Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Issue 49 Volume 2
Issue 49 Volume 2
Does the
astronomical
extent of
Corruption in
India make
your heart
bleed?
You can do
something about it.
Call 09-6223308 or
021-1227516 and
speak to Aryan
Conference to discuss
affairs to do to promote acceptance of NZ community based on religion, language, culture and
as a growing ethnic melting pot to the so- identity. The OEA seeks out the most efficient and
called “middle New Zealand” effective ways of dealing with Ethnic community
Ms Simmonds says SIT is aware that many This situation works well for everyone –
institutions around the country offer those the student, the institute and the region’s
courses. What differentiates SIT from oth- economy, as the students often choose to
ers as regards Indian students is the total live and work in Southland after gaining
package that SIT offers. qualifications.
“It is more than just offering courses. It Ms Simmonds says Immigration New
is important to have more than that. For Zealand has successfully addressed the
instance, how you try to integrate students visa bottlenecks for students at its New
from India into the local community, the Delhi High Commission and has consider-
importance of a family oriented commu- ably speeded up processes over the past
18 months.
The fourth annual dance competition, “To make things a little more interest-
which will be held on May 7 in Manukau, ing, Yogesh introduced the concept of a
will feature for the first time the King of wildcard entrant – Sid Krish to compete
kings competition in addition to the regu- with Indi King winner ’08 Nav Chand, win-
lar event. ner ’09 Sanil Singh, Winner ’10 Shamal
Prasad. This was decided upon for three
“After much research, I have decided to main reasons: Positive Attitude, Judges’
hold our 4th annual event at Telstra Clear Scorecard and Public Demand.
Pacific Event Centre on the 7th of May,”
event founder Yogesh Gounder said. So for the May Indi King event, they have
seven entrants, and four for the King of
“I am looking to provide our participants Kings competition.
with full glamour and professionalism this With the couple both working fulltime in
year with a large stage and Iifa awards the financial sector/banking industry they
style lighting, for each of them it will be a understand about quality and profession-
performance worth remembering,” Yogesh alism in the public’s eyes.
told the Indian Weekender.
Says Mumta: “I can be proud of having
Husband and wife teamYogesh and Mum- my name attached to an event that brings
ta Gounder launched the first Bollywood Indi King 2010 winner Shamal Prasad flanked by organisers Mumta and Yogesh Gounder. glamour and fame to the youth of today
Male Dance Comp Indi King in 2008 in a and still maintains fairness and enjoyment.
the biggest dance battle of the year where Roshans, Shahid Kapoors and SRKs.
small town hall in Auckland. The concept Yogesh and I are big fans of all things Bol-
a special edition of complementing event
boasts of a title of “The King of The Dance lywood.
of King of Kings was guaranteed to set the The past three years have been sellout
Floor” where the lead entrant wins $1000
stage on fire. successes for the husband and wife team,
cash as first prize. “Indi King is our way of keeping that alive
The concept of the Bollywood male dance therefore with 2010 introducing the birth
in the ‘real world’. Through the process we
competition came to Yogesh after the of their second son Rian (three months),
Four years later, with the event growing have met so many amazing and talented
birth of his first son Raul (now aged three the duo decided upon the King of Kings
each year in relation to talented dancers, people which we continue to surround
years).Having discovered that there was concept.
supportive sponsors and loyal well wish- ourselves with. The production crew we
no platform for talented male dancers, “King of Kings comes once every three
ers, Yogesh and Mumta have decided to have formulated all have strong passion
Yogesh roped in Mumta as the manager to years, it is an additional and complemen-
take Indi King to the next level. for their responsibilities, these key attri-
set up a unique event so that New Zea- tary event of Indi King where winners of
Yogesh said the event this year would be butes make our event successful.”
landers could enjoy their very own Hrithik the past three years come together to
“Never before this has happened,” Vijay told the Indian Week-
ender this week. “It has always bloomed red flowers, we’re really proud of our roses and
they are well looked after and add much beauty to our place.
“It’s a mystery, but the white one just adds to the beauty.”
Vijay’s sister, Ramilla, attributes it as a good sign and showering of blessing for her
brother who married Freni Vijay Patel a
month ago in Auckland.
New Delhi: Perfect Harmony Productions, a Titled ‘Tridhara’, the evening was organised On the momentous occasion, Ghazal Samrat legendary vocal repertoire and range along with
leading name in the world of entertainment, by Perfect Harmony Productions at Siri Fort Padma Bhushan Jagjit Singh said, “I’m happy complete mastery over Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu
glamour and glitz, created history by celebrat- Auditorium, New Delhi, where the legendary that Perfect Harmony Productions has thought languages have helped him perfected the art of
ing the 70th birthday of Ghazal King Padma Ghazal King was felicitated. The jugalbandi of multiple unique ways to honour me and fe- ghazal gayaki as well as to give well-rounded
Bhushan Jagjit Singh with a unique evening of of three legends; Gulzar, Pt. Birju Maharaj and licitate me on the occasion of a historic mile- expression to his rendition of Indian classical
music featuring Jugalbandi of Gulzaar, Jagjit Jagjit Singh was the attraction for all the guests stone in my life! I shall celebrate Year 2011 with music.
Singh and Pandit Birju Maharaj. It intends to and delhiites present there. During the program 70 live shows and take my music repertoire far We are honored and proud to present on the
take this Ghazal Symphony compilation by Jagjit Singh enthralled the audience with his and wide.” world stage Jagjit Singhji as India’s goodwill
Jagjit Singh across the US, Europe, Asia and popular ghazals including; ‘Wo Kaghaz Ki Abhinav Upadhayay of Perfect Harmony and cultural emissary to spread the magic and
Australia on occasion on Jagjitji’s 70th birth- Kashti..’ and ‘Ye Daulat Bhi Le Lo, Ye Shohrat Productions said, “India’s famed and finest melody of ghazals.”
day. Bhi Le Lo..’. ghazal exponent Padma Bhushan Jagjit Singh’s – Santanu Ganguly
14th Mar, 2011: Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev on Monday called for an immediate and
clear statement from the Centre on the separate statehood demand.
Addressing the gathering at a Yoga camp organized here, the famous guru stated that
the call for a separate state has been resounding from across the 10 districts of Telan-
gana. Despite this, the Centre has been maintaining silence on the demand, he said.
Pointing out that the call for separate statehood has intensified, Baba Ramdev said
that the Centre has to listen to the voice of the people and immediately take a clear
decision on the issue.
The Yoga Guru also stated that there should not be any more violence or ill-will in the
society due to the separate statehood demand.
On March 11th, Baba Ramdev had opined that smaller states will ensure faster de-
velopment and would be more convenient to administer. “Division of the state for the
convenience of administration is advisable,” he had added.
India Briefs
Boat clinic for Assam
district launched
Guwahati: A full equipped boat clinic, The inaugural function of the launch
Lakshmi Puri appointed as UN
Assistant Secretary-General
New York: UN Secretary-General Ban
hanshu essays the role of a young
man who has returned from London,
having studied Law there. He is suave,
stylish ... a man who has adapted the
named ‘Numali’, is ready for service in of ‘Numali’ was held on March 11 near Ki-moon on Friday announced five ways of the Brits and finds himself at
Assam’s Sonitpur district. Majuli Ghat, Jorhat, the site at which senior appointments to several United home in London rather than in his own
the boat was built. Nations offices, including two deputies country. “As a lawyer, he will be seen
The boat clinic has been sponsored Senior officials from NRL led by B to the head of the newly-created entity involved in the trial of the great Mangal
by Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) Ekka, DGM (HR), and C-NES Manag- for gender equality and the empower- Pandey, fighting the case on behalf of
to the Centre for North East Studies ing Trustee and eminent writer-jour- ment of women. On the recommenda- the British”. When contacted, Sudhans-
and Policy Research (C-NES) as part nalist Sanjoy Hazarika were present at tion of Michelle Bachelet, the Executive hu said, “I personally enjoy the research
of its Corporate Social Responsibility the launch. Director of UN Women, Ban appointed and detailing that goes into planning the
(CSR), an NRL release informed. Lakshmi Puri of India and John Hen- look, styling, diction and demeanour for
NRL has funded an amount of Rs. 12 dra of Canada to the positions of UN such a role. I hope that the audience ap-
The boat will provide health ser- lakhs for the boat to support the boat Assistant Secretary-General, accord- preciates my work!”.
vices to the marginalised river island clinic initiative in Assam. ing to the deputy spokesperson of the
population of Sonitpur district as part Secretary-General, Farhan Haq. Puri will
of C-NES – innovative Boat Clinic pro- The first installment of Rs. 4 lakhs was serve as UN Assistant Secretary-Gen-
gramme under National Rural Health earlier handed over by the Manag- eral for Intergovernmental Support and
Mission (NRHM). ing Director NRL, BK Das, to Sanjoy Strategic Partnerships at UN Women.
Hazarika in September 2010. She brings a wealth of experience to the
position, including a long career at the
UN Conference on Trade and Develop-
ment (UNCTAD). She has also worked,
in various capacities, for gender equality
and women’s empowerment, human
rights and peace and security.
“He really can tell a story,” Archer said. “Everybody reading it will understand that
“I feel that he needs world wide recogni- he has popped in for the weekend,” he said.
tion. When I tell people about him they often
tell that they do not know about Narayan, “Speaking about his rewriting of his famous
but I feel that this is bad.” Archer said. novel ‘Kane and Abel’ the renowned writer
said: “I decided to rewrite it because i feel
He said that it is necessary for a writer to that if it lasted for 30 years then why wont it
stay in a place and grasp the local customs last for more 30 years, I want to write it for
and traditions to compose novels or stories next generation and generation afterwards,”
based on that locale. he said.
“No I really need to live here to realize the His latest book ‘Only Time Will Tell’ spans
manners, the customs, you cannot just write from World War I to World War II (1920 to
in 10 weeks,” he said. 1940).
The ass ess ors found the two The sen ten cing is at 10a m to-
- a.
not guilty for one count of offi day in the High Court in Suv
cial cor ruption eac h and acq uit- - Fiji Sun
ted the m for tha t count.
Many western authors also say same thing like Graham Hancock, Eric Von Daniken etc. Right
from marvel of building pyramid to perfection or many underwater cities tell us many things.
From the Editor Rightfully Mahabarat and Ramayana has to be coded. The authors simplied the subject which
is far more complex.Thanks for sharing this article. Very nice to see Indian authors on this
Could jasmines bloom in our region? topic and helps get more Indians aware of our rich, lost past.”
-Sundar
When a street vendor in the Middle Eastern nation of Tunisia immolated himself in extreme frustration
on being unable to gain redress after a raid on his humble enterprise by the country’s authorities, it set
of a chain of events that has plunged the entire region into an unprecedented crisis. Why unnecessarily imagine what times existed. Its about Lord Ram and his values. Why use
It was as though this event was the last straw that broke the camel’s back in the Arab nation. The Ramayana for any other purpose. Please read the purpose of Ramayana in ‘Valmiki Rama-
vendor’s tragic action became a focal point for the pent up frustrations of Tunisians; the spontaneous yana’ and ‘Tulsi Ramayana’. Hope Tulisdas and Valmiki did not write Ramayana to be talked
anti government protests turned violent toppling long reigning President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali who about like this. Why do this silly imagination about “True Past” etc...Ramayana is about Lord
fled the country.
Soon, unrest escalated in Egypt. After eighteen days of raging violence President Hosni Mubarak Ram – about Values. That’s it. Get it?
resigned after mounting pressure from the nation’s armed forces. – Krish
The unrest has spread like a contagion to Libya, Bahrain and Yemen, with hundreds of deaths being
reported. These countries have enjoyed a reputation as oil rich havens because of the opulent lifestyles
of their leaders. Bank of Baroda starts full-fledged operations
Recent events have however given the lie to that claim proving discontent among the hoi polloi had
been simmering for decades and needed all but a nudge before it boiled over claiming hundreds of lives
and sending the autocrats and their cohorts packing. Your bank service is best.
The common thread that runs through all the leaders of these countries is the wealth they have ac-
cumulated at their people’s expense, keeping them in perpetual impoverishment. -S.S. chauhan
While revolutions throughout history have been triggered by seemingly innocuous events like the
Tunisian’s suicide, they are tipping points that turn the tide in a nation’s history exposing the raw nerve
of the long suffering, silent multitudes. Shivaji and the rebirth of a nation
Can this happen in the Pacific region? Let’s look at some of the ingredients that go into such a
potentially explosive tinderbox.
For one, these countries are ruled by ironfisted despots – often, political dynasties leaving no room Shivaji’s contribution to India is massive. The Muslim rulers in India were always looking to
for dissent, debate or the fair distribution of wealth and essential services like education and health- invite Afghans (the nearest Muslim majority territory) to invade India whenever the Hindus
care. Leaders build their power base and personal wealth on a structure that keeps the masses poor, became strong. During the Maratha ascendancy, they invited Ahmad Abdali to invade India
uneducated, disempowered and all too focused on the business of survival. and he savagely destroyed and looted Punjab and other areas.
This last point has become increasingly important for the poor in nations across the world as food
prices have spiraled following a cocktail of circumstances ranging from the global financial crisis to
climate change and freakish weather. – Arjun Singh
Add to that bubbling cauldron the fact that the Middle Eastern nations have shared histories as
well as shared cultural and religious mores. They are also land locked facilitating an easier transfer of The fact that Shivaji liberated Punjab after 800 years of Islamic rule is itself commendable
ideology and people. and heroic. Forget Punjab, the Marathas had a clear plan to bring back Afghanistan back
But probably the factor that has the rapidest multiplier effect spreading such unrest in the most into the Hindu empire but the coming of the British spoilt their plans as they had to fight three
unlikely of places is the proliferation of mobile and online social media.
Both Tunisian and Egyptian protests are believed to have reached a critical point following Twitter wars against the British. It was just timing for the Hindus as they managed to beat the Muslims
and Facebook messages exchanged between citizens, spurring the regimes to pull the plug on internet totally after all these centuries but Hindu rule over India lasted just 150 years before the Brits
services. grabbed it slowly.
What has now come to be the “Jasmine revolution” is even reported to have spread to China, where – Sandeep Mahendru
authorities swiftly moved to snuff out even the slightest whiff of dissent.
The geography, social mores, political and economic ground realities and the levels of activism of
Pacific peoples is vastly different. It is unlikely that the same drivers that sparked the revolution in the We need to build memorials
Arab world could drive similar movements in the Pacific.
However, leaders cannot afford to be complacent with that unlikelihood. None of the Arab leaders
saw the revolutions coming until the tsunami of protesting citizens hit them from all sides, causing them This is so timely. What we need is to build memorials to Sivaji so people understand his
to flee. amazing contributions. Sivaji is one of the few pan-Indian names in the country, from Tamil
The extent of discontent among people, the deep distrust of politicians and their jetsetting lifestyles Nadu to Bengal.
at taxpayer expense, their indulgence in corruption, nepotism and routine abuse of power eventually – Sneha Joshi
builds to a tipping point.
The ever-rising prices of food, fuel and essentials, diminishing opportunities for employment,
worsening living standards brings the cauldron to a boil. All that is required to tip it over is the instant Shivaji liberated Punjab, but what is the situation now?
media that today’s communication technologies provide. It is by far the most powerful tool available to
the common citizen. And no political leader of any hue anywhere can afford to ignore that.
So there is nothing to suggest that jasmines can’t bloom in our region. Shivaji may have liberated Punjab, but once again most of Punjab has nothing to do with
- Dev Nadkarni India, and less said about Afganistan the better. The legacy of shame that the Nehru dynasty
has brought lingers forever. The Punjab that remains in India is a tiny fraction of what Punjab
really was.
Opinion Poll: -Maninder Singh
New Zealand’s Governor-General is currently appointed by the Prime Can NZ Hindus kick start a social revival?
Minister. Do you think the holder of the most powerful office in the
country should be elected by Parliament?
Good to see Hindus in NZ getting serious about social revival. In the US, we have a hugely
effective Hindu body and now when mainline newspapers want a quote they call them. Hindus
YES NO NOT SURE in NZ should actively follow that path.
75% 0% 25%
– Anand Patwardhan
A study of cricketing data is needed to establish if there is implicit bias. Whatever the outcome, only better tech-
nology and closer electronic scrutiny of umpires will check poor decisions.
A study on bias in cricket is long overdue. The white umpire is judging a black pitcher. The results tests, allowing Khan to bowl some unplayable no- considered important feedback. Bowden, in par-
sport is data rich – names of bowlers, batsmen and showed that in about 1% of the pitches thrown, an balls that were not called. The series, which could ticular, was good this way. During the match, I’d
umpires are readily available. Crunch all that data umpire was more likely to rule in favour of the have been a close one, became a one-sided contest say to him, What do you reckon? And he’d say,
and it won’t be hard to figure out if umpires are pitcher if both were of the same race or ethnicity. which India lost 0-3. Looking real good, just stay patient. I’d sometimes
handing down tricky decisions based on race, re- What? A measly 1 per cent? Well, look at what Another study by economists Joe Price of ask, Is he swinging that much? And he’d say, Oh,
ligion and country. the study says next: At first, this effect may seem Brigham Young University and Justin Wolfers of it’s just starting to reverse. Billy was brilliant that
International cricket today resembles a geopo- trivial, affecting on average less than one pitch per the University of Pennsylvania showed that during week.’’
litical battleground rather than a contest between game. The indirect effect--when players anticipate the 13 National Basketball Association seasons Aren’t you supposed to be neutral, Billy?
willow and leather. The latest flashpoint was the the effect of a biased umpire and strategically alter from 1991 through 2004, white referees called The bias in cricket is not just white and black,
high-octane 2011 World Cup game between India of course. Bucknor, who is of African origin, had
and England during which umpires Billy Bowden given unfair decisions against Indian players for
(New Zealand) and M. Erasmus (South Africa) well over two decades before he was kicked out
and TV umpire R.J. Tucker (Australia) ruled an After analysing 2.1 million pitches in Major League in 2008. And strangely, Sri Lankan players, who
England player not out even after the electronic
review system ruled in India’s favour.
Baseball from 2004 to 2006, the study says that the have suffered extreme racism from the Australian
Prime Minister down, have, after becoming match
The controversy would have died out as the
tournament progressed but then Dave Richardson,
highest percentage of fair calls occur when both umpire officials, penalised Indian players severely while
letting off Australian, English and South African
the stuffed suit at the ICC, reignited it by criticising and pitcher (bowler in cricket) are white, while the players with mere warnings. Ranjan Madugalle
Indian captain M.S. Dhoni for disputing that deci- and Roshan Mahanama once fined an Indian
sion. Richardson, a servant of cricket’s governing lowest percentage is when a white umpire is judging bowler for over-zealous celebration.
body, was clearly out of line here by blathering off So what’s the way out? Despite India’s aver-
against Dhoni, cricket’s most valuable player. a black pitcher. sion – in hindsight, justified – for the electronic
The fact is that the fine print in the rule book review system, the way out is better technology and
is called into play only when Indian and Pakistani closer monitoring. Bias disappears under two con-
players are involved. In fact, players from the two ditions: one, when the game’s attendance is high or
countries are consistently handed out heavy fines two, if electronic review technology is used.
or match suspensions or both while for similar of- their behaviour--may, however, have an even larger fouls at a greater rate against black players than There’s a reason for that. When you’re going
fences, players from, say, Australia, England or impact on outcomes. against white players. to be watched and have to pay more attention,
South Africa get a mere warning or at worst a rep- Two such situations in cricket can be recalled Billly’s controversial decision was in fact the you don’t subconsciously favour people like your-
rimand. here. One was the 2008 Sydney game where Aus- second time he went after the Indians in that match. self. “When discrimination has a price, you don’t
If you are not convinced there is bias in cricket, tralia, knowing that umpires Mark Benson and Earlier, he insisted that Zaheer Khan move a step observe it as much,” says Hamermesh.
perhaps you should look at a study on bias in base- Steve Bucknor were handing down a spate of poor closer to the batsman in order to comply with the To be sure, most umpires do not intend to be
ball by Daniel Hamermesh, a professor of eco- decisions against Indian batsmen, went for the of- fielding restrictions. Billy in fact pointed at a spot biased before a game. As the American researchers
nomics at the University of Texas, Austin. Among fensive after being in hopeless situations several with his boot where Khan should stand. argue, bad decisions appear to be the result of im-
sports, baseball comes closest to cricket in the times. India lost that match which it could have Would he treat an Australian differently? plicit bias -- subtle mental associations that surface
manner of play, terminology and gear. won. Perhaps he would. This is what former Australian when people are forced to make snap judgments.
After analysing 2.1 million pitches in Major Again, in a 1978-79 series in Pakistan, Indian test batsman Matthew Hayden writes in his new In the cricket world, with its considerable colo-
League Baseball from 2004 to 2006, the study legend Sunil Gavaskar observed Pakistani pace book Standing My Ground: nial baggage, that bias comes into play too often for
says that the highest percentage of fair calls occur bowler Imran Khan consistently overstepping the “I used every resource I legally could to comfort. Only fool proof technology can prevent
when both umpire and pitcher (bowler in cricket) crease. Gavaskar, who was at the non-striker’s end, enhance my game, and umpires were part of that needless controversy. For, clearly, there are a lot of
are white, while the lowest percentage is when a pointed it out to the umpires who ignored his pro- process. Sometimes they’d drop subtle lines that I fools out there.
by-election
demand for high quality Mehndi Moko has Magesan, Deepika Magesan, Valencia
been overwhelming, and she feels privi- Herbert and Gabriella Wright with guid-
leged to represent Rotorua, Aotearoa on the ance from Dr Meeta Patel and Dr Guna
international stage. Magesan.
“By holding workshops and classes I “Given the support this festival is re- A by-election will be held in May following the res- 24 Wellesley Street West, Auckland
have been able to promote this art form to ceiving, it is not difficult to visualise the ignation of Howick Ward councillor, Jami-Lee Ross. l phoning 09 973 5212
a wider range of people sharing the many real potential for the Rotorua Holi Festival The by-election will be conducted by postal vote l visiting www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
benefits of this contemporary adaptation of becoming a permanent Youth festival in and Howick Ward residents will receive voting doc- To be eligible to stand for the position, a can-
an ancient art form,” Ms Wright added. Rotorua,” said Ms Praneita Narayan, the uments from Thursday 5 May, with polling to close didate must be a New Zealand citizen who is en-
“Despite lack of public funding the mo- co-ordinator of this festival. at midday on Friday 27 May. rolled as a Parliamentary elector anywhere in New
mentum of this art form continues to open The official festival will start at 11am Voters have until midday, Thursday 7 April 2011 Zealand.
markets and promote our culture on a scale with a Maori welcome. Food and other to check that they are on the electoral roll or to update The Mayor has taken the opportunity of the
unforeseen. stalls will open for the public, where Indian their details. The announcement of the
The concept of ‘Mehndi Moko’ was born food, clothing and craft will be available. electoral roll to by-election date to pay
in Rotorua in 2010 during the first Rotorua A number of dance performances and an be used for this The by-election will be conducted by tribute to new Botany
Holi Festival organised by the Hindu Indian dance competition will also take by-election can be MP Jami-Lee Ross
Council of New Zealand, with the bless- place, followed by traditional Indian games inspected at the postal vote and Howick Ward resi- whose resignation as a
ings of elders at the Te Papaiouru Marae, and Holi folk songs. From 2.30 to 3pm, par- electoral office dents will receive voting documents councillor led to the by-
(details below), election.
Rotorua. ticipants will get an opportunity to indulge
Pakuranga
from Thursday 5 May, with polling to “Jami-Lee has
Last year’s workshop not only brought in customary revelry with coloured powder
together two art forms (Mehndi and Ta and water. Library, High- close at midday on Friday 27 May. served his community
Moko) but also gave birth to a new phrase This festival is a smoke-free, alcohol- land Park Library, well as councillor. I
– Mehndi Moko. free and meat-free festival with free entry Howick Library know he will continue
“It is pleasing to know that an art form to the public. Rotorua Holi Festival is and Botany Library. to be a strong advocate for Howick and the Auckland
born of a cultural exchange here in Rotorua sponsored by Rotorua Civic Arts Trust; we Enrolment details can also be checked by calling region in our nation’s parliament,” says Len Brown.
is receiving such recognition and appre- sincerely thank our sponsors, supporting 0800 ENROL NOW (0800 36 76 56), by visiting “It’s important that people take part in the demo-
ciation internationally,” said Dr Magesan, organisations and media partners for their HYPERLINK “http://www.elections.org.nz/”www. cratic process so their voices can be heard on the big
General Secretary of Hindu Council of New support. elections.org.nz, at any NZ PostShop or by freetex- issues facing Auckland.
Zealand. ting your name and address to 3676. “The council is focused on how we tackle Auck-
Those who are interested in attending Nominations are now sought for the position of land’s transport problems, keep rates affordable and
For more information: Please email councillor and close at midday, Thursday 7 April. turn Auckland into one of the world’s most liveable
the Mehndi Moko workshop on Sunday, rotorua.holi@gmail.com or visit
20 March need to register their names with Candidates must be nominated on a nomination cities. The new councillor has an opportunity to help
either Gina Wright [gwrightfam@gmail.
our Facebook page www.facebook. paper available by: shape our region’s future.”
com] or rotorua.holi@gmail.com. com/rotorua.festivals . l visiting the electoral office, Independent Elec- There are approximately 90,000 electors in the
tion Services Ltd, Ground Floor, Bledisloe House, Howick Ward.
New book examines Asians’ role in Kiwi society The known - Ashi
sh, Kanik & Sneh
a
Fifteen writers contribute to an important new book, Localizing Asia in Aotearoa, ju & Viraj
The guests - Man Con-
examining the role of Asians in New Zealand’s ethnically diverse society. ckland Bolly wood
fe at ur e fo r th e first time in a Au
The concer t will player
The contributors explore the complex picture of past and contemporary interactions e and Accordion
cert – a Sa xophon
between New Zealander and Asian communities. They address questions such as: tion with Indian
What kinds of misrepresentations or outright prejudice have characterized interac- ht to yo u by CF I Events in associa
The event is boug
tions? To what extent have Asian cultures been known and accepted? Has diversity
Weekender.
been understood beyond limiting and potentially distorting oppositional dichotomies? HYPERLINK
1- 52 9 98 2 , 09 -827 0559 or
Contact Ram Iye
r on 02 fi@gmail.com to
Edited by University of Otago academics Paola Voci and Jacqueline Leckie, the book m .c fi@ gm ail .c om”email-ram.c
“mailto:email-ra
contains essays and personal narratives. Various ethnic and national groups are dis- .
book your tickets
cussed, including Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Asian, Maori and Pakeha.
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The former Manukau City Council’s ini- for Health and Sustainability initiative.
tiative to proactively address deepening The model is one of experiential learn-
health concerns in a large section of the ing of basic horticultural husbandry
population by promoting healthy eating techniques delivered by paid mentors.
has proved to be a great success, en- Plots are allocated to an individual or
couraging the new Auckland Council to a group to grow vegetables for a season,
expand the project. and participants are taught a range of
Over the past two, the Manukau Parks skills from seed germination through to
Growing for Health – Teaching Garden harvesting. The project is based on two
project has had more than 1000 people 20-week courses aligned to the winter/
involved in its innovative programme. summer seasons. The 20-week course
An alarming 74% of the local popu- prepares participants to grow their own
lation is considered obese with 12,000 fruit and vegetables at home.
diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and a “We started with 4 Gardens – 2 in the
further 12,000 suspected cases. Mangere area and 2 in Papatoetoe. The
Eating a healthy diet of mostly or- concept was to bring all community to-
ganically grown vegetables can go a long gether and enjoy the parks -- Extended
way in providing the required balance to recreation,” says Ms Belwalkar.
a diet otherwise deficient in fibre and Two more gardens will be developed
other valuable nutrients that come from this year and new programmes will also
veggies. include cooking classes – free (Vegetar-
The Growing for Health project en- ian cooking) as also Food Processing as
courages people to grow their own an extension of this programme.
veggies themselves and then enjoy their The programme won the award for
health benefits. Project Manager Varsha best project of the council last year.
Belwalkar says, “We provide garden “We are starting new season – mid
plots, seeds and mentors to teach how to March. Please come and join this free
plant, grow and manage vegetable and programme,” says Ms Belwalkar.
fruit gardens and encourage people to
grow their own kitchen gardens in their For more information about joining the
homes. And it is free.” project call 09 262 8900 extension 5183
The Teaching Gardens project sup- or mobile 0274731078. Website: www.
ports the Let’s Beat Diabetes Gardening aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
Aamir will be seen sharing the screen space Besides acting in so many films, Aamir is
Delivery guy
thrilling ‘Dhoom’ series titled ‘Dhoom 3’. Shenaz Treasuryvala, Rahul Pendkalkar, Vir
Das,
And after John and Hrithik, Aamir Khan will Kunal Kapoor in the lead roles.
co-ordinator,
Bollywood, Hong Kong’s eminent stunt now be seen as the bad man in Dhoom 3, The film is all set to hit the big screen on July
Mumbai: The ‘Khiladi’ of Ridley Tsu i. which is surely going to be a different experi- 1.
ar is bac k in his chivalrous film will
Aksha y Kum
n batt ering hoo- The action of the com mercial
avatar when he wil l be see the aud ienc e as the aero batics
vision com mercial by mesmer ize n Ak ki
in the new tele e oth er tha
ligans were performed by non
Dollar innerwear. himself.
ns pester-
The Master Chef notices goo Sharing his views on the com
mercial,
rest aur ant. A fter trash- r , Dollar
ing nubiles in his Vinod Gup ta Ma nag ing Dir ecto
, Ak sha y in his inim itab le expos- extr eme ly hop eful,
ing them
home deliver y Industr ies said, “We are
ing Dollar vest says, “Free that this com mer cial too wil l be well ap-
n.” like it’s pre-
bhi kar ta hoo
f turning preciated by the audience just
The secret of the Master Che decessor. The pre vio us adv erti sement was
hom e deli ver y boy afte r the rough e of the acti on syner-
to a a huge success becaus
sers will be
treatment towards the eve-tea gized wit h the hum our asp ect. ”
e the com mer cial will be re- advertising
reveale d; onc
t wee k of March. He fur ther stated that the
leased on air from the firs the com ing fisc al yea r will be
e whe re the spend for
This is for the first tim by Rs.25
has bee n dire cted
stunts of the film
Mirch Masala is a film about oppres- Apart from the screening of ‘Mirch
sion. It’s the story of a feudal village in Masala’, Ketan Mehta will also be a
pre-Independence India and how the part of discussion on Indian women in
powerless of the village—the old men films on Mar 15 that will be moderated
and the women—risk all they have to by actress Nandita Das with Shabana
fight that oppression. Azmi, Sharmila Tagore, director Adoor
Gopalakrishnan and Dilip Basu.
The film comprises of few of the popu-
Holi means fun. Holi means colours. Holi is one of the oldest Hindu festivals that goes back thousands of years.
Like any Indian festival, it is full of meaning. But Holi is not just about colours…
Originally Holi festival is known as Utsav of
‘Holika’ or ‘Holikotsav’. It’s also celebrated
as spring (vasant) festival in northern In-
dia. But Holi is not just about colours as it
is quite symbolic of the colourful diversity
in India. A closer look at Holi reveals an
Indian lifestyle which is so colourful in
every way that it comes across as an over-
whelming experience to a tourist. But the
humble desi takes it for granted as he lives
and breathes those colours everyday..
JMJK
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