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9 January 2015

9 January, 2015 Vol. 6 Issue 23 | 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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9 January 2015

CONTENTS

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The Honours 2015

India Modi-fied

Kids Zone

Careers in 2015

Glitterati

Face of the Week

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COVER STORY

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

USHERING in the new year

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ts the New Year!! No matter how many

times you say that making New Years
resolutions is clich.so yesterday..I so
dont do them.yet, each one of us tends
to want to make a fresh start each year. The
reason is simple all of us want to improve on
the life we are living and hence the new year
becomes a time to reflect, to take stock and
to try to create a better version of ourselves.
However, inspite of it all only a few days
later we find ourselves having settled back into
old habits and old routines. This is perhaps
why we constantly find ourselves settling for
less.
A wise person once said If you always do
what youve always done, then youll always
get what youve always got. So heres a list of
New Years resolutions that you can keep and
must consider
Let Go (of all that does not serve you
anymore) This can be a hard one but a
great starting point and is often what drags
us down. So take stock and let go.
Raise your standards (but stay realistic)
While its important to keep moving ahead,
its important to learn that even small steps
forward take you closer to your goal.
Accept that you are imperfect but you are
enough. Its important to embrace your
shortcomings and imperfections, no one is
perfect but its important to love who you
are and like someone said no one can be
your than you!
Know your cheer leaders and support
group. Expect that in your climb to the
top you will falter or fall its important
to know the people who will cheer you
on even when that happens. People who

Shamika Pujara
In the new year 2015, Ive decided
not to quit smoking or drinking
because nobody likes a quitter.
Rachna Vijan
In 2015, I want to seek guidance
from the universe, have faith and
listen to the universe.

believe in you even in times that you are

unsure of yourself.
Let love be your guiding light. Its true that
love makes the world go round. Make
sure that no matter what you do or who you
are with -you stay grounded in love.
Stay present dont rush. Often in our rush
to get ahead, we fail to appreciate the Now.
And yet the two things that you have no
control over are yesterday and tomorrow,
so lets live in the present moment.
Practice gratitude. Be grateful for whatever
you have and also for whatever you dont.
The universe has a funny way of delivering
to you what you are grateful for.
Believe in miracles. Its only when you
believe, you receive. If they can happen to
others- they can happen to you so believe
and keep the faith.

Love the person in the mirror. Buddha said

love and compassion are not complete
unless they include yourself. So love
the person you see in the mirror and be
compassionate. Remember to not be too
hard on yourself.
Live Remember that you were born to
be happy so live, count your blessings,
savour your life and cherish those around
you for life is the biggest treasure of all.
Indian Weekender caught up with a few
people and asked
What do you look forward to in 2015??
Hrilina Sabharwal
I am looking forward to
developing a hobby and engaging
myself in outdoor activities in
2015.

Sandeep Batra
2014 has been a good year for
my family as well as business.
Everyone has ups and downs and
I also had many. But for 2015 I am
trying to move with a positive outlook. I am
planning my schedule in advance, like for a
month or so. I just hope that I could follow it
too. I have been quite busy in my business last
year, but this year I want to maintain a balance
between my family and work life.
Vikram Thakur
Last year was full of struggles and
hard work. Thank god it passed and
I hope this year doesnt go the same
way. I just came 10 months back
and from then I have been struggling to settle
down with the work environment here. For this
year I just hope that I and my wife settle down
properly and our life takes a good start again. I
wish everyone a very Happy New Year.
Debbie Sharma: In 2015 I am
looking forward to keeping things
simple, living in the present as life
is uncertain.

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COVER STORY

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9 January 2015

All thatll jazz up THE YEAR!

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The only time you should ever look back, is to see how far youve come. In keeping
with this spirit let us look at some pointers that made us proud in 2014, and list some
more to look forward to in 2015

Paula Ray
THE YEAR THAT WAS:
Our beloved New Zealand won many an
accolade in 2014. According to the HSBC Expat
Explorer Survey, New Zealand was declared
the topmost country to raise children. What
helps is the fact that according to Transparency
International, New Zealand is also the country
with the lowest level of perceived corruption in
the public sector.
Couple these qualities with another wellknown, yet no less amazing, fact: the Telegraph
Travel Awards conducted a worldwide survey,
the biggest of its kind with more than 90,000
people voting their favourite travel destination.
And, New Zealand was named the worlds best
country.
In the wake of these statistics, Prime Minister
John Key had commented: We believe one 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.
Key has himself lived up to the hype since the
National Partys third victory in a row, giving
the national economy a much-needed stability.
It was in 2014 that New Zealand became the

21st country to participate in the G20 summit

and the country has also taken steps to build up

trade relationships with China, South Korea as

well as India comprising that part of the globe
from where the highest number of immigrants
comes to NZ.
On a lighter note, names like Bruno Mars,
Lionel Richie, Michael Buble, Miley Cyrus,
Justin Timberlake, Lorde, Mariah Carey and
Katie Perry have graced the land with their
performances. The subsequent hype generated
by their concerts has been equally astounding.
THE YEAR THAT IS:

a bang. Firstly, the weather has changed

significantly in the last week of December.
Those of us, who were complaining about a
non-existent summer in New Zealand, have
definitely retracted their statements. Summer is
here and it is definitely here to stay for the next
few weeks.
In fact, there is more reason to head to
the beach. If we go by the financial pundits,
the NZ dollar is gaining in strength quite
unprecedentedly this year.

The year 2015 has definitely begun with

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www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015
Continued from Pg 4

NZ$ soars higher than ever:

that New Zealand
dollar
Red Stuff.co.nz reportsBlack
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has hit its highest level against its Aussie
counterpart since December 1983. At 95.73
AUD, by the end of 2015 the Kiwi currency
might achieve parity with its neighbour for
the first time since the Australian dollar was
floated by then-treasurer Paul Keating.

COVER STORY

of life and made us aware of our safety rights.

Perhaps that can be considered one of the
reasons why the anti-terrorism bill has gained
confidence of political leaders lately.
Since its last reading by 94 votes to 27,
the opposing political party members at the
Parliament have realised that the fear is real. If
it can happen three hours away, it can happen
to us too. So the measures suggested by the
government are gradually gaining support and
hopefully, we will have stronger anti-terrorism
laws by the end of this year.
Swing it like Sachin:
Come February and the world will focus its
lenses on the antipodes. The2015 ICC Cricket
World Cup, the 11th ICC Cricket World Cup,
isscheduled to be jointly hosted by Australia and

This phenomenon has not only reinstated the

trust of the people on the current government,
but investors and traders are gaining confidence
to plan their investments. If the economy
continues at this pace, brighter days are
definitely ahead.
Better to be safe than sorry:
One of the most unfortunate incidents
towards the end of last year the Sydney siege
has somehow woken us up to the uncertainties
New Zealandfrom 14th February to 29th March.
A total of 49 matches will be played at 14 venues
with Australia staging 26 matches at its famous
grounds in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra,
Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. New
Zealand will host the balance of 23 matches in
Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton,
Napier, Nelson and Wellington.
The final will be played at the Melbourne
Cricket
Ground.
One
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COVER STORY

Continued from Pg 5

of the worlds largest international sports

tournaments, there will be 14 competing teams
and more than 400 accredited players and
officials taking part in it.
The promotions and run-up to the tournament
is one of those highlights that will grab many
an eyeball and will be a treat to look forward
to this year. The participating teams include:
England, South Africa, India, Australia, Sri
Lanka, Pakistan, West Indies, Bangladesh, New
Zelaland, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Afghanistan,
Scotland and United Arab Emirates. The teams
will draw cricket fans from all corners of the
globe, marking a busy period in tourism.

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

could well be that opportunity to exercise the

curvy muscles and pick up a few one-liners on
the Kiwis. Who knows!
In reel-time:
Last, but not the least, is our attraction to
the silver screen. What will keep us glued to
the screen this year includes the reel version of
Fifty shades of grey. Even if the book hasnt
caught your attention, there is a chance that the
film might. Perhaps because it is easier to sit
through a film, than sift through the pages of a
pulp fiction.

Katrina Kaif starrer Jugga Jasoos; Sanjay

Leela Bhansalis Bajirao Mastani; and the
much, much awaited Detective Byomkesh Red
Bakshy by Dibakar Banerjee.

Laugh out loud:

The Canadian number one stand-up
comedian, Russell Peters, will be in Auckland
in mid-March as part of his Almost Famous
World Tour. It will feature Peters latest take on
some of his favourite communities, jobs he can
understand, cell phones, dating and his uncle

ICC0019

whos never been punched in the mouth, plus

Peters signature lightening fast improvisation
with the audience.
If you are lacking a reason to smile, this

Other titles to look forward to include The

Boy Next-door starring JLo; Focus starring
Will Smith; Avengers Age of Ultron starring
Robert Downey Jr; Black Mars starring
Johnny Depp; and Mission Impossible 5
starring Tom Cruise.
If Hollywood is not your thing, try catching
Bollywood releases like Anurag Kashyaps
Bombay Velvet; Big B starrer Shamitabh;
Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor starrer
Bajrangi Bhaijaan; Ranbir Kapoor and

Tickets on sale now at

cricketworldcup.com
ADULTS FROM $20, CHILDREN FROM $5*

Coming to New Zealand & Australia 14 February - 29 March 2015

#cwc15
*Tickets subject to availability. Conditions apply. A one-off service/delivery fee per transaction and credit/debit card processing fee applies.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

The journey from the heart

to the mind

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Maya Shivam

n early December the Indian Weekender had published a story on how the big Christchurch
earthquake had driven Team IWK to look to be able to contribute to the after effects of the quake
in a manner that the contribution is ongoing and it grows over time. This journey had taken us
to New Delhi where the team visited the Jai Prakash Narayan Trauma Centre and this initiated a
dialogue between the visionaries of three countries New Zealand, India and the United States. We
also had introduces some specialists who are to be involved in the proposed project.
Taking the story further we now have Dr. Sagar Galwankar, MBBS, DNB, FACEE (INDIA),
MPH. Diplomat. ABEM (USA) Chief Executive Officer of the INDO-US Emergency and Trauma
Collaborative,Faculty of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida, Jacksonville, USA, Chairman
of the Academic College of Emergency Experts in India who has written to the Indian Weekender.

Building a Kiwi-Indo-USA partnership in health

sciences and technology: The gateway to growth!

uilding positive partnerships is the core

foundation of progress! This is a fact
which is not only known but also successfully
tested. Health Research, Health Education and

lives in India and modifying health policy for

progressive growth. INDUSEM has cemented
better relations between India and the United
States building on collaborations between

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Dr Sagar Galwankar

PRIZE INCLUDES
HealthCare are key areas where science and
technology finds a major foot hold for its sheer
existence. Today the major challenge to any
nation is the health of its citizen. The health
indicators steer the economy and its growth
be it the most developed economy or the
economies in transition. No nation is immune
from potential for diseases, disorders, natural
disasters and developing strategies to tackle the
challenges.
It is these challenges which are the window
of opportunities wherein if partnerships are
built between Institutions, Individuals and
nations then a positive progress can be made
in bettering the health of the citizens and thus
improving the global health at large.
Recently there has been a tremendous focus
on building partnerships between nations with
emerging economies. The KIWI partnership
is one such important partnership which is yet
to be capitalized for bettering the health of the
world.
The success of the existing partnership
between India and the United States in the field
of Emergency and Trauma Medical Sciences
(INDUSEM) has resulted in exponential
growth of Emergency and Trauma - Research,
Education and HealthCare in India. A decade
INDUSEM has facilitated policy and growth
of Trauma Centers, A strong Disaster Response
system, a single emergency telephone number
and landmark research and innovations done in
the field of Emergency Medicine and Trauma.
Today the results of these innovations is saving

Individuals, Institutions and various agencies

of the Governments of United States and India.
Recently Visionary leaders from New
Zealand (Indian Weekender) met up with
Leaders of INDUSEM and also had detailed
discussions with the Science and Technology
Minister of India Dr. Harsha Vardhan. It was
decided that a conscious effort be made to
develop the KIWI partnership with INDUSEM.
Exchange of Knowledge, Joint Research
and Education Opportunities, Collaborations
between Physician Leaders, partnerships
between Health Institutions will be the
fundamental to bringing the KIWI partnership
to INDUSEM initiative.
Health Development is one of the most
vibrant economic aspects which no nation
can ignore. By bringing the perspectives and
potentials of New Zealand to the world stage,
joint education undertakings, joint research
initiatives in Biotechnology, Nanotechnology
and key development initiatives in improving
health care by incorporating technology, can
open new doors for economic growth in New
Zealand.
The United States partnership with India
has catapulted the growth of Electronic
Health Records, Nano Biotechnology for
diagnosing and treating patients with Infectious
Diseases, Heart Disorders and Cancer,
Sonography Sciences, Simulation Education,
Drug Development and HealthCare Systems
development.
Continued on Pg 8

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SPECIAL FEATURE

Continued from Pg 7

The creation of Indias First Paper Less

Electronic Health Recording System in the
largest Medical Hospital and College the All
India Institute of Medical Sciences under the
leadership of Professor Dr. Deepak Aggarwal,
Building of the largest trauma emergency
care health system and training doctors across
India by leaders like Professor Dr. Sanjeev

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

Investment project in India.

Keeping the above in perspective the
Government, Health Institutions, Research
Bodies in New Zealand should now be
looking keenly to join this initiative by Indian
Weekender in partnership with INDUSEM to
create similar opportunities in New Zealand.
Bringing the patented technologies from
United States to benefit the health care system

Indian Professor is
inducted to Florida
Inventors Hall of Fame
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Indian Weekender Exclusive

Bhoi and Professor Dr. Aggarwal, patenting

the Nobel Prize potential technology of point
of care diagnostics in infectious diseases and
cancer by Professor Dr. Shyam Mohapatra
from USA are some of the key achievements
of the INDUSEM partnerships which have
directly impacted growth of industry and Nano
Biotechnology in India.
Recently the Government of the largest
state of India Uttar Pradesh launched the
Silicon Valley UP Government championed
SVADESH program focused on HealthCare
Investments in Education, Research and Care in
India by the USA Silicon Valley Partners. This
is considered the largest ever Foreign Direct

in New Zealand and partnering with India

which produces over 30,000 English Speaking
Physicians and Health Scientists annually can
definitely impact the New Zealand Growth
Story.
Inviting the INDUSEM leaders and key
players in policy making New Zealand should
take the steps for partnership geared at positive
progress.
It is well known that Success is only
measured once there is success. The path to
success begins with creatively converting
challenges into opportunities.
Collaboration is the key step on the path of
success!

hyam Mohapatra, PhD, a pioneer of

applied biomedical nanotechnology, was
among six inventors announced as the first
inductees into the newly established Florida
Inventors Hall of Fame. Dr. Mohapatra joins
Thomas Edison (1847-1931), the most prolific
inventor in U.S. history, and John Gorrie, MD
(1803-1855), the father of air conditioning
and refrigeration, as members of the Florida
Inventors Hall of Fames inaugural class. Other
2014 inductees are Robert Cade, MD (19272007), a University of Florida professor who
developed the hydrating sports drink Gatorade;
William Glenn, PhD (1926-2013), a Florida
Atlantic University professor who invented the
high-definition camera for NASA; and ShinTson Wu, PhD (1953- ), a University of Central
Florida professor whose liquid crystal research
has widely impacted display technology
worldwide.
Indian Weekender caught up with Dr
Mohapatra to bring its readers his profile. Dr.
Shyam S. Mohapatra is a distinguished health
professor, Associate Dean at the College of
Pharmacy, Vice Chair of Research for Internal
Medicine, Director of the Translational
Medicine-USF
Nanomedicine
Research
Center at the University of South Florida,
and a Research Career Scientist and Principle
Investigator at the James A. Haley VA Hospital
in Tampa, FL.
An accomplished scientist and researcher;
Dr. Mohapatra is recognized nationally, as
well as internationally for his expertise in the

field of nanoscale biomedical diagnostics and

therapeutics in cancers, asthma, viral infections,
and traumatic brain injury.
He has produced over 175 publications; both
books and in well-respected industry journals.
Dr. Mohapatra in a true innovator, and has to
his credit 22 U.S. patents, 3 foreign patents, and
numerous pending patent applications. He is
the Founder of Trans Genex Nanobiotech, Inc.
and serves as its Chairman of the Scientific
Advisory Board. Dr. Mohapatra is a Molecular
Biologist with more than 20 years of experience
in drug discovery for allergic diseases including
allergen and virally triggered asthma and has
developed proprietary positions for treatment
of respiratory diseases.
Continued on Pg 9

MBA in International Management

- MSC
- Postgraduate Diploma
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Tutor-supported distance learning.
Accredited by the Association of MBAs.
Face-to-face sessions with the University of London.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015
Continued from Pg 8

Dr. Mohapatra holds several professional

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Black a member
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affiliations, which include
of the
American Association for the Advancement
of Science (AAAS), the National Academy
of Inventors, the USF Academy of Inventors,
the Americana Thoracic Society, the American
Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
to name a few.
Dedicating his lifes work to science research
and education, Dr. Mohapatras academic
philosophy is, My passion for academia is
based on my personal belief that each student
has the potential to bring something unique
and special to the world. I believe in no
student left behind. Through education each
student must self-discover his/her potential.
Although a focused and committed scientist,
Dr. Mohapatra finds joy within the classroom,
and has held professional faculty appointments
at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg and
the University of South Florida. Currently,
he is also the Associate Dean of the Graduate
programs in the University Of South Florida
College Of Pharmacy. Under his leadership,
a graduate certificate program has already
been established and several other graduate
programs are well underway.
Well respected by his students and colleagues
alike, Dr. Mohapatra has served as a supervisor
for several graduate clinical and postdoctoral
fellows and as a peer reviewer for many
journals. Currently, he is the editor of several
journals, which include, but are not limited to,
Clinical Molecular Allergy, Genetic Vaccines
and Therapy (Editor-in-Chief), and Nature
Journals. Dr. Mohapatra is a highly sought after
speaker. He has to his credit numerous national
and international speaking invitations. He serves

as an expert in peer review panels of several

major national and international grant agencies,
including the National Institute of Health. His
current memberships include the UK Research
Council, the Singapore National Institute of
Health Research, the Israel Science Research
Foundation, and the Singapore National
Research Council. He has been a consultant
with and has performed collaborative and
contract research for numerous pharmaceutical
companies, and is on the scientific Advisory
Board of Herbogen, Inc., CA. He
has been involved in several
clinical trials.
Dr. Mohapatra has
received more than $20
million in extramural
funds including funds
from the National
Institutes of Health
(NIH), DOA, ONR,
VA Merit Review Award
and Florida Department of
Health. Mohapatra has had a
distinguished and well celebrated
career. He has been awarded numerous
honors and accolades, which include, but are
not limited to the Alexander von Humboldt
research fellowship (Germany) and Pharmacia
Allergy Research Foundation Award (Sweden).
He is also the recipient of numerous awards
in biotechnology, the Sigma XI award, TBTF
Technology Leadership Award and Global
Corporate Award in Nanotechnology in
2014. Dr. Mohapatra is a chartered fellow
(national Academy of Inventors-2013), VA
Career Scientist Award (James A Haley
Veterans Hospital-2007), Outstanding Faculty
Research Achievement Award (University of

South Florida - 2005), Outstanding Biotech

Achievement Award (University of South
Florida - 2005), Outstanding Faculty Research
Award Sigma Xi (University of South Florida 2004), and, most became an inaugural inductee
into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame
(2014). Upon his induction, Dr. Mohapatra
was recognized for the following: He invented
intranasal gene transfer technology to help
combat respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a
potentially lethal respiratory infection that
can severely affect infants, young
children and the elderly. Dr.
Mohapatras approach, to
elicit a local immune
response in the airways,
has the potential to
deliver genes and other
therapeutics, including
RNA, for a wide
range of respiratory
viruses. Dr. Mohapatras
invention of the oligoadenylate synthatase antiviral
technologyinvolving a wellness
gene has been licensed to Kineta
Inc., of Seattle, WA, and the company plans to
conduct a Phase I clinical trial in Europe this
year. This technology is being used to create
a vaccine/treatment against several RNA viral
diseases affecting billions of patients worldwide, including hepatitis C, influenza, RSV,
and dengue.
Research by Dr. Mohapatra leading to
a rapid HIV-detection kit that provides a
diagnosis in 20 seconds. Dr. Mohapatra and
Subhra Mohapatra, PhD, of the USF Health
Department of Molecular Medicine, invented
a nanoscale fiber scaffold, which allows tumor

cells to replicate in a laboratory petri dish

more like tumors grow in the human body. In
addition to facilitating research using threedimensional tumors instead of two-dimensional
tumor cell cultures, the technology may help
address several hurdles in cancer therapeutics,
including more effective testing of tumor
response to anti-cancer drugs and screening
biopsied tumor tissue for personalized cancer
treatment. The work led to the development
of a proprietary Tumor-on-a-dish platform,
which TransGenex is commercializing.
Dr. Mohapatras holds his Ph.D. in
Genetics from Australian National University.
Additionally, Dr. Mohapatra holds an MBA in
International Business from the University of
South Florida. He is also a graduate of the USF
Health Leadership Institute. Dr. Mohapatra is
married to Dr. Subhra Mohapatra, Associate
Professor in the Department of Molecular
Medicine at the USF. They have one son,
Alexander Mohapatra who is currently pursuing
his MD/PhD at the University of California,
San Francisco. When hes not in the lab or in
the classroom, Dr. Mohapatra enjoys reading,
gardening, and tennis.
Indian Weekender congratulates this
inventor genius for his accomplishments. You
make us all proud Dr Mohapatra.

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Facebook at
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10

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

NEW ZEALAND

Ranchhod and Mishra named for QSM

Red

Swati Sharma

he Queens Service Medal (QSM) was

instituted by New Zealand in 1975, at
the same time as the Queens Service Order
(QSO). The purpose of both the QSO and
the QSM is to recognise voluntary service to
the community and also elected or appointed
public office. Up to 60 awards of the QSM can
be made each year and recipients are entitled to
use the post-nominal letters QSM after their
names. Military personnel are not eligible to
be awarded the QSM for their military service,
however, community service performed in
a civilian capacity can be recognised by the
award of the QSM.
Each year the Honours list is announced
on the 1st of January and like every year, the
2015 list also boasts of the inclusion of names
of persons of Indian origin. This year there
are two exceptional Indians who have made it
to the Queens honours and are receiving the
Queens Service Medal.
Raman Ranchhod - QSM
There are various forms of giving. One
may give by dedicating time or knowledge. By
doing this we are in fact receiving more without
expecting anything in return. This is the mantra
for Mr Raman Ranchhod who receives QSM
for services to the Indian Community.
Mr Raman Ranchhod is currently the
Senior Director of the Ranchhod Group, a
commercial property investment enterprise that
he established with his son, which operates in
Australasia and beyond.
At an early age he became involved in the
Wellington Indian Association, later serving two
terms as Vice President. He was instrumental in

Raman Ranchhod

Praboth Kumar Mishra

establishing a physical base for the association,

which is also used for social functions, and was
central to many major events in the Wellington
Indian Community, while also conducting
religious Geeta classes.
In 2011 he established the Ranchhod
Foundation to extend his philanthropic work to
medical organisations, which provide voluntary
treatment, and for the education, health,
welfare, cultural and economic development
of disadvantaged people. In India he was
instrumental in the construction of the Laduben
Ranchhod Urban Health Centre in Navsari. He
has funded free eye clinics, high tech hospital
equipment, school equipment and school fees
for children in continued sponsorships for 100
students.

The Ranchhod Foundation has partnered

with World Vision to provide three water
filtration units to rural schools. Mr Ranchhod
has donated health equipment to the Starship
Childrens Hospital in Auckland and to other
Hospitals in Tanzania.
Raman arrived in New Zealand in the
1950s, starting his life in Wellington. He
married in 1964 and has two children and four
grandchildren. For the past ten years he has
been living in Auckland.

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Mr. Mishra settled in New Zealand in
1987 after Fijis first military coup. He was a
Fijian Diplomat having served in London and
New Zealand. In New Zealand, he has been
Human Resources Manager at the Ministry
of Education, Te Papa Tongarewa, the New
Zealand Police Commissioners Office and
Te Kohanga Reo National Trust. He has
served on the Families Commission Ethnic
Reference Group. He joined the Rotary Club of
Western Hutt in 1993 and has been a Trustee
and President. For three years he has assisted
with the Wellington Regional Asian Health
Alliance in Newtown and Lower Hutt. He has
been an advisor and President of the Fiji Indian
Association, Wellington for three terms.
Mr Mishra has provided free training in
Employment Law for new migrants and assisted
with tax matters and advocated on behalf of
migrants with problems with employers. He
spearheaded a joint project with Rotary and
Fiji Community members to raise funds for the
McIndoe Institute and chaired the Wellington
Fijian Support Group for the Rugby World
Cup 2011. He is currently a Board member and
volunteer at Citizens Advice Bureau, Lower
Hutt and resident JP.
He holds a Masters Degree from Auckland
University and a Certificate in Diplomacy from
Oxford University, UK. He is an Associate
Fellow of NZ Institute of Management (retired)
and Professional Member of Human Resources
Institute of NZ (Retired) He is also a registered
marriage celebrant. Mr. Mishra is a Foundation
Member of Fiji Indian Association and is also
a recipient of Paul Harris Award- Rotarys
highest Award.

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us; we want to be heard. This is
our platform to stand united
against all odds

Paula Ray

queen of comedy

Manisha vora

Prabodh Mishra says he is deeply humbled

by this honour. I am also pleased that it is an
acknowledgement of voluntary service across
a range of Communities and not just Fijian

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Media Partners

e were at the Dunedin airport, on our

way back to Auckland, after attending
a conference on the theme: Space Race and
Bodies. One of the academics at the conference
presented a paper on racial profiling at airport
security checks and the subsequent body
frisking. In fact, the academic of African
origin mentioned being subjected to the same
when she entered New Zealand just a couple
of days ago. This is a worldwide phenomenon,
experienced the moment the authorities realise
you are from a foreign land.
And we were discussing exactly this
particular paper as we made our way towards
security check at Dunedin airport. I was with
a couple of colleagues, both of local origin.
But, as expected, I was stopped at the security
check. It was because my denim pants have a
metal plate - the brand tag on the waist band. So
there I was standing with my hands up, asked
to turn and twist in different directions and lift
up my shirt several times so that the metal tag
could be examined.
What made me uncomfortable was the
scrutiny of a male pair of eyes in full public
view of a busy airport (security check was
being carried out for two flights at that time). If
you need to examine my clothes, I would rather
you do that in an enclosed space. Although I

In this column, I share my experiences that

would perhaps be familiar to you too.
If you can relate to them, please share your
thoughts or similar experiences with me

doubt the other travellers had any interest in

what was going on, I felt conscious of their
casual glances in my direction.
By this time, my Kiwi colleagues had safely
moved on and made their way towards the
boarding gate.
I reiterate that this is not specific to Dunedin
or NZ, but is a worldwide phenomenon. While
being subjected to the mandatory security
check, the conference presenters entire paper
came back to me and made me wonder why is
it the way it is?
Is this an impact of xenophobia? Is it that I
was dressed incorrectly? Perhaps I should have
been careful about not wearing a pair of denims
that had a metal tag - lack of insight on my part.
Or that the airport staff do randomly pick up
travellers for inspection and I happen to be the
chosen one that day.
Whatever the rationale, there has to be
some form of standardisation. It should not
be so random that it ticks off all the boxes to
a stereotype.If at all, I told myself that at least
I dont have a name that would raise security
speculation.

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

NEW ZEALAND

Ferry service important to New Zealand

Red

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Winston Peters
NZ First leader

he Cook Strait crossing is one of the jewels

in the New Zealand tourism crown. But
unfortunately break downs on the KiwiRail
service cause havoc with travel plans and
freight.
Its a challenging route for any ferry
company because sea conditions are often
rough. That means the ferries crossing between
Wellington and Picton need to be designed for
the purpose.
At present KiwiRail is gearing up to bid
goodbye to the ferry Arahura which has done
50,000 trips across the strait in 31 years.
The Arahura stands out for its reliability. It
must have been value for money. At the time it
was bought in the 80s the price of $45 million
would have been significant (its equivalent to
about $145m now).
The ship was tailor made in Denmark.
Now KiwiRail are going to replace this ferry
with the Stena Alegra. It will only be on charter,
but the ship hasnt got top marks since it has
been filling in on the run. KiwiRail say it has
fulfilled only 88% of its scheduled trips.
But they are settling for these secondhand
goods saying it is too costly to buy another
bespoke ship.
In 1983 they put the order in and we got the
specially designed Arahura. Sure shes had the
odd problem, but shes been fit for purpose.
Somehow everything went wrong with the
purchase of the Spanish built ferry Aratere, its
been a lemon from the start and a fortune has
been spent on repairs and modifications.
New Zealand First believes mariners
who know their ships should be making the
decisions on what ferry will be undertaking the
Cook Strait run. It is part of State Highway One
that crosses the sea so is a vital transport route.
We dont want inferior ships on this service.

Seasons
Greetings

from

New Zealand First

to the Kiwi Indian community

Mahesh Bindra
New Zealand First MP
P
E

+64 4 817 8364

Mahesh.Bindra@parliament.govt.nz

Private Bag 18888, Parlliament Buildings, Wellington 6011

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Weekender
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for a full year
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Email : admin@
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Authorised by Mahesh Bindra, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

11

12

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

NEW ZEALAND

Auckland celebrates Gurpurab

Swati Sharma

urdwara Nanaksar Thath Isher

Drabar Manurewa celebrated tenth
Sikh Guru Sri Guru Gobind Singh Jis
birthday on 28th December 2014 with
respect and enthusiasm.
Guru Gobind Singhs teachings have
a big impact on Sikhs. In his lifetime,
he stood against the Mughal Rulers
and fought against injustice. In 1699,
Guru Gobind Singh took five men from
the lower caste of society and baptized
them as His Five Beloveds, endowing
them with great courage and a devotion
to God. It was his dedication to God,
his fearlessness and his desire to protect
the people from being oppressed that
led Guru Gobind Singh to establish the
Khalsa, a military force of saint-soldiers
which he baptized.
Under Guru Gobind Singhs guidance
and inspiration, the Khalsa followed a
strict moral code and spiritual discipline.
It was through his courage that the people
rose against the oppression of the Mughal
ruler in India at the time.

Aside from being a spiritual and a

military leader Guru Gobind Singh was
also a gifted writer who penned a large
body of literary work. Before his death in
1708, he declared the Guru Granth Sahib,
which is Sikhisms Holy Scripture to be
the permanent Sikh Guru.
So every year in the remembrance
of martyr Guru Sahib and his family
Gurdwara Nanaksar Thath organises
event. This year, hundreds of people
came to the Gurdwara to participate in the
event. The celebration was started with
the Nishan Sahib di Sewa.Then Sangat
came to the Darbar Sahib. The Ragis
recited the kirtan in grace of Guru ji and
people enjoyed it. On this auspicious day
Spoken Words youth group arranged
a stall of chhabeel and ice cream for Above: Sevadar making Karha Prasad;
fundraising. Later Lungar was served to (below) Raagis doing kirtan during the
celebrations
the Sangat.

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi

Red

Swati Sharma

Black

Orange

aishnav Parivar (NZ) Inc., as part of their cultural activities,

has been organizing Indian Kite Festival in Auckland for
the last 9 years. This year VPNZ is organizing it at the Avondale
Racecourse grounds, Avondale on 17th January.
Kite flying, on the occasion of Makarsakranti (Uttarayan),
is popular in India. A feeling of competition, leading to joy and
jubilation grips all who celebrate the occasion of thanksgiving
and merry-making.

The fascination and fun associated with kite flying cuts

across age groups and communities. It is a competitive fun sport
where the families enjoy not only flying kites but also outdoing
the rivals kites.
VPNZ imports kites and threads from India each year for
sale at the Festival. You can also buy raffle tickets to win Apple
iPhone 6, Slumberzone Deluxe Queen Bed, 2 off the Samsung
GALAXY Tab 3 and many more attractive prizes. For more
details, see WHATSOn, page 28.

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

Kai Po Che!

www.national.org.nz

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

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NEW ZEALAND

13

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www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

FIJI

NEWS in BRIEF
Spillage prompts environmental emergency
declaration

n Environmental Emergency Declaration under the Environment Management Act is now

confirmed for parts of the Cunningham River in Suva, as well as the Suva Coastline
beginning from the mouth of river Rewa up to the FDB foreshore in Suva. This was confirmed
in a Government statement issued minutes ago following a meeting of the Inter-Agency
Emergency committee that met in Suva earlier today. The declaration has been effective since
December 31, 2014. The statement said that because of serious health concerns, there shall be
no fishing or any other recreational activity in these waters, reports Fiji Times.

Fiji cricket jumps up to 40th

he Fiji cricket side has jumped to the 40th spot in the International Cricket Council
rankings, reports Fiji Times. Cricket Fiji general manager Inoke Lesuma said it was a big
move for the sport, which was on the rise in the country. To be ranked 40 out of 104 cricket
associations worldwide was a great achievement.

Allen tops amateurs golf

uvas Olaf Frank Grant Allen finished as Fijis top player on the World Amateur Golf
Rankings for 2014, reports Fiji Times.
Allen closed the season moving up nine places to 2048 position. He represented Fiji at the
World Amateur Team Championship in Japan last September and the Asian Pacific Amateur
Championship at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia in October.
Allens best world ranking was 589 back in April 2013.
National Golf Association of Fiji secretary Amitesh Chandra said the 2015 calendar would
be released after the annual general meeting. The international events are the Pacific Games
in Papua New Guinea, Nomura Cup in Dubai and the Asia Amateur Championship in Hong
Kong.

Carpenter confident for Fiji Pearls

week-long camp has been planned for the Fiji Pearls in preparation for the inaugural
Oceania Netball Tri Series to be held in Suva from January 19 to 22, reports Fiji Times.
Coach Kate Carpenter will use the camp session to do the final touch-ups for the test
matches against the Silver Ferns and Samoa.
Carpenter, the former PNG netball coach, said the 12 best players would be selected based
on fitness, experience and skill level.
We have a good balance in the team in all departments, said Carpenter. We have some
good shooters, defenders and midcourt players to choose from and we will select the best.

For a brighter tomorrow:

Bainimarama
Red

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rime Minister Rear Admiral (Ret) Voreqe

Bainimarama visualises the year 2015 as
the year that will put proper structures in place
to carry Fiji into the future, reports Fiji Times.
That is the way to boost the countrys economy
to maintain growth, keep trade flowing and
improved export earnings. Restructuring
of civil services would also improve the
governments ability to serve the people.

All this is to fulfil our vision of Fiji as a

truly modern nation-state in which a population
that is better educated can get jobs that are better
paid and more satisfying, in which Fijian-made
goods become a byword for quality the world
over and in which Fiji cements its place as a preeminent Pacific Island nation and a respected
voice in the world, Bainimarama said.
Reflect on the achievements and hope for the
future, was his message to Fijians. No Fijian
can doubt the importance of 2014 by any
standards, a monumental year in our history. It
was the year in which we embarked on our new
and true democracy, a year in which Fijians
voted overwhelmingly for a new beginning,
said the PM.

In our landmark election on 17 September,

we decisively turned our backs as a nation on
the divisions of the past and opted instead for
an inclusive future of hope and great promise.
He said the challenge now was to capitalise on
the events of the past few months.
There is still much to be done to catch
up as a nation on the lost years. The years we
squandered arguing about who deserved more
when we should have been building a better
future for everyone, he said.

Opposition promotes
nation building

he success of the September election has

given Fijians a springboard upon which
they can progress towards happiness, freedom
and prosperity.
Opposition Leader Ro TeimumuKepas
highlighted this at his New Year message, and
said that nation building is the call of the hour
for Fiji.

The elections raised many issues of

fairness and credibility. But they have given
Fiji a basis from which to make progress
towards happiness, freedom and prosperity,
said TeimumuKepa, reports Fiji Times.
These essential elements of nation building
can only be derived from unity and respect,
love of neighbour and governance-based on the
principle that all citizens are equal under the
law. Let us rid ourselves of the notion that some
are more equal than others and are therefore
entitled to legal protection denied to the rest of
the citizenry.
Initially this may be a challenge, but societal
rebuilding is important, she said. In the
rebuilding of our society after the harm caused
by military rule, we must make dialogue and
negotiation central to achieving peaceful
solutions to Fijis challenges.
Never again should we permit acts of
violence, force, intimidation and illegality
to be the methods we select to change
governments, she said. I stress again that Fiji
must gain strength from the rule of law, proper
parliamentary procedures and social justice for
all.

Advertise here
For just $99/- and
reach 60,000 potential
customers every week.
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www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

FIJI

Kumar urges PM to probe her hurried exit

Red

Black

Orange

ormer acting permanent secretary for

education Basundra Kumar has called on
Prime Minister Bainimarama to investigate
Education Minister Dr Mahendra Reddys hand
in her controversial exit from the ministry,
reports Fiji Times.
Incidentally, Kumar has been a career civil
servant with 26 years in the education sector,
while Reddy, she claimed, had no understanding
of it.
Dr Reddy refused to respond to Mrs Kumars
comments saying he was fed-up of the issue.
Let her make allegations, she does it all the
time, I dont want to know anything.
Kumar explained that she was suspended
from her position after returning from a weeks
leave. I informed them (ministry officials) that
I would be taking my whole weeks leave and
that I would resume work again on Tuesday and
nobody said anything to me that I was under
investigation and that I would be investigated.
In fact they should have called me in
the office and told me you will be under
investigation and I wouldve taken it nicely
that there is an investigation against me,
Kumar said.
She said when she arrived home after her
leave, that very day a Government vehicle
came with her suspension-without-pay letter
and disclosures compiled by the ministrys
team.
I did not see any investigations or any letter
from the Public Service Commission saying that
as acting permanent secretary I had breaches
and I was supposed to be investigated, said
Kumar.
When I looked at the disclosure, I was
quite frustrated, I thought, look at the Minister
for Education - disciplining and sending me on
suspension for no serious problem.
Was there a need for him to send me home
without pay when I had 68 days of leave still
pending? If he wanted me to be out of office,
he couldve sent me on leave - my 26 years of
clean record has been tarnished by this minister,
it is his propaganda.
I have worked with him and this is what he
wanted me to do for others. But I was objecting
and I was telling him to follow the Government
disciplinary procedures and not sending people
on suspension without any money, she said.
Kumar pointed out that the minister was
elected by the people and it was not right for
him to interfere with operational matters of the
ministry.
Ministry workers are not talking because
they fear being victimised by the minister, they
fear losing their jobs, Kumar added.
This entire disregard to the government
procedures and policies was very offensive
and I thought this man (minister) is targeting to
finish me off, she said.
Kumar explained that she decided to
withdraw her resignation after comments made
to the media by Dr Reddy that her reason to
resign was to evade investigation, reports Fiji
Times.
I decided immediately to withdraw my
resignation and challenge the minister for a fair
and independent investigation.
In the letter that I have written, I have
also said that I also want the minister to be
investigated and the minister to be sent out of
the office and an investigation be carried out
by the Prime Minister and the deputy Prime
Minister so that everything surfaces because
those officers that are working there in the
ministry are under duress and I am very much
aware, she said.
When I looked at the disclosure, I was
quite frustrated, I thought, look at the Minister
for Education disciplining and sending me on
suspension for no serious problem.
Was there a need for him to send me home

without pay when I had 68 days of leave still

pending? If he wanted me to be out of office, he
couldve sent me on leave. My 26 years of clean
record have been tarnished by this minister, it is
his propaganda.
I have worked with him and this is what he
wanted me to do for others but I was objecting
and I was telling him to follow the Government
disciplinary procedures and not sending people
on suspension without any money, she said.
Kumar said the minister was elected by the
people and it was not right for him to interfere
with operational matters of the ministry.
Ministry workers are not talking because they
fear being victimised by the minister, they fear
losing their jobs, Kumar said.

15

This entire disregard to the government

procedures and policies was very offensive
and I thought this man (minister) is targeting to
finish me off, she said.
Kumar said she decided to withdraw her
resignation after comments made to the media
by Dr Reddy that she resigned to avoid an
investigation, reports Fiji Times.
I decided immediately to withdraw my
resignation and challenge the minister for a fair
and independent investigation. In the letter that
I have written, I have also said that I also want
the minister to be investigated and the minister
to be sent out of the office and an investigation
be carried out by the Prime Minister and the
deputy Prime Minister so that everything
surfaces because those officers that are working
there in the ministry are under duress and I am
very much aware, she said.

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16

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

NEW ZEALAND

Red

Black

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The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim

is too high and we miss it but that it is too low and we
reach it.
- Michelangelo

Editorial

From the desk of the

Managing Editor

Funny bone ?

For last years words belong to last years language

And next years words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning. -TS Eliot

he new year is always an exciting time, when all of us are looking forward to the infinite
new possibilities that the new year may bring with it. It has been much the same at Indian
Weekender. As we planned for the year ahead, we cannot help but be extremely excited by
what we have planned for our readers this coming year. So look forward to exciting new
issues as we put our heart and soul into enhancing your reading experience. To start with, we
are starting a childrens page and we have lovingly called it Yo! This is so that we make
sure that our publication is enjoyed by the entire family and the little ones are not left out,
especially during their school holidays.
The Queens Honours are out and it makes us proud to see the names of two Indians on the
list. On behalf of the entire Indian Weekender family, we extend our heartiest congratulations
to Raman Ranchhod and Prabodh Mishra for this achievement. We bring to you their profiles
in this issue.
In another corner of the world an Indian Professor was inducted to the Florida Inventors
Hall of Fame. This is a huge achievement and we applaud the genius of Dr Shyam Mohapatra
for being placed alongside the likes of none other than Thomas Edison. We have an Indian
Weekender exclusive on Dr Mohapatra and hopefully, in our subsequent issues, we will bring
more from him for our readers.
This has also been the period when stalwarts like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pandit Madan
Mohan Malviya have been acknowledged for their contributions to the country and named as
recipients of Bharat Ratna.
The world also saw the sudden exit of our cricketing Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He
is being called the most brilliant and yet the most controversial of Indian Captains. We will
surely miss his genius, but definitely look forward to what the future of Indian Cricket holds
for us. We also bring you a substantial dose of Dhoni in this issue. Each of us is looking
forward to the World Cup now.
We are also proud to continue to take our readers on the journey that Indian Weekender is
undertaking by trying to establish a relationship between India, USA and New Zealand in the
area of health care. As we take each step forward we bring our readers updates on how we
are going. In an earlier issue, we had reported about the journey to the Jai Prakash Narayan
Trauma Centre and in this issue, we take the journey forward.
This holiday has also been the time for cosmopolitan Indians to get out there and party and
therefore our new serving of Glitterati looks rather colourful.

Pick of the week

Approach the New Year with resolve to find the opportunities hidden in each new day.
-Michael Josephson
In this spirit, I invite all our readers to approach the new year with a renewed enthusiasm
to take life by the horns and face any obstacle that you could be facing at the moment. Make a
fresh start and determine to not give up till we achieve our goals. With this message, on behalf
of Team IWK, I wish all our readers a very happy new year and wish that this year unfolds for
you all your hearts desires and may you achieve all your dreams. May the force be with you!

Students hold earthen pitchers filled with water as they take a holy bath ahead of the
Magh Mela festival during a ceremony in Ahmedabad.
Photo: Reuters

Giri Gupta

Indian Weekender Volume 6 Issue 23

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

Bach

Pronounced: Batch
(noun) Small holiday home or beach house
Usage: Itll be good to spend the weekend at your bach at Piha beach.

Graphic Design and Layout: IWK Design Team | designer@ indianweekender.co.nz

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Printed at Guardian Print, Ashburton
Copyright 2014. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

TIP from the TRENCHES

Unfollow, dont Unfriend, them on Facebook

Do you have a Facebook friend who constantly posts annoying

political rants? Or one who cant stop whining about a failed
relationship? This simple trick helps you remove the annoying clutter
from your news feed:
After login, just click on the grey arrows, which appear on the top
right corners of posts and give you the option of unfollowing a
person.
Users can also use the grey arrows to hide stories they are not
interested in reading.

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

OPINION / EDITORIAL

17

Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Apostle of peace, humanity

personified

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Ashok Tandon

28-year-old dhoti-kurta clad young man

was jostling to push his blanket-wrapped
baggage into the unreserved compartment of
a passenger train at Delhi Railway station on
May 8, 1953.
It was a send off for Shyma Prasad
Moookerjee, founder of the Bharatiya Jana
Sangh (predecessor of the present day Bharatiya
Janata Party), on a mission to enter Jammu &
Kashmir defying the entry-permit order of the
government and demanding full integration of
the state into the Indian Union.
On the call of duty was a journalist-turned
hitherto unfamiliar political secretary to
Mookerjee - Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Mookerjee was arrested on May 10, 1953 on
the J&K border while entering the state and was
taken to Srinagar jail.
He sent Vajpayee back to Delhi with a
message for the party rank and file to continue
the agitation against what he then termed Ek
desh mein Do Vidhan, Do Pradhan, and Do
Nishan Nahin Chalenge (in one country there
cant be two constitutions, two prime ministers
& two flags).
Mookerjee
died
under
mysterious
circumstances while in custody in Srinagar on
June 23, 1953. And young Vajpayee, with his
oratorical eloquence relentlessly went on to
spread his political mentors message across
the country and made an indelible mark as a
debutant on the political scene of independent
India.
Vajpayee entered the Lok Sabha from
Balrampur in UP in the second general
elections in 1957 and his maiden speech
earned him laurels from many contemporary
veteran parliamentarians, including the then
prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru who, while
introducing Vajpayee to a visiting foreign

dignitary once said this young man one day

will become the countrys prime minister.
Vajpayee remained a member of parliament
for 47 years, elected 11 times to the Lok Sabha,
and twice to the Rajya Sabha. But the issue of
Jammu & Kashmir always remained foremost
in his mind. He was a staunch critic of Nehrus
Jammu & Kashmir policy.
A poet by heart, Vajpayee articulated poetry
as one of the means of expressing himself in
any given situation. He would often recite one
of his poems during the course of his speeches
to convey his message for the occasion and
enthral his audience.
One of his poems on Jammu & Kashmir

Mastak Nahi Jhukega sums up Indias

position on the issue of Jammu & Kashmir.
As external affairs minister in the 1977
Janata Party government, Vajpayee pursued
the policy of friendly relations with Indias
neighbours, including Pakistan, on the principle
of peaceful co-existence & mutual respect. His
famous quote you can change friends but not
your neighbours went on to become a dictum
in the Indian foreign office establishment.
Resolving all the outstanding issues with
Pakistan, including the issue of Jammu &
Kashmir issue in a peaceful manner through
bilateral dialogue without any third party
intervention was Vajpayees mantra when he

became the prime minister, first for 13 days in

1996, then for 13 months in 1998 and again for
a full five-year term in 1999.
The successful nuclear test Operation
Shakti in Pokhran on May 13, 1998, was
Vajpayees strategic master stroke which he
defended as a deterrent rather than a weapon
of mass destruction. He put India in the league
of the worlds elite nuclear club yet announced
moratorium on future testing. He carried his
message of peace to Pakistan during a bus
journey to Lahore on February 19, 1999.
The Delhi-Lahore Bus Service Sada-eSarhad (Call of the Frontier) was launched
as a symbol of the efforts of the Vajpayee
government to promote peaceful and friendly
relations with Pakistan on the basis of
reciprocity.
And now the NDA-2 under the stewardship
of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked
upon the mission of accomplishing the
unfinished agenda of Vajpayee for a terrorismfree prosperous South Asia.
Modi picked up the thread where Vajpayee
had left in matters of Indias pro-active policy
of improving relations with all immediate
neighbours was on display at the very outset
of the NDA-2 when heads of all the SAARC
member countries were invited to witness
Narendra Bhais swearing -in-ceremony at the
forecourt of majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan in
Lutyens Delhi.
Modi, who has always held Vajpayee in
highest esteem and considered him his role
model, never misses a chance to eulogize the
larger-than-life towering personality of this
living legend.
Ashok Tandon was media advisor to
former prime minister Atal Bihari Vaypayee.
`The views expressed are personal.

India has unprecedented opportunity to lead by

Good Climate Governance

By Rajendra Shende

he inconvenient truth is not that global

warming is undeniably unequivocal
but that we are unable to address it with the
required urgency. And the convenient truth
is not that India is entering a demographic
dividend period and has a demagogue prime
minister, but that India is yet to draw a road
map to leverage these rewards and gains to deal
with the climate change.
The unfortunate fact is that the developing
countries are eternally arguing for international
climate finances that are unlikely to come
so easily, as is evident from the Lima (Peru)
negotiations. At the same time we should not
overlook the fact that a country like India
can gain extraordinary benefits for the poor
section of its society by self-financing the
decarbonization of the national economy.
It is true that common but differentiated
responsibility (CBRD) is the valid, tested
and acceptable principle in international
environmental negotiations to provide for the
development-space of developing countries,
but such principle is equally important at the
national level, to reduce the stark inequality
within the country. In the heat of the scoring
debate, we should not miss the scoring benefits
that India stands to gain.
India can take pride that it has now an
inspiring leadership in the form of PM Modi.
That inspiration comes from his creative
ideas as well as from novelty in approaches to
implement them. We all studied for ages that

cleanliness is godliness. The last leader to

reinvigorate a clean India campaign on a mass
scale and leading it by example was Mahatma
Gandhi in 20th century.
Modis Clean India campaign has the
hidden potential to take on the climate change
issue head-on.
The Lima meeting on climate change comes
at opportune time when PM Modis Clean India
and Good Governance campaigns launched
at the national level could converge and
transform into a major effective antidote for
global climate problems and also strengthen its
commitment towards the poor people of India.
Climate change is defining challenge of our
times, as stated by the United Nations Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon. Many would say that
the same can be said about poverty, terrorism,
malnutrition, inequality and emerging diseases
like SARS and Ebola hitherto unknown to
humanity. But not many realize that climate
change is the father of all crises.
A World Health Organization (WHO)
report in May 2014, stated that New Delhis
air pollution monitors measured levels of
particulate matter smaller that 2.5 micrometres
- the small particles considered among the
most dangerous for lung health - exceeding
350 micrograms per cubic metre of air - one
of the highest levels recorded in Asia. The
emission from burning of coal-fired power
generation plants, which is the main reason for
increase of concentration of green house gases
in the atmosphere, is also the main cause of air-

pollution. Biomass burning for cooking, open

brick kilns, open burning of vegetation and
waste also cause in- and out-door pollution.
According to another WHO report, in- and outdoor air pollution in 2012 caused the premature
deaths of around 7 million people worldwide,
mainly poor women and children. It also stated
that India has the highest death rate due to air
pollution. Crisis of poverty and climate change
are locked in vicious cycle that manifests into
inequality.
Dealing with climate change could
prove to be a convenient way to tackle air
pollution. Improving the energy efficiency of
all electrical appliances like air-conditioners,
fans and lighting by about 10-15 percent could
help India in reducing coal consumption in the
power generation plants, thereby reducing air
pollution. Such efficiency enhancement can be
achieved by simple technology and behaviour
changes. India can avoid the unnecessary
investment in building at least 120 big power
generating plants of 500 MW as per the report
of National Energy Research Laboratory
of Berkley in USA. Indias leadership in
agreeing to reduce emissions of powerful
Hydrofluorocarbons ( HFCs) and refrigerants
used in air-conditioners could catalyze the
energy efficiency revolution as hinted in
the communiqu signed between President
Obama and PM Modi in Washington DC,
this September. Enhancing the fuel efficiency
standards in vehicles, trains, ships and planes
is also required.

While recognising that the Lima climate

meeting is apt and timely platform for India
to transform and strengthen its clean India
movement, it is important for India to propose
Good Climate Governance as the theme to
move towards Paris 2015 where the world is
likely to make and strengthen its commitment
to keep the rise in global temperature below 2
degrees Celsius.
Good climate governance is about decisionmaking that should be participatory - that
includes all vulnerable and least developed
countries, consensus oriented - unlike what
happened in Copenhagen, accountable to the
loss and damage, transparent - on finances
and technology transfer, responsive - to the
needs of the poorest countries, effective and
efficient - in managing the administration,
equitable and inclusive and follows the rule
of the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC). It is also about keeping
the promises and commitment of emission
reduction and finances and not about excuses
under wordy-pretext.
Maximum governance and minimum
government is PM Modis mantra for
coming years. India in Lima should pitch for
maximum climate governance and minimum
sliding-back governments as the way forward
to Paris 2015.
Rajendra Shende is Chairman of TERRE
Policy Centre and former director UNEP. The
views expressed are personal.

18

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

INDIA

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From Chanakya to Yogi, Modi The Salubrious

Statesman

- Maya Shivam

oga a practice not alien to any Indian

and now becoming a global phenomenon.
With the growing awareness around health and
mindful living around the world, Yoga has seen
a marked popularity in not just the east but in
the westerns world as well. Most wellness gurus
preach the body, mind and spiritual benefits that
the practice of yoga brings. Needless to say that
Prime Minister Modi is a living example of this
practice. Yoga has invariably found mention
in Modis exchanges with important world
leaders including with President Obama. He
explained the benefits of Yoga to Obama over
their White House dinner, while Modi sipped
warm water as he was fasting and the President
expressed admiration for Modis energy and
vigour. Modi also gifted a book on Yoga to his
Australian counterpart Tony Abbott.
Calling for a change in lifestyle and for
creating consciousness, Modi in his UNGA
speech said Yoga could even help deal with
climate change. Yoga is an invaluable gift of
our ancient tradition. Yoga embodies unity of
mind and body; thought and action; restraint
and fulfillment; harmony between man and
nature; a holistic approach to health and well
being. It is not about exercise but to discover the
sense of oneness with yourself, the world and
the nature, he said. Following his speech the
proposal to celebrate June 21 as International
Yoga Day was tabled.
In a huge global endorsement for yoga, 175
out of 193 members of the UN, countries as
diverse as the US and Syria, Russia and Britain,
and China and the Philippines, agreed by
acclamation to declare June 21 the International
Yoga Day, recognizing the ancient Indian
sciences holistic approach to health and wellbeing. The UN General Assembly (UNGA)
resolution said a goal of the Yoga Day was the
wider dissemination of information about the
benefits of practising yoga would be beneficial
for the health of the world population.
This is a clear testimony to the enthusiastic

cross
cultural
a n d
universal
appeal that
yoga
enjoys
amongst
member
countries of the United
Nations.
In his own unique style the Prime Minister
Modi tweeted upon hearing the news -Elated!
Have no words to describe my joy.
Countless people across the world made
yoga an integral part of their lives. Congrats
to them! This will inspire many more people
towards yoga. Yoga has the power to bring
the entire humankind together! It beautifully
combines Gyan (knowledge), Karm (work) and
Bhakti (devotion). he stated. It is estimated that
250 million people around the world practice
yoga, over 20 million of them in the US. June
21 has a cultural and cosmic significance as it is
the day of the Summer Solstice in the northern
hemisphere when the daylight hours are the
longest.
B.K.S. Iyengar, one of yogas great modern
propagators explains: Yoga, an ancient but
perfect science, deals with the evolution of
humanity. Yoga means union - the union of
body with consciousness and consciousness
with the soul. Yoga cultivates the ways of
maintaining a balanced attitude in day to day
life and endows skill in the perfor-mance of
ones actions.

For
centuries,
p e o p l e
from all walks
of life have
practiced
yoga,
recognizing its unique
embodiment of unity between
mind and body. Yoga brings thought and action
together in harmony, while demonstrating a
holistic approach to health and well-being,
Portuguese Ambassador Alvaro Mendonca e
Moura told the UNGA in a speech delivered on
Kutesas behalf.
Going beyond the view of yoga as physical
and mental disciplines, Modi promoted it as
a holistic way of life that stresses harmony
between man and nature and simpler lifestyles
and can help fight climate change.
Introducing the resolution, Indias Permanent
Representative Asoke Kumar Mukerji said it
recognizes that wider dissemination of yogas
benefits would be beneficial for the health of the
world population. The resolution was adopted
along with a package of measures dealing with
international health and cooperation. On the
relevance of yoga to the problems of climate
change and environment, Mukerji cited Modis
remarks on how the broader vision of yoga
can have an impact. We need to change our
lifestyles, he quoted from Modis September
speech. Yoga can bring communities together
in an inclusive manner that generates respect

and can promote peace and development.

The diverse benefits it brings, he said,
were promoting resilience against noncommunicable diseases and even helping
people deal with stress in emergency situations.
Energy not consumed is the cleanest energy.
We can achieve the same level of development,
prosperity and well-being without necessarily
going down the path of reckless consumption...
By changing our lifestyle and creating
consciousness, it can help us deal with climate
change.
Talking on this, Sushma Swaraj said:
While on one hand, we consistently advocate
a proactive and innovative approach for making
India and the greater South Asian region more
prosperous, at the same time, we are thinking
and acting on new measures to project Indias
soft power- the unparalleled cultural richness,
diversity and uniqueness of India and its
people.
She said an unprecedented 177 of the total
193 member states of the UN co-sponsored a
resolution on the International Yoga Day.In
the history of the United Nations, this is the
highest number of co-sponsors ever for any
resolution of this nature, Sushma Swaraj said.
Co-sponsorship, quite simply, meant
that these countries not just supported India,
but expressed their public willingness to
own the initiative as well, she added. The
sheer number of supporters as well as the
smooth adoption also symbolises the strong
international support that the recent diplomatic
endeavours of our government have evoked on
the world stage, she said while decribing it a
new breakthrough in Indian diplomacy.
Terming these as a critical part of a new
Indias breakthrough diplomacy, the external
affairs minister said: From Make in India to
Swachh Bharat and now International Yoga
Day they are all small steps in our journey to
ensure a vibrant, happy and prosperous India,
whose imprint and influence are felt far beyond
our own shores.

Modi happy over ghats, says world now listens to India

rime Minister Narendra Modi recently

expressed joy after seeing the spruced up
ghats along the Ganga in Varanasi, and said the
world was now listening to India.
He also declared that the railways will never
be privatized.
And in his bid to promote the Clean India
campaign, Modi symbolically cleaned a narrow
lane near the Assi ghat and nominated nine
people as well as groups to take up the cause.
The nine include popular comedian Kapil
Sharma, former police officer Kiran Bedi and
Mumbais famed dabba walas who deliver
home-made lunch to thousands in that city.
The others are Nagaland Governor P.B.
Acharya, danseuse Sonal Mansingh, former
cricketer Sourav Ganguly, media barons Ramoji
Rao and Arun Purie, and the Indian Institute of
Chartered Accountants.
During his day-long visit to Varanasi, his
Lok Sabha constituency, Modi inspected the
progress of work at Assi ghat, which he visited
Nov 8 while launching the Swachh Bharat
Abhiyaan in Varanasi.
He walked a few hundred metres towards
the ghat, one of the more prominent ones along
the Ganga, and thanked the people and NGOs
for cleaning its banks.
These banks, which had become heaps
of mud, have been restored to their old glory.

I thank all the people who did this work, a

visibly pleased prime minister said.
Speaking at the Banaras Hindu University,
Modi said the UN decision to declare June 21
as the World Yoga Day was proof that Indias
voice was now being heard.
He said he had requested the UN in
September to declare a World Yoga Day.
Within 100 days, 177 countries became co-

sponsors to this proposal which itself is a world

record, he said to thunderous applause.
This, he added, was a changed situation
when whatever India said was taken seriously.
At a later function where he laid the
foundation stone for the expansion of a
locomotive workshop, Modi declared that his
government was not privatizing the railways.
Those who are spreading lies that railways

is being privatized... this is not our thought or

intention, he said, triggering clapping in the
crowd of railway employees and others.
We dont see railways only as a means
to travel. We see it as the backbone of Indias
development. What we want to do is to put
more money for development of railways. This
will help.
He said railway universities would be set up
in all four parts of India.
The prime minister paid floral tributes at the
statue of Madan Mohan Malaviya, the founder
of BHU who was nominated for Bharat Ratna.
At the BHU, Modi also urged Indians to
grab the global opportunities coming their way
and said he wished to see India exporting good
teachers to other countries.
Earlier, at a function at Swatantra Bhawan
in the BHU campus, Human Resource
Development Minister Smriti Irani said several
of the initiatives undertaken on the education
front were Modis brainchild.
Later, the prime minister laid the foundation
stone of an Rs.110 crore Inter-University
Centre for Teacher Education, launched the
Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya National
Mission on Teachers and Teaching and the Wifi
connectivity of the entire BHU campus.

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

INDIA

Vajpayee, Malviya named for Bharat Ratna

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Black

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he government named former prime

minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and late
freedom fighter-educationist Pandit Madan
Mohan Malaviya for Indias highest civilian
honour, the Bharat Ratna.
A Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said:
The president has been pleased to award
Bharat Ratna to Pandit Madan Mohan
Malaviya (posthumously) and to Shri Atal
Bihari Vajpayee.
The announcement came a day ahead of
Vajpayees 90th birthday and coincidentally
Malaviyas 153rd birth anniversary on 25
December, the Christmas. The Narendra
Modi government observed Dec 25 as Good
Governance Day.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the
announcement. The Congress also welcomed it.
Bharat Ratna being conferred on Pt. Madan
Mohan Malaviya and Atal Bihari Vajpayee is a
matter of great delight. The countrys highest
honour to these illustrious stalwarts is a fitting
recognition of their service to the nation, the
prime minister said in a statement.
The honour for Gwalior-born Vajpayee,
who was the countrys prime minister first in
1996 and then again from 1998 to 2004, came
after years of demands from people across party
affiliations and the public at large.
The announcement came in the first year of
the Modi government.
Modi, during his Lok Sabha campaign, had
promised Bharat Ratna for Malviya, founder of
the Banaras Hindu University.
Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including
party veteran L.K. Advani, had been demanding
Bharat Ratna for Vajpayee for several years.
Advani had even written about the matter to
then prime minister Manmohan Singh.
Vajpayee will be the seventh prime minister
to receive the award, after Jawaharlal Nehru,

parliament, for 10 terms that began in 1957 and

concluded in 2009.
An orator par excellence, Vajpayee earned
much fame as Indias external affairs minister
in Prime Minister Morarji Desais government,
during which he delivered a widely acclaimed
speech to the United Nations General Assembly
in Hindi.
The Allahabad-born Malaviya was the
president of the Indian National Congress for
two terms and was also among the first leaders
of the right-wing Hindu Mahasabha.
Besides being a freedom fighter and
politician, he was also an eminent educationist.
The Banaras Hindu University was founded
by him in 1916. He died a year before Indias
independence.

BJP vs AAP: Taking the battle to the

social media
A

rmed with state-of-the-art laptops,

computers and high-speed internet
connections, a team of a dozen young IT
professionals supported by hundreds of
volunteers on the ground are heading the BJPs
war room for the Delhi assembly polls and
working round-the-clock to counter their arch
rivals - the AAP.
Set up at the Delhi BJP headquarters at 14,
Pandit Pant Marg earlier last month, the war
room has professionals, some of whom work
part-time or have taken a sabbatical from their
jobs, to critically analyse posts, comments and
tweets on Facebook and Twitter that talk about
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its policies or
leaders.
According to Sumeet Bhasin, who heads the
BJPs Information Technology (IT) cell under
which the war room has been set up, the partys
top leadership has specifically asked the team to
be aggressive on the social media.
War rooms are set up before every election
but this time we have intensified our efforts and
the results are showing. We were not this active
earlier, Bhasin told media adding that Prime
Minister Narendra Modis liking for technology
and social media acted as a major push.
According to him, the number of members
of the partys Facebook page rose from around
11 lakh to over 13 lakh in just four weeks.
On an average the BJP posts on Facebook
are getting over 10,000 likes while the posts
from AAP are liked by around 5,000 people,

Sushma seeks

Seouls support
for Make in India

Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Morarji Desai,

Lal Bahadur Shastri and Gulzarilal Nanda.
Modi also tweeted his happiness: Atal ji
means so much to everyone. A guide, inspiration
& giant among giants. His contribution to India
is invaluable.
Modi also posted an image of himself with
Vajpayee on his Twitter account.
He also said Malaviya was remembered as
a phenomenal scholar and freedom fighter who
lit the spark of national consciousness among
people.
Vajpayee had re-started the Bharatiya Jan
Sangh as the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980 and
was the first head of government from outside
the Congress to serve a full five-year term.
He served the Lok Sabha, the lower house of

he said.
Bhasin credits the achievement to his team
of youngsters, who not only analyse Facebook
posts and tweets, but also scout for potential
volunteers.
At present, the party has over hundred
volunteers in Delhi who cover 52 of the 70
assembly seats. The number is likely to rise to
around 500 by the time Delhi goes for polls,
Bhasin said.
The job of the volunteers is to spread the
partys message to the masses and help shape
their opinions in our favour, he said though
quickly clarified that none of the professionals
or volunteers were being paid.
And having conquered Facebook, the

team has now their eyes set on Twitter and

WhatsApp.
Facebook is our base and all other mediums
like WhatsApp, Twitter, E-mail, SMS etc. are
like distribution channels. But having said that,
we will start a similar aggressive campaign
on Twitter starting next week and few weeks
before the polling takes place WhatsApp will
also be used to reach out to the people, said
Bhasin.
The party is already using WhatsApp to
connect over 15,000 party members through
250 groups in Delhi with the top leadership
wherein the members can interact with each
other and their leaders.

19

xternal Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj

recently met South Korean Minister of
Trade, Industry and Energy Yoon Sang-jick and
sought support for Indias flagship Make in
India programme.
Sushma Swaraj reached Seoul on 28
December to take part in the 8th India-Republic
of Korea Joint Commission meeting scheduled
for the next day.
Official sources said in New Delhi that
during her meeting with the South Korean
minister, Sushma Swaraj talked about the
need for a level playing field for Indian
pharmaceuticals and software exports.
The two ministers also discussed possibilities
of addressing the trade deficit which is in favour
of South Korea.
The sources said that among the specific
issues discussed was the possibility of South
Korean co-production of LNG (liquefied
natural gas) tankers with Indian shipyards.
The Indian government is considering both
outright purchase as well as co-production of
LNG tankers, given the projected growth in
Indian need for LNG.
The sources said Sushma Swaraj made a
strong pitch for South Korean partnership in
this vital area of projected growth in Indian
requirements.
The Korean trade minister said his country
views India as an attractive destination and
it was for private companies to take business
decisions.
He said South Korea was encouraging its
companies to avail of the opportunities that
have opened up in India following the new
initiatives of the National Democratic Alliance
government.
He said there were high expectations in
South Korea to enhance economic ties with
India in light of the recent developments.
The two ministers agreed that commerce
ministers of both countries could meet in the
first quarter of 2015 to build on the momentum
in the bilateral relations.
Sushma Swaraj is scheduled to meet
President Park Guen-hye Monday.
The sources said Sushma Swarajs Dec 2830 visit to South Korea was in pursuance of
governments Act East policy.

20

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

INDIA

NEWS in BRIEF
Jaitley urges India Inc to build public
opinion for GST bill

Microsoft CEO meets Modi

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Global IT giant Microsofts chief executive officer Satya Nadella met Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on 26 December in New Delhi. He is the third tech giant executive to meet
Modi, after Amazons Jeff Bezos and Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg.

day after the government tabled the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill in the Lok Sabha,
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley urged industries to build public opinion in states for passing
the law on reforming Indias indirect tax system.
Any state that does not fall in line (with GST), my advice to all stakeholders is go to states
to raise the issue, to convince, to pressurise public opinion in all the states, Jaitley said in
his address during the 87th annual general meeting of the Federation of Indian Chambers of
Commerce and Industry (Ficci) here.
Hinting that complete consensus is awaited on a bill that needs to be passed by a two-thirds
majority in both the houses of parliament and by the legislatures of half of the states to become
a law, the finance minister called for a shared national vision on basic issues.
States sought a five-year compensation package and asked for its inclusion in the bill.
Jaitley introduced the bill in the lower house Friday, saying the objective of the legislation is
the seamless transfer of goods and services across the country.

Indias Mars mission hits a century

ndias Mars Orbiter completed 100 days of its Martian orbit on the New Years Day 2015,
space agency officials said.
The Mars Orbiter was inserted in Martian orbit Sep 24, 2014 is in good health, said officials
of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The Mars Orbiter has sent different pictures of the red planets surface which are being
studied by the scientists.
India had sent its Mars Orbiter Nov 5, 2013 using its own rocket Polar Satellite Launch
Vehicle (PSLV). The mission cost around Rs.450 crore.
Subsequently the Orbiter was inserted in the Martian orbit Sep 24 last year.
With this mission, India became the first Asian country to send a spacecraft successfully to
Mars.

Government sets up task force to revive

domestic mobile manufacturing

iming to take the Make in India programme a step further, the Department of Electronics
and Information Technology (DeitY) has formed a Fast Track Task Force to re-establish
growth in the countrys mobile handset and component manufacturing eco-system.
The task force will be meeting the Department of Electronics and Information Technology
secretary (R.S.Sharma) in the first week of January, Pankaj Mohindroo, national president,
Indian Cellular Association, told media. Sharma is also the chairman of the task force.
It also laid thrust on increasing exports from the estimated 30 million units in 2014 to 120
million units by 2019.
Indias position in mobile phone exports has fallen from seventh in 2009 to 14th in 2013. The
value of exports was $3.40 billion in 2009 and fell to $2.28 billion in 2013.
Industry stakeholders say at this rate, handset exports will crash to zero in 2015.

Cabinet approves ordinance route to amend

land takeover act

n a move aimed at faster completion of projects, the Narendra Modi cabinet has approved an
ordinance to amend the Land Acquisition Act to remove procedural difficulties in acquiring
land for national projects and to further strengthen provisions concerning affected families.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said after a cabinet meeting that there was need to strike a
balance between interest of farmers and industrial growth.
He said while the compensation will remain high as per the act and rehabilitation and
resettlement norms will be followed but the procedure for acquiring land for projects will be
easier by removing steps like social impact assessment, impact on food security, and consent of
80 percent land owners.
The changes will allow a fast track process for defence and defence production, rural
infrastructure including electrification, housing for poor including affordable housing, industrial
corridors and infrastructure projects including projects taken up under Public Private Partnership
mode where ownership of the land continues to be vested with the government, he said.

Amit Shah to launch BJPs drugs campaign

JP president Amit Shah will launch the partys campaign against drugs from Amritsar Jan
22, a senior BJP leader said.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal said that the campaign
would be launched under the aegis of the partys youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha
(BJYM).
BJYM president and MP Anurag Thakur and Punjab BJP chief Kamal Sharma would be
supervising the campaign against drugs. The drive would cover Punjab state in three phases,
with its culmination to take place on the occasion of Baisakhi on April 14, he said.
Grewal said BJP leaders would tour villages and towns to create awareness about drug
menace and educate people on the harm that drugs are doing to the state.
The BJPs drugs campaign has become a bone of contention with its alliance partner in
Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal.
The Akali Dal, in a clear move to preempt the BJP campaign, announced its own protests
against drugs in Punjabs border belt on 5th January.

Earlier in the day, Nadella said the company

is looking forward to partner with the Digital
India and Make in India programmes of the
Modi government.
Its always fantastic for me personally to
be in India and the conversation I had with the
minister was wide ranging, Nadella told media
persons after meeting Communications and IT
Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
I have an aspiration that in this mobile and
cloud world, we can empower every individual
citizen of India and every business organisation
and institution in India to be able to try with
new technology. So, I am looking forward to be
a part of both the Digital India and Make in
India, he added.
The Hyderabad-born Nadella said: We are
making huge investments in our data centres
in particular, which we think can empower
organisations in this country to be world class
with the access to great technology.
Prasad said: I have requested him to
consider electronic manufacturing in India. I
have also requested that Microsoft has a great
profile in the field of social services, (and)
digital literacy can be promoted. We had a very
purposeful exchange. I am very happy and I
warmly welcome him.
I have suggested to him that we are keen if
there are certain suggestions to give to further

improve the Digital India concept. We are quite

willing to accept. We are talking about the
concept of other products that they are going
to launch in India, including from digital locker
to cloud to data centres. I have requested him
to consider electronic manufacturing, the
minister added.
With the aim to turn the country into a
digitally empowered society and knowledge
economy, the Modi government has envisaged
Rs.1 lakh crore Digital India project. Make in
India is a national programme to transform
India into a global manufacturing hub.
Nadella said the world is moving more
towards cloud and mobile.
Nadella was in India in September when
he said the tech giant will offer its commercial
cloud services -- Azure and Office 365 --by the
end of 2015 from local data centres in India
where the company sees a $2 trillion business
opportunity.
We have 10,000 partners working with us
in India. We have opened up a huge opportunity
for those 10,000 partners. One thing you can be
sure of is that for every connected smartphone
you need to have cloud infrastructure. We
want to enable the burgeoning entrepreneurial
experience of Indians. There can be no mobilefirst without cloud-first world, Nadella said
then.

Amit Shah to launch BJPs

drugs campaign

JP president Amit Shah will launch the

partys campaign against drugs from
Amritsar Jan 22, a senior BJP leader said.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader
Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal said that the
campaign would be launched under the aegis of
the partys youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva
Morcha (BJYM).
BJYM president and MP Anurag Thakur
and Punjab BJP chief Kamal Sharma would
be supervising the campaign against drugs.
The drive would cover Punjab state in three
phases, with its culmination to take place on
the occasion of Baisakhi on April 14, he said.
Grewal said BJP leaders would tour villages
and towns to create awareness about drug
menace and educate people on the harm that
drugs are doing to the state.
The BJPs drugs campaign has become a
bone of contention with its alliance partner in
Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal.
The Akali Dal, in a clear move to preempt

the BJP campaign, has announced its own

protests against drugs in Punjabs border belt to
be held Monday (Jan 5).
Differences between the BJP and Akali Dal
leaders emerged after Sharma demanded that
state Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia
should resign as he had been summoned by
the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged
links to money-laundering by some NRIs in
a Rs.6,000 crore international synthetic drugs
racket busted by the Punjab Police in 2013.
Grewal said that the BJP wants Majithia
ousted from the
Parkash Singh
Badal
government
in the
state.

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

INDIA ABROAD

PBD attended by 3,000 Indian diaspora

members, at Gandhis birthplace

Red

Black

Orange

he annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD)

was held in Gandhinagar in Gujarat on Jan
7-9, to mark the centenary of the return of the
sarva sreshtha pravasi Bharatiya or foremost
Indian diaspora member, Mahatma Gandhi
to India from South Africa. An exhibition
on Mahatma Gandhi and his contribution to
Indias Independence was also inaugurated
among other events to mark the occasion.
The chief guest of the 13th PBD was Guyana
President Donald Ramotar. On Jan 8, Prime
Minster Modi inaugurated the main session and
Jan 9, President Pranab Mukherjee gave away
the Pravasi Bharatiya Sammans to 15 eminent
diaspora members.
PBD is the worlds largest annual gathering
of people of Indian origin aimed at enhancing
networking and reinforcing commercial
linkages. There are 25 million people of Indian
origin residing outside India.
The PBD, held at Mahatma Mandir,
kicked off with the Youth PBD Jan 7 with two
sessions. The first was titled Bharat ko jano
(Know India), where the diaspora youth told
about Indias age-old culture, traditions and
hospitality.
The second session titled Bharat ko Mano,
where the youth told about modern India and
its innovations like Mangalyaan or the Mars
mission, about missile technology and expertise
in information technology.
Four Gujarat universities participated
on the subjects of petroleum, law, IT and
entrepreneurship. The visiting diaspora youth
were divided into four batches and took part
in interactive sessions with college students,
followed by a cultural evening and dinner.
On the second day, after the inauguration of
the PBD by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a
session was held on Opportunities in India:
Thrust on Important Initiatives.
The governments key schemes like Namami

Ganga (Clean Ganga), Smart Cities and Urban

Planning, Skill Development and Tourism
Development were highlighted and investments
sought from the diaspora businesspersons.
There was also be a session on Achievers
of Indian Diaspora, conducted by diaspora
members who have achieved distinction in
journalism, law, business.
On Jan 9, four concurrent sessions were
held on issues of labour and employment in
Gulf countries, session on Girmitiyas, session
on the Francophone diaspora and role of the
Indian diaspora organisations.
The session on Girmitiyas saw the
participation of Persons of Indian Origin (PIO)
countries where Indian-origin people live, like
Mauritius, Guyana. Such a session was held for
the first time and helped address their concerns.
Indian envoys of six countries from the Gulf
region took part in the session. The session
helped Indian expatriates voice their concerns
about labour, employment etc. The session on
the Francophone diaspora saw members from

Mauritius, Reunion Island and Guadeloupe

among others air their concerns.
According to estimates, six percent of
overseas Indians are Francophone or who speak
French. The fourth session on Indian diaspora
organisations saw representatives of Tamil,
Telugu and Punjabi groups of various countries
coming together.
Gujarat being the host state, hosted the
delegates for dinner and a cultural evening
Jan 8 on the banks of the Kankaria lake in
Ahmedabad, and the following day on the
Sabarmati river front in Ahmedabad.
The Modi governments key programmes,
including Make in India, were highlighted
during the PBD, that had around 3,000 Indian
diaspora attending. The officials looking after
the Make in India, Swachch Bharat, Skill
India, Clean Ganga projects and Tourism told
the diaspora about the schemes and invited
investments from the diaspora.

More power to Indian diaspora in US

N

otching successes in fields as diverse as

poetry and politics, some three millionstrong Indian American community packed
more power and influence far beyond their
numbers in the year gone by.
A record 30 Indian Americans jumped into
Novembers electoral battle with Republican
Nikki Haley and Democrat Kamala Harris
handily winning back their jobs as South
Carolina governor and Californias attorney
general respectively.
But Republican Neel Tushar Kashkari lost
an uphill battle against Californias popular
governor Jerry Brown, while Rohit Ro
Khanna nearly upset seven-term incumbent
Mike Honda in a Democrat versus Democrat
House contest in Silicon Valley.
Amiresh Ami Bera, the lone Indian
American in the US House of Representatives,
repeated history by winning a tight California
House race two weeks after the elections as he
had four years ago.
Eight Indian Americans scored victories in
the states with 23-year- old law student Niraj
Antani, a Republican, creating history by
winning a House seat in Ohio to become one of
Americas youngest lawmakers.
President
Barack
Obama,
whose
administration has more Indian Americans than
any other before, added many more, including
former key Hillary Clinton aide Richard Rahul
Verma as the first envoy from the community
to New Delhi.
With Nisha Desai Biswal heading the
State Departments South Asia bureau, Indian
Americans would be watching US interests in
both Washington and New Delhi when Verma
takes up his post.
Puneet Talwar took over as assistant secretary
for political-military affairs to serve as a bridge

between the State and Defence departments,

while Arun Madhavan Kumar became assistant
secretary of commerce and director general of
the US and Foreign Commercial Service.
Vivek Murthy became the youngest US
Surgeon General and the first of Indian descent
after cooling his heels for more than a year for
Senate confirmation as Americas doctor in
the face of strong opposition by powerful gun
lobby.
Software giant Microsoft named Hyderabadborn Satya Nadella as its new CEO in place of
Steve Ballmer, making him perhaps the most
powerful Indian-born tech executive in the
world.
Indian Americans yet again paid a price
for running more than half of Americas
150,000 convenience stores with many of them
becoming targets when Ferguson exploded
after a white policeman killed an unarmed
black teenager in August.
Amid growing protests over the treatment
of blacks, Obama named Vanita Gupta to lead
the US justice departments civil rights division
charged with enforcing laws that prevent
discrimination.
Kerala-born Stanford University Professor
Thomas Kailath received the Medal of
Science from Obama for his transformative
contribution to science and technology,
while Arun Majumdar, an Indian Institute of
Technology-Bombay alumni, was chosen to
serve as one of four US Science Envoys.
Chennai-born scientist Subra Suresh was
inducted into the Institute of Medicine (IOM),
making him the only university president to be
elected to all three national academies.
Delhi-born Sujit Choudhry, a noted expert
in comparative constitutional law, became the
first Indian American dean of the University of

California-Berkeley, School of Law, a top US

law school.
Indira Talwani and Manish Shah became
the first Asian American federal judges in
Massachusetts and Obamas home state of
Illinois respectively.
Bengaluru-born Indian American poet Vijay
Seshadri won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for poetry
while the New York Times included the works
of Indian historian Ramachandra Guha and
five Indian American writers in its list of 100
notable books of 2014.
Two Indian American youngsters made
history as Sriram Hathwar and Ansun Sujoe
were declared co-champions in the Scripps
National Spelling Bee contest after 52 years and
for just the fourth time in the contests history.
New Yorks US attorney Preet Bharara,
known in India for his dogged prosecution of
Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, tasted
his first defeat in July after winning 85 insider
trading cases.
Among those he sent to jail were Rajat
Gupta, the former Indian American director of
Goldman Sachs Group, and Mathew Martoma,
former portfolio manager SAC Capital
Advisors.
But Dinesh DSouza, maker of a highly
critical 2012 documentary on Obama, escaped
jail time after pleading guilty to violating the
federal campaign finance law.
High-profile hotel magnate Sant Singh
Chatwal also awaited sentencing after pleading
guilty to federal campaign finance fraud.
Recognising the contributions of Indian
Americans from workers who built some of
the first railroads in the West to the creator of
Hotmail, Smithsonian mounted a first of its
kind exhibition called Beyond Bollywood:
Indian Americans Shape the Nation.

21

LIC launches cobranded credit card

with UAE bank

IC International of India, an arm of Indias

top insurance company LIC, has partnered
with First Gulf Bank (FGB), a leading bank in
the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to launch a
first-of-its-kind co-branded credit card in the
Gulf nation.
According to a report in Al Bawaba online,
this is the first time that a leading insurance
company has entered into a strategic alliance
with a leading bank in the country to create a
unified payment solution.
Insurance payments, persistency and ad hoc
surcharge levied by many insurance companies
on premium payments through cards have been
a key concern among many policyholders in the
UAE.
Through this programme, the bank will
provide a solution to these issues, in addition to
developing a loyalty platform for their common
customers with unique benefits.

This relationship represents more than

a tie-up that produces unique services for
customers in the region. It is about partnering
with one of the most trusted brands globally
and working together to offer significant valueadded services, protection and saving products
along with a best-in-class loyalty platform to all
UAE residents and joint customers, said Girish
Advani, executive vice president and head of
mass market, FGBs Consumer Banking Group.
Rajesh Kandwal, chief executive officer
and mnanaging director of LIC International,
said: This cooperation will offer value-added
services to customers from two customerfocused organisations.
He added: In the coming weeks, residents
will see that FGB and LIC International are
both continuing to work towards insuring lives
and ensuring happiness.
The partnership of the two companies began
in January 2013, and they have aimed to provide
innovative joint solutions for the customers in
UAE. Their cooperation has led to sales worth
$75 million for Jeevan Aastha 3.
FGB also achieved record sales worth $100
million for LIC Internationals Jeevan Nivesh,
in less than eight weeks since the product was
first released in the market.
Customers have also benefited from a recent
joint interactive consumer awareness campaign
on the importance of financial planning.
LIC International was established in
Bahrain in 1989 by LIC of India to cater for the
needs of residents in the countries of the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) and elsewhere.
LIC of India has over 350 million policyholders
worldwide and was rated as Indias most trusted
brand by The Brand Trust Report 2013.
The USE is home to around two milliosn
expatriate Indians, many of them working as
blue collar workers.

22

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

INDIA ABROAD

Sydney siege and its aftershocks

iswakanth Ankireddy, an Indian IT worker

who was held hostage during the Sydney
cafe siege Dec 15, said that he is getting better
day-by-day with his wifes support.
Ankireddy and his colleague Pushpendu
Ghosh were among the people inside the Lindt
Chocolat Cafe when gunman Man Haron Monis
stormed the building and took them hostage
Monday, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
It was an agonising 17-hour wait for the
parents of Puspendu Ghosh, who was trapped
by a gunman in the hostage drama at the Lindt
Chocolate Cafe in Sydney recently.
At around 8.15 a.m. Monday I was told by
one of his colleagues that my son was in the cafe
when the gunman took hostage those inside.
He told me to watch the news on television,
and said they were in touch with the police in
Sidney, said Puspendus father Pushpal Kumar
Ghosh.
Pushpal did not call up his son fearing it
could put his life in danger. I texted him, but
it went unanswered. I thought I should not
communicate with him anymore, as it would
have attracted the gunmans attention.
As the 17-hour hostage crisis ended, the
parents saw their son getting out of the cafe
along with other hostages with his hands raised
up. But suddenly he lay down. Later he told
me that he acted as per the polices instruction
as firing was on.
The call from Puspendu came at 1 a.m.
Tuesday. He said he was safe. I cant explain
how relived I felt, said Pushpal.
Puspendu, an engineer with Infosys, has
been staying in Australia since 2009. We dont
want him to stay so far from us anymore. We
want him to return to India, said Pushpal.

Diaspora can help

Red
Black go
Orange
Indian brands
global

Ankireddy, employed by Infosys, but was

in Australia working for Westpac, said in a
statement, As for me, I am fine and getting
better every day.
I would like to express my heartfelt
condolences to the families of Katrina and Tori,
who were killed during the siege, he said. I
have been so grateful for all the support from
friends, colleagues and well-wishers across
Australia, India and the world.
His wife got support during those very
difficult hours by the New South Wales Police
and the Australian and Indian governments, he
said. He said he would be able to recover from
the ordeal in private and asked the media to
give me and my family the quiet time we need
to recover.

he diaspora has an important role to play

in helping Indian companies make a solid
global impact and make sure the country has
a current account surplus, a famous US-based
marketing guru said.
The Indian diaspora are extremely
influential entities in the US and the UK,
Jan-Benedict E.M. Steenkamp, professor of
marketing at Kenan-Flagler Business School,
said on the sidelines of the 13th Brand
Conclave organised by Confederation of Indian
Industries.
According to him, the diaspora can lead
in promoting Indian brands globally and the
right global approach will not only help Indian
companies reap higher profits but will also help
them raise their global brand power.
It is crucial because India is transitioning
from a developing economy into an emerging
one. Its high time Indian companies started
investing enough time, energy and money in
brand building across the world, he added.
No matter how big the size of the Indian
economy is and how much potential it has, the
fact of the matter is that 90 percent money in
the world is outside of India. Thats where the
problem lies. Unless much of this comes to
India, the country will not be able to become an
influential player on world stage, Steenkamp
said.
The professor has authored over 150
scholarly publications and four books. He is
also the winner of the Muller Lifetime Prize
from the Royal Netherlands Academy of
Sciences for exceptional achievements in the
area of the behavioral and social sciences.

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

Red

SPORTS

Dhonis Test career

highlights

Dhonis abrupt good-bye

stunning, mystifying
Black

Orange

Kishen Datta

he suddenness with which Mahendra Singh

Dhoni announced his retirement from Test
cricket with immediate effect is as stunning
as it is mystifying. Cricket captains who have
led their country for as long as Dhoni has
60 Tests, to be exact dont bid good-bye as
unceremoniously and as instantly as he did at
Melbourne on Tuesday. The words immediate
effect say it all. After missing the first Test,
did he have to go all the way to Melbourne to
announce his decision? What if under him India
had not lost the Test and, with it, the series
against Australia. There is one more match to
go before the four-match series ends.
Forgeting the baffling abruptness with which
Dhoni decided to say farewell to Tests, there is
no denying him credit for keeping his job for
so long after taking it over from Anil Kumble
and then leading India to the top position in the
international Test rankings.
Of the 60 Tests he played as wicketkeepercaptain, he lost half of them on foreign soil many of these in his later years at the helm which led to some of his detractors criticizing
his tactics and outlook. Forgotten was the time
when they called him captain cool and praised
him for the manner in which he held his nerve in
the last over of the final of the first world T/20
tournament against Pakistan. Coolly, he threw
the ball to Joginder Sharma for the crucial over
and the Haryanvi got the Pakistani batsman
facing him - Misbah-ul-Haq (now the captain)
to sky the ball for Sreesanth to take the catch
that won the day for India.

areer highlights of Mahendra Singh

Dhoni, who last week retired from Test
cricket and relinquished his captaincy of the
Indian team in the long form of cricket:

In quick time, Dhoni, a hitherto little-known

young man of humble biinnings from Ranchi,
soon acquired celebrity status as a cricketer,
excelling with the big gloves behind the
wickets as well as with the bat. His long filmistyle locks also caught public attention with
the young, who would ask their barbers to give
them similar hair-styles after they watched the
then Pakistani presdent, Gen. Parvez Musharraf
advising the captain in front of TV cameras at
Rawalpindi to not clip his hair short.
You look good this way, said the Pakistani
general, but Dhoni opted for changed hairstyles later in his career - and with
his new-found affluence acquiring
motorbikes to different models
and makes. He is said to own
several of them in his Ranchi
mansion.
Not
everyone
was
happy with his role as
vice president in the
cement company owned
by the cricket board
president, N.Srinivasan.
He also is the captain
of the company-owned
Chennai
Superkings
in the lucrative Indian
Premier League. The
conflict of interest, as
they describe it, is the
subject of litigation.

Dhoni: Defied logic and raised many an

eyebrow

Ashok Sharma

ahendra Singh Dhoni, an unorthodox

cricketer from a small town Ranchi to
the most powerful man of cricket worldwide,
retired from Test cricket after the Melbourne
Test. It was shocking and took many by surprise
because of the timing of the retirement - midway through the Australia-India Test series.
But he chose to retire on his own term, just
like the way he batted and captained with an
unusual, enigmatic move that seemed to defy
logic and left eyebrows raised around the globe.
But it also made him Indias most successful
captain of all time.
Dhoni quit Test cricket in style. In his final
series in Australia, Dhoni became the first
Indian wicketkeeper to effect nine dismissals
in a Test match in Melbourne and batted till
the end with a score of 24 of 39 balls to draw
the match. Dhoni also became the first Indian
batsman to complete 10,000 runs or more as
captain in international cricket.
Dhoni, Indias most successful captain in
all cricketing formats, had many highs in his
extraordinary Test cricket career. He played 90
Tests and captained India in most Test matches,
adding up to 60. He recorded most Test wins at
27, lost 18 and drawn 15, averaging 45 per cent
win - the highest by any Indian captain, beating
the previous best of Sourav Gangulys 21 wins,
13 losses and 15 drawn, averaging 42.85 per
cent.
Dhoni was the first and remains only captain
to lead India to No.1 position in Test ranking,
starting from December 2009 which lasted for
18 months. Under his captaincy, India became
the first team in more than four decades to
whitewash Australia 4-0 in a Test series in
2012-13.
However, Dhonis fortunes crashed over the

past couple of years in Test after the World Cup

win in 2011, especially with the embarrassing
whitewash in Australia and England each with
4-0. Questions were raised on his passive
captainship. He tried all he could, but due
to lack of resources he could not do much,
especially bowlers who could take 20 wickets
in overseas condition, and failure to put big
scores by Indian batsmen. Since then the
thought of retiring from Test cricket began
to brew in Dhonis mind. Finally, with Kohli
ready to take the mantle - though still learning,
maturing and a long way to go - Dhoni left Test
cricket forever to concentrate on One Day and
T20 formats, in which he remains invincible.
Dhoni will remain the most selfless player
who did not bother with personal records. He
needed six catches/ stumpings to complete 300
record by any Indian wicketkeeper, 124 more
runs to his 4876 runs to complete the 5,000
mark and 10 more Test matches to complete
100. He could have easily carried on for a
couple of years more and completed these
landmarks. But, unlike many players, he did
not bother with records and a fanfare farewell.
Indian Test cricket will miss Dhoni not only
as a captain, but Dhoni the Big Player who
often performed as a wicket-keeper batsman
in the most crucial situation. His six centuries,
33 half centuries out which 13 half-centuries in
conditions that aided swing and seam bowling
(NZ, SA, Eng and Aus) and that too batting
with tail-enders which often diminished his
chance to score a century, an unbeaten 76 at
Lords (2007), the second highest scorer for
India during the English summer, a double
hundred in Chepauk in a day and a record
of 38 stumpings in Test cricket. He had the
adaptability to display persistence required in
extreme pressure of Test cricket. This will be
hard to fill.
Dhonis rise to international cricket has
been phenomenal in a very short period of

23

time. Coming from small town in Ranchi with

an amazing, unorthodox and extraordinary
batting skill to hit the sixes soon, made him the
most valued and most powerful cricketer in the
world.
No one could have imagined that any
cricketer would compete with Sachin Tendulkar
during his career in terms of value and
popularity. Dhoni became the most scrutinised
cricketer after Tendulkar and today he is the
richest cricketer of the world. Dhoni led India
to all the great achievements a cricketing team
can aspire for: No.1 Test ranking for 18 months
starting December 2009, No.1 One Day and
T20 team, the 50-over World Cup in 2011,
the World Twenty20 on his captaincy debut
in 2007, ICC Champions Trophy and many
overseas series wins and championships.
In fact, very few would have handled the
hope, scrutiny, stress and extreme adulation
better than MS Dhoni. Despite all upheavals
during his cricketing career, he remained level
headed, calm and a perfect gentlemen be it on
the ground or post-match conferences keeping
the essence of the gentlemens game intact.
Praising him, cricketing legend and the former
Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar, has expressed:
He was a top class leader ...the biggest thing
about Mahendra Singh Dhoni is hes been a
supremely content person with whatever has
come his way in life. No better state to be in
than being supremely content.
Though Dhoni has retired from the Test
cricket he would remain Indias one the greatest
cricket captain. Now he will be watched for his
next move of how he defends the World Cup
and his cricketing years ahead in ODI and
T20 formats, in which his records are already
unparalleled for any Indian captain and on
many accounts the worlds best. From here,
this cricketing legends stature will only soar
higher.

Test debut: India vs Sri Lanka at Chennai,

Dec 2-6, 2005.
Matches: 90
Innings: 144
Not outs: 16
Highest Score: 224 (the highest by an
Indian captain in Tests)
Average: 38.09
Balls Faced: 8,249
Strike Rate: 59.11
100s: 6
50s: 33
4s: 544
6s: 78 (Highest by a captain in the world
cricket)
Catches: 256
Stumpings: 38
Captaincy:
2008-2014 - 60 matches, 27 wins, 18
losses, 0 tied and 15 drawn
Overseas:
30 matches, 6 wins, 15 losses, 9 drawn
Specific highlights:
60: Led India in most number of matches
27: Most number of matches won by an
Indian captain. His winning percentage of
45.00 is the best.
18: Most number of matches lost by an
Indian skipper.
Dhoni also is the first Indian batsman to
complete 10,000 runs or more as captain
in international cricket, joining Ricky
Ponting (15,440), Graeme Smith (14,878),
Stephen Fleming (11,561) and Allan
Border (11,062).
Dhoni (eight catches, one stumping)
became the first Indian wicketkeeper to
effect nine dismissals in a Test match in
Melbourne, in the third Test, Dec 26-30,
2014.
His aggregate of 3,454 (ave.40.63),
including five hundreds and 24 fiftyplus, in 60 Tests is an Indian record by a
captain, bettering the 3,449 (ave.50.72) in
47 Tests by Mohd. Azharuddin.
His best series in terms of run-aggregate is
349 (ave.34.90), including four 50s in five
Tests vs England in England in 2014.
His career-best is 224 vs Australia at
Chennai in 2012-13.
Dhoni is the only Indian wicketkeeper to
have aggregated over 4,000 runs (4,876)
and effected 250-plus dismissals (294 256 catches + 38 stumpings) or more. His
dismissals tally is the highest by an Indian
wicketkeeper in Tests.
Dhoni is the only Indian wicketkeeper to
effect eight or more dismissals in a Test
match four times.
Dhonis six Test hundreds:
Runs Balls S.Rate Opponent Venue
Series
224 265 84.52 Australia Chennai
2012-13
148 153 96.73 Pakistan Faisalabad
2005-06
144 175 82.28 West Indies Kolkata
2011-12
132* 187 70.58 South Africa Kolkata
2009-10
110 159 69.18 Sri Lanka Ahmedabad
2009-10
100* 154 64.93 Sri Lanka Mumbai
(BS)2009-10

24

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

KIDS ZONE

FUN FACTS ABOUT NEW ZEALAND:

Red

Black

Orange

No part of the country is more than 128km (79 miles) from the sea.
The
longest
place
name
in
the
world
is
Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu,
a hill in Hawkes Bay.
Wellington is the southernmost capital city in the world.
Only 5% of NZs population is human- the rest are animals.
NZ is the least corrupt nation in the world (tied with Denmark),
according to the Corruptions Perception Index.
New Zealand has more Scottish pipe bands per capita than any other
country in the world.

New Zealand is home to the worlds smallest dolphin species.

There are no land snakes, native or introduced, in NZ.
New Zealand has three official languages: English, Mori and New
Zealand Sign Language.

CROSSWORD

Blue Lake, in Nelson Lakes National Park, has the clearest water in
the world.

Answers will be published

in the next issue

Join the dots

and color...

Come in and see us today

at your local Resene
ColorShop!

On Resene premium paints, stains,

primers, sealers, wallpaper, decorating
accessories and cleaning products

30648 INW

0800 RESENE (737 363) www.resene.co.nz

Conditions: Buy Resene premium paints, stains, primers, sealers, wallpaper, decorating accessories and cleaning products and get the GST (15% off the
full retail price) off at your Resene ColorShop and participating resellers. The GST reduction will be calculated on the normal retail price OR if you have
a Resene ColorShop or DIY Card you can get the Save the GST sale discount and then the Resene ColorShop or DIY Card discount off the Save the GST
sale price. Excludes Crown, trade and industrial products, PaintWise levy and account sales. Paint offers also available at participating Mitre 10 MEGA
and Mitre 10 stores. Not available in conjunction with any other offer. Offer closes 28 January 2015.

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

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FEATURES

25

Orange

New Job in 2015?

Arthur Parker-Ramani

ith 2015 coming soon for all of us, its

common that many people take this time
to consider what they want to do in the new
year and how they might use 2015 as a chance
to shape their lives differently.
The Christmas and New Year holiday is
a time when a lot of people take a step back
from what they do, and see it from another
perspective. It can almost feel as though youve
spent a whole year, or even much of your whole
life in a bubble.
Clark Valmont, an Auckland based job
coach says For some people, they will already
have plans in place. You might be sure that you
want to stick with your current job. Or you have
a project you know you really want to focus
on. Or youve got a new job or plan lined up
already and thats great.
But others will be thinking hard about
what comes next. And for many people that can
mean a new job, or even a new career. And you
may not know where to start, says Valmont.
You may think of sending your CV to a few
jobs that you might fit into. Or you might try
get a friend to recommend you to work at their
company. But I believe that if we as people
know we are on the path to change, we need to
have a clear idea of what we want. Otherwise,
history may well repeat itself and well find
ourselves doing the same thing over and over
again. That is finding ourselves in a bubble,

probably not doing what we really want.

So if you are looking for a new job or
perhaps a new career here are 3 things to think
about.
1) What are the things you love doing?
Yes its absolutely important that your new
job matches up with things you love doing.
Think hard. Do you like talking to people? Do

you like working behind a computer? Do you

like creating things? Do you enjoy using your
hands? Forget about the whole idea of a job
right now. Just think. What do you love doing?
2) What are the things you are good at?
You might be good with numbers. You might
be fantastic at English. You might really be
good at speaking to people over the telephone.

Take a moment to think what you are good

at. Now some people might say they just arent
good at anything. But if youd made it this far
in your life, you have already been good at a
few things. Even if you had to think really hard
about things youre just okay at, and not too
bad at. These are some of the things you are
probably good at.
3) Where do these come together? Consider
your answers to the 1st and 2nd questions.
Think where do they overlap? What roles
exist within that overlap? Take time to research
and think outside the box. Open up Google, or a
careers website. Think about possible situations
that have what you are looking for. For example
if you love playing a musical instrument, and
you are great at talking to people, then you
might find that working in a music store is an
obvious choice. Try to take things a step further.
How about working as a Sponsorship Manager
for a music brand? Or a sales rep for a brand
you love?
Valmont says, Be open with your thinking.
You dont have to come up with the answers
right now as you read this article. But let these
ideas sit in your mind and manifest themselves
over the next few weeks. Do your research, and
formulate a list of possible options.
Once youve formulated possible options,
its important to get clear on what you want. In
short you need to turn those ideas into goals.
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

26

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

GLITTERATI

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Having a party? We would

like to hear from you.
Reach us at
editor@indianweekender.co.nz
and get featured on Glitterati

All that glitters and more...

Vimmi Juneja

Rocking-in
the new year at
the Pullman with
Bollywood Affair
~

Sudhakar and
Namita Sharma

Namita Sharma,
Sunaina Bhatia and
Shalika Rajpal

Desi
Divas

Shalika Rajpal,
Namita Sharma and
Rachna Vijan

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

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ENTERTAINMENT

Orange

PK crosses Rs.300
crore in India

Id love to do PK
sequel: Aamir Khan

amir Khan-starrer PK, which has kept

the cash registers ringing at the Bollywood
box office since the last three weeks has crossed
the Rs.300 crore figure in the country, said
distributors and trade analysts.
#PK creates History. Crosses Rs.300 cr.
(Week 3) Sun 11.58 crore. Grand total: 305.27 cr
nett. India biz. ALL TIME BLOCKBUSTER,
trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted Monday.
Even trade analyst Komal Nahta shared:
#PK touches the 300-crore mark. @aamir_
khan has distinction of starting 100, 200 & 300cr club.
PK has managed houseful screenings for
three weeks. The movies performance abroad
is also overwhelming. Distributor Rajesh
Thadani said that worldwide, PK has crossed
Rs.500 crore.

ctor Aamir Khan is not sure if a part two

of his latest release PK will be made or
not, but he says hed love to be a part of it.
Asked if a sequel to PK is underway, he
said: Lets see. You all have to ask Raju Hirani
(director Rajkumar Hirani) if he is interested in
making a sequel. If they make it, its good. I
would like to do it.
The films climax has actor Ranbir Kapoor
along with Aamir, and several people have
conjectured that its a hint for a sequel.
Talking about it, Aamir said: May be,
Rajkumar Hirani is thinking of getting both
Ranbir and me in the sequel.
PK, which features Aamir Khan, Anushka
Sharma and Sanjay Dutt, has received rave
reviews from critics and audiences alike.
The actor is happy with the response and
says the movie leaves the audience with a
message that humanity is the biggest thing.

Priyankas track
seventh in top 100
international songs,
albums

ctress-singer Priyanka Chopras track I

cant make you love me has bagged the
seventh position in the top 100 international
songs and albums.
The list released by Hungama.com, ondemand digital entertainment store-front,
also features Oscar-winning composer A.R.

Rahmans tracks like My mind is a stranger

without you, The village of saint Antonin and
New beginnings, read a statement.
The top spot has been occupied by Jessie J,
Ariana Grande and Nicki Minajs Bang bang.
Other songs that made it to the list include
Animals by Maroon 5, Jennifer Lopezs
First love and Im a freak (Salim-Sulaiman
remix) by Enrique Iglesias and Indian
composers Salim and Sulaiman Merchant.

Sanjay Dutt returns

home

ctor Sanjay Dutt, who was released on

a two weeks furlough by the Yerwada
Central Jail (YCJ) authorities on December
24th, has returned home in Mumbai. He says he
has lost a lot of weight.
Looking fit in a white shirt, the Munna
Bhai M.B.B.S. star spoke to reporters after
reaching his residence here.
I have lost 18 kg. Now if I lose anymore

Bollywood is Indias biggest

cultural entertainment export:
Grammy-nominated DJ
I

27

ndian music has amassed global recognition largely due to Bollywood as it has become an
enduring part of Hindi filmdom. Calling Bollywood the biggest cultural entertaining
export, Grammy-nominated DJ and producer Paul van Dyk says he wants to make a
Bollywood video replete with dance and celebration.
The biggest cultural entertaining export is Bollywood and this is what people
everywhere know. At some point, I would really like to do a Bollywood video, Dyk, who
hails from Germany, told IANS, on the sidelines of Vh1 Supersonic 2014 held on the shores
of the Candolim beach here recently.
I really like the whole idea with the funny dancing. To you it is cultural but to me it is
funny, he added.
Dyk, who has won numerous international awards for a wide range of activities like
Landesverdienstorden (Berlins Medal of Honour, given in recognition of work towards social
equality) and Mixmags Man of the Year accolade, says his music is not backed by any marketing
strategies.
To me it is about art, it is about entertaining people, putting melodies in and putting catchy things
in. My music is not combined by marketing issues. It is combined by artists, thoughts and feeling,
the artist said.
Indian music has only grown big with time. But Dyk says being an outsider, he is not
in a right position to comment on the evolution of Indian music.
With albums like 45 RPM (1994), Seven Ways (1996), Out There And Back
(2000), as well as the Grammy nominated Reflections (2003) to his credit, Dyk says
experiences of life find a vestibule in his music.
On when his next video will revolve around India, Dyk said: I dont know. Maybe
later on. It is like I see something and it ends up in my music. But that thing is not a
dominant feature of my video. It is a combination of all the things.

weight, I will vanish, he said.

He even quipped that he has an eight-pack
abs now, and that he cant remove his shirt to
show them off.
The incarcerated Bollywood actor is
currently serving a five-year jail term since
nearly 18 months.
Earlier, he had taken furlough on medical
grounds in October 2013 for 28 days, followed
by a similar leave for 28 days in December
2013, to tend to his ailing wife Manyata. The
latter had sparked protests.
His wifes prolonged illness prompted him
to seek further parole in January for another 28
days.
Time and again, his demand for a parole has
raised questions.
Meanwhile, Sanjay is aware that his
filmmaker friend Rajkumar Hirani is making a
biopic on him, but said: I dont know whats
the status. I will talk to him about it.
While inside the jail, Sanjay says he has
written 10 scripts and I will start working on
them soon.

28

FEATURES / EVENTS

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

NZ Fashion Tech students, on a five-week

exchange study programme, blog from
Sathyamangalam, in Tamil Nadu

Bl

ggers

PARK

Toni

Picture credits: Mercedes Gonzalez

theme mural, and fashion jewels. We also got to create our own
mini project for each exercise. I really enjoy coffee painting and
so did everyone else, because its a simple technique by which
anyone can create a lot.
On Saturday we travelled for four hours to reach the largest
temple in India. Tanjore temple is the most ancient and beautiful
I have ever seen. Its over 1,200 years old and has a lot of history
behind it.

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

Indian Kite Festival

Date: 17 January 2015

Time: 11 am to 6:30 pm
Venue: Avondale Racecourse, 90 Ash
Street, Auckland.
Vaishnav Parivar (NZ) Inc. invites you to
celebrate Makarsankranti- Indian Kite
festival, a family day out. Enjoy Kite flying,
stage performances, have fun and picnic

Orange

Mary

his week has been my favourite week here so far. We started

the week off with a few trips to the industry. Our first trip
was to the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) to learn
about how knit fabric is made and it is so different to the woven
one.
Then the following day we visited another factory to learn
how Polypropylene is melted and is made into non-woven fabric.
At the same factory they also produce knitted anti-mosquito
nets, which are made from melted Polyethylene chips forming
continuous yarns.
On Thursday and Friday we had lessons on coffee painting,

Black

Mercedes

eing in our third week of our India adventure we are now

past half way and the time here is going so quickly.
At the start of the week we visited AEPC which is a
knitwear technology centre. They offer training and help with
fabric development, product development, technical textiles,
marketing guidance, technical training and consultancy, chemical
processing, environment guidance and have a design studio.
The next day we visited two factories that produced nonwoven fabrics, such as mosquito nets. We got to see the
production from the making of the fabric to the end products.
Mid-week we went to a factory that made medical products such
as masks, gowns and bandages etc. The factory specialised in
medical textiles. Later that day we went to a textiles museum
and topped the day off with shopping at one of the local markets.
End of the week we got to stay on campus and have a break
from travelling. We learnt coffee painting, terracotta jewellery
and themed murals. These techniques are good to know as
will look good transforming them into fashion illustrations and
designs as a way of displaying them differently.

WEEK THREE

Red

with your
friends and
relish yummy
Indian food.
Have fun with
face painting,
colour
competition,
food stalls and
fun rides. Kites
and threads
on sale. Buy
a raffle ticket to WIN Apple iPhone 6,
Slumberzone queen deluxe bed and many
more exciting prizes!!! Free Parking!

Annual Akhand
Hanuman Chalisa

Date & Time: 24th 8-10 am and 25th 10am

to 12pm January 2015
Venue: Shri Ram Mandir, 11 Brick St,
Henderson.

get up at 5:30 and get ready for the yoga class at 6:00 am (its
so relaxing and so good). At breakfast, I see the big smiles of
the lovely kitchen staff, giving us the best of their cooking.
On Tuesday, we had an interesting lesson about what type
of textile fibre to use in different climates: we learn about its
behaviour when in contact with the skin, how colour is related
to the light absorption, and the warmth or fresh feeling in the
human body.
On Wednesday, we went to visit SITRA, Medical Textiles and
Kasturi Sreenivasan Museum. After that we went in Sreenivasan
Museum, in this place we learned about the History of Textile
Technology.
In the Museum we found how Spinning Machinery has
changed through history, from 5000-2000 B.C in China and
Egypt, Leonardo Da Vincis Spinning Wheel, to contemporary
technologies.
On Friday, when we arrived to the lab we found students
in the middle of a pattern making and sewing exam and it was
interesting to see what they do. One of the teachers told us tonight
is a painting and lighting festival called Karthigrai Deepam,
when you paint with powder in different colours in front of the
houses and business.
On Saturday we had to be ready very early to visit Tanjore
Big Temple (Lord Shiva), because it is far. This temple is more
than 1200 years old. On the way, we stopped three times to have
coffee and snacks, breakfast and the last time to take same fruit,
and also to drink coconut water.
I have been in different countries, temples and churches,but
today I feel very spiritual and peaceful. The second place was
Trichy Rock Fort (Lord Ganesh) , with huge rocks, many stairs,
lots of people, and very spiritual. We saw an elephant, exciting!!

The Hanuman Chalisa will be recited

(sung) continuously by various groups.
You are invited to come along and witness
and take part in this recital. Prasad and
Mahaprasad will be served throughout
the program. Devotees are free to bring
flowers and Prasad for offering. Please feel
free to invite your friends and families as
well.

Kids Fair 2015

Date & Time: Sat 17 Jan 2015, 10:00am

5:00pm0
Sun 18 Jan 2015, 10:00am5:00pm
Venue: ASB Showgrounds, 217
Greenlane West, Auckland
Tickets: Adult (with a FREE child entry
per paying adult *no ticket for this Child is
required*):$12.00
Additional Children (ages 5 to 12):$6.00
Under 5s:$0.00
An exhibition and entertainment
extravaganza timed to coincide with the
end of the Summer School Holidays,
toddlers to teens (2-15) and parents
will have a ball, with the entire ASB
Showgrounds packed full of family
entertainment, exhibits for both kids and
their parents, free amusement rides and
much more. Features include: live stage
shows from The Moe Show and The
WotWots on the Logan Campbell Theatre
stage, magic shows, free amusement
rides, sporting and physical activities,
face-painting, live animals and petting zoo,
interesting and interactive exhibits and
a chance to try and buy new products.
There is even a realistic animatronic
dinosaur to welcome kids and a dozen
fairytale princesses direct from the story-

books to interact with! Tickets on sale

viawww.iticket.co.nzor at the door.

Patni Singham Pati

Chewingum: Gujrati
Comedy Play

Date: Saturday 31st January 2015

Time: 7 pm
Venue: Dorothy Winstone Centre, 16
Howe St. Auckland.
No. 1 Gujrati comedy play, featuring TV
superstar Arvind Vaidya (Sarabhai Vs
Sarabhai fame), comedian Nimesh Shah,
Harikrishna Dave, Mallika Shah, and
Manisha Vora. Tickets start from $20,
available at Yogiji Food Mart: Carr Road,
Sona Sansaar: Mt Roskill and Papatoetoe,
Valley Fruit and Veges and Mango Trip:
Sandringham. For more information,
Contact Kuntal Trivedi: 027 222 3278

SJK Alliance & Kimaya Creations

PRESENT

omedy
No 1 c f india
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For more info

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Kuntal Trivedi
027 222 3278

singham pati
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queen of comedy

Beauty queen

Manisha vora

mallika shah

comedy king

TV superstar

comedian

nimesh shah

Arvind vaidya

harikrishna dave

SATURDAY 31ST JANUARY 2015, 7pm

Dorothy Winstone Centre, 16 Howe St
Auckland

Tickets

$20/$25
$30/$35
Online ticket Partner

www.mangotrip.co.nz

Tickets available at: Yogiji Food Mart - 26 Carr Road, Mt Roskill. Ph 09 624 5757
Sona Sansaar - 190 Stoddard Rd, Mt Roskill Ph 629 3333 Sona Sansaar - 172 Great South Rd, Papatoetoe Ph: 278 6000.
Valley Fruit & Veges 576 Sandringham Rd, Sandringham. Ph: 09 846 5050. Mango Trip Sangdringham, Ph: 09 8462646.
Major Sponsor

Supported By

MUNISH SETH

Catering Partner

Media Partners

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

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FEATURES / EVENTS

29

30

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

FEATURES

Little Math-star!
11-year-old Lekha Gupta scored cent per cent at the International
Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) and showcased her
competency in mathematics

Red

lthough a prime achievement for a pre-teen girl, the ICAS

medal is one of the many that Lekha has bagged in recent
years. The year 7 student at Diocesan School for Girls is a regular
recipient of certificates and trophies at her school.
The International Competitions and Assessments for Schools
(ICAS) are independent skills-based assessments with a

Orange

Lekha Gupta

Paula Ray

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competition element.
Over one million student entries are accepted from over 6,300
schools in Australia and New Zealand annually. In addition,
students from over 20 countries including Hong Kong, India,
Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa and the USA participate in
ICAS each year.
Students with the top score in each subject in each year level
are awarded a medal and amedal winners certificate.
I would like to try the Olympiad (IMO) is
the World ChampionshipMathematics Competition next. It is
aimed at high school students, says Lekha. But what is the
inspiration behind her indomitable spirit?
The success of older girls in my school inspires me. There is
so much pressure and yet they excel in their areas. Alice Tilley,
who will be the head girl in 2015, is smart, good in sports, has

a good personality and is nice to everyone even

if she doesnt like the person. That is a good
quality, explains a discerning Lekha.
What about the challenges that came in
the way?
I would say writing is a challenge
for me. Although my reading age is of
14-15 years, I find it difficult to express
my ideas in writing, says Lekha. She
tries to edit her writing with the help of
thesaurus and looking for synonyms to
improve sentences.
The other challenge that Lekha faced
recently was organising the Primary
Years Programme exhibition with her
classmates. It is an exhibition that is
organised every year by year 6 and it was
so difficult to coordinate and collate all the
information. Our topic was Auckland City
Mission where we volunteered and shared our
experiences, explains Lekha with a twinkle in her eyes.
So who is her role model? Pat comes the reply: I look up to
my cousin Richie. He has taught himself to swim, play guitar
and makes time for us always. He always has a solution to my
problems.
After a pause, Lekha adds, He can relate to my problems more
than my parents as he was in school not long ago. Given a chance,
I would like to learn to play the guitar like him.
What else does little Lekha dream about? To become the CEO
or at least the head of one of the branches of a big company that
has something to do with technology, says Lekha quite readily, as
if she has already started planning her professional career.
To steer back to an interest more child-like: is there a celebrity
you would like to meet? JK Rowling, Rick Riordan and Kathy
Reichs, rattles off the little genius.

www.iwk.co.nz
9 January 2015

Red

FEATURES

Breakfast in Auckland...
...Lunch on the
...
...Dinner in Delhi
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Auckland - India - Auckland

Return Fares Starting From

Through Ticket from New Zealand to India

Fly via Sydney/Melbourne to India with Qantas-Air
India, Virgin Australia-Air India or Air New ZealandAir India

30 Kg Baggage Allowance
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allowance when travelling in economy class
between New Zealand-India-New Zealand.

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Enjoy the luxuries of the worlds most advanced
aircraft and emerge with lesser fatigue.

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Fly onward at no extra cost between Delhi and

Melbourne: (+61) 3 8391 3319 / 3320 / 3321

Email to mel.reservation@airindia.in

*For travel from February 16 to May 31. Conditions apply.

any one of nine Indian cities: Mumbai, Kolkata,

Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chandigarh,
Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi or Kozhikode.

Onward domestic connections at a nominal

Fly
onward at $25 (one way) between Delhi and any
cost

one of fifteen Indian cities: Vadodara, Jaipur, Pune,

Varanasi, Udaipur, Lucknow, Goa, Coimbatore,
Vishakhapatnam, Indore, Nagpur, Guwahati,
Bhubaneswar, Ranchi or Patna.
Fly onward at $50 (one way) between Delhi and
any one of twenty three Indian cities: Amritsar,
Ahmedabad, Mangalore, Madurai, Jamnagar, Rajkot,
Aurangabad, Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Vijayawada,
Raipur, Tirupati, Khajuraho, Aizawl, Dibrugarh,
Dimapur, Agartala, Imphal, Silchar, Agra, Bhopal, or
Jodhpur.

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