticket can be bought to
participate in a draw to win exciting prizes
that include a return air ticket to India, 14
HP Notebook, Panasonic camera, 39 LCD/
LED TV, Accelor8 26 bike, Philip garment
steam iron, Nutri ninja slim blender and
Kodak digital frame.
Report on diversity in the

intelligence agencies welcomed,
findings deplored
IWK Bureau
ulticultural
New
Zealand
welcomes the review of diversity
in the New Zealand intelligence
community, and is disappointed but
not surprised at the lack of awareness
or recognition of cultural diversity in
the agencies.
Federation of Multicultural
Councils Inc. is a national
organisation
with
18
constituent
regional
multicultural
councils
throughout New Zealand
and national councils for
women, youth, seniors and
business. With a record of 26
years of successful service to the
community, they offer a national
collective voice for ethnic, migrant
and refugee communities and provide
advice to government and civil society on
multicultural policy and practice.
We beg to differ that because Maori
and Pacific people come from open, honest,
trusting families and communities, they
cannot carry out the type of work done by
the agencies and that the necessary secrecy
could be a barrier to recruitment.
It is also patronising for the review to
generalise that security clearances are
an issue with ethnic minorities having a
higher showing in crime statistics, says
MNZ Executive Director Tayo Agunlejika.

As highlighted in our own recent
report on Our Multicultural
Future, minority groups
continue to experience
s i g n i f i c a n t
discrimination
in
employment and in
the public arena,
and they are underrepresented
in
government agencies
at both the national
and local level. A similar
study should be carried out
in other government agencies, not
just the Intelligence agencies.
All government agencies should
have an ethnic relations strategy such
as that adopted by the NZ Police and
the one currently in preparation by
Plunket New Zealand. This would help
in making recruitment more attractive to
ethnic minorities and more effective in
reaching them.
It would also help government agencies
to engage with ethnic communities
to provide more equitable access to
public services.
AirAsia X returns to NZ skies

Red
Esha Chanda
alaysian
low-cost
airline
AirAsia X is set to return to New
Zealand in March with flights
b e t w e e n
K u a l a
Lumpur and
Auckland.
Currently,
Malaysia Airlines is
the only other airline
that provides services on the
route between the two cities.
In 2012, the 11-hour route from Kuala
Lumpur to Christchurch was cancelled due
to a drop in traffic.
Although the company has been
providing hints on its social media accounts
for its new destination, they officially
confirmed the news on January 12. Starting
March this year, the airlines will extend its
existing Airbus A3330-300 service between
Kuala Lumpur and Gold Cost to Auckland.
Black
Orange
Daily one-way flights from Auckland

to Gold Cost are now available at an
introductory offer priced at $99, and
$249 from Auckland to Kuala Lumpur.
The aircrafts flatbed seats are also on sale
and are priced at $249 to Gold
Coast and $599 to Kuala Lumpur

(one way).
The services will commence from March
22. Tickets went on sale on Wednesday and
will be available for purchase until January
24 or until sold out.
Airfares are expected to fall down with
this return with rival airlines Air New
Zealand and JetStar already offering tickets
at reduced prices in March.
Promoting Indian
sports goods in NZ
IWK Bureau
ew Delhi-based Sports Goods

Export
Promotion
Council
(SGEPC), a nodal agency for
promoting exports of Indian sports goods
and Indian toys industry, last came to
Auckland in 2010 when they organised
a Buyer Seller Meet (BSM) in New
Zealand to showcase Indias wide range of
manufactured sports items and toys.
This year, SGEPC will be bringing a
delegation of 36 companies to the two
countries. In New Zealand, the BSM will
be held in Auckland on March 7 and 8
(tentatively), and will be Australia from
February 28 to March 4.
Founded in 1958, SGEPC represents the
leading manufacturers and exporters of
sports goods and toys in India. Their main
objective is to promote exports of sports
goods and toys from India, for which,
the council regularly organises various
overseas export promotional activities such
as participation in fairs, BSM and trade
delegations. New Zealand is a good market
for Indian sports goods manufacturers and
exporters, and this BSM will give them
an opportunity to display their goods.
The delegation will be open to having
one-to-one meetings with local buyers
and importers.
dont forget to PICK UP

INDIAN WEEKENDER WHEN YOU
PICK UP YOUR GROCERIES FROM
INDIAN WEEKENDER is the only kiwi-indian

weekly publication available at paknsave
Manurewa, flatbush, Royal oak, mt albert,
lincoln north and henderson
NEW ZEALAND
Taurangas nagar kirtan attracts thousands
Red
Black
Orange
Swati Sharma
Clockwise from above: Langar organised at the Gurudwara Sikh Sangat Tauranga, young boys dressed in cultural attire, Sikh men performing gatka on the street during the parade and men
holding kirpan
Its exactly the response we were looking
India including Tauranga deputy mayor
Gurdwara
Parbandhak
for. The celebrations were attended by
Kelvin Clout, Tauranga MP Simon Bridges,
Sukhdev
the dignitaries from New Zealand and
and general secretary of the Shiromani
from India.
Bhaur,
17
Ja
n
Singh
Cl
os
in
g
s many as 5,000 Sikhs participated

in the nagar kirtan (street parade)
held in Tauranga last week to
mark the birth ceremony of Guru Gobind
Singh, the 10th guru of Sikhs.
The number of participants doubled this
year with people coming from Auckland,
Hamilton, Tauranga, Waihi, Te Puke,
Katikati, Roturua and Whakatane.
Organised by Gurudwara Sikh Sangat
Tauranga, the parade was a big hit
with
people
from
different
communities participating.
The parade started from the gurudwara
at Burrows St and headed back after
more than two hours of cultural showcase
through the streets of Tauranga.
The Sikh martial artsGatka and
kirtanattracted people from the streets
and the organisers said that they received
many calls from the people who said they
liked the parade and wanted to know more
about the Sikh culture.
Free food and drinks were distributed
along the way and a langar was organised
at the Gurudwara. Organiser Daljit Singh
was quoted by Bay of Plenty Times as
saying, The feedback from all the people
[on the street] was fantastic.
People were telling us they especially
liked all the colour and cultural parts...
Some told us they had never seen anything
like this before and wanted to know more...
Basohli style, Pahari

The portrait of Rama
c1730
opaque watercolour
and gold on paper
National Museum,
New Delhi, India
FREE ENTRY
Committee,
who
travelled
NEW ZEALAND
10
Getting behind our youth
Red
Maya Shivam
IWK: That sounds very

exciting. So whats the delay?
There is, however, one thing

that stands between him and
Berklee and we believe the
community can get behind this
young artist to make this happen.
Indian Weekender caught up
with Akshay to find out how we
could help.
IWK: Tell us about yourself
IWK: Tell us
musical journey
about
From a very young

age, I have been
interested in music,
growing up watching
my favourite Indian
movies that had
amazing music. I
was always drawn to
the musical side of
life. Mum says I was
singing even before
I could walk.
your
Akshay: I moved to New

Zealand in 2001 and in primary
school I picked up the recorder,
which led me to the piano and
guitar but singing was always
my main passion.
It wasnt until I started high
school where I was surrounded
by music and the performing
arts that I got serious about
pursuing music as a career. I
did all my school musicals and
some community ones too. My
greatest achievement in high
Orange
more than a dozen other genres

and fields of study.
With a diverse and talented
student body representing 96
countries and alumni who have
collectively won more than 250
Grammys and Latin Grammys,
Berklee is the worlds premier
learning lab for the music of
todayand tomorrow.
iwi
Indian
singer
Akshay Hari Belas is
all set to represent the
Kiwi Indian Community on the
world stage with his acceptance
into the Berklee College of
Music in Massachusetts, USA
where the likes of John Mayer
have studied. Getting into
Berklee will not just be a dream
come true for this young artist
but will also open up doors to
tremendous opportunities.
Akshay: I was born in Ba,

Fiji in 1993 and grew up in
Lautoka till I moved to New
Zealand when I was six. From
a very young age, I have been
interested in music, growing up
watching my favourite Indian
movies that had amazing
music. I was always drawn to
the musical side of life. Mum
says I was singing even before
I could walk. My parents were
dental therapists back in Fiji.
I get my musical side from my
mum whose dad, Hari Prasad,
was given the title of The
Golden Voice of Fiji.
He was a classical Indian
musician and was quite well
known around Fiji in those
days. Sadly he died when my
mum was young so I never got
to meet him but I have heard
his music and seen his pictures
with all his trophies.
Black
school was receiving an AMI

Showdown Award for Best
Male Soloist in a Musical for
my role as Rev. Billy Hightower
in the musical Bat Boy.
After high school, I attended
MAINZ (Music and Audio
Institute of New Zealand)
where I studied contemporary
music and performance for two
years. As those two years were
coming to an end I felt like I
needed to move on to bigger and

better things, so on a whim one
night I went onto the Berklee
College website and hit apply,
which just snowballed into me
being accepted!
IWK: For those who dont
know, tell us more about
Berklee.
Akshay: Berklee College of
Music is located in Boston,
Massachusetts, United States,
and is the largest independent
college
of
contemporary
music in the world. Known
primarily as the worlds
foremost institute for the
study of jazz and modern
American music, it also offers
college-level courses in a wide
range of contemporary and
historic styles, including rock,

flamenco, hip hop, reggae,
salsa, and bluegrass. As of
2015, Berklee alumni have
been awarded a total of 253
Grammy Awards.
Berklee was founded on
the revolutionary principle
that the best way to prepare
students for careers in music is
through the study and practice
of contemporary music.
For more than half a century,
the college has evolved to
reflect the state of the art of
music and the music business,
leading the way with the
worlds first baccalaureate
studies
in
jazz,
rock,
electric guitar, film scoring,
songwriting,
turntables,
electronic production, and
Akshay: I was meant to start in

January 2016, but I needed to
have the full amount of tuition
for one years worth of study to
show to the US Government,
$60239 USD, which roughly
converts to $90K NZD (give or
take a couple hundred). So Ive
deferred semesters and I plan
to start in their summer intake
(May) which doesnt give me
a lot of time but this is my
dream so I have to do whatever
it takes.
Being in America and studying
at Berklee can lead to so many
more amazing opportunities.
The first, of course, is to be able
to represent my community
on the world stage. You never
know, I could become a famous
recording artist or be on
Broadway or possibly even be
a singer for Cirque du Soleil,
the dreams are endless.
Thats why I started a
fundraising
page
https://
givealittle.co.nz/cause/
akshayberklee/
because
theres no harm in asking from
my own people. Also, I am
looking into some grants I can
possibly get.
And thats why I thought Id
reach out to the New Zealand
Indian community. It would
be great to have support from
them. You dont really see
many Indians in the Western
limelight in the music industry.
It would be great to represent
my culture and my heritage on
an international scale.
It will be great to see this young
and bright artist represent the
Kiwi Indian Community on
the world stage. We hope that
through this story, Akshay
can find the support from
individuals and organisations
that can help him make his
dreams a reality.
Indian weekender is available

at 100+ outlets all over new zealand.
If you cant find a copy of your favourite paper, drop us an
email at mahesh.iwk@gmail.com and we will ensure
you get your copies every week at your nearest outlet.
NEW ZEALAND
Red
Black
Orange
Recreational fishing parks proposed in

Hauraki Gulf and Marlborough Sounds
he
government
has
launched a consultation
document on a new
Marine Protected Areas Act to
replace the Marine Reserves
Act 1971 that includes proposals
for recreational fishing parks
in the inner Hauraki Gulf and
Marlborough Sounds.
We are proposing a new system
of marine protection that will
include marine reserves, speciesspecific
sanctuaries,
seabed
reserves, and recreational fishing
parks. This more sophisticated
approach with four different types
of marine protection is similar to
the graduated approach we take
to reserves on land that vary from
strict nature reserves to those for a
specific or recreational purpose,
says Environment Minister Dr
Nick Smith.
The new recreational fishing
parks in the Hauraki Gulf and
11
Kenepuru Sound, Marlborough
Marlborough Sounds enhance

the recreational experience in
these areas. There is currently
an estimated 870 tonne per
year of commercial catch in the
proposed Hauraki Park and 139
tonne per year in the proposed
Marlborough Sounds Park that
would be discontinued within the
park boundaries, says Primary
Industries Minister Nathan Guy.

Marine conservation is incredibly
important to New Zealand with
an estimated 80 per cent of
indigenous biodiversity and more
than 15,000 known species found
in the sea. New Zealand has a
proud heritage of being one of
the first countries in the world
to provide for no-take marine
Diving deep to keep

school pools full
chools have resorted to asking for

donations on a charity website
in a last ditch attempt to keep
school pools open, Labours Childrens
spokesperson Jacinda Ardern says.
Despite a requirement from the
Ministry of Education that children are
taught basic swimming skills, more than
150 schools have been forced to close their
pools over the last six years because they
cant afford to maintain them. Another 130
are at risk of closure.
Schools have pretty much exhausted
their fundraising options, including
applying for various grants and selling keys
for community use.
Its prompted 30 to launch Give a Little
campaigns to buoy up donations, a move
supported by Water Safety New Zealand,
which maintains the school pool is the best
place to teach kids how to swim to survive,
and which is also fundraising for the cause.
For many families school pools provide
the only opportunity their kids will have
to learn to swim. Water confidence and
water safety skills are critical in a country
where activities such as surfing, boating
and fishing are an integral part of the
outdoor lifestyle.
Tragically 10 people drowned in New
Zealand waters over the official Christmas
holiday period, with the drowning toll for
2015 at 100.
These facilities not only have a
significant educational role, they often
become the heart of a community
over summer.
Despite the importance of kids learning

to swim in a country [such as] New Zealand,
the government has basically ignored the
plight of schools, saying the decision to
keep them open or not is down to boards
of trustees.
Schools dont want to lose their pools,
but they are being left without a choice.
The Ministry of Education needs to
step in and form a plan rather than stand
by while communities lose an asset that
helps save lives, Jacinda Ardern says.
reserves, including the proposal

to create the 620,000 square
kilometres
Kermadec
Ocean
Sanctuary, says Conservation
Minister Maggie Barry.
However,
the
old
Act
is no longer fit for modern
purpose.These new proposals
provide a better and more flexible
process for establishing and
managing marine reserves and
will enable species sanctuaries
for not just marine mammals but
other significant species such as
albatross and great white sharks.
This reform is the next step
in our programme of work for
New Zealand to be a leader in the
sustainable use and management
of our marine environment.
We have an excellent system of
commercial fishery management
with the quota management
system. We introduced in 2009 a
proper regulatory system for the
management of other activities

in the Exclusive Economic
Zone with the establishment of
the Environmental Protection
Authority. We will be passing
legislation this year for one of
the worlds largest no-take areas
with the new Kermadec Ocean
Sanctuary. This next step of a new
Marine Protective Areas Act will
provide a wider range of marine
protection tools and a better
system for their establishment
and management, Dr Smith said.
Ministers welcome feedback
and submissions on the proposals
in todays discussion documentA
New Marine Protected Areas
Act. Submissions close on March
11. The proposals are then
intended to be drafted into a bill
to be introduced into Parliament
and
subjected
to
further
public input by way of select
committee hearings.
12
NEW ZEALAND
Housing construction hits

one billion dollars per month
he growth in residential
building hit an all-time
record of a billion dollars
of work consented in a month
for the first time ever, Building
and Housing Minister Dr Nick
Smith noted in response to
Statistics New Zealand building
consent data.
These latest figures are very
encouraging and confirm the
success of the governments
policies to grow housing supply.
The 26,793 consents for new
homes in the year to November is
the highest in more than a decade,
as are the 2,831 issued for the
month of November. The national
figures are 21 per cent higher than
October 2015 and 17 per cent
higher than November 2014, Dr
Smith says.
I am particularly encouraged
by the 966 new home consents in
Auckland as it is getting close to
the 1,000 per month we need to
match demand for new housing.
It is a 20 per cent increase on
the previous month and three
times the number consented
in
November
2008
when
National became government.
This data confirms that solid
progress is being made in lifting
the
pace
of
Aucklands
residential construction.
We are also starting to get

benefits from Housing Accords
in other parts of New Zealand.
The 328 new home consents in
Wellington is highest number
since April 2008. The government
welcomes
a
spreading
of
housing
growth
outside
Auckland and Christchurch as
well as the trend towards more
apartment construction.
Todays figures confirm the
direction of the governments
housing
policies.
We
are
continuing to free up more land
faster through the Auckland
Housing Accord and the eight
other Accords we have with
councils across the country.
We have initiatives in place to
constrain building materials costs,
rein in development contributions,
cut compliance costs and invest

in improved sector productivity.
Our new $435 million HomeStart
support package will help 90,000
people into home ownership over
five years.
We need to keep our foot
on the accelerator to ensure we
support this positive momentum.
The next step in the governments
programme include advancing
new housing on Crown-owned
land in Auckland, supporting
the Auckland Council in the
completion of the new Auckland
Unitary Plan, consulting on a new
Urban Development National
Policy Statement, and reform
of the Resource Management
Act to address the long-term
issues affecting housing supply
and affordability.
Petition for not signing the TPPA

IWK Bureau
rade
Ministers
from
the 12 countries in the
Trans-Pacific Partnership
Agreement (TPPA) will sign
the TPPA in Auckland on
Thursday,
February
4,
according to statements by
governments of Chile and
Peru (although this has
still not been confirmed by
the secrecy-obsessed New
Zealand government).
On January 12, the
network of Kiwis against
the TPPA, Its Our Future,
launched a petition, together
with partners, ActionStation and
ShoutOut. The petition will gather
the signatures of Kiwis who do
not consent to the government
signing the TPPA.
Coordinator of Its Our Future,
Barry
Coates,
commented,
We now understand why the
TPPAwasnegotiated in secret.
It is not in the interests of New
Zealanders. Now the text is
publicly available, it is clear that

the deal is designed to serve the
interests of large corporations and

powerful states, notthe interests
ofpeopleor the planet.
He added, This is not an
agreement that our government
should sign. The TPPA allows
multinational
companies
to
challenge decisions of parliament
and our courts in a private

international
tribunal.The
TPPAsrules and enforcement
mechanisms will bind the hands of
New Zealand governments for the
indefinite future, in violation of
our democracy, sovereignty
and the Treaty of Waitangi.
Concerned Kiwis are
currently consulting on
actions and events around
the date of signing to
support this petition. The
government is not signing
the TPPA with the consent
of New Zealanders.
Laura
OConnell-Rapira
of ActionStation said, Tens
of thousands of everyday New
Zealanders have been saying for
more than a year now that we do
not want this deal. Weve written
letters, made submissions, met
with MPs and marched in the
streets. Yet this government still
chooses to blatantly ignore our
voices. The fact of the matter is,
were not going away and we will
not be ignored.
Elderly bearing brunt of

Nationals health cuts
Red
he government needs to
take a step back from its
health rhetoric and look
at the impact that its continued
underfunding
of the health
system
is
having
on
older people,
says Labours
Senior Citizens
spokesperson
Ruth Dyson.
How
we
look after older people is the
marker of a civilised society.
Those in their 70s, 80s and
90s must not be consigned to
the health scrap heap or forced
to live in pain and unable to
get around.
Their quality of life should
be something we value as part
of respecting older citizens as
members of our communities.
But Nationals decision to cut
1.7 billion dollars out of the health
system is seeing more and more
Black
Orange
older people declined elective

surgery despite their urgent need.
Recent examples in Christchurch
have only highlighted a problem
that is impacting older people all

around New Zealand. Older New
Zealanders have worked for years
raising families, in paid jobs or
working in our communities. This
is not what they deserve.
John Key needs to give a
firm commitment to older New
Zealanders that the healthcare
system will be there for them
when they need it and that our
healthcare workers will have the
resources they need to keep people
well, says Ruth Dyson
Fishhooks in govts
park plan
ational
has
backed
away from its promise
of recreational fishing
parks, with their proposal failing
to ban commercial fishing
operations in the area, says
Labour Fisheries Spokesperson
Rino Tirikatene.
At the last election, National
promised to create recreational
fishing
parks
by
banning
commercial fishing in key areas.
However,
todays
announcement reveals some
parks might allow commercial
fishing to continue for certain
species. So despite all Nationals
spin,
commercial
fishing
will continue in the so called
recreation parks.
The proposal has also left
open a potential blank cheque
to compensate quota owners
in affected areas while fishers
who rely on that quota could
potentially lose their livelihood
and get nothing in return. The
proposed approach could also
leave the government open to
legal action costing the taxpayer
even more.It is also possible
that Treaty Settlements may
be undermined through the
creation of the parks.There will
also be alarm that petroleum
or minerals activity
could
be
allowed
within these so called
recreational
fishing
parksand additional
onerous
reporting
obligations
could
be
imposed
on
recreational fishers.
B u r y i n g
theannouncementin a
vague
discussion
document
at
the
height of summer is
an admission by the
government that the
promised
fishing
parks are in rough
water.It looks like
another
Nick
S m i t h
stuffu
p
i
s
imminent as the Minister has
again been caught out not doing
his homework.
While the idea may have
sounded good in Nationalsfocus
groups at election time, by
not doing the work behind the
scenes, the government has been
caught out over-promising and
under-delivering yet again, says
Rino Tirikatene.
READ ONLINE AT
www.indianweekender.co.nz
NEW ZEALAND
Red
Black
13
Orange
New recycling drop off sites Auckland firefighters

fly to Victoria
coming soon for Franklin
uckland Council is close

to finalising new recycling
drop off locations in
Franklin, after being advised
at short notice the Pukekohe
transfer station stopped their
services from Monday, January
11. Envirowaste, a privatelyowned business operating on
their own land, told the council
of their decision to pull their
recycling drop off service a week
before Christmas.
More notice to customers
would have been helpful, however,
they are a private business and
there has never been a contract
in place with us to run the site or
the service, says Waste Solutions
Manager Ian Stupple.
We are not aware of any
public consultation in making
the decision. It was a commercial
decision that was solely theirs to
make and they made it.
The company has said publicly
they no longer have room for
town recycling, and will instead
concentrate on restructuring the
site for commercial customers.
Many residents have said they
are keen to continue recycling
right, and the council is keen to
ensure this happens as well, with
strong support from Franklin
Local Board. Our focus is on

enhancing our current offering
of recycling drop off sites. We
are finalising negotiations with
land owners and potential
operators, and we will confirm
new options as soon as possible.
Auckland Council does not fund
recycling drop off services for
Waikato residents or recycling
generated
by
commercial
activities. Residents needing
to drop off recycling can find
locations listed below.
Auckland Council inherited
the current contract for recycling
collections from the former
Franklin council. This included
a council kerbside recycling
collection for urban residents,
while rural residents were
provided with recycling drop of
sites. Residents receiving the
fortnightly kerbside service pay

more in their targeted waste rate
than those that do not.
All eligible properties will
receive the fortnightly kerbside
collection in a wheeled bin when
the current collection contract
ends, from July 1, 2017.
We look forward to moving to
consistent services for everyone,
so our customers in Franklin
receive the same service as each
other and the rest of the region.
LOCATIONS
1. Waiuku Community Recycling
Centre, 5 Hosking Pl, Waiuku
2. Papakura Transfer Station,
25
Inlet
Rd,
Papakura
3. Matakawau, Matakawau Rd
(off Awhitu Rd)permanent
drop
off
facilitymetal
cans, glass and cardboard
only
(not
plastic
bottles).
4.
Hunualast
Saturday
morning of each month at Parks
Depot, 4 Lockwood Rd, Hunua
5. Waiau Pa Hallfirst Saturday
morning
of
each
evennumbered
month
(two
monthly).
uckland rural
firefighters
have
been
called
to
Australia
to
battle
out-ofcontrol
bush
fires
that have been raging
in
coastal
Victoria
since Christmas Day,
destroying 116 homes Auckland firefighter Rory Renwick is on his fifth trip helping
and
2700
hectares fight Australias deadly bushfires
of bush.
have a wide range of experience
We sent six Auckland
taking on steep terrain, 40-degree
firefighters last week as part of a
heat and arduous conditions,
New Zealand contingent of 20,
so they can make a significant
but the fires are still not under
contribution in this is type of
control so we are sending another
environment, says Mr Harre.
six fighters on Monday to relieve
The
teams
come
from
the exhausted Victorian crews
Auckland rural fire stations at
on the front line, says acting
Awhitu, Great Barrier Island,
principal rural fire officer Thomas
Puhoi, Waitakere, and also
Harre. The Wye River-Jamieson
include members of the Auckland
Track fire, which is still creeping
Rural Fire Authority.Auckland
slowly under the current mild
Council is Aucklands rural
conditions on its Western edge
fire authority.
to the Otway Ranges, is likely to
The New Zealanders will
threaten coastal communities in
work in Australia for four weeks
the area if another hot dry wind
and possibly longer if the state
period arrives before it can be
continues to be affected by hot,
contained. Our rural firefighters
dry conditions.
Rail options investigated

for Mangere and airport
ight and heavy rail options are

being investigated byAuckland
Transportto improve public
transport access to Mngere and the
airport area.
A rail link would provide much improved
and more reliable public transport for
people living in Mngere, working in the
airport area, and for travellers.
The area is one of Aucklands largest and
fastest growing employment centres, with
jobs increasing from 33,000 to 90,000
by 2044.
Light rail option
A light rail link would cost about $1
billion to extend a proposed light rail route
via Queen Street and Dominion Road to
Onehunga, Mngere Bridge, Mngere,
the airport employment area and a new
terminal being developed by Auckland
Airport. The estimated travel time between

Britomart and the airport is 44 minutes,
or 41 minutes from a new Aotea Station in
central Auckland.
Heavy rail option
The heavy rail option would cost about
$2.2 billion and include the double tracking
of the Onehunga Line with rail extended to
Mngere Bridge, Mngere and the airport
terminal. Travel times are an estimated
39 minutes between Britomart and the
airport, or 41 minutes from the new central
Auckland Aotea Station.
Designs for Auckland Domain

memorial
on displayof the Museum, down the northern slopes
isitors to Auckland War Memorial
Museum during January 8 to

24 have the opportunity to view
and comment on five concepts for a new
commemorative memorial planned for the
Auckland Domain to mark the centenary of
the Great War.
The proposed feature will enable both
casual and formal ceremonial access to the
Museum and Court of Honour on the axis
to Domain Drive.
Five international-standard design
consortia were invited to submit concept
designs, which are being displayed at the
Museum. The public are invited to offer
their feedback and opinions on how the
designs make them feel. The feedback will
be used to help the final chosen consortium
refine their construction.
Manurewa Tyre & Services Ltd

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14
FIJI
Red
Gold medal star hopes to inspire
aneesha Raksha Karan

wants to inspire Fijian
scholars
studying
overseas to make Fiji proud.
The 28-year-old is Fijis first
Indian Council for Cultural
Relations (ICCR) scholar to
receive five gold medals.
She was awarded by Mysore
University, Karnataka, in India
last year, where she completed
her Masters in Journalism
and Communication.
Ms Karan has worked for
various
media
organisations
in Fiji. She is now a media and
journalism lecturer at Fiji National
University (FNU).
Originally from Salusalu Street,
Labasa, Ms Karan felt proud to
receive the gold medals. I want
Maneesha Raksha Karan
to become a mentor for scholars

and help them make Fiji proud,
she said.
Ms Karan was inspired by
her English teachers to become
a journalist when she was in
secondary school. She enjoyed
studying in India. The Bachelors

course in media and journalism she
studied at University of the South
Pacific (USP) and Masters course
in journalism and communication
in India are different. But the
journalism principle, concept and
Fiji to host 2017 Miss Pacific Islands Pageant
iji
is
expected
to
host the 2017 Pacific
Islands Pageant.
The organising committee said
they have received a confirmation
letter. The pageant is expected
to be held in Nadi. This years
pageant will take place in Apia,
Samoa and they will be celebrating
its 30th anniversary. Fiji has had
two successful winnings at the
Miss Pacific Islands pageant
Merewalesi Nailatikau in 2009,
and Alisi Rabukawaqa in 2011.
The Miss Pacific Islands
pageant had become the most
prestigious International pageant
in the Pacific after the Miss Asia
Pacific International pageant.
Fiji last hosted the Pacific
Islands Pageant in 2009.
Fiji Airways flights

position us as a hub
iji Airways flying to

Singapore
in
April
serves as an opportunity
in making Fiji a hub, says
acting Prime Minister Aiyaz
Sayed-Khaiyum.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said Fiji
is now connected to every single
continent around the Pacific
except South America.
The level of connectivity has
increased. We fly to LA, Hong
Kong, Singapore, Australia, and
NZ and we are connected to
Korean Airways, he added.
If you visualise it, we are
already in a hub position. We
need to take advantage of it. The
reality is that Singapore will only
be 9 hours away. Singapore is
a major commercial and financial
hub of South East Asia. We have
talked about being a little Singapore;
we have talked about being a little
Geneva in the Pacific, we have talked
about being a little Dubai in the
Pacific, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
Source: Fiji Sun
Miss Fiji Merewalesi Nailatikau winner for Miss Pacific Islands pageant in 2009
basics remains the same. Media

industries are very competitive in
bringing out the truth, she said.
Ms Karan hopes to enjoy
teaching journalism at FNU.
The Indian Council for Cultural
Relations (ICCR), Ministry of
External Affairs, Government
of India, runs Cultural Centres
around the globe with the
objective to establish, revive and
strengthen cultural relations and
mutual understanding between
India and other countries.
General Cultural Scholarship
Scheme (GCSS) scholarships are
offered to meritorious nationals of
Fiji, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, Kiribati,
Nauru and Tonga accredited to the
High Commission of India in Fiji.
Black
Orange
Fiji doing
well, says
PM
rime Minister Voreqe

Bainimarama says Fiji has
been doing really well as
a country.
Mr
Bainimarama
said
Fiji had recorded its sixth
consecutive year of economic
growth
and
attracted
investment from all over
the world.
Weve
achieved
great
things through hard work
and commitment to our new,
unified Fiji, he said while
kick-starting his tour of the
Northern Division this week.
Fiji one of the first govt to meet standards

set by UN for better education: Reddy
ducation Minister Dr
Mahendra Reddy says
Fiji is one of the first
governments in the African,
Caribbean and Pacific (ACP)
region to meet the standards set
by the United Nations (UN) in
the provision of better access
to education.
Dr Reddy says the benchmark
by the United Nations under
UNESCO required governments
to allocate 14% of its annual
budget to the education sector.
He says Fiji currently spends
around 15% of its budget on the
education sector which is above
the level set by the UN and this is
not just for 2016 but for the past
couple of years too. Dr Reddy
adds that schemes such as free
bus fares, free textbooks, free

tuition fee, provision of milk and
Weetbix cereals, transportation
(boats
and
engines
where
necessary) is testimony of the
governments vision in building a
wellinformed society.
Two heads of foreign missions

commissioned
he
President,
Major
General
(Retd)
Jioji
Konousi
Konrote
commissioned two of Fijis
Head of Missions who will be
taking up their postings overseas
next month.
Fijis High Commissioner to the
United Kingdom, Jitoko Tikolevu
and Ambassador to the United
Arab Emirates, Kamlesh Prakash
took their oath of allegiance
and oath of execution at the
State House.
The two diplomats, who now
join the Fiji diplomatic corps,
are from the financial and
education sector.
Prior to his appointment Mr
Tikolevu was the chief executive
officer of the Fiji Revenue and
Customs Authority (FRCA) and
has worked his way up the ladder

since he began his stint at the
Ministry of Commerce as the
licensing clerk in 1981.
He joined the FRCA in 2002
as the senior policy and research
officer in 2002 after having
acquired a Bachelor of Arts in
Business Studies from University
of the South Pacific and a Masters
in Tax (Honours) from the
University of Auckland.
Mr Prakash has more than
25 years of work experience in
the education field as a tutor and
lecturer in Economics as well as a
training manager in organisations
such as USP and the Fiji Trade
Union Congress.
The
former
director
of
the National Training and
Productivity Centre (NTPC) of the
From left: Fijis new High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Jitoko Tikolevu, Minister for Foreign
Affairs Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, President Major-General (Retd) Jioji Konousi Konrote and Fijis new
Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Kamlesh Prakash. Photo: DEPTFO News
Fiji National University (FNU)

has 10 years of international
experience as he worked with the
Asian Productivity Organisation
headquartered in Tokyo.
Mr Prakash has a BA in
Economics/Politics from the USP
and a Master of Economics from
Jawaharlal Nehru University in
New Delhi, India.
FIJI
No same sex marriage: PM
Red
Black
rime Minister Voreqe

Bainimarama says there
will be no same sex
marriage in Fiji.
He made this emphatic
statement after watching a FBC
TV programme, Have Your Say.
The programme, which made
references to the Constitution,
equality and same sex marriage,
featured Shamima Ali, the
Womens Crisis Centre coordinator. FBC News director
Indra Singh, said one of last
years highlights was a recording
they made on Shamima Ali. Mr
Bainimarama said, Tell Shamima
Ali, there will be no same sex
marriage in Fiji, a topic pushed by
NGOs such as hers under the issue
of human rights.
He added, Not in her lifetime
and not in ours. They should not
Orange
be confused with the wording

of the Constitution about the
equality and love for one another.
The Constitution, he stressed,
did not refer to equality as the
opportunity for same sex marriage
or love for all as love by Sakaraia
for Ropate ending at the altar.
Not in her lifetime!
For a woman who wants to
get married to another woman
he said, Go and have it done in
Iceland and stay and live there.
Fiji does not need

that rubbish.
Ms Ali said she
spoke to FBC TV last
November and she did
not say anything on
same sex marriage. Many
religious
organisations
in Fiji support Mr
Bainimaramas position,
vehemently opposing same-sex
marriage. In an earlier interview
with Fiji Sun, the former generalsecretary of the Methodist
Church in Fiji and Rotuma,
now its president, Reverend
Tevita Nawadra said, Marriage
ceremony is for a man and
a woman.
Many communities in Fiji
frown upon the idea of a same-sex
union although there is a growing
tolerance towards gays.
Fiji best place in the world, says

Bollywood entertainer
ishwajeet
Borwankar,
a
Bollywood vocalist,
has piled praises on the
Fijian hospitality. He made the
comment in Labasa last month.
I had the most marvelous
time of my life and I feel fortunate
to be in Fiji which is known as
the best place in the world, Mr
Borwankar said.
He
is
from
Mumbai,
Maharashtra State in India.
He was in Labasa with Chirag
Wadhwani, an Indian celebrity
comedian, and Usha Nadkarni
known as Savita Tai in the Indian
television serial Pavitra Rishta
which is shown on FBC TV.
They conducted a one-night
show at Subrail Park in Labasa. He
was amazed and pleased to know
the people in Fiji have so much love
for Bollywood.
People in Fiji know our names
very well and we felt that they hold
us special place in their life.
The place, people and the food
are amazing. I was astonished by
the way they eat chicken curry and
rice and we experienced their style
of eating too. We eat a lot of spicy
The loss will be felt by his

A-League franchise side, the
Wellington Phoenix, as it rules
him out of the remainder of
the season.
Krishna has been a leading
light for the Phoenix this
season, scoring six of their 17
goals and leading the attack.
The Sibera, Labasa native
was injured in a 31 loss to the
Central Coast Mariners on
December 31 and initially
thought to be out for
a month.
Fijis customer service

ranked one of the best
ijis customer service has

been ranked as one of the
best in the world.
An Australian customer service
consultant Richard Coles, who
is currently in the country, says
a good customer service will
enhance workplace relations.
Having visited 55 countries and
providing training on customer
service, Richard Coles says Fiji is
one of the best.
The consultant, who has an
extensive experience in customer
service says, a lot more can be
done to further improve this.
I think youve got the basics
right and that is the smile, the
natural smile, the personalities,
the in-built friendliness and
willingness to help people. You
know customer service comes
from the heart, its not just a word,
it has to be something that you
feel, something that you what to
do and I think that is something
Fijians what to do. However think

I can add to that that I think it
can be improved. I think you got
great potential here, I think you
got to tighten up on a few things, a
few areas.
Training
can
do
that,
consulting can do that, changing a
little bit of attitude, getting people
to realise that similar customer
service across the company is
very important. Similar meaning
that my interaction with the
receptionist will be the same as
my interaction with the waiter,
interaction with the pool attendant
and so on and so forth.
Coles is in the country
conducting customer service
and leadership training to a
leading company.
He has conducted similar
trainings for Qantas Airways,
Royal Dutch Airlines and Emirates
Airline to name a few.
Fiji NZ Business Council looks

forward to a good year
F
Chirag Wadhwani (left) a celebrity comedian of India with Vishwajeet Borwankar who is the Runner Up
of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa stands together before their show at Subrail Park in Labasa
food in India which the people here

do not, but we managed to modify
our meal and enjoyed every bit of
Fijian lifestyle experience.
Their love and response which
I, as a feedback, have made me
realise that I have managed to set
my music footprint in Fiji. I will
always cherish these memories and
hope to come back for more shows
in Fiji.
Meanwhile, Mr Wadhwani, a
famous character on Laugh India
Laugh, a stand-up comedy in
India, was delighted to be in Fiji for
the second time. Fiji has given a
special identity and wherever I go to

perform, they always give me good
response, Mr Wadhwani said.
It could be partially because of
my hair, but I believe they love my
comedy. My advice to youngsters,
who wish to be like me or aspire to
become a comedian, is that your life
and body should be filled with joy.
Your life and your mind should not
be in tension. Always be happy
and enjoy your life.
He cracked a joke saying, If
you take tension then your wife
in white sari will go and take
your pension.
Krishna ruled out for 3 months
iji football wonder boy,

Roy Krishna is expected to
be out of action for three
months with an ankle injury.
15
Krishna is tipped to lead

the Vodafone Fiji Under-23
football side in the Rio Olympic
Games in August.
Roy Krishna is a Fijian
association football player,
who currently plays as a striker
for Wellington Phoenix in the
A-League.
iji New Zealand Business

Council president Craig
Strong is positive with the
outlook for this year. This comes
as the council looks forward to
a number of events listed on
its calendar.
Mr Strong said, We have an
extremely busy calendar in 2016; a
year in which we intend to further
build on the platform of activity
that was developed in 2015. The
pinnacle of 2016 will be our council
hosting the Joint Forum.
He added preliminary planning
was underway at this stage as the
council plans to anchor the Forum
around the Chiefs vs Crusaders
Super 15 game in Suva on July 1.
2015
was
described
as
demanding year for the Council.
He continued, It was a very
busy year for us since the AGM
in April 2015. We hosted a
Trade Delegation from NZ led
by Matua Shane Jones, the NZ
Governments Pacific Economic
Ambassador. This was followed
Fiji NZ Business Council president Craig Strong
by the Joint Forum which was

held in Auckland in June and well
supported by our members.
For the successful completion
of the year, he acknowledged the
NZ High Commisioner to Fiji,
Mark Ramsden, and the NZ Trade
Commissioner Amanda Vercoe
for their unwavering support for
the council. He also thanked the
councils executive committee
member and Fijis honorary
counsel to the South Island,
Richard Hatherly, for his proactive and willingness to drive the
councils events in Nadi.
Interest growing for

cricket
ricket is recording a slow

but steady growth in the
capital city.
There are currently 16 teams

registered under Suva Cricket
Association and President,
Akuila Nawai says interested
teams have had to be turned
away due to limited grounds.
We hope that we have more
grounds because we have more
teams interested to take part.
The
problem
is
we
dont have a lot of grounds.
Hopefully the ground at Albert
Park will finish soon so we can
accommodate for other teams
that really want to come into
the competition. Meanwhile

in the Perpetual Cup challenge
match yesterday, Punjabi
Tigers defeated Komo by
six wickets.
INDIANEW ZEALAND
Thought of the week
Whatever it is youre seeking wont come

in the form youre expecting
Haruki Murakami
Editorial
From the desk of the

Managing Editor
In the past, I often reached a point where I felt depleted when I had little
enthusiasm for work (and sometimes even for life in general). The best cure
I found was to inject a few happiness boosters into my daily routine. Today,
rather than waiting for my energy levels to drop dangerously low before I take a break,
I incorporate instant gratification into my life on a regular basis. These infusions of
moments of joy do not merely make me feel better in the moment, they often create
a current of enthusiasm and energy that helps me become more productive, more
creative, happier.
The challenge, as it often is, is to find the right balance between delaying
gratification, and grabbing it. I leave that to you...
Tal Ben-Shahar from Choose the Life You Want
In todays fast-paced life, it is often too easy to not stop even for a minute to check
in with yourself or to simply take a breather. We just seem to rush from one thing
to another, be it at work or home or in between running to childrens school or the
supermarket; the list of things to do is endless. It is exactly this running around that
leaves us depleted and devoid of energy to carry on, what we may generally call burn
out. It was, therefore, interesting to read what Tal Ben-Sahar has to say about taking
breaks and introducing instant gratification into your days. Sometimes it can be this
fine line that gets us ahead and keeps our energy and enthusiasm levels up. Thats
exactly how life is meant to be, isnt it? It is not meant to be an unending chore that
we struggle to complete day after day.
While we are on the subject, it may be pertinent to mention the inclusion of our
new columnSoul Space. In this issue, we talk about meditation, but really the
message is the same. If we can make even a little time for ourselves and just breathe,
life will become that much better.
It is the time for our beginning of the year festivalsLohri, Pongal and Makar
Sankranti. We have stories on each of these festivals and also snippets from our
readers on how they celebrate these festivals away from their home and families.
On January 16, we also celebrate Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti. Guru Gobind Singh
was the 10th and one of the most celebrated gurus of the Sikhs. At a young age of 11,
Guru Gobind Singh succeeded his father. He always carried his two swords, which
are known as Piri and Miri. Both these swords denote Shakti and Bhakti. He fought
against the oppression of the Sikhs by the Mughal rulers. Guru Gobind Singh was the
last of 10 gurus and due to his huge contribution towards Sikhism, he is considered
the eternal guru. So greetings and warm wishes to all our readers on these festivals.
No matter what state or religion you belong to, to be able to celebrate together with
friends and family is the biggest joy of all.
Pick of the week
NASAs Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) was snapped from a telescope at the Mt Lemmon SkyCenter, which is operated by
the University of Arizona. Adam Block, a local astrophotographer, took this image of the Orion Nebula.
Until next time.

Giri Gupta
Indian Weekender : Volume 7 Issue 41

Publisher: Kiwi Media Group Limited
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the views of the team at the Indian Weekender
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Printed at Horton Media, Auckland
Copyright 2015. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.
Word: Puckeroo
Meaning: Broken, useless
Usage: He had a compass but it was puckeroo
Tip from the trenches
DIY car cleaning tips

Clear out the cloudy headlights by
applying toothpaste on the lens
cover and rubbing it with a
plain cloth.
Use a paint brush to
dust between the AC vents,
and vaccum up as you
brush it off
Use olive oil to polish
the leather on the dashboard
Clean the wheels by using
cleaning powder and water
OPINION/EDITORIAL
17
Why is the US turning Indian students back?
Red
Black
Orange
Arun Kumar
all it pre-election rhetoric

or post Paris and St
Bernardino
paranoia,
Indian students coming to
the US have been caught in
a bind, with many deported
or denied entry for no fault
of theirs.
They all came with valid
F-1 student visas issued by
US missions in India with
the requisite I-20 forms from
educational institutions certifying
their admission, but have been
sent packing back home at the
port of entry.
There are no official figures
available, but an estimated 60
to 70 students have been turned
back so far. The process of
deportation continues despite
New Delhi making a strong plea to
Washington to honour their visas.
It all started from San Francisco
about two weeks after the
December 2 terrorist attack in St
Bernardino by a Pakistani couple,
with Air India asked to fly back
14 Indian students who had come
to join two allegedly blacklisted
dodgy schools. Both Silicon Valley

University (SVU) in San Jose and
Northwestern Polytechnic (NPU)
in Fremont have denied being
blacklisted or under any sort
of governmental investigation
or targeting
NPU has even blamed the
whole mess on the actions of
Air India which after the first
deportations declined to seat
US-bound students claiming it
had been informed by the US
Customs and Border Protection
(CBP) about the two schools being
under the scanner. NPU suggested

that Air India was not allowing its
students to board, as it has to fly
back at its own cost any individual
denied entry to a country.
Air India is reported to have
now resumed bringing in Indian
students provided they commit to
pay for their return in case they
were not allowed to enter.
Over the last couple of weeks,
several students coming through
Chicago or New York and on other
airlines to join other schools,
some of them well reputed,
have also been turned back. Yet,

according to diplomatic sources,
the US has denied any large-scale
denial of entry of Indian students
and claims that CBP agents decide
each case on its own merit whether
it is genuine or not.
In some cases, the students
did not even know what courses
they planned to study, where
they would stay or how they
would meet their living expenses
as students are not allowed to
work. Some immigration officers
are even giving spot tests to
incoming students.
A majority of students hail
from Andhra Pradesh but there
is apparently no racial profiling
or targeting of Indian students
as students from other countries
including China too have been
denied entry.
NPU president Peter Hsieh,
in a posting on the schools
website, also said that several
incoming students had informed
that as long as students have
proper
documentation
and
are able to answer questions,
they are being allowed into
Will Nawaz Sharif really book the

Pathankot masterminds?
Amitava Mukherjee
positive signals to India to stand

up to the overbearing shadow of
the army. But the same man had
appointed Lt. Gen. Javed Nasser,
allegedly an infamous character,
as the ISI chief. This man was
allegedly the principal figure
behind forging a link with and
then providing shelter to Dawood
Ibrahim in Pakistan. He had also
airlifted arms to Bosnian Muslims
when the European Union
was desperately trying to keep
Bosnia united.
t is fortunate that the

Indian
government
has
reacted with caution and
maturity to the terrorist strike
at the Indian Air Force base at
Pathankot, the first grave crisis
faced by the government led by
Narendra Modi.
While
guesswork
and
accusations are being bandied
around about the involvement of
the Pakistan Army and the ISI in
the gruesome act, the incident has
presented the Indian government
with an occasion to probe further
into the flux and churning
inside the Pakistani civil and
army administration.
At least outwardly, Pakistan
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has
assured all cooperation in bringing
the culprits to book and promised
to take action in the leads provided
by India. Sharifs posture and his
promptness in speaking to the
Indian prime minister clearly give
out the tension between him and
the Pakistani Army establishment.
As the situation stands today,
Nawaz Sharif is more of a titular
ruler of Pakistan and the actual
epicentre of the administration
has passed on to the army chief,
General Raheel Sharif, in the
name of the National Action Plan,
a government programme to root
out terrorism.
But the Indian government
should try to reach out to the
Pakistani Army also, as in recent
years, it has revised its military
doctrine somewhat away from
its Kashmir centric policy and
incorporated into it a new chapter

called sub-conventional warfare
(SCW), which is nothing but
an admission of the internal
fundamentalist threat.
The main thrust of SCW is,
no doubt, against the Tehrik-iTaliban Pakistan (TTP). However,
there is information that the
TTP is tying its knots with other
terrorist outfits such as the Jaishe-Mohammed and Lashkar-eTaiba et al. In that case, the army
might be in a predicament over
re-orienting its relations with
terrorist organisations.
A
more
uncomfortable
development for the army has
been the news that the TTP and
other fundamentalist terrorist
organisations have penetrated
deep inside southern Punjab
the most important recruitment
ground of the army. Although
the army has achieved significant
success in North Waziristan,
there are reports that its Pashtun
elements are still surrendering
to the TTP while other non-state

actors are receiving significant
help as a result of the radicalisation
of
the
army
and
other
security apparatus.
But New Delhi should not
expect much from Nawaz Sharif as
he is known to enjoy good rapport
with militant organisations such
as the Sipah-e-Sahaba (SS) and
the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ).
During the last parliamentary
election,
the
Pakistani
establishment was rife with
rumours that the Sharif family had
come to an understanding with
the SS by which it had guaranteed
the security of the Sharif family
in return for a good number of SS
leaders and cadres being released
from jail and accommodated in
government jobs in the Punjab
province, which is under the
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz
(PML-N).
By a strange twist in fortune,
Nawaz Sharif now needs to send
But New Delhi should

not expect much from
Nawaz Sharif as he is
known to enjoy good
rapport with militant
organizations like the
Sipah-e-Sahaba (SS)
and the Lashkar-eJhangvi (LeJ).
There is now a trenchant
criticism, mostly from the
Congress,
about
Narendra
Modis Pakistan policy. It now
appears that Modi should have
been more circumspect before
meeting Nawaz Sharif in Lahore.
On several occasions Sharif had
held out promises of peace and
justice, but that did not prevent
the
Pakistani
establishment
from releasing Zakiur Rahman
Lakhvi, the dreaded LeT terrorist
with a hand in the 2008 Mumbai
terror attack. Lakhvi has been put
the US. They also report that this

is not [only] limited to NPU or F-1
students but also to other foreign
travellers on H-1 visa and the
like, he wrote.
But whether the system has
been gamed by some unscrupulous
elements is beside the point.
There seems to be a dysfunction
between the consulates in India
and the border agents, informed
sources said.
The fact that so many students
have been denied entry indicates
that the US consulates in India
were not doing due diligence
before issuing visas.
Unless the US authorities can
find a quick fix, Indian students
who, according to the 2015 Open
Doors Report, make up 13.6 per
cent of the total international
students in the US, would continue
to suffer.
The US too stands to lose as
with a whopping 29.4 per cent
increase, a record high of 132,888
Indian students studying in the
US in 201415 academic year
contributed $3.6 billion to the
US economy.
behind the bars again but that has

not prevented him from carrying
on his activities.
During the 2013 general
elections Nawaz Sharif had
received at least moral support
from
the
TTP.
Moreover,
he is known to enjoy a cosy
relationship with the LeJ, a
dreaded organisation accused of
carrying out murders of the Shias.
The PML-N cannot deny the fact
that it had given nominations to
LeJ operatives such as Abid Raja
Gujjar, Sardar Ebad Dogar and
Anjum Akeel Khan against whom
charges of murdering innocent
Shias are pending. Pictures of
Nawaz Sharif with LeJ leaders
praying for electoral success before
the 2013 elections had gone viral in
the Internet.
The close relations between
the PML-N and the LeJ came
to limelight when the PML-N
government of Punjab province
had extended a monthly stipend to
Malik Ishaq, who was put behind
bars on charges of killing of Shias.
Rana Sanaullah, the provincial
law minister, tried to softpedal the
issue by saying that it was done on
court orders. Opposition leaders
averred that there was no such
judicial order.
Nawaz Sharif is putting to
practice the Takfiri Deobandi
ideology to which most of the
terrorist outfits swear allegiance.
So will he be really able to bring
to book the masterminds of the
Pathankot terror attack?
INDIA
18
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India bets on technology to overcome

challenges
Fakir Balaji
acing
against
time
to realise the Vision
2020 former president
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam conceived
in 1996, India has embarked
on a similar exercise for 2035,
betting on emerging technologies
to overcome major challenges it
faces in ensuring inclusive growth
and improving quality of life in
the country.
Technology is a key driver to
empower individuals, societies and
countries, facilitate development
and
enhance
capabilities,
while taking advantage of the
democratic dividend, says an
official document on Technology
Vision 2035.
The
100-page
document,
released by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi at the 103rd
Indian
Science
Congress
attempts to envision the countrys
technology future, using as
analogy of four gaits of a horse
galloping, cantering, trotting and
walking India. The document
articulates a vision for all Indians
in 2035 and how technology will

bring it to fruition, keeping in view
basic needs of security, prosperity
and identity of the population,
projected to be 153 crore from 120
crore in 2012.
No other country will be able to
match India in terms of diversity,
which is its core strength. Besides
diversity in culture, the country
is blessed with socio-economic,
demographic,
topographical
and agro-climatic diversities,
the report by the Technology
information,
forecasting
and
assessment
council
(Tifac) asserted.
As an autonomous body, Tifac
is a think tank under the science
and technology department of the
central government. It identified
10 major challenges requiring
attention, resources and solutions
in the next two decades for the
benefit of people.
The
key
challenges
are
development,
empowerment,
inclusiveness,
sustainability,
environment, education, health,
urban infrastructure, resources,
socio-economic policies, solutions,
electronic communication and

quality research.
The
council,
under
the
chairmanship of top nuclear
scientist-cum-technocrat
Anil
Kakodkar, identified 12 sectors to
realise the grand vision in the next
20 years, spanning education,
medical sciences and healthcare,
food and agriculture, water,
energy, environment, habitat,
transportation,
infrastructure,
manufacturing, materials and
information and communication
technology (ICT).
Admitting that the Technology
Vision 2020 was a prisoner to
the imagination of its own times,
Rajan said the document was from
the viewpoint of 1996 while that
of 2035 was from the standpoint

of 2014. Post-independent India
has never been more different in
any two decades than between
1996 and 2014, as the countrys
GDP (gross domestic product)
multiplied six times. If the 1996
document was an aspiration
of a developed India in 2020,
this speaks to the realisation
of a developed India by 2035,
Rajan asserted.
Although the country galloped
in some areas and cantered to
keep pace in others, it trotted in
a few but could not walk the talk
in many areas in time for various
reasons, internal and external.
In the past two decades, India
galloped in space, nuclear and
missile technologies, life sciences

and biotechnology, cantered in
civil aviation, services and road
transportation but trotted in food
and agriculture, manufacturing
and electronics. On the flip side,
in healthcare, life span increased
by 10 years to 65 years from 1988
to 2013, while infant mortality
declined to 41 per 1,000 from 94
per 1,000 in the same period (25
years) and maternal mortality
slumped to 190 per 100,000
births in 2013 from a high of
560 in 1990, the document
pointed out.
Flagging of the five-day science
event on January 3, Modi told
about 12,500 stakeholders that
the biggest challenge would be
pressure on resources as they
were limited and non-renewable
like fossil fuels. I am confident
that emerging technologies [such
as] nano, bio, robotics, sensors,
artificial intelligence and cognitive
sciences hold the potential to
provide solutions to the challenge
of limited resources, Modi said.
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Pakistan gives
India findings on
Pathankot attack
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INDIA
19
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akistan submitted to India its initial

findings on alleged Pakistani links
to the Pathankot terror attack
saying that the telephone numbers given
by India were not registered in Pakistan, a
news report here said.
A joint investigation team, formed

following a directive of Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif, submitted the initial findings
on the alleged Pakistani links to the terrorist
attack on the Indian Air Force station
in Punjabs Pathankot district earlier
this month.
According to sources close to the
development, the investigation report has
been handed over to Indian authorities,
The News International said.
It said Indian authorities provided
Pakistan details of telephonic conversations
that terrorists, believed to be Pakistanis,
had had with their handlers and family
members from the air base. According to
the Indian authorities, the terrorists who
sneaked into Punjab and attacked the IAF
base on January 2 were affiliated to the
proscribed outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad.
The report quoted unnamed sources as
saying that the telephone numbers given by
India were not registered in Pakistan.
The investigation agencies were
further investigating (leads) pertaining to
Pathankot attackers, it said.
A media report said Pakistans InterServices Intelligence (ISI) and Military
Intelligence were helping probe the
suspected Pakistani link to the terror

attack on the IAF base. The ISI, the
Military Intelligence and the Intelligence
Bureau were part of a Joint Investigation
Team (JIT) formed following a directive of
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Express
Tribune reported.
The decision to form the
JIT was taken at a high-level
meeting chaired by Sharif a
few days ago, it said.
Pakistani news reports on
Friday had said that Sharif
directed
the
Intelligence
Bureau to probe the leads
provided by New Delhi on
the alleged Pakistani links to
the January 2 terror attack in
Punjab. The pre-dawn attack
on the Indian Air Force (IAF)
station killed seven security
personnel. Security forces
killed all six attackers who
were said to have sneaked into
Punjab from Pakistan.
Nawaz (Sharif) is taking
an active role in getting to
the bottom of the Pathankot
incident, a source in the
Prime Ministers House was
quoted as saying.
He (Sharif) also discussed
the issue with army chief Gen
Raheel Sharif and took him on
board about the decision to
form a JIT, it added.
India
has
provided
Islamabad
actionable
information on the terrorists
alleged Pakistani links. New
Delhi wants Sharif to crack
down on those who planned the audacious
terrorist attack.
After the terror attack, Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif promised his Indian
counterpart Narendra Modi that his
government will act on information
provided by New Delhi on the terrorists
alleged Pakistani links.
Nawaz (Sharif) has assured his Indian
counterpart (Narendra Modi) that Pakistan
will investigate the matter and make the
results public, the report said.
But Pakistani officials have told their
media that the information given by India
was not enough and may not stand scrutiny
in a court of law. The News International
quoted highly placed diplomatic sources
as saying that the foreign secretary-level
talks between Pakistan and India could
be deferred by New Delhi as there was no
information so far about the visit of the
Indian foreign secretary for the January 15
talks in Islamabad.
No communication has taken place
between Islamabad and New Delhi on
the foreign secretary-level talks since the
Pathankot attack, it said.
Pakistan does not want the foreign
secretary-level talks to get derailed as
they were expected to pave the way for
a comprehensive composite dialogue
covering all outstanding disputes, including
Kashmir, it added.
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20
INDIA
Govt to continue reforms with

single-minded focus: Jaitley
nion Finance Minister

Arun Jaitley said that
the Narendra Modi
government would continue with
the economic reforms with singleminded focus.
Addressing the CII partnership
summit in this coastal city in
Andhra Pradesh, he said the
government would continue with
reforms, which it failed to pursue
in recent months.
Some of our reforms, which
we have missed out on in the
last few months, have to be
pursued with a single-minded
focus. We cannot afford a
change in direction, and in these
circumstances, every state has to
contribute, the minister said.
Jaitley pointed out the
World Bank has lowered the
global growth forecast to 2.9
per cent while the growth rates
of economies across the world
are hovering around extremely
low figures.
Many of our competing
economies are facing extremely
serious
challenges.
In
an
integrated economy, a large
number of those challenges and
difficulties gets spilled over.
So because of the integrated
economy, what happens in China,
what happens in oil prices, impact
our markets. Our revenues also
get impacted, when the price
regimes are low because nominal
GDP gets reduced, he said. He,
however, said that even under
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
the trying circumstances Indian

economy was doing well.
India continues to remain
the fastest growing economy in
the world. So our 77.5 per cent
growth rate stands out amongst
the larger economies as bright
spot among global economy.
The
minister
said
he
believed that India can convert
these circumstances into an
opportunity because some of the
factors adversely impacting the
world suit the country.
Jaitley said after Start-Up
India, the government will launch
Stand Up India, which will be
available only to women and the
SC/ST entrepreneurs.
Every public sector and
private sector bank, each branch
in the country has to fund one SC,

ST and one woman entrepreneur,
he added.
Lauding the reforms initiated
by Andhra Pradesh, he said the
state was recording double-digit
growth and it would be one of the
key engines of growth.
Responding to a request made
by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister
N. Chandrababu Naidu, Jaitley
assured all help to the state
in
dealing
with
the
post-bifurcation challenges.
He noted that Andhra has many
assets to become an investors
destination because of dynamic
leadership and ecosystem Jaitley
hailed competition among states
that have been holding investors
meets to attract investment, and
claimed that Prime Minister
Narendra Modi is successful in
converting cooperative federalism
into competitive federalism.
He suggested states improve
ease of doing business as
investors look for stability of
policy and business eco-system.
Nearly 1,600 delegates including
350 from US, China and 39 other
countries are attending the threeday summit. CII director general
Chandrajit Banerjee said that this
is the largest ever turnout at the
Partnership Summit.
Eminent
industrialists
including Anil Ambani, Baba
Kalyani, Naushad Forbes, G.M.
Rao and Adi Godrej were present
at the inaugural session.
Nepal PM invites Indian investment,

says a lot lost due to agitation
head of his visit to India

next month, Nepal Prime
Minister K.P. Sharma
Oli invited Indian businessmen
to invest in the Himalayan
nation, saying it had lost a lot
due to the agitation in the Terai
region and that all steps will be
taken
to
create
an
investor-friendly environment.
Interacting with a group of
visiting Indian journalists, Oli
said Nepal had lost revenue and
income due to the more than fourmonth-old Madhesi agitation
in the southern Terai plains of
the country.
I request the business
community of India to come
here. Of course, due to the unrest
in the Terai, we lost a lot... not
billions but trillions of rupees.
We lost income, revenue... No
industry is earning now but
we will immediately create an
investment-friendly situation,
Oli promised.
The southern plains have been
simmering with protests against
the new Constitution for more
than four months now. More than
55 people, including agitators
and police personnel, have been
killed during the agitation by the
Madhesi
community.
The
Madhesi
protestors
are
demanding, among other things,
Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli
a redrawing of the boundaries

of the provinces as proposed
in the new Constitution and
representation in parliament on
the basis of population.
Nepals
Left
government
has held more than a score of
rounds of talks with leaders of the
Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi
Morcha, which is spearheading
the agitation, but without any
breakthrough so far.
Oli said Nepal and India
can work together for shared
prosperity for entire South Asia.
Oli said South Asia had a huge
population and there were no
apprehensions about existence
of market for business ventures.
But we have to develop our
feeling in that way... so that we
can work together and enjoy
better future together. I will like

to invite the business community
to work together for better
future of Nepal, India and South
Asia, he said.
Nepal is committed and
honestly wants to create an
investment-friendly atmosphere,
he said.
According to data from the
Indian embassy here, Indian
firms are the biggest investors in
Nepal, accounting for about 38.3
per cent of Nepals total approved
foreign direct investment.
There are about 150 operating
Indian ventures in Nepal engaged
in manufacturing and services
that include banking, insurance,
education and telecom besides
power and tourism sectors.
Bilateral trade, which was 29.8
percent of Nepals total external
trade in 1995-96, reached 66
percent in 2013-14. Exports
from Nepal to India were worth
$605 million in 2013-14 and
Indias exports to Nepal were
$4.81 billion-worth during the
same fiscal.
Nepals
Deputy
Prime
Minister, and Foreign Minister
Kamal Thapa had earlier this
month announced that Oli will
in February embark on his first
foreign visit post-assumption of
office to India.
NEWS in BRIEF
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No shortage of medicines at
hospitals from February 1: Kejrwal
elhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the people will

not be denied medicines and consumables at government
hospitals since there will be no shortage of them from
February 1.
When poor people visit government hospitals, they dont get all
the medicines. But from February 1, no patient will be told that the
medicines are out of stock, he said here, adding a helpline would
be launched so that people can report the shortage of medicines at
government hospitals.
He stressed health and education would be the top two priorities
of his government in 2016. Shortage of medicines, which figure in the
list of essential drugs, at government hospitals has been a common
complaint in the capital. The Delhi government runs 38 hospitals.
Temple cant prohibit entry of

women devotees: SC
he Supreme Court, on Monday, January 11, said that unless

a temple had a constitutional right, it could not prohibit the
entry of the women pilgrims to offer worship.
A bench of Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose
and Justice N.V. Ramana said this in the course of the hearing of a
petition by the Indian Young Lawyers Association challenging the
Sabrimala Ayyappan Temples custom of prohibiting the entry of
women devotees between 10 and 50 years.
Directing that it would examine the challenge to the custom
prohibiting the entry of women of this age group, the court observed
that a temple cant prohibit entry except on the basis of religion.
Unless you have constitutional right you cant prohibit the entry.
The court directed the next hearing of the matter on February 8.
Volkswagen to unveil compact

sedan at Auto Expo
erman car maker Volkswagen will be unveiling its subfour metre sedan designed for the Indian market and two
other models at the Delhi Auto Expo, the companys Indian
subsidiary said.
In a statement, Volkswagen Passenger Cars said the Delhi Auto
Expo will see the world premiere of the sub-four metre Indian
compact sedan designed for the domestic market and made at its
Indian plant. The other two models that would be unveiled at the
auto expo are Passat GTE, a plug-in hybrid, and Tiguan, a sports
utility vehicle (SUV).
The Indian compact sedan, our made-in-India and made-forIndia carline, is a truly special offering from the Volkswagen stable
with all the brand values of best in class safety features, build quality
and a great driving experience, and is expected to be a game-changer
for us. Michael Mayer, director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India
was quoted as saying in a statement. We will also be introducing
the New Passat to the Indian market in 2016.The Auto Expo will be
held in Delhi next month.
Rs.11,000 crore fund for fixing

accident prone areas
nion Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari

announced a Rs.11,000 crore to fix accident prone areas
across the country in the next five years.
Announced as part of the Road Safety Week launched by union
Home Minister Rajnath Singh, safety measures also included a
website being launched to identify black spots where accidents
occur frequently.
People can send information about such spots to the ministry
of road transport and highways which will further take up the issue
with the authorities concerned, said Gadkari.
In Delhi, work on fixing 10 black spots has already begun.
Noting that a Road Safety Authority will be constituted and a Road
Transport and Safety Bill will be placed shortly before parliament,
he asked all to take a resolve on road safety and bring down road
accidents by 50 per cent in (the) next five years.
Rajnath Singh, expressing concern on nearly five lakh road
accidents that occur in India every year, said all stakeholders (have)
to play effective role in ensuring safety on roads.
There is a need for proper training of drivers before they are
issued driving licenses, he said.
INDIA ABROAD
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Indian-origin professor develops Indian American

new method to hunt dark matter community lauded
n
Indian-American
professor has devised
a new method to
characterise dark matter that
can help hunt for the mysterious
space phenomenon.
Sukanya Chakrabarti, assistant
professor at Rochester Institute
of Technology in New York, uses
waves in the galactic disk to map
the interior structure and mass
of galaxies such as seismologists
analyse waves to infer properties
about the Earths interior.
Her team used spectroscopic
observations to calculate the
speed of the three Cepheid
variablesstars used as yardsticks
to measure distance in galaxies
in the Norma constellation.
Chakrabarti used Cepheid
variables to mark the location of
a dark-matter dominated dwarf
galaxy approximately 300,000
light years away.
In contrast, the disk of the
Milky Way terminates at 48,000
light years. The radial velocity
of the Cepheid variables is the
last piece of evidence that weve
Sukanya Chakrabarti
been looking for, Chakrabarti

said. You can immediately
conclude that they are not part of
our galaxy.
Invisible particles known as
dark matter make up 85 per cent
of the mass of the universe.
The
mysterious
matter
represents a fundamental problem
in astronomy because it is not
understood, Chakrabarti added.
Her method for locating
satellite galaxies is dominated by
dark-matter taps principles used in
seismology to explore the interior

of the galaxy. We have made
significant progress into this new
field of galactoseismology where
by you can infer the dark matter
content of dwarf galaxies, where
they are, as well as properties of
the interior of galaxies by looking
at observable disturbances in the
gas disk, Chakrabarti explained.
This
new
method
to
characterise dark matter marks
the first real application of the
field of galactoseismology.
It is very similar to seismology
in a sense because were trying
to infer things about the interior
of galaxies and how much dark
matter there is and how much
there has to be to produce these
disturbances, she pointed out.
The study further questions the
standard paradigm that old stars
populate the dark matter halo and
young stars form in the gas-rich
stellar disks.
Chakrabartis findings have
been submitted for publication in
Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Nikki Haley seen as potential

Republican vice presidential pick
Arun Kumar
outh Carolinas Indian-American

governor Nikki Haleys choice
to give the Republican response
to President Barack Obamas State
of the Union address has fuelled
speculation about her as a potential vice
presidential pick.
Born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa to
Sikh immigrant parents from India, Haley
at 43, the youngest governor in the country,
gave the Republican response to Obamas
final annual address to the Congress
Tuesday night.
All this comes on the back of a
strong year that saw her prospects in the
veepstakes improve as Haley signed off
on legislation removing the Confederate
flag from Columbia and oversaw a state
battered by a tragic massacre and a massive
flood, the Politico said.
In August, at the RNC summer meeting
in Cleveland, Haley was invited to be its
luncheon headliner, the Politico noted.
In recent months, Haley has fostered a
close relationship with Christie as well as
with two other Republican White House
hopefuls: Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush,
it said. Over the course of the primary
campaign, she has been exchanging text
messages with all three candidates.
Haley declined to reveal details of what
she plans to say, except to repeat that she
is giving an address to the nation rather
a response to Obama. I certainly am
not one to compete against the president
South Carolinas Indian-American governor Nikki Haleys
or try to imply that I could be, Haley told

reporters, according to Charlotte Observer.
Haleys selection, the Observer said, is seen
as part of the Republican Partys attempts
to win over female voters, who will have a
chance to elect the first female president if
Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee.
But she called such talk a waste of time.
When asked about being given such
an honour, she smiled and said she was
humbled by it. You have to know I always
go back to that five-year-old Indian girl
that lived in Bamberg. That just wondered
what was out there, Haley said.
Haley was first elected South Carolina
governor in 2010, becoming both the first
woman and the first Indian-American to
hold the top office in the state. She was reelected in 2014.
he transformational role
played by the Indian
American
community
in the development of India-US
relations and its future potential
were underscored by Indias
Ambassador to the US Arun
K. Singh.
Opening an event to celebrate
the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas at
the Indian embassy on Friday,
January 8 he also highlighted the
importance of the day.
The event was well attended
with enthusiastic participation by
the Indian American community
members representing various
sectors including the government,
business, professionals, artists,
journalists and students.
Swadesh Chatterjee, a Padma
Bhushan awardee from North
Carolina, gave a talk on Building
Bridges: How Indian Americans
Brought the US and India
closer together.
Chatterjee recently published
a
book
highlighting
the
contribution of Indian Americans
Arun K. Singh
in various fields including energy

cooperation. Satyam Priyadarshy,
president
of
The
Indus
Entrepreneurs (TiE), which has
61 chapters across 17 countries,
spoke on Indias Flagship
Projects and Indian Americans:
Promising Possibilities.
He also underscored the ways
in which the Indian American
community can contribute to the
Indias organically connected
flagship projects such as Smart
City Mission, Skill India, Digital
India, Make In India and
Swachh Bharat.
22
SPORTS
Red
Sania-Martina start
2016 with title win
he worlds top women

tennis pair of Sania Mirza
and
Martina
Hingis
started the New Year on a brilliant
note by clinching the womens
doubles title of the $1 million
Brisbane International at the
Queensland Tennis Centre on
Saturday, January 9.
The top seeded pair took
just an hour and 10 minutes to
beat German wild card pair of
Angelique Kerber, who lost the
womens singles final earlier in
the day to Victoria Azarenka of
Belarus, and Andrea Petkovic 75,
61 at the Pat Rafter Arena.
This is the Indo-Swiss pairs
26th win in a row and the first
title of 2016. They have now won
six titles on the trotthe longest
winning streak in the category
since the 1994 season when
Gigi Fernandez and Natasha
Zvereva were on a 28 matchwinning streak. Also, this is the
29-year-old Sanias second victory
in Australia after partnering
American Bethanie Mattek-Sands
all the way to the title in 2013
while Martina was the defending
champion, having sealed the
crown with German Sabine Lisicki
last year. The worlds top ranked
combine took off well by breaking
their opponents in the second
game to go 20 up. But the wild
card pair fought well and broke
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis have now won 26 consecutive matches, which is the second-best
streak in womens doubles
Sania and Martina twice to take a

42 lead. The first set turned out
to be quite topsy-turvy with both
pairs regularly failing to hold on
to their service games. However,
Sania and Martina first levelled
the score at four-all and then won
on their serve to take a 54 lead
one more time in the set.
Serving at 56 down and trying
to push the set into the tie-breaker,
Angelique and Andrea failed to
do so with the top seeds taking

the set in 46 minutes. Unlike the
vigorously fought first set, the
second one turned out to be more
or less a walkover with Sania and
Martina racing away to a 50 lead.
The German girls somehow
managed to win the sixth game
on their serve but it was a little
too late as the Indo-Swiss pair
clinched the crown with ease in
the next few minutes.
Djokovic demolishes Nadal, wins

Qatar Open
orld No.1 Novak

Djokovic
started
2016 with a title win
at the $1,283,855 Qatar Open by
defeating arch-rival Rafael Nadal
61, 62 in the mens singles final
on Saturday, January 9.
With the win, the Serb bagged
the winners cheque of $201,165
and a glittering trophy stylised in
the shape of Qatars national bird,
a falcon. Djokovic had his grip on
the match right from the start,
it only got firmer as the match
progressed. In the first game of
the first set, Nadal came rather
close to breaking Djokovic, but the
Serbian had other plans. He not
only retained his serve but broke
Nadal in the immediately with an
impressive 40-15 margin to stamp
his class early. It would have been
40-0 had the left-hander not won
a disputed line call.
Djokovic was clinical in his
approach, soon making it 3-0,
enough to subdue the chants
of vamos Rafa. Nadal finally
managed to win the fourth game
to crawl to 13. But the Serbian
was in no mood to settle with just
one break, and claimed another
Djokovic (L) beat Nadal (R) in straight sets to win the Qatar Open
in the sixth to go 51 up. It was

61 in no time and the set was in
Djokovics pocket.
With the first set gone, Nadal
had been pushed to the wall,
psychologically at least.
There were rallies in the first
game of the second set. The World
No.1 retained his serve to go
20 up. Another rally in the fifth
game resulted in another break
in favour of Djokovic and he was
already 41 up. Djokovic won the
next game to go 51 up. With great
effort, Nadal retained his serve,
but could do little when Djokovic
served in the last game of the

evening. The Serbian retained his
serve 4015 and with that the set
was his 62. One and quarter of
an hour later, Djokovic was sitting
pretty with the title under his belt.
Its a great feeling. What can
I say? I am living the best time of
my life and career. Its easy to lose
confidence than it is to gain. I am
very grateful to have a start like
this in Doha. He always presents
a great challenge, the rivalry goes
back 10 years, but this is the first
time I have beaten him set-to-set,
said Djokovic.
Black
Orange
Messi wins fifth

FIFA Ballon dOr
ionel Messi won an

unprecedented
fifth
FIFA Ballon dOr award,
given to the footballer of the
year, at a gala ceremony on
Monday, January 11, ending his
great rival Cristiano Ronaldos
two-year hold on footballs top
individual prize.
Either Messi or Ronaldo, who
became a three-time winner last
year, have won the past eight
awards. The FC Barcelona and
Argentine superstars reclaimed
the prize from three-time
winner Portugals Ronaldo and
he now leads 53 in their career
duel for the annual FIFA prize.
Messi also shook off the
challenge of his Barcelona
teammate Brazilian Neymar
who was included on the
shortlist for the first time. He
was handed over the award
by former AC Milan and Real
Madrid star Kaka who himself
won the award in 2007.
Messi received 41.33 per
cent of the votes, followed by
Ronaldo (27.76 per cent) and
Neymar (7.86 per cent). Messi
inspired Barcelona to regain the
Champions League title among
five major trophies in 2015,
scoring 52 goals in 61 games
with 26 assists.
Barcelonas dominance was
shaped by the brilliance of
their incredible offensive trio of
Messi, Neymar and Uruguyan
Luis Suarez.
Its a very special moment
for me, winning another Ballon
dOr after being in the audience
watching Cristiano win the last
two years. I want to thank all who
voted for me and my teammates,
[without whom] none of this
would be possible. I want
to thank football for
everything it has
brought me, both
bad and good, it
has helped me
grow.
Thank
you,
Messi
said
after
w i n n i n g
the award.
T h e
Catalan
c l u b s
coach Luis
Enrique
was
chosen
as the mens
World Coach of the
Year after becoming
European champion
and winning the
Spanish league and cup,

European Super Cup and Club
World Cup.He eclipsed rivals
Pep Guardiola of Bayern Munich
and Jorge Sampaoli, who led
Chile to their first Copa America
win earlier in the year.
Americas Jill Ellis won the
World Coach of the Year award
for womens football. La Liga
dominated the FIFA FIFPro
World XI with eight entries, four
each from Barcelona and Real
Madrid, including the Ballon
DOr nominees Messi, Neymar
and Ronaldo.
Brazilian Wendell Lira won
the Puskas Award for the best
goal. The striker plays for Vila
Nova in the third tier in Brazil
but at the time of the goal was
playing for Goianesia. He earned
his side a 21 win with the strike
against Atletico-GO.
American Carli Lloyd was
named Womens World Player
of the Year. Lloyd, 33, led the
United States to victory in the
Womens World Cup in July,
memorably scoring a hat-trick
in the final.
The FIFA FIFPro World
XI:
Goalkeeper:
Manuel
Neuer; Defenders: Dani Alves,
Sergio Ramos, Thiago Silva,
Marcelo; Midfielders: Andres
Iniesta, Paul Pogba,
Luka Modric;
Forwards:
Neymar,
Lionel
Messi,
Cristiano
Ronaldo
KIDS ZONE
Black
Fin d th e path
Orange
u
o
k
y
no
d
i
Kangaroos
cannot walk
backwards
Red
Spot 5 differ ence
Rab bits and

parr ots can see
what is behind
them wit hout
tur ning their
hea ds
23
u
K
o
n
ow
Y
di
Send
us stories,
drawings,
poems and other
contributions by your
little ones along with
their photographs for
this page. E-mail us
at editor@
indianweekender.
co.nz
24
TRAVEL
Queenstown: a picturesque haven for

adventure junkies
Red
Radhika Bhirani
he land, rivers, mountains and

skyQueenstown
serves
up
adventure
pursuits
aplenty,
everywhere. Be there, and just go for it.
Whether its sailing, hiking, white water
rafting, jet boating, bungee jumping,
skydiving, paragliding, canyon swinging,
skiing, mountain biking or whatever more
to get your adrenaline pumping, this resort
town, nestled in the Southern Alps of New
Zealand, is a perfect stage for it all.
Setting sight on the hustle-bustle of
activities happened as soon as I drew the
curtains apart in my hotel room, which
gave me walking access to the front of the
glistening Lake Wakatipu. It was visibly
dotted with sails, kayaks and boats. The
backdrop was The Remarkables mountain
range, and it was sunset.
Oh my god, if only I could settle here!
Queenstown can do that to you.
It has a compact town centre, where
everything is within walking distance,
including about 100 places to dine, which
are often alive during the day and night with
live music, and a beauty thats remarkably
picture postcard perfect. Whats more? You
can see it from every height and angle.
Ask those why skydive from 15,000 feet!
Alas, it was a case of been there, not
done that for me at the world-famous
Nzone Skydive, New Zealands first Tandem
Skydive operation. Safety is priority here,
but what it takes is couragelots of it.
Take the plunge, take the plunge,
people kept urging me. My heart said No.
Missing the skydive, especially after
daring to bungee jump during a past trip to
New Zealand, will remain a regret. So, hey,
if youre there, just do it. Let the experts
Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai,

starring Hrithik Roshan
and Ameesha Patel,
which was partially
shot here. Even the
2010 release I Hate Luv
Storys, featuring Sonam
Kapoor and Imran Khan,
captured its beauty.
But a live experience
is of course, always hard
to match.
On another day, we
were to traverse the
infamous Skippers Road,
a mostly one-way, narrow
Skydiving in picturesque Queenstown is a surreal experience
and steep way said to be
one of the worlds most
dangerous roads some
25 minutes away from
Queenstown.
Scenes
from Lord of the Rings
came alive in the mind
as we crossed some
breathtaking locations, at
parts of which the iconic
movies were shot.
Our destination was
the Shotover river, which
the guide told us, is the
worlds
richest
gold
bearing river of its size.
Left to right: Simon Doull, Stephen Fleming, Sidharth Malhotra and Scott Syris enjoy their
We were going jet boating,
afternoon on a jet boat ride
with Sidharth Malhotra
and parachutes take care of the rest.
along with the impressive company of
Queenstown is a resort town in the
cricket greats Stephen Fleming, Simon
south-west of New Zealands South Island,
Doull and Scott Styris.
some 900 km from the capital Wellington.
With the cold wind slapping us in the
It has its own airport. For many Indians,
face, eyes barely open, jet boating can turn
the first glimpse of the towns beauty
out to be quite a joyride as you feel your
came through the Bollywood blockbuster
adrenaline surge when you speed through
he Maldives will take your

breath away! The gently swaying
palm trees, the talcum white
sand beaches and an emerald sea on
which the sunlight dancesall have
quite a mesmerising effect on the eye of
the beholder.
As the aircraft eases down at Maldives
capital Male, the view is picture perfect.
As much as the aircrafts small window
permits, the warm tropical paradise is
alluring. No wonder, the excitement
among the passengers, particularly the
honeymooners, is palpable.
The sea colour is striking. Closer to the
island is a distinct green of light jade, which
turns a deep blue a bit further away.
The Maldives has some 1,200 islands,
separated into a series of coral atolls. The
country lies just north of the Equator in
the Indian Ocean. For Indians, it is one
of those countries where visa is granted
on arrival. So, you just need to carry your
passport and catch a flight.
It has a tropical climate where the year
is separated into two main seasons by the
monsoonshottest in April and coolest in
December. The best time to visit is between
December and April when the weather
is sunny, with clear skies, low humidity
Kayaking in Maldives
and excellent water clarity. A number of

gorgeous private island resorts, including
two stunning properties run by Club Med,
dot this archipelago of the Maldives.
As one disembarks at Male airport,
the sea is right there. One needs to take
a boat to travel to one of the resorts. The
fresh, bracing air and the fine water spray
as the catamaran cuts through the sea at
high speeds, making a superb beginning to
the holiday.
Holidaying in the Maldives is an
enchanting experience, exotic in all
its aspects. With abundant sea life,
natural beauty, pleasant temperatures
and sandy beaches, it is renowned as a
tropical paradise. The memorable addons include swimming, fishing, waterskiing, snorkelling, scuba diving, kite
boarding and windsurfing. Snorkelling is

an experience in itself with the clear sea
offering a high visibility. Take a boat ride
to one of the spots, wear your flippers and
gear and jump into the inviting sea. A look
down is like being in a giant aquarium,
with multi-coloured fish gliding through
the water.
Passing through a school of fish is an
exhilarating experience. One feels like
staying on and on in the water, but for the
gentle
Relaxing at the Club Med Kani island resort
prodding from the diving experts who

accompany the group.
The corals here are straight out of
science books. All shapes, sizes and colours
of these fragile marine invertebrates can be
spotted on the sea bed, with the sun rays
illuminating them.
Orange
It has a compact town

centre, where everything
is within walking
distance, including about
100 places to dine, which
are often alive during
the day and night with
live music, and a beauty
thats remarkably picture
postcard perfect. Whats
more? You can see it from
every height and angle.
the narrowest canyons, often taking

180-degree spins just inches from the
canyon walls.
Look up at the sky during the ride, and
youll spot the deadly Kawarau Bridge
bungee sitethe worlds first commercial
bungee operation. Must be something to
just jump off from there, and no, I wasnt
going to even try.
Also, if you find some time, do take a ride
on Queenstowns Lady of the Lake, which
was first launched in 1912the same year
as the Titanic left shore. One of the oldest
tourist attractions here, and said to be only
remaining passenger-carrying coal-fired
steamship in the Southern Hemisphere,
it takes you on a mesmerising tour. Have
some hot chocolate while youre aboard,
and soak in the beauty of the landscape.
Queenstown can make you forget your
worldly worries. A good enough reason to
go there.
Maldives: to the sunny side of life

Rahul Dass
Black
If one is of the adventurous, parasailing

is another option. A high-speed boat will
pull a bright coloured parachute on which
you are strapped and you just go up and up
with the wind. In no time, you are looking
at a wide expanse. To call the view stunning
would be an understatement.
One gets to see the distant horizon,
where the sea merges into infinity. The
water villas, with plenty of oomph factor,
look like small huts. The beautiful resorts
seem to be from la la land.
There are hosts of other optionslaze
around on a sun bed, gaze at the sea, soak
in the bright sunshine and take long walks
on the beaches to feel the white sand that
just cascades through the toes, taking away
all your worries.
What to carry?
The Maldives is characteristically warm
and sunny. Its best to pack light, airy
cottons or linens in sober bright colours.
Sunscreen (SPF 15 or greater) is a must and
so are swimming trunks, thanks to serene,
inviting beaches and pools. Slippers or
loafers and a hat or scarf should complete
the summery ensemble.
Just pack your bags and head to this
nation of islands. It will leave you refreshed,
and rejuvenatedto the promised sunny
side of life.
FEATURES
Heartburn pills may raise

kidney disease risk
Red
Black
Orange
opping common over-the-counter

pills for controlling stomach acid,
gas and heartburn daily may put
you at chronic kidney disease risk in the
long run, a team from Johns Hopkins
University, Baltimore, and others have
cautioned.
Most commonly prescribed pills like
Omeprazole, Rabeprazole
and
Pantoprazole,
which come under the
group called proton
pump
inhibitors
(PPIs), appear
to be associated with
an increased risk of chronic kidney disease,
warn the researchers.
They, however, say that more research
is needed to determine whether PPI use
causes kidney damage.
Our study is observational and does not
provide evidence of causality. However, a
causal relationship between PPI use and
CKD could have a considerable public
health effect given the widespread extent
of use, the authors noted in an article
published online by the journal JAMA
Internal Medicine. The findings suggest

that up to 70 per cent of these prescriptions
are without indication and that 25 per cent
of long-term PPI users could discontinue
therapy without developing symptoms.
Indeed, there are already calls for the
reduction of unnecessary use of PPIs, the
study noted.
For the study, Morgan E. Grams from
Johns Hopkins and co-authors quantified
the association between PPI use and
incident CKD in the general population
using data on self-reported PPI use in
the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities
(ARIC) study.
In the ARIC group, there
were 56 incident CKD
events
among
322
baseline
PPI
users
(14.2 per 1,000-person
years) and 1,382 events
among 10,160 baseline
nonusers (10.7 per 1,000
person-years).
PPI use was associated with risk
of incident CKD in unadjusted and
adjusted analyses.
The 10-year estimated absolute risk of
CKD among the 322 baseline PPI users
was 11.8 per cent while the expected risk
had they not used PPIs was 8.5 per cent,
according to the results.
The authors, however, note that
participants who are prescribed PPIs
may be at higher risk of CKD for reasons
unrelated to their PPI use.
25
Parents spend more time on

Facebook than non-parents
obile devices have become

vital tools for parents and they
spend 1.3 times more time on
Facebook than non-parents, a study by
Facebook IQ said.
Having a child changes everything,
including parents relationship with their
mobile phones. Moms and dads mobile
phones have become their lifeline to
managing schedules, keeping tabs on teens
and sharing their kids key milestones,
Facebook IQ said in a blog post.
By observing behaviour on Facebook,
we see that parents overindex on mobile
usage. In fact, parents globally spend 1.3X
more time on Facebook mobile than nonparents, the blog added.
The social networks research arm
interviewed parents aged 25 through 65 in
eight marketsAustralia, Brazil, Canada,
Germany, Mexico, Spain, Britain and the
US and analysed Facebook and Instagram
data with the help of Ipsos MediaCT and
Sound Research.
Millennial parents (aged 18 through
34) were 30 per cent more likely than
baby boomer parents (50 through 65) to
use their mobile devices to make more
informed purchase decisions, the study
noted.
According to the study, 83 per cent
of parents said they have access to more
information than their parents did. While,
70 per cent of millennial parents said they
are more informed than their parents were,

76 per cent of baby boomers said they
gained access to the Internet and mobile
devices at later stages in life.
Interestingly, more than 50 per cent of
parents said their child or children have
more impact on purchasing decisions than
they did while growing up.
The study also revealed that while
parents are sharing more decisions with
their children, they are also learning to
prioritise their own needs so they can be
better equipped to tend to their family.
Parents are increasingly realising
that if they take care of themselves first,
they will be able to deal with their daily
responsibilities and stresses and tend
to their familys needs in a loving and
energetic way, the blog further read.
Turning off e-mail app on

Expand your social network
phone can make you happier to enjoy healthier life
f reducing stress is on your mind,

turning off the e-mail app on your
phone can be an easy and inexpensive
way to bring happiness back into your life,
new research suggests
E-mail can simultaneously be a great
communication tool and a source of
frustration and stress, the findings showed.
In a survey of around 2,000 people,
London-based Future Work Centre found
that people who automatically receive
e-mail on their devices are more likely to
report higher levels of e-mail pressure.
The study also pointed out that checking
e-mail earlier in the morning or later at
night is associated with higher levels of
e-mail pressure.
People who reported higher levels of
e-mail pressure also experienced greater
interference between work and home, the
report said.
However, how much e-mail pressure
you feel and the extent to which it interferes
with your work-life balance may depend on
your personality.
Our research shows that e-mail is a
double-edged sword. Whilst it can be a
valuable communication tool, it is clear
that it is a source of stress of frustration
for many of us, lead author Richard
MacKinnon, insight director, Future Work
Centre, was quoted as saying by Daily Mail.
The people who reported it being
most useful to them also reported
the highest levels of email pressure,
MacKinnon noted.
Managers
experience
significantly
higher levels of e-mail pressure when
compared to non-managers, the results
of the survey showed. But the habits we

develop, the emotional reactions we have to
messages and the unwritten organisational
etiquette around e-mail, combine into
a toxic source of stress which could be
negatively impacting our productivity and
wellbeing, MacKinnon said.
Indian
Weekender
To advertise, Call
022 - 3251630/
021 - 1507950
he more social ties people have,

the better their health is during
adolescence and the golden years
of their lives, says a new study.
Based on these findings, it should be
as important to encourage adolescents and
young adults to build broad
social
relationships and social
skills for interacting
with others as it is to
eat healthy and be
physically active, said
one of the researchers
Kathleen Harris, professor
at University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, US.
The study builds on
previous
research
that
shows that aging adults live
longer if they have more social
connections.
Specifically,
the
team
found that the sheer size of a
persons social network was
important for health in early and
late adulthood.
In
adolescence,
that
is,
social isolation increased risk of
inflammation by the same amount as
physical inactivity while social integration
protected against abdominal obesity.
In old age, social isolation was actually
more harmful to health than diabetes on
developing and controlling hypertension.
In middle adulthood, it was not
the number of social connections that
mattered, but what those connections
provided in terms of social support or
strain, the study said.
The relationship between health and

t h e
degree to which people are
integrated in large social
networks is strongest at
the beginning and at the
end of life, and not so
important
in
middle
adulthood,
when the quality, not the quantity, of social
relationships matters, Harris said.
For the study, the researchers drew on
data from four nationally representative
surveys of the US population that, together,
covered the lifespan from adolescence to
old age.
The study was published in the journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences.
26
FEATURES
Red
Take a power break

Maya Shivam
Buddhist or Zen Meditation

This is also referred to as Zazen, which
literally means seated meditation. It
comes from Buddhism, which is more of
a philosophy than a religion. You acquire
insight through observing the breath and
the mind. Often times this practice involves
chanting of a mantra.
Famous practitioners:
Dalai Lama and Richard Gere
Kundalini Meditation
overall psychological well-being. There

are people from around the world who are
claiming to have turned around even serious
medical conditions through meditation and
the power of the mind.
Meditation could be of many types and
because this is such a personal practice, it
is really up to each one of us to decide what
works for us. I have randomly picked up
five main kinds of meditation practices as
an introduction here. Needless to say, your
personal practice does not need to conform
to any one or more of these traditional
practices. These are:
Primordial Sound Meditation (PSM)
PSM is a silent practice that uses a
mantra, a lot like the Hindu meditation
practice. The mantra you receive is the
vibrational sound the universe created
at the time and place of your birth. Its
calculated following Vedic mathematic
formulas and is very personal and specific
to you. You could even have received it
through your guru or mentor.
Saying your personal mantra, over and
over in your mind, while you concentrate
on your third eye (or not, whatever
works for you), helps you to enter deeper
levels of awareness by taking you away

from the intellectual side of the brain.
PSM is generally practiced sitting down,
comfortably at a place where you are
unlikely to be disturbed. Dr Deepak Chopra
and Dr David Simon founded this method.
Deepak Chopra and Lady Gaga
Mindfulness Meditation
Established by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979
and now being offered in medical centers,
hospitals, and clinics around the world,
Mindfulness Meditation or MindfulnessBased Stress Reduction (MBSR) classes
are often taught by health professionals,
to create a partnership in care between the
patient and the medical team.
This technique uses both breath and
body awareness. Breath awareness is just
as it soundsyour attention is focused on
the inhalation and exhalation. The Body
awareness/scan is a process of focused
attention on the physical body starting at
the toes and working your way up to the top
of your head with heightened awareness.
While you do this, you become aware of
any area where you might be holding on to
some tension and then actively relaxing or
Free employment
assistance workshops
Kite festival
Date: Saturday, Jan 16 - 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Venue: Avondale Racecourse, 90 Ash
Street, Avondale, Auckland
A family day out with kite flying, stage
performances, face painting, food stalls,
colour competition and many more fun
activities. Buy raffle ticket to go into the
draw to win Return air ticket for India. Free
parking available. For more information,
contact Manhar Patel on 09 6270380.
Pongal and Chennai

flood relief fundraising
programme
Orange
releasing the tension or stress. This practice

may be done seated, laying down, or
walking depending on the focus of practice.
Famous practitioner:
Jon Kabat-Zinn
editation, a word that can be a

bit daunting for a few people.
Many could be too quick to
say that it is not for them while others
might think of it as a practice for the saints
and sages.
I have been meditating for more than
20 years now and have been introducing
my (very social, party going professional
high flyers) friends to it for more than 10
of those years. Needless to say, our tribe/
bunch has seen innumerable benefits in our
lives as a result of our practice. However
this must be said that to take up is easy to
continue is difficult. But those of us who
have persevered and continued our practice
regardless, are here to share the proof of
the pudding. In this first serve of Soul
Space, we thought wed start right at the
beginning and do a little introduction into
the world of meditation. This is not meant to
be a religious discourse or a claim of being
a master. This is merely sharing a journey
that is personal and could be different
for everyone.
Meditation is no longer an airy fairy
concept, but scientific research can clearly
demonstrate the benefits of meditation on
the human brain and body. Some of these
benefits are now being confirmed with MRI
or EEG scans. The practice appears to have
a variety of neurological benefits, from
changes in gray matter volume to reduced
activity in the various fight or flight centers
of the brain to enhanced connectivity
between brain regions. A recent study by
Harvard University was actually able to
prove that Meditation had the power to even
alter ones DNAthe basic fabric of life. So
if something can alter things at such a deep
basic level, imagine the changes it could
make to our lives on the surface? Skeptics,
of course, may ask what good are a few
brain changes if the psychological effects
arent simultaneously being illustrated.
Luckily, there is now evidence for those as
well. Studies report that meditation helps
relieve levels of anxiety and depression
and improve attention, concentration, and
Black
Date: Sunday, January 31

Time: 6 pm onwards
Venue: Mt Eden War memorial Hall, 489
Dominion Rd,
Mt Eden, Auckland
Muthtamil Sangam Inc. is organising a
fundraiser to help Chennai flood victims. It
is also an opportunity to celebrate Pongal
with the community. The entertainment
includes Tamil folk dance by Anujay
School of Dance, drama by Mervin
Constantine and team and karaoke music
by Ravi Muthumanikam and team. Entry
fee for adults is $15, children aged 4
and above $10. Collected funds will be
distributed through Agaram foundation.
Date: Tuesday, January 19, Tuesday,

February 2 and Wednesday, February 10
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on January
19 and February 2 and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
on February 10
Venue: Auckland Regional Migrant
Services (ARMS), 532 Mt Albert Road,
Three Kings
ARMS is organising two free job search
workshops for new migrants. The
workshop provides new Kiwis with advice
and guidance on finding work, writing a
CV and cover letter, answering interview
questions and communicating with
potential employers. The seminar is open
to newcomers on full work visas and who
have been in New Zealand for less than
two years.
On Wednesday, February 10, ARMS is
Meditation in the Kundalini Yoga

tradition entails specific, practical tools
that carefully and precisely support the
mind and guide the body through the use of
breath, mantra, mudra (hand position), and
focus. The range and variety of meditation
techniques in the Kundalini Yoga tradition
are very large.
There are different meditations that
reduce stress, work on addictions, increase
vitality, and clear chakras, to name a few.
Since these meditations are so specified,
working with a teacher is a large part of
this tradition.
Sting and Jennifer Aniston
There are many other forms of
meditation and for those who may find
themselves inspired after reading this, I
can only encourage them to either search
for your own practice online or reach
out to someone who you think already
practices. There are several guided
meditations available online. You could
check out Deepak Chopras Chopra Centre
website, or myheadspace.com or others
as a starting point. You could also write
to
editor@indianweekender.co.nz
for
more information.
Next time we will talk about the various
benefits of meditation in some more detail.
Until then, take some time out, sit still and
just breathe.
holding a special LinkedIn workshop,
teaching migrants how to use professional
networking website to improve their
chances of finding work. The workshop
is open to all migrants and costs $15.To
register and for more information, contact
ARMS on reception@arms-mrc.org.nz or
call 09 625 2440.
Sun and Sound

Takapuna Beach
Date: Saturday, January 16

Time: noon to 11:30 p.m.
Venue: Takapuna Beach, The Strand,
Auckland
Sit back and tune into the fresh funky
sounds of Aucklands premium summer
DJs. Head to Takapuna for a day of sun,
sound, beer, food and beach games.
General admission tickets are priced at
$29.
SCIENCE and technology
27
NASA mission finds Villages on the moon

100 new alien planets can be reality by 2030
Red
Black
Orange
ASAs planet-hunting revamped

Kepler mission has found more
than 100 confirmed planets
orbiting other stars.
The information about the planets,
some of which are different from what the
spacecraft observed during its original
mission, was shared by University of
Arizonas Ian Crossfield at a conference
of the American Astronomical Society,
National Geographic reported. According
to the report, many newly-found planets are
in multi-planet systems and orbit stars that
are brighter and hotter than the stars in the
original Kepler field.
It has also found a system with three
planets that are bigger than Earth, spotted a
planet in the Hyades star clusterthe nearest
open star cluster to Earthand discovered a
planet being ripped apart as it orbits a white
dwarf star.
Scientists have also found 234 possible
planets that are awaiting confirmation,
Andrew Vanderburg of the HarvardSmithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said.
Meanwhile, Tom Barclay of NASAs Ames
Research Centre said that spacecraft is
probing different types of planets (than the
original Kepler mission).
With a mission to determine how
common Earth-like planets are, Kepler
stared at the same patch of star-filled sky,
watching for periodic blips in starlight
caused by orbiting planets and from
2009 to 2013, Kepler discovered more
than 1,000 new planets.With a tweak
to its steering ability, scientists rectified
the mechanical malfunction of Keplers

lost ability to stare at the same exact
spot. Since then, K2 has been spying on
supernovas, and studying planets orbiting
our star.
In 2014, it spent about 70 days observing
Neptune, studying the ice giants extremely
windy weather and would also attempt to
spot planets that are wandering through the
galaxy without stars of their own.
Among its notable discoveries, K2
has spotted strong evidence of a tiny,
rocky object being torn apart as it spirals
around a white dwarf star and discovered
a new planet orbiting two stars and located
within its host stars habitable zone, the
area around the stars in which life could
potentially exist.
It also collected data to reveal that our
solar system was born 4.6 billion years ago
and only eight percent of the potentially
habitable planets that will ever form in the
universe existed.
ASAs Kepler mission had also confirmed
the first near-Earth-size planet in the
habitable zone around a Sun-like star.
illages on the moon,

constructed
through
cooperation
between
astronauts and robotic systems
on the lunar surface, can become
a reality as early as 2030, a group
of scientists has predicted.
Scientists are exploring the
idea of moon villages that can
serve as a potential springboard
for future human missions to
Mars and potentially other deeper
space missions.
In order for that vision to
Scientists are exploring the idea of "moon villages" that can serve as a
become a reality, scientists must potential springboard for future human missions to Mars and potentially other
first determine if the resources on deeper space missions
the Moon are as significant as we
and evolution of the Moon, focusing on the
think they are.
petrology and geochemistry of returned
We keep talking about lunar resources
samples coupled with geophysics and other
but we still need to demonstrate they can
remotely sensed datasets.
be used a (that) they are, in fact, reserves,
It
looks
at
the
geophysical
said Clive Neal, a planetary geologist from
instrumentation and investigations of the
the University of Notre Dame in the US.
Moon, formation of impact melts, and more
The ground truth verification of deposit basalt petrogenesis.
size, composition, form and homogeneity
In this regard, the European Space
requires a coordinated prospecting Agency (ESA) hosted a symposium
programme as a first step.
titled Moon 2020-2030 A New Era
The next step would demonstrate of Coordinated Human and Robotic
extraction
techniques
followed Exploration, in the Netherlands recently.
by refinement of the product into
According to Neal, who attended the
usable commodity.
conference, the ESA meeting highlighted
A successful programme would then technology development in terms of
clearly demonstrate that lunar resources precision landing, robotic sample return,
can enable solar system exploration, and cryogenic sampling, caching, return
he said. Neals research explores the origin and curation.
CES 2016the magnificent seven

Mahesh K
he year has started with a big bang

for tech enthusiasts. Every year
in January, CES or the Consumer
Electronics Show takes place in Las Vegas.
The show marks new product launches and
sets the tech trend for the year to come.
This year, too, CES 2016 unveiled some
cool gadgets and tech concepts, ranging
from automobiles, televisions, mobile
devices to virtual reality, wearable devices
and drones.
While I havent been to CES myself
(maybe next year), I have scanned every
report from tech journals, blogs, etc. and
below are seven of my favourite gadgets
or products.
Faraday Future FFZero1 Concept
If you are a car lover (and who isnt),
you must have got the buzz about FFZero1.
Faraday Futurethe new kid on the electric
luxury cars blocksprang this concept
racing car, which looks like a batmobile or a
car time-travelling from
the future. Even
though
the car
with carbon fibre body in just 18 months.

It is an impressive platform and great
technology, which promises production
models that might be coming soon.
Watch out, Tesla!
Chevy Bolt
While Tesla and Faraday Future fuel our
fantasies with their luxurious EVs, Chevy
Bolt might be the EV that most of us will
be practically content with. Yes, practical
is the word here. It is an affordable yet
powerful offering that boasts of a 200plus mile range, plenty of space with
comfortable seating for five. GM is also
proud
of
the infotainment
system
that
features
a
stunning 10.2-inch
touchscreen
MyLink
system. So
for around
US$30,000,
you could say goodbye to
petrol and go fully electric in
style.
Casio WSD-F10
might
not
see the road being just a concept,
it did showcase the ability of Chinesebacked Faraday Future that designed this
electric, 1,000-horsepower single-seater
With almost every OEM launching

a smartwatch, Casio too jumped the fray.
It unveiled its first Android wear-based
smartwatch WSD-F10 at CES 2016. It is
tougher and rugged with water-resistance

up to 50 metres and MSL-STD-810 military
compliance. The watch has a 1.32-inch
screen with a resolution of 320x300.
You can choose between monochrome
and full-colour mode. Sensors onboard
include a pressure sensor, compass and
accelerometer with the ability to check
altitude, air pressure, tide graphs and
trek activity.
At US$500, it does not come cheap.
WSD-F10 goes on sale in April.
Bang & OlufsensBeoLab 90
Ehang passenger drone

Its a drone, but its not un-manned.
Ehang, a Chinese drone maker, launched
EHang 184, an Autonomous Aerial Vehicle
(AAV), which can seat a human. According
to the company, it is the safest, eco-est and
smartest low-altitude autonomous aerial
vehicle, aiming at providing medium-short
distance communication and transportation
solution. This beautifully designed drone
can fly at a top speed of 100 kilometres per
hour, at a maximum altitude of 11,000 feet
on a roughly 23-minute trip. The all-electric
drone will have to clear various safety
checks and policy makers before you can
get inside it.
HTC Vive
At this year, virtual reality outshone
reality itself, from Oculus to HTC and many
other companies showcasing their version
of VR headsets. HTC got some rave reviews
for Vive. It is pretty slick and combines
the virtual world with the real and lets you
immerse in your game while still being
aware of your real space. You need to
check the demos out on YouTube or HTCs
website! It is awesome!
Stunning! Gorgeous! Out of the world!

This describes B&Os new speakers. While
they look pretty and beautiful, they are
a beast when it comes to sound. You can
control them through your smartphone
and get different directional modes. There
are 18 state-of-the-art loudspeaker drivers,
which can be controlled to customise sound
for either solo listening, group listening or
radial mode for 360-degree sound. In total,
the amplifiers can deliver up to 8200 watts
per loudspeaker. And did I mention they
look amazing?
Withings Thermo
The humble thermometer is going
high-tech.
Withings
WiFi-connected
thermometer, Thermo, can be used by just
hovering over the skin. Designed for little
ones, it can be used by parents without
waking up or disturbing the baby. Its less
invasive and thus more hygienic. Featuring
HotSpotSensor technology, it even has a
dedicated app to track readings and get
reminders. It has 16 infrared sensors and
can read temperature accurately in only
two seconds.
28
ENTERTAINMENT
Anushka to star
opposite Salman
in Sultan
good people. The 29-year-old actress plays

Farhans wife Ruhana in Bejoy Nambiardirected Wazir. Aditi says she doesnt know
how the industry works, so she learns
something new every day and looks at it
as positive thing. Sometimes it makes you
weak, sometimes it makes you excited but
mostly its magic, because I feel privileged
every day, she added.
The Boss actress said she loves being an
actor. I love being a drama queen in front
of the camera. I really enjoy it.
India needs film like

Gandhi vs Aazaad:
Director
almost full houses today (Saturday), and
RedIm grateful to my
Black
Orange
audience for
that,
Katrina says
Fitoor new despite
having read Great
Expectations
ctress Katrina Kaif considers her

upcoming drama Fitoor a fresh
film despite having read the
Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations
on which it is based.
ollywood actress Anushka Sharma

has been finalised as the female
lead opposite superstar Salman
Khan for the upcoming film Sultan, said a
statement from Yash Raj Films.
Anushka, who made her debut in Hindi
cinema in 2008 took to Twitter, to share a
photograph of herself hugging the Dabangg
star.The NH10 actress captioned the image
saying: Sultan.
Produced by Aditya Chopra and writtendirected by Ali Abbas Zafar, Sultan, which
has been shot in Karjat, is reportedly based
on the life of a wrestler.
One of the fittest stars of Bollywood,
Salman has gone through intensive training
for wrestling and mixed martial arts for
Zafars directorial with international action
director Larnell Stovall.
Sultan is slated to release on Eid 2016.
Being an outsider, Im
working with good
people: Aditi Rao
Big B, Ranveer share

Best Actor award
egastar Amitabh Bachchan

shared the Best Actor award
(male) with Ranveer Singh at
the Screen Awards 2016.
While Big B was honoured for his role in
Piku, Ranveer was adjudged the best actor
ctress Aditi Rao Hydari, who has

shared screen space with megastar
Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan
Akhtar in Wazir, says shes glad that even
though she doesnt have a Bollywood
background and is an outsider in the
Hindi film industry, she is working with
really good people.
Aditi had, in an earlier interview,
said that she felt like an outsider in
the industry.
Asked if having done films such as

Delhi-6, Yeh Saali Zindagi, Khoobsurat
and now Wazir, has changed her views,
Aditi said here: When I say Im an outsider,
I mean that my family is not from the
industry... There are so many people who
struggle to get into the industry and being
that outsider, I am working with really
for his spectacular work in Bajirao Mastani.

The award for the Best Actor in female
category went to the flamboyant Deepika
Padukone for her stunning performance
in Piku.
Veteran
actor
Rishi
Kapoor
was conferred with the Life Time
Achievement award.
Meanwhile, the award for the popular
choice in male and female categories
went to Shah Rukh khan, for Dilwale, and
Deepika for Bajirao Mastani respectively.
Versatile actor Irrfan Khan bagged the
Jury Choice Best Actor (Male) and Kalki
Koechlin won the Jury Choice Best Actor
(Female).The red carpet of the gala event
witnessed the presence Amitabh Bachchan,
Sonam Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Sonakshi
Sinha, Subhash Ghai, Shabana Azmi
and Rishi Kapoor among others.
Priyanka wins
Favourite Actress
at Peoples Choice
Awards 2016
bhay Kumar, who is set make his

directorial debut with Gandhi vs
Aazaad, says India desperately
needs a film like this.
I feel todays youth, in fact India,
desperately needs a film like Gandhi vs
Aazaad. Its a controversial film, but it also
depicts some facts from Indian history.
The world will see the other side of Gandhi
which they have not seen yet, Abhay said.
Abhay, grandson of the Bombay Talkies
studio founder Raj Narayan Dube, has
decided to revive the banner with the antiGandhi film. Dev Anand, Ashok Kumar and
Meena Kumari-starrer Baadbaan was the
last film released by the studio in 1954.
He said the film was in its editing stage.
Almost 95 per cent of the film is ready. I
am planning to release it in February but
lets see. The historical drama will also see
Abhay in the title role of revolutionary hero
Chandra Shekhar Azad.
film-maker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who has

produced the film, said in a statement.
The film, which also stars Aditi Rao
Hydari, Neil Nitin Mukesh and John
Abraham among others, tells the story of
two unusual friendsa paralysed chess
grandmaster (Amitabh) and a grief-stricken
ATS officer (Farhan).
Ive read the book and Ive seen the films

that have been made on it. So when I got the
script from Abhishek, I really just judged it
on as an entirely new movie because most of
the people wholl see the film will probably
not have read the book, said Katrina, who
was present with her co-star Aditya Roy
Kapur and director Abhishek Kapoor to
promote the film at a radio station.
Honestly, I found it to be one of the
most romantic stories Ive ever heard and
ever read. For me that was instantly where
I wanted to be a part of it because I think
everybody loves romance and passion.
And this film just depicted it in a beautiful,
classic way, she added.
Great Expectations, first published in
1861, has been adapted into various films,
plays and television shows and even novels.
After adapting Chetan Bhagats Three
Mistakes Of My Life for Kai Po Che, Kapoor
has taken up a novel again.
I had read the book several years earlier,
during my childhood in school. The heart
and soul of the book is very basic... in any
country or place, people are able to relate
to this story because it is about love and
about heartbreak.
However, lead actor Aditya, who plays a
character inspired from the character Pip,
hasnt read the book. Gattu (Abhishek) had
adapted the book into a script. And If I was
going to read the book and those elements
are not going to be there in the script,
then it would not make any sense because
Id be looking for things that dont exist.
Fitoor
also
stars
Tabu
in
a
pivotal role.
Wazir mints Rs.5.57

crore on opening day
egastar Amitabh Bachchan and

actor-film-maker Farhan Akhtar
starrer action thriller film Wazir
collected Rs.5.57 crore on its first day.
The Bejoy Nambiar directorial, which
released on Friday, has received a good
response in multiplexes. The film collected
Rs.4.07 crore overseas on first day, thus
taking its opening day worldwide total to
Rs.9.64 crore.
It is very touching that a film, which
opened at 10 per cent was running at 80
90 per cent in most cinemas by the time
the day ended on Friday. It is running to
ollywood actress and former Miss

World Priyanka Chopra made India
proud yet again. She won a Peoples
Choice Award for her international acting
debut as FBI agent Alex Parish in American
TV thriller series Quantico. She is said
to be the first South Asian actress to win
the honour.
Priyanka was named the Favourite
Actress in a New TV series at the gala last
week in Los Angeles. She was pitted against
actresses like Emma Roberts, Jamie Lee
Curtis, Lea Michele and Marcia Gay Harden.
Ecstatic with the victory, Priyanka said:
Id like to thank everyone who voted for
Quantico. It is my first year in the US, and
to come to another country and actually
get this kind of acceptance is I guess what
America is all about.
So, thank you for accepting me, thank
you to my mom, my manager, the cast
and crew, the writer, ABC...everyone. Im
really overwhelmed.
She was given the trophy by Hollywood
action star Vin Diesel, who also gave a
touching tribute to his late Fast and Furious

co-star Paul Walker by singing the song See
you again during the course of the show.
Priyanka looked glamorous in a
shimmery dress by American fashion
designer Vera Wang, and stood out with
her smoky eye make-up. A National Awardwinning actress in India, Priyankas acting
repertoire includes films such as Andaaz,
Aitraaz, Krrish, Fashion and Mary Kom.
Her last big screen outing as Kashibai in
Bajirao Mastani last year has also won
praises galore. The Peoples Choice Award
which recognises the people and the work
of popular culture through votes given by
the general publicfor Priyanka comes as a
fillip to her international career, which first
began as a singer in 2012 with her single
In my city. She went on to collaborate with
American rapper Pitbull for Exotic in 2013.
Priyanka will next be seen onscreen in the
forthcoming Bollywood film Jai Gangaajal,
which is slated to release on March 4.
ENTERTAINMENT
Red
Black
29
Orange
Netflix in India: the ifs and buts of

on-demand streaming
Ankit Sinha
he arrival of popular American ondemand streaming website Netflix

in India has given much reason
to cheer, but users have raised concerns
on data consumption and Internet speed.
Nevertheless, the excitement is at its peak,
especially since the content comes without
censorship.
A quick look at the Netflix original series
Narcos, which features some intimate
lovemaking scenes, affirmed that there is no
discernible censorship, which could bother
viewers, who are mostly used to snipped
and beeped content.
Netflix is an on-demand service that
allows people to choose to sign up and
decide what, where and when to watch.
The service includes ratings guides
and episode synopses to help people
decide, and we also provide a PIN-code
system to ensure children cant view
certain content, a Netflix spokesperson
said.
Theres a melange of exclusive content,
including Netflix original TV series such
as Marvels Daredevil, Marco Polo and
Narcos, as well as Netflix original movies,

documentaries, stand-up comedies and TV
shows for children in addition to a broad
variety of licensed programming.
There are also popular Hindi films
such as Piku, Singh is Kinng, Hum
Aapke Hain Koun..!, Hate Story and
Hum Saath Saath Hain, with a promise
to add more as the service grows
in popularity.
Upon its much-anticipated launch in
India, Netflix is offering a free one-month
subscription to users. After that, there are
three monthly paid plans available, which
are worth Rs.500, Rs.650 and Rs.800,
which can be paid with an international
credit card via Netflix, through the iTunes
app store in most markets and via Paypal.
As per Netflix, watching films or TV
shows on its site can exhaust about 1 GB of
data per hour for each stream of standard
HD video, and up to 3 GB per hour for each
stream of HD video.
The golden night

Esha Chanda
icky Gervais crass humour might

have left many in the industry
bitter, but for the winners of the
73rd Golden Globes, the night was nothing
less than a delight.
The Revenant triumphed at this years
ceremony by taking away the top awards
best actor for Leonardo DiCaprio and best
motion picture: dramaclosely followed
by Ridley Scotts The Martian. If the
nomination of the movie in the category of
best motion picture: comedy or musical and
best performance by an actor in a motion
picture: comedy or musical had proven
to be controversial, the win left the social
media questioning and mocking the Golden
Globes decision.
Brie Larson won the best performance
by an actress in a motion picture: drama for
her emotionally wrenching performance in
Room and Jennifer Lawrence took away the
award of best performance by an actress
in a motion picture: musical or comedy
for Joy.
Kate Winslet and Sylvester Stallone
won awards for their performances in a
supporting role in Steve Jobs and Creed
respectively. George Miller was awarded the
best director for Mad Max: Fury Road and
the best screenplay went to Aaron Sorkin
for Steve Jobs. Pixars Inside Out took away
the award for best animated feature film
and Son of Saul claimed the best foreign
language category.
In the television circuit, Mr Robot
won the best television series: drama and
Mozart in the Jungle clinched the title of
best television series: comedy. Jon Hamm
of the famed Mad Men series won an award
for his role as Don Draper and Taraji P
Henson was awarded for performance
in television series: drama for her role
in Empire.
Despite that, its got the potential for

being a game-changer, believes film and TV
industry veteran Amit Khanna.
It ushers in anytime, anywhere, any
screen video on demand. As Netflix and
similar services such as Amazon, Hulu
and Hooq enlarge their repertoire along
with the advent of true broadband and
4G, filmed entertainment will change
forever, Khanna, the former chairman of
Anil Ambani-led Reliance Entertainment
Limited said.
Netflixs launch has created a great buzz
among movie and TV show aficionados
in the country, many of whom believe
its a great move, yet data consumption
and slow Internet speed could act as
deterrents. Delhi-based event manager
Saurabh Zutshi, 27, believes its a pretty
good deal, but data consumption could be
a restriction.
However,
19-year-old
engineering
student Nehal Shastri, raised an important
concern regarding the expenses of
broadband in India.
Its one thing to pay a subscription fee,
but one will also have to pay significantly
more for their broadband if they want
Asif Kapadias Amy earns

two BAFTA nominations
B
Other winners:
Film
Best Original SongWritings on the
Wall, Spectre
Best Original ScoreThe Hateful Eight
Television
Best performance by an actress
in a television series: comedy or
musicalRachel
Bloom,
Crazy
Ex-Girlfriend
Best performance by an actor in a
television series: comedy or musical Gael
GarcaBernal, Mozart in the Jungle
Best performance by an actress in a
miniseries or motion picture made for
televisionLady Gaga, American Horror
Story: Hotel
Best performance by an actor in
a miniseries or motion picture made
for televisionOscar Issac, Show Me
a Hero
supporting role a miniseries or motion
picture made for televisionMaura
Tierney, The Affair
supporting role a miniseries or motion
picture made for televisionChristian
Slater, Mr Robot
Best miniseriesWolf Hall
to replace their DTH services, he said,

while 23-year-old student Nikhil Warekar
feels Netflix will face a massive technical
challenge in India due to slow Internet
speed.
Majority of Indian Internet users
cant even stream YouTube videos
without waiting for buffering. How would
that feel while streaming a movie? he
commented. Time and again, the film
industry in India has rued about the issue
of piracy in the country. Will the launch of
Netflix solve this issue?
Bangalore based digital specialist
Sandesh Shenoy, 37, feels that Netflix might
make a dent into piracy.
The pricing is very attractive and any
middle class person can afford it on a
monthly fee basis. I definitely would be
interested in subscribing to such a service,
he said.
Netflix also addresses the question
regarding adjusting data usage, with four
settings: Low (0.3 GB/hour), medium (SD:
0.7 GB/hour), High (Best video quality, up
to 3 GB/hour for HD and 7 GB/hour for
Ultra HD) and auto.
ritish film-maker of Indian origin

Asif Kapadias documentary Amy,
which is based on the life and
death of singer Amy Winehouse, has been
nominated in the Outstanding British
Film and Documentary award catego
Film Awards.
Amy, the highest-grossing British
documentary of all time, gives an insight
into the short, volatile and dichotomous
life of the jazz diva, who was found dead on
July 2011 from alcohol poisoning at the age
of 27 at her home in Camden here. This film
encapsulates her personal and professional

life till her death. In the Outstanding
British Film category, Amy is up against
The Danish Girl, Ex Machina, Brooklyn,
The Lobster and 45 Years, read a statement
on the official site of the British Academy of
Film and Television Arts.
While in the Documentary category,
the film has been nominated alongside
Matthew Heinemans Cartel Land, Davis
Guggenheims He Named Me Malala,
Marlon Stevan Rileys Listen to Me and
Jennifer Peedoms Sherpa.
Malala Yousafzai documentary

gets BAFTA nomination
e
Named
Me
Malalaa
documentary on the life of
Pakistani activist for female
education and the youngest-ever Nobel
Prize laureate Malala Yousafzaihas landed
a nomination in the Documentary category
of the upcoming 69th British Academy
Film Awards.
Directed by American film-maker Davis
Guggenheim, the film opens a facet of
Malalas life on the big screen and tells an
inspiring story of how a teenage girl, who
was shot in the head on her way to school in
Pakistan in 2012 by Taliban, is undeterred
by the threats and continues her fight for
girls right to education.
The documentary is nominated for an
award alongside film-maker Asif Kapadias
Amy that depicts the life and death of singer
Amy Winehouse, Matthew Heinemans
Cartel Land, Marlon Stevan Rileys Listen
to Me and Jennifer Peedoms Sherpa,
read a statement on the official site of the

British Academy of Film and Television
Arts (BAFTA).
The 69th British Academy Film Awards
will be held on February 14 at the Royal
Opera House.
He Named Me Malala is also expected to
get nominated in the same category at the
upcoming 88th Academy Awards, whose
final nominations will be announced on
January 14.
30
FEATURES
A master storyteller
Red
Black
Orange
Farida Master lives in the pulsating world of media. In her three-decade-long journey, she has written stories for leading publication back
home and in New Zealand, handled the end-to-end production of newspapers and magazines and has published two books. In an exclusive
interview with Indian Weekender, the Auckland-based senior journalist speaks about her stint in the industry, the differences between Indian
and New Zealand media and the challenges she faced while working her recent book An Uncensored Life.
Esha Chanda
IWK: You came to New Zealand with a
vast experience in Indian media. How
different do you think is the field in
New Zealand compared to India?
Farida: Its very different and still
the same.
Most journalists from overseas find it
difficult to find a foot-in-the-door but we
are gradually getting there. Every time I see
a byline of an Indian journalist in the local
papers, I sit up and silently applaud them
for making it out there. I do believe that
immigrants are a brave breed of people who
take on the challenge of starting afresh. Its
as if you have wiped your slate clean of all
the goodwill, friends and contacts you have
created in your country of birth.
There are a couple of reasons why it
can be tough to find a toehold and its
mainly because all papers demand New
Zealand experience, and rightly so. Also,
there arent as many publications, and the
scribes who have been around love their
jobs with a passion and will probably be
around for the next 20 years. Unlike India,
there is not much movement of journalists
in
the
editorial
departments
of
mainstream papers.
In terms of being similar, if you are
a storyteller and you have the nose for
sniffing up good stories, you will continue
to do so whichever corner of the globe you
may be in. It is a skill that will travel with
you everywhere you go, through land or sea
or shore.
IWK: What was the reason behind
your move?
Farida: All of us are constantly looking
for new adventures, and that probably
was one of the reasons why I may have
consented to move here, although the main
moving force behind the relocation was my
better half that was keen to live in a 100
per cent pure, green country with clean air
to breathe. Hed heard it was a crime-free
country and that the politicians are as clean
as the air we breathe.
IWK: Youve been in the industry for
30 years. Your journey so far.
Farida: Never a dull moment, I say! Not
many people get to meet so many wildly
interesting or inspiring people and have an
opportunity to probe into their minds and
ask many questions, all in the name of work.
One thing is for sure, as a journalist, I
have interesting stories to tell.
Having started my career with Stardust
in the early 80s, there are still people who
ask me about the matinee idols and the real
life stories vs the reel ones. It was almost
after 10 years that I stepped out of the ivory
tower that film stars live in, to interview
everyday people for the city magazine,
Citadel that I later edited. My first reaction
then was of surprise. I hadnt realised till
then that people are so easy to interview
and want to share their stories of triumph
and tribulations theyve faced.
Being the editor of Pune Times of
India with a huge readership was another
whirlwind of activity, people and their
Farida Master
write for asked me to write an article
on the top Zoroastrians in the world
who had contributed to humanity.
I contacted Zerbanoo Gifford for
the article and the rest is history. In
retrospect, both
the books
have
Farida: Its about taking the leap of

faith and grabbing opportunities that come
your way. Nothing was premeditated. Dr K.
B Grant, the founder of Ruby Hall Clinic,
which is a state-of-the-art hospital in
Pune, had asked me to write his biography
someday since I had interviewed him over a
period of time when I was editing Citadel.
Strangely, I finally took on the challenge
after I resigned from Pune Times to move
bag and baggage to New Zealand. I thought
this would keep me busy for the first six
months and give me time to introspect
about the big shift.
However, fate had other things in store.
My dear mum suffered a stroke on the
day I was about to leave for New Zealand.
She was hospitalised at Ruby Hall Clinic,
where I knew all the doctors. I, of course,
postponed my trip and wrote the biography
whilst I practically lived at the hospital for
a month.
On the other hand, An Uncensored Life,
biography of Zerbanoo Gifford happened
at a time, almost 10 years later when I
asked the universe for an all-consuming
challenge that would nourish my being. I
was freelancing for a short while and the
opportunity for the book came through then.
Society magazine that I used to occasionally
IWK: A great tip that has helped you

achieve your goals.
Farida: When one door closes, the
other opens.
Have faith in yourself and the
universal spirit that makes things
magically happen. Also, dont
be too cautious.
Grab every opportunity
that comes your way.
Dont look at the
monetary factor. Do
things to help others
and the good karma
pays you back a
hundred fold.
Above all, listen
to your inner voice
and dont be afraid
to take chances.
IWK: Any advice
for
the
ones
who are new to
the industry?
timeless stories that were food for the soul.

As was editing Society Fashionan ode to
high fashion, uplifting photography and
creativity that rocked my being.
IWK: You have two books to your
creditThe Making of a Legend
and An Uncensored Life. What was
your reason behind working on
these books?
the intricate weaves in the fabric of her life,

and how they unfolded. I am truly thankful
to her for trusting me enough to reveal the
innermost secrets and give me a glimpse of
the most vulnerable moments of her life.
She now calls me Socrates, her philosopher
and shrink and recommends everyone
should have a biography written. I do hope
that An Uncensored Life acts as a catalyst
and enables readers to become gamechangers and make every moment count.
been
a great
learning
curve for me.
IWK: What is the most
challenging part while working on a
book?
Farida: Working on the biography was
simply mind-boggling, starting with Ms
Giffords neatly arranged archives in the
attic of her home. I had never seen anything
like that before. There were hundreds of
articles, written by journalists all over the
world. Meticulously filed documents cards,
notes, photographs, newspaper cuttings,
elbowed for attention. At first glance, I
thought it would take me a decade to go
through the wall-to-wall cabinets that
housed the documentation. A fiery lady
who believes in the power of now, it was at
times hard to keep up with her physically,
mentally and emotionally. She was always
on to planning her next big project before
I could fully comprehend the last one.
Sometimes as she jumped from one chapter
of her life to another, I had to figure out the
timelines and sequence of events.
However, the most difficult part was
digging deep to uncover those hurtful
incidents in her life that she had locked
away in the inner recesses of her mind. Not
the kind to brood over past misgivings
since she is always on the goI felt terrible
about opening up old wounds to understand
Farida: Keep going,

there are lots more
opportunities in the media
than there were earlier.
Remember, where there are
people, there are stories. Think
of an innovative idea, a good angle
and approach editors with four to five
ideas neatly keyed in. Most times, they will
approve of at least one or two ideas.
Once you have got a foothold in a
publication and established a relationship,
the rest is relatively easy.
IWK: Do you have any other projects
in the pipeline? Any exciting
news/updates?
Farida: After a grand book release
in India, which we recently had,
An Uncensored Life published by
HarperCollins India, followed by public
readings in Auckland at the Swaminarayan
Temple, Botany Library, the Auckland Art
Gallery and Auckland Librarythat Ranjna
Patel kindly helped organisethere are
plans to do more book readings locally,
before we release the biography in the UK,
US, Dubai and Mauritius. That is a lot of
work and planning to do. But right now, I
am just enjoying getting back to normalcy
with my job at the Botany and Ormiston
Times. Sometimes routine is good to take
stock of things.
Two copies of An Uncensored Life are
available with Indian Weekender. If you
would like to receive one, please drop an
e-mail to editor@indianweekender.co.nz
Photo credit: Pradeep Shetty
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15 January, 2016 Vol. 7 Issue 41 www.iwk.co.

NZs first Kiwi-Indian weekly newspaper

The pulse of Kiwi-Indians

15 January 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz

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