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October 8, 2010
Volume 2, No. 14
New Zealand’s first Indian weekend magazine
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New Zealand | 5 Bollywood | 25 New Zealand | 4

Champion Wrestler Asha Parekh & Rotorua Deepavali lights
Dev Saab up NZ’s changing face

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Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 1

Indian
Indians feel badly let down by PM John Key
Indian Weekender Correspondents
The recent uncivilised comments by Paul
Henry in the presence of John Key has out-
raged the Indian Community. Unfortunately,
the Prime Minister failed to react to him and
also continued to defend him in subsequent
press conferences.
Though the Indian community expected the
Prime Minister to give a befitting response to
Paul Henry’s racist buffoonery – he chose not
to and even went to the extent of committing
himself to his show on next Monday. The Prime
Minister thus has undoubtedly failed the Indian
community and the wider ethnic communities
that comprise 21st century New Zealand.
Even as TVNZ suspended broadcaster Paul
Henry for his widely condemned comments on
New Zealand Governor General Anand Saty-
anand during the course of an interview with
Prime Minister John Key, a large cross section
of the Indian community has voiced its utter
disappointment with the manner in which Mr
Key handled the situation.
While Mr Henry is known for his abrasive
style and is given to air controversial views on
sensitive topics it was up to the Prime Minister
to stop him in his tracks especially in this in-
stance, several Indian community leaders told
Indian Weekender.
Dr. Rajen Prasad, Member Parliament of
Indo-Fijian descent, expressed his profound
sadness and frustration at the way the Prime
Minister laughed along with Paul Henry while
he was making racist comments.
“If the Prime Minister cannot defend the
Governor General on a state run broadcast
– then he is not fit for the job as how can the
2 Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
common man trust Mr Key to look after their
interests?” Dr. Prasad asked. He added that this
is a serious slur on the background of all ethnic
communities and the behaviour of both Mr
Henry and the PM has been unwise.
“Prime Minister John Key can’t just smile
and pass it as a joke as he seemed to do on
screen. We expected more than that,” Mr Veer
Khar, former General secretary of the NZICA
said.
Ram Rai a National part office bearer was
cautious in his comments but said that the
Prime Minister definitely needs to clarify his
position and he would prefer him not to go back
on the breakfast show hosted by Henry and
instead hoped that he is fired by TVNZ.
Whau Board candidate Ann Nisha Pala
strongly felt the prime minister could have re-
sponded more strongly as soon as he heard the
“insulting comments.”
“As a journalist, Henry’s job is to openly air
opinions and make people react to them ... But I
was surprised the Prime Minister said nothing
at the time. He should have stopped him in his
tracks. The country was watching. Mr Key
should have come out far more forcefully right
there. Commenting several hours later was
good but not good enough.”
Mr Key later in the day said that he was
taken off guard by the comment. But he told the
media that he would continue to appear on the
programme with Mr Henry next week.
“If he was genuinely concerned, the Prime
Minister would have made a statement later re-
fusing to appear on the programme. That makes
it looks like he did not think the comment was
serious – exactly as he appeared when Paul
Henry made them,” said senior community
leader Prithipal Singh, MNZM and Chairman
of Global Indians, a National Party outfit.
Prominent Indian community leader Ashok
Darji of the Auckland Indian Association and
the NZICA said multicultural and multiethnic
New Zealand, particularly Auckland, had no
place for such comments and that they must be
condemned by all right thinking people.
“Any seasoned politician would have gauged
the political fallout of merely smiling at such
a damaging, unabashedly racist statement and
immediately corrected that perception with an
appropriate statement. Mr Key simply seemed
to go along with it,” said Sunil Kaushal a well
known figure in the community and also a
member of the Waitakere Ethnic Board.
“The Prime Minister and the National Party,
which in any case tends to be perceived as con-
servative and right leaning by ethnic groups,
will have to work hard to prevent from such
a perception being reinforced in the run up
to the next election, if they still want to be in
the running with ethnic groups,” said Roshan
Nauhria, MNZM, President of Bhartiya Mandir
and a successful businessman.
Prominent businessman of Indo-Fijian
descent, Harish Lodhia, has termed this inci-
dent and the subsequent reaction by the Prime
Minister as an insult to the entire nation.
Mr Ajay Kumar of Global Financial Servic-
es expressed his extreme disgust at the entire
episode.
Ranjana Patel, a third generation Kiwi
Indian and President of the Manukau Indian
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Association is organising a meeting to galva-
nise community support. She claimed herself to
be more Kiwi than Paul Henry but as a matter
of fact will always look like an Indian. She
termed the comments as outright racist and
flippant. “Paul Henry does not live in the real
world,” she said.
Community leaders were especially out-
raged that it was a public broadcaster funded
by the taxpayer that was acting so irresponsi-
bly and the fact that the head of the government
was not doing enough to take it to task.
Labour MP Trevor Mallard yesterday said
the furore over Henry’s comments “could have
been fixed right as it happened if the Prime
Minister didn’t try and smile and please Paul
Henry.
“His decision at the time not to challenge
Paul Henry was gutless and it means ... someone
who has to make instant decisions that could be
very important to the country made a decision
to condone racism and not to call it right then.
“Frankly you do need to have a Prime Min-
ister that has the backbone to say that behaviour
is unacceptable. You don’t have to go back to
the office to think about it.”
Unite Union and Global Peace and Justice
Auckland (GPJA) joined a protest outside
TVNZ’s Auckland offices last night and said
suspending Henry, “the poster boy for bigotry,”
was not enough and called for his sacking.
Unite Union national director Mike Treen said
he did not call for someone’s dismissal lightly.
“However Paul Henry legitimises racism
and bigotry in the workplace. I deal every day
with problems associated with managers and
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Indian
even co-workers abusing staff because they
look or sound different.”
John Minto, spokesman for Global Peace
and Justice Auckland, described Henry as a
“boil on the backside of New Zealand.”
“He’s giving legitimacy to bigotry and
racism,” he said. “Paul Henry is a serial offend-
er. He has abused women, people of colour, gay
people, people with disabilities and all migrant
Kiwis who don’t look like him.”
“What will it take the Prime Minister and
the government to take decisive action on the
errant broadcaster and its wholly owned broad-
casting organisation?” asked Kevin Patel, a
South Auckland businessman.
“Such racist comments, by Paul Henry have
hit at the very roots of multiculturalism and
Kiwi Indians will not tolerate this. The Prime
Minister should feel sorry and apologise to the
community at large,” said Harish Bajaj QSO,
JP, a veteran community leader and vocifer-
ous supporter of anything Indian. He wishes to
ask the Prime Minister that are all brown skin
people holding NZ citizenship second class
citizens?
The community’s disgust with Mr Henry’s
comments has been steadily building up over
the past weeks in the run up to the Common-
wealth Games during the coverage of which
he has spoken extremely disparagingly. His
repeated digs at Delhi Chief Minister Shiela
Dixit’s name was aptly described as a “cheap
shot” by NZICA President Paul Singh Bains.
Another Indian businessman who did not
wish to be named said that he will surely not be
voting for National and John Key – if he cannot
stop a stupid and racist state broadcaster from
mocking the Governor General and thus the
future for the common man under John Key’s
leadership is “bleak.”
National List MP Kanwaljit Bakshi has not
been returning calls and has failed to vocifer-
ously condemn the actions of both Henry and
the Prime Minister. He is a representative of
the Indian Community first and then a member
of the National Party and the community
expects more from him.
Pansy Wong Ethnic Affairs Minister did
not return calls and instead sent a brief state-
ment by email which failed to address the basic
issue of the Prime Minister’s inability to stop
Mr Henry from making racist comments and
his willingness to go back on a show with him
as host.
Minister Wong’s statement also did not term
Mr Henry’s convoluted comments as racist and
did not ask for his permanent removal from
the state run TVNZ. Such actions lend tacit
support to racist people like the suspended
show host.
Some community members have been out-
raged enough by the inept handling of the issue
by the Prime Minister and are calling for an
apology from him.
All like minded organisations can contact
Indian Weekender at info@indianweekender.
co.nz as we have been encouraged by our
readers and community leaders to rally support
to impress upon the Prime Minister to have
the state broadcaster take strong and decisive
action on Mr Henry – going beyond the a mere
two week suspension.
Premature news of bank’s
impending entry causes
confusion
Indian Weekender fielded several queries
from the community after a report ap-
peared in a community publication and
website about the impending entry of
Bank of India in New Zealand last week.
The news item was pulled from the
website hours later but the paper version
carried the report.
Our enquiries in New Zealand and India
have revealed that though the bank in-
tends to set up operations in the country it
will be a while before this happens.
The publication reported that the Reserve
Bank of New Zealand had given “initial
approval” to establish a subsidiary called
Bank of India NZ and that a local board
of directors with a local businessman as
Chairman had been appointed.
At the time of writing, the Companies Of-
fice website does not list any company by
that name and therefore the question of
directors and chairman having been ap-
pointed for a company of that name does
not arise.
Enquiries in India revealed that the Bank
of India “was months away” from setting
up a presence here. The bank’s represen-
tative in New Zealand, Nageshwar Rao,
said though permission had not yet been
received, an application had been made
to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. He
said that the report in the publication had
New Zealand
appeared “prematurely”.
Mr Rao said the premature report had the
potential to jeopardise the bank’s pro-
spective application and added that the
media must report facts correctly and not
sensationalise. He declined to comment
any further.
To Indian Weekender’s questions about
what “initial approval” as stated in the
report meant, the Reserve Bank of New
Zealand responded saying that it did not
comment on specific bank applications
and prospective ones.
A man claiming to be the bank’s lawyer
who would identify himself only as Kanji
called Indian Weekender saying the pub-
lication had been asked to take down the
story from the website because it was too
premature and incorrect.
While on a visit to New Zealand last
month, Indian government Finance
Secretary Ashok Chawla said the entry
of other Indian banks into New Zealand
would depend on how Bank of Baroda
performed. Bank of Baroda New Zealand
began operations earlier this year. At the
time of interview he did not indicate the
impending entry of another Indian bank
into New Zealand.
-Indian Weekender Correspondents

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Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 3

Indian
Rotorua Deepavali lights up NZ’s changing face
dev nadkarni
The third Rotorua Deepawali Festival was cele-
brated with great vigour and enthusiasm on Sat-
urday, October 2, at the the city’s beautifully de-
signed Rotorua Energy Events Centre. It was the
first time ever in
New Zealand,
that the Maori
community was
a key contribu-
tor to a Hindu
Festival.
The festival,
for which prepa-
rations began
nine months ago,
was celebrated
in smoke-free,
alcohol-free and
vegetarian envi-
ronment.
The formal
opening was
conducted with Maori and Hindu ceremonies (a
powhiri and the lighting of the lamp by the chief
guest, Member of Parliament Todd McClay).
The cultural fest began soon afterward with
colourfully memorable performances by groups
of children, youngsters and the young at heart
that had gathered in Rotorua from as far afield
as Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
In the foyer of the venue was an array of
stalls selling Indian stuff – including delectable
vegetarian dishes, clothes, fashion accessories
as well as cooking and other crafts demonstra-
tions.
The morning’s proceedings were a fitting
curtain raiser to the blockbuster fare that fol-
lowed in the evening. Beginning with a Maori
Haka by young students from the Mokoia In-
termediate School, the evening proceeded with
a series of classical, folk and fusion dances by
children from all over New Zealand.
The evening began with an address from Dr
Meeta Patel, the secretary of the Rotorua Deep-
4 Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
awali festival.
One of the highlights of the evening that
successfully portrayed the Maori-Hindu theme
of the celebrations was the Maori-South Indian
fusion dance
by the Anujay
School of
Dance in Auck-
land. The effort
was as innova-
tive as it was
absorbing.
Nardhana
Vidyalaya, also
of Auckland
and Nataraj
Dance School
of Wellington
also presented
colourful and
memorable
dance items
that regaled the auditorium that was chock
a block with spectators. The seats had been
booked months in advance – that’s a measure
of how popular the event has become in a such sented a contemporary Indian dance item and a
a short time. Garba dance and the two fashion parades cho-
Auckland’s Padma School of Classical Dance reographed by Rhythm House of Auckland.
presented a dance drama while the Rotorua The evening ended with a fire dance in the
Chinese Dance group performed the beautiful foyer of the venue and the grand finale was
“Walk on Spring” item. the ten-minute fireworks display that virtually
Other performances came from the Probasi stopped the tourist town in its tracks, with ev-
Bengali Association, the Bellyvegas Communi- eryone looking skywards at the fantastic display
ty Dance Group of Rotorua, the Soul of Punjab that lit up the clear night sky with the colours
group from the town which presented a soulful and the spirit of Deepawali.
Bhangra to loud cheers from the audience and a The committee thanked all who helped put
high energy solo Rajasthani dance performance the festival together and specially honoured one
by Minal Raj of Rotorua. The tourist city’s senior volunteer – something which the com-
Ramandeep Kaur sang the evening’s only solo mittee said it would do every year, beginning
number, a popular Hindi film song, with great this year.
skill. Three Maori community members took key
The two major highlights of the evening were responsibilities in the festival organising com-
the two items each presented by Auckland’s mittee: Shaloh Mitchell as the co-ordinator of
well-known Indiance Dance Group, which pre- Maori relations – who also did the honours as
a fantastic master of ceremonies with co-host
Nitika Sharma – Gina Wright as the co-ordinator
of art workshops, and Georgianne Crawford as
the joint co-ordinator of cultural programmes.
Shaloh Mitchell, of Te Arawa (Ngati
Whakaue) descent, is a young and upcom-
ing Maori leader, the managing director of a
tourism business. His ancestors were among the
founding fathers of the Rotorua Township. He
was born and raised in the lake side village of
Ohinemutu and has been one of the Rotorua’s
Young Achievers.
Earlier this year, Shaloh volunteered to help
organise the Rotorua Holi Festival at Ohinemu-
tu Village, to celebrate the Race Relations Day.
It was a great event with Hindu, Maori and Eu-
ropeans and overseas visitors to Rotorua partak-
ing in the festivities
It was in 2008 during a powhiri for Hindu
community at Apumoana Marae when Shaloh
met Dr Guna Magesan and organisers of
Rotorua Deepawali Festival. Since then his re-
New Zealand
lationship with the
Hindu community
has grown, hosting
distinguished guests of the Hindu community,
from the USA and India.
Gina Wright, a Maori artist of Tainui (Ngati
Naho) descent, organised “Mehndi Moko”
and “Rangoli Art for Kids” workshops at the
Rotorua Arts Village on October 1 as part of the
Rotorua Deepawali Festival. Both these work-
shops were fully booked by a mix of people of
a range of ethnicities – South African, Indian,
Maori and Kiwi.
Georgianne Crawford, of Tainui (Ngati
Mahanga), a nursing student and director of a
community belly dance group in Rotorua. She
has Indian connections as her great grandfather
was from Gujarat.
“It is really exciting to work along with these
talented people. They bring so many new ideas
and also make us think beyond the traditional
celebrations of the Hindu festival,” said Dr
Magesan, Festival co-ordinator and the General
Secretary of Hindu Council of New Zealand.
Riria McDonald conducted Poi demonstra-
tion during the festival. Natanahira Pona and
Tane Singh-Lagah did Whakairo demonstra-
tions.
Rotorua Deepawali Festival 2010 was a free
community event and people from various cul-
tures, nationalities, ethnic groups, faiths, and
belonging to various organisations attended,
partaking of the vibrant flavours of Deepawali,
which is now being celebrated around the world
with great enthusiasm.
Indian Weekender was proud to be associ-
ated with the Rotorua Deepawali Festival and
appreciates the work put in by its committee in
putting together such a successful programme
that is destined to grow in size and popularity
in coming years.
Indian
“Learning provides
aspiration and hope”
English Language partners celebrated the Adult
Learners Week last Saturday. The organisation has
more than 3000 volunteers helping the Migrants
and Refugees with their learning needs and it sup-
ports their smooth integration into the community.
Lot of Indians and other ethnic groups are
already availing of the free services provided by the
organisation. Hon Dr Wayne Mapp Associate Min-
ister for Tertiary Education and Economic Develop-
ment was the chief guest on the occasion. Dr Mapp
New Zealand
is also the Minister for Defence and the Minister for
Science and Research
While welcoming the guests, Gurbrinder Singh
Aulakh, the Chairperson of English Language
partners North shore, on behalf of both the North
Shore and South Auckland Centres, highlighted
the importance of learning and education in this
21st Century. He thanked Birgit, Julia, Margie and
other staff for their hard work and support in orga-
nising the event. He said, that coming from a law
background he very well understood, the wealth of
knowledge that Dr Mapp commands.
Later addressing a multicultural large gather-
ing, Dr Mapp endorsed Mr Aulakh’s views on
education in the 21st Century. He further stressed
that education provided aspiration and hope which
could not be realised, unless the learners make use
of the available opportunities to reach their goals.
He also presented awards to the outstanding tutors
and learners.
The event ended in a vibrant atmosphere with
the Punjabi cultural dance Bhangra, which made
the audience clap and dance along.

Punjabi Munda becomes

lord of the ring
ARVIND KUMAR he advised me to take wrestling seriously because
At first glance you would never guess that soft he thought I could really do well if I work harder.
spoken Botany store manager Jatinder Sandhu is a “From that day onwards, I started listening to
wrestler, let alone a champion one. him and found myself improving in the sport.”
But the 26-year-old from Mt Roskill is a lion Jatinder also credits his success to the persistent
in wrestling arena; so much so that he has now drive by his mother back home in Punjab.
become the first Indian to be selected in the New “My mum used to push me very hard because
Zealand national team. she wanted me to be very successful in life. Nothing
Jatinder, originally from Patiala, Punjab, last was important for her except looking after my diet,
weekend powered his way into the national team my sleep and my training.
after winning the New Zealand Senior Freestyle She always used to say that one day I’d make
(96kg) Championship in her proud. I also represented
Dunedin. Punjab in all-India Inter Uni-
Earlier this year he versity wrestling champion-
won the Waikato champs ships and won gold in 96kg,
held at Hamilton; Auck- I won silver in senior Punjab
land champs held in Dil- games.
worth (Auckland); Hunua “I was doing well but then
Counties champs (Papak- suddenly tore some of my leg
ura); North Island champs muscles while training and
(Hawera); and the All New doctor told me to take a long
Zealand Wrestling Clubs break . . . this was the time
champ (Hamilton). when I made my mind to
However, Jatinder is come to New Zealand.”
not the first in his family Jatinder has Bachelors
to have gained fame from and Masters in History, and
success in the ancient in New Zealand studied
sport. Business Management.
His father, Gurmukh “I have been in New
Singh, is a former Com- Zealand for two years and
monwealth Games and seven months now. I got my
Asian Games medalist, Permanent Residency last
having won the Indian month and I’m thankful to
national championship my employer, Mr Bramha
five times, a silver medal Jatinder Sandhu of Mt Roskill, Auckland, Naidoo, for helping me get
in the Commonwealth the first Indian to be selected into a national there,” said Jatinder, who
Games, bronze in the wrestling team. He now has his sights set manages the Opportos store
Asian Games, and gold in on representing New Zealand at the Oceania in Botany Town Centre.
games next year, the World Championships
the SAAF Games. and then the Olympics. Jatinder is part of one
“It feels really good to of two prominent wrestling
be at the top because I’m the only Indian to be New families in Patiala, based near Mohindra College.
Zealand national champion in history and I feel Dad Gurmukh Singh, who now works as a
proud as well as I represent not only my country but sports officer in Punjab, is well respected in the city
the whole Indian community as well,” Jatinder told because of his prowess in the sport.
the Indian Weekender. “We also have our own wrestling club in Patiala
“From next year I’ll be in the national team and it is a registered club, and some of the guys
of New Zealand and will be representing New in our club are nationally and internationally re-
Zealand and Indians abroad.” nowned players,” said Jatinder.
Jatinder said he came to know about the Dil- “My dad looks after the club and my uncle,
worth Wrestling Club after a year living in New Harjeet Singh, trains them. We give free accommo-
Zealand. dation and food facilities to all the guys who can’t
“Dilworth Wrestling Club is one of the best afford their expenses. Currently we have 35-40
wrestling clubs in New Zealand. Ian Adamson runs members in the club (17 live in the club itself).”
the club and he motivated me to join the club when For now, Jatinder is reveling in the glory of his
I first met him and told him about myself. wrestling success, and has set his sights on repre-
“When the coach at Dilworth, Amir (Iranian senting New Zealand at next year’s Oceania Games,
wrestling veteran) saw me training with other guys the World Championships, and later the Olympics.

Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 5

Indian
Lalu, Nitish opt out of Bihar
polls candidature
Patna: Incumbent Bihar chief minister Nitish
Kumar as well as his arch rival and former chief
minister Lalu Prasad has decided not to enter
the poll fray in the coming Bihar Assembly
elections.
Announcing the list of Rashtriya Janata Dal
(RJD) nominees for the third and fourth phase
of Bhiar polls, RJD supreme Lalu Prasad on
Monday said Rabri Devi will contest from Rag-
hopur and Sonepur constituencies.
He said it was done in conformity with the
‘people’s demand’ and added, “I am sure she
will have people’s support in both the constitu-
encies, where she will emerge victorious.”
For the Banka parliamentary constituency
by-polls, Prasad nominated former Union min-
ister Jaiprakash Narain Yadav to take on Putul
Devi, widow of independent MP Digvijay
Singh.
“We offered Putul ji to contest on our party
symbol but she refused. So we decided to
Heer-Ranjha’s love story goes under hammer
Mumbai: International art auction house
Bonhams is all set to get a painting
describing the first meeting of legendary
lovers Heer and Ranjha under hammer.
Painted by Ustad Allha Bux, this oil on
canvas is estimated to sell at $100,000-
150,000 at the Bonhams Modern &
Contemporary Middle Eastern & South
Asian Art Auction Dubai, One &Only Royal
Mirage on October 11.
This work is the largest painting by the
6 Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
field Jaiprakash Narain Yadav as our official
nominee,” Prasad said.
A former Bihar chief minister and Union
minister and sitting MP, Prasad has decided not
to enter the poll fray.
RJD sources said that Prasad may return to
state politics if the party manages to cobble up a
majority collation, even if not absolute majority.
The party recently released its first list of 65
candidates for the first two phases of Bihar poll.
The party is contesting for 168 seats, leaving the
rest 75 of 243 seats in the state to Lok Janshakti
Party (LJP).
Incumbent chief minister Nitish Kumar has
also made it clear that he will remain away from
contesting the polls.
He is a member of the state Legislative
Council and has stated that he will continue
with this arrangement.
Bihar goes to polls in six phases from
October 21.
artist to appear at auction to date, said
Bonhams on Tuesday.
Bux’s utopian landscapes and portraits
enjoyed great popular success, but it was
his depiction of the legend of Heer and
Ranjha that his name became synony-
mous with oil painting in Pakistan.
This particular painting depicts the mo-
ment when Heer first sets eyes on Ranjha,
a young handsome trader from Central
Asia, who has lost his way in the forest.
How was the last day of Gandhi?
New Delhi: On January 30, 1948, Father of the
Nation and apostle of Non-violence Mahatma
Gandhi fell prey to the bullets of an assassin.
But as the nation remembered the architect of
India’s freedom movement on his 141st birth an-
niversary on Saturday, we take a trip down the
decades and go back to the last day in the life of
Gandhiji when he was shot dead by Nathuram
Godse, a Hindu fanatic.
His last day was chronicled by the Sabarmati
Ashram, the Gandhi ashram near Ahmedabad.
It was a Friday and at around 03:30 hours
Gandhiji woke up from sleep. He prayed from
03:45 and then at around 04:45 hours drank a
glass of hot water with lemon and honey.
Between 05:00 and 06:00 hours he drank
mausambi juice and again went on to sleep
between 06:00 – 07:00 hours.
He appeared for an interview with at 07:00
with Shrimati Rajen Nehru.
He took a massage between 08:00 and 08.30
hours and then went for a bath.
At 09:30 hours he took his morning meal and
then a short nap again.
At 12:00 hours he woke up and drank a glass
of hot water with honey.
India
He again gave interviews to Maulanas Hifzue
Rahman and Ahmed Said. He had a talk with
Sudhir Ghosh and Pyarolal.
At 13:30 hours the news of the day was read
out to him.
Around 14:00 hours blind refugees came to
meet him.
Again gave interviews to Chowdhary Badlu
Ram and Sher Singh.
He had another interview at 14:30 hours with
Acharya Malkani and Dr. Choith Ram Gidwani.
The Ceylon ambassador Mr. W. H. De Silva
and his niece received an Autograph, which is his
last signature.
More interviews followed. At 15:00 hours with
Professor Radha Kumud Mukerjee.
At 16:15 hours he had a serious discussion with
Sadar Patel.
Late by ten minutes, at 17:05 hours he walked
towards prayer ground in the Birla House.
By 17:17hours he was assassinated by Na-
thuram Godse who came close enough to shoot
him from point blank range in his chest.
According to the First Information Report
(FIR) filed by Shri Nand Lal Mehta, his last words
were Ram - Ram.
Indian

Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 7

Indian
Type BJP.com to reach Congress
New Delhi: A cyber war has broken out between
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress
with the former serving a legal notice to their main
rival political party after it was found out that the
site www.bjp.com <http://www.bjp.com> diverts
the traffic to the official site of All India Congress
Committee (AICC).
Type www.bjp.com <http://www.bjp.com>
and within seconds you are taken to the http://
www.congress.org.in <http://www.congress.
org.in/new/> featuring prominently the troika
of Congress leadership- Sonia Gandhi, Rahul
Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The Congress said it was not looking for the
help of BJP to bring traffic to their site and party
and the onus is on BJP to look into the matter, but
the BJP said the domain name has been hijacked to
take the viewers to the site of Congress.
The official site of BJP is www.bjp.org <http://
www.bjp.org> .
“Several factors point to the fact that the said
linking and redirecting of users from the im-
pugned domain name to the official domain name
of Indian National Congress is not only deliberate
but also mischievous, impermissible and unlaw-
ful,” the BJP said in its legal notice served by their
advocate Pratibha M Singh.
The BJP said such an act cannot be without the
direct and/or tacit support of the Indian National
Congress party.
The BJP said the ownership of the www.bjp.
com <http://www.bjp.com> domain name is not
traceable as it remained in “masked and protect-
ed” category.
The BJP said it found that a company called
Bharat Janata Prakashan was the owner of the
domain first but it was later sold to someone else.
The BJP asked the Congress to ensure that the
domain name is transferred to them and it would
reimburse all the charges for that.
India Briefs
Kailash to perform at CWG closing
ceremony
New Delhi: Sensational Sufi singer Kailash Kher
has confirmed that he will be performing in the
closing ceremony of Commonwealth Games
(CWG) on Oct 14 at Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium
here. Kailash said his songs will cheer up all ath-
India
is to retire as head of the Tata Group in 2012, has
been part of various advisory councils in India,
the most recent being an in advisory panel formed
to suggest ways to restructure the ailing national
carrier, Air India, a brainchild of J R D Tata.
No US visa for Sanjay Dutt
Mumbai: Actor Sanjay Dutt’s visa application to
visit US for his daughter’s graduation ceremony
there was rejected, a report said on Monday.
The acclaimed actor’s application for his visa
renewal (he had a 10-year visa to visit the United
States) was rejected for the second time by the US
consulate on the grounds that he was convicted
for the 1993 serial blasts, for illegal possession
of arms. New York-based Trishala will miss her
father at her graduation ceremony, where all par-
ents join their children to celebrate the completion
of their degrees. She is graduating from John Jay
College of Criminal Justice in New York City. It
is said that Trishala, after being traumatised by

Verdict heralds new chapter in

letes, irrespective of ‘who won more gold and who her father’s tryst with the legal system, took up
is returning empty-handed’. The closing ceremony law as a career option. Sanjay Dutt’s manager
is expected to be a spectacular extravaganza like Dharam Oberoi was quoted as saying the actor

national integration: BJP

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on
Thursday said said the Ayodhya verdict favouring
the construction of a temple on the disputed land
would herald a new chapter in national integration.
“In so far as the judgement upholds the right of
the Hindus to construct a temple at the Garbh-Grih
[sanctum sanctorum] , it is a significant step forward
towards the construction of a grand temple at the
birth place of Lord Rama,” BJP leader L K Advani
said.
“The expert opinion of the Archaeological
Survey of India and other expert agencies engaged
by it had clearly opined that there were remains of a
Hindu religious structure where the disputed struc-
ture stood,” said Advani.
“The Bharatiya Janata Party believes that this
verdict opens a new chapter for national integra-
tion and a new era for inter-community relations.
The BJP is gratified that the nation has received the
verdict with maturity,” he said.
Treading cautiously on the communal minefield,
a three-member Lucknow bench of the Allahabad
High Court on Thursday passed a verdict upholding
the Hindu claim that the disputed site is the birth-
place of Lord Rama but ruled that the land would be
divided into three parts with one third going to the
Muslims along with one third for the Hindus.
Rejecting the Sunni Waqf Board and Nirmohi
Akhara’s title suit, the Lucknow bench of Allahabad
High Court on Thursday said Hindu deity Lord
Ram was born indeed on the disputed Ayodhya site,
bringing a temporary closure on the 60-year-old
dispute since the judgement can now be challenged
in the Supreme Court.
the opening ceremony.
Rata Tata in British panel to boost UK
economy
Mumbai: Tata Group’s chairman Ratan Tata has
been named in a 19-member group of famous,
which would help the British government in pre-
paring business strategies and highlight priorities
for the UK economy, suffered from worldwide
recession. Tata’s name in the UK panel meant his
influence in British economy with his Group of
companies having tremendous brand names,such
as Tata Steel and the tea company. About 65 per
cent Tata Group’s income comes from outside
India, mostly from Corus and Jaguar Land Rover.
Other prominent members in the group of UK
panel include Paul Walsh of Diageo, Justin King
of Sainsbury’s, Sam Laidlaw of Centrica and Sir
Michael Rake of BT, media reports said. The
panel of leading industry bosses will interact with
the UK government on business issues. Tata, who
was very keen to attend his daughter’s gradua-
tion but only faced disappointment each time he
applied.
Proud Swraj Paul commends India for
CWG show
London: As the World watches India host
Commonwalth Games in a grand opening that
overshadow many allegations, NRI tycoon Swraj
Paul says he is confident of India’s capability.
Congratulating New Delhi, the industrialist, a
member of the British House of Lords, said the
critics would now realise that India “does things
in its own style. All of us, including myself
personally, are proud of India and its people”,
he said. He said now all the adversaries to India
would shrink now with thoughts that their target
country was bigger and capable to achieve things
on time. “India is capable to meet its international
commitments and it is great pride to be of Indian-
origin,” Paul said.

Vignettes of Delhi CWG

3 4

1 2
1.The President Pratibha Patil declares the Games open, during the opening
ceremony of the 19th Commonwealth Games 2010-Delhi, at Jawaharlal
Nehru Stadium, in New Delhi on October 03, 2010.

2.The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles reads out the message of Queen
Elizabeth on her behalf during the opening ceremony of the 19th Common-
wealth Games 2010-Delhi, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in New Delhi on 6
October 03, 2010.

3.The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh addressing at the opening cer-
emony of the 19th Commonwealth Games 2010-Delhi, at Jawaharlal Nehru
Stadium, in New Delhi on October 03, 2010.
5
The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, the Prince of Wales, Prince
Charles and other dignitaries are also seen.

4.The artistes perform during the opening ceremony of the 19th Common-
wealth Games Delhi-2010, in New Delhi on October 03, 2010.

5.Singer Shibani Kashyap performs with artists during the opening

ceremony of the 19th Commonwealth Games Delhi-2010, in New Delhi on
October 03, 2010.

6.Giant Puppets hang from the aerostat during the opening ceremony of the
19th Commonwealth Games Delhi-2010, in New Delhi on October 03, 2010.

7.A drummer performs at the opening ceremony of the 19th Commonwealth

Games Delhi-2010, in New Delhi on October 03, 2010.
8
8.The artistes perform during the opening ceremony of the 19th Common-
wealth Games Delhi-2010, in New Delhi on October 03, 2010.
7

8 Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian

Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 9

Indian
India
More from Delhi 1.A spectacular view of Jawahar Lal Nehru stadium during the opening ceremony of the 19th Commonwealth
Games 2010-Delhi, in New Delhi on October 03, 2010.

CWG 2.The Oscar winning music composer A.R. Rehman performs during the opening ceremony of the 19th Com-
monwealth Games 2010-Delhi, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in New Delhi on October 03, 2010.

3.Shri Sushil Kumar, Wrestler the gold medalist, Moscow World Wrestling Championship holding the Queen’s
Baton, 19th Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010, and waving the audience at the opening ceremony of the 19th
Commonwealth Games 2010-Delhi, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in New Delhi on October 03, 2010.

4.The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, the former President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the
Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, his wife Duchess of Cornwall Camilla Parker, the Prime Minister, Dr. Man-
mohan Singh, his wife Gursharan Kaur and other dignitaries, during the National Anthem, at the opening
ceremony of the 19th Commonwealth Games 2010-Delhi, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in New Delhi on
2 October 03, 2010.

5.The Commonwealth Games Federation flag unfurling at the opening ceremony of the 19th Commonwealth
Games 2010-Delhi, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in New Delhi on October 03, 2010
1
6.Master Keshava a seven year old Prodigy from Puducherry plays the tabla at the opening ceremony of the
19th Commonwealth Games 2010-Delhi, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in New Delhi on October 03, 2010.

7.Graph with light, a creative sketch of Mahatma Gandhi, at the opening ceremony of the 19th Commonwealth
Games 2010-Delhi, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in New Delhi on October 03, 2010.

3 8.Giant Puppets hang from the aerostat during the opening ceremony of the 19th Commonwealth Games
Delhi-2010, in New Delhi on October 03, 2010.
4 9.The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, the Prime Minister Dr.
Manmohan Singh and his wife Smt. Gursharan Kaur with other dignitaries witnessing the opening ceremony
of the 19th Commonwealth Games 2010-Delhi, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in New Delhi on October 03,
2010.

10.The Artistes performing cultural programme at the opening ceremony of the 19th Commonwealth Games

5 2010-Delhi, at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in New Delhi on October 03, 2010.

8 MANIK BANERJEE
7 “We, in Commonwealth Games Fedeartion, as
10
India Briefs
Human skulls, bones found in Siliguri
Siliguri (West Bengal): The Railway police found
some thirteen human skulls and forty-two leg bones
abandoned on a platform at Siliguri Junction on
Sunday. General Railway Police’s officer-in-charge
of Siliguri Junction P Debnath said a blue-coloured
unclaimed bag, that initially created panic, was later
found to contain those human bones. Human skulls
and bones of limbs have huge demand in neighbour-
ing Bhutan and Nepal, where tantriks of Kali sadaks
and quacks use them for different reasons. Debnath
said that they have sought the help from the forensic
experts to determine the age of the bones, police said.
No arrest had been made in this case so far, police
added.
India Post releases CWG stamps
New Delhi: India Post on Sunday released third
set of stamps at Commonwealth Games (CWG)
Village Post Office to commemorate the event that
inaugurates in the evening. India Post celebrated the
spirit of the XIX Commonwealth Games by issuing a
set of four stamps (of Rs. 5 each) on Tennis, Archery,
Hockey and Athletics. The set was formally released
by Rameshwari Handa Chief Postmaster General,
Delhi Circle, in the presence of Lt. General (Retd.)
Ashok Kapur ADG (Games Village) and other senior
officers of India Post. The 19th Commonwealth
games 2010, are being organized in Delhi between
Oct 3-14. It is going to be the largest sport event in
Delhi after the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982. It
is also for the first time that the Commonwealth
Games are being held in India. To commemorate
this sporting extravaganza, India Post has already
issued two sets of stamps on Themes: One set on the
Queen’s Baton Relay and a second on the Jawaharlal
Nehru and Talkatora Stadiums. As the commemora-
tive stamps are printed in very limited quantity, for
this issue only 4 lakh stamps have been printed. The
stamp and First Day Cover have been designed by
Sankha Samant.
CIA boss reviews security for Obama’s visit
New Delhi: The chief of America’s Central Intel-
ligence Agency (CIA), Leon Panetta, held a series of
6
9 Kalmadi on Tuesday extended his apology for lack
meetings on various security-related issues with top
Indian officials, including Union Home minister p
Chidambaram, during a two-day visit to the country.
Security preparations for US president Barack
Obama’s November visit to India topped the agenda,
reports said on Sunday. Panetta, who arrived here
from Pakistan on Friday night, met Chidambaram
and top officials on Saturday and discussed several
issues concerning regional security and intelligence
sharing mechanisms to fight terror. Panetta also
met Intelligence Bureau chief Rajiv Mathur, RAW
(Research and Analysis Wing) chief K C Verma
and home secretary G K Pillai. During the discus-
sions, counter-terrorism initiatives as well as greater
Indo-US cooperation in security-related matters also
figured. The discussions also broached on Pakistani-
American terror accused David Coleman Headley,
who was recently questioned by an Indian team in
the US.
India remembers Father of the Nation New
Delhi: India on Saturday remembered the Father
of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his 141st birth
anniversary with day-long programmes across the
country and paying of homage by people from all
walks of the society. Floral tributes were paid at Ra-
jghat, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi, by the top
politicians. From Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson So-
nia Gandhi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders
like L K Advani and Sushma Swaraj paid the tributes
to the architect of non-violence and India’s freedom
movement. US Ambassador to India, Timothy J. Ro-
emer also paid his homage at the memorial. President
Pratibha Patil, who also paid her tribute at Rajghat,
in a message said: “Gandhiji taught us to stand
resolutely against fear, to understand the importance
of truth and to work for the eradication of poverty,
illiteracy and discrimination. He inspired millions to
unite for the cause of freedom and independence. On
the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti let us take a pledge
to follow the path of truth and non-violence and
dedicate ourselves towards promoting peace, toler-
ance and harmony and work for the progress of the
nation,” she said.
Kalmadi apologises for lack of coordination
New Delhi: Chairman of the Commonwealth
Games (CWG) Organaising Committee Suresh
of coordination which led to the Australian contin-
gent waiting for more than an hour in hot and humid
weather before the opening ceremony.
Replying to a question at the media interac-
tion at the Games main press centre on Tuesaday,
Kalmadi admitted: “Something went wrong and
Australian athletes had to wait. I extend my apology
for the same.”
Kalmadi assured that this ‘won’t happen again’
during the closing ceremony.
Earlier, CWG Federation President Michael
Fennel expressed his concern about some of the
venues where competitions are being held virtually
with no spectators.
British school outsources math to India
London: In a reversal story of large scale influx of
Indian students to study here, a local school facing
shortages of brains has outsourced mathematics
teaching to India.
Media reports quoted BBC as saying a north
London school, Ashmount Primary, has outsourced
mathematics teaching to India and pupils in this in-
stitution were improving.
Shortage of mathematics teachers here in British
schools has presented an opportunity to Indians to
teach the subject.
Many of them have even immigrated to Britain
to teach mathematics.
Bright Spark Education Company (BSEC), was
providing the online mathematics classes by teach-
ers thousands of miles away in India.
“ Lessons are booked 24 hours in advance; and
at a stipulated students log on and converse with
their tutors over the internet,” the media report said
on Monday.
India remembers Father of the Nation
New Delhi: India on Saturday remembered the
Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his 141st
birth anniversary with day-long programmes
across the country and paying of homage by people
from all walks of the society.
Floral tributes were paid at Rajghat, the memo-
rial of Mahatma Gandhi, by the top politicians.
From Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, United
Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia
Gandhi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders
like L K Advani and Sushma Swaraj paid the trib-
utes to the architect of non-violence and India’s
freedom movement.
US Ambassador to India, Timothy J. Roemer
well as the athletes like spectators to watch the per-
formance during the competition,” he said.
Fennel suggested that younger ones who are
willing but can’t afford to buy the tickets could be
given the opportunity to watch the competition.
Kalmadi informed that efforts are being made
by the organizing in this regard.
He informed that total of six lakh tickets for
various events of the Games have already been sold.
Many journalists feel that the lack of attendance
in many of the venues was mainly due to security
hassle and also because some events like netball
and lawn bowling are not at all popular in India.
Fennel reiterated that the opening ceremony of
the Games was spectacular one and appreciated
people of Delhi for praising the athletes when they
arrived at the stadium for the march-past during the
opening ceremony.
The lessons, designed for children, aged
between 6-16, and cost 12 Pounds an hour and
parents sign up for blocks of two or five hours.
Students appear to be excited about the project,
BBC quoted several 10-year-olds saying this.
Adam, a student, said: “It’s fun because it’s on
the computer and not doing it on your books.
“Another student Rosa added: “It’s fun because
you’re talking to someone from somewhere else.”
BSEC has employed around 100 maths gradu-
ates for the purpose, who are paid 7 Pounds an hour.
One of them remarked, “I can’t see the student,
but I can talk. I can chat with them so it’s a different
way of teaching and as effective as a classroom —
even more effective, so that’s what I like about it.”
The teachers in Britain were not amused at the
idea..” I am concerned about the precedent this is
setting,” said National Union of Teachers’ general
secretary Chris Keates. “What next? Do we do
without maths teachers?” she asked.
also paid his homage at the memorial.
President Pratibha Patil, who also paid her
tribute at Rajghat, in a message said: “Gandhiji
taught us to stand resolutely against fear, to under-
stand the importance of truth and to work for the
eradication of poverty, illiteracy and discrimina-
tion. He inspired millions to unite for the cause of
freedom and independence.”
“On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti let us take a
pledge to follow the path of truth and non-violence
and dedicate ourselves towards promoting peace,
tolerance and harmony and work for the progress of
the nation,” she said.

10 Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian
Why the Fiji Times takeover is good news
PADMINI GAUNDER
Earlier I wrote here about the Fiji Times and
the anti-Indian propaganda that it carried on
for close to one and a half centuries (The Power
of the Written Word). Soon after that we had
the good news that the Fiji Times was bought
by Motibhai and Company, one of the leading
Indian business firms in Fiji.
I call it the good news for two reasons. First
of all it ensures the continuity of the publica-
tion and the survival of the newspaper, which
ensures the positions of the employees. Second-
ly, while talking of the Fiji Times one gets so
overwhelmed by its anti-Indian propaganda that
one often overlooks the good things the paper
has been doing for over a century. Now at last
we can forget about its one great weakness and
concentrate on its positive contribution to the
country.
When I showed Dr. I.S. Tuwere of the
College of the Diocese of Polynesia my paper
on the media he found it very subjective and
at times “this subjectivity reduced to personal
attack on the Fiji Times”. In contrast Michael
Field of Fairfax thought that it was “ too kind
to Len Usher …who did enormous damage to
journalism and Fiji”. So though I am biased, I
do not think that I am too biased, and I now want
to set the record straight by tracing the history
of the Fiji Times, which explains the reasons for
its anti-Indian stand.
The Fiji Times was in Fiji five years before
the islands came under the colonial rule so it is
older than most things in the country. It started
publishing ten years before the first Indians
stepped on Fiji soil. When it started in 1869 it
was a newspaper for the European settlers so it
concentrated on what was of interest to them. As
the knowledge of English spread and it became
the official language of the colony it slowly
became a national newspaper. The outlook of
the Fiji Times, however, remained the same –
that of the European community in the colony.
a tio n
nfor m
I lo gy
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Tec
SIT Queenstown Campus
0800 QT 4 SIT / 03 442 5375
info@sit.ac.nz www.sit.ac.nz
Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
The European community wanted the
Indians as labourers so most of the time the Fiji
Times took a pro-establishment and therefore
anti-worker stand. After the indenture was over
and when the Indians started demanding equal
rights the Europeans started turning the Fijians
against the Indians.
This was most evident in the anti-Indian
propaganda that the Fiji Times generated. They
highlighted any negative thing about the Indians
so that the Fijians would be wary of them. After
the Indian labourers went on strike in 1920 the
Europeans openly started turning the Fijians
against the Indians and the Fiji Times became
One gets so overwhelmed by its anti-Indian propaganda that
one often overlooks the good things the paper has been doing
for over a century. Now at last we can forget about its one great
weakness and concentrate on its positive contribution to the
country.
their main tool for this.
This anti-Indian propaganda continued
under the editorship of Len Usher who was the
editor for several years from 1958. As editor
Usher, who was notorious as a colonial, contin-
ued this propaganda even after Independence
and did not support the policy of multiracialism.
When the media failed in Fiji to contribute to the
important task
of building a nation out of the plural society
that existed at
independence, this was attributed to the
foreign ownership.
It was true that there was no locally owned
and controlled national daily newspaper
with the interest of the nation as its main pri-
ority. On the contrary,
the Fiji Times, in particular, worked against
national interests by
fostering ethnic rivalries and hatred. This
was something that had been
going on for several decades and the newspa-
per continued in the same vein
even after Independence.
This anti-Indian policy of the Fiji Times con-
tinued till 2000 when it contributed to the fall of
the People’s Coalition Government. Now that an
Indian firm, Motibhai’s, has bought it, it is rea-
sonable to expect that there would be a change
at least in its policy in dealing with issues that
affect the Indians.
On the positive side, the Fiji Times has been
there before any of us, so it is well and truly
part of Fiji. For over a hundred years it has been
serving the people of Fiji of all ethnic groups
by telling them daily what is happening around
the world.
In doing this, the Fiji Times has been very
loyal as they continued to provide the news
under all circumstances. So after the second
coup in 1987 when censorship was introduced
(for a short time) they continued when the other
Fiji/Viewpoint
daily that Fiji had at that time, the Fiji Sun,
decided to wind up the operations and leave. So
it is good that the Motibhai Group is taking over
the newspaper because they have similar quali-
ties.
After the coups when many businesses
closed or shifted their operations elsewhere Mo-
tibhais continued in Fiji showing their faith in
the Pacific nation. They are also one of the com-
panies that was not implicated as a company
trying to get rid of the People’s Coalition gov-
ernment in 2000.
Many of the businessmen (most of them
Indian) were accused of helping the rebels
in 2000, the best example being Jim Ah Koy
(though he is not Indian) who felt it necessary
to have paid advertisements in the newspapers
to deny that he had any involvement in the over-
throw of the government. But Motibhais have
maintained a good record as far as their loyalty
to the country is concerned.
The other good thing is that the Fiji Times
once again becomes locally owned. It was
started by a local European, George Griffiths,
in 1869 in Levuka. After Griffith’s death Alport
Barker became the new owner and it started
publishing from Suva. It has been foreign-
owned since 1950 when R.W. Robson bought all
the shares. In 1987 it became part of the media
empire of Rupert Murdoch. So after sixty years
it will once again be locally owned.
It augurs well for the Fiji Times that it is
going to be owned by a local Indian business
group. One can reasonably expect the paper to
have no more Indian bashing. It is also expected
to have its primary loyalty to the nation before
anything else as the Motibhai Group has been
credited with. So it is expected that the news-
paper from now onwards will have the interest
of the nation as its main priority and will con-
tribute to nation building by fostering ethnic
harmony and multicultural understanding.
11
Indian
Fiji Times editor resigns
SUVA: Dallas Swinstead, publisher of The Fiji
Times, has announced that Sunday Times editor
Fred Wesley has been appointed acting editor-
in-chief of the group following the resignation of
Netani Rika.
He will assume editorial responsibilities for The
Fiji Times, The Sunday Times, Nai Lalakai and
Shanti Dut.
Wesley has been the editor of The Sunday Times
for three years. Rika’s resignation was described by
himself as “something of a sacrifice” for the good
of the company, recently purchased by the Motibhai
Group, following News Limited’s forced sale.
He acknowledged that while he was seen to be
First of its kind, A park for the seniors
The Ministry of Social Welfare, Women and
Poverty Alleviation in collaboration with the
Rotary Club of Suva and Suva City Council have
embarked on developing a park for senior citizens
at the Thurston Gardens in Suva.
At the official groundbreaking ceremony held
today at the Thurston Gardens, the Minister for
Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation,
Dr Jiko Luveni said the park being first of its kind in
the Pacific was part of the Government’s determi-
nation to provide for the care and welfare of senior
citizens in Fiji.
“The construction of this park is evidence of
Government’s commitment to ensures that the most
vulnerable in our community receive the help they
need and to plan a future that gives Fiji’s senior citi-
World Hindi Day celebrated in Fiji
World Hinid Day was celebrated throughout Fiji
and a formal function was held in Suva with several
cultural organisations coming together. Professor
Biman Prasad Dean of the Faculty of Business and
Economics at the University of the South Pacific ad-
dressed the gathering consisting of scholars, teach-
ers and speakers of the language.
“I am not an expert in Hindi language as I
studied Hindi only up to class six but I am very
pleased that we had the opportunity to do so even
up to that level. We should pay tribute to our fore-
fathers who under difficult conditions kept the lan-
guage and not only that made sure that their chil-
dren also had the benefit of learning it,” Prof Prasad
said.
“Today the preservation of Hindi as a language
is a result of their foresight and hard work in build-
ing schools throughout Fiji for their children where
they could study Hindi as a language. Countries
with similar history of Indian Indentured labours
such as Mauritius, Trinidad, Guyana, Suriname
have not been able to preserve Hindi or other Indian
languages in way that we have in Fiji.
“One of the unfortunate things in this country
for a long time has been the lack of appreciation and
support to promote both Hindi and Fijian as nation-
al languages. It is pleasing to note that the Baini-
marama government has taken a policy decision to
make the teaching of Hindi and Fijian compulsory
in primary schools. This effort is commendable but
needs to be promoted seriously and adequate re-
sources in terms of teaching materials and qualified
teachers should be provided.”
Underscoring the importance of learningh
Hindi formally among the new generation, Prof
Prasad said, “Hindi as a language could provide
Fiji the competitive edge for us when dealing with
India and Indian companies now spreading all
over world. India’s position in the world can only
increase as it is well on the way to becoming the
world’s third largest economy.
“It is predicted that by 2050, India would be the
most populous country in the world and Hindi is
likely to be the dominant language spoken by the
majority of Indians. Fiji’s attempt to strengthen is
12
anti-government by some sections of the communi-
ty, he had always tried to be an editor who put Fiji’s
future above everything else.
Dallas Swinstead noted: “Netani’s journalistic
life has taken him from a copy boy to the editorship
of Fiji’s national newspaper during some of the na-
tion’s most turbulent times in history.”
Few journalists could claim that honour, espe-
cially under the tenure of perhaps the world’s biggest
newspaper company, News Ltd.
“I know from my own experiences that one is
bound to make friends and enemies along the way
but that’s the life of an editor. And the best editors
know when it’s time to move on.”
zens the services that matter most,” Dr Luveni said.
“The park will provide an ideal place for the
senior citizens to make interactions, socialise and
enjoy the recreational activities which will be or-
ganised for them.
The park, she said would not have been possible
without the kind assistance forwarded by the Suva
Rotary Club and Mr Ajay Amrit along with the
Suva City Council.
“No money, no gain, as the saying goes. We
had no money, Ajay Amrit looked for it and found
the money through the usual ready support of the
Rotary Club of Suva and Suva City Council will-
ingly approved this site that is actually second to
none in terms of environment and connecting to the
everyday lives of the children, the sports people.”
Dr Luveni reiterated that the Government
would continue to strengthen partnership to make
a difference in the lives of the senior citizens in the
country.
Mr Hemant Kumar the architect assigned for
the design of the park has agreed to take on the task
free of charge. The construction of the park would
take a maximum of three months.
“Come Christmas time this year we expect the
park will be ready for opening. The project is really
a historic one,” Kumar said.
economic and political link with India also means
that Hindi spoken by the people here could be a big
attraction for investment and for tourists from India.
There were several challenges facing the learn-
ing and teaching of Hindi, Prof Prasad said.
“First, the changing demographics in Fiji will
raise new questions about the teaching of Hindi
in schools. Indian population has already declined
to 37 percent and Indian student’s primary school
enrolments are likely to decline as a result. This
decline is especially going to be significant in the
rural schools. There is already evidence that major-
ity of the primary school students in the rural areas
would be indigenous Fijians. When this happens
throughout all the primary schools in the rural
areas then questions are likely to be raised about the
wisdom of teaching Hindi in those schools.
“The second feature arising out of the chang-
ing demographics and changing rural-urban com-
position of population will be the large numbers
of Indian students in urban primary schools. This
again will be a challenge for the learning and teach-
ing of Hindi and vernacular languages in general
as English language gets the further reinforcement
through the dominant westernised cultural influ-
ence.”
On the ageold but ongoing issue of Fiji Hindi
versus Shudh Hindi, Prof Prasad said, “In the past
we have had the debate on the type of Hindi we
should promote in Fiji. Some have advocated that
Fiji Hindi should become the basis of learning and
teaching Hindi in Fiji. Fiji Hindi is important lingua
franca for all Indians and indeed for many Indig-
enous Fijians.
“However, the Hindi being spoken in the 20
million odd diaspora may reflect the Fiji Hindi
version in a significant way. In addition, the eco-
nomics of learning formal Hindi could be sig-
nificant if we take into account what would be the
dominant version of Hindi that will be spoken in the
world in the future.
He commended Dr. Indu Chandra and the
Faculty of Arts and Law, School of Language and
Literature, Hindi Division for organising the World
Hindi Day.
Health staff sharpens its skills to control dengue, filariasis
Suva: Fiji Islands is currently hosting an entomol-
ogy training course to enhance identification, sur-
veillance and control of vector mosquitoes (those
that can transmit diseases) in the country with the
support of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community
(SPC) and the Pasteur Institute of New Caledonia
(IPNC). The training is supported by financial as-
sistance from the French Agency for Development.
About 25 Ministry of Health participants from
all over Fiji Islands are taking part in the five-day
course training to sharpen their skills to identify
and monitor the activity and density of disease
vector mosquitoes, to address two priority mosqui-
to borne diseases in Fiji: dengue fever and filariasis.
Fiji has several species of mosquitoes that can
transmit dengue fever and filariasis, including
Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, Aedes polyne-
siensis and Culex quinquefasciatus. Improvement
of mosquito surveillance and understanding of their
dynamics in the environment will assist the country
in preventing future outbreaks of dengue fever and
reducing incidence of filariasis.
Dengue fever is a disease of concern in Fiji
Islands. In 1997–1998 and 2008 the country expe-
rienced major outbreaks resulting in loss of lives,
substantial health care stress and considerable eco-
nomic costs. The 1998 outbreak affected 24,000
people (including 1,600 hospitalisations) and the
Minister warns bus drivers
Reports by a daily newspaper today reveals that
students who travel by bus have been publicly
berated by inconsiderate and rude bus drivers,
who chase students away from their buses, es-
pecially those under the Transport Assistance
Scheme.
That is indeed shameful and any kid who may
have faced such treatment must take note of the
bus registration number and immediately report
the matter to school. Heads of school must report
this matter to their respective district education
office for submission to the Transport Assistance
Task Force at the Ministry’s Head Quarters.
Rumour mongers use blogs to spread misinformation
VIJAY NARAYAN/RONEEL LAL
SUVA (Fiji Village.com/Pacific Media Watch): In
Fiji, we are all too familiar with the term “coconut
wireless” and we have an affinity to spread the word
but now the rumor mongers are armed with a much
more dangerous tool, internet blog sites.
Over the last couple of months, these rumour
mongers have stirred up a lot of talk among the
people with far-fetched and fabricated information
relating to Fiji.
Fijivillage gets numerous calls from eager blog
site readers everyday who seem to believe every
rumor and fabricated story being fed to them.
These blog site readers do not realiSe the
impacts of circulating false information as a leading
New Zealand academic has warned that blog sites
in Fiji can be dangerous and fuel racial tensions.
It has now come to the point that some people
continue to believe the rumours based on the issue
that they feel that the blog sites are giving accurate
information with no credible sources.
At times, things get uncontrollable as the blog
readers spread the rumours and expect things to
happen.
What makes matters worse is that some so
called credible overseas media outlets are using the
blogs as their main source of information and then
fuel the rumours by writing articles based on the
Former Fiji PM on bail after court appearance
SUVA (Radio NZ International/Pacific Media
Watch): Former Fiji prime minister Mahendra
Chaudhry is on bail after appearing in court today
charged with breaching the country’s public emer-
gency regulations. Five other men are similarly
charged, local news media reported.
Chaudhry’s lawyer, New Zealander Peter Wil-
liams, QC, says his client was arrested on Friday
while assessing the impact of the drought on sugar-
cane farmers in Rakiraki.
Emergency regulations state that no meeting
can be held without the approval of the authorities.
Williams says Chaudhry denies being at a
Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Fiji
2008 outbreak affected 2,000 people.
At present there is no vaccine available for
dengue fever. Hence the mainstay for dengue pre-
vention is the control of vector mosquitoes.
This training is very timely as the rainy season
will soon begin, bringing conditions favourable for
mosquito breeding. The training also supports the
implementation of the recently developed Fiji Na-
tional Dengue Strategic Plan 2010–2014.
Filariasis is also a priority disease, with suspect-
ed prevalence of approximately 6.3% of the popula-
tion infected with microfilaria.
The training is being conducted by Laurent Gil-
laumot (Entomologist from IPNC), Lucien Swillen
(Vector Control Specialist from New Caledonia)
and Dr Narendra Singh (SPC Preparedness and
Training Specialist), along with other key staff from
the Mataika Laboratory, Fiji Ministry of Health. It
is taking place at the Fiji School of Medicine’s En-
vironmental Health Lab.
Presently all efforts are dedicated to larval
indices and little work is being done on adult mos-
quito identification. The training covers mosquito
capture using various traps; mosquito identification
(adult/larvae); surveillance; and control strategies,
including monitoring resistance. It will improve the
understanding of a number of vector borne diseases
of relevance to Fiji Islands.
In a separate incident, a bus company in
Lautoka is taking advantage of this free fare initia-
tive by taking longer routes than the normal route
to expand passenger base, much to the disadvan-
tage of students, who arrive to school late because
the driver drops them off a distance a way from
the normal disembarking point.
Bus drivers need to be reminded that they
should accept coupons from children during the
following times: 6-9am and after 2:30pm daily.
The Ministry is calling on relevant authorities
to treat this matter with some urgency, as it is quite
serious, especially when exams are near.
blog information.
Analysts say people need to realise that many of
these blog sites are not following any media ethics
and almost everything is based on hearsay.
But the damage is done as some media outlets
continue to use them for information.
The other issue is that some media outlets delib-
erately ignore the facts in relation to the situation on
the ground because it would then water down their
“perfect story” from the blog.
Emeritus professor formerly at the University of
the South Pacific and political observer Dr Crosbie
Walsh told Pacific Scoop that the spread of misin-
formation in the post-coup blogosphere continued
to be a problem.
Walsh said every day for the last week or so, Fiji
had been bombarded by “destabilising and outra-
geous rumours” and that the mainstream media
was not reporting this because no responsible
media outlet would report a rumour without check-
ing it out.
Head of journalism at the USP Shailendra Singh
said this was a problem and that “inflammatory
statements, racial hatred, vindictiveness” could be
found readily on Fiji blog sites.
Dr Walsh argued that the blogs did little to
advance constructive debate around the Fiji politi-
cal question.
meeting - he was merely talking to farmers in his
role as a public figure, politician and leading trade
unionist.
Another member of the former PM’s legal team,
his son Rajendra Chaudhry, says that after his fa-
ther’s bail was set, the magistrate, Feizal Koya,
excused himself from the case because one of the
accused is known to him.
A plea by police for Chaudhry and his associates
to surrender their travel documents was dismissed.
The news editor of Fiji Communications, Vijay
Narayan, says a new judge will be appointed to hear
the case.
Indian

Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 13

 Indian
Indian
From the Editor
Pandering to a diminishing demographic
Last weekend’s Deepawali celebrations in Rotorua was a fine instance of multicultural-
ism and inclusiveness – catchwords politicians of all hues love to spout – actually at
work.
It was a treat to see “Middle New Zealand” come together and celebrate the festival
of lights so heartwarmingly, melding diverse cultures – Maori, Hindu, Chinese, besides
several others – in a spirit of great bonhomie and gaiety (a report appears elsewhere in
this issue).
It was a slice of life of today’s New Zealand, which people of some 200 ethnicities
call their home, their own country. This indeed is the face of New Zealand today – not
the hopelessly outdated idea of what a New Zealander looks like that some people still
have.
The pleasant memory of that sea of amazing diversity that came together to celebrate
Deepawali over the weekend was quickly soured Monday morning no thanks to Paul
Henry’s incredibly insensitive remarks to the Prime Minister about Governor General
Anand Satyanand.
Much has been discussed about the episode and what followed elsewhere in this
issue. But what is it that has spurred on the perpetually controversy courting shock jock
to turn into a cheap schlock jock?
Quite simply, it is the relentless pursuit of viewership ratings. TVNZ has been
plagued with falling revenues and has been finding it ever harder to justify its existence
as a public broadcaster propped up on taxpayer funds. The pressure to earn advertis-
ing dollars has been rising. And quite clearly, the brief to the likes of Paul Henry is to
deliver the eyeballs at any cost.
Insults, put downs, rude comments delivered with sniggers, aggressive body lan-
guage and scandalous remarks have been the only shameful stock in trade that the
Breakfast host has used to deliver those eyeballs.
And all that, under the state broadcaster’s smug belief that the audiences love to
hear it from Henry because they can’t say it. What sort of audience are they talking
about? It certainly can’t be of the kind I saw in Rotorua last weekend – and that’s the
kind of audience that is the future of not just this country but the world: an increasingly
ethnically diverse audience. TVNZ’s top management operates from an ivory tower.
Dwelling on stereotypes, quipping on foreign names and running down the people
of a nation or a culture collectively is old hat and the worst form of pandering to a fast
diminishing demographic that is being reduced to all but a fringe. Some of the stuff we
have been subjected to on Breakfast is shameful, to say the least.
The continuing tirade against India and Indians (not just the disastrous manner in
which the Commonwealth Games was organised) is unjustifiable. It is incredible that
Henry did not find a single pleasant thing to say about the country and its people, its
ground realities or the hows and whys of what was happening – something that would
have contributed to some informed analysis, at least for a section of viewers of which
there ought to be considerable numbers. Especially since this is the only programme
available to Kiwis.
This is not to suggest soft-pedaling on richly deserved criticism such as that meted
out to the organising committee of the Commonwealth Games. Rather, journalists, com-
mentators and opinion leaders must show the maturity to steer clear of the delectable
temptation to mix the incompetence of organising an event with the culture, heritage,
history, diversity and much else of a proud people. As if the only goal of the exercise is
to perpetuate the long formed stereotypical notion of people, cultures and nations and
not its perpetually changing aspects – much like ignoring the changing face of Middle
New Zealand.
– Dev Nadkarni
Opinion Poll:
Do you think Paul Henry’s apology about his comments on
the Governor General sincere?
YES NO
33% 66%
Indian Weekender Volume 2 No. 13
Publisher: Kiwi Media Group Limited
Group editor-in-chief: Dev Nadkarni dev@indianweekender.co.nz
Online editor: Arvind Kumar arvind@indianweekender.co.nz
India Correspondent: Shobha Rao shobha@indianweekender.co.nz
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is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication
Indian Weekender is published by Kiwi Media Group, 98 Great South Road, New Market
and printed at APN Print, Ellerslie, Auckland
Copyright 2010. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.
14
Letters
TVNZ and Henry
TVNZ you are funded by us the taxpayers. My request is sack this presenter immediately. You have
very capable people who can replace him today....
– Aneel
Paul Henry has been in the job playing the maverick presenter for far too long. The more he gets away
with saying the more he seems to be encouraged by the negative publicity. TVNZ has been using him
as a stool pigeon just to drive up ratings. Sunrise was way better and much classier as a program and
it actually had content that was enjoyable.
– Ben
TVNZ, its not Paul Henrys fault. For the comments Henry made about our GG I blame TVNZ. You
have allowed him to get away with comments before this all because he gets the ratings up. That means
more money who cares whether it hurts someone’s feelings as long as the ratings go up. We should be
looking at the CEO of TVNZ. By putting the blame on Henry it takes the focus off him and by suspend-
ing Henry he seen to be the doing the right thing by the public....
– Tony
Am shocked at this clown’s comments coming from such a beautiful country as NZ, which I believe is
extremely multicultural and fair. But I guess we have idiots in every society, and such people need to
be put in their place there and then....
– Sanjay, New Delhi.
Community news services on IW
We really appreciate your support and co-operation in this regard. Thanks.
– Baby Kuriakose, President, Biju Surendran, Secretary, Antony Poonely, member – AIM Club Inc
Thank you guys for the support you are extending to the Indian community
– B Ragu
Poll roll scam
You can take an Indian out of an India but you cannot take India out of an Indian only in this instance
it’s the worst of India. It’ll be poetic justice to see him get busted, hope he gets thrown behind bars.
They need to stick their gutter politics where the sun doesn’t shine – we don’t want this in NZ.
– Sundar Rajan
I am really shocked with these types of activities in New Zealand. I would be happy if NZ Govt takes
this seriously and sends these perpetrators back to India and refuse entry to NZ.
– Ilango krishnamoorthy
Migrant community has been let down by shameful act of few. This is a wake up call for all of us who
should bring such people to front and let them apologize openly and take an oath of not indulging such
act there after. If we hide this act they will get courage to do more serious fraud ...
– Kiwi Indian
Lets not blame a whole community / city / religion for the wrong deeds of few
– Guru Achary
These guys are disgrace to Indians in New Zealand. Suspend the nominations of these guys and deport
them from NZ. Cheap fellows, dirty tricks, we can do without this in New Zealand
– Amith Sharma
CWG
Having visited India twice, it is fair to say that Indian’s live very, very differently than New Zealand-
er’s. What they might declare as clean or quality is far, far different from what our clean or quality is
here in NZ. It is what makes India...India! You must go there with an open mind, not expect things to
run smoothly, expect to see filth like you just can’t even imagine. As for the safety issue at the moment...
India, unfortunately is a target because of the games....
– Giana
Maori-Hindu Divali
I really appreciate your passion for other cultures and wish the function all success. This kind of
programme brings peace and good harmony with people of different cultures, and indeed, world peace
and happiness.
– Jayashree Viswanathan
Ayodhya Land dispute
How sad that a piece of land that is considered pious by both Hindus and Muslims is causing so much
disharmony for over a century. Both faith communities emphasise peace, harmony and justice as
essential attributes of their respective faiths but fail to practice them at critical times. Let’s hope and
pray that this decision now brings a closure to this unfortunate saga....
– Gul Zaman
Methodist in the Fijian Context
The early missionaries realised the uniqueness and rich culture of Fijians so they “blend” Christian
doctrines and teachings together with the Fijian ethos. Some of the ethos which directly contravened
the scriptures were eradicated. This is in contrast to missionary works in other conutries where native
culture were completely banished. The result is the Fijian Methodists, which are unique. Their open-
ness is why Fiji is the way the world should be, barring some isolated incidents of course....
– Pauliasi Tabulutu
Ghar Pardes
This is a great movie, I was very moved, because this is the reality for many Fijian-Indian families...
my parents are fifth-generation Fijian-Indians, but I was born and raised in Sydney. I know cousins/
friends who feel the pressures of their family... it is very sad. Yes, the acting could have been better, but
boy did this movie strike a chord in me! I’d highly recommend all Fijian-Indians see this movie, it is a
wake-up call....
– Pritika Datt
Ten top stories on iwk.co.nz
Top 10 on www.iwk.co.nz
1. Deepawali with a difference
2. Deepawali fest aims to raise funds for quake victims
3. … And a bit of the Delhi belly in Papatoetoe
4. Super City election gets ugly
5. Delhi’s ugly underbelly on show
6. NZ swim team farewelled Indian style
7. Will Asia save New Zealand?
8. Atif Aslam to perform in Auckland
9. Malayalees to host Millennium Kalasandhya 2010
10. Gala opening show kicks off Commonwealth Games
Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Indian
He’s had breakfast – now put him out to pasture
dev nadkarni
Henry’s worst insult to Indians was to repeatedly mispronounce the Delhi Chief Minister’s name, laughing derisively
and connecting the English meaning of its sound with her being an Indian. That is reason enough to sack him.
If Kiwi Indians have been outraged by Paul
Henry’s racist comments against India and
Indians throughout the run up to the Common-
wealth Games these past few weeks, they are
appalled by Prime Minister John Key’s pitiably
lame and unconscionably delayed response to
Henry’s mindless insult to Governor General
Anand Satyanand on Monday’s Breakfast pro-
gramme.
The Prime Minister seemed to merely smile
and generally go along with the offensive com-
ments without so much as even the feeblest of
protests. Hours later he said that he was taken
aback but also added that he would go back to
the show next Monday. This has sent all kinds
of signals to the Indian community’s highly
sensitive political antennae.
On one level, his immediate non-reaction
and continued on screen smiling could be con-
strued as tacit approval of the comment. On
another, his delayed but lame response betrays
a lack of political nous and the absence of the
artful skill of a seasoned politician to be able
to think on their feet and turn an offensive
comment to their advantage by seizing the
moral high ground.
There have been unconvincing attempts to
explain away the Prime Minister’s tame re-
sponse, blaming it on being caught off guard
and having had to appear on the show after a
long flight.
It will be a while before the Indian com-
munity can shake off that sorry image of not
adequately standing up for the Head of State
Whose Commonwealth: The games nations play
Rakesh Krishnan Simha
Forget the events, stadiums and platitudes – an even bigger game is afoot behind the scenes in the Commonwealth.
It may seem unduly cheery but Indians should
rejoice at the stinging criticism and liberal
abuse directed at their country over the prepa-
rations for the Colonial Games 2010.
Two reasons. One, the games have revealed
who India’s friends aren’t. The Common-
wealth, like any other club, is supposed to be
a grouping of like-minded countries but here
we have a total disconnect between everyone
except the four or five nations of British origin.
The European Union, NATO and ASEAN
have a unity of purpose. They are either po-
litical, military or trading blocs. The Common-
wealth is none of the above. As a club it means
nothing except to the British. In fact, the only
thing in common among most member coun-
tries is that they were economically devastated
and subject to massacres by Britain.
Indeed, it is a measure of the residue of co-
lonialism lurking within the Commonwealth
that the only countries whose media networks
have played up the existence of Indian slums
– totally irrelevant in the Games context – are
those of British origin.
However, instead of pointing fingers, we
should look at why the whole episode went so
wrong. For that, let’s flashback to 1982. That
year India hosted the Asian Games, which by
any yardstick is grander, larger and of a more
competitive nature. And it went off like clock-
work, so different to the Colonial Games 2010.
Indeed, Delhi developed into a major city after
the 1982 Asian Games.
Also, while several athletes from the
British origin countries have proudly boycot-
Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
against the cheap comments of a TV presenter
unless some decisive action is taken immedi-
ately when the issue is still raging.
After all, TVNZ is a public broadcaster and
is run by taxpayer funds. Though it has a pro-
fessional management set up to run its affairs
and Mr Key has said it is up to it to take any
action, these are extraordinary circumstances
and the right thinking wider community would
expect decisive action commensurate with miti-
gating the wanton hurt caused.
Not seen to be doing anything on the part of
the Prime Minister could prove politically dam-
aging, at least as far as the Kiwi Indian com-
munity is concerned. And this is no conjecture.
The sheer volume of feedback from the commu-
nity reiterating this view speaks for itself.
Paul Henry’s stilted, conditional and blatant-
ly half-hearted initial apology to the Governor
General came as yet another shock. And what
heaped further insults on not just the Indian but
also all ethnic communities in New Zealand is
TVNZ’s initial callously non-chalant attempt to
defend Henry that increasingly began to look
like a tattered fig leaf of a defence as criticism
and complaints mounted at tsunami speeds.
The two-week suspension without pay is but
a rap with a wet bus ticket and the tax payer
funded state broadcaster which has itself been
mired in financial problems leading to job cuts
and the cutting up of employee credit cards
could certainly have done more than standing
him down sans a fortnight’s wages.
The channel is reported to have received 600
ted the Delhi Games, it is a fact that cricketers,
umpires, commentators and officials from the
same nations dance to the Indian tune every
year at the perfectly synchronised and glitzy
Indian Premier League. No complaints either.
So how come India can hold mega events
in such style and yet do a shocker at the Colo-
nial Games? The key difference is the lack of
motivation. Many right thinking Indians feel
a sense of revulsion when they realise their
country is part of the Commonwealth. Which
Indian won’t tear his hair out when he realis-
es that before every edition of the Colonial
Games, British officials inspect the venues,
strutting around like condescending peacocks.
Which proud Indian can stand the sight of a
member of the British royal family opening
the games on Indian soil? And then there’s the
queen’s baton. Give me a break! If that isn’t an
affront to the millions of Indians who fought
the British, what is?
Colonialism is a distant memory now but
many in Britain still look at Indians as former
subjects. The Commonwealth remains a plat-
form for Britain to display its past glory. Fine,
go ahead, but why is India part of the act? If
the United States, a country founded by British
immigrants, isn’t part of the Commonwealth,
why is India where the British carried out sys-
tematic genocides, a card-carrying member?
For that we must thank India’s politicians
steeped in idiotic Nehruvian diplomacy. The
defining characteristic of this form of diploma-
cy is that national interest and pride in history
come last. The art of jumping into useless in-
complaints and the Broadcasting Standards Au-
thority’s phone never stopped ringing. It would
be hard to find a public broadcaster more out
of touch with the people it is supposed to serve
than TVNZ. This is public sector insensitivity
at its worst.
It’s initial response that viewers liked Paul
Henry because he said the things they could
not say smacks of intellectual bankruptcy. This
is a free country. Why can’t these people say
the things that they take a vicarious delight in
when the suspended Breakfast host says them?
Aren’t they being too politically correct in not
having the pluck to say it themselves? And isn’t
it this same smart set that has deemed the sus-
pension a PC overkill? Nothing could be more
hypocritical.
It was as if Paul Henry was running a tirade
against India and Indians ever since coverage of
the run up to the Delhi Commonwealth Games
began some ten days ago. His most tasteless and
off-colour comment was his quip on the name
of Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dixit. He per-
sisted on mis-pronouncing it despite being cor-
rected by his on-screen colleagues but laughed
derisively and rounded off his hysterical bout
of laughter with a most damaging comment
linking the English meaning of the sound of her
name with her being an Indian.
This has somehow gone under the radar es-
pecially as the subsequent insult to the Gover-
nor General hogged the headlines. That racist
slur to Indians in the context of mis-pronounc-
ing the Delhi Chief Minister’s name is reason
ternational forums was perfected by Nehru and
his two anti-Indian cronies, Krishna Menon
and K.M. Panikkar. It was this gang that took
India – despite being a republic – into the Com-
monwealth.
Now here’s the second reason why Indians
should ignore the harsh criticism and look
ahead with smug satisfaction. The Common-
wealth, like another former British club, the In-
ternational Cricket Council (ICC), is destined
to become an Indian-led organisation.
If you recollect, the ICC was an anachronis-
tic colonial body of which England and Aus-
tralia were veto-wielding members. No other
international sporting organisation had such
a bizarre – indeed colonial – rule. It was ICC
President Jagmohan Dalmiya who famously
thundered, “Once Britannia ruled the waves,
now it waves the rules.” Dalmiya pulled the
rug from under Britain and Australia’s feet and
made the ICC a more democratic body. Today,
India’s economic clout sets the agenda there.
So as surely as the sun will rise from the
east tomorrow, India will take over the reins
of the Commonwealth. The de facto control of
this disparate organisation will pass to Delhi in
a few years because Britain is unfit and unable
to lead it. The reality of economic decline and
growing poverty is forcing Britain to be more
Eurocentric. As a Canadian newspaper com-
mented, “Intergenerational poverty, rare in
most countries today, has become a factor in
a notable British subculture.” The dynamics of
poverty and geography are forcing Britain to
integrate with the European Union, so it will
Comment
enough to warrant his sacking.
Letting somebody get away with as light a
rap as a two-week suspension without pay for
such unbelievably insulting comments repeat-
edly and that too with an administration, its
chief executive and the head of the government
that owns the broadcaster all looking the other
way is a sad commentary on the present dispen-
sation’s commitment to egalitarianism.
Paul Henry’s comments reflect a colonial
“Bada Saab” mindset of the years of the Raj.
Not that the mindset of other western journal-
ists, especially those covering the Common-
wealth Games, was too different. The world
view of the likes of Henry are still mired in age
old stereotypes and continue to dwell on them
oblivious of so many other infinitely more in-
teresting and reportable aspects of different
cultures.
The world is very different today. Some
two hundred ethnicities call themselves New
Zealanders. Dr Tahu Kukutai, a researcher
from Waikato University who has a $300,000
Marsden grant to investigate the treatment
of ethnicity in censuses around the world,
said Henry’s comments showed “a disconnect
between this rapidly changing demography and
this Eurocentric analysis of what being a New
Zealander is. What he is saying is clearly out of
step with the demographic realities.”
Let’s hope the Prime Minister thinks dif-
ferently and will take the right action in the
coming days to show he actually does so.
have to discard the vestiges of empire.
And India is well positioned to take over.
In perhaps a decade from now India’s economy
will be five times the size of Britain’s. In 20
years, India will be the largest economy on
the planet and Britain perhaps the 20th. The
baton will firmly be in India’s hands and most
countries in the Commonwealth will be solidly
behind India.
India’s subtle excercise of power has been
missed by most observers. The few voices that
called for a boycott were quickly smothered in
their home countries. No nation in the Com-
monwealth can afford to boycott India because
an Indian backlash will hurt where it hurts
most. Many countries are dependent on Indian
expertise and markets. For instance, the IT
operations of New Zealand’s largest company
Fonterra are managed by Indian powerhouse
HCL. Fonterra wouldn’t want HCL to pull the
plug, would it?
The only question is, when India becomes
the official boss of the Commonwealth will the
British origin nations want to stay? Watch this
space.
Have I been using the term “Colonial
Games” instead of Commonwealth Games?
Well, what the heck!
(About the author: Rakesh Krishnan Simha
is an infidel. He is a features writer at New
Zealand’s leading media house. He has previ-
ously worked with Businessworld, India Today
and Hindustan Times, and was news editor
with the Financial Express.)
15
Indian
Government by Greed
Coup at Last!
Subhash Appana
In the lead-up to 14th May 1987, when Rabuka ex-
ecuted Fiji’s first coup, vilification of the Indo-Fijian
community had reached a virtual crescendo with
acts of violence against people and property esca-
lating steadily. At that point in time, the Indo-Fijian
community comprised the single biggest ethnic
bloc in the country (55%). Their dominance was
clearly seen in the main spheres of life: main busi-
ness centres, civil service, public transport, etc. It
was this, more than anything else that fed the fear
that fueled the 1987 coup.
Coupled with this was the fact that right from
the beginning of the colonial era, the Fijian was
given to understand that his pact with the British
Crown was one of homage for protection – nothing
about ownership, a foreign concept to the Fijian
at the time. This is why the Salisbury Dispatch of
1875 - in which Lord Salisbury clearly said: “The
colonial laws and their administration will be such
that Indian settlers... will be in all respects free men,
with privileges no whit inferior to those of any other
class of Her Majesty’s subjects resident in the colo-
nies” – is given scant importance.
This has often been cited by those who believe
Indo-Fijians have a right to be a permanent part of
Fiji, like the Afro-Americans in America for in-
stance, because they made the former colony eco-
nomically viable through their toil, tears, sweat and
tax. Many have also argued that the level of visible
disparity in development between Fiji and other
Pacific Islands in 1970 (and onwards) was mainly
because Fiji had the labour and enterprise of Indians
and the others didn’t. In fact, it has been argued that
if Fiji had not been garroted by the 1987 coup, and
it had been allowed to flourish freely, it would have
been a shining example for the rest of the world – a
la Singapore.
Anyway, the fact that the Fijian was not ad-
equately prepared for the permanency of the Indo-
16
Fijian presence by the colonial administration, and
the fact that within the independence framework
of governance, power in perpetuity to the Fijian
Establishment-backed political party was silently
assumed, any unexpected electoral outcome was
going to trigger political introspection at best and
upheaval at worst. This is exactly what happened in
1987.
Thus the 12 soldiers who made the initial coup
squad, and their leader Sitiveni Rabuka, firmly be-
lieved that they were protecting the Fijian heritage
from a threat that had always been there. After all,
political power was seen as a sacred inalienable
heritage by the Fijian people. And they had always
feared losing that to the immigrant Indians – that
was the framework of politics at that time – Indian
“After all, political power was seen as a sacred inalienable heri-
tage by the Fijian people. And they had always feared losing
that to the immigrant Indians....”
vs Fijian. And this was in no small measure shaped
by the colonials and their self-focused, non-patriotic
cohorts in Fiji. Thus it was the loss of political power
that catalyzed the 1987 coup.
As the 12 balaclava-clad soldiers moved pur-
posefully towards Fiji’s parliament house just before
10am on 14th May 1987, a key coup instigator,
dockman Taniela Veitata, was exhorting parliament
about the importance of respecting chiefs and that
power, according to Mao Tse Tung, flowed from
the barrel of a gun. “Fiji belongs to Fijians” he said,
“in the same way … India belongs to the Indians”
(Robertson & Tamanisau, 1988, p. 69). Dockman
Dan was clearly making his mark on Fiji’s history
and relishing his role as the goon squad barged in
and unleashed on Fiji the deadly coup virus that
would plague the country for generations to come.
“Sit down everybody … Ladies and gentlemen,
this is a military takeover….. Stay cool, stay down
and listen to what we’re going to tell you” barked
an overtly calm Captain Isireli Dugu as Rabuka
got up from the public gallery and moved towards
a besieged PM Timoci Bavadra and told him, “Mr.
Prime Minister, please lead your team down the
right” (Robie, 1989, p. 218). As he directed the
shocked members of government, Ratu Finau Mara
had already begun to clear the right hand side of the
passage for orderly progression to waiting military
trucks.
An elected government was thus removed just
like that. And Fiji’s reluctant and treacherous 17-year
dance with democracy was over. After the Com-
monwealth’s most educated cabinet (at the time)
had been bundled away by soldiers purely follow-
ing orders and the ideology of the Bati (traditional
defenders), there was a sudden stunned void in the
city as the enormity of what had transpired began to
sink in. Those who got the whiff first began scram-
bling around screaming, “coupe” as Fiji began its
initial uncomfortable adjustments with the un-un-
derstood and unwanted coup phenomenon.
And as word spread, people began to wonder
what it meant. Then violence broke out in corners
of the city as thugs released for the purpose tried
to hound Indian individuals into submission. That’s
when people began to seek the sanctuary of their
Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Comment
homes. Taxis suddenly became weary and chose
who they picked up or whether they returned for
further business. Unprecedented numbers of sol-
diers were seen being carted around. Shops began
to shut down and shutters snapped as gradually the
city became still and eerily silent. Fiji now quietly
waited to hear what would come next for nobody
really knew what was happening.
Two hours later Rabuka came on air, and they
knew. Those who knew more began to gravitate
towards gatherings where the yaqona/kava flowed
freely as further disjointed plans began to be hatched
amid celebrations. After all what had been brewing
through an orchestrated disturbance campaign over
a month had finally culminated in the removal of
the democratically elected Bavadra government. It
was coup at last for the supporters, somewhat like
the free at last of the American freedom song: Free
at Last, free at last; thank God Almighty I’m free
at last.
This is where the sad confusion lay. While the
American freedom song had celebrated freedom
at last from slavery, and freedom to participate as
equals in that land of the free and the brave, we in
Fiji were celebrating freedom from the shackles of
democracy and a bondage to coups, totalitarianism,
absolute power, inequality and persecution. The
full brunt of this short-sighted political re-direction
was yet to hit home – the future of the country was
already on wager as a misguided minority celebrat-
ed the violent death of democracy in Fiji.
Subhash Appana is an academic and politi-
cal commentator. The opinions contained in
this article are entirely his and not necessar-
ily shared by any organizations he may be
associated with both in Fiji and abroad. Email
subhasha@ais.ac.nz
 Indian
Ek Ruka Hua Faisla, a court room drama
to thrill the audience in Auckland
Manukau Festival of Arts 2010 is going to be the
place to be for Indian audiences to be this October.
For the first time, it will have a representation of
the HINDI theatre, showcasing the court room
thriller “EK RUKA HUA FAISLA”, a MIGHT-I
THEATRE production.
This play is a thrilling courtroom drama origi-
nally written by Reginald Rose and was titled ’12
Angry Men’. The story idea is quite simple. There
are twelve male members of a jury who have gath-
ered together in an enclosed room to deliberate on
charges of murder against a young boy accused of
killing his father. The case against the boy looks ir-
refutable and indomitable, as there is a witness in
the form of an old man who claims to have heard
the incident and another woman who claims to
have seen the actual act of stabbing. Plus there is
the murder weapon - a knife - that was found at the
crime scene, seemingly implicating the boy without
any fragment of doubt. But all is not what it seems
like.
All the jury members, except one, are convinced
that the boy is guilty of the crime and the task before
them is to reach a unanimous decision to expedite
the case. But there is only one jury member who
is not completely convinced about the case and he
starts the deliberations, in which all the members
have to participate to reach a common conclusion.
What starts off as a minor doubt in one jury
member’s mind slowly develops into an intricate
and almost perpetually animated discussion about
the various possibilities and scenarios where there
could be even a shred of divergence from the com-
monly perceived notions and judgments of the jury
members? There is an adjudicator who is supposed
to chair the jury & make sure a final decision is
reached. But he is also a part of the vote and has to
make up his own mind along with making sure the
proceedings are done without disruptions.
The one guy who is not fully convinced manages
to change the vote of one other jury member who
is the oldest in the room. From here begins a vo-
ciferous and sometimes downright argumentative
discussion, with most of the jury members ending
up fighting with someone or the other in trying to
make a point or accept another.
So, there are these 12 unnamed characters,
somehow symbolic of the unnamed & unknown
boy accused of killing his father, and these ordi-
nary 12 people discover their own set of beliefs and
thought processes as they try to unravel the same
for the accused. Each is trying to convince the rest
about their viewpoint. But are they able to convince
everyone else and reach an undisputed decision? It
will capture your attention till the very end, where
they jury does reach a unanimous verdict - one you
have to see it yourself to believe it.
The play has been modified and adopted in
Hindi by Prashant Belwalkar who is also directing
the play. The cast includes experienced theatre per-
sonalities like Devdutt Paranjape, Kuntal Trivedi,
Bipin Chavan, Sushma Thakur, Rahul and Binita
Redey, and at the same time a fresh set of talent
in form of Hetal Jani, Madhavi Ram, Ram Padal-
lapurty, Preeta Vyas, Kedar Divekar and Vinesh
Kugaonkar. Start your Diwali celebrations with
this fantastic production.
BOOK your tickets online on
www.might-i.org NOW!
There are 2 shows of the play
Date: Saturday 30th October @ 6.00 pm
Date: Sunday 31st October @ 5.00 pm
Venue: Howick College Theatre
Sandspit Road, Howick, Manukau
Tickets : Children/Snr Citizens - $10
Adults : - $15, Family (x4) - $40.00
For further details contact:
Varsha (09 5348000)
Community
Kiwis remain at risk of sunburn in spring
Kiwis remain at risk of sunburn in spring
With the arrival of sunnier days it’s a timely
reminder we need to dig out our sunhats, wrap-up
clothing, sunglasses and sunscreen.
Spring is the time when many New Zealanders
can unwittingly get sunburned, as Ultraviolet Radia-
tion (UVR) levels are rapidly rising but temperatures
can be cool, even on sunny days. UVR from the sun,
which is the cause of burning, is not related to heat
or high temperatures. You can still get sunburned
on a cool or cloudy day. This makes New Zealand a
challenging environment for sun protection because
even on cool or cloudy days, the UVR levels can be
strong enough to damage skin. UVR increases sig-
nificantly across much of the country in spring.
A new international report details the success
of worldwide efforts to protect the ozone layer - the
shield that protects the Earth from harmful levels of
ultraviolet rays. The report concludes that as a result
of the phasing out of ozone-depleting substances,
under the Montreal Protocol, the ozone layer outside
the Polar Regions is projected to recover to its pre-
1980 levels some time before the middle of this
century.
But, the ozone layer will recover at different
Make a submission to the street prostitution bill
Manukau City Council adopted its own submis-
sions to Manukau City Council (Regulation of
Prostitution in Specified Places) Bill at the Policy
and Activities Committee meeting last night, and
is encouraging residents and businesses to make
submissions.
The bill, if enacted, will authorise the council
to make bylaws prohibiting prostitution in specified
public places in Manukau. It would also give the
police the power to arrest any street prostitutes and
their clients who contravene the bylaws.
The bill aims to address a local problem - the
increase in anti-social behaviour since the decrimi-
nalisation of street prostitution. This may be Manu-
speeds, in different parts of the globe and a delayed
recovery of Antarctic ozone has implications for
New Zealand due to our proximity to the Antarctic.
“Even if the ozone fully recovers worldwide the in-
tensity of our UVR will continue to be much higher
than at similar latitudes in the Northern Hemi-
sphere,” says Dr Richard McKenzie, NIWA’s UVR
scientist.
Dr Judith Galtry, the Cancer Society’s Skin
Cancer Advisor, notes that, “while the report paints
a hopeful picture globally, in terms of ozone layer
repair, New Zealanders remain at high risk of
sunburn and skin cancer. So it’s just as important
as ever to adopt sun protection strategies, especial-
ly between 11am and 4pm or when the UV Index
(which measures UVR levels) is 3 or above.”
The Cancer Society advises that between Sep-
tember and March, you should:
• Wear clothing that covers as much skin as
possible, hats that protect the face, ears and neck and
wrap around sunglasses
• Use SPF 30+ water resistant sunscreen,
and reapply every two hours especially after swim-
ming or being in water
• Seek shade
kau’s best chance to convince lawmakers that the
current situation is not working and that street pros-
titution must be regulated like any other business
that occurs in public places.
The submissions to the Local Government
and Environment Select Committee can be made
online by Friday, 5 November 2010. The committee
requires two copies of each submission if made in
writing.
What: Submission to Manukau City Council
(Regulation of Prostitution in Specified Places) Bill
When: By Friday, 5 November 2010
How: Online at http://bit.ly/bF7xA3 A copy of
the bill is also available at this link.

Who could be the New

Malayalees to host Millennium
Kalasandhya 2010
Auckland Indian Malayalee (AIM) Club Inc,
which has already made its presence in socio-
cultural and humanitarian sectors of the Auckland
community, is organising a mega stage program
– Millennium Kalasandhya 2010, highlighting the
ethnic culture of India.
Two hours of continuous thrilling and enter-
taining programme filled with comedy, music,
variety of (Bollywood, classical, cinematic)
dances will be staged on the 9th, October 2010 at
St Cuthbert’s College Auditorium, Market Road
Epsom, Auckland.
According to the Club President Mr. Baby
Kuriakose and Secretary Mr. Biju Suendran, the
programme rehearsals are in steady progress. This
will be followed by delicious dinner at a nominal
cost. Keep the evening free and join in to be en-
tertained.
Zealander of the Year?
Nominations are being sought from around the
country for the Kiwibank New Zealander of the
Year 2011, an award recognising an inspirational
Kiwi.
The New Zealander of the Year Award is open
to anyone - no matter their age, where they live
or what they do for a living. The recipient will be
selected for his or her major contribution to our
nation. They will have demonstrated an unrivalled
ability to inspire us all through their achievements
and their outstanding service to New Zealand.
It’s all about celebrating the very best of New
Zealand, regardless of ethnicity, interest, gender or
inclination.

Migrants protected when they get advice
from licensed advisers
New Zealand is a nation of migrants and mi-
gration remains an important feature of New
Zealand society. The Immigration Advisers Li-
censing Act was introduced to serve two goals:
to ensure that migrants are protected from poor,
misleading or fraudulent advice from incom-
petent or unscrupulous immigration advisers
and to enhance New Zealand’s reputation as a
migrant destination.
Anyone can find out about the requirements
for applying for a visa or residency to New
Zealand from the Immigration New Zealand
website. In many cases, migrants source the in-
formation and make the applications for them-
selves and their family without needing addition-
al assistance. However, there are many reasons
why migrants may choose to consult an adviser.
Migrants may have complex personal factors to
consider, their English may be poor, or they may
not have the time to devote to their application.
Whatever the reason, when migrants seek
help, they need reassurance that their adviser is
a professional. Only licensed immigration ad-
visers or people who are exempt, as defined by
the Act, can give immigration advice about New
Zealand to someone else.
The easiest way to find a licensed immigra-
tion adviser is to search the Immigration Advis-
ers Authority’s register, www.iaa.govt.nz. The
names and contact details of all licensed advis-
ers are listed in the register. Other informa-
tion about each licensed adviser includes when
they were first licensed, the type of licence, if a
licence is still active, and if a person’s application
has been refused, cancelled, suspended, surren-
dered or expired.
The register also allows you to search for a
licensed adviser by their location, either their
region within New Zealand, or their country, for
offshore advisers. You can search for an adviser
by their business name as well.
Registrar of Immigration Advisers, Barry
Smedts says that licensing has made immi-
gration advisers work on a more professional
footing.
“Everyone who wants to work in this indus-
try has to meet high professional standards to
get a licence, and they have to continue to meet
those standards once they are licensed. Once
migrants understand the benefits of licensing,
they wouldn’t choose to use someone who is
working illegally.”
There are currently 500 licensed immigra-
tion advisers worldwide.
Awards Patron, Kiwibank Chairman and
former Prime Minister Jim Bolger says “Ideal can-
didates are inspirational New Zealanders who are
stepping up, making the most of what they have
to offer, helping others and seeking new ways of
making society better,”
The New Zealander of the Year 2010 was Ray
Avery of Auckland, a former street kid turned sci-
entist whose low cost, sustainable medical devices
- invented in the garage of his Mount Eden home
- are making a difference to millions of the world’s
most vulnerable and poor.
“Simply put, this award is about celebrating the
best of us,” says New Zealander of the Year Awards
Manager Grant McCabe.
“We want all New Zealanders to feel a sense
of pride at some of the extraordinary contribu-
tions people just like them make every day. If they
know about it, it just may inspire others to reach for
greater heights!”
The winner of the Kiwibank New Zealander of
the Year will be awarded their trophy and $5,000
prize money at a gala awards presentation dinner in
Auckland on the 2nd February 2011. All nominees
will receive a certificate of achievement or encour-
agement in recognition of their contribution.
Nominations close on Friday 22nd October and
nomination forms are available from Kiwibank
Countdown Supermarkets, and Mitre 10 branches
or by free phone 0508 692 927. You can also nomi-
nate online at www.nzawards.org.nz or text ‘nomi-
nate’ to 244 for more information.

Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 17

Indian

18 Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian
Community
Prime Minister visits
BAPS Shri Swamina-
Papatoetoe Family Day
rayan Mandir
Prime Minister John Key attended the Janmashtami
celebration at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in
Avondale.
On his arrival, the Prime Minister first visited
the Pramukh Swami Youth Centre where young-
sters took part in a display of regular weekly activi-
ties such as classical music and dance, karate, Gu-
jarati learning and satsang class.
Next, he had darshan in the mandir where he
learnt about the life and teachings of Bhagwan
Swaminarayan. Finally, he attended the Janmashta-
mi celebration in the assembly hall where the youths
had earlier performed a drama, “Paksh”, depicting a
scene from the Mahabharat.
Balaks welcomed the Prime Minister with a
swagat dance. Then, a short video presentation of
Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi was
shown. After that, Jnanpurush Swami formally dren show for their parents and their grandparents,
welcomed the Prime Minister. and for the wider family community.
The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha reached out Thank you for inviting me here this evening.

English for Life

in this time of need by presenting the Prime Minis-
ter with a cheque of $11,000 towards the Canterbury
earthquake relief fund. At the same time, BAPS
volunteers pledged to continue with their support by
collecting more funds from the wider community
through a BAPS Earthquake Appeal Project.
The Prime Minister mentioned in his address,
“Thank you for the extraordinary generosity, your
gift of $11,000, which I will give to the earthquake
relief fund tomorrow morning. It is good to be here
to celebrate the birth of Krishna and to support
you and your faith. New Zealand is very lucky. We
have now over 100,000 New Zealanders of Indian
ethnicity. I had an opportunity earlier to visit your
youth centre, and can I say how impressive it was.
“It was wonderful to see the opportunities you
are providing for your young people. One of the
reasons that the Indian community is so strong
and so successful in New Zealand is because of its
beliefs in families and to the respect that the chil-
Next year I am going to go to India. It is a remark-
able country. I have been there before a couple of
times. Finally, I think it is great to see a community
that cares so much for its families and is so ambi-
tious, that works so hard and believes in all the very
best of New Zealand.”
Accompanying the Prime Minister on his visit
was Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, MP, representing
Manukau East.
Special Opportunity to Improve your
English!
Auckland Edinburgh College- right in
Manukau City centre by Westfield Mall
Adult Live English Classes focus on
giving you the English you need to
communicate, both socially and at work.
Studying Grammar and lots of practice
speaking will help build your confidence
to use English in real life situations.
9.15am- 12 noon
Monday and Wednesday: Pre-interme-
diate
Tuesday and Thursday: Intermediate
Classes are held during school terms
Next term begins 11 Oct 2010
Duration 10 weeks Tuition Fee: $95
Give us a call or come in to sign up!
Phone 09 263 8666
Address Level 7, No.20, Amersham Way

Enrol for
2011 at
AUT Manukau.
Come on campus for course advice, or register for
course information evenings on 19, 20 and 21 October.
AUT’s Manukau Campus provides students who live in
south and east Auckland with access to a first class
tertiary education right in the centre of Manukau City.
Students can study a range of undergraduate and
postgraduate programmes; all providing a cutting edge INF OR M AT ION
and professionally orientated approach to learning. E V E NING S
Study areas include:
• Business
• Health Sciences
• Sports Science 19, 2 0, 21 OC T OB E R
• Sports Management 2 010

• Education
• Computer and Information Sciences
It’s your opportunity to study at AUT Manukau.

To find out more

0800 AUT UNI

0800 288 864
www.autmanukau.ac.nz The University for the changing world

Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

AUTMAN/318/IW
19
Indian
I love Bollywood:
Romanian Secretary
Install the best of
Indian entertainment
for absolutely
FREE
New Delhi: India is almost like home for First
Secretary Romanian Embassy Silviu Bucur.
And he says he loves Bollywood and apparently
for the film industry Romania is like an unex-
plored treasure trove.
Romania’s Indian Ambassador Valerica
Epure says the country has a long rich heritage.
It is known for its beautiful art work, palaces,
historical remains and forts. River Danube is
the longest river flowing in Romania and is 2nd
this October
longest river in Europe after Volga.
From a booming tourism trade to the par-
liament building being visible from the moon,
Romania’s unexplored treasures, can prove to
be best option for shooting any Bollywood flick
which craves for extravagant locations, she says.
She says apart from the vibrant and varied
‘Khichdi’ actress wears 50 kilo lehenga
Mumbai: ‘Khichdi’ actress Kirti Kulhari
reportedly wore a 50 kilo lehenga and
10 kilo jewellery during shooting of the
climax of the Hindi comedy film.
Now, everyone knows that a climax
shooting can’t be done in 2 hours.
And Kirti got fever and headache while
carrying so much weight throughout
the long shooting hours.
For safety, the producers called a doc-
tor to be present on the sets.
‘Khichdi’ revolves around two families
–one Gujarati and another Punjabi.
Everyone knows the five famous
character of ‘Khichdi’ family , that got
immense popularity on the television.
20 Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Bollywood
location to explore, Romania’s renowned wine,
which will be shortly available in India because
of the Indian firm Great Waves, is also another
reason to visit the country.
Rajbir Singh of Great Waves, an ardent fan
of Romania, says two Bollywood movies have
already been shot in Romania.
Sanjay Dutt starrer Dost, which unfortunate-
ly could not get released, and the Salman Khan
starrer Kyunki. Salman Khan was apparently
very happy shooting his film in Romania.
With contacts between the two countries and
civilisations that can be traced back several cen-
turies, Romania’s virgin capital offers a lot for
everybody from the Indian traveller to the Bol-
lywood movie buff.
The Punjabi family consists of 60
members and among them we have
Kirti Kulhari.
However, during shooting, director
Aatish Kapadia had much difficulty to
interact with her.
He used to call the actors by the
names of their characters; like Supriya
Pathak as ‘Hansa’.
But, whenever he would call Kirti by
her screen name ‘Parminder’, sixty
Parminders would reply him as all
members of the Punjabi family were
named ‘Parminder’.
This confusion used to delay the
shooting by 2-3 hours every day.
Indian
Ranvir, Koko’s ‘jackpot’
after marriage
Mumbai: Actors Ranvir Shorey and
Konkona Sen will be together for the
first time after their marriage in romantic
thriller film tentatively titled ‘Jackpot’.
MANUKAU INDIAN ASSOCIATION
Professional Music & Vocal
Artists from India
Navratri Festival - Garba & Dandia Raas ......
Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Ranvir and Konkona’s last and only film
together is ‘Traffic Signal’.
The film will be directed by Amitabh
Varma.
In conjunction with ISSO Swaminarayan Temple - Auckland
Presents
‘Multiplex boom responsible for piracy’
Kolkata: The multiplex boom that ushered a
new era in the country’s entertainment industry
over the past ten years is a big cause behind the
rapid spread of piracy, said noted Bollywood
producer Manmohan Shetty last week.
Speaking at the India Entertainment Con-
clave, organised by the Indian Chamber of
Commerce (ICC), where the some of the big
guns of the industry gathered to discuss the
current state and the roadmap for the Indian
entertainment industry, Shetty said films are
losing money at an alarming rate.
“You are reading everywhere that the Hindi
film industry is touching new heights every
year, but don’t go by the numbers. In the last
two years, an astounding number of films have
lost money,” he said.
According to Shetty, the proliferation of
multiplexes to provide high value entertainment
to a niche audience consisting of the richer sec-
tions of the society, has left no space for growth
and sustenance of the single screen theatres, in
turn drastically affecting its overall business.
“Multiplexes were built to cater to a select
section of the society, but as they spread, they
made it virtually impossible for the standalone
cinemas to survive. Thus cutting out the major-
ity of the audience that used to go for movies
earlier,”
“But people want to see movies. And if you
take away the theatres from them, they are
going to resort to other methods. So they have
fallen back on buying pirated DVDs which have
swept in to meet the demand. So in a way, we
encouraged piracy.”
In the last calendar year 1,298 movies were
censored in the country but baring the cream,
the majority of the movies had bombed at the
box office, he said.
“Last year, over 50 per cent of the money ac-
tually earned by the film industry, came from
South India. That’s because they still have
40 Cavendish Drive • Manukau
Back Unit, Ample Parking & Close to M1 & M20
........at a New & Bigger Venue
Bollywood
standalone cinemas going strong,” Shetty said.
He said that to revitalise the film trade it is
imperative that new incentives and capital be
injected into making entertainment affordable
to the masses and expressed hope for govern-
ment trade policies that concur with this objec-
tive.
Media mogul Pritish Nandy said for enter-
tainment to flourish as an industry, it must be
treated at par with any other industry, calling or
relaxation in taxes levied like a ‘punishment’ on
the film trade.
Taking on government polices, filmmaker
Sudhir Mishra said, “Making a film today is an
accounting nightmare. 40 percent of a movies
budget goes to pay taxes. It is a shocking fact
that while 70 percent of the producers lost their
shirts, the government made money.”
“Also the despite being star-driven, industry
needs to understand the value of scripts. Special
capital must be allotted for the development of
films,” he said.
ICC president Jayanta Ray said for helping
the growth of the industry, apart from bring-
ing an uniformity in the taxation policies, the
foreign investment polices should be relaxed,
which were currently working against it.
“The ICC recommends raising the FDI
(Foreign Direct Investment) ceiling from 26
percent to 49 percent in general entertainment
and 49 percent to 74 percent in the DTH (Direct
To Home) space and increase in the number of
co-production treaties,” he said.
Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute di-
rector Shankar Mohan underlined the need of
addressing the problems of the industry in a
holistic manner rather than the current segment
approach that was being taken.
He said, “Bringing a consensus is highly
important to solve the problems which despite
being addressed for quite some time, haven’t
seen any solutions.”
8th October, Friday till
17th October Sunday
Every night 7:30 - 10:30pm
All welcome with Family
and Friends
RANGOLI Competition
Sunday
Sund 17th Oct
Food Stalls
Arts & Crafts Stalls
Clothing Stalls
For further information
Contact: Reena Patel on
21
Tel 09 265 0614
reenapatel43@gmail.com
Indian

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22 Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Indian
Robot was one hell of a journey: Ash at London Premier
STEVEN BAKER
London: Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan
brought a touch of Bollywood glamour to the
UK premiere of Robot last week.
Leading lady Aishwarya began proceedings
by thanking the many people involved in the
production, which has been in the making for
over two years.
“Robot is really special for the entire team,
and we have all worked so hard on. It is definite-
ly going to be a landmark for the Indian film in-
dustry,” the actress revealed Thursday evening.
‘Crook’ faces a crook
Mumbai: Bollywood actor Emraan
Hashmi’s ‘Crook- It’s good to be bad’
has become target of a crook in real life.
Producers Vishesh Films were sup-
posed to release the Master Promo of
the film in the first week of October,
which is also the release week as the
film.
Much to
their disgust,
the promo
is already
leaked on
Youtube and
it has left
the Bhatts
of Vishesh
Films in a big
surprise as
this promo
was one of the major assets in the pro-
motional plan.
Now the Bhatts will be reshooting the
promo and create something new and
very different with a blend of already
shot material that they have.
The promo, which was uploaded by an
anonymous source, has been getting
tremendous hits and views.
“The film is nearing release and wasting
Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
“A lot of effects have gone into it and a lot of
unbelievable stunts. To work with Shankar and
the superstar Mr. Rajnikanth as a team on this
film is incredible.”
She also acknowledged the work of Manish
Malhotra for his costume design and the music
of AR Rahman in creating “a rocking album
that we had a blast performing to.”
The 36-year-old explained how Robot is dif-
ferent to some of her more recent projects, in
terms of the genre of the film and her character
performance.
even a minute at this stage is a gold time
which we can’t waste. And this situation
would require me to be in the shoot and
edits for another 2 days,” says director
Mohit Suri.
“This was one of our major promo-
tional Promo as it had very impactful
dialogues and
sequences and
we had kept it
under wraps
as we wanted
to release it
near the film’s
release. But
watching it
already playing
on Youtube
did shock me
a bit but I think
Pirates don’t even spare films so this
is just a promo, very sad but a bitter
reality. So nevertheless, we will create
something different and more impactful
I believe,” says Mukesh Bhatt, producer
of the film.
Crook casts Emraan Hashmi, new girl
Neha Sharma and Arjan Bajwa. The film
deals with issue of Racism with Indians
in Australia, in an entertaining way.
John turns on the heat
Mumbai: Dimples, six-pack, Fahren-
heit-topping hotness factor, Gladrags
Manhunt award, Bipasha Basu and some
good movies in a decade of being in the
limelight. He has the female fans floored
with the combination of a ‘great bod and
boyish charm’.
Yes, we are talking about John Abraham
who transformed from the boy next door
to the glamour hunk of Bollywood.
We have seen him as a tough guy in
Dhoom, as a gay icon in Dostana, as a
terrorist in New York. Now, see him at his
provocative best in the latest V Dot ad
campaign – Turn It On – which will be out
shortly.
Asked about choosing John for the
campaign, an official spokesperson said:
“ Riot-inducing hotness factor. Demi-
Aishwarya explained: “This is a full-on
commercial movie. One that as an actor I had
a blast doing, lots of songs and dances that I
haven’t done in a long time, I always do these
getting into the skin of the character kind of
roles, so this was a full-on entertaining trip, one
hell of a journey, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy the
ride viewing it.”
Introductions over, the original plan may
have been to then screen the film, but the audi-
ence wanted at least a few words from Abhishek.
The actor duly stepped forward to comple-
‘Pinjra’ mahurat shot in Noida
Noida: A native of Ghaziabad, producer Atul
Pandey’s new film Pinjra’s mahurat was held
at Brahma Studio in Noida.
In presence of director Bijesh Jayarajan
and actors Nikhil and Jyoti Dogra the first
scene of the movie was shot.
The scene began with hero Nikhil getting
injured and saying, “Mummy mera accident
hogaya, bajri pe bike slip hogaya.”
The film’s shoot is expected to last for 40
Bollywood
god status. Clothes-horse. What more
could a man ask for? So when the brand
was looking for the man to personify V
Dot ,you realise why they didn’t have to
look too far. John’s inherent sexiness
and sophistication coupled with V Dot’s
smoking-hot ‘preimum clubwear’ made
for the perfect fit in more ways than one.
“
Commenting on the tie up, John said
“I am proud and honored to be associ-
ated with V Dot, not just because it is the
coolest and most stylish clubwear brand
in the country but because it’s a reflec-
tion of my own sense of style. These
are clothes I would willingly have in my
wardrobe. It’s young, it’s sexy and it’s
very, very me.”
ment his wife and her latest production: “This is
entirely her night, so I am very happy to be for
once the supporting male behind the ever gra-
cious wife,” spoke a proud Abhishek.
“They always say behind a successful man
is a woman, today I think the man should take a
back seat and I’m here today to represent those
husbands.”
“It’s a wonderful film, it’s huge, it’s enter-
taining, and everything that Indian cinema
stands for,” he added.
days, of which 22 days will be in Delhi, Noida
and Ghaziabad and the remaining 18 days are
to be shot in Dhampur near Bijnor.
“Pinjra is a social thriller, based on real
stories,” said Pandey.
The story revolves around an 18-year-old
underprivileged youth and his single mother.
The makers claim that the USP of the film
is that it doesn’t have any heroine in it.
23
Indian
Sameera, Yuvi launch ‘Speed Ka Double Dose’
Gurgaon: Bollywood actor Sameera Reddy
and Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh on Thursday
launched ‘Speed Ka Double Dose’, an initiative
of MTS mobile telephony brand and sportsgear
brand Reebok to provide big savings to custom-
ers.
MTS on Thursday announced its association
with Reebok to offer a free pair of specially de-
signed sport shoes on purchase of MBlaze.
Sameera said: “Launch of Speed Ka Double
Dose is truly in sync with the spirit of the MTS-
Reebok alliance. I am really excited to use
MBlaze and experience internet browsing at
‘Peepli Live’ makes it to Oscars
Mumbai: Peepli Live, Aamir Khan’s
celluloid black comedy on farmers’
suicide in India, has made to the
Oscars with its official entry at the 83rd
Academy Awards to be held in the US
next year.
Peepli, a dusty Indian village, makes
it to the headlines leading to a media
frenzy when two poor farmers lose
their land over an unpaid debt after the
poor monsoon rains.
A local politician suggests they commit
suicide so their families get compen-
sation.The movie is a satire on farmer
‘Religion, national boundary don’t divide us’
(Photo by Avishek Mitra/IBNS)
24
such a fast speed. I am sure it will give me the
luxury of more time which is most sought after
by Gen X.”
Additionally customer will also get data
usage advantage of 1500 MB, all for Rs 2999.
The initiative is being rolled out in all 84 towns
under the MBlaze network across India.
At the launch event, Yuvraj said, “The alli-
ance between MTS and Reebok truly represents
the spirit of youth and their craving for speed.
Propositions like any time internet from MTS,
not only makes life for youth convenient but
also more exciting and easy.”
suicides in India and how media and
politicians tackle the issue.
Reportedly, the film even earned ap-
preciation from the Prime Minister of
India as it was screened exclusively for
him and his family members.
Directed by journalist-turned-director
Anusha Rizvi, the film stars theatre ac-
tors and was shot in a small village in
Madhya Pradesh.
Earlier, Aamir Khan’s ‘Laagan’ was
shortlisted in a category of five in 2002
for Oscars but lost to Bosnian war film
‘No Man`s Land’.
Newbie Neha Sharma
will be seen romancing
Bollywood’s serial kisser
Emraan Hashmi in Crook-
It’s Good To Be Bad.
Bollywood correspon-
dent Gourav Mukherjea
catches up with the actor.
Tell us about Crook and your character in
the film.
Crook is a very entertaining film. Though based
on issues of racial discrimination, it has all the
elements to make it a complete entertainer.
Vishesh films has been doing films where the
women characters holds a very strong ground.
Tollywood actress owns up
trumped up dowry charge
Kolkata: Tollywood actress Swastika Mukher-
jee has confessed in a media conference that the
dowry harassment allegations she made against
her estranged husband were false, apparently
bringing a closure to an episode that has been
playing out amidst full media glare for ten years.
“I was young, I did not have enough sense back
then and I did what my family, friends and peers
advised me to do,” is how Swastika on Wednes-
day chose to explain why she falsely accused her
husband singer
Promit Sen of
“subjecting her
to cruelty” and
“criminal breach
of trust”.
S w a s t i k a ’s
shocking but pre-
dictable confes-
sion came a day
after she appar-
ently submitted an
affidavit at a city
court admitting
that the charges
she made against
her husband and
her in-laws under Indian Penal Code 498A and
406 were “unfounded, false, baseless and specula-
tive”.
Swastika and Promit, the youngest son of re-
nowned Rabindrasangeet exponent Sagar Sen,
were married in June 1998, when the actress was
just 18.
My character in this film is called Suhani, who
has an unadulterated honest vision of one world.
She had blind faith in her brother, who means
the world to her.
You have just stepped into Bollywood.
Still, how has been your journey so far?
My journey has been very eventful...from a
small town in Bihar to Delhi, then to Vancuover
and now Mumbai. I am very thankful to God for
allowing me to visit so many places.
How is it working with director Mohit
Suri?
Mohit is a great storyteller and very talented
indeed. He is a good human being. It’s been a
great experience working with him.
Personally, what are your views on racial
attacks?
Being an Indian, it feels bad and heart-rendering
to hear about racist attacks. I wish that people
should change their mind on this issues. As we
are just humans, religion or national boundary
Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Bollywood
“Things started to go wrong around two years
later when like a bolt from the blue my brother,
our family and even me, who all lived in differ-
ent places, were charged by her for dowry related
crimes,” said Pritam Sen, Promit’s elder brother,
who also attended the press conference.
“We went through hell for the past ten years.
So many arrest warrants, all the expenses and the
defamation aside, my brother is never going to get
back the last ten years. He’s totally mentally dev-
astated,” he added.
Though divorce was reportedly filed by Swas-
tika in 2001, the cases are still under legal red tape.
Pritam said recently Swastika had issued a
press release which after being published in the
media made it seem as if the two parties had
reached a compromise and were heading for
divorce which was definitely not the case.
Hence Wednesday’s press conference was
called by the actress “to come clean”.
“I am deeply sorry for all that Promit and his
family has had to go through. I hope he can move
on,” said Swastika.
“As far as the custody of our daughter Anwesha
is concerned, lets see what plays out. She’s a ten-
year-old girl and she too has a say in this,” she said.
When asked what drove her to suddenly make
such an effort, she replied that it was not out of any
pressure but just a “realisation”.
Sources, however, say this might be just a coup
to get the divorce the 30-year-old actress, who is
known for her ‘who cares’ attitude and has not
exactly had the smoothest relationships over past
few years, has been after for quite some time.
Pritam, however, said he and his family were
pleased at Swas-
tika’s confession.
He said, “I
think we should
give her the
benefit of the
doubt. Let’s see
what this leads
to. But we’ll not
accept anything
but a genuine
apology.”
The Sen
family is appar-
ently not mulling
pressing charges
on the actress
since they are “not vindictive people”, said Pritam.
The confession, apart from sending gossip
mills in overdrive, also sheds light on the Indian
Penal Code which leaves the door for such a
heavy-handed charge wide open for misuse.
(Photos by Avishek Mitra)
don’t divide us.
Is Crook your first film?
Not really. I acted in a Telugu film Chirutha op-
posite Ram Charan Teja (son of Chiranjeevi) in
2007 and Kurradu in 2009. But Crook is my first
step into Bollywood.
What is Neha’s dream role?
Every role is my dream role, but of course it
needs to have a good story and a strong char-
acter.
What are your hobbies?
My biggest hobby is cooking and reading. I also
love to dance. Right now I am reading ‘Chicken
Soup for the Romantic Souls’ and I love to read
beside a pool.
Any upcoming releases?
Few are in the pipeline, but at the moment I am
listening to scripts. Nothing has been finalised
yet.
 Indian
‘Devsaab energizes me’
Asha Parekh dominated the
Asha Parekh dominated the
Indian screen between 1959
Indian screen between 1959
to 1973, having given the
to 1973, having given the
maximum number of box office
maximum number of box office
hits in comparison to all her
hits in comparison to all her
contemporaries. Sreya Basu in
contemporaries. Sreya Basu in
conversation with the Jubilee
conversation with the Jubilee
Girl, who recently celebrated
Girl, who recently celebrated her
her 68th birthday
68th birthday
How do you feel after completing over 50
years in the Hindi film industry?
It feels great! I am honoured to be a part of the
Indian film industry and want to remain a part of it
till the end of my life.
You are one actress who worked with all the
Shekhar Kapur supports water conservation Rakesh Bedi in
Mumbai: Filmmaker Shekhar
Kapur has come out in full
support to raise the bar on
global and water conservation
in India.
He joined hands with
leading bathroom brand Roca to
announce the launch of the ‘We
Are Water Foundation’ at Grand
Hyatt, Mumbai on Tuesday.
The launch co-incides with
the global launch simultaneous-
ly in twenty countries includ-
ing in Sao Paulo (Brazil), Paris
(France), Shanghai (China),
Moscow (Russia), Beirut
(Lebanon), London (United
Kingdom) and many others.
The ‘We Are Water Foun-
dation’ will promote awareness
and debate amongst the public
and organizations on the need
to create a new culture of water,
to permit the fair development and sustainable
management of the world’s water resources,
in addition to supporting various cooperation
projects in collaboration with NGOs and other
bodies.
The launch event was attended by Emilio
Salazar, Managing Director, Roca Bathroom
Products Pvt Ltd; Mr. Don Antonio Bullon,
Consul General of Spain; & TV Chalapathi, Di-
rector of the Vincente Ferrer Foundation (VFF)
who shared their perspective in support of this
increasingly important cause.
In India, the Foundation has partnered with
VFF to construct a reservoir with a capacity of
80,000 m3 in India’s second lowest rainfall dis-
trict in Anantpur,in the outskirts of the town of
Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
big names in your era…
What can I say, except that I am really fortunate
to have worked with all good-looking and talented
heroes of our times!
Anyone particular whom you preferred over
other leading men?
Trust me, all my co-starts were exceptionally nice
people…very warm and helpful. However, it was
always fun to work with Shammi chacha (Shammi
Kapoor). Another co-actor, I really look up to even
today, is Devsaab (Dev Anand). He is a very good
soul…and very witty. I get energized whenever I
see him. By seeing him work so hard even today, I
realize that I too have so much to do.
Asha Parekh films used to be musically hit
as well. Can you pick one film or song as
your all-time favourite?
One of my all time favourite song is ‘Aaja Aaja’
from ‘Teesri Manzil’. I still remember that when
the song was being picturised, I was suffering from
some severe kind of allergy. I had to take an over-
dose of Avil and similar medicines as I had to shoot
the entire song-mukhra, antara, and everything-at a
Ganjikunta.
This reservoir will store water and regenerate
underground tanks that supply water to the area’s
wells. This will benefit the agricultural and live-
stock activities of Ganjikunta’s inhabitants.
At the function the Foundation also screened
its first initiative, a landmark documentary,
“Aral: the Lost Sea,” directed by the prestigious
filmmaker Isabel Coixet, with participation by
Sir Ben Kingsley and Tim Robbins. The film has
already recently been presented at San Sebastian
International Film Festival in September.
The documentary is the first activity spon-
sored by We Are Water Foundation and narrates
the dramatic drying out of the Aral Sea, one of
the greatest ecological disasters ever. This docu-
stretch. So, things got really difficult for me.
Your era was also the golden years of Lata
Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle songs.
Whose song you used to enjoy the most?
I can never compare them (Lata and Asha). As far
as my films are concerned, I think Ashaji (Bhosle)
has sung maximum songs of mine and I always
enjoyed lip-syncing her songs.
You were nicknamed Jubilee Girl for deliver-
ing maximum hits in your career; even the
films you rejected went on to become super-
hits. It is said, your contemporaries waited
for you to reject a film, so that they can pick
it up. True?
(Laughs) I really don’t know that! I am sure, these
stories are not true. As for my films becoming
box office hits, I was, am and will always remain
indebted to my audience for appreciating my work.
What do you have to say about the present
generation of actors?
All the boys are doing well. Aamir (Khan), Shah
Rukh (Khan), Saif (Ali Khan)….they are really
doing a fine job. As for girl, I like Kajol, Katrina
mentary film initiative
represents the collabora-
tive effort of the We Are
Water with artists (film-
makers, singers, actors,
etc) and NGO’s which
share the same interests
to raise the conscious-
ness on water issues
around the world.
Speaking on the oc-
casion, Emilio Salazar
Noguera, Managing Di-
rector, Roca India, said,
“We Are Water Foun-
dation is a part of our
commitment to sustain-
ability and with com-
munities most affected
by the lack of water and
its consequences.”
As per the The
Second World Water
Development Report published by UN in 2008,
1,100 million people do not have access to an
adequate water supply. The UN also pointed out
the need for coordinated action between the 360
humanitarian organizations –including those of
the UN and NGOs– currently helping the most
vulnerable and deprived areas of society.
It is said that management of water resources
will provoke one of the 21st century’s greatest
social conflicts. Reliable data from UNESCO
indicates that, by 2025, demand for water will be
56% above its supply. In view, of the urgency to
meet this challenge and play a key role in defin-
ing solutions, the launch of the We Are Water
Foundation is a step in this direction.
Bollywood
(Kaif), Kareena (Kapoor)…they are all very good.
How do you think the image of ‘heroine’ has
changed in Bollywood compared to your
time?
Well, today’s heroines are getting good, meaningful
roles and they are making a mark in their own way.
When do we see you in a film again?
That God knows. If you ask me, as of now, I don’t
want to act in a film again. I have also done a lot of
television. Now I have taken a backseat. Right now,
I am very busy with my hospital (The Asha Parekh
Hospital in Santa Cruz, Mumbai). I am the trustee
of the hospital, so I always have to be on my heels to
oversee its functioning.
Do you think the Hindi film industry is still
male-oriented? While we see 60-year-old
actors still playing leading men, their female
contemporaries have to either retire or play
grandmother in films.
Yes, I very much agree to what you are saying. But
times are changing. I am sure very soon there will
be good meaty roles for people like us.
Hindi comedy play
Mumbai: Veteran actor Rakesh Bedi is all
set to take the stage for a Hindi comedy play
titled ‘Baat Baat Mein Bigdey Haalat’.
Sameer Iqbal Patel has written and direct-
ed this situational play, Bedi, who’s done over
200 Hindi films, dozen popular TV shows and
numerous plays.
He shares the stage with Chetanya Adib, a
well known face on TV, and who has shot to
fame with the telly soap ‘Ballika Vadhu’.
A complete laugh riot from start to finish,
the play has been produced by actor Goga Ka-
poor’s daughter Payal.
The story revolves around two couples
who have been given the same hotel room
at one time by a hilarious pair of misfits, a
lunatic called Harry Singh and a drunkard
army major called Lehri.
Akhil and Mili’s honeymoon turns out to
be an adventure of a different kind. Edwin’s
secret birthday celebrations with his date
Sheryl is a big shock for his wife Lubna, who
is there to surprise him.
The situations get complicated as the story
progresses leading to total chaos and confu-
sion.
The play premieres on October 3 at Rang-
sharda Auditorium in Mumbai.
25
Indian

26 Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian
Mortgage Interest
Rates Reviewed
Ravi Mehta
Mortgage interest rates are influenced by do-
mestic as well as international forces.
In its September review, Reserve Bank
has left official cash rate unchanged. Change
in OCR directly influences Floating and short
term fixed rates. As the OCR has been left un-
changed, floating rate has not been varied by
mainstream banks.
There have been few reasons behind the
decision to keep OCR unchanged such as slow
economic recovery, Canterbury earthquake and
South Canterbury finance failure. Kiwis are
saving more towards retirement of debt. Even
the expected rise in pre GST retail sales did not
materialize. The business confidence is down.
A few months ago, it was quite high. The busi-
ness confidence directly impacts hiring and
investments intentions of business people. The
unemployment rate is already hovering around
7% mark. There is not expected to be any major
upward pressure on wages. All this will keep
the inflation expectations under check, which
will help the interest rates to stay low in near
future.
However longer term fixed rates are also
influenced by international forces. China is
doing pretty well. It is putting upward pres-
sure on mineral prices. Mineral rich Australia
is reaping the benefits economically; Reserve
Bank of Australia will be under pressure sooner
to raise rates there. It will impact mortgage rates
here in New Zealand as well.
Over the last few months the banks in New
Zealand have started being somewhat liberal in
their lending. It will result into helping more
people to buy houses; helping economy to
grow. It will give a reason to RBNZ governor to
Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
start raising official cash rate.
Is it right time to fix? If yes, for how long
to fix?
I believe OCR will be kept stable for at least
another 3-4 months. What will happen after
that is difficult to predict as of today. It means
floating rate will stay around present level of
6.20% (for the majority of lenders) for another
3-4 month minimum. It is beneficial to postpone
mortgage fixing. On the other hand, 18 months
and 24 months fixed rates which are around
6.60% (for the majority of lenders) are very at-
tractive. If there are only two raises in OCR of
0.25% each, the gap between present floating
and two year fixed rates will be gone. One may
leave on floating for present to take advantage
of lower rate, only if one is be prepared to take
a risk to fix at the potentially higher rate in the
future. In my opinion, fixing for two years has
best value as of now.
For conservative investors, split policy is
best, fixing different amounts for different fixed
rate periods. Remember, fixing for the longer
term gives more certainty but fixing for the
shorter term or keeping your loan on floating
gives more flexibility.
Note: The interest rates quoted are at the
time of writing on 5.10.10. The article is for
general guidance only. Please consult your fi-
nancial advisor before taking any decision.
Ravi Mehta is an Auckland based Financial
Advisor and can be contacted on ravi.mehta@
pfsl.co.nz
A disclosure statement under Securities
Markets Act relating to his services is available
on request and is free of charge.
How Sweet is Sweet?
Varsha Asrani
Would you think of eating six to seven tea-
spoons of sugar at one time? Most of you
would say no! but then, how easily do we
drink a 600 ml soft drink that has 14 to 18
teaspoons of sugar.
Most of us consume more sugar than we
need. All of us have cravings for different
foods, but what we need to be aware of is what
this can lead us to.
Joining up a gym could be your first step
to weight loss, managing blood sugars or
reducing cholesterol, but after a 45 minute
workout if you munch on a chocolate biscuit
or drink a can of soft drink - it gives you the
same calories that you just burned or it could
add a few more.
Munching on a bar of chocolate in the af-
ternoon, when you feel low, tired or sleepy
might pep you up temporarily, but it is the
high level of blood sugar running down your
blood stream that gives you that mood lift and
it does not last. It is at such times that we are
more prone to satisfying our ‘cravings’. Re-
gardless of the reason for our cravings, sweet
or high fat fast foods add unnecessary kilo-
joules.
Organize your afternoon snack or energy
boost before and after your workout. Ensure it
is ‘Healthy’. Avoid gaps in your meals as this
can make you hungrier.
Controlling portion sizes can get you in
the habit of monitoring what you eat at home
or outside. Use smaller serves of coffees,
cakes or muffins. Share whenever possible. It
is essential that we control our food intake in
line with the needs of our body, keeping in
mind our lifestyle and our physical activity.
Enjoy the fruit of the season. Surely, fresh
Column
fruit can satisfy your hunger, is economical
and won’t accumulate the extra calories. Re-
member, a banana is a far better option than
banana chips.
Find replacements. You will be surprised
at the available healthier substitutes that not
only cut down unnecessary calories but also
give you better taste and nutrients. Choose
a low fat chocolate dessert or fruit yoghurt
instead of a chocolate bar. This will not only
be a healthier option but will give you satiety.
Identify your hunger. Is it a craving? Are
you really hungry? Deviate your mind if you
have a craving. Going for a walk will take
your mind of that craving and also burn some
calories off your body.
A simple equation to lose weight is that
our energy intake should be less than the body
needs. Thus, it is simple to understand that if
we drink sugary drinks without burning off
the excess through physical activities then we
increase the risk of being overweight.
Remember, A nurtured Habit soon
becomes a part of ones lifestyle!
Thank you for your emails and queries. I
shall be covering more tips, tricks and tech-
niques based on your questions and sugges-
tions in my forthcoming articles. Till then
live healthy, live happy!
This is a general advice article only, in-
dividual needs and circumstances may vary.
Please consult a health professional or a reg-
istered dietitian for advise on individual con-
ditions.
Varsha Asrani is a practising Dietitian and
can be contacted on 0210524353 or info@var-
shaasrani.com.
27
 Indian
Dassera: Tenth day of the nine day Navarātri festival
ram lingam
immersed in the worship and invocation of
It’s festival time again. Goddess Durga. As typical of any Hindu fes-
tival, the Dassera festival commemorates the
Dassera or Dassera is victory of the gods over the demons, of light
over darkness, of knowledge over ignorance.
on October 17 this year The Hindu scriptures with their deities
(Gods) are replete with metaphors, containing
according to the ancient deeper philosophical truths, embedded in sym-
bolisms and forms. The ultimate truth in India
Hindu lunar calendar. is also worshipped as divine feminine energy
Though Navaratri is gen- in the form of Mother Durga, Lakshmi, Saras-
vati - the one God as the source of all, the uni-
erally understood as a versal principle of energy, power or creativity
but manifesting diiferently.
festival of nine nights, the While readers may be well-versed with the
puranic stories associated with the Navarātri
tenth day marks the end as described in scriptures like the Devi Mahat-
myam, it’s not uncommon to miss its deeper
of Navaratri celebrated philosophical and spiritual meaning. It is aus-
as Dassera (also known picious to read the Devi Mahatmya Katha on
or before Dassera. ‘Devi-Mahatmya’ is a part
as Vijaya Dashami). In of the Markandeya Purāna and describes the
march of the human soul to its final destina-
this 10 day festival, why tion.
It is common knowledge that in the first
is the tenth day of Das- three days of Navarātri, Goddess Durga is
invoked in order to destroy all our impuri-
sera spiritually impor- ties, vices and defects. The next three days
tant? Goddess Lakshmi is adored as a giver of spiri-
tual wealth. The final three days the goddess of
knowledge, Goddess Saraswati is worshipped.
Dassera is the anniversary celebration of What do the Hindu Gurus say about the
Lord Rama’s victory over the demon Ravana. significance of Navaratri and Dassera? Says
The Dassera festival has its roots laid deep in Shri Sathya Sai Baba about the divine energy
‘Dwapara Yuga’ and which symbolized victory that “The significance of Durga, Lakshmi, and
over evil is celebrated with great pomp and Saraswati has to be rightly understood. The
show in all parts of India. During the Navratri three represent three kinds of potencies in
and Dassera festival, the whole of India is also man: will power (ichchaa shakthi), the power
28
KBP 0114 WU PriceRedctn_265x180-IndWkndr_p.indd 1
of purposeful action (kriya shakthi), and the
power of discernment (jnaana shakthi). Saras-
wati is manifest in man as the power of speech
(vaak). Durga is present in the form of dyna-
mism. Lakshmi is manifest in the form of will
power. The body indicates purposeful action
(kriya shakthi). The mind is the repository of
will power (ichchaa shakthi). The Aathma is
the power of discernment (jnaana shakthi).
Purposeful action comes from the body, which
is material. The power that activates the inert
body and makes it vibrant is will power. The
power that induces the vibrations of will power
is the power of discernment (jnaana shakthi),
which causes radiation of energy.”
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar remarks about
Dassera: “The ninth day is a day for honoring
everything that we have, no matter how seem-
ingly insignificant, and the tenth day is ‘Vijaya
Dashmi’ the ‘victory day’. It is only after we
have honored something that we can gain
victory over it. This day is celebrated as the
victory of the Devi over the evil forces - which
is also just ‘Maya’.”
The wisdom traditions (Vedanta) of the
ancient Hindu masters knew that man has to
turn his attention inwards to gain the true bliss
and knowledge which he foolishly seeks in the
external world. With this view of mind, they in-
troduced various rituals and festivals through-
out the year to remind man of his supreme goal
and ideal. And Dusserah or Vijaya Dashami
are prominent among them.
Vedanta teacher Swami Chinmayananda:
“Dassera indicates, as the word suggests, Da-
sa-Papa-Hara or the end of the ten sins. The
ten sins are attributed to the ten sense organs
through which the mind contacts and gains
Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Heritage
knowledge of the phenomenal world, and also
reacts to the stimuli received from the world
of objects. Therefore the idea is that on this
sacred day of Vijaya Dashami or Dassera the
ten sins are ended which signifies the end of
the mind and therefore the end of the world of
plurality when one becomes rooted in the tran-
scendental experience.”.
To conclude here is what Swami Chidan-
anda the previous President of the Divine Life
Society’ said: “Vijaya Dashami or Dassera is a
day of Vijaya, when all the gods rejoice and all
mankind is in an exuberance of joy; for they
have received the Supreme Assurance that so
long as they turn to the Mother in their extrem-
ity and distress, there will be no lack of support
and of strength. Vijaya-Dashami is a supreme
day of confidence, strength and courage for all
seekers.
On this day all aspirants and those in quest
of God have the greatest strength and courage
for by the annihilation of all the forces that
stand in the way of the fullest manifestation of
divinity, Mother has thrown open the gateway
as it were to the abode of Para Brahman. The
worship of the Mother upon this supreme day
is the worship of Maha-Maya in Her purest and
absolute Vidya aspect. Till now, during the
Navaratra, we worshipped the Mother in Her
different aspects as She is manifest in this phe-
nomenal world of human affairs. But when we
come to Vijaya, we transcend the Mother in all
Her external and Vidya-Avidya aspects and we
gaze into Her face as the Pure Vidya-Maya, the
Para-Shakti, to gaze at Whom is verily to gaze
into the Infinite and the unfathomable depth of
Para Brahman Himself.”
Happy Dassera.
27/9/10 11:08:56 AM
 Indian
A heady and hedonistic week of haute couture and signature styles
Still reeling from the exhila-
ration and exhaustion of the
New Zealand Fashion Week,
Farida Master writes about
some of the sassy designers
and spectacular shows.
FARIDA MASTER
Inspite of the heavy down pour, icy winds and
stormy weather, the New Zealand Fashion Week
managed to draw the fashionistas in a whirlwind
of style, colour, cut and design. Turning ten is
undoubtedly a milestone that was celebrated
with gusto and chutzpah.
Regardless of the recession and the naysay-
ers who were wondering how founder Pieter
Stewart and daughter Myken would pull it off,
the tenth anniversary of NZFW went without a
glitch-- or so it seemed to the style slaves who
had gathered at the Mecca of fashion at the
Viaduct harbor.
The NZFW kicked off with the eco-friendly
label, Starfish that showcased the Winter 2011
collection called Seven Sisters, which featured
sustainable fashion; and ended with Celebrat-
ing 10 Years Retrospective Show, where the
spotlight was thrown on the last decade of New
Zealand fashion. Forty of New Zealand’s most
renowned designers from the past nine years
like World, Alexandra Owen, Zambesi, Annah
Stretton, Cybele, Hailwood, Nom D, Sabatini,
Stolen Girlfriends Club, Trelise Cooper and
many others, got together to commemorate 10
years of New Zealand Fashion.
Adding the wow factor to the Fashion Week
this year was its first ever bridal show, an awe-in-
spiring symphony in white. Designers like Anna
Schimmel, John Zimmerman, Crane Brothers,
Vinka Designs, Jane Yeah, Kate Dowman and
Louise Anderson outdid themselves as their
ethereal and elegant creations were a vision of
breath-taking beauty. From timeless classics to
avant garde designs there was something for
every bride and her groom. What is worth a
mention is that the Christchurch based designer,
Louise Anderson nearly pulled out, because
she was caught in the middle of the earthquake.
The award-winning designer was quite shaken
up with the stress of the earthquake and its af-
termath as it wiped off an entire week from her
Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Fashion Week preparations. Yet she managed to
make sure that she had the audience swooning
over her exquisite designs that were draped with
romance and splendour.
From luminous and luxe bridal wear to
pretty frocks with ruffles, the high-priestess of
fashion, Trelise Cooper created a magical fai-
rytale moment on the runway with her Trelise
Cooper Kids coll hit with moms
and kids alike, giant fairy toadstools and a spin-
ning windmill provided a picturesque backdrop
for Trelise Cooper Kids show. This year’s theme
was a celebration of the new Barbie movie, A
PHOTOS: NZFW – Michael Ng
Fashion Fairytale. The tiny-tots in the audi-
ence were even given a Barbie doll apart from a
lovely goody bag of course. The idea being that
most little girls begin by dressing up their dolls.
For the internationally acclaimed designer it
was about fashion coming a full circle.
Whatever her critics may say, the fact
remains that Trelise Cooper’s collections are
always visual treat. It’s amazing how the unri-
valled queen of logistics meticulously manages
to pack in an incredible number of silhouettes in
the show within a show—as she showcases two
labels--the Trelise Cooper label and Cooper by
Feature
Trelise. What had the spectators sit up and watch
with wide-eyed wonder was the breathtaking
backdrop that came up after her first showing.
It was a glowing print of a stained glass window
featuring Botticelli’s Primavera, which was
beautifully woven into her signature designs.
Another highlight this year was the Ameri-
can designer Nicole Miller who came to NZFW
to explore this part of the world. Her form-fit-
ting, edgy designs mainly in black, were worn
like a second skin and had an aesthetic appeal.
You could easily figure out why she dresses up
the likes of Angelina Jolie, Eva Longoria and
Beyonce. America’s Next top model Krista
White (the season is yet to be aired on NZ tele-
vision) walked the ramp for Nicole as well.
Breaking away from the huzz buzz of the
fashion village at 101 Halsey Street, was the
World collection titled Wasted Days, Wasted
Nights at the Langham hotel. The special guests
were treated to high tea and champagne along
with dollops of eclectic style and panache. The
idea was to bring back luxury and a sense of
fun into a real woman’s life-- and that’s exactly
what they managed to do, with flowing gowns in
a brilliant flash of colour, body skimming suits
and jackets with a sculptured look. Men with
designer frames, polka dotted umbrellas and se-
quinned shoes, bespoke of flamboyance and flair
that sits well with the label.
Then there was theatrics, Nom*d; plus-size
model making a fashionable statement, Carpen-
ters Daughter; top indigenous Maori designers,
Miromoda show; the artist and the muse that
showcased Sabatini’s love for classic film and
drama; and plenty of other stunning collec-
tions that marked a decade of the greatest New
Zealand design talent from couturiers to young
designers-- who stretched the boundaries and
crossed the fashion line.
29
 Indian
HA!
Junior Mosquito: Mum, can I
go to the theatre tonight?
Mother Mosquito: All right, but
be careful when the people are
clapping!
FAMOUS FIRST
THE weekly Frankfurten
Journal is regarded as the
world’s first newspaper. It was
founded by Egenolph Emmel in
Frankfurt, Germany in 1615.
TRIVIA
WHEN people of the German
city of Heilbronn saw a fleet of
seven ‘flying saucers’ zooming
in formation across the sky,
there was panic. They realised
only much later that it was a
trick played on them by a UFO-
logist Werner Walter, who heads
the national research network
on extraordinary celestial
phenomena. The flying saucers
were in fact hot air balloons!
The balloons, measuring 1.5 X
1.8m, hovered over the city for
15 minutes. Made of kite paper,
they exuded an unearthly,
orange-red glow, fooling people
into believing that they were
alien craft.
30
OFFBEAT
ECHOLOCATION is a
system commonly used by
creatures like bats and
dolphins, to obtain
information about their
surroundings. Amazingly,
echolocation is also what
Ben, a blind teenager from
California, used to navigate in
a sightless world. Ben
Underwood, who lost both his
eyes to retinal cancer when
he was three, played video
games, basketball and roller-
skated just like other kids.
The only difference was
the stream of clicking sounds
TIMEPASS
A Number Search
Find 6 prime
number
sequences in
the grid,
horizontally,
vertically and
diagonally.
TONGUE-TRIED
How much wood would a wood-chuck
chuck If a wood-chuck could chuck
wood?
(Try saying it fast.)
SWEET AND SOUR
SORRY, I HAVE MADE
IT A POLICY NEVER
TO BUY ANYTHING
FROM DOOR-TO-
DOOR SALESMEN!
The Wonder Boy
he made with his echoes which when environment. He refused to
tongue, about as loud picked up by Ben’s use a white cane like other
as the snapping of sharp ears, helped him sightless people and relied
fingers. The sounds to judge the distance solely on echolocation to get
bounced off nearby and location of around.
objects, producing objects in his Ben became a celebrity
overnight after his story
featured in a newspaper. He
spent the last two years of his
life travelling to different parts
of the world as a motivational
speaker, providing hope and
inspiration to countless blind
people. Ben succumbed to
cancer on January 19, 2009,
just one week short of his 17th
birthday.
EASY DRAW
Draw a pair of scissors by
B Teasers following these simple steps.
1. “If a man smashed a clock,
could he be accused of
killing time?”
1
“Not if he could prove that
the clock____ _________”
(fill in the missing words)
2. If I were in the sun and you
were out of it, what would the
sun be?
3. What kind of bridge causes
the most anxiety?
2
Answers:
bridge.
3. A suspension
Sin!
B. 1. Struck first 2.
A.
3
THEN I HAVE
I’M SELLING
JUST THE
SIGNBOARDS.
THING FOR
YOU, MADAM.
4
NZ-19 © 2009 Amrita Bharati, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan; e-mail: amritabharati@vsnl.com
Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
 Indian
HA!
A police officer stopped Sugendhu
for speeding and asked to see his
licence.
Sugendhu replied in a huff,
“Yesterday you took away my
licence, and today you expect me to
show it to you?!”
FAMOUS FIRST
THE world's
first cultured
pearl was
made in 1908
by Kokichi
Mikimoto of
Japan.
TRIVIA
FOUR gardeners with four grass mowers mow
400 square metres of ground in four hours. How
long would it take eight gardeners with eight grass
mowers to mow 800 square metres?
No one knows the exact number but
it is believed that there are 140, 000
varieties of cultivated rice. Rice is the
staple food for more than half of the
world’s population. The UNO
declared 2004 the Year of Rice.
TRUE OR FALSE
Lai Tung Pai is a
martial art form from
Korea.
False. Lai Tung
Pai, also known
as Poon Kuen, is a
Chinese Shaolin
style martial art
form. It is believed
to have been
developed by the
monk, Chi sen,
and includes the
traditional Lion
Dance and
Dragon Dance.
Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
ART BEAT
Paddy Art
B
Y strategically arranging agricultural artistry and
and growing rice plants massive art works are
of different colours in a patterned on rice fields during
paddy field, farmers can literally paddy seasons (starting in
draw a picture on the ground. May). An observation tower is
This type of paddy art is located nearby from where
practised in some villages of visitors get a spectacular view
Japan. The rice plants take on of the fields. Thousands of
varying hues — yellow, purple, tourists come to the village to
red and green — as they mature see the paddy art. While
and become ready for harvest traditionally the design is first
in September, revealing as they made on paper and then
grow, a planned artistic pattern. executed on land with great
The village Inakadate in care, farmers now use hi-tech
Japan is especially famed for its gadgets to make the designs.
TIMEPASS Easy Draw
Draw a man from the
A Lawn Mowers B Number Fun letter ‘B’.
The teacher has put a wrong sum on
the board. You can correct it by simply
rearranging the numbers.
C Coin in the bottle D Egg Break
There’s a coin in a bottle. The bottle’s Venku climbs a
mouth is closed step ladder placed
with a cork. Can on the cement floor
you get the coin of the kitchen and
out of the bottle drops an egg from
without pulling the top. The egg
out the cork or falls 1 metre but
breaking the does not break.
bottle? Why?
has dropped 2m.
2m. It does not break till it
the egg from a height of
JEST FOR KICKS PRATAPAN
D. Venku has dropped
and shake the coin out.
C. Push the cork into the bottle
B.
A. 4 hours.
Answers:
NZ-32 © 2010 Amrita Bharati, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan; e-mail: amritabharati@vsnl.com
31
Indian

32 Indian Weekender | October 8, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz