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12 December 2014

12 December, 2014 Vol. 6 Issue 21 | www.iwk.co.nz

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New Zealands first Kiwi-Indian weekly newspaper

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The Pulse of Kiwi-Indians

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12 December 2014

NEW ZEALAND

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Pg

COVER STORY

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ON TOP OF THE WORLD

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GO ORANGE

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13

ONGC ENTERS NZ

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27

MAKE A STYLE STATEMENT

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COVER STORY

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12 December 2014

Christchurch earthquake - Trauma and

some brilliant side effects

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IWK undertakes its journey to further trauma management in New Zealand, read how this journey has developed and evolved to set the ball
rolling on new initiatives.

Maya Shivam

Trauma is the disruption of the flow of lifes

forces spiritual (wairua), health (waiora),
and rhythm of life (waiata). Health is regained
when these life forces are able to flow again
freely without impediments.
Ever since the fateful earthquake in
Christchurch, Team IWK has been delving
on wanting to make a significant contribution
to not just the rebuild of Christchurch and
supporting its people deal with the trauma
they have experienced but also going forward,
making a significant contribution in terms of
the management of such a situation, anywhere
in the country as and when it occurs.
We are all aware that New Zealand lies on
the boundary between the Australian Plate and
the Pacific Plate. Along these plates there are
many faults, such as the Alpine Fault and the
Wellington Fault.
Every year the country has thousands of
earthquakes, and about 200 are big enough to
be felt. Since 1840 more than 450 people have
died in large earthquakes in New Zealand.
Along with this there are thousands that have
been relocated and effected and even injured.
With this at the back of our minds and
still searching to make some significant
contributions to the country we now call home,
Indian Weekender visited the Jai Prakash
Narayan Trauma Center in New Delhi.

This multi-disciplinary center apart from

providing holistic trauma care services also
functions as a referral center.This is currently
the best integrated level one trauma center in
India and continues to set benchmarks in patient
care not only nationally but also internationally.
This multidisciplinary center apart from
providing holistic trauma care services,

has also become a Role Model for other

trauma centers, in terms of conceptualization,
project formulation and operation not
just in India but internationally as well.
Constructed at the cost of Rs 132 crores
(approx. NZD 28 million) and spread over an
area of 20,600 sq metres and seven storeys, the
center has five operation theatres, 152 inpatient

and 30 casualty beds, including 26 ICU beds

to provide both pre-hospital and emergency
care. The center also acts as a referral hospital,
where patients sent by zonal public hospitals
and satellite trauma centers will be observed
and treated.
Continued on Pg 4

Meet Sunil,

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COVER STORY

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

Continued from Pg 3

With 957 staff, including doctors, resident

doctors, nurses and technical staff from
specialties like neurosurgery, orthopedics,
cardio-thoracic and vascular surgery, general
surgery and plastic surgery were initially
recruited to make the trauma center functional.
There is a helipad on top of the building for
transporting critically ill patients.
The center is a medical boon for India,
where road accidents have assumed epidemic
proportions, with a death caused by road
accident being reported every two minutes and
at least 40% deaths occur on the roadside due to
delay in treatment.
As IWK was shown around this impressive
centre, one could not but be amazed at the
advancements that India has made in not just
medicine but also its delivery to people. This
hi- tech facility is also completely paperless
due to the state of the art IT and networking
solutions at play.
We also spoke to the heads of various
departments including the man responsible for
delivering the IT solutions to the centre and we
will be bringing more details on these complete
geniuses at work, in our subsequent issues. We
cannot help but be proud of the advancements
India is making in the delivery of healthcare to
not just Indians but to the world.

levels in the field of medicine. For Emergency

Medicine and Trauma this collaboration began
as an academic effort between University of
South Florida and SUNY Downstate in the
United States and All India Institute of Medical
Sciences along with Baroda Medical CollegeSSG Hospital in India. Today INDUSEM
involves 61 Universities and Medical
Institutions across India and the United States
of America.

To make some significant

contributions to the country
we now call home, Indian
Weekender visited the Jai
Prakash Narayan Trauma
Center in New Delhi.

The journey
continues.

s we continued our journey to add value to

the trauma management services in New
Zealand, we have been able to extend our hand
in friendship to the INDO-US Emergency &
Trauma Collaborative. Their Chief Executive
Officer:
Dr. Sagar Galwankar told Indian Weekender
that INDO-US partnership exists at many

The partnership came into existence in

2005 at New Delhi, India. Academic Leaders
from US and India shared similar blueprints
regarding the development of the academic
fields of Trauma and Emergency care in India.

The main mission of this partnership is to

the mission to establish Academic Emergency
foster the growth of academic medicine in the
& Trauma Sciences across the world.
fields of Emergency Care and Traumatology. Red
Continued
on Pg 6
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The collaborative promotes exchange of
knowledge and mutual development between
Academic institutions in India and the United
States Dr Galwankar told Indian Weekender.
He said physicians go through a lifelong
process of perfecting their learned practices.
They learn these practices at their medical
colleges. It is the
medical
colleges
which award them
their
credentials.
The birth place of
any medical experts
expertise
is
the
training institution
hence if any new
science has to be
developed
and
taught the ideal sites
are none other than
medical
colleges
across
India.
The
INDUSEM
Leadership believe
that the role of
MCI
recognized
Medical Colleges and Academic Institutions
is Crucial to develop the academic fraternity
in Emergency and Trauma which by itself are
new academic sciences to India. To forge ahead
it was important that interested academicians
meet and discuss science and policy and at the
same time promote the specialty in India.
The INDUSEM Collaborative continues
to foster Academic Leadership in Educational
Exchange and Cooperative Research via
its Annual INDUS-EM Summit, ACET
Assembly, Year Round training events and
ongoing research initiatives. This will increases
partnerships and unity by and between India
and the United States. This unity will further

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www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

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Meet the specialists:

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Dr. Sanjeev Bhoi

r. Bhoi graduated as a University gold

medalist and is currently Additional
Professor at the Department of Emergency
Medicine at the JPN Apex Trauma Centre.
This centre is a part of the premier academic
institute of India, which is the All India
Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
He has been on various scholarships
from the Government of India, Israel and
the US. He received the prestigious Micheal
Moles fellowship from world association of
disaster and emergency medicine(WADEM)
at Victoria, Canada, 2009 and he has been
elected as Director, board of directors of
WADEM in May 2013.
With his international reputation in
Emergency care and trauma, Sanjeev shares
his learning as a mentor in Emergency
Medicine.
He is the Instructor for the ATLS
(Advanced Trauma Life Support)
by
American College of Surgeons, ACLS
(Advanced Cardiac Life Support), AHLS
(Advanced Hazmat Life Support Course). He
is trained in point of care ultrasound and has
created AIIMS Ultrasound trauma life support
course, AIIMS Emergency sonography course
and recently he has started AIIMS Disaster
Ultrasound program as program director.
These courses are running across the
country as well as Nepal, Srilanka and Iran.
He was the organizing secretary of 7th world
congress of emergency and critical care
ultrasound.
Dr bhoi has started AIIMS community
emergency care initiative since December
2009 and his team has trained 1400 Delhi
police personnel on Cardiopulmonary
resuscitation as a part of the Bystander Care
program for Delhi police,2009 and till date

almost 3000 personals across the country. Dr

Bhoi has authored CPR in school curriculum
of India from 7th standards.
Dr bhoi has started PhD program in
emergency medicine at the AIIMS Trauma
center and his area of interest is translation
research in shock. Besides his clinical work,
he is the Chairman of the Patient safety and
performance improvement program and
additional medical superintendent of AIIMS
Trauma center..
He has published widely in Emergency
medicine, on use of Emergency Ultrasound,
infectious diseases, respiratory and cardiac
emergencies and has been a researcher in
basic science projects and clinical studies, like
the CRASH-2 trial.
He volunteers in the poorer and more
vulnerable states of North Eastern India of
Sikkim, Manipur and Assam and teaches
Community Emergency care, in Basic
Trauma support and CPR. He organizes
regular emergency care mobile units in rural
areas of Orissa state, India in the reach to the
unreached mission statement.

COVER STORY

COVER STORY

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

Meet the specialist:

Dr Sagar Galwankar

and Mental Health. His areas of Interest

include Emergency Medical Intelligence,
Health Policy, Injury Medicine, International
Health, Humanitarian Assistance, Quality
Health Care Delivery in Emerging Economies
and Global Health Diplomacy.
Dr Sagar in his words says I believe
that Future is dependent on What is
Done Today and How it is done Today.
The role of the Worlds Largest and the Oldest
Democracies namely India and United States
is crucial for the future progress of transitional
Economies and Peace across the Globe.
Health is Definately an important part of this
growth Story!

A step further

fter having made these crucial strides in

our quest, the Indian Weekender made
its final pit stop at the office of the Minister of
Science and Technology, Dr Harsh Vardhan.
This was a complete honour and pleasure that
the Minister gave us his time and blessings with
what we discussed with him.
Enthused by what we had seen and had the
opportunity to discuss, the Indian Weekender
hopes that a collaborative such as INDUSEM
can be established with New Zealand as well.

We have a dream of being able

to setup exchange programmes
between the three countries
where our physicians can meet
and discuss the state of the
art solutions in the delivery
of trauma management and
emergency services.
We hope that the government
of New Zealand will facilitate
this step.

We have a dream of being able to setup

exchange programmes between the three
countries where our physicians can meet and
discuss the state of the art solutions in the

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he best way to multiply your happiness

is to share it with others. It was aptly put
by a spiritual leader that when god gives you
more, dont raise you standards of living but
raise your standards of giving. The City Impact
Church seems to follow the same rule to make
the Christmas brighter for over a thousand
community members this year.
Last week, the church gave away nearly
1200 beautifully wrapped Christmas gift boxes
to people in need of a little extra Christmas
cheer.
Hundreds of volunteers turned out at the

Continued from Pg 4

Swati Sharma

r. Sagar Galwankar- Emergency

Medicine Physician, MBBS, DNB,
MPH, Dip. ABEM(American Board Certified
in Emergency Medicine (USA), National
Board Certified in Internal Medicine (INDIA),
American Masters in Public Health (USA)
Dr. Sagar Galwankar completed his
Bachelors in Medicine and Surgery from the
University of Pune where he graduated with
honors and distinction in Otolaryngology. He
is Board Certified in Internal Medicine from
the National Board of Examinations in India.
Following his specialization in Internal
Medicine Dr. Sagar went on to train at the
University of South Florida, USA in areas of
International Health Diplomacy, Infectious
Diseases and Emergency Medicine. He holds
a Masters in Public Health from the University
of South Florida and is a Board Certified
Emergency Physician with the American
Board of Emergency Medicine.
Dr. Sagars academic and clinical career
spans over a decade with experience in
Education, Care and Research both in India
and the USA.
He is extensively published, cited and
honoured for his works in International
Medicine, Public Health, Infectious Diseases,
Emergency Medicine and Injury Sciences.
He has held various Leadership positions
and is also the driving force behind many
prestigious International Journals. He is the
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the
INDO-US Academic Initiative for Emergency
and Trauma as he continues to play a defining
role in establishing Emergency Medicine as a
separate specialty in India.
Dr Sagar has appointments at the
University of South Florida and University
of Florida in Departments of Emergency
Medicine, Internal Medicine, Global Health

Church delivers Christmas cheer

delivery of trauma management and emergency

services. While we hope that the government
of New Zealand will facilitate this step that
the Indian Weekender hopes to become
instrumental in initiating, we are currently in
dialogue with these geniuses to ensure that
a delegation is able to visit New Zealand as
soon as possible and set the ball rolling on new
possibilities that could come about from such
a visit.

churchs North Shore and Mt Wellington

campuses on last Saturday to be part of
delivering the boxes to homes across Auckland.
The gifts were individually purchased by
church members at both North Shore and Mt
Wellington campuses.
Each year, we hang stars from our
Christmas trees that represent people referred
to us by community organisations that we work
with, says Community Impact Manager MaryKath Laita. Church members choose a star
and take away a box to fill up with gifts for that
person.
We want people to feel really blessed and
valued when they receive their gifts, says
Mary-Kath. So volunteers wrap each gift in
tissue paper and tie the boxes with Christmas

ribbon.
Church members visited one single mum
with a terminal lung condition, and eight of her
thirteen children living at home. They arrived
with individual gift boxes for each family
member as well as two trampolines for the
children.
Other volunteers returned to families they
had helped during the year, with Christmas gift
boxes for children who would otherwise be
going without.
We love having the chance to show Gods
love to people in a practical way, says MaryKath. Christmas can be a tough time for many
families and we wanted to let them know that
we care.

AIA plays host to senior citizens

Swati Sharma

he Auckland Indian Association played

host to a group of 45 Senior Citizens from
the United Kingdom last weekend. The group
has been touring the world for the last 21 days
and had been in New Zealand for five days
starting their tour at the bottom of the South
Island and working their way up to Auckland
before leaving for Singapore for three days and
then onto India.

membership of 295. He went on to say how

it was good to travel with people of his own
age as they had more things in common and
could pace themselves and laugh at the same
things.Dhayabhai thanked the Auckland Indian
Association for the warm and well organised
welcome.
The Auckland Indian Association organised
a tour of the Radha Krishna Mandir, and the
Mahatma Gandhi Centre, and invited their
own members to come and meet with the

The majority of the Group were from the

Senior Citizens Leicester Lunch Club but they
included Senior Citizens from other parts of
the United Kingdom also. The Group leader
Dhayabhai Patel the youngest of the group
at 65, talked about how their group started
with 12 members in 2004 and has grown to a

guests.Representatives of 19 villages from the

Navsari district came together to re-discover
relatives, meet and greet and enjoy a fabulous
meal. The members of the UK group were
music enthusiasts and everyone enjoyed the
singing by Dhansukhbhai Topiwala before
leading some of their own renditions.

Minster of Science and Technology Dr Harsh

Vardhan with the Managing Editor of Indian
Weekender Mr Giri Gupta in New Delhi

COVER STORY

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

Too many small Kiwi

children moving house

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ccording to Auckland Council, data

showing nearly half of New Zealands
children moved house at least once before their
second birthday is a sign that renters need more
security on the length of their leases.
The main finding of the University of
Aucklands Growing Up in New Zealand
report- Residential Mobility Report 1: Moving
house in the first 1000 days,is an unexpectedly
high level of residential movement in young
families much higher than an equivalent
UK study.
The report identifies housing tenure
as the key determinant of whether a child
moves; that is, those in private rental
accommodation are most likely to move.
Aucklands Deputy Mayor, Penny
Hulse, said the survey provides evidence
that achieving a stable housing situation is
a major challenge for families with young
children who are renting in Auckland.
I am disturbed by the reports findings
that such a high proportion of our most
vulnerable, being children, have unstable
accommodation in the first years of their
lives, said Ms Hulse.
This situation is not acceptable on
any level. Auckland Councils Housing
Action Plan identifies the need for more
secure rental tenure as a key priority. We
are calling on the government to urgently
address this issue and put some options
to the community on how this can be
achieved, said Ms Hulse.
Security of tenure for renters was
a major focus of the recent Auckland
Conversations event Whats wrong

with renting? which attracted close to 600

people, showing this is an issue that matters to
Aucklanders, said Ms Hulse.
Growing Up in New Zealand is a
contemporary longitudinal study tracking
the development of approximately 7,000
New Zealand children from before birth until
they are young adults (the majority are in the
Auckland and Waikato regions).

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NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

New Zealand named best

tourist destination

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MAYORALDRIVE
New s f ro m th e C o u n ci l

New initiative to increase supply of

affordable housing

A
P

rime Minister and Tourism Minister John

Key says the Governments investment in
tourism is paying off with New Zealand voted
the top country in the 2014 Telegraph Travel
Awards, for the third year in a row.
Almost 90,000 people responded to the
survey, making it the biggest survey of its
kind. New Zealand headed off the Maldives
and South Africa to win the favourite country
category. New Zealand also won the category
in 2012 and 2013.
Tourism forms a significant part of our
economy and this award is a great credit to
Tourism New Zealand and the work they do,
says Mr Key.
We believe one of the real strengths of the
tourism experience in New Zealand is that it
lives up to the hype. Too often people go to a
destination where ultimately it is never as good

as the brochure, whereas in New Zealand we

think people come and get an experience that is
better than the brochure.
Mr Key says tourism is a significant part
of New Zealands economy, and is a major
employer.
The Government recognises this, and thats
why we have invested an unprecedented $600
million in tourism and tourism promotion since
2008.
That investment is getting results. Some
2.8 million people visited New Zealand during
the last year, spending over $7 billion. Tourism
directly employs 4.7 per cent of the New
Zealand workforce and indirectly employs
another 3.6 per cent.
We will continue to invest across a wide
range of areas in tourism to build both our
infrastructure and expand our marketing reach.

Victims to have greater say

on restorative justice

estorative Justice Aotearoa welcomes

the implementation of the changes to the
SentencingAct that was implemented throughout
all District Courts from Monday this week.
Restorative Justice Aotearoa says that changes
to the Sentencing Act, which come into effect
on 6 December, are a step in the right direction
to addressing the harm caused by offending.
The changes to
the Sentencing Act,
introduced by the
Victim of Crimes
Reform Bill, are
intended to make
restorative justice
services
more
accessible in the
District Court.
The
General
Manager
for
Restorative Justice
Aotearoa,
Mike
Hinton, says the
change from an opt
in to an opt out
arrangement shows
that there is greater
acceptance about the
role that restorative justice plays in providing
the victim with a voice within the criminal
justice system.
Research in New Zealand and from
overseas clearly shows that participation in
restorative justice has benefits for victims
of crime. A 2011 survey run by the Ministry
of Justice showed that 82% of victims were
satisfied after attending a RJ conference
and 80% said they would be likely to
recommend RJ to others in a similar position.
The changes to the Sentencing Act mean that
all cases will be referred to a restorative justice

provider in situations where there is a victim,

the offender pleads guilty, there is a service
that is able to be accessed and there has been
no previous restorative justice process held in
relation to that offending. The restorative justice
provider determines whether a restorative
justice process is suitable in the circumstances,
having regard to the wishes of the victim.
Mike Hinton says
that the changes
emphasise
the
importance
of
victims
in
the
process and giving
them a greater say
on whether they
wish to participate in
a restorative justice
process or not.
Although
the
consent of victims
and
offenders
has always been
required,
the
previous
process
meant that some
victims have not
been provided with
the opportunity to participate in a restorative
justice process. These changes address this
gap and provide opportunity for all victims to
participate.
The changes to the legislation recognise
the importance of the victim in the process.
Restorative justice facilitators have all been
trained to facilitate conferences in a supportive
and safe environment for all participants.
Members of RJA have been contracted to the
Ministry of Justice to deliver restorative justice
services in all the District Courts.

uckland Council has agreed to offer a limited guarantee as a means of securing up to

$30 million from the philanthropic community, so that cheaper loans can be made to
community housing providers.
The councils guarantee will provide greater confidence to bond investors, and enable
cheaper and more favourable loan terms to be offered to community housing providers,
boosting the supply of affordable housing in Auckland. This could reduce the cost of homes by
up to $6000-$8000 per dwelling.
The initiative will see the council provide a limited guarantee on bonds issued by an
independent housing fund agency to philanthropic investors. The housing fund agency will
then provide the money raised from the bond sales as loans to community housing providers.
Under the plan, Auckland Council will guarantee bonds to a maximum of $6 million over
three years which will allow the community housing sector to raise $30 million of socially
responsible investment from trusts, foundations and companies, at a slightly lower interest rate
than would be available from other lending institutions. The council will provide the guarantee
and $200,000 of initial capital to be repaid on terms to be finalised including requisite risk
management, governance and operational requirements and sourcing start-up working capital.

Extra vigilance for outdoor fires required

restricted fire season for rural areas in the Auckland region will be implemented from15
December. Lighting an outdoor fire on rural land is still possible but a permit is required
for fires in the open air.
With summer on its way the days are growing longer and warmer which means fire risk
increases. All outdoor fires need to be carefully managed to prevent the spread of fire.
Council will be issuing fire permits in Aucklands rural zones which include farms, forestry
areas and large blocks of land. Permits are free of charge.
Auckland Council is introducing an Outdoor Fire Safety Bylaw to manage the risk of all
outdoor fires in both rural and urban areas. The bylaw will continue with seasonal restrictions
but also gives guidance on the types of fire and fuel allowed with an aim to protect people,
property and the environment from the risk of fire.
For information on fire safety and tips for the safe lighting of open air fires call Auckland
Council on 09 301 0101 or visitaucklandcouncil/ruralfire.govt.nz
Anyone who sees a suspicious fire should call the fire service immediately on 111.

Day of fun for kids of all ages set to make

triumphant return

fter a six year hiatus, family favourite Kids Fair - The Family Expo is set to return to the
ASB Showgrounds, Greenlane on the17th and 18th of January(10am 5pmdaily), 2015.
With the entire venue packed full of entertainment, exhibits, free amusement rides for kids
of all ages and much more, its an event not to be missed, says Event Director William Geradts,
creator of Australasias largest pulp-culture event, the Armageddon Expo.
Kids Fair is an exhibition and entertainment extravaganza directly aimed at the childrens
market from toddlers to teens (2-15), and offers a perfect opportunity for kids and their parents
to have a great day out together- just whats needed after a long Christmas break!
Key features of the 2015 event include LIVE stage shows on the Logan Cambell Theatre
stage including the hugely popular The WotWots and The Moe Show, FREE amusement rides,
Magic shows, face painting, fairy tale princesses and even a visit from super animatronic
dinosaur Terry the T-Rex and more!
Tickets for the Kids Fair are on sale NOW viawww.iticket.co.nzor at the door. For more
information and full schedule of events head towww.kidsfair.co.nz

Zero waste inspires creativity at Waterfront

ynyard Quarter is showcasing zero waste creativity this summer, bringing the work of
some of Aucklands finest upcyclers to the popular waterfront precinct.
The focus on upcycling giving waste materials a new life began on Friday 5 December
when a wave-like installation sculpture made from 4500 green plastic bottles from 4500
students with 4500 messages known as Message in a Bottle opens at Silo Parks Gantry.
Each bottle in the sculpture contains a drawing or message of each students hopes and
dreams for the future.
Auckland Council Regional Strategy and Policy Committee chair George Wood says
upcycling is a thriving example of social enterprise, creating business opportunities and positive
social change in Auckland communities.
Being the worlds most livable city means making the most of waste, and these artists are
the waste champions leading the way. I hope people get along to Wynyard Quarter to see for
themselves the innovation and skill of these artists and the desirability of their work.

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

Celebrating cultural diversity and gender balance

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Black

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ew
Zealands
Race
Relations
Commissioner, Dame Susan Devoy,
recognised the Rotary Club of Auckland
Harbourside, last month for 20 years of
community service & fellowship. The
recognition certificate states, The club is
distinct in that members represent many
different ethnicities and is the most culturally
diverse club in Auckland.
If when the club was chartered in 1994
there was a need for a club to lead the way by
representing the ethnic diversity of Auckland at
that time, then what would those visionaries,
in particular charter President Mike Jaduram
(who went on to be District 9920 Governor in
1998-1999)make of the super-diverse category
that Auckland city now falls into? When the
club chartered, they had equal numbers of
Chinese, Indian and European members, but
Auckland now has over 200 ethnicities which
again brings to the fore the long debated issue
of how, and when, will Rotary make serious
inroads into club membership reflecting the
diversity of their local community, or at least
build lasting relationships or partnerships with
these communities.
The Rotary Club of Auckland Harbourside
started with the principal that prospective
members had to first and foremost have the
characteristics that make a good Rotarian, as
well as being able to mix well and have the
willingness to dedicate their time and energy
to adhere to the Rotary principle of Service
above Self. The fact that they were able to
apply Indian, Chinese and Kiwi culture made
the club more diverse and interesting.
The multicultural membership brought
strong links to these different ethnic
communities, necessitating innovation, new
ways to fundraise and create service projects

appropriate for these communities, but still

also relevant to the Auckland community as
a whole. Former president Shefali Mehta

emphasises that there are some great examples

in their three signature fundraising events
each year, involving Chinese New Year,

Diwali and Best of British, that typically

each attract more than 500 guests annually to
support organizations such as Starship Children
Hospital, St John Ambulance, Leukemia &
Blood Foundation, Totara Hospice South
Aucklandand many more.
Cultural diversity adds strength to the club
and its activities because of the diverse talent
pool.
In addition to cultural diversity, the club also
has a good gender balance, not by restricting
one gender, but making the extra effort to
encourage women to see the club as vibrant
place, respectful of their needs and this works
well with 43% of the club being women.
Family values and participation are also
very strong within this club that has couples
plus parents and children as members, and the
inclusion of partners at everything the club does
is a given.
This success formula is unbeatable!

<<
Chinese New Year Lions;
(above) Diwali dancers

10

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

NEW ZEALAND

Great Lake Taupo releases innovative

bike trail video guides

reat Lake Taupo are at the forefront of

the industry with the release of their
comprehensive new suite of bike trail video
guides.
The project is the brain child of Destination
Great Lake Taupo (DGLT), and is the result of
close collaboration between DGLT, DOC, Bike
Taupo and a number of tourism operators who
have a direct involvement with the use of the
trails.
Bike Taupo Chairman, Rowan Sapsford,
said, These videos are a fantastic tool that
showcase the amazing bike trails in and around
the area. I think weve set a benchmark for other
regions to follow here, both in the standard of
our trails and also how we tell the world about
them.
The project has resulted in the development
of a complete digital and print media kit; the
prime piece of collateral being a video guide
for each trail presented by Sarah Ulmer New
Zealand Cycleways ambassador and former
Olympic cyclist.
Each video contains sufficient information
for novice riders through to experts to
determine which trail is best for them and their
riding party.
The videos are further supported with
images, text descriptions, maps and track
profiles that will be available for anyone to
utilize and publish free of charge.
Nine videos were released to the public
last month covering the following trails: Lions
Walk, Rotary Ride, Tongariro River Trail, five

sections of the Great Lake Trail (Waihaha,

Waihora, Orakau, K2K and W2K) and Tree
Trunk Gorge.
DGLT Sales and Marketing Manager, Zelia
Horrell, said, We see this as the completion
of stage one of the project and in the coming
months plan to release more interactive content
as well as additional trails.
Tourism New Zealand CEO, Kevin Bowler,
said, Were really impressed with this
initiative. This new collateral is a great asset
for promoting cycling holidays in New Zealand
and provides a resource for media, trade and
consumers alike to engage with.

Alcohol free is
order of the day

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he 21st Coca Cola Christmas in the Park,

which is happening on Saturday at the
Auckland Domain from 7.30pm, will again be
alcohol free.
Police, Auckland Council and Coca Cola
have again agreed to a complete alcohol ban,
the second in the concerts 21 year history, in
order to improve levels of safety in and around
the event and neighbouring suburbs before,
during and after its conclusion.
Event organisers are responsible for security
in and around the event while Police will
provide support to security services employed
by the organisers.
Auckland City District manager operations
and support, Inspector Peter Gibson, says Coca
Cola Christmas in the Park was always billed
as a family friendly event and repeating the
arrangements that were so successful last year
makes perfect sense.
We and our partners are committed to
minimising alcohol harm to all, in whatever
context, so our advice to anyone intending to
come to Coca Cola Christmas in the Park is to
leave the drinks at home. We want the collection
bins to be empty as a sign the public has heeded
the advice.
People consuming alcohol in alcohol-free
zones - anywhere in the city - are advised to
desist or to dispose of it. Police, security and/
or event staff will always use their discretion
in these matters and, often, a warning or a
reminder about the ban itself is sufficient to
ensure compliance.
Those travelling on public transport on
Saturday night are advised to check with
Auckland Transport with regard to any
amended or additional schedules.

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

NEW ZEALAND

11

Plan ahead as highways summer season hits high gear

Red

Black

Orange

ith the onset of summer and more

reliable construction weather, the NZ
Transport Agency is getting stuck into a large
programme of work to improve the Auckland
and Northland state highway network and make
it safer and more reliable.
These improvements will bring widespread
benefits for all drivers, but the Transport
Agency warns that people should allow for
any disruptions this work may cause to their
summer journeys.
People travelling around Auckland and
Northland this summer will see plenty of
evidence of the work we have underway to
deliver a better transport network. However,
there will be some delays and detours for
drivers as we work to get it done as quickly and
as safely as possible, says Highway Manager
Brett Gliddon.
Were at the start of the festive season and
thousands of drivers will be moving across the
city and to holiday destinations to celebrate
Christmas and New Year, do their shopping and
attend summer events. Before leaving home,
people should plan ahead and chose their best
route.
Mr Gliddon acknowledges that work
this summer will cause some frustration for
drivers, and says the Transport Agency will do
everything it can to minimise disruption.
The support and understanding of drivers
will also be critical for the successful delivery
of our work. Weve got a lot to do, and as much
as possible well be timing this work at nights,
during the weekend or in summer holidays to
take advantage of lower traffic volumes and the
more settled weather. We need drivers to work
with us, plan their travel well ahead and allow
more time to get to their destination on time and

safely.
An extensive communication campaign has
been prepared, and the Transport Agency will
work closely with Auckland Transport, Police
and other key stakeholders to keep drivers
informed.
A dedicated website - www.nzta.govt.nz/
summerseason- has been established to provide

information about work affecting travel in

Auckland and Northland this summer season.
Mr Gliddon says that the amount of work
underway reflects the huge investment in place
to improve transport infrastructure in both
Auckland and Northland.
In Northland for example, weve kicked off
a $13m maintenance renewals programmeat a
number of different sites around the region.
This investment in the north is essential to
keeping our roads safe and reliable for all users.
Our contractors will be out there this summer
improving the pavements, repairing cracked
surfaces, and improving slippery surfaces that
have reduced skid resistance.
Northlands network has seen a lot of wear
and tear, particularly after last winters storms,
and keeping it in good shape is crucial, Mr
Gliddon adds.
The Agency says it also has an unprecedented
level of activity underway on motorways in
Auckland city.
Aucklanders will see a ton of work
underway on the motorways in Auckland
this summer season including upgrades to
major parts of the network like the Victoria
Park Viaduct, re-surfacing a section of the

Auckland Harbour Bridge, as well as extensive

construction works as projects in the area get
underway and come on stream, says Mr.
Gliddon.
This work will deliver long term gains but
there will be some short term pain and were
asking for people to get prepared for their
summer travel and use the information channels
we have in place to choose the best times and
routes to avoid delays and reduce stress, says
Mr. Gliddon.
With so much activity on the go this
summer, there are going to be impacts and
changes to the highways and motorways in
the region. Our new summer season webpage
enables people to keep informed about what
those changes and impacts are so they can plan
their trips. The more people check, the better
prepared theyll be.
When weve finished the Transport
Agencys contribution will help people and
freight move around Auckland and Northland
safer and more efficiently. In the meantime we
thank you for your support and patience. Please
drive with care and check before you travel this
summer.

12

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

NEW ZEALAND

Ethnic minorities under-represented and

under-paid in public service

Police strengthen
Red
Black with Orange
relationship
anti-corruption body

ublic servants from ethnic minorities

continue to be under-represented in the
senior management of government departments
and they continue to be paid significantly below
the average public service salary according to
Multicultural New Zealand.
Citing a human resource capability report
released by the State Services Commission last
week, MNZ said that apart from an increase in
the past five years in the percentage of Mori in
senior management positions, little has changed
for Mori, Pacific and Asian public servants.
The figures for the past five years show a
lack of momentum and commitment to equal
opportunities in government departments.
The State Services Commission report
notes that there has been an increase in the
proportion of Mori senior leaders, from
8.3% in 2010 to 12.0% in 2014, but Mori are
still under-represented in senior leadership,
compared to their representation in the public
service workforce (16.6%). The proportion of
Asian senior leaders has increased over the last
four years (from 1.7% to 2.4%), but they make
up 8.2% of the public service workforce.
There has been little increase in Pacific
senior leaders over the last four years. They
make up 1.8% of senior managers, although
Pacific workers comprise 8% of the public
service workforce.
The SSC report notes that the ethnic
composition of the public service broadly
resembles that of the New Zealand workingage population, except for the Asian group. In
2014, the European group remained the largest
in the public service at 70.7%. This is slightly
lower than the 73.3% representation seen in the

working-age population. Mori had relatively

higher representation at 16.6%, compared with
12.7% in the working-age population. Pacific
people also had a relatively higher share at
8.0% compared with 5.5% in the workingagepopulation. In contrast, the Asian group had
a lower share at 8.2%, compared with 12.5% in
the working-age population. But Maori, Pacific
and Asian public servants are mainly clustered
in lower paid occupations and thus suffer from
an ethnic pay gap.
The ethnic pay gap (defined by the SSC as

the difference between the average salary for an

ethnic group and the average salary of those not
in that ethnic group, expressed as a percentage
of the average salary of those not in the ethnic
group) has reduced by only 1% over the past
five years for Mori (from 11.4% to 10.4%) and
in the same period it has actually increased for
Pacific and Asian public servants (from 19.3%
to 19.6%, and 10.6% to 11.6% respectively).
While one might not expect the ethnic pay
gap to reduce substantially from one year to the
next, the almost total lack of progress (and actual
regression) over five years is disappointing to
say the least said Multicultural New Zealand.
Furthermore, the way the ethnic pay gap is
calculated actually understates the difference,
because other lower paid minorities are
included in the average salary with which each
group is compared. A truer indication of the pay
gap would be for each group to be compared
to the highest paid group, or at least for figures
also to be given for the European group in
relation to the average. This is the approach
taken by Statistics New Zealand in their annual
Income Survey.
We will be urging the Minister of State
Services as well as the Ministers for both
Ethnic Communities and Pacific Peoples to
convey a sense of urgency to public service
chief executives about addressing the gaps in
representation and pay and to require annual
targets to achieve a significant improvement
over the next five years.

ommissioner Mike Bush has signed a

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with Sir Ronnie Flanagan, the head of the ICC
Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, as part of
Polices on-going preparations for the ICC
Cricket World Cup 2015 and the introduction
of the Crimes (Match-fixing) Amendment Bill.
Commissioner Bush said the MoU will
increase the ability of each body to share
information and expertise to help protect the
integrity of sport in New Zealand.
Police are working with our partners to
help deliver a safe and enjoyable ICC Cricket
World Cup, Commissioner Bush said.
We have identified match-fixing as a
potential risk to the integrity of the tournament
and have been working hard to mitigate this
risk.
Supt. Sandra Manderson, National Operation
Commander for the ICC Cricket World Cup
2015 and the FIFA U20 World Cup 2015, says
the MoU formalises a partnership Police have
developed with the Dubai based organisation
over the last eighteen months.
Senior investigators from the ICC AntiCorruption and Security Unit have visited New
Zealand on a number of occasions in recent
months, Supt. Manderson said.
The Crimes (Match-fixing) Amendment Bill
will come into effect on 15 December.
The Bill will help to address match-fixing
risks presented by New Zealands hosting of
the ICC Cricket World Cup and the FIFA U20
World Cup in 2015.
Supt. Manderson said the new legislation
which was passed last week has opened a
new frontier for policing in New Zealand and
how we preserve the strong reputation of New
Zealand sport.
Police will now have greater powers to
investigate corruption in sport in the same way
that we investigate other criminal activity,
Supt. Manderson said.
The ICC Anti-Corruption and Security
Unit and Interpol have both described the
Crimes (Match-fixing) Amendment Bill as
world leading legislation and believe it will
give Police a crucial tool to protect the integrity
of New Zealand sport.

Advertise here
For just $99/- and
reach 60,000 potential
customers every week.
Contact at
09 2137335

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

ONGC enters New Zealand

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or the first time, Indian oil and gas major

ONGC Videsh has taken interest in New
Zealands oil and gas exploration.
Claimed by Energy and Resources Minister
Simon Bridges to be the most successful
round of block offers since the new system

for awarding oil and gas exploration territory

was instituted in 2012, the round sees 15 new
exploration licences.
ONGC Videsh has taken a 12-year permit in
the Taranaki Basin.
Block Offer 2014 includes six onshore
permits across the Taranaki, West Coast and
East Coast basins, and nine offshore permits
across the Reinga-Northland, Taranaki, and
Pegasus basins.
Collectively the permits represent more
than $110 million in committed expenditure on
initial exploration which, if successful, could
lead to further work worth more than $1 billion.
Representatives of the company and Indian
High Commissioner to New Zealand, Ravi
Thapar, were present at the ceremony at the
Beehive where the permits were awarded.
Mr Bridges says the results show New

Zealand continues to cement its reputation as

a key destination for investors in oil and gas
exploration.
Block Offer 2014 has attracted three new
companies to explore here, as well as expanded
interest from local and international companies

already operating in New Zealand.

I am very pleased that as part of Block
Offer 2014 we will welcome three new entrants
to the New Zealand sector. Two are major
overseas companies with significant resources
and extensive worldwide experience- Chevron,
in a joint venture with Statoil, and ONGC
Videsh.
The onshore permits were issued on the
South Islands West Coast, Hawkes Bay region,
where some exploration is already being done,
Northland-Reinga and Pegasus basin.
This years award of 15 permits come with
committed work programmes over the life of
the permits, which extend as far out as 15 years,
totalling $110 million.
The next round of proposed blocks for offer
will be announced in March, 2015.

NEW ZEALAND

13

GFS wins two more awards

lobal Financial Services Ltd (GFS) is

on a winning spree! At the recent Indian
Business Awards, it has won not one but two
awards: Excellence in Customer Service Award
and Best Medium-Sized Business Award.
After receiving the awards at Indian Business
Awards held last month at Sky City Convention
Centre Mr. Ajay Kumar, Managing Director of
GFS said, For us the most important award
is the Excellence in Customer Service. Today,
we are what we are because of our customers
and our teams dedication to providing the best
customer service. Every day we fulfil hundreds
of customer requests who want to either enquire
about their mortgage or make changes to it.
I thank the team for their sincerity and
dedication. This is the 4th time that we have
received the Best Business award at Indian
Business Award. The last 3 times it was for
Best Small Business. This time we have grown
even more and we received the award for Best
Medium Sized Business. Our growth is because
of the faith of our customers, the teams hard
work, investments in technology and our ability
to negotiate cheap interest rates with the banks.
Earlier this year, GFS received an award
from ASB Bank for being the largest mortgage
adviser. Well-known mortgage magazine The

New Zealand Mortgage Mag also ranked Ajay

Kumar, MD of Global Financial Services Ltd
(GFS) as the No. 1 individual broker in the
entire country.
Over the years, GFS has been ranked as one
of the top brokers / insurance advisers in New
Zealand by ANZ Bank, ASB Bank, Westpac Bank
and AIA Insurance.

14

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

POWER COLUMN

Supporting victims of crime

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi
National List MP

obody deserves to be a victim of crime.

Over the past two terms National has
been working hard to put victims at the heart
of our justice system, because we know they
deserve and need our support.
Laws cant change the past, or take away the
pain victims may have suffered, but they can
provide protection and support services.
Our Victims of Crime Reform Bill created
new laws that have now come into effect, to
give victims a greater voice in the criminal

justice system.
Victims are now able to read their victim
impact statements to the court at the judges
discretion, and can include photos to show the
impact of the offending.
If a victim wants to meet with their offender,
they must be allowed access to restorative
justice services, which enable these meetings,
where possible.
National is expanding restorative justice
with services having received $4.4 million in
extra operating funding over two years for an
extra 2,400 restorative justice conferences.
These changes help empower victims so
they can start to heal and move forward with
their lives.

Red

We are also increasing the accountability

and responsiveness of government agencies
providing services to victims, and ensuring
victims rights in the adult criminal jurisdiction
are applied in the youth justice jurisdiction.
The Victim Notification System has now
been extended as well, to include more victims,
and provide wider notification options, such as
bail application outcomes or release conditions.
In our first term, National introduced the
$50 Victims Offender Levy and created 13
new services and entitlements for victims,
including trauma counselling and more funding
for victims of serious crime to travel to court.
Then we sped up and simplified criminal
court procedures to deliver more timely justice

Black

Orange

to victims, defendants, and the community.

This year, we created a new restraining
order to protect victims of serious violent or
sexual crimes from unwanted contact with their
attackers. A non-contact order can also prevent
an offender from entering a specified area, or
from living or working close to their victim.
The experience of crime and its aftermath
can be extremely stressful for victims and their
families. We want them to feel safe in their
homes and communities.
National is committed to creating a justice
system that treats victims with dignity and
respect, and ensures they are supported, their
rights are protected, and their voices are strong.

The big and the small on our planet

Barry Coates
Green Party

ver the past two weeks, the worlds hopes

for a stable climate have been focused on
the climate change talks in Lima, Peru. The
shrinking glaciers and seasonal water shortages
in that Latin American country have formed
the backdrop for tense discussions, as pressure
mounts to achieve the aim of a global deal in
December 2015.
All countries have a big stake in tackling
climate change. India is particularly vulnerable
to the risk of climate change, including
cyclones, floods, drought and crop failures. In
the cities, air pollution levels that are causing
respiratory problems and lung disease. All too
often the weather forecast in Delhi is smoke.
Although India is one of the largest emitters
as a country, its emissions per person are
still low. India pollutes less than 2 tonnes of
greenhouse gases gases for each person, far
below China at 7 tonnes, US at 17 tonnes and

New Zealand at 16 tonnes. This reflects that

reality of life for more than 300 million people
in India who dont have electricity and who rely
primarily on wood or dung for their energy.
Tackling energy poverty is important as
well as fighting climate change. Fortunately
there is a way that India can do both. Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has already announced
ambitious plans to boost solar energy and, with
the support of patents, technology and climate
funding from the rich nations, could do far
more.
In January, President Obama will visit India
at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi. Hopefully this will be an opportunity
to build on the progress in negotiations and
enable India to take a bold step towards a
clean energy future and new opportunities to
develop business and jobs in the growing clean
technology markets around the world.
And what of New Zealand? Small countries
can have a big impact in international
negotiations and show the way, as New
Zealand has in the past on issues like nuclear
disarmament. But our governments approach

to climate change has been to do as little as

possible, even though it is clear that the cost
of inaction is higher than acting now. Our
emissions have grown by a quarter since 1990.
Far from being a leader, our government has
been one of the laggards, refusing to take action
and undermining negotiations. Our heads have
been in the sand, hoping that climate change
wont happen.
The Green Party believes that we can and
must do far better. We need to act urgently. For

our sake, for the sake of our children, for the

sake of millions of people in India and other
countries at risk from climate disaster, and for
the sake of our planet.
Barry Coates was a Green Party candidate
for Mt Roskill and almost an MP. He was
formerly Executive Director of Oxfam New
Zealand and has more than 20 years experience
of international negotiations on climate change.
He has a Masters degree in management from
Yale University.

Childrens rights ahead of serial sex offenders

Phil Goff
Labour MP

ast week in Parliament I spoke strongly in

support of changes in the law which will
help protect our most vulnerable citizens, our
children, against serial sex offenders.
Ten years ago, as Minister of Justice, I passed

the Parole (Extended Supervision Orders)

Amendment Act. This allowed supervisory
powers over people convicted of serious sex
offence against children who had served their
prison sentences in full but were still regarded
as having a high risk of reoffending.
The new legislation allows controls over
serious sexual and violent criminals to be
extended further when offenders are at extreme
risk of reoffending following release. People

criticised the law when I passed it ten years

ago but it has worked and saved hundreds of
our children from abuse which would have
wrecked their lives. I make no apologies for
it. It is not about double punishment of the
offenders. Its about keeping our community
and our children safe. It applies only to a few
hundred offenders. These are the offenders
who, according to professional specialists, will
offend again as soon as the opportunity arises.

Tradition should be held on to

Winston Peters
NZ First leader

oves are afoot to change the daily prayer

in Parliament. Apparently its out of date.
New Zealand First doesnt agree. We believe
it does reflect us. Its a tradition that shows what
we were and where we came from.
As more and more people come to New
Zealand, are we going to change everything to
reflect that? It seems we are embarrassed about
ourselves but who knows why? Other countries
dont throw out their traditions so why is there
pressure for us to do it?
Both the prayer and the flag are traditions
but the Prime Minister has decided he wants to

spend more than $25 million on changing the

flag. He thinks New Zealand is a business and
needs a new symbol. But he is wrong we are
not a business and, more importantly, we dont

want taxpayers money wasted on an exercise at

the whim of the Prime Minister.
Lets look overseas. In Britain a big driver of
tourism is tradition. Britains tourism earnings
would be in a sorry state if they got rid of their
tradition.
They keep them in working order, and
not tucked away in museums. They know
that people love pomp and ceremony and the
pageantry. They are proud of their traditions.
Think of the American flag. We still see the
stripes in the American flag, of the original
colonies.
We are tired of some coming to New
Zealand and wanting to change all our
traditions and all our values and all our laws.
They arent all screaming for change. The
few who do are joined by far too many New

Judges make the orders for supervision and

safeguards exist to ensure the orders are used
only when necessary.
Some critics say it breaches offenders rights.
It does constrict the rights of offenders after
they have served their prison term. However,
and in my view of more importance, it upholds
the rights of innocent people and children not to
be subject to sexual or violent attacks which the
law helps avoid.

Zealanders who think we should be politically

correct. Ironically it is the National government
that is wasting our precious resources on these
changes when it was National that repeatedly
pointed its finger at the Labour Government for
being too politically correct.
Lets not throw away all our reminders of
the past? Theres going to be nothing left in
working order to reflect our roots to future
generations.
The proposal for the new flag is to remove
references to religion and Jesus.
But the wording in Te Reo Maori is
inappropriate as it mentions only one iwi to the
exclusion of all others. Thats another reason to
stick with the current prayer, and lets get on
with the important matters.

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

NEW ZEALAND

15

AIS to launch diploma in hospitality management

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uckland Institute of Studies has received

NZQA approval to launch the AIS
Graduate Diploma in Hospitality Management
programme.
The GDHM is a one-year, 120 credit level
7 programme, designed for graduates of a
bachelors degree or similar qualification in a
discipline other than hospitality management,
who wish to gain the knowledge necessary to
pursue a career in the hospitality industry.
The hospitality industry is experiencing
strong demand for skilled managers, both in
Hamish Small
Head of Hospitality management, AIS

work experience. The final paper will be a

three- month industry internship, supported
by the AIS Industry Placement Supervisor,
working in conjunction with AIS industry
partners.
Job Opportunities
Management positions in NZs largest
industry - hotels, resorts, restaurants, marketing
and sales, events and convention centre
managers, food and beverage management,
rooms division management, customer service.

Duration
Three 14-week semesters over one year,
full-time

qualification and work experience may

be approved for special admission by the
Academic Board

Start Dates 2015

2 February, 25 May,14 September
Entry Requirements
Bachelor degree at least equivalent to New
Zealand pass standard; and
IELTS 6.0with no individual band lower
than 5.5/ TOEFL iBT 60 and supported by
a minimum writing score of 20/TEP 39 or
equivalentwith no band less than 12
Candidates without a Bachelor degree
but with an appropriate mix of a lesser

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knowledgeable, skilled leaders to meet the
ever-increasing demand that will be expected
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career opportunities could be endless, so by
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The programme is targeted at two groups
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degrees, who wish to seek employment at
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16

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

NEW ZEALAND

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As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that

the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live
by them.

Editorial

- John F. Kennedy

From the desk of the

Managing Editor
I

Funny bone ?

n this issue, we talk about a crucial journey that Indian Weekender undertook and has
managed to come up with some good results that can be a big contribution to the trauma and
emergency management in New Zealand. We are hopeful of the Government collaborating
with us on this initiative, so that we are eventually able to deliver what we started out to do.
This is reported on in our cover story of this issue and we hope that our readers will enjoy
reading the article and at the same time, be proud of the contributions fellow Indians are
making internationally to humankind.
I am sure our readers have all heard about the fresh assault being reported from Delhi on
the young business analyst by a taxi-driver. It is difficult to fathom if these acts of violence
against our women have always existed and have only now begun to be reported, or has this
always been the state of the security of our daughters, sisters and wives? Needless to say,
either of these is unacceptable. Indian Weekender offers its unconditional support to the cause
of ending violence against women and in support of this endeavour by UN Women and their
call to Orange your Neighbourhood. You can read more about this under our section from
I am Woman.
As we strive to deliver new and more interesting reads to you, we are introducing yet
another page from this issue called Razzmatazz. This will be dedicated to bringing the latest
fashion tips, advice and trends from the specialists straight to our readers. We hope you enjoy
the first edition of this.
Contributions from our readers are increasing and we aim to feature as many of them
as possible. Even if these are not included straight away, we want you to know that we are
grateful for your contributions and appreciate the time you take to communicate with us. We
hope to continue to hear from you and we will continue to make ceaseless efforts in making
your reading more enjoyable.
In other news, one feels really fortunate to be living in a country that constantly wins
awards for being the best country in the world. We are indeed fortunate to be labelled the
best tourist destination and especially when summer is round the corner and the festivities of
Christmas are in the air. Its the time of the year that everyone seems to be looking forward
to. Lets make sure that even amidst our festivities, we remember to look after ourselves and
our families. At Indian Weekender, we will also be winding up for the year after our next
issue and we are looking forward to recapping the highs and lows of 2014 with you in our
next issue.

Pick of the week

Until next time may the force be with you.

Giri Gupta

India last week set a new world record for the largest human flag, formed by over 50k
volunteers, beating the previous record held by Pakistan. The event saw about one and a
half lakh volunteers, mainly youth, turned up for the event at YMCA Grounds in Chennai
even as 50k of them formed the tricolour.

Indian Weekender Volume 6 Issue 21

Publisher: Kiwi Media Group Limited
Managing Editor: Giri Gupta | girigupta@xtra.co.nz
Editor: Maya Shivam | editor@indianweekender.co.nz
Associate Editor: Paula Ray | paula@indianweekender.co.nz
Correspondent: Swati Sharma | reporter@indianweekender.co.nz
Chief Technical Officer: Rohan Desouza | rohan@indianweekender.co.nz
Graphic Design and Layout: IWK Design Team | designer@ indianweekender.co.nz
Advertising & Business Development Manager:

Jandals

Pronounced: Jan-dals
(noun) Ubiquitous New Zealand rubber sandal
Usage: Id wear your Jandals mate, the showers are pretty slippery

Gaurav Gupta - M: 021 292 4519 | gaurav@indianweekender.co.nz

Accounts and Admin.: Farah Khan | accounts@indianweekender.co.nz
Sales and Admin Support: Alpana Gupta | admin@indianweekender.co.nz
Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher
is not responsible for advertisers claims as appearing in the publication

Indian Weekender is published by Kiwi Media Group, 98 Great South Road, Auckland
Printed at Guardian Print, Ashburton
Copyright 2014. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

TIP from the TRENCHES

Losing the extra pounds
Eat a big, balanced breakfast
Watch the booze
Have fruit twice a day
Stay asleep longer
Walk, walk, walk
Visualise yourself thin

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

OPINION / EDITORIAL

17

Putting Indian standards online: E-satyagraha in an

internet age

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Carl Malamud

did the deed. This I confess. I copied those

government documents without permission.
But it was needful and it was lawful.
The government of India publishes Indian
Standards, technical laws such as building
codes. These public safety codes specify how
to keep factory workers safe, how to test for
pollution in water, the minimum criteria to make
our vehicles safe, to protect our food supply, to
prevent horrific explosions. In todays highly
technical world, these public safety codes are
our most important laws.
In 2012, I bought all 19,000 Indian Standards
from the government and put them on the
internet for anybody to use for free despite
the notices of the Bureau of Indian Standards
that maintain they may only be copied with
their permission. The Bureau is not alone.
Throughout the world, there has arisen a set of
special laws, public safety codes with stringent
restrictions on use and deluxe price tags. In
Europe, for example, the 58-part building code
costs $9,700 (Rs.600,000) per copy.
My yearly subscription for updates to
the standards in India costs $6,500 per year.
And, this year, they have refused to renew
my subscription, threatening litigation and
conveying that the efforts to put Indian

Standards on the internet for citizens to see was

not appreciated. The position of the Bureau,
which is no different from their cousins around
the world, is that each person should pay for
each copy they consume of these laws and that
any use of these public safety codes in public
must be approved.
Just imagine if the government required
a licence before you could read an act of
parliament which prohibited you from repeating
that law without special permission? Or if the
Supreme Court sold its opinions to the highest
bidder?
This is about speech, a fundamental right.
When we post these standards on the internet,
we retype them into modern formats so the
diagrams look good and the documents work
on smart phones.
This is not my first time putting public
information online. It is what I have done for 30
years. In my home country, the United States,
Ive helped put all our patents, court opinions
and reports of public corporations and charities
on the net. As in India, these efforts have
sometimes met with resistance from the civil
servants. There has been grumbling and even
dark mutterings of prosecution. But sometimes
the government listens and does the right thing.
So, when the babus growl about Indian
Standards, I know it is important to stand up,

Globalization is the way

forward for India

hat Indian economy needs today is

full-fledged globalization without the
hangover of her protectionist past. That was the
main message that came out through the second
international conference of the New Zealand
India Research Institute, just held at Waikato
University in Hamilton on 2-3 December. Over
two days three keynote speeches and fifteen
papers by scholars from India, Singapore,
Australia and New Zealand were delivered,
discussing the state of the economy, business
and sustainability in contemporary India.

expressed in a number of papers delivered at

this conference.
But tariff reduction alone will not do, as
a number of economists also pointed out. It
needs to be combined with improvements in
productivity (for example, efficiency gained
through technological innovation) and trade cost
reduction, which can make India competitive
in the world market, as India already enjoys a
comparative cost advantage (for example, the
labour cost in India is cheaper than in China).

n
cademic
ccount
At present, India is participating in
the Regional Comprehensive Economic
Partnership (RCEP) that involves multilateral
trade negotiations with 16 countries, including
the ten ASEAN countries, China, Australia and
New Zealand.
Such negotiations make it clear that in the
age of global value added trade the concept
of tariff has much less significance. In this
global value chain a particular commodity
is not produced in a particular country - the
raw material is sourced from country A, the
component parts are produced in country B,
the parts are assembled in country C and the
finished product is sold in country D. In this
global value added trade Indias role as a
processing centre is minimal, as India is seen
more as a market for finished products. In order
to participate more in this trade network India
needs to get out of her old thinking that tariff is
the be all and end all of all trade negotiations,
and reform her tariff structure. The RCEP could
be a major opportunity for India to integrate into
this global value chain. That was the opinion

Prof Sekhar Bandyopadhyay

Director of New Zealand India Research Institute

Apart from economic gains, globalization

can also bring down green house gas emission.
Even more importantly, it can improve the
quality of her democracy. In countries like India
the quality of democracy deteriorates because
of the voters dependence on the informal
sector not protected by any legal frameworks.
It is dominated by patron-client relationships,
which involve exchanges of votes and benefits
through extra-legal methods, and puts less
demand on good governance. Free trade and the
advent of multi-national corporations beyond
localised political control are expected to break
that nexus and dependence on informal sectors.
While multi-nationals may bring in other
problems of corporate governance, there will
be ways to control them.
On balance, full-fledged globalization is
perhaps the only way for India to move forward
and create more economic opportunities for her
growing and ambitious population. And one can
hope that this may result in speedy conclusion
of not just RCEP, but also a bilateral free trade
agreement with New Zealand.

to speak calmly, and to show no fear because

it is the right of all people in a democracy to
read and speak the laws by which we choose to
govern ourselves.
This is why I confessed and sent a petition
to the honorable ministry that oversees the
Bureau and stated my case. I was joined in
this petition by Sam Pitroda (once known as
Indias telecom czar), who spoke eloquently
about the democratization of knowledge and
his challenge to all to invent a new India using
knowledge.
I was joined by intellectual property
expert Swaraj Paul Barooah, who spoke about
how medical knowledge embodied in Indian
Standards needed to reach health workers in
the field. I was joined by Sushant Sinha, who
has spent his spare time and money to create
IndianKanoon.org, an amazing free search
engine for Indian law. We were joined by
distinguished professors of water resources
at IIT and Vinton G. Cerf, the father of the
internet.
We are convinced the government will
listen. Gandhi had an amazing faith in the
power of the petition. Sometimes petitions were
ignored, but sometimes those in power listened.
In the meantime, while this dispute ricochets
through the halls of power, I will keep those
Indian Standards on the internet because it is

the right and just course to take. When you

copy a law and speak it to others so that the
citizens may be informed and the public safety
may be protected, you are practising the rule of
law.
In a democracy, it is the people who own
their government and that means the people
own their laws.
Making a law available because it is needful
is no different from making more salt available.
Both are essential to a government for the
people and by the people.
Making the law available without permission
is not a crime, it is an act of satyagraha, of
knowing you disagree with the policy and
hoping the ministers will come to see the truth.
Making a law available in a better format
so it is easier to read is like making khadi.
It is about swadeshi, knowing our laws
instead of buying them at a kiosk. It is about
citizens working with the raw materials of our
democracy. It is about swaraj, knowing our
rights and obligations.
Carl Malamud is the president of Public.
Resource.Org, an NGO based in California.
The views expressed are personal. The petition
and the text of all Indian Standards may be
viewed at https://law.resource.org/pub/in

Will saffron warriors trip

up Modi?

Amulya Ganguli

t is perhaps in the natural order of things that

when a party vanquishes its opponents, its
nemesis emerges from within its own ranks.
This is what appears to be happening in the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
If it thought that the partys majority in the
Lok Sabha will enable Prime Minister Narendra
Modi implement his development agenda
without any let or hindrance, then it must have
realized by now that the road ahead will be a lot
more bumpy than it expected.
What is more, the hurdles are being put up
not by an opposition which is in disarray, but by
the words and deeds of what can be called the
loony fringe of the saffron brigade.
The most appalling of their despicable
antics has been the abuses hurled by BJP MP
Niranjan Jyoti, who is purportedly a sadhvi or a
Hindu nun, at rival politicians. This new saffron
warrior is evidently carrying on the vituperative
traditions of other sadhvis like Rithambara and
Uma Bharati.
However, her appeal to the Delhi voters in
anticipation of an early election to distinguish
between the Ramzadas or the children of Ram,
and haramzadas or the children of illicit
unions, has exposed - yet again - the BJPs ugly,
and what some may say its real, face.
True, the party extracted an apology from
her, but it will be mistaken if it believes that
the apparently forced contrition will draw a
curtain over this offensive episode, which
persuaded the prime minister to condemn it in
parliament - something which he didnt do in
the cases of other provocative incidents such
as Yogi Adityanaths campaign against the socalled love jehada carried by Muslims youths
to entice and convert Hindu girls, or Sakshi
Maharajs claim that madrasas are training
centres of terrrorists. Both the purported Yogi
(savant) and Maharaj (king of kings) are
honourable MPs.

Despite Modis appeal for calm, what the

latest incidents has confirmed is that the party
comprises elements whose conduct hardly
meets the norms of polite society. What is
worrisome is not only their medieval mindset,
as is evident from the extolling of astrology
at the expense of science by an MP, Ramesh
Pokhriyal, all streams of science are short
in stature when compared with the science of
astrology, but that the soothing words which
a few in the top rungs speak about harmonious
communal relations seem to have no effect on
large sections in the party.
It is not just the rank and file alone who
remain steeped in the anti-minority prejudices
and antediluvian worldview of the standard
Hindutva formulations, but also Union
ministers, who include someone like Giriraj
Singh, whose claim to infamy was his stirring
call to critics of Modi to go to Pakistan.
It isnt only the saffron fundamentalists
who have been taking some of the sheen
of Modis victory, the right-wing economic
fundamentalists, who believe in autarky like
the socialists, have let it be known that they
are against the reforms, including foreign
investment, which constitute the cornerstone of
Modis agenda.
Will the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
(RSS), the Sangh Parivars mentor, ask them
to back off or will Modi simply ignore them?
Considering that murmurs can be heard that
the prime minister is not moving fast enough
on the road to economic advancement - no big
ticket reforms, no de-nationalization of the
coal sector, no sale of Air India, no unequivocal
approval of genetically modified crops - Modi
cannot but come down heavily on the regressive
elements in the party and the Parivar.
Amulya Ganguli is a political analyst. The
views expressed are personal.

18

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

FIJI

Fiji and Solomon Islands to overcome

airways impasse
S

olomon Airlines and Fiji Airways have

finally agreed to call off the stalemate
between them over the suspension of
international flight services between Honiara
and Nadi. Talks are on to resolve the differences
by next month, after an impasse for almost six
months.
Gus Kraus, general manager, Solomon
Airlines Operations and Commercial Services,
confirmed that a meeting has been set between
the two airlines, reports Fiji Times.
The principle is that we want to have an
arrangement going and I think that the two
governments are setting up January 25 for talks
on a full air services agreement, Kraus said.
Stefan Pichler, CEO, Fiji Airways, however,
said this was an issue between the respective
governments and not two airlines companies.
Kraus said, I think its incumbent on
the two airlines to get together and discuss
the issues involved and there is intent by the
two parties. The problem is coming to strike
medium ground that allows us discussions until
the end of January.
He said, The January meeting is definitely
on by the (newly-elected) Government but
between the two airlines, we will continue
discussions.
Kraus commended the Government for
allowing chartered flights to transport a large
host of Solomon Island students back to
Honiara, reports Fiji Times. There must be
12 to 1,400 students in Fiji and with seven
flights, that is maybe 900, so there is still quite
a number of students going via Vanuatu and

Brisbane, and is costly.

Flights stopped plying between the Fiji
and Solomon Islands after the latter banned
two Fijian Airways flights in July. The former
responded by banning Solomons Airlines flights
to Nadi. Both governments claimed breaches of
the air services agreement, reports Fiji Times.
In Parliament, Civil Aviation Minister Aiyaz

Sayed-Khaiyum said the two governments

had met last month where they reached
an agreement. But the next day when the
agreement was to be signed, Sayed-Khaiyum
said the Solomons officials backed out saying
they had been advised not to enter into the
agreement, reports Fiji Times.

Child in need
initiative

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he Child Helpline, set up in Fiji, is a step

forward to the establishment of National
Child Helpline. It was signed by Rosy Akbar,
Minister for Women, Children and Poverty
Alleviation, in collaboration with the Medical
Services Pacific, Digicel, Telecom Fiji Limited
and Vodafone.
The service will provide children in Fiji
with an access point to seek counselling,
advice, referrals to services and to report abuse,
reports Fiji Sun.
Akbar said, this service will help make child
abuse more visible and break the silence issue.
Child Helpline International is the global
network of 191 Child Helplines in 145 countries
which together receive over 14 million contacts
a year.

Jennifer Poole, executive director, Medical

Services Pacific, said: This child helpline
will make an easy access for children to report
abuse in a confidential and safe manner.
All that children would have to do is dial
a toll free phone number, which is 1325, to
contact the helpline. The cost of the calls will
be covered through project funding, explained
Akbar, referring to Article 12 in CRC, which
promises the right of a child to be heard.

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

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NEWS in BRIEF
Orange

Cut down on job loss

he Labour Ministry is targeting to reduce unemployment from seven per cent to five per
cent by the end of 2015, reports Fiji Times.
Labour Minister Jioje Konrote said that 5,535 had been employed locally while another
3,304 have been sent abroad to work under the ministrys plan. He assured that there was
progress also with the seasonal workers scheme with Australia and New Zealand.
Konrote said, 30 Fijians will be part of a pilot project to New Zealand and the success of
the project could lead to at least 1,000 people getting seasonal employment. Australia is also
negotiating something similar, he said.
Technical colleges scheduled to be set up in 2015 would help focus on the human resources
requirements of Fiji and supply man power where needed.

Depleting riverbed

xcessive extraction of gravel from the riverbed in Nukubolu in Wailevu, Cakaudrove, has
alarmed villagers about their already depleting food sources.
Ikapote Nene, a villager said, the extraction of gravel from the riverbed has been affecting
the fertility of farm lands. Villagers were worried because they thought extraction was only
supposed to be done in the river bed. But now, heavy machinery has started digging the river
banks too, which is mostly farmed by villagers, he said.
We have been to the Environment Department office in Labasa to raise our concern, but
so far nothing has happened, he added.
Sainimili Nakora, senior environment officer North, said they were aware of the matter
and are investigating the issue, reports Fiji Times.

Spirit of sharing

pirit of Sharing (SOS) Unleashed, an Australian non-profit organisation, hosted about

300 Fijian and 200 Australian and New Zealand students to a day of cultural exchange
learning at Ratu Navula College, reports Fiji Times.
Since 2000, SOS has been working in conjunction with the Ministry of Youth and Sports
to help rural students understand the Australian and New Zealand cultures better.
Peter Cole, co-founder and chairman, SOS Unleashed, said, they plan to donate 110
sporting kits to various Fijian schools this year, worth above $1,000.
We have been very happy with the turn-out and the cultural performances from the Fijian
students have been great he said. Weve witnessed meke, plus we have had the traditional
lovo for lunch.

FIJI

When Modi quaffed

a drink to India-Fiji
friendship

Ranjana Narayan

hen Prime Minister Narendra Modi was

presented a coconut shell cup with a
intoxicating Fijian drink after an elaborate
traditional welcome ritual performed by men
wearing grass skirts in Suva last month, he
did not hesitate but quaffed the contents in one
straight gulp - as per local tradition.
Modi was presented the yaqona or kava, a
traditional non-alcoholic drink prepared from
the pulverised root of a plant from the pepper
family (Piper methysticum, Piper: Latin for
pepper, methysticum: Latinized Greek for
intoxicating). The muddy-coloured liquid
is said to have a tingly numbing effect on the
tongue.
The yaqona ceremony has great significance
in Fiji where old customs still prevail. Turning
down an offer to drink a bowl of yaqona - that
is said to have narcotic effect - is considered
insulting in Fijian society.
As the men from the Fijian village of
Sorokoba, of Ba province, bare-chested and
dressed in long grass skirts performed the
traditional yaqona welcome ceremony, singing
all the while, on Nov 19 at the Albert Park,
Modi sat through the elaborate ancient ritual.
To first timers the yoqona drink can be
unpleasant tasting. According to reports in
The Telegraph, it tastes like puddle water or
as one visitor described it a cocktail of dirty
washing water garnished with old socks.
Advised beforehand, Modi accepted the
drink proffered by the master of ceremonies,
and without any change of expression gulped

it down in one draught. The prime ministers

quaffing of the drink was accompanied by
much hand clapping.
After the ceremony Fijian Prime Minister
Voreqe Bainimarama gave a welcome speech,
followed by a speech by Modi.
Yaqona is drunk by ethnic Fijians - known as
Taukei - and indo-Fijians, who make up around
37 percent of Fijis 827,900 people, as well as
the other ethnicities that make up its populace.
According to a Fiji official site, the drinking
of yaqona (pronounced Yangona) or kava, is
a common ceremonial and social custom. The
yaqona ceremony has great significance in
Fijian life but is now considered a social drink
as well as a ceremony.
Yaqona drinking is common in Fijian
villages and it is quite normal to see groups
of men gathered around the tanoa, or large
wooden bowl, swapping stories as the bilo, a
half coconut shell, is passed around with the
drink.

Fiji gets a face-lift by Oorvis

o counter the negative publicity faced by the Fijian governement, services of public
relations company Qorvis was hired. Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, Minister for Information,
revealed when questioned by Opposition member Ratu Kiniviliame Kiliraki. The question
arose over the $2.3million payout to Qorvis, which remained unexplained.
What we also found that many of the regional organisations, whether New Zealand or
ABC Australia, had only one side of the story to tell, did not tell the other, Sayed-Khaiyum
said.
Fiji has been portrayed in 2011, 2012, 2013 with shots of soldiers on the streets with
guns, now this was not an accurate image. We obviously had a job to do in a sense with
economic growth, economic activity.
We had trade unionists going on social media getting signatures, showing images of
soldiers on streets with their guns and telling tourists not to come to Fiji, that was the reality.
Given that Oorvis is a foreign-owned firm, Sayed-Khaiyum was questioned over the
justification of not hiring the services of a Fijian public relations company. He cited the fact
that even a daily like New York Times wrote about Fiji this could not have been achieved
by a local public relations firm.
The manner in which the connections that this company has throughout the world to get
an article published in various international publications, a company that exists in Suva does
not have that reach, he explained.

Concern over extraction

illagers of Nukubolu in Wailevu, Cakaudrove have raised their concerns on the

unmonitored gravel extraction being carried out in their riverbed, adding it has affected
their food source a lot.
Speaking during an interview, villager Ikapote Nene said the company extracting gravel
from their river bed had created havoc along the river banks affecting fertile farm lands.
He said people were worried because they understood extraction was only supposed to be
done in the river bed.
However, heavy machinery have started digging the river banks too, which is mostly
farmed by villagers, Mr Nene said.
We have been to the Environment Department office in Labasa to raise our concern but
so far nothing has happened.
Responding to the concerns raised, senior environment officer North Sainimili Nakora
said they were aware of the matter.
Ms Nakora said two officers from the department had been dispatched to Nukubolu
yesterday to investigate extraction works.

19

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi

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

AUCKLAND OFFICE: Unit 1, 131 Kolmar Rd, Papatoetoe, Auckland

Ph: 09 278 9302 | Email: bakshi.mp@parliament.govt.nz

Postal Address: PO Box 23136, Hunters Corner, Auckland 2025

www.bakshi.co.nz

www.national.org.nz

20

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

INDIA

Red

Black

Orange

Time for change- Planning commission to team India

Maya Shivam

ndias institutions and policies have often,

for inexplicable reasons, outlived logic. The
Planning Commission is an eloquent illustration
of this.
The Commission in the 1960s and 1970s,
opposed every transformative initiative,
including the likes of the Green Revolution and
Milk Revolution. This has through the years
effected the growth of the country. The political
economy has witnessed multiple seizures and
failures. The concerns of the First Five-Year
Plan continue to be voiced in the 12th Plan.
Yet the Commission has survived over the
years. Rajiv Gandhi called those at Yojana
Bhavan a bunch of jokers, but he couldnt
dismantle the Commission or the Command
Economy .
The irony is that the Planning Commission
outlived the licence raj, and thrived even
during, what can be called a liberated
economy.
On Independence Day, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, in his historic speech from the
ramparts of the Red Fort announced, that the
end of the Planning Commission was now a
given.
True to his style, the Prime Minister
organised the first of its kind Retreat for most
Chief Ministers at his official residence at 7,
Race Course Road to discuss innovative and
new practices.
In his opening remarks, Modi said that
States should have a key role in the new body

that replaces the Commission and there should

be an effective mechanism to address inter-state
disputes. He said relevance of the Commission
has been repeatedly questioned for more than
two decades and policy planning should be
bottom to top instead of the other way round.
Can we develop a new mechanism, that
plans according to Indias strengths, empowers
states, and brings on board all economic
activity, including that which happens outside
the government, he asked. This is where he
introduced Team India stating that it would
comprise of three teams - the Prime Minister
and Chief ministers, union council of ministers,
and the bureaucracy at the Centre and States.

Referring to the role of think tanks in

countries like the US, Modi said, there was
need to devise policies for a great deal of
economic activity that takes place outside
the government. Time has come to develop
a new mechanism to deliver growth and
development, he said, and referred to his own
experience as Gujarat chief minister.
The Planning Commission seemed to have
been a flawed construct. The Centre allocated
resources, the Planning Commission monitored
and regulated the deployment, and the States
were tasked with implementation. The Centre
had no responsibility to deliver, the Commission
no power to enforce, and the States who had

little say or incentive, felt dumped upon. It also

functioned on the fallacy that one size fits all
and not that the requirement of each State is
different and the States know what suits them
the best.
The Chief Ministers are said to have felt
that strategy has to be to empower the State and
strengthen federalism. It seems, most States
favoured a system which strengthens their
ability to deliver, and wanted more flexibility
rather than a control and command structure.
If Modis Gujarat model is anything to go by,
then Team India could be a great opportunity
to explore new ideas and sharing of a futuristic
vision.
It is said that the new Institution would have
functions to include monitoring and evaluation;
programme project and scheme evaluation;
cross-sectoral and inter-ministerial expertise
including appraisal and monitoring of projects.
Besides, it would act as a think-tank,
networking with universities and other
institutions, thus maximising Indias intellectual
power.
The new body could provide internal
consultancy services to the States and the
Centre on different matters. It could also be
used to design medium and long-term strategy.
While this is definitely being looked upon as
a welcome initiative and bitterly being criticised
by the Congress, it is hoped that eventually
this will be a step in the right direction that
empowers India to be on its course to achieve
its fullest potential.

For PM Modi, English switchover came naturally

Ranjana Narayan

or those following Prime Minister Narendra

Modis addresses abroad, his switch to
English instead of the expected Hindi during
his recent foreign visits may have come as a
surprise. But, for a politician known to be a
powerful orator and effective communicator,
the reason was simple - he wished to convey
the essence of his speech in his own way.
And the teleprompter has been a useful aid
in his switchover to English.
For Modi, who has comfortably addressed
six rousing election speeches in a day, speaking
extempore in Hindi comes effortlessly, though
he is a native Gujarati speaker, who avoided
speaking in English unless absolutely required.
Initially all his diplomatic interactions were
in Hindi with a translator at hand. His speeches
during his Japan and US visits were in Hindi,
with the translators scrambling to keep pace.
But Modi, known for his use of pithy yet
simple words, is understood to have been
dissatisfied with the translated versions.
Reason: they failed to convey the essence of his
speeches, several conversations media has had
with aides revealed.
Modi first chose to speak in English
during the PSLV launch in July at the Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Aided
by a teleprompter, Modi switched to English
interspersed with some Hindi sentences. Again
in September, Modi spoke in English in his
congratulatory address to ISRO scientists when
Indias Mangalyaan was successfully placed in

the Mars orbit.

Both times, the switch to English was
perhaps keeping in mind that many scientists,
including the top ones, are from non-Hindi
speaking states.
But with regard to foreign policy, it was
believed that the Modi government would
keep Hindi as its medium of communication,
in keeping with how other government heads,
including those from China, Russia, or nonEnglish speaking European states, do.
Modis first speech in English, without the
teleprompter, was during the BRICS - Brazil,
Russia, India, China, South Africa - summit in

Fortaleza, Brazil, in July, when he read out his

speech in English.
During his US visit, Modi delivered his
UN address in Hindi. In Washington, during
the bilateral interaction with President Barack
Obama, an avid user of the teleprompter, and in
his address to the Council on Foreign Relations,
the prime minister stuck to Hindi. He gave a
short speech in English at the Central Park in
New York, aided by a teleprompter.
But he took to English in a big way during
the Australia and Fiji visits and in Nepal for the
SAARC Summit.
In Australia, Modi spoke in English with

the aid of teleprompters at a cultural event

hosted by the mayor of Brisbane on Nov 16. He
followed it up by speaking in English the next
morning during a power breakfast in Brisbane
with top business leaders from Australias
Queensland state and India.
In his address to the Australian parliament
in English, Modi even cracked a local joke on
shirtfronting, evoking laughter.
Modi, who uses his hands expressively
during his speeches and likes to pause to await
the audience reaction whenever he has posed a
query or made a light hearted remark, is able to
get directly across to his foreign audiences with
his English speeches.
The two teleprompters are placed on either
side of the podium and not visible to TV
audiences. Modi swings his head comfortably
between the two, reading the lines as they scroll
down in keeping with the speed of his speechdelivery.
In his informal interactions during the G20
Summit in Brisbane, Modi was seen cracking
jokes and chatting and laughing with global
leaders, including Obama, mostly without the
help of aides, highlighting how comfortable
Modi has become in conversing in English and
also in conducting diplomacy.
Obama is known to be a frequent user of the
teleprompter, even for short speeches. During
an event last year, Obama jokingly chided his
aides for forgetting to load his speech on to the
teleprompter, which they did hurriedly.

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

INDIA

MPs dont have enough funds for Modis

pet schemes

Red

Black

Orange

Sreeparna Chakrabarty

Elaborated Rajesh: For example, I have

adopted a tribal village in my constituency for
the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojna (SAGY). .
If I spend the entire amount on that what will
happen to my other commitments?
The CPI-M MP said to tide over these
problems, he has approached industrialists
in his constituency to help out through their
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
objectives and was also trying other ways of
resource mobilization.
According to Rajya Sabha MP Balchandra
Mungekar of the Congress, Leave alone the
new schemes, the current MPLADS funds is
not enough to even fund the usual development
schemes.
Anyway funds have not been released to
MPs from 2012. I have also adopted a village,
but if I spend the entire Rs.5 crore on one
village what happens to the other development
works, Mungekar said.
Rajesh said the MPs have approached
Thambi Durai, who is chairman of the
MPLADS committee, seeking either an
increase in the funds or separate allocation for
the new schemes.
The Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana was

launched by Modi on Oct 11 -- Jayaprakash

Narayans birth anniversary.
The scheme encourages MPs from both
houses to identify and develop one village
from their constituency as a model village by
2016, and two more by 2019, covering over
2,500 villages of the more than six lakh villages
country-wide.
MPs were required to identify one village
with a population of 3,000-5,000 in the plains
and 1,000-3,000 in the hills within a month
for convergence of existing schemes for socioeconomic development of the area.
Most MPs have identified the villages and
have immediately run into a funds crunch.
Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy said
that MPs from his party have not joined the
schemes as there are no funds.
We will do things our own way, he added.
The Clean India campaign was launched by
Modi on Oct 2.
Soon thereafter, Nitin Gadkari, who then
also was rural development minister, had
written to parliamentarians requesting them
to allocate funds from their MPLADS for the
construction of toilets in village homes, schools
and anganwadis.

Presidents book online deal leaves bookstores fuming

resident Pranab Mukherjees yet-tobe released book has already created a

controversy -- not for its content but for an
exclusive deal signed by its publishers with
an online retailer. Bookstores have termed
the publishers choice monopolistic and
unfair, and many have decided to boycott the
publisher.
The publisher Rupa has signed a deal with
amazon.in, giving the online platform exclusive
rights to sell the book The Dramatic Decade:
The Indira Gandhi Years for 21 days.
The book, to be launched on Mukherjees
birthday Dec 11, will only be available in
bookstores after three weeks and this will
invariably give a huge advantage to the online
portal.
Bookstore owners are not happy with this
exclusivity and prominent shops like Om
Bookstore and Bahri Sons have decided to
boycott Rupa and are in the process of sending
back its earlier books.
How stupid it is of a publisher, who has
sold more than 5,000 books, to sell this one
book exclusively to the online retailer? Are we
jokers sitting here? Who is going to do justice
to his other books, Anuj Bahri, CEO of Bahri
Sons, a leading Delhi-based publisher and
distributor, told media.
We have decided to boycott all his books.
If he thinks he can survive on his own, without
the trade, then good for him. It is his policy and

Make Gita
national scripture,
says Sushma;
opposition hits out

nsistence on using MPLADS funds for Prime

Minister Narendra Modis pet schemes of
Clean India and adopting a village is meeting
with resistance from a section of Members of
Parliament, who are demanding separate funds
for executing these programmes.
Under the Member of Parliament Local Area
Development Scheme (MPLADS), each MP
has the choice to suggest to the district collector
works to the tune of Rs.5 crore per annum to be
taken up in his or her constituency. The Rajya
Sabha Member of Parliament can recommend
works in one or more districts in the state from
where he or she has been elected.
When spoken to a number of MPs, they said
diversion of Rs.5 crore allocated to them under
MPLADS would cripple other developmental
activities in their constituencies as they could
end up spending a substantial amount for the
development of the model village and for Clean
India projects.
Most opposition leaders were ready to
be quoted on record, but BJP MPs -- when
approached by media -- refused to comment at
all on the subject. But sources in the Parliament
Secretariat told media that Deputy Speaker M.
Thambi Durai has called for a meeting of all
MPs next week to discuss the issue.
M.B. Rajesh, Communist Party of IndiaMarxist (CPI-M) MP from Kerala, said: The
issue is that it is very difficult for MPs to finish
development work committed by them within
the sanctioned amount. If you really want to
develop a village adopted, then what happens
to the rest of the work in your constituency?
The same holds good for the Clean India
campaign where MPs are supposed to construct
toilets in schools and community centres, he
said.
The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha
combined have nearly 900 MPs at present.
According to the 2001 census, India has
638,596 villages.

21

his decision. Let him sell all his other books

through the online platform, he added.
Ajay Mago of Om Bookstores questioned
the medium the publishers have chosen, as the
online platform in the West has already sounded
the death knell for brick-and-mortar stores.
We have nothing against the online
medium, but in this case, what should be
questioned is why the publishers have chosen
this medium to sell the book. Why they chose
to restrict offline selling for three weeks, asked
Mago.
With online platforms offering generous
discounts on books -- as much as 60 percent
that exceeds the margin publishers usually offer
to bookstores, the hugely-discounted books act
as a bait for readers who have started ordering

books online.
What we have seen in the last couple
of years is that people would come to the
bookstore and then order books online. What
we are saying is that online platforms should
behave like another bookstore. They should
offer sensible discounts, Mago told media.
He said most online retailers were incurring
losses and disturbing the entire industry.
According to Charan Singh Rawat, sales
manager of Jain Book Store, the publisher
(Rupa) has been drawing silly rules for the past
one year.
This had happened previously with Chetan
Bhagats latest novel. The publisher has been
telling us not to sell the book online. What
sense does it make? Such tantrums wont be
accepted and they cant run the business like
this, Rawat told IANS.
We have told them we wont keep their
books on such terms and conditions. We cant
afford to sell books with such huge margins.
So let them sell books exclusively online, he
added.
Kapish Mehra, managing director of Rupa,
offered no comments when asked by media.
However, Amazons public relation team
said that for them, it was another channel to
reach out to the customers and the publisher
would be the best to throw light on this
arrangement.

xternal Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj

Sunday applauded Prime Minister Narendra
Modis gesture of presenting the Bhagavad Gita
to world leaders, saying it elevated the holy
book to the status of a national scripture.
Opposition parties termed it frivolous and
an attempt to implement Hindutva ideology.
Swaraj proposed the need for a formal
announcement that would officially establish
the Gitas status as a national scripture.
Prime Minister Modi gifted the Bhagavad
Gita to US President Barack Obama, which
means it has already received the honour of a
national scripture. What we require is only a
formal announcement now to officially declare
the Gita as a national scripture, Swaraj said
at a public meeting at the Red Fort held to
commemorate 5,151 years of the Gita.

Underscoring the importance of the Gita in

daily life, Swaraj said its message to perform
ones duty without feeling attached to its
outcome is what guides her sense of duty at the
external affairs ministry.
I face a whole range of world problems
at the department (external affairs ministry).
Guided by the Gitas principle, I thank Lord
Krishna for giving me the outcome of my
efforts as per my will. And in case of the
opposite, I accept the outcome as His divine
will, she said.
The Gita, believed to be the divine advice
of Lord Krishna, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture
that is part of the epic Mahabharata.
Its call for selfless action inspired many
leaders of the independence movement,
including Mahatma Gandhi who referred to the
Gita as his spiritual dictionary.
The pitch for declaring the Gita as a national
holy book provoked the Trinamool Congress to
say the Constitution was the holy book in a
democracy.
Our Constitution says India is a secular
country. The Constitution is the Holy Book in
a democracy, the Trinamool wrote on Twitter.
We respect all Holy Books. The Quran,
Puran, Ved, Vedanta, Bible, Tripitak, Zend
Avesta, Guru Granth Sahib, Gita - All are our
pride, the party tweeted.

22

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

INDIA

NEWS in BRIEF
UP launches exclusive website to attract
NRI investment

n a bid to woo non-resident Indians (NRIs) from Uttar Pradesh to invest in the state, the state
government launched a website for them.
The exclusive website aims to be a single window gateway for the NRIs native to UP and
now settled overseas, an official told media.
Investment apart, the website, officials said would also encourage the emotional bonding
of NRIs with their mother land, ensure the general welfare of NRIs and in case of emergencies
monitor special problems faced by them and coordinate with the Government of India.
The NRI department would also offer to help in the coordination of technical, managerial
and financial resources of the NRIs from UP.
A 24x7 call centre (Migrant Resource Centre) where NRIs can log complaints will be
established and the UP government is also planning to felicitate outstanding performers from
among the NRIs as per their approach and investment for the state.

Roger Federer gets taste of India with

naan, curry

nternational tennis legend Roger Federer got a taste of India when he feasted on a giantsized naan, served with the usual non-vegetarian and vegetarian accompaniments, and then
its traditional desserts at a signature restaurant during his maiden trip to the country.
Got naan, Federer tweeted along with a photograph in which hes all smiles holding a
crisp naan, a flat bread made of white flour and baked in a tandoor.
According to a hotel source present, Federer relished the Sikandri raan, Murgh Malai
Kabab, Seekh Kabab, Tandoori Gobhi, Tandoori Aloo, Dal Bukhara, and Naan Bukhar at the
Bukhara, the restaurant at ITC Maurya, that has hosted any number of world leaders and had
even a dish named after former president Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton.
For dessert, he ordered Kulfi, Phirni, Gulab Jamun at Bukhara, which specialises in
recreating the charm of the traditional clay oven cooking.
The Swiss star, a 17-time Grand Slam champion, is here for the inaugural International
Premier Tennis League (IPTL). He was upbeat about playing here.
New Delhi you have no idea how excited i am to come play in #India, he had shared in
an earlier tweet.

President unveils mobile governance in

Karnataka

resident Pranab Mukherjee this week launched the unified mobile governance platform to
provide a host of services to people across Karnataka.
The Karnataka MobileOne multi-mode service, touted as the first of its kind in India, will
enable the common man to access about 4,500 services in the public and private domains.
This unique initiative signals a new era in governance, Mukherjee said.
The service is available across all platforms, including iOS and Android.
On feature phones, the service can be availed through integrated voice response and SMS.
Users can dial 161 or *161# to access the services.
Services include payment of utility bills and property tax, booking of railway tickets and
filing of income tax returns.
The platform also enables users to draw the civic bodys attention for the non-functioning
of its services or facilities like street lights, and also to damaged roads and garbage clearance.

India to host African summit next year if

Ebola outbreak ends

ndia will host the India-Africa Forum Summit sometime next year provided the menace of
Ebola virus is completely eliminated much before the summit is scheduled, the government
has indicated.
Addressing a conference on Africa: A Land of Opportunities, Vinay Kumar, joint
secretary (East and South Africa) in the external affairs ministry, said that the summit could
be hosted provided the Ebola virus, which has claimed around 6,000 lives in western Africa,
is contained.
The summit, first organised in New Delhi in 2008 and subsequently a second time in 2011,
succeeded a great deal in intensifying, diversifying and multiplying India and African continent
trade and economic relations and deepened their partnership, he said, according to a statement.
The two-day conference is being held under the joint patronage of PHD Chamber of
Commerce and Industry and the ministry.
Vinay Kumar said the India-Africa Forum Summit led to rapid enhancement of Indias
investments in the entire African continent as also led to substantial acceleration in their twoway trade.

PMs foreign visits will

rebuild ties: Sushma
Red

Black

Orange

he opposition has
been criticising Prime
Minister Narendra Modi
for his overseas visits but
External Affairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj has said
the trips will rebuild
Indias ties with the world.
In the past six months,
we have moved with
speed and resolve, rarely
seen in Indian external
engagement, to rebuild
our partnerships across the
world. We have set new
milestones and reached
new frontiers in Indias
foreign policy. The global response has been
just as unparalleled, Sushma Swaraj said in
the Rajya Sabha.
The minister informed the house that since
the last session, the prime minister has visited
Japan, the US, Myanmar, Australia, Fiji and
Nepal, besides participating in the UN General
Assembly.
She also mentioned the visits of Australian
Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Chinese

President Xi Jinping to
India.
During the course of
these few months, the
prime minister has met
around 45 international
leaders
from
every
inhabited continent of the
world. He has participated
in the India-ASEAN
Summit, the East Asia
Summit, the G-20 Summit
and the Saarc Summit,
each of which is crucial
to the future of our region,
Asia and the world, she
said.
Despite our shared democratic values with
Australia and her enormous potential to become
a vital strategic and economic partner for India,
it took 28 years for the prime minister of India
to visit Australia.
Although Fiji is an influential country
in the Pacific region and 37 percent of its
population is of Indian origin, his visit to Fiji
was the first by an Indian prime minister in 33
years, Sushma Swaraj added.

Non-BJP chief
ministers on
dismantling plan
panel

TIME Person of the

Year: Modi wins poll,
loses race

ongress chief ministers opposed the

governments move to replace Planning
Commission with a new body while some other
non-Bharatiya Janata Party chief ministers left
the issue to the government.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee, who did not attend the meeting
convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
the issue in New Delhi, wrote a letter to him
saying that instead of setting up a new body, the
planning task should be given to the Inter-State
council.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who
also heads the Biju Janata Dal, said he left it to
the wisdom of the central government and to
the prime minister to frame the structure and
processes of the new planning institutional setup.
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy
of the Congress said the Commission has
over the years been instrumental in promoting
decentralised planning and the central
governments arbitrary decision to dismantle
it without convening a meeting of the NDC or
consulting the states undermines the federal
structure.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra
Singh said the commission in its present form
should be strengthened by giving it additional
functions so as to meet aspirations of the states.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh
Yadav said the states and the central government
should have equal participation in a new body
to replace the panel, while his Tamil Nadu
counterpart O. Panneerselvam sought chief
ministers representation in the new body,
which should prepare sector-wise strategic
vision documents specifying the medium- and
long-term perspective.

ndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the

winner of this years reader poll for TIME
Person of the Year, but his name does not figure
in the magazine editors own list of final eight.

This years possible winners include Apple

CEO Tim Cook, Alibaba founder Jack Ma,
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Russian
President Vladimir Putin, Iraqi Kurdish
President Massoud Barzani and singer Taylor
Swift.
The list also includes groups of individuals,
like the Ebola caregivers and protesters in
Ferguson, Missouri.
TIME magazine editor Nancy Gibbs
revealed the eight finalists on the Today show
Monday morning.
In the final tally of reader poll, Modi
received more than 16 percent of the almost
five million votes cast.
Protesters who took to the streets in
Ferguson, Missouri, after the police shooting
of an unarmed black teenager finished second
with nine percent.
Hong Kong protest leader Joshua Wong,
Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai
and the doctors and nurses treating Ebola
rounded out the top five.
A majority of votes, 60 percent, came from
desktop computers. Just over 35 percent came
from mobile devices, and 4.5 percent of readers
voted on tablets.

Like us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/indianweekender

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

INDIA ABROAD

India-US partnership poised for the next

level: India envoy nominee

Red

Black

Orange

23

Sikh Woman
elected city council
member in US

A
R

ichard Rahul Verma, the first IndianAmerican to be nominated as the US

Ambassador to India, believes there is renewed
enthusiasm on both sides to take a reenergized
India-US partnership to the next level.
There is no question that this is a defining
and exciting time in the US-India relationship,
he told the Senate Foreign Relations committee
last week at his confirmation hearing.
Verma, 45, a former key aide to then
secretary of state Hillary Clinton, noted that
President Barack Obama will make a historic
visit to India in January, becoming the first US
head of state to attend Indias Republic Day
and the only sitting US president to visit India
twice.
His trip will build on Prime Minister
Modis highly successful visit to the United
States this past September, he said.
Theres little doubt the relationship has
been reenergized, with renewed enthusiasm
to take our partnership to the next level, said
Verma , who was named as the US envoy to
India just ahead of Modis visit.
If, as widely expected, Verma is confirmed
by the full Senate, two Indian-Americans will
be dealing with matters relating to India in
both Washington and New Delhi. Nisha Desai

Biswal, hailing from Prime Minister Narendra

Modis home state of Gujarat, became the first
Indian American to head State Departments
South Asia bureau last November.
Recalling his past association with the panel,
Verma said If confirmed, I am committed
to partnering with you again in shaping our
relationship to India - a country so important
that President Obama called it the defining
relationship for the United States in the 21st
Century.
The US and India share a wide-range
of critical national interests, he said. Our
partnership is deep, it touches nearly every
endeavor of human pursuit, and it has produced
important gains for each of our countries.
Across Asia, US and Indian interests are
converging. India has been called the lynchpin
of our Asia rebalance, Verma said.
With Indias Look East, and now Act East
policies, our two countries can play a critically
important role together in bolstering peace and
security and promoting a rules-based, liberal,
democratic order in the Indo-Pacific region,
he said
The ripple effects of our partnership need
not be limited to Asia, Verma said.

He cited Modi as noting, the true power and

potential in this relationship is that when the
oldest and largest democracies come together,
the world will benefit.
Verma acknowledged that India and US
will have our differences from time to time close friends often do - but when we do have
differences, it is imperative that we maintain a
healthy dialogue.
Expressing deep appreciation of all those
who have worked so hard on cultivating this
relationship over many decades, he also
acknowledged the contribution of immigrants
from the Indian subcontinent.
They took a chance like my parents, who
worked hard, who continue to pursue their
dreams, and along the way have helped ensure
India and the United States become the closest
of friends and partners, Verma said vowing
to strive to live up to the high standards they
have set.
The New Delhi post has been vacant since
the previous ambassador Nancy Powell quit
in May after India-US ties hit a low after a
major diplomatic spat over the December arrest
and strip search of Indian diplomat Devyani
Khobragade in New York.

Indians queuing up to migrate to Australia

ndians are seeking increasingly to migrate to

Australia, drawn by the work opportunities
that Australia offered, media reported.
A study by the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD), in this
connection, stated that India has now replaced
Britain as the top country of origin, regarding
applications for 457 visas in Australia, The
Melbourne Age reported.
According to the website of Australian
governments department of immigration
and border protection, the 457 visa, or the
temporary work (skilled) visa (subclass 457)
allows a skilled worker to travel to Australia
to work in the nominated occupation, for the
approved sponsor, for up to four years.
According to the latest 457 visa figures,
Indians make up almost a quarter of the skilled
visas, at 23.3 percent. This was followed by

those from Britain at 18.3 percent and those

from China at 6.5 percent.
Furthermore, during 2012-13, 40,100 Indian
citizens had applied to migrate to Australia,
while 27,300 applications were from China and

21,700 from Britain.

This indicates a significant boost to
Australias migration programme.
OECD data show that there has been 46.6
percent increase in the number of people
becoming Australian citizens.
123,400 people pledged to become
Australian citizens during 2012-13, which is
the highest number since 2011-12, a report said.
According to migration law expert Sharon
Harris, there is a growing trend of Indian
and Chinese citizens seeking citizenship in
Australia for greater global movement.
India and China is without doubt, the most
prolific source countries for pursuing visas
and ultimately citizenship. With an Australia
passport, this opens up greater travel access
globally, she said.

Sikh woman in the US was elected a city

council member, first woman from the
community to hold the post not just in California
state, but in the country, media reported.
Preet Didbal, 46, was sworn in by her
daughter as part of the Yuba City ceremony for
new council members Tuesday night, KCRA 3
News reported.
This is a big day. It is very emotional and
I still cant believe it, Didbal was quoted as
saying.
Her journey started from humble beginnings.
We worked in the fields here, Didbal said.
We are the farm labourers who just raised
ourselves up. I was one of the first out of our
family to go to college.
Didbal holds an associate degree in nutrition,
a Bachelors degree in physical education and
a Masters in public administration, the report
said.
She is presently a correctional health care
services manager in the California Department
of Corrections.
Didbal recalls her parents thoughts years
ago about getting into politics.
She said her parents said to her that they
were raising her and her three sisters like their
sons, because they had four daughters. We
give you the strength to go out and do what you
want, Didbals parents told her.
She has also served on the Yuba City
Planning Commission for eight years.
Didbal said she will focus on children,
education and public safety during her term.

Six Indian authors

in NYT 100 Notable
Books of 2014

orks of five Indian-American and one

Indian author figure among 100 Notable
Books of 2014 selected by the editors of The
New York Times Book Review.
Delhi-born Indian-American author Akhil
Sharmas novel Family Life figures in the
Fiction & Poetry section. Books in nonfiction
include Being Mortal: Medicine and What
Matters in the End By Atul Gawande, an
American surgeon, author, and public health
researcher.
Indian historian and writer Ramachandra
Guha makes it to the list with Gandhi Before
India.. Indian-American writer Vikram
Chandra, winner of 1996 Commonwealth
Writers Prize for Best First Book, is included
for Geek Sublime: The Beauty of Code, the
Code of Beauty.

24

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

CAREERS / HEALTH

Red

How to handle telephone interview

hat most people dont realise about

telephone job interviews is that often
times, the employer or recruiter is looking to
hear a certain script. And if you dont know
that script, youll miss out on the face to face
interview.
Telephone interviews seem easy at first. You
might think you can sit in the comfort of your
own home, and you dont have to stress about
how you look or what your body language is
showing, but its not all sunshine and rainbows!
Here are some tips to learn that script and
get a face-to-face job interview.
We at King of CV always say: Keep it short
& to the point!
Try to keep your answers concise and to
the point, telephone interviews are often about
ascertaining your level of confidence, how you
hold yourself in conversation, and how well
you get your point across.
If youre applying for a sales position but
you cant quickly sell the interviewer on your
past experience then theyre not going to have
much confidence in your selling ability.. They
dont want all of the fine details, just stick to
the vital facts & always think about the type of
terminology they use.
You might want to consider basing your
responses off your CV, as this will re-affirm the
same points they will have already picked up
on in your CV, you might also wish to consider
a professional CV service to give you a good
boost of confidence and seriously help you to

ace your telephone interview.

You can always add more...
Remember you can always add more to your
response,It can be a lot harder to determine a
persons reaction through a phone interview
so questions like would you like me to go on

further or do you have everything you need

are good practice.
Some good steps to follow:
Pick a good time, a lot of people are at their
optimum in the morning, make sure to clear the
time before your interview too, you dont want

Proper breathing is key to body, mind

control

reathing is the most essential and frequent

activity that we engage in from birth till
death. Yet it is one of the most neglected aspects
of our existence because we erroneously
presume that it is entirely an involuntary
function. The end result is that this giver of
life has been ignored, leading to numerous
unwanted consequences.
Our lungs have the capacity to take in
about four litres of air in each breath. In olden
times, we used to take this full quota when
we were active throughout the day, first as
hunter-gatherers and then as crop growers. The
modern lifestyle has turned us into veritable
couch potatoes that barely take half a litre of
air per breath. That is only one-eighth of the
requirement. Our diaphragm barely moves if
we are sedentary, with the result that the lower
part of our lungs hardly gets any oxygen.
The shocking shortfall not only causes
numerous aches and pains and diseases but also
leads to negative emotions like anger, anxiety
and stress.
Air is available free of cost, but we have
to make a deliberate effort to ensure that we
take in our full quota. The most important
item on the to-do list is to set aside at least one
hour every day for exercises which make us
moderately breathless. Regular brisk walking is
an ideal starting point. In the process we will be
taking a lot of air willy-nilly.
You can also train yourself to take in more
oxygen even when at rest. The technique is
called yogic or diaphragmatic breathing.
Lie down or sit comfortably. When you start
inhaling, fill your belly from the lowest part
up so that by the time you have taken the full
breath, your tummy is protruding as well as the
chest. Hold for a few seconds and then start

Black

Orange

to clutter your thoughts..

Prepare some questions to ask them, its
good to sound interested and enthusiastic,
especially if they cant see your body reactions.
Remember that its only the early stages and
you have plenty of time to ask questions like
start-dates, salary and so on.. Try to find unique
questions that others wouldnt ask, this will
show your enthusiasm & dedication to the job.
Make sure you are relaxed and focused
before the interview, smile as you would in a
real interview, youll be smiling to yourself but
it can make you feel a whole lot more confident
and positive! Dont allow yourself to slouch
though, just like a real interview your body
confidence has a huge effect on the confidence
in your discussion
Take your time and dont be afraid to gather
your thoughts, theres no point giving a halfhearted response because you rushed yourself,
and if you need to always ask for clarification.
Interviewers are aware that you might need the
time to think about a question, so use this to
your advantage..
Youre also welcome to get a copy of our
Interview Test. Its available free to all readers
of the Indian Weekdender by emailing me at the
address below.
Arthur Parker-Ramani is a professional
CV writer & interview coach at King of CV in
Auckland and can be reached for any questions
at info@kingofcv.com

Enough sleep
can help you
lose weight
E

ven though diet and exercise are the prime

weight loss weapons, there is a secret one
that takes a lot less effort- getting enough sleep.
Here is how getting your eight hours
can help you shrink your waistline, reports
huffingtonpost.com.

exhaling while at the same time contracting

your belly.
This should be done preferably on an
empty stomach. So reserve five minutes for
this practice before breakfast, lunch and dinner
every day. After you have practised for some
weeks, start spending all your spare time in
mindful breathing.
Suppose you are having to wait at traffic
lights. Instead of ruing the delay, utilise the time
for diaphragmatic breathing. As your practice
increases, you will notice that you have started
pumping your belly without even noticing.
Interestingly, many of those who lead a
sedentary life tend to do exactly the opposite.
They contract the belly when they breathe in
and expand it when they breathe out. If you

too are making that mistake, make a persistent

effort to correct it because this kind of breathing
is worse than not moving the belly at all.
Please note that you are not pumping air into
the belly. It is going into the lungs only. Its just
that when you expand the belly, the diaphragm
is forced to move down and the lungs can take
in more air.
You will soon find that your stress level has
started going down. The air that you breathe,
besides nourishing your body, has a vital force
called Prana. The more air you pump in, the
more vitality you have.
There is an additional advantage. This
pumping action strengthens your abdominal
muscles and helps in reducing the waist size.

It helps you eat less: Sleep affects levels

of the hunger-regulating hormone leptin,
which helps your body realise its full,
and ghrelin, which stimulates appetite.
Not getting adequate sleep lowers levels
of leptin while raising levels of ghrelin,
which can cause overeating when youre
sleep-deprived. A recent study found that
women who didnt sleep enough ate an
average of 300 more calories than those
who got adequate sleep.
It reduces belly fat: Anxiety and stress are
two major contributors to belly fat; getting
enough sleep is one way to beat both.
It may suppress fat genes: A recent study
found that women who slept seven to nine
hours a night weighed less than those who
were sleep-deprived. Researchers believe
that those who slept fewer than seven
hours a night, or more than nine, were more
affected by any genetic pre-dispositions to
be overweight or obese.
It gives you energy: If youve gotten a
good nights rest, then youre more likely
to have the energy to tackle your workout
for the day. And, since exercise helps you
sleep, revamping your sleeping habits can
be the start of a beneficial cycle.

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

READERS CONTRIBUTION

25

Dont spend your money before you have it

Red

Black

Orange

Dr Baljit Singh

Ph.D (Economics)
Formerly bank executive

y arrival in New Zealand this time after

my long innings in the Banking and
Finance sector, happened together with two
very important events from the point of view of
both my profession as well as ideology.
The first event was Money Week
organised by the New Zealands Commission
for Financial Literacy and Retirement Income
from 13th Oct to 19th October 2014 nationwide
with a spate of activities directed among many
other things on savings, investment planning
and debt management ,prompting people to
get money wise and make each dollar of their
hard earned money go a long way .The second
event the Indian festival DIWALI which fell
on 23rd October 2014, happened to be a sort
of contrast to the first event, as most people
traditionally spend a lot of money on shopping
on this occasion.
A whooping sum of more than $ 5000
million has been spent during this Diwali
festive seasons in India on purchase of gold
and diamond jewellery, electronics, cars and
what not, as it is considered very auspicious
to buy new things on this occasion. India Inc.
spent more than $ 400 million on promotion
of their products during festival months of
September and October 2014. Various Banks,
financers, credit card companies and hire
purchase vendors also spent hugely to publicise
very attractive offers on loans to individuals
for Diwali purchases. All of the advertisements
and offers are not always all that genuine and
transparent hence a lot of gullible people are
taken in by alluring ads and land up buying
more than what they need and borrowing more
than what they can handle.
I have drawn this picture to bring home the
point that even here in New Zealand things are
not much different in some migrant communities
when it comes to buying and borrowing. The
level of festive spending may actually not be
as high as in India but is still enough to cause
concerns of stretched household budgets and
resultant over borrowing. Enormous availability
of wide range of high end consumer goods and
other advance technology products, easy and
quick availability of credit cards, consumer
and personal loans coupled with low personal
saving habits are enough to raise these concerns
further.
Newly settling middle class migrants are
immediately exposed to a wide range of costly

cell phones, cars, kitchen and house hold

automation gadgets and a plethora of gizmos
being used by the people here in New Zealand.
Not that these things have not been seen by
them back home in India but there it is a little
different in the way that high end cars and
some high end life style products which are in
common use here are only afforded by a certain
class of people having high tax free disposable
income or high salaried segment to whom credit
cards and personal loans are easily available.
With their newly found financial liberty
and sudden exposure to a highly developed
consumer market, these people easily succumb
to their long held desires to possess what
others have. So when they go to buy a cell
phone they are readily lured in to buying a
very costly and flashy top end handset by
borrowing on exorbitant interest rate on credit
card along with a hefty monthly bill. Similarly
car dealers manage to palm off their big and
costly car to them by pushing them to borrow
from loan sharks on exorbitant interest .Such
overspending tendencies sans personal savings
coupled with quick and effective procedure for
recovery of sticky dues here, unlike India, very
often takes newly arrived migrants by surprise
who find themselves in a tight spot difficult to
wriggle out. Such habits do not augur well for
their future financial health.
By now I may have started appearing to some
readers as an opponent of consumerism, where
as in fact I am neither against consumerism,
trade and manufacturing nor against borrowing
and credit. On the contrary I am a firm believer
of the dictum Manufacturers, traders and
consumers are the wheels of economy and

the credit is the lubricant on these wheels. I

am simply trying to make a small attempt to
encourage people to stop and think before they
embark on a shopping spree .In famous author
Vicky Robins words If you live for having it
all, what you have is never enough.
I will advise them to consider whether they
need to buy a particular model of a product
already being used by them like a cell phone, a
washing machine, refrigerator, oven or such like
gadget which is way costly due to some fancy
add on functions it has, but by and large serves
the same purpose as their existing possession.
Spend on the features which are really useful
and needed and not just because these have
become available. Compare and appreciate
what you already have. Otherwise also when
going in for a new gadget for the first time one
should think of must have features rather than
looks good features.
Dont blindly follow or emulate an affluent
neighbour or a friend. Be proud of your old
dependable and sturdy car about which you
know everything and how well it has stood
by you all this time. Think of all those sweet
memories of journeys you made with new
friends, did job searches or explored New
Zealand for the first time.
Dont ever feel small about your small
house which so endearingly you acquired from
your first jobs savings and it is still meeting
your requirements well. Remember the warm
moments you enjoyed since you moved in to
this with your wife and how many pains she has
taken to convert it from a house to home .Think
of the time when your first baby arrived and
how he or she grew in this house.

Grow you also must and also upgrade to

better things and move up in the life. Buy a
more spacious house in a better location or a
big and better car or do all those things you
have been long cherishing in your thoughts but
only when you have created a strong foundation
of savings. Small savings today pave way for
big things tomorrow. You first need to think
how much you can save before you think about
what you need.
Savings come more easily than you think,
provided you have a desire to do so. Savings
can do great wonders for you if you are early
and regular in doing so. In Jack Bennys words
Try to save something while your salary is
small; its impossible to save after you begin
to earn more.
All you have to do is to make a beginning, so
do it today because tomorrow will never come.
Once you have made the beginning you wont
be required to think anymore, magic of savings
will automatically go on unfolding before you.
Talk to your bank, they will have a savings
account just right for you, they will also be glad
to assist you make a savings plan. Kiwi Saver is
a very ideal scheme to save for your first home
deposit. It is also equally suited for saving for
retirement. You can find very simple and useful
tips to start with savings on sorted.org.nz.
I have been in to loaning money all my
life and have seen people borrowing right,
making best use of the borrowed money and
prosper in their life. I have also seen plenty of
those borrowing for all the wrong reasons, not
handling the borrowed money responsibly and
getting in to financial problems. Despite a lot
being said by a lot of people on the subject, it
is still recognised that it is purely a matter of
individual discretion to decide how much to
borrow.
Despite the fact that one may never be
required to borrow, everyone likes to draws a
lot of comfort from being in a good position
to borrow and that too more the better. It is
very difficult to arrive at exactly how much
one can borrow safely or how much will be
over borrowing because different set of people
use different parameters for assessment of
credit requirement and repayment capacity of
an individual. Having said this I will stop by
giving a simple advise that one should borrow
in such a manner that generally it is not required
to spend more than 40% of familys carry home
income towards repayment of credit cards,
personal, car and hire purchase loans, this may
go up to 60% if one has housing and education
loans too, anything more than this will be an
over borrowing and most often than not likely
to result in to serious financial mismatch .It
reminds me of what famous American author
Ralph Waldo Emerson said Money often costs
too much.

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mailed to your address
for just $80
for a full year (50 issues)
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26

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

WOMEN
From the desk of I am Woman

Red

Black

Orange

#OrangeURHood

his year has indeed been a remarkable year

for change. Throughout this year, change
has manifested in several different forms, from
having Malala Yousafzai, at merely seventeen
years of age, win the Nobel Peace Prize and
the Worlds Childrens Prize to Actress Emma
Watson deliver her speech on gender equality at
the United Nations for the HeforShe campaign.
It has however also been an year of horrific
attack on women across the world. For Indians
specifically, we witnessed the the Badaun Gang
rape, where two girls aged 14 and 16 were
brutally gang raped and more recently the attack
on the business analyst by a taxi diver. Now
United Nations Women has initiated the Orange
Your Neighbourhood movement that seeks to
raise awareness and prompt action to cease the
worldwide scourge of violence against women
and girls.
Gender Inequality has been prevalent in
society much before the invention of time and
neither women nor men are immune from it. The
United Nations reported (on their website [http://
beijing20.unwomen.org/en/in-focus/evaw]) that a
staggering 1 in every 3 women have endured some
form of abuse, be it physical or sexual, mostly at
the hands of their partner; approximately 120
million girls have reportedly been coerced into
intercourse or other sexual acts at particular points
in their lives; while 133 million women and girls
have undergone female genital mutilation. Earlier
this year, Emma Watson, in her speech at the
United Nations, stated that at the impressionable
age of fifteen she witnessed her girlfriends
dropping out of their beloved sports teams,
because they didnt want to appear muscle-y and

then at eighteen, when her male friends were

unable to express their feelings. Furthermore, she
incited: How can we effect change in the world
when only half of it is invited or feel welcome to
participate in the conversation?
So, how does this relate to Orange your
Neighbourhood you may ask? The Orange
Your Neighbourhood is one such platform where
we, the people, can galvanize change for both
the sexes, right here in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
We need this eye-catching colour everywhere so
that the message is loud and clear: we all need to
work together to stop violence against women and
girls right now,UN Women Executive Director
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said, We all need to
work together to stop violence against women and
girls right now, she added, that includes men
and boys standing up for whats right and working
with us and the womens movement to tackle
gender inequality. We have to end this universal
violation of human rights. I am Woman supports
this cause in its endeavour to empower every
woman to live to her fullest potential. For us this
is a campaign to align all men and women to this
cause and eventually help build a world where
women can develop and bloom uninhibitted.
One of the biggest events of the Latin
American region is a marathon in Mexico City,
the result of a partnership between UN Women
and TV Azteca, one of the regions top media
groups. In Africa, among a series of creative
initiatives, a film forum will be hosted in Uganda
screening stories focusing on the experiences of
womens lives, and a collaborative venture with
Talk Radio 702 in South Africa, will promote
zero tolerance for gender-based violence.In Asia-

Ladies! High heels bring

men to their knees

f you need help from men on the road,

wear high heels. This is the message from a
new study, revealing that how the height of a
womans shoe heel influences how men behave
towards her.
The findings showed that mens helpfulness
increased along with the height of the heels a
woman was wearing.
However, heel height had no influence on
other womens willingness to help, found lead
researcher Nicolas Gueguen from Universit
de Bretagne-Sud in France.
To reach this conclusion, Gueguen set out to
conduct field experiments to test the influence
of different shoe styles on mens helping
behaviour.
He watched what happened when a woman
in flat shoes asked people to complete a survey,
and whether or not they complied more readily
when she was wearing high heels.
He also tested whether or not peoples
spontaneous urge to help changed when the
same woman - again wearing shoes with
different heel sizes - dropped a glove.
In the final experiment, Guguen found that
men in a bar were quicker to start chatting with
a woman wearing heels than when she was
wearing flat shoes.
Womens shoe heel size exerts a powerful
effect on mens behaviour,Gueguen added.
He believes that more research must be done
to examine whether this effect depends on a
womans shoe heel size and on any change of
gait due to wearing high heels.
Because sexy female models often wear
such shoes in the media, men have started to
associate the wearers of high-heeled shoes
with those having sexual intent the author
speculated.

Pacific, public spaces in India will turn orange to

promote awareness among local communities,
and youth champions in Cambodia will take
anti-violence messages online to galvanize action
through social media. In the Arab States region,
several activities are planned, many with a special
focus on violence against women in Gaza. Highprofile events in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
include a series of awareness-raising forums in
Kosovo (under UN Security Council Resolution
1244) on the violence that young girls face in high
schools, andmore than 100 events in Kyrgyzstan

engaging Members of Parliament, government

officials, donors, and civil society.
You too can be part of this change. To
show your support for this cause share your
photos, thoughts and ideas showing how
you orange your neighbourhood with the
hastag #orangeyourhood(www.facebook.com/
womanunlimited) and #iamwoman on Facebook
or email us on iamwoman@xtra.co.nz
Follow the Orange Your Neighbourhood
movement at facebook.com/SayNO.UNiTE and
twitter.com/SayNO_UNiTE.

Women bosses more prone

to depression

ob authority increases symptoms of

depression among women but decreases
them among men, a study from University of
Texas at Austin finds.
Women with job authority - the ability to
hire, fire and influence pay - have significantly
more symptoms of depression than women
without this power, said sociologist Tatyana
Pudrovska.
In contrast, men with job authority have
fewer symptoms of depression than men
without such power, she added.
The study analysed over 1,300 middleaged men and 1,500 middle-aged women who
graduated from high schools in Wisconsin.
According to Pudrovska, women without
job authority exhibit slightly more symptoms
of depression on an average than men without
job authority.
We found that these women have more
education, higher incomes, more prestigious
occupations and higher levels of job

satisfaction and autonomy than women without

job authority. Yet, they have worse mental
health than lower-status women, Pudrovska
commented.
So why does having job authority increase
symptoms of depression in women?
Women in authority positions deal
with interpersonal tension, negative social
interactions, negative stereotypes, prejudice,
social isolation as well as resistance from
subordinates, colleagues and superiors,
Pudrovska explained.
Women in authority positions are viewed
as lacking the assertiveness and confidence of
strong leaders.
But when these women display such
characteristics, they are judged negatively for
being unfeminine. This contributes to chronic
stress, she added.
The study was published in the Journal of
Health and Social Behaviour.

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

Red

Black

FEATURE

27

Orange

MonikaPal Sood

Sparkle and Shine this Wedding Season

White and Gold Look
Pearl Paradise Head Band:The girl of today is sporting femininity like the bygone Grecian
and Indian mythological era. Back to the roots, this gold head chain is made up of faux pearls
joint to each other with gold links to cover the entire head in three strings.

Bunch Of Bling Ring :A multi-chain dual ring to letyoustrike bling at its par! A unique
jewel adornment is meant for your fingers to give them optimum fullness and fancy. Two
engraved rings in gold finish are connected with a bunch of chain strings to makeyoustand
out in the crowd.

Textures N Trinkets Gold Envelope Clutch :Sport it, hang it around your wrist and be the
trendsetter. This textured finish peach envelope clutch is made up of finely embossed faux
leather and is further enhanced with gold frame edging and trinket enhancements. Comes
along with a detachable sling strap to carry it both ways!

Traditional Red n Gold Look

Wishful Wine Drop Earrings : The deadly charm of oxblood red is here to
dragyouin its pool of fantasy. These drop earrings in high-gloss gold finish are
encrusted with bold wine emerald cut stones stung over delicate gold shackles
studded with clear diamante.

Strings Of Surprise Peach Chain Necklace:Weddings are the time to refresh

your moods and revive classic trends with new twists! This multi-string long
necklace with peach and gold metallic chains adds subtle charm to your vibrant
monsoon wardrobe.

Blue Wedding Tales

Linked To Pride Blue Dangler Earrings :Opaque stones are ruling this accessory
season and when added with a hint of bling, they spell sheer charm. These dangler
earrings in junk finish are studded with stones in various cuts, shade and finishes of
blue along with marquise shape prominent indigo beads.

Sequins On My Mind Head Band :The girl of today is sporting femininity like
the bygone Grecian and Indian mythological era. Back to the roots, this gold head
chain is made up of metallic discs connected to each other to cover the entire head
in three strings.

Black n Gold Look

Angelic Aura Black Drop Earrings:Play the drop-dead-gorgeous with these drop earrings in the
shape of textured fairy wings with high gloss gold finish and black enamelling.
Sheer Nostalgia Black Box Clutch :Let your prized possession whisper through this see-through
gold frame box clutch in mocha brown made up of translucent brown PVC and a gold snap fastener
closure. With an added gold sling chain,youcan either clutch it or sling it but surely going to flaunt it.
Lord Of Rings Gold Cuff :Lead the style fiesta with this broad cuff in glossy gold finish made up
of rings and stripes pattern.

Monika Pal Sood is the co-founder of Youshine. Availability:http://www.youshine.in/

28

FEATURE

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

Reduced transit time, increased reliability

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Orange

Rabin Rabindran, reappointed as Director of Auckland Transport, talks about his dreams to introduce an effective transport system

Paula Ray

How does it feel to be re-appointed as

Director of Auckland Transport?
I am humbled by Auckland Council
reappointing me after 10 years in a governance
capacity with transport in Auckland. I was
appointed a Director of the Auckland Regional
Transport Authority (ARTA) in 2004 when
ARTA was first created. I was appointed
Deputy Chairman of ARTA and went on to
become the last Chairman of the organization
before the creation of Auckland Transport.
I was the only one from ARTA who was
appointed by the Minister of Transport and
Minister of Local Government to being
a Director on the first Board of Auckland
Transport.
I believe that my reappointment has a lot
to do with the number of major Auckland
Transport projects that are being negotiated,
have begun or are continuing, especially
considering that my areas of specialist practice
are in the fields of construction, energy and
infrastructure development. Further, as I have
worked on major projects in over 25 countries,
Auckland Council must have felt that my
continued involvement will be an asset to the
organization.
I know there is a lot of hard work ahead but I
am looking forward to those challenges.
What were the major achievements from
your previous stint?
Auckland Transport or AT, as it is normally
referred to, has made great strides in transport
during the last 3 years but this was not due to
me or any other one individual but due to a
wonderful executive team and staff lead by our
Chief Executive David Warburton and a Board
who are committed to delivering an effective
and innovative transport system which will
attract Aucklanders out of their cars and make
for a better transport experience for everyone.

Rabin Rabindran

There have been many things that AT

achieved during my last stint as a Director and
among them are:
Much higher public transport patronage
in total as well as big improvements in
patronage in all modes of public transport
rail, bus, ferry and road.
The move from diesel trains to modern
state-of-the-art electric trains which
are faster, quieter and far better for the
environment.
Greater productivity of the arterial road
network
Better and more efficient public transport
infrastructure including new stations
Concluding negotiations with the

WHATSOn
Summer Camp

Date: 12 January to 16 January 2014

Time: 8 am to 5 pm
Venue: Mt. Roskill war memorial hall, 13
May Road, Mt. Roskill, Auckland.
Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust brings a
Summer Camp for kids aged 6-15 years.
The interactive camp includes creative
activities like dancing, music, painting etc.,
mutual tolerance understanding, initiative
and leadership qualities, inner strength
though yoga, personality development,
spirit of co-operation, interpersonal skills,
cultural awareness, sports activities and
more. Parents to drop off and pick up
their children. For more information, call:
0212221020, 09 4430579

Join the Free family

event Celebrating Life

Date: Saturday 13 December 2014

Time: 11am to 4pm
Venue: Sandringham Reserve, Opposite
Paradise Restaurant, Auckland.
As part of program, there will be carol
singing, dances, skits; and bouncy castle
and face painting for children. Last years
event was action packed and children
loved the activities very much. With
the addition of bouncy castle, this year
children are going to have even more fun.
We are going to celebrate the greatest
Life of Lord Jesus Christ and the eternal
life that we have received in Him.For more
information about the event contact Nevil
on 0212352713 or go to www.mercygates.
co.nz

Future Maestros

Date: Saturday 13 December 2014

Time: 6 pm onwards
Venue: Ellerslie War Memorial Hall, 138
Main Highway Ellerslie, Auckland.
Rhythm school of Indian Music proudly
presents an evening of Indian classical
music with the students of Rhythm School
of Indian Music. Entry ticket: $10, free
dinner. For tickets and other inquiries,
contact Manjit Singh: 09-3905941,
021595941 or email: rythmschool@live.
com. www.rhythmschool.co.nz
contact: 09 2820831/ 021393760.

Christmas Parades,
Carols and Festivals

There are dozens of Christmas parades,

carol-singing events and other festivities
taking place across the Auckland region.
Get into the festive spirit by taking
part in these local events to celebrate
Christmas. Following are a few event that
you can join this weekend.

Coca-Cola Christmas in
the Park

Date & Time: Saturday 13 December,

7.30pm
Venue: Auckland Domain
Cost: Free
Gather your friends and family for a
magical night under the stars and enjoy
star-studded entertainment and fabulous
fireworks on the happiest night of the year!
This year, Coca-Cola Christmas in the
Park is celebrating 21 years and proudly
supporting Youthline - developing and

preferred bidder to supply Auckland

with electric trains and taking delivery of
the first electric trains for Auckland and
commencing the first electric train service
that will transform public transport in
Auckland
Introduction of the AT HOP card which is a
reusable prepay smart card which provides
for travel on the trains, buses and ferries by
tagging on and tagging off
Improving customer satisfaction
There is some confusion about the AT HOP
card becoming compulsory for accessing
public transport in Auckland. Can you please
give us an overview of how Aucklanders can
expect it to work in the near future?
As the AT HOP card is a smart card, it provides

supporting young people across New

Zealand.

Carols at Potters

Date & Time: Sunday 14 December,

5.30pm-7.30pm
Venue: Potters Park, Mt. Eden Auckland.
Contact: Call Michael Voitrekovsky
on 021 824 907 or emailMichael.
Voitrekovsky@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
Other information: Santas Grotto,
information stall, live entertainment, carol
singing, face painting, roving entertainer,
food stalls

Waiuku Christmas
Parade

Date & Time: Saturday 13 December,

11am-4pm
Parade route: Queen Street
Contact: Call Sharlene Druyven on 021
0827 5763 or emailwaiukutownmanager@
gmail.com

Clevedon Christmas
Parade

Date & Time: Saturday 13 December,

3pm-4pm
Parade route: Exit Clevedon School
grounds on Clevedon-Kawakawa Road,
down Clevedon-Papakura Road, turn
left into Hyde Road and left again into
Monument Road and back down the main
street and back into Clevedon School
grounds
Contact: Call Judith Narbey on 09 292
8793 or email glnarbey@xtra.co.nz

AT with valuable commuter information which

will help us improve the travel experience
of our customers. AT is a customer focused
organization and the AT HOP card will not only
improve efficiency and therefore the speed by
which public transport can be delivered but it
will enable a seamless transfer between various
modes of travel without having to purchase
separate tickets for each mode of travel.. A big
benefit of using AT HOP is that it is generally
20% cheaper than using cash but it will never
become the only means of purchasing a ticket
to travel on public transport. Accessibility to
using public transport is critical and we need
to provide for everyone. There will be people,
such as tourists, who may just want to use
public transport for a few trips and it would not
be fair to impose on them the need to purchase
an AT HOP card.
The information we collect from the use of
AT HOP cards will improve the services we can
render and that can only lead to an improved
travel experience for everyone.
What other challenges AT has encountered
in recent times and what have you done to
overcome them?
Funding is a challenge and we have worked
on optimising our services to be able to meet
many of our challenges despite a squeeze on
budgets. One of the biggest and most important
projects is the building of the City Rail Link.
This project can only proceed to completion if
Central Government helps to fund it and they
have said that they will only do so in 2020.
We could have decided to do nothing until
that time but have made progress in protecting
the route and are in the process of negotiating
enabling works so that there can be an early
commencement of the initial work.

Manurewa Christmas in
the Park

Date & Time: Saturday 13 December,

4pm-9pm
Venue: Mountfort Park, Manurewa
Contact: Call Stephen Miller on 027 453
2253 or email stephen.miller@mnl.org.nz
Other information: A fun park,
competitions, local talent, cultural
performances, music and stalls. This will
also involve a fireworks display

READERS CONTRIBUTION

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

Prana - the vital source

of energy

Red

Black

Orange

Pavitra Roy

ranic application is derived from ancient

Sanskrit word Prana that can be applied for
benefit of any life in this universe. In simple
word it means universal life force or bio cosmic
energy. This energy is around us in abundance

about a person who is patient of wish to receive

healing He has to be also receptive to the energy
of Prana for irreversible and quicker cure. We
all are more or less receptive to pranic energy or
else we will not survive as soon as flow stops.
However the flow is often not harmonised or
maintained at its optimum level due to intake

Enjoy the very best of

Indian entertainment
this festive season!

Install today for

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and
get

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FREE*!!

just like water, air and space. The key is to

tap this energy of universal life for turning
our life enjoyable and smooth.Life energy
mechanism of a human body has energy inlet
and energy outlet. There are layers of energy
enclosure that interpenetrates and terminates
with our etheric and biological body. Energy is
subtle and it flows like electric current through
meridians inside human body. The flow of these
energy channels determines physiological and
psychological health of a human being. Pranic
application is very useful for harmonising flow
of any such energy current.
When the flow of Prana or universal
energy force aligns us with universe and it
is in harmony with Mother Nature we are on
the crest of our inner strength. On the other
hand if the flow is eddy and irregular it affects
physiological and psychological health of a
person till it is brought back to its normalcy. For
doing that few simple technics are used which
are hand to feet exercise if a person can do that
himself. If a patient is not in a position to do
the exercise a healer can do non touch sweeping
gesture to align aura enclosing the field of a
human physical body.
In any case contaminated energy that
surrounds us may also be cleaned before
healing of a person that can be executed
using pranic application. Pranic application is
25% theory 75% practical approach which is
scientific and has scientific validation. Grand
master Choa kok Sui who was an engineer and
science student he noticed that a healer who is
etherically clean & understand logic without
being cynical were very receptive to the energy
of Prana. As a result of that the rate of healing
would be much more in the person who are
good conductor for Pranic energy.
One more point needs to be understood here

of wrong diet, stressful life lack of exercise and

also indulging into wrong activities or habits.
An individual or a group can learn technics
by having two days course. He or she needs
to register for the course a week before. An
introductory info talk can be held for preparing
a person. There is no age bar, restriction of
gender or faith. The course is open to all who
loves to experiment and has a desire to help
an ailing person. Grand master Choa had a
wish before he departed earth plane that every
house should have a member who know pranic
application.

Enjoy latest shows!

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29

30

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

ENTERTAINMENT

Everything I
do is unique:
Priyanka Chopra

t the peak of her career, Bollywoods

marquee actress Priyanka Chopra changed
track to explore the world of music - only to
emerge as a winner. And now she has ventured
into film production. Describing her activities
as unique, she said she doesnt follow a path
but creates her own.
I am not an ordinary star. Everything I do
is sort of unique and I hate being clubbed as
oh celebrities, Priyanka told reporter in an
interview.
I have a very unique personality. I like to
do things which I want to do and I dont know
whether these things will turn out to be good
or bad. But everything that I have done has
been very unique to me. I dont follow a path, I
create my own, Priyanka added, looking chic
in a white dress.
I never knew I will become an actor or a
singer or a producer. Things just happened as I
evolved. So, I cant say when I will do what,
said the 32-year-old.
For Priyanka, 2014 was good largely due
to the success of her sport-based film Mary
Kom.
Its been a great year. I started off with
Gunday and then Mary Kom. The business
that Mary Kom, a female-led film, did is huge.
For me, the biggest victory with Mary Kom
was its numbers on the opening weekend.
Female films start with small numbers and
make Rs.50 or Rs.60 crore in two months, but
that was not the case for Mary Kom. Its a
huge step, the actress said.
The actress is now prepping up for her Zoya
Akhtars Dil Dhadakne Do and Bajirao
Mastani.
Priyanka, who was recently in the capital to
support the Girl Rising campaign, says women
empowerment is seeping into the film industry,
but slowly.
Female actors are even afraid to do that
because it is easier to do a film with a boy and
share the credit, she said.
The success of women-centric films like
Mardaani, Queen and Mary Kom
proves that a wave of change has set its foot in
Bollywood.
It is so great to see actresses now coming
and taking those steps and saying, Okay the
film will be on my shoulders . When I did
Fashion everybody thought I was mad, but it
proved a point that female-led films, if are good
films, will be seen.
We might not make Rs.200 or 300 crore but
it is a beginning. It will take some time but we
will get there, the actress said.
Priyanka doesnt just exude optimism but
is working towards it. She says along with the
Clean India campaign, she is working on her
own abhiyan (campaign).
I hope to do more such (women-centric)
films so that the generation after me is not
afraid to take films which are on their shoulders
and girls get parts that make them as relevant as
boys. So its my
own abhiyan,
the actress
said.

Aamir eats littichokha at Patna

roadside shop

Red

A film with all

three Khans would
be exciting: Aamir

Not hiding
anything: Anushka
on relationship
with Virat

ctor-filmmaker Aamir Khan says a project

starring Bollywoods three Khans - Shah
Rukh, Salman and himself, would be exciting
and that he would be happy to do it.
The trio recently appeared together on the
same stage.
Asked about any plans to work with Salman
and Shah Rukh in one film, Aamir said: I
really think a film with three of us would be
exciting...and if ever a script, which appeals to
three of us, comes up, I am sure we would be
happy to do it.
Aamir, who is currently busy promoting his
much awaited film PK, says he has neither
signed any new films nor is he going to do his
TV show Satyameva Jayate next year.

Sharmila celebrates
birthday in
Ranthambore with
Saif, Kareena

ctress Anushka Sharma says that her

relationship with cricketer Virat Kohli is
not a secret affair. Its just that she doesnt want
to talk about it in public.
Nobody is hiding anything. We are living
our life very normally. Its just that we dont
want to talk about our relationship.
We cant subject it to entertainment news.
We will not hide if you guys see us together,
but we will not talk about it, Anushka told
reporters in a group interview.
She also feels that she will only talk to her
friends about her personal life and not to the
world.
Anushka who is currently busy promoting
her film PK says she would love to do a
biopic too.

harmila Tagore is celebrated her 70th

birthday Monday in Ranthambore in Sawai
Madhopur district of Rajasthan, over 170 kms
from here, famous for its tiger reserve, with her
son Saif and daughter-in-law Kareena Kapoor.
The family along with other relatives and
close friends are here to celebrate Sharmila
Tagores birthday, a source told IANS and
added that they are staying in a hotel near the
Ranthambore National Park.
Sharmila and her other guests reached here
Sunday by car from Jaipur and spent the time
visiting the park, which is home to over 60
tigers, including cubs, as of now. In 2013, the
overall tiger population was put at 48.
On Sunday, they visited the park in the
afternoon and spent around three hours. During
the safari, they spotted five tigers - two adults
and three cubs, said a source from the forest
department.

Orange

ollywood actor Aamir Khan, who was in

the Bihar capital last week to promote his
upcoming film PK, visited a roadside shop
and enjoyed Bihari delicacy litti-chokha.

Aamir told the media he enjoys the special

taste of litti-chokha. It is known for its unique
taste. I love to eat litti-chokha.
As news of Aamir spread like wildfire,
hundreds of people gathered at the shop. But
they were disappointed as the actor had already
left by then.
I was overjoyed when Aamir Khan visited
my shop and asked me to serve litti-chokha.
He enjoyed its special rustic flavour and taste,
shopowner Bihari Rai said.
He said Aamir ate two pieces of litti-chokha.
In a bid to attract more people, Rai has put
up big banners with photographs of Aamirs
visit to his shop and eating litti-chokha.
A billboard quotes Aamir as saying litti ka
jawab nahin (litti is exceptional).
A traditional baked food item, litti is made
of wheat flour and sattu (roasted gram powder).

Kareena to endorse campaign

for childrens benefit

Black

ollywood actress Kareena Kapoor has

been roped in to support Child-Friendly
Schools and Systems (CFSS) campaign.
It is a joint initiative by DTH provider Tata
Sky and Unicef, and Kareena, also the
Unicef India celebrity advocate, will
support the communication campaign
for the initiative including promotional
films, mailers and social media.
I recently visited quite a few
schools with UNICEF to see childfriendly schools and to meet some of
the girls and boys who are benefiting
from these programmes. I was inspired
to see spaces which are child-friendly,
she said.
These are places where children
are full of joy when they interact with
teachers, where children feel safe
and secure and where interactive and
creative tools are used to ensure that
children are happy and learning the
34-year-old said in a statement.
Supporting the Unicef cause, Tata
Sky will offer its platform to raise funds
from subscribers facilitating the CFSS
package.
This initiative is an enabler as it
leverages the wide outreach of Tata
Sky in remote parts of the country and

raises mass awareness on the need for quality

education and inclusive learning, said Louis
Georges Arsenault, representative, Unicef
India.

www.iwk.co.nz
12 December 2014

Romancing Sonakshi was

challenging: Rajinikanth

Red

Black

Orange

uperstar Rajinikanth said romancing

Sonakshi Sinha in his forthcoming Tamil
action movie Lingaa was a challenge.
Rajinikanth said he didnt feel so nervous
even on the first time he faced the camera as
much as he did when asked to shoot duets with
Sonakshi.
The worst punishment god can give actors
like me who are in their 60s is to sing duets.
I found shooting duets with Sonakshi more
challenging than doing stunts atop a moving
train in the film, Rajinikanth told reporters
here at the curtain-raiser of the films Telugu
version.
Even in my first film, I didnt feel so
nervous as much as I did when I had to romance
her. Ive known Sonakshi as a baby, and she
has grown up together with my daughters, he
said.
The superstar also felt the same for the
films second heroine, Anushka Shetty.
Rajinikanth heaped praises on make-up
artist Bhanu and cinematographer Rathnavelu
for making him look young and beautiful on
screen.
Lingaaa, directed by K.S. Ravi Kumar,
released this friday.
Rajinikanth appreciated the director for
completing a project of this scale in less than
six months.

ENTERTAINMENT

Dont want my southern

film career to end with
Lingaa: Sonakshi

ctress Sonakshi Sinha, who feels southern

movies are content-rich, says her
forthcoming Tamil cinematic debut Lingaa
wont be a one-off film in her career as shes
keen to find more work in the industry.
I would love to do more projects (down
south) provided I get good scripts, Sonakshi
said in an interview.
The southern film industries are rich in
content, which is why so many of their films
get remade here (in Bollywood). I definitely
dont want (my southern film career) to end
with Lingaa, she said.
Sonakshi may be a newcomer to the southern
filmdom, but she has already developed a sort
of relationship with the industry by starring in
five Hindi remakes of south hits - Dabanng,

31

Rowdy Rathore, Son of Sardaar, Holiday:

A Soldier Is Never Off Duty and upcoming
Tevar.
Also, four of her films so far have been with
southern filmmakers A.R. Murugadoss and
Prabhudeva.
Therefore, working in Lingaa wasnt any
different for her, except the language.
After working in so many southern
remakes, I think Ive developed a sense of
familiarity with the way things function
here. The only new challenge was to speak a
language I dont speak or understand and look
convincing doing it, she added.
Lingaa, which releases in cinemas Friday,
wasnt the first Tamil project Sonakshi was
offered. In fact, she was offered films in Telugu
and Kannada in the past.
I wasnt able to take up those offers because
of my commitments in Bollywood. Just like
how Dabangg was an offer I couldnt refuse,
even though I never wanted to be an actress, so
was Lingaa, she said.
She admits Rajinikanth was a driving
force in her decision to act in Lingaa.
It was an honour to share screen space with
a living legend like him, she said.
Sonakshi wasnt floored by the superstar
status of 62-year old Rajinikanth.
I was stunned by his simplicity and humble
nature. He is a wonderful human being and
truly a rare gem of a person, she said.

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