Indian

Indian February 26, 2010

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Indian
Indian community seeks answers on violent attacks
Over 100 people including government minis-
ters, MPs, the Mayor of Auckland, police officers
and community leaders attended a meeting con-
vened to mourn the death of Indian taxi driver
Hiren Mohini at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre in
Eden Terrace on Sunday afternoon. Members
of the Mohini family and many of his taxi col-
leagues also attended. The New Zealand Central
Indian Association (NZICA) and the Auckland
Indian Association jointly convened the meeting.
Two weeks after the brutal killing of Hiren,
the killer is still at large and the purpose of the
meeting was to hear from political leaders and
the police about the progress on the case and
what the government proposed to do to prevent
such incidents, Mr Ashok Darji, chairman of the
law and order committee of the Auckland Indian
Association said.
The proceedings began with prayers and a
welcome by NZICA general secretary Veer Khar,
Auckland Indian Association president Harshad
Patel and Mr Darji. This was the seventh time
that an Indian was killed while working at their
jobs, Mr Darji said, recounting previous victims
Naveenbhai Govind, Shiu Prasad, Navtej Singh,
Sai Krishna Naidu, Baghubhai Waghela and Jas-
matbhai Patel. The Indian community totally
condemned these attacks and the meeting was to
show solidarity among the people, Mr Darji said.
Minister of Social Development Pansy Wong,
leader of the opposition Phil Goff, Members of
Parliament Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, Jackie Blue,
and Rajen Prasad, Auckland Mayor John Banks
and NZ Police Area Commander West, Jim
Wilson addressed the gathering.
Ms Wong, Mr Goff – who served as Justice
Minister in a previous Labour government – and
Mr Banks called for law change. Ms Wong said
that although the community was appreciative of
the police, most people felt that the law did not
2 Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
New Zealand
match the seriousness of the crime.
Mr Banks was most vocal and said not
enough had been done to address the deteriora-
tion of law and order. “The gangs are in charge of
Auckland,” he said and recommended the strict-
est possible deterrent punishment for heinous
crimes.
New Zealanders hadn’t condemned such
criminal activity and the reasons that fuelled it –
alcohol and drugs – loudly enough and until that
was done, there was little hope he said.
The audience clapped and cheered when
Mr Banks said nothing less than a life sentence
would do for killers like those of Mr Mohini and
other innocent victims.
Mr Bakshi and Mr Prasad, while outlining
their own responses to the tragedy, also engaged
in a bit of political debate about what the National
and Labour governments had done (or not done)
in regard to the law and order situation. Mr Darji
requested speakers to stick to the subject and
refrain from making political statements. Jackie
Blue spoke briefly.
All the speakers singled out the NZ Police for
praise for its efforts and community leaders said Among options considered were close circuit the investigation is moving forward,” he said. A
that people had great faith in the police depart- cameras and shields. Drivers tended to prefer liaison officer, Neil Pimenta, had been assigned
ment. the shield option but the taxi men had agreed to assist the family, he added.
Co-op Taxi head Ian Graham said the tragedy to abide by the ministry’s recommendations, he Other community leaders who spoke were
had united taxi companies like never before. The said. Co-op taxis was in the process of setting GOPIO President Mr Bhatia, Anil Channa of the
700-member strong Co-op Taxis had no com- up a trust for the Mohini family which was ex- Manukau Indian Association, Roshan Nauhria of
munication with rival company Alert Taxis for pected to take about three weeks and funds for Bharatiya Samaj, Ramanbhai Ganda of the Auck-
seven years but the aftermath of Mr Mohini’s it are being collected in a special account. The land Indian Association, Cecil Ram Lochan,
murder had brought the two companies together, account would be open for collection for another Raj Bedi of the NZ Sikh Society and NZICA
he said. two weeks, Mr Graham said. vice president Paul Singh Bains. Also present
Transport Minister Steven Joyce had met Police Area Commander for the western was Wellington-based NZ Police ethnic affairs
with concerned officials, ministers and taxi rep- region Jim Wilson said his department was adviser Rakesh Naidoo.
resentatives and had asked government officials doing all it could and had employed the best re- Mr Bains the vote of thanks at the conclusion
to revert with a plan for prevention of the repeat sources for tracking down Mr Mohini’s killer. of the meeting that lasted over two-and-a-half
of such instances within four weeks, Mr Graham “I am unable to talk about specifics because it hours.
said. will come before the courts, but I can report that - Indian Weekender news desk
Indian
Rahul Gandhi visits Wellington MP seeking youth candidate
for Parliament
NZICA president Ratilal Champaneri, Rahul
Gandhi, NZICA general secretary Veer Khar and
Lady Satyanand.
Indian Member of Parliament and grandson
and son of former Indian Prime Ministers Indira
Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi is in Wellington on a
two day visit.
The New Zealand Indian Central Associa-
tion (NZICA) President Ratilal Champaneri and
General Secretary Veer Khar met up with Mr
Gandhi yesterday in the capital and presented
him with a copy of “Early Settlers” at a function
at Government House.
Early Settlers is a book about Indian Settlers
in New Zealand authored by research scholar Jac-
queline Leckie who wrote the book for NZICA.
Issue of How should the Indian government convince NZ sports
the day teams to attend sports fixtures in India despite threats
from terrorist organisations to stay away?
Provide details of the
planned security protocols
to NZ Govt. Deploy armed
forces to secure the games
village and stadiums.
Ram Rai
This issue for the Indian
Government is going to be
a major ongoing hurdle.
The government needs to
assure other countries that
the security and surveillance
system in India is that of international stan-
dard and sportsmen and women will enjoy
a trouble free sporting event.
Kanu Patel
Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Young people have the unique opportunity to
have their voice heard in New Zealand’s Parlia-
ment during Youth Parliament 2010 in July.
National MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi is
looking for a candidate.
If you are a motivated young person between
the ages of 16 and 18 years of age with a passion
for politics, this could be a life changing experi-
ence for you.
Youth Parliament is held once every three
years enabling young people to express their
views to our country’s decision makers and a
first hand understanding of the parliamentary
process. Young people will also learn how to
effectively contribute to government decision-
making systems and procedures on issues of na-
tional and regional importance.
The successful candidate will take Mr Bak-
shi’s position at Parliament as a Youth MP, for
two days on July 6 and 7. They will have the
opportunity to work on a submission for a Youth
Global Village Unlimited
Wellington businesswomen Raga D’silva and
Nicola Fenton have traded their Kiwi summer for
the bustle and heat of Mumbai as they prepare to
bring internationally renowned creative thinking
guru Edward de Bono to India next month.
Their company,
Global Village
The book was published by Otago University
Unlimited (GVU),
specialises in as-
“There is huge
Press in 2007.
NZICA appraised Mr Gandhi about the
sisting
businesses
Indian
into potential for
Indian diaspora in New Zealand and praised him New Zealand and
for his engagement with rural India.
The Asia:NZ hosted Mr Gandhi on February
New Zealand busi-
nesses into India.
growth, but not in
16 as part of his visit to Wellington as the inau-
gural recipient of the Sir Edmund Hillary Fel-
However,
also works with
it
the way that New
lowship. Mr Gandhi engaged with a number of
members of Asia:NZ’s Young Leaders Network
and recruits from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
“thought leaders”
such as de Bono as
part of their newly
Zealand really
and Trade. This was followed by a Track II
meeting with leading New Zealand academics
launched Guru-
mantra Series, set
understands...”
and commentators. up to take ‘guru’
speakers to differ-
ent parts of the world.
“Establishing the Gurumantra Series
is about the exchange of ideas and knowl-
edge to connect our world,” Ms D’silva said,
speaking from Mumbai.
“Edward de Bono represents that in lots
of ways but we’re also in discussions with
other high profile thinkers and speakers who
have something of value to say.
“We are looking at how we can bring
It should not! The threat them to audiences over here and in New
from terror outfits is cred- Zealand and elsewhere.”
ible enough and India will Given their India expertise, the sub-con-
not be able to offer the level tinent was a “natural launching pad” for the
of security required to keep series, she said.
international players safe. As well as helping with the de Bono tour,
locating temporarily in India had had some
Nilima Kalambi “very positive spin-offs” for wider India-
New Zealand work, Ms Fenton said.
“It has been a really good reminder to
The Indian Government
us of what we are actually offering to New
must seek best alternatives Zealand businesses wanting to operate in the
to ensure safety of players Indian market.
remains paramount, and not “We are actually doing business here
give in to the threats in India, and we’re coming up against the
issues that any New Zealand business would
Ann Pala come up against over here.
So when we talk to our New Zealand
clients and advise them, we’re doing so as
New Zealand
Parliament Bill. They will also participate in
Question Time debating on the Bill, a Select
Committee Inquiry and a Party caucus session.
Young people who are active in the communi-
ty and passionate about youth issues are encour-
aged to apply.
The successful candidate will be required to
canvass the opinions that are of particular inter-
est to the youth in their electorate.
The successful applicant will carry the
“Youth MP” title for six months and will work
closely with Mr Bakshi and his office.
Interested candidates are required to write a
letter on why they should be chosen as a Youth
MP.
Applications must be sent by March 1, 2010 to
PO Box 23136, Hunters Corner, Auckland 2025,
or email bakshi.mp@parliament.govt.nz
For further information please contact Ash
Kaur on 09 278 9302 or ash.kaur@parliament.
govt.nz
a company that really
knows the coalface
issues; the obstacles
and the challenges,”
she said.
“The biggest chal-
lenge here is to get
people to act,” Indian
born Ms D’silva, who
is also deputy chair-
woman of the India
New Zealand Business
Council, said.
Ms Fenton said
GVU had partnered
with Indian execu-
tive training special-
ists Northpoint Centre
of Learning as co-producers for the de
Bono programmes in Delhi, Bangalore and
Mumbai later this month, but there was also
great potential for further work with North-
point.
Although her GVU work has taken her to
India several times, Ms Fenton said as a New
Zealander, she never ceased to be amazed by
the “sheer scale of the country and the size
and number of opportunities to be found
here.”
“There is huge potential for growth,
but not in the way that New Zealand really
understands. It is absolutely massive, and I
don’t think New Zealanders have any idea
how big it is and how to tap into this.
“The feeling here is great and business
confidence is high. India has again touched
7.5% growth in GDP in the last quarter.”
India was New Zealand’s 23rd largest
trade partner in June 2008. Twelve months
later it has become the 13th largest despite
the global recession.
In those 12 months, New Zealand’s
exports to India doubled to $727 million,
up from $361 million in June 2008. Imports
from India increased by 20% from $285
million to $342 million in the same period.
(Courtesy the National Business Review)
3
Indian

4 Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian
New Zealand

Kiwi Indian is team leader at new ambulance station

The 47th ambulance station to be built in St John’s
Northern Region has been officially opened.
The Mt Roskill Ambulance Station, at 2
Clinker St, Three Kings, was officially opened
by the Auckland Mayor John Banks at 5.30pm
on February 17.
Former Mumbai resident Dion Rosario is Op-
erational Team Leader of the lifesaving crews
who work from the new station.
The station is located in St John Northern
Region, which has 46 other stations in Auckland,
Northland, Hauraki and the Coromandel.
This is an auspicious month and year for St
John as it launched services to Aucklanders in
February 1892 and during 2010 celebrates a land-
mark anniversary – 125 years of serving New
Zealanders since its beginnings in Christchurch
in April 1885.
Regional Operations Manager Gary Salmon
says, “When St John first began here, ambulance
volunteers pushed patients along the road on
hand wheeled litters!”
Mt Roskill is the first ever purpose-built am-
bulance station in Three Kings and surrounding
suburbs. St John had a small relocatable building
in the carpark of the Fire Station premises on Mt
Albert Road until the Fire Service vacated those
premises.
As a charity whose services are not fully gov-
ernment funded, St John builds its stations with
the help of community organisations, local com-
munities and the volunteers of St John area com-
mittees.
A generous grant from the Lion Founda-
tion Charitable Trust allowed us to build the Mt
Roskill station.
Of the 47 stations in St John’s Northern
Region, seven are in Auckland City and 22 are
in the greater Auckland area, from Wellsford in
the North to Pukekohe in the South, and West to
Helensville.
Dion Rosario: Operations Team Leader Mt Roskill Ambulance Station
The new station will help St John meet
demand for its services: 1940:  Auckland has
11 ambulances, 16,600 callouts a year; 1950:
Auckland has 18 ambulances, 33,622 callouts;
1960:  Auckland has 27 ambulances, 64,016 call-
outs; 2009: Auckland has 74 frontline and patient
transfer services ambulances 134,237 callouts
Meet Dion Rosario, Operations
Team Leader at Mt Roskill
Ambulance Station
How long have you been involved with St John?
6 years
How did you first become involved in St John?
My first interaction with St John staff was through
a First Aid course as part of the Security job I was
doing at the time.
What role(s) do you have in St John?
Paramedic, Operations Team Leader – Mt Roskill
What do you enjoy most about your role?
Having a chance to contribute to community by
attempting to make a positive difference to some-
one’s life. I enjoy meeting various types of people,
and interacting with them. I enjoy using my skills to
change their outcomes.
Assisting my colleagues (in my team) at Mt Roskill
to operate an ambulance station to high standards.
Any advice for Kiwi Indians considering becom-
ing ambulance officers?
A hard road to achieve anything is always well
cherished. My advice for Indians in New Zealand
wanting to become ambulance officers would be, to
be dedicated to your goals, work and study hard to
achieve them. Keep the well being of your patients
as the reason you want to achieve these goals. This
is also an awesome opportunity to serve the wider
community that we are now a part of.
Tell us about your background?
My ethnic background is Anglo Indian (Roman
Catholic). I was born in Mumbai where I had all of
my education.

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Indian

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Indian
New Zealand
Are people who draw money from their
businesses avoiding tax?
Deborah LaHatte

Investors have the May 20 budget to worry about because of the government’s promise to tackle property tax.
But two court decisions may have a worse effect on their income

A unnamed developer and entrepreneur involved run through entities such as
in projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars companies or trusts. The
over many years and who a Taxation Review Au-
thority judge said had built a “fine amenity to the
surgeons’ trusts distrib-
uted the tax-paid profits It may mean
particular city and aesthetically very pleasing” to the surgeons or family
has had his tax appeal overturned and is due to members. property investors
pay millions back to the IRD. In the Taxation Review
But the Taxation Review Authority decision Authority case, Z23, Judge will have to visit
is also expected to have a widespread effect on Paul Barber found that had
businesspeople who draw regular amounts from current accounts merely their accountants
their business, particularly trusts, rather than pay been advances on trading
themselves salary. The decision may have turned activities of a trust, the ar- and tax lawyers
capital proceeds into taxable income. rangement would probably
This is a new approach because drawings
have not been considered tax avoidance before.
not have amounted to tax
avoidance. This view may
immediately to
It may mean property investors will have to
visit their accountants and tax lawyers immedi-
be critical in the Court of
Appeal Penny & Hooper
consider the effects
ately to consider the effects of that decision – and
another on the way.
case.
Judge Barber found the
of that decision – and
This case is now tied to a forthcoming Court
of Appeal decision on the Penny & Hooper case
drawings or loans were part
of a tax avoidance arrange-
another on the way.
in which orthopaedic surgeons restructured their ment over 12 years. The
medical practices to leave much of the profit property developer had set
from their activities in trusts. They then paid up projects involving developing land on revenue
themselves below market salaries. When the account, effected in separate trusts. At the end
IRD argued this was avoidance of tax, the High of each project, the profit was distributed to the
Court held there was no market salary require- next trust development project, which would be
ment within the tax act when small business are in startup at that stage and so on.
There were constant
and regular drawings from
the entities by the devel-
oper. Generally, no salary
was paid: the drawings
were treated as loans of
capital. The accounts re-
cording his drawings re-
vealed that in the income
year ended March 31, 2001,
the developer drew cash of
$500 or more on 24 occa-
sions and this was over and
above bigger amounts such
as $13,079 toward a Range
Rover and $15,660 toward
a jet ski.
The technique applied
by the accountant and ad-
visers for the developer
which had led to him not
appearing to receive earn-
ings remained unnoticed
by the IRD for many years until one of the devel-
opment projects led to significant losses for the
particular group entity … this was the one the
judge said “was a fine amenity for the particular
city.”
The judge said he understood that for various
reasons a taxpayer may operate a current account
with entities to which that taxpayer is associated
in some way and that is an affair of being advance
by way of loan from time to time. But he said in
this case he regarded the context of the dispu-
tant’s drawings or loans “as a method to avoid
payment to the developer by his various group
entities of assessable salary or remuneration of
some type for his dedicated and skilled work in
managing the group and each ongoing project.”
He said that as well as avoiding salary and
profits, most profit was rolled into the next project
without being taxed because trading profits of a
trading trust were merely distributed to the next
trading trust, which had already incurred off-
setting deductions from commencing the next
project.
The failure to pay the developer any reward
for his services was contrived and artificial and
could not be explained in terms of commercial
purposes. The loans did not benefit a particular
set of beneficiaries or any particular charitable
purpose. “The trust was merely the alter ego of
the disputant.”
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Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 7
Indian
India
Militants behead Sikhs for ransom BJP vows to stop reservation
on religious basis
Landi Kotal: Two Sikh youths – Jaspal Singh Prasad also criticised the Congress-led UPA
and Mahal Singh – were beheaded for ransom government for being ‘soft’ towards Pakistan on
by members of the Tehrik-e-Talibanat at Tirah such issues.
valley of Khyber Agency in Pakistan, according “What is truly worrisome is the callous at-
to local news reports. titude of the Government of India. These Sikhs Indore: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the growth of a new communal movement in-
Two other Sikhs, Gurvinder Singh and Gurjit were abducted for sometime. What kind of dip- Friday said it would oppose reservations on reli- spired by the Two-Nation Theory that led to the
Singh, are still in the custody of the terrorists. lomatic pressure did India bring on Pakistan to gious basis tooth and nail and  make any sacrifice tragic partition of our Motherland in 1947.”
All four were traders by profession. secure their release,” Prasad said. to stop the move. Calling the move communalisation of devel-
According to the family members of Singh, “India has almost begged for a dialogue with “The BJP strongly opposes the move of com- opment, BJP said: “Earlier, the wooing of the
he was kidnapped along with two other Sikhs Pakistan and yet is so cruelly indifferent to the munal reservations as it is aimed at dividing the Muslim community was couched in the language
from Chora Tangra area of barbaric terrorism being people on communal lines. This move is not of minority welfare. Today, the UPA Govern-
Tirah valley two weeks ago. meted out to the innocent only anti-secular but also anti-nation. It will hurt ment has shed its camouflage and is explicitly
“The kidnappers wanted “India has almost Sikh community in Paki- mostly the interests of the backward classes,” courting the Muslim community alone.”
a ransom of Rs 20 million stan,” Prasad said, hinting said senior BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu at the West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb
by Feb 20. We failed. And begged for a dialogue at the Indo-Pak talks concluding day of the three-day National Execu- Bhattacharjee this month announced ten percent
now we have lost him scheduled for Feb 25. tive and Council Meeting of the party.    job reservation for   Muslims who are socially,
(Singh) forever,” a close with Pakistan and yet is   On the other hand, ”If not reversed, it is bound to be emulated by economically and educationally backward under
aide of Singh told media on the Ministry of External other governments led by parties that are today the OBC (Other Backward Class) category,
Monday. so cruelly indifferent to Affairs in New Delhi said it locked in competitive pseudo-secularism, thus taking the OBC quota to 17 from 7 in the state
According to a Dawn
news report, elderly Sikhs
the barbaric terrorism will ‘look into the matter’.
“We have seen the
expanding the geographical spread of the poison-
ous seed,” he said.
The chief minister’s announcement came
amidst the recommendations of the Justice Ran-
and relatives of Singh had being meted out to the report in the media. If Slamming the ruling Congress for pursuing ganath Mishra report on jobs for the minority
met the kidnappers on the report is correct, it is reservation policy on religious lines, Naidu said: and the status of religious and linguistic minori-
Saturday to negotiate his innocent Sikh community the most shocking inci- “This is a retrograde move which, if not imme- ties in the country as a whole.
release. dent. We are in touch with diately reversed, will sow the poisonous seed for
“Instead the militants in Pakistan,” Indian High Commission
handed them Singh’s be-
headed body on Sunday,”
said the report. of External Affairs. 
in Islamabad for further
details,” said the Ministry Precious Ravi Varma paintings stolen
The two other Sikhs are still with the mili- Meanwhile, Shiromani Gurdwara Praband- Thiruananthapuram: Twelve original oil paint- After Independence, the art gallery was taken
tants. The ransom amount for them is yet to be hak Committee (SGPC) chief Avtar Singh ings of noted painter Raja Ravi Varma, worth over by the Kerala government. Now, it says, it
known to the media. Makkar has called up Prime Minister Manmo- several crore of rupees, are missing from the has only 63 of these paintings. And to top it, the
Condemning the beheading, the Bharatiya han Singh to take immediate action on this in- government-owned art gallery in Thiruvanan- stock register of the gallery (from 1935-70) is
Janata Party (BJP) said the community is no cident. tha-puram where they were kept. also missing.
longer safe in the neighbouring country. “The Indian Government and PM Manmohan The theft was noticed by his great grand Varma’s paintings, mainly of scenes from
“BJP strongly condemns this dastardly mas- Singh should take up the matter with Pakistan at daughter Archana Narayan, and has moved the Indian mythology and of saree-clad women,
sacre of minority Sikh community in Pakistan. the earliest and demand stern action. They should Kerala High Court seeking a CBI probe into the are in great demand. In 2007, one of his paint-
This shows how minorities are treated with con- also allow an SGPC delegation to visit the tribal missing paintings. ings, Vasantha Sena, was sold by auction house
tempt in Pakistan. They were not given any se- areas to assess the condition of Sikhs there,” said In 1940, 75 paintings were sent from Kili- Christies’s in London for $420,000 (about Rs
curity…Sikhs are not secure in Pakistan,” BJP Makkar, chief of the highest decision-making manoor Palace, 40 km north of Thiruvanan- 1.8 crore). By that benchmark, the 12 paintings
spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told report- body among the Sikhs. thapuram, to be exhibited at the Sri Chitra Art would be worth at least Rs 20 crore.
ers. Gallery.

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

Indian
And now, singing sarees!
Chennai: Swaramadhuri’, a ‘singing’ silk saree
embedded with eight micro-speakers on its
border, has caught the fancy of many traders
down south.
Conceptualised by P Mohan, a small-scale
designer of Dharmavaram town in Andhra
Pradesh’s Anantpur district, the saree has a
small iPod at the pallu, which can play as many
as 200 songs continuously for four hours.
A 2-GB memory chip is used to support the
iPod on the saree. Mohan toiled for two months
to come out with this unique design and now
the unusual piece has generated a lot of inter-
est and curiosity among silk traders in South
India.
B Datta Shiva, the entrepreneur who has
purchased the rights of the saree, said “orders
are pouring in from showrooms in Tamil Nadu,
Kerala and Andhra Pradesh for the supply of
Guru Granth sahib repalced in ravidas temple
Amritsar: A Bir of Guru Granth Sahib has been replaced in a Ravidas temple in the city by a new
scripture ‘’Amrit Bani’’ and a procession was organised to mark the occasion. The management of
Ravidas Temple in Ram Nagar area, however, said that the Bir was shifted to a Gurudwara and they
the attire.” “It took nearly a month to make one
saree. Ten members of our unit continuously
worked and finished it,” Shiva said.
The same designer had earlier created
sarees with small LED bulbs which he calls the
‘lighting saree’. He had also made silk sarees
using sandalwood.
“There is a great demand for the sandal-
wood saree. We get orders from all over the
south. But due to time consuming process, we
are not able to meet the demand,” Shiva said.
For the saree, Mohan claims he uses pure san-
dalwood purchased from a Karnataka govern-
ment-owned emporium.
With a Rs 300-crore-market for silk sarees
and dress materials, Dharmavaram weavers
have now pinned their hopes on the success of
‘Swaramadhuri’.
India, Denmark sign social security treaty
New Delhi: India and Denmark signed a bilateral
Social Security Agreement (SSA) last week.
Dr. A. Didar Singh, Secretary, Ministry of
Overseas Indian Affairs and Ms Inger Stojberg,
Minister for Employment of Denmark signed the
agreement on behalf of their respective govern-
ments.   between the two countries on account of reduc-
Highlighting its features, Dr Singh said the
agreement will enhance co-operation on social
security between the two countries with a view
to protecting their workers in either country
against double payment of social security contri-
butions, loss of contributions and loss of benefits.
He said that the workers sent by Denmark
based companies to their Indian subsidiaries, or
those sent by Indian companies to their subsid-
iaries in Denmark will be exempt from social
security contribution under the host country’s
legislation.
While working abroad, these employees will
only be subject to the social security regulations
of their home country.
He further said that the SSA provides that an
employed or self-employed person, other than
Dalai Lama advises self-
India
detached workers, shall be subject only to the
legislation of the host country. It also provides
for portability of the benefits at the time of relo-
cation to home country or a third country.
The Secretary said that the bilateral agree-
ment will also help enhance trade and investment
tion of corporate expenses on social security and
will ensure social protection of migrant profes-
sionals. He said that a Joint Working Group will
be set up to draw a detail of framework of the
agreement
India has signed Social Security agreements
with Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland,
Luxembourg and the Netherlands in the recent
past. 
Similar agreements with other countries like
Canada, South Korea, Czech Republic and USA
are under way.  
There are about 13,000 Indians in Denmark
most of whom are working as professionals and
self-employed persons.

discipline to Woods
respected all holy books and religions.
“We had stopped holding parkash of Guru Granth Sahib after the Vienna incident and on Sat-
urday the Bir was shifted to Central Town Gurudwara with proper decorum and full respect,” said
Hussan Lal, president of the Guru Ravidas Naujawan Sabha, which manages the temple. “However,
we respect all holy books and religions,” he added.
The move comes after the Dera Sachkhand Ballan said it was starting a new religion with its own
scripture on January 30, the birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas, in Banaras. New York: Exiled Tibetan spiritual head The
Dalai Lama had not heard about golf icon Tiger

India expects Austria to invest

Woods but he advised the wayward sportsperson
to practise self-discipline when he was intro-
duced.
Dalai Lama told an American news agency

$ 1.5 trillion by 2016-17
New Delhi: Union Minister of Commerce and
Industry, Anand Sharma, invited Austria to par-
ticipate in the creation and management of world
class infrastructure in India.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the
India-Austria Joint Economic Forum (JEC),
Sharma said: “We expect an investment of ap-
proximately $ 1.5 trillion by 2016-17 for creation
and up-gradation of our infrastructure.”
He further emphasised that India has a large
skilled human resource base, which can be com-
bined with Austria’s technology and investment
to create a win-win situation for both sides.
During the interaction, Sharma said that
despite the global economic slowdown, there had
been impressive growth in the volume of bilater-
al trade. Bilateral trade during the fiscal 2007-08
was of the order US $ 769 Million and it has
jumped to US $ 1193 million during 2008-09.
The major items of export to Austria are
drugs, pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, trans-
port equipments, machinery, instruments, gems,
jewellery, manufactures of metals, etc. The major
items of import from Austria are: iron and steel,
electronic goods, organic chemicals, petroleum,
crude and products, project goods, etc.
The major sectors that attracted FDI inflows
from Austria include electrical equipments,
paper and pulp products, mathematical survey-
ing and drawings, power and chemicals, etc.
that all faith has the same principle when it
comes to adultery. And that is self-discipline.
The Nobel laureate was quizzed by the
agency after Tiger Woods said in a televised
address worldwide that he had strayed from his
Buddhist values and hence indulged in a string of
extramarital affairs.
“Whether you call it Buddhism or another re-
ligion, self-discipline, that’s important. . . . Self-
discipline with awareness of consequences,” the
Dalai Lama was quoted in media saying when
asked about Woods.
Tiger Woods earlier said in his public
apology: “People probably don’t realize it but I
was raised a Buddhist, and I actively practiced
my faith from childhood until I drifted away
from it in recent years.”
Woods said his Buddhist faith would be a key
part of his quest to put his life back together.
Several Hollywood celebrities have embraced
Buddhism, including actors like Richard Gere.

Tatas to assemble helicopters

Gere, along with Sharon Stone and Harrison
Ford, raised funds for Dalai Lama, according to
media reports.
Gere has a foundation to aid Tibetan causes

with AgustaWestland
called The Gere Foundation.

New Delhi: AgustaWestland, a Finmecca- tablishment of a Joint Venture to set up an

nica company, and Tata Sons have signed a
Shareholders’ Agreement for the formation
of a joint venture company, which will es-
tablish in India a final assembly line for the
AW119 helicopter for the worldwide market.
Giuseppe Orsi, CEO, AgustaWestland
and Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Sons signed
the agreement.
The joint venture company will be re-
sponsible for AW119 final assembly, comple-
tion and delivery while AgustaWestland will
retain responsibility for worldwide market-
ing and sales. The first aircraft is scheduled
to be delivered from the new facility in 2011
with production forecast to rise to 30 aircraft
per year to meet worldwide demand.
Giuseppe Orsi, CEO, AgustaWestland,
said: “It gives us great pleasure to have
achieved this important agreement with such
a leading industrial partner in India. The es-
AW119 assembly line in India will provide
extraordinary industrial opportunities both
in the country and worldwide through the
Unique Valentine’s Day celebration
synergies generated by AgustaWestland and
Tata Sons capitalizing upon the depth of their New Delhi: The Ishaan Institute of Management and Technology in Greater Noida
respective resources.” came up with a unique way to celebrate Valentine’s Day—by asking its girl students
It is envisaged that the joint venture to prepare and serve food to the boy students.
company would be a supplier for the current
Reconnaissance and Surveillance Helicop- The underlying motto according to the institute’s chairman was to promote
ter (RSH) programme of the Indian Armed “a culture of knowledge where brothers and sisters could stay together”.
Forces, for which AgustaWestland has
already proposed the AW119 to be manufac-
About 400 students of the college which believes in strict discipline participated in
tured in India.
Additionally, AgustaWestland and Tata the ‘celebrations.’ The girls prepared a variety of dishes for the boys and there was
Sons are exploring further commercial, tech- a contest held for the The Most Talented Boy and Girl. Students said though the
nical and industrial collaboration opportuni- cooking activity was not compulsory, they participated all the same to avoid being
ties in the rotorcraft industry to strengthen marked.
their strategic relationship.
Many students found the institute’s ‘celebrations’ dictatorial. Said a student “ In
this day and age it is archaic to tell students how they are to conduct themselves.”

Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 9

Indian
Sunia Cama dies in Suva Suva to be ‘hub’ of the Pacific
Suva: Sunia Cama, former Fiji heavyweight
boxing champion and one of the country’s top
trainers, died in Suva on Friday morning (Feb
19).
Cama died in his sleep at around 6am inside
his car which was parked on the pavement outside
his Toorak restaurant.
The 67-year-old first appeared onto the
boxing scene when he won the Fiji light heavy-
weight title in 1969 and went on to become the
Fiji heavyweight champion in the 1970s.
He fought the likes of Tongan’s Fonomanu
Sekona, Mani Vaka, the late Marika Naivalu,
Vuniivi Nadumu, Samuela Vocea, Koli Vailea,
Niko Degei, Johnny Gorkom, Den Compain and
Australian Quentin Waters.
He was the only Fijian boxer to have beaten
tough Samoan heavyweight Fossie Schmidt.
Cama was also known to have trained some
of the best boxers in Fiji, including Anthony
Naidu, Isimeli Lesi, Koroi Vodo, Atama Matau-
loki, Sunia Cama Junior, uprising Petero Qica
Junior.
Well known for his rigid discipline pro-
grammes, most of his fighters went on to become
champions.
Ardent Auckland boxing enthusiast Ahmed
Khan, of Pakuranga, said Fiji had lost a huge
boxing identity.
“He was a huge man inside the ring and also
UN explains why it reject Fiji’s
Land force commander
New York: A United Nation’s official has revealed a
refusal to accept a prominent Fiji colonel as head of
a peacekeeping mission.
Fiji’s leader Commodore Bainimarama had
posted his Land Force Commander, Brigadier Pita
Driti, to head Fiji’s contribution to the UN Assis-
tance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI).
But Farhan Haq, spokesman for UN Secretary
General Ban Ki-Moon, told a weekend briefing that
they had rejected Brigdier Driti.
“In light of allegations of serious human rights
violations against Colonel Driti, the United Nations
advised the appropriate Fijian authorities that the or-
ganisation would not accept any personnel alleged
to have committed human rights abuses or other
illegal activities and that Colonel Driti would there-
fore not be accepted as the head of the UNAMI
Fijian contingent,” Mr Haq said.
He said there has been no increase in the
number of Fijian troops participating in existing op-
erations or any participation of Fijian troops in new
UN operations established since Bainimarama’s
2006 coup
Meanwhile, Fiji’s leader Commodore Frank
Bainimarama will meet with New Zealand Foreign
Affairs Minister Murray McCully in May.
But before that, Mr McCully has agreed to Fiji’s
proposal that an informal meeting be arranged
10
made his presence felt outside of boxing,” Khan
told the Indian Weekender.
His cousin Petero Qica Senior, who was with
Cama before he passed away, said the former
champion died peacefully without any signs of
pain.
“After we came back from training on
Thurday night, he was at his usual behaivour,
talking and joking with the boys,” Qica told the
Fiji Times.
Qica said Cama preferred to sleep in his car
because of the humid weather while the rest of
the boys were seated outside the restaurant.
“Around 3am he woke up to check the daily
takings from the restaurtant before he went back
to the car.
“After six in the morning, we heard he had a
problem with his breathing.”
Qica said Cama had collapsed during train-
ing at the YMCA on Tuesday.
“But after we attended to him, na qase told us
he was all right.
Qica said Cama’s untimely death brought the
Toorak community together.
Wife Seini Makosoi said Indian neighours
and friends all alike came into the shop enquir-
ing about the news.
He is survived by his wife and 12 children.
- Indian Weekender Online
between him and Commodore Bainimarama during
the Hong Kong Sevens, which will be held from
26-28 March
Commodore Bainimarama yesterday said he
was “delighted” with the turn of events.
Fiji’s Foreign Affairs Minister Ratu Inoke
Kubuabola revealed one of the issues that would
be discussed then would be to organise a potential
meeting between Commodore Bainimarama and
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.
In his report following his meeting with Mr
McCully, Ratu Inoke said the meeting would focus
on the reciprocal appointment of high commission-
ers and that travel sanctions could be discussed in-
depth.
Ratu Inoke acknowledged the New Zealand
Government for taking the initiative and responding
positively for Fiji’s request for the re-establishment
of and continuation of engagement as opposed to the
isolationist approach taken previously.
The two ministers expressed satisfaction at the
continuing commitment by both sides to this dia-
logue process and with the progress made in many
of the issues that have been put on the table so far.
Ratu Inoke said Mr McCully expressed appre-
ciation to the Foreign Affairs Ministry for agreeing
to take the opportunity to hold their second bilateral
session.
For all your
legal needs
Aaron Kashyap
BA, LLB
Barrister and solicitor
Level 1, 351 Manukau Road, PO Box 26-596, DXCP 32513, Epsom, Auckland
Mobile: 0274 857 302 Phone: (09) 6238277 Fax: (09)6235177
Email: aaron@kashyaplaw.co.nz
Suva: Major plans are underway to transform
Suva – Fiji’s capital – into a metropolitan hub
unmatched with any other in the South Pacific.
Players behind the project “Destination Suva”
include the Suva Chamber of Commerce, Minis-
try of Finance and Tourism officials and the Fiji
Police, as the push for more tourist dollar esca-
lates.
Main points outlined in the group’s first
meeting this past week include:
• International flights through Air Pacific and announced they will be constructing a major
Pacific Blue from Australia and New Zealand Conference Centre next to the Tanoa Plaza on
to fly directly in to Nausori.
• Upgrade of the Thurston Gardens recreation The Accor Group, who recently took over
park.
• Police and security officers to escort passen-
gers of visiting cruise ships around the city.
NZ, Fiji to reopen embassies
Suva: Fiji and New Zealand say they have
cleared the way for diplomats to return to
their embassies in Wellington and Suva,
following a second round of talks in three
weeks.
Relations between the two countries have
been strained since a military coup in Fiji
three years ago and further deteriorated last
year with the tit-for-tat expulsion of senior
diplomats.
However, New Zealand foreign minister
Murray McCully described the latest talks,
held in Fiji, as “fruitful and respectful”
Mr McCully and Fiji foreign minister
Inoke Kubuabola issued a statement saying
they were committed “to maintaining their
dialogue and to ensuring both countries had
effective diplomatic representation in each
country”.
They confirmed Mere Tora had arrived in
Wellington to be acting head of mission at
the Fiji High Commission and Phillip Taula
would arrive in Suva in early March to be
New Zealand’s acting head of the embassy.
The meeting followed talks in Sydney
earlier this month, which also involved Aus-
tralian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith.
New Zealand and Australia have been the
harshest critics of Fiji since military leader
Frank Bainimarama led a bloodless coup in
December 2006.
Commodore Bainimarama has repeat-
edly accused them of bullying his country.
Mr McCully has previously stressed that
any improvement in relations with Suva did
not signal a change to views about Fiji’s need
to return to democracy, nor did it mean sanc-
tions, including travel bans, would be lifted.
He said the talks will focus on ways the
two countries could “get to a point with Fiji
Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Fiji
• Installation of CCTV cameras around Suva,
which would cost around $700,000.
• Enforcement of new anti-litter laws.
• Upgrade of public washrooms and toilets.
The plans come amidst recent capital infrastruc-
ture growth in the Capital with the inclusion of
the impressive Tappoo City building, nearby
MHCC and the Damodar/Village Six complexes.
The Reddy Group’s Tanoa Hotels have also
Gordon Street.
the Tradewinds hotel in Lami, have transformed
it into a classy Novotel hotel and Conference
Centre of international standard.
where we can maintain missions, regardless
of serious disagreements”.
Fiji was suspended from the 16-nation
Pacific Islands Forum in May last year and
from the Commonwealth in September over
Commodore Bainimarama’s broken promise
to hold elections by March 2009.
Meanwhile, a petition calling for elec-
tions to be held in Fiji this year has been sub-
mitted to the Fijian administration in Suva.
The petition, said to have the support of
more than 600,000 people, demands a return
to democracy before the 2014 date planned
by Fiji’s leader Commodore Frank Bainima-
rama.
One of the organisers, Suliasi Dauni-
tutu, said people in Fiji have endured a lot
since the coup in 2006, and are voicing their
support for elections.
He said people are afraid to express that
openly, so it’s being done through various
political parties.
Mr Daunitutu said the leaders of the
Fiji Labour, SDL and National Federation
parties submitted a list of their members to
be included in the petition.
Indian Ellerslie Auction
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Auction 11th March 2010 at 6.00pm,
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Don Ha Real Estate Ltd Licensed (REAA 2008)
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Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Epsom Auction
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11
Indian
Fiji

Kill methods to remove Beginnings of Ethnic

Fiji leader unveiled Politics in Fiji
before court Padmini Gaunder

In the first few years of independence, Fiji made
Suva: A sniper shot, food poisoning or motor vehicle collision were possible ways to remove outstanding progress both economically and so-
Fiji’s leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama and members of his Cabinet, Fiji’s High Court cially as ethnic harmony prevailed. Siddiq Koya
heard today. who became the NFP leader after A.D. Patel’s
State witness Major Isireli Narawa said he recommended these types of assassination death in 1969 not only co-operated with Prime
methods to the group on trial while acting undercover for the military. Minister Ratu Mara. At the time of indepen-
When cross examined by defence lawyer Iqbal Khan, Narawa said that was what he had dence he was “willing to bend over backwards
mentioned in his statement to police. to accommodate Fijian demand”. This was
“The statement was given in the context of the operation we were doing,” he said. something that everyone found difficult to un-
Mr Narawa, who is the army Chief Staff Officer Intelligence, said the idea to trick the derstand as he had been most aggressive until
accused on trial into believing he was genuine was suggested by Corporal Peniasi Kuli, the then and was not particularly sensitive to Fijian
army mole that first uncovered the alleged assassination plans. feelings.
Mr Khan then asked Major Narawa whether their aim then was still to locate the missing As both parties made concessions there was
arms from the 1987 and 2000 coups, as alleged earlier. a rapid transition to Independence. It has been
“Kuli was trying to locate it but never did.” noted that there had “seldom been a transition
The trial continues before Justice Paul Madigan and five local assessors. with such aplomb”. This was attributed to the
greater willingness of the new NFP leader to
compromise unlike Patel who had been un-
compromising in his belief that the only way to
close to the Indians (land also was very close
to Fijians) election issues in 1972. He promised
free education if the NFP got elected. He further
promised that freehold land that belonged to the
CSR Company would be sold to existing tenants
when the company withdrew from Fiji. After
the elections the Minister for Lands pointed out
in Parliament the dangers of making such state-
ments about land as it would lead to demands by
Fijian landowners who originally owned these
lands and had given them away to Europeans
for next to nothing.
Soon afterwards Fijian nationalism started
to rear its ugly head with Sakeasi Butadroka
calling for the repatriation of all Indians from
Fiji. When Butadroka introduced his motion in
1973 it was important for the leaders to nip it in
the bud by putting on a united front against the
common enemy. This was what Ratu Mara had

Tourism Fiji boots Fiji into the

unite the different communities was by having a hoped for. But Koya who had given the impres-
common electoral roll with each person having sion from the time of independence that he had
one vote. The NFP now agreed not to press for become a more mature leader surprised every-

international spotlight at the

the immediate introduction of a common elec- one by deciding not to vote with the government
toral roll, so the Alliance agreed to immediate motion against Butadroka but having another
Independence. more strongly worded motion of his own. Bu-

Wellington Seven
Suva: It’s not every day you get the chance to
impress a worldwide TV audience in excess of
750,000,000 with your business.
But that’s exactly what Tourism Fiji’s Re-
gional Director New Zealand, Sala Toganivalu
and her team have done at the Wellington leg of
the rugby sevens world series held last weekend.
Ms Toganivalu scored a major try by being
one of the first to book the electronic advertis-
ing signage positioned around the pitch at Wel-
lington’s Westpac Stadium in order to show off
Tourism Fiji’s well known ‘Fiji Me’ logo.
Not only did Ms Toganivalu get the ‘Fiji Me’
message across to the 70,000 plus rugby fans at-
tending the stadium over the two days the tourna-
ment was held, she also tapped into the estimated
750,000,000 million worldwide TV audience
tuning in to watch the semi-finals and final.
This tremendous effort follows hot on the
heels of the release of Tourism Fiji’s breath-tak-
ing new TV advertising ‘Lucky Me – Fiji Me’
advertising campaign launched in New Zealand
on 24 January which has received rave reviews
from both consumers and the Kiwi travel indus-
try alike since it first went to air.
“We are very confident that the new ad cam-
paign in combination with the profile we scored
at the Wellington Sevens, both to a local and
international audience, will have a strong brand
cut through and impact and contribute to lifting
visitor arrivals in 2010” Ms. Toganivalu said.
Indian leaders were very accommodat-
ing and although the Fijians were politically
in an assertive position multiracial harmony
prevailed. One scholar noted that Fijians did
not try to assert their position crudely: “…the
rules of the game, although based on Fijian he-
gemony, are not illiberal, once off-limits have
been defined. They do indeed embody a ‘Pacific
Way’”
Indians comprised fifty percent of the popu-
lation at that time with Fijians less than forty
percent. The Fijian leaders had said that they
considered common roll was not possible as
long as disparities in numbers and educational
achievement were there.
To test how common roll would work the
1970 constitution had introduced some national
seats in elections apart from communal seats
where each community voted for its own com-
munal candidates. In these national seats there
was cross-voting – that is, everyone in a con-
stituency without ethnic difference voted for
candidates from other communities as well as
his/her own. So everyone had four votes!
tadroka soon started the Fijian Nationalist Party
against Ratu Mara’s multiracial Alliance Party.
Moreover, NFP leadership also showed lack
of principles in colluding with the Nationalists
in the 1977 elections in the national seats using
“various strategies of mutual support” (Alley,
1977) to defeat the Alliance Party. A Fiji Times
editorial commented on “the curious politi-
cal marriage between the FNP and the NFP in
some constituencies” and concluded that “poli-
tics makes strange bedfellows” (4 April, 1977).
This perhaps was the most thoughtless action of
the NFP leadership as it colluded with a party
that was openly against the Indians but wanted
to help the NFP win a few extra seats to defeat
the Alliance to prove their (the Nationalists’)
claim that Fijian rights were under threat.
In 1977 the NFP also made the preferential
system for admission to the University of the
South Pacific (USP) for Fijian students into
an election issue leading to the polarization
of most Indians under the NFP banner. Rather
than explaining to their Indian supporters that

Fiji envoy highlights

NFP claimed itself to be a multiracial party
but it never had much support from non-Indi-
ans. Less than 2 percent of Fijians voted for it.
On the other hand, the Alliance, which had the
support of the majority of the Fijians, also re-
such policies were imperative to achieve equity
until the country became integrated the NFP
decided to play politics with education.
In India 60 years after Independence they
still have reservations for backward classes/

brain drain cause

Geneva: Corruption and greed are two
of three reasons for Fiji’s brain drain.
Ambassador to the European Union
Peceli Vocea said Fiji has suffered
more than 20 years of mismanage-
ment, corruption, and nepotism.
In his country report to the Working
Group of the Human Rights Council’s
Universal Periodic Review, he said
Fiji’s infrastructure, judicial system and
systems of accountability had were
under-developed and unproductive.
“Many of Fiji’s finest brains have left
the country because they could see no
future in a country governed by ethno-
nationalism, corruption and greed,” he
said.
“In order to ensure that democracy has
a real chance of survival in Fiji’s future,
serious and principled reforms must be
implemented to build roads, institu-
tions and values.”
Mr Vocea sought the support and
understanding of its development part-
ners and the international community
in its attempt to bring about meaningful
and constructive institutional reforms.
“Fiji therefore invites the international
community to engage with it, to visit
and see the situation for themselves
and to provide practical support and
assist Fiji implement the reform initia-
tives that are in progress,” he said.
“It is the Government of Fiji’s fervent
conviction that these reforms will usher
in true and sustainable democracy and
prosperity leading ultimately to the full
realisation and enjoyment of funda-
mental human rights and freedom by
its citizens.”
ceived 25 percent of Indian votes in 1972. If the
NFP was interested in common roll in elections
it was important to show that it would be benefi-
cial by making the national constituencies work
without communal considerations.
The first general elections after indepen-
dence, the 1972 elections, did not do this. Ratu
Penaia (later Sir) Ganilau, the second highest
chief in the country, was defeated in a Nation-
al seat in Vanua Levu proving that Patel was
wrong in his expectation that common roll
would lead to integration with people voting
for the candidate who they thought was more
able rather than looking at communal consid-
erations. Ratu Penaia, who had a distinguished
military and civil service career, was defeated
by a little known Fijian man who stood against
him as the NFP candidate.
NFP did not contest many of the Fijian (es-
pecially Fijian communal) seats in 1972 as its
Fijian support was extremely poor. It would
have been a welcome gesture if the NFP did not
contest the seat against Ratu Penaia. It would
have shown the NFP as a moderate party with
discipline (Koya had earlier said that freedom
and democracy ‘mean nothing without dis-
cipline’) and would have done a lot for racial
harmony. But from the time of the 1972 elec-
tions Koya started going back to his old, aggres-
sive ways.
Koya, made education and land, two issues
castes. The Brahmins find it difficult to get any-
where unless they come in the top two percent
or so in exams. People have come to accept it
and no government tries to change it. Neither
does any opposition party question it. In Fiji, the
1969 Education Commission had recommended
preferential treatment for Fijian students for a
period of 9 years with a review after 6 years.
The Opposition, rather than asking for a review
(it was six years after the policy was introduced
so it was an ideal time to demand a review) at-
tacked the policy, making it an election issue.
The USP quota system led to the Indians
withdrawing their support for the Alliance gov-
ernment. Unlike Patel who looked at education
as a national asset, Koya looked at education
only from the view of gaining a few extra votes.
Indians became a homogenized voting bloc
from 1977. Earlier 25 per cent of Indians had
supported the Alliance (in some constituencies
even over 35 per cent) but now they saw the Al-
liance as a party that was against the Indians
and for Fijians only as it followed education pol-
icies that affected the Indian students adversely.
With a considerable minority of Fijians
voting for the Fijian Nationalist Party, Ratu
Mara’s desperate appeal for multiracialism fell
on deaf ears with both Fijians and Indians ig-
noring it. This was the beginning of ethnic poli-
tics in Fiji.

12 Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian
Beware while attending appointments in
response to ads, say police
Police have been advised of recent incidents
where women from immigrant communities have
attended individual meetings with a male person
claiming to be a religious teacher, and been sub-
jected to offensive comments of an indecent
nature. This kind of objectionable behaviour can
occur at any type of meeting arranged in response
to advertisements for services.
There is a need to be aware that not all persons
advertising services, are either genuine, expe-
rienced, trustworthy or qualified, and that some
individuals may falsely represent being a member
of a Religious Order, Body, Association or Group,
and may use bogus or expired documentation in
support of such claims.
It is important that when responding to ad-
vertisements for services that will involve being
alone with a male person, women consider what
steps can be taken to reduce the risks of being
subjected to inappropriate behaviour.
The following Police advice whilst primarily
intended for women who are recent immigrants,
can equally apply as practical safety information
for women of any religious or ethnic background,
who in response to an advertisement or approach
from a stranger, will be arranging a meeting with
a male not known to her. This may be applicable
for meetings such as alternative health and medi-
cine, healing, massage, counselling, mentoring,
language, general education, psychic readings,
modelling, photography, buying goods, or other
consultations and services conducted outside of
regular places, such as Places of Worship, Lan-
guage Schools and registered medical centres.
Advertisements offering services may be
found in ethnic newspapers, general media, inter-
net sites and community noticeboards. Take into
account that some advertisements may contain
misleading information. Before making arrange-
ments to attend a meeting, consider what practical
steps you can take to reasonably satisfy yourself
that the information as advertised, is genuine. Ac-
cepting the information conveyed at face value
without first checking it, could lead to you adopt-
ing a false sense of security, that might reduce
your sense of personal safety awareness when at-
tending the meeting.
You can reduce the potential for safety risks
to occur, by observing the following actions. To
verify claims made in the advertisement, you
could contact the appropriate Body, Agency or
Employer, to check the person’s qualifications.
Also ascertain if you can find out any other details
about the person, enquiries might reveal an indi-
vidual in the community, or a Group or Associa-
tion who may have relevant information.
If you are unable to find out sufficient in-
formation beforehand, you may be able to elicit
details through asking questions from the person
when making first contact, prior to discussing
meeting arrangements. There may be some refer-
ences which can be supplied, which you can then
enquire into.
If you have doubts about the person’s claims
and are unable to substantiate any information
about the person, it would be sensible not to
arrange a meeting.
When making any arrangements for a
meeting, have regard to your personal privacy
and security in the course of communications by
text, telephone and email. Consider whether it is
wise to disclose to a stranger, information such as
your telephone numbers and address, or any other
personal information.
Be wary if the person requests the meeting be
held at your address. Agreeing to a stranger visit-
ing your address might not necessarily be the best
choice for future security. If you do decide to hold
the meeting at your home, make sure you have an
adult family member or friend present.
Consider the venue where the meeting will be
held, as to type of place and location. Is it in a
relatively public place where there will be other
people, a private home, an office immediately off
the street, or a room in a large office block. Ask
the person if anyone else, such as an assistant or
receptionist, will be present. If you are asked to
Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Community
sive, or someone touches you inappropriately. If
anything occurs that makes you feel uncomfort-
Ensure you have a cellphone with you, and also able, leave the address immediately.
Obscene behaviour, indecency, and and inap-
consider that your choice of clothing could influence propriate touching of an explicit nature, are crimi-
nal offences which should be reported to Police at
the earliest opportunity.
a person’s perception and behaviour towards you. As In some Countries the community may view
the Police as corrupt, and may be reluctant or
certain types of clothing can restrict movement, it is fearful to approach Police through lack of trust. In
New Zealand the Police treat indecency offences
seriously and will act on offences reported, where
sensible to wear practical shoes and clothes that will evidence of criminal offending is disclosed. The
Police encourage the reporting of offences, and
enable quick movement if required. can be approached confidently without any need
to be afraid.
In situations of an emergency nature requiring
the immediate intervention by Police, 111 should
be telephoned and Police will attend the address.
attend a meeting at an isolated location, at a time personal privacy could be at risk. In cases not requiring an immediate response,
of day when no one else is likely to be around, this If the person starts drinking alcohol and invites a report should be made at a Police Station. A
may be cause to have concerns for personal safety, you to participate, it would be wise to decline and support person can attend as well if desired, and
and alternative arrangements should be made. depart. If a non alcoholic drink is offered careful- the complaint can be taken under conditions of
It is a good idea to take a family member or ly consider your opinion of the person and where privacy. For any questions about Police proce-
friend to the meeting, and if there is no waiting you are, as to the risks of a harmful substance dures and reporting of offences, the local Com-
room, tell the person who you are meeting with, being placed in the drink, which could affect your munity Constable or Police Ethnic Liaison Officer
that you have someone waiting for you outside. senses and capacity to respond to any situation. can be telephoned for advice, prior to attending a
If you are unable to take someone with you to Women from some cultures may be unsure as Police Station and reporting the offence.
the meeting, advise or leave a note or message for to what is regarded as normal social behaviour in Larger Police Stations are staffed by Victim
a family member, friend or acquaintance, with the New Zealand. Behaviour is unacceptable where Support Co-ordinators who are independent of
details of who you are going to see, the appoint- you are asked questions of a personal nature that Police. Anyone who may be hesitant about ap-
ment time and the address. you find offensive, you are asked to do something proaching Police can make initial contact with
Ensure you have a cellphone with you, and that you consider offensive, a person shows you Victim Support , who will be able to assist with
also consider that your choice of clothing could something or does something that you find offen- advice and support.
influence a person’s perception and behaviour
towards you. As certain types of clothing can
restrict movement, it is sensible to wear practical
shoes and clothes that will enable quick move-
ment if required.
Preferably arrange a daytime meeting, but
if it has to be held in the evening, or it will be
dark when the meeting concludes, ensure that
your travel arrangements do not involve walking
through isolated areas at night.
On arriving at the building irrespective of
whether it’s an office or private address, think
about what route you would take if a quick exit
was required, and note the position of such fea-
tures as lifts, stairs, emergency doors, locks, gates
and fences.
On being greeted on arrival, trust your in-
stincts. If you do not like the look of the person
and feel uncomfortable, make an excuse and
leave.
As soon as you have introduced yourself it can
be a good practice to telephone a family member
or friend in the presence of the person you are
meeting, stating where you are, who you are with,
and how long you expect to be there. This will act
as a deterrent to any inappropriate behaviour that
the person may have been contemplating.
On entering the building have the person lead
the way to the meeting room, so that you are fol-
lowing behind, rather than someone being behind
you. Avoid turning your back to the person and
try and maintain a position at all times where you
are facing the person and can see what he is doing.
Once you are in the meeting room, discreetly
conduct an immediate visual assessment of the
appearance and arrangement of the room. Does
the setup of the room appear to be consistent for
the purpose of the meeting. Is there anything that
looks out of place or unusual about the room. If it
doesn’t look right and you have misgivings, make
an excuse and leave.
Try and select a chair that affords a quick exit,
should you decide to leave in a hurry. A chair
that is close to, and has a clear and unobstructed
path to the door, will be good for this purpose.
Take into account that an upright hard chair will
be much quicker to arise from, than a soft lounge
type chair.
If you are carrying a handbag, keep it within
sight and easy reach, should you decide to leave
hurriedly. If you were unable to reach your
handbag in circumstances requiring an immedi-
ate departure, the contents of your handbag and
13
 Indian
Indian
Letters
India’s enlightened past
India was far more enlightened when it came to love and sex compared to most other civilisations
as was seen on our sculptures like the Khajuraho and the Kamastura. The real decline only came
about during the British Era when they imported Victorian values. Even today small minded Indian
From the Editor politicians claim trying to appear patriotic don’t realise the conservative values they spout are
actually foreign imports and have nothing to do with the Indian culture....

Don’t give in to terror threats Sundar Rajan

New Zealand’s sports administration and the Black Sticks deserve kudos for not having Indians need to be practical and open, without losing the values handed down the millennia.
buckled under a threat put out by a terrorist organisation on an Asian website that Cool Chilli
sporting teams would be in danger of being attacked if they visited India to compete in
the 2010 Hockey World Cup. Fiji Indians
After some initial hesitation, which can only be natural given the India’s proximity Thank you for this article – it gives me a lot of answers in understanding behaviour. I take it that it
to the epicenter of global terrorism just outside its western frontier, the Black Sticks was the English who exploited for slavery and in response to that I would say that they the English
did decide to travel to New Delhi. But one star player decided not to accompany his still have a lot to answer for. In some ways I accept the changes of selective Westernisation in India
team because he thought the enhanced security arrangements would affect his game. but am also happy that some bidesi have the vision to create the technological ingenuity of Indian’s
On having reached New Delhi, the team spokesperson has said that the Indian here in NZ.
authorities have greatly tightened security at the hotel of their stay and the venue of Gurmeeta Singh
the game, which is the Dhyan Chand Stadium. The Black Sticks have joined the other
dozen or so teams that have accepted the security assurances of the Indian authorities. Tracing Relatives back in India
India’s spectacular growth over the past decade and even during the global finan- Your article is just great, just need to track down our relatives back in India. Is there a way we can
cial meltdown that has led to its emergence as a world economic power is something
find out from the internet where our ancestors came from?
the cowardly and fundamentalist terror cells across the border cannot stomach.
Veena
Having failed repeatedly and miserably to push India into a major conflict on its
frontiers by fomenting violence in the border areas, the terror organisations embarked
on their deranged strategy to strike at India’s economic heart. Looking For Biological Father
The Mumbai carnage in November 2008 was part of this. The selection of targets My name is Thomas and my only knowledge of my father is his name is David Singh and that he
a popular restaurant and an iconic hotel was designed to stop foreign tourists and was (Fijian-Indian), he met my mother in Auckland around the late 1960s but also had friends in the
businesspeople from visiting India out of fear. Hamilton area. He would be around mid to late 70s now. My knowledge is he had already another
Unprecedented security after this event that took 170 innocent lives and the location family in the Auckland area and that’s why I was brought up by my Maori side in the small town of
of both paramilitary and elite forces close to all major cities and sensitive establish- Taumarunui but I am now living in the Waikato area of Huntly with my own family of 7. Please help
ments across India has sent the cowards scurrying for tier-II cities like Pune where 16 me locate my biological father.
innocent people died in a bomb explosion at a popular restaurant earlier this month. Thomas Pahi (Singh)
No level of security provided by any nation on earth can ever hope to completely --
prevent terrorist acts. But given India’s long experience in dealing with terrorists of Holi festival
various persuasions, the security arrangements in India can be by and large trusted It’s really inspiring to hear about such festivals that unite many communities to bond together in
– especially when it comes to international and national events involving hundreds of hormony. I love the idea of the mehandhi activity as it sentimentally attaches people and makes
thousands of people. every participant happy.
So far, no such incidents have happened at sports events or even large public events
Sashikumar, Anikorai, The Nilgiris
like the January 26 Republic Day parades on Jan Path in New Delhi, though such
--
an event would be a sitting duck for terrorists. Add to the security arrangements the
My name is Khan
extreme alertness that the Indian public has honed over the years, and what you have
is an environment as safe as it can really get. I agree that Bollywood movies tend to get a bit unrealistic at times even though the storyline is
It is great that the hockey teams have taken the assurances and the ground realities based on true events, they need to do a bit more research and hold back the over acting very now
on board and not succumbed to a threat on a website, which, for all one knows could and then, but I think they’ll eventually get there.
be no more than an empty one. But no threat can be taken lightly and such threats only Ravi Menon
spur the security forces and the common people alike to sharpen their vigilance skills
in their environments.
Unlike the last round, the Indian Premier League has said that it will not move the
tournament outside India this time – and this has had some of the international players
worried. But it is unlikely that there would be too many players who would think twice
Top 10 stories on www.iwk.co.nz
of going especially given the moolah involved and the relatively low possibility of an
actual strike of the kind that the Sri Lankans became victims to in Pakistan.
Just as the restraint shown by the Indian political and military establishments in the 1. Colour comes to Rotorua
face of all that chiding and violent instigation of the terrorists outside the border has 2. Rahul Gandhi visits Wellington
resulted in frustrating them to a large extent, it is equally important to stand up to their
threats and make it clear that the show will go on, frustrating them again and again. 3. Love Aaj Kal: India has celebrated love for millennia
The forthcoming hockey tournament will be a test case in India’s security manage-
4. Kiwi Indians urged to join unique veggie garden project
ment – one that will be watched closely by not only the participating teams, their man-
agements and their countries but also the entire world as a large part of it that com- 5. What makes a Fiji Indian?
prises the league of Commonwealth nations prepares to send their teams to compete at
6. The Lord’s darshan and Idli Sambar in Pittsburgh
the Commonwealth Games in new Delhi later this year.
All concerned need to stand united and send the message loud and clear: No matter 7. Amit Kumar to sing in city
what, the show will go on.
8. A film of epic proportions
- Dev Nadkarni 9. Start your own travel agency

10. Teen Patti playing soon

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14 Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian
Call the climate bluff once for all
DEV NADKARNI
How well life imitates art.
When one of my favourite novelists, Michael
Crichton (who died last year), wrote about how
a group of influential climate scientists and
diehard environmentalists in collusion with big
firms involved in mega funded climate change
projects hire experts to detonate explosives to
set tsunamis in motion to prove their point just
as a major global conference on the subject gets
under way, I thought it was a bit over the top
– even for a work of fiction by someone like
Crichton.
In 2004, as I read State of fear, a novel based
on the politics of global warming (and a fair
bit of which is set in the South Pacific island
nations), I was nagged by a sense of disbelief:
I like works of fiction to be in the realm of the
plausible. Fiction based on real life – not fantasy.
People of science going to such lengths in
the novel seemed fantasy to me for in my rather
naïve worldview; scientists are among the most
trustworthy humans. True, all generalisations
are humbug (including this one) but that’s the
way I’ve always believed all scientists are:
honest in their beliefs and true to their work.
But the weeks since Copenhagen have
proved Michael Crichton right (and exposed my
naivety): like everywhere else, there are excep-
tions among scientists.
The bollocking for global warming began
with the leaked emails of the University of East
Anglia’s Climate Research Unit (CRU). The
missives eloquently told a story of hostility to
climate scientists with different views, as also
manipulations of documentations, distortions
and data doctoring.
Part 2:
What defines a Fiji Indian?
Subhash Appana
In an attempt to define the Indo-Fijian or Fiji
Indian, my previous article provided a historical
run through the tortuous route travelled by the
girmitiya, the antecedents of the Fiji Indian. This
one takes us beyond 1987 and brings us to the
present nostalgia that is secretly ruminated on
among those who have left Fiji.
After 1987
The surprise electoral victory by a Fijian-In-
dian coalition in April 1987 would have finally
allowed the Fiji Indian to have a direct input in
government. That was too much for elements
who had never envisaged an Indian-dominated
government. And a coup followed on 14th May;
ironically on the very same day that the first
girmitiya had set foot in Fiji after disembarking
from the Leonidas.
The frugality, focus and persistence that had
brought the girmitiya out of poverty was sud-
denly used to castigate and victimize him as his
house was branded as the fruits of ill-gotten gain
and his success ridiculed by people who had little
to show in terms of labour or tax contributions to
the country at that point in time.
Little is made of the fact that this was the
period during which the painstaking persistence
and sacrifice of the girmitiya was finally going
to bear fruit. Many children had graduated from
universities and colleges, grand-parents were
expecting to see out their final years in their
own homes knowing that they had made it, and
parents were firmly ensconced in their farms and
trades.
This was the period for the tree of dreams
planted and nurtured over a century by the gir-
mitiya to bear fruit. Instead, all came to naught
with the wave of a gun and the girmitiya was
again forced to leave behind a life and shattered
dreams to restart his girmit elsewhere. Only this
time, he had a choice and he didn’t look back as
soon as the door opened in front of him.
The Exodus
Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
The imbroglio is now a subject of inves-
tigations and one of the main scientists has
had to step aside. He has since been reported
telling BBC that in the past 15 years there has
not statistically been “any significant” global
warming, though he said he believed the world
was warming. And the CRU happens to be
one of the main sources on which the United
Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) bases its science on.
In the following weeks, it got worse for the
global warming fundamentalists. British news-
papers reported that one of IPCC’s key find-
ings on melting glaciers “may have been simply
taken from a press interview with an obscure
Indian scientist.” Based on such a flimsy
premise, the IPCC had made a prediction that
Himalayan glaciers would melt by 2035.
In the wake of this Himalayan glaciergate,
the Indian government’s environment minister
told the media, “We should not depend only on
reports from the UN body. Its fault was that it
didn’t do original research and derives assess-
ments from published literature.”
India has now set up the National Institute
of Himalayan Glaciology to undertake its own
research. This is bad news for the IPCC, which
is now increasingly under the scanner (includ-
ing reports that its chief drives a gas guzzler for
city driving).
Like the University of East Anglia, the
IPCC also uses NASA’s research, which, too,
has come under scrutiny in recent times. When
NASA scientists discovered errors in their logs
and corrected them, the findings showed 1934
Some 100,000
Indians have left Fiji
since 1987 and the
outflow of valuable
Unfortunately, the Indo-
skills, talent and capital
continues. Those left Fijian’s status was
behind dream every
minute of making the never clearly defined.
same exit as soon as op-
portunity beckons. In When the Brits left at
fact if the doors were
to be suddenly opened independence in 1970,
by Australia and New
Zealand, Fiji’s Indian it was left to the benign
population would drop
from the current 35% to rule of Ratu Mara to
less than 5% in a flash.
There is however,
an irony to this. After
resolve this
making a new home
(very often 2-3 homes)
in their new country, the Fiji Indian constantly
reminisces about life in Fiji with fondness and
nostalgia that becomes bitter only when talk
moves to politics. Discussions around the kava
bowl invariably focus on wistful memories and
upbringings.
They talk about this mango tree, or that
coconut tree, the kariya jhinga (black prawn), the
goat meat, fry macchri (coral fish), etc. unend-
ingly. They talk about some accha (good) Fijian
that featured in their lives as “my brother”. Then
they try to rationalize that not all Fijians are bad;
that’s when the confusion creeps in because all
have had close Fijian friends and/or relatives.
Never Accepted
For the girmitiya, Fiji was the only place that
he really understood as country. As he toiled for
the pittance that came his way, he was subcon-
sciously carving out a home for himself; he was
staking his claim to a new life. And he believed
that was the end of his search. That’s why all
as the warmest year (instead of 1998, which was
previously touted as the warmest) and 1921 was
found to have been the third warmest in the past
century.
It boggles the mind to think that it is such
carelessly collated data, sometimes unabash-
edly fudged by vested interests and erroneous
observations by scientific institutions that pour
scorn on anyone who legitimately challenges
them that played a large part in shaping Kyoto
and Copenhagen. And of course went a long
way in making US$ 100 million for Al Gore’s
documentary. What an inconvenient truth.
Such questionable observations and ‘find-
ings’ by the pliable scientific establishment ably
aided by the ever willing handmaiden that is the
global instant media has driven governments,
economists, lawyers and accountants to conjure
up complex trading regimes such as cap-and-
trade in the interests of a greener world.
Ultimately, it is the mums and dads of the
world who will fork out these costs – whether
they understand them and believe they are justi-
fied or not (surveys in Australia show a major-
ity of the people do not understand what carbon
trading is).
The phenomenon of food miles and carbon
footprint, though extremely ennobling as con-
cepts but based on the same faulty science,
could actually prove counterproductive in the
medium term, as a German speaker at a confer-
ence in Samoa demonstrated last week.
If people worried too much of their carbon
footprint and stopped travelling to a faraway
island nation that depends on tourism for
revenue, sooner rather than later, the islanders
those impressive houses
were built on leased
farmland.
That’s why it was
so heart-rendingly dif-
ficult to let go when
the mataqali owners
demanded vacation of
their lands. The tales of
extortion, threats, vio-
lence, sabotage, blatant
destruction of gardens
and livestock, etc. would
move any listener. In one
case, a dismantled house
loaded onto a truck was
blockaded and released
only upon the payment
of $500 “fine” on-the-
spot. There are many
more cases of this kind.
Unfortunately, the Indo-Fijian’s status was
never clearly defined. When the Brits left at in-
dependence in 1970, it was left to the benign rule
of Ratu Mara to resolve this. It didn’t take long
for the Ratu and his Alliance Party to realize that
Butadroka’s “Indians go back home” doctrine
had potent political appeal.
Thus a pro-Fijian and anti-Indian political
stance became the ticket to electoral success and
Indian gravitation around the NFP was not going
to break this duality. The 25% of Indians who
had voted Alliance in 1972 dwindled drastically
in 1977 and Butadroka took away 30% of resent-
ful Fijians as the Alliance lost and the Indians
were blamed for being covetous, contentious,
dissatisfied, ungrateful, etc.
The bottom-line was that the Fiji Indian
finally got a glimpse of the fact that his status
in Fiji was not stable; it never had been. It took
Rabuka to trigger the exodus in 1987; this got a
new boost from Speight in 2000. The Fiji Indian’s
Comment
will be forced to leverage their natural resourc-
es by resorting to deforestation, logging and the
like – causing even worse and immediate envi-
ronmental degradation than the damage caused
by jet fuel if people travelled there.
Happily, at the same conference we also
heard that climate change and sea level rise
hadn’t yet touched the consciousness of the
global investment community in a manner that
deterred them from seriously considering in-
vesting in the poor, sinking Pacific Islands.
To say all this is not at all to deny climate
change. That climate change is happening is
beyond any doubt. No one has better experi-
ential knowledge of it than the people of the
islands, especially of the atolls. It’s a reality
that stares them in their faces – and they can do
without the spin of the alarmists whose extrem-
ism can do more harm than good.
What we need is a method in this environ-
mental madness; not zealotry based on ques-
tionable science but a modicum of honesty and
willingness to deal with the problem at the local
ecosystem level as much as at a global level. It
is for right thinking people to make that happen.
Going back to Crichton’s fictional scientists
who created a tsunami to prove their point and
ensure continued funding, I wonder if global
warming extremists secretly believe it was the
climate skeptics who conspired to dump snow
like never in a 100 years on Copenhagen and
Europe as the big jamboree unfolded there. That
same scenario has been played out across the
United States and Canada in subsequent weeks
and months.
search for acceptance and a permanent home,
therefore, continues.
Confusions amid a Continuing Search
When the Fiji 7s rugby team plays, the immi-
grant Fiji Indian almost invariably wants the Fiji
team to thrash any and every adversary. Many an
elder and his Kiwi offspring argue over loyalties
as the Fiji team weaves its magic on the rugby
field. The jubilation is a thing to behold when we
win.
Serebi (Serevi) is a superstar among the Fiji
Indians, maybe more so than among Fijians
themselves. When the Fiji Rugby Union poli-
ticked Serevi in 2009, it was the Indians who pro-
tested loudest. Very interestingly, when we lose,
the blame is placed on Fijian management of the
team.
This is a continuing hangover of the paradigm
within which Fiji politics was framed and under-
stood by the Fiji Indian. Everything that went
wrong in governance in Fiji is blamable on the
Fijian and his reluctance to accept readily avail-
able superior input from the Indian. This kink
will take more time to straighten out, but there
is little arguing the place Fiji holds in the Indo-
Fijian heart.
So who is the Indo-Fijian?
This is the question that we began with and
I will try to complete it at some later date after
your repeated requests for a continuation of the
Greed series is addressed to an acceptable extent.
The search of the girmitiya continues.
- Subhash Appana is an academic and
political commentator. The opinions contained
in this article are entirely his and not neces-
sarily shared by any organizations he may be
associated with both in Fiji and abroad. Email
subhasha@ais.ac.nz
15
Indian
Colour comes to Rotorua
Rotorua public will get to experience a grand Hindu
festival for the first time this year.
The Hindu Council of New Zealand is now in-
troducing Holi, the Festival of Colours to Rotorua
for the first time on Sunday, February 28.
After Deepawali, Holi is the second most im-
portant festival of India. Observed since ancient
times, Holi festival – a spring festival in India – glo-
rifies good harvest and fertility of the land.
Holi is also a festival of fun accompanied by
folk songs and dances. People celebrate it by cover-
ing each other with coloured powder, and drenching
with coloured water. The colourful festival bridges
social gaps and differences, bringing people and
communities together.
Immigrant Indian communities all over the
world including New Zealand celebrate Holi with
as much fanfare as in India.
Hindu Council of New Zealand and Te Papa-
iouru Marae, Ohinemutu Village are working to-
gether to organise a family fun day and share this
Hindu festival with Rotorua public. This festival is
one more step forward in Hindu-Maori relations
(whakawhanaungatanga).
“It was the support, participation and positive
feedback from the public during Rotorua Deep-
awali Festival that encouraged us to introduce this
new festival to Rotorua,” said Dr Guna Magesan,
general secretary of Hindu Council of New Zealand
and one of the co-ordinators of this festival.
“Although it will have a humble beginning this
year at our village, we would like to make this as
an annual event. We are already getting a good re-
sponse from the Rotorua public and support from
media,” said Shaloh Mitchell, an upcoming Maori
leader and the other co-ordinator of Holi 2010 fes-
tivities.
As part of the festival, a workshop on henna
(Indian temporary tattoo) will be held from 10am to
11.30am on February 28 for the benefit of Rotorua
public, especially the arts community. Seats are
limited for the workshop, on a first-come-first-
16
Community
served basis.
Baba Amarnath Gufa made by Bharatiya Mandir
on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri.
Those who are interested in attending the Henna
workshop need to register their names with hindu.
nz@gmail.com. Please note that there will be a reg-
istration fee (koha) of $10 for the Henna workshop.
This koha will be given to the Marae.
In this workshop both Maori and Hindu designs
will be taught. The workshop is being run by Gina
Wright and Roshni Patel, well known Maori and
Hindu Henna artists, respectively. Both ladies had
helped with Henna decorations during the success-
ful Rotorua Deepawali Festival 2009.
The official festival starts at 11.30 am, after the
Henna workshop, with a powhiri. Food and other
stalls will open for the public from midday. Indian
vegetarian food and vegetarian Hangi will be avail-
able. A number of cultural performances will take
place. From 3pm to 4pm, people will get an op-
portunity to indulge in customary revelry with co-
loured powder and water.
Hindu Council of New Zealand has been
working with Maori community since 1997
through a number of Maori Elders. The respect
and relations that we have built over the years have
brought us close to the Maori community.
“We have been organising regular Marae stay
for our community people to learn, understand
Samaj thanks partners
and experience Maori culture and customs. Over Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust, arranged a thanks giving luncheon to celebrate
the years, it has become a popular programme,” Dr rejoice the successful organisation of the diamond jubilee celebrations of India’s
Magesan said.
Republic Day, that it held in partnership with 25 other organisations.
“Now we have started working jointly with the
Marae to celebrate festivals for the benefit of whole
Rotorua community. Office bearers of the partnership organisations and several other people attended
“We look forward to seeing your family and the luncheon meeting. Certificates, of appreciation and thanks, were distributed to
friends at the Rotorua Festival of Colours on 79 persons who participated and performed in the celebration parade and cultural
Sunday, 28 February 2010 at the Ohinemutu programmes.
village, Rotorua. Please not that it is a smoke-free,
alcohol-free and meat-free festival with FREE Mr. Jeet Suchdev, Chairperson of Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust, thanked the partici-
entry to the public.” pating organisations for their support. The organisations, jointly honored Mr Suchdev
For more information about the festival, please for his service to the community, presented a plaque, and a shawl.
contact: Dr Magesan ph (07) 350 1336; Mob: 021 Mr. Chandrasekaran Pichai of Muthtamil Sangam, spoke on behalf of the organisations.
034 5621. email: hindu.nz@gmail.com
Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Indian
Hamilton trust conducts
successful Homan
The Sri Balaji Temple Project, which is the first of
its kind in New Zealand, held its first prayers and
conducted the Sudharsana Homan on January 23,
2010 at the Phoenix Hall in Hamilton.
The prayers were well attended and a record
number of devotees who surpassed all expectations
and numbering some 550 devotees attended and
witnessed the Homan. The Hall was at more than
full capacity and Maha Prasad was served after the
prayers.
Secretary Bala Bhaskar Tikkisetty welcomed
all present. The Maha Sudharsana Homan, is per-
formed for Lord Vishnu’s Chakram, the Lord’s
most powerful weapon against all evil. In perform-
ing the Homan the powers of the Lord and Sudhar-
sana Chakra are invoked through vedic mantras.
The performance of the Homan confers health,
wealth and prosperity and removes all negativi-
ties. The Yantra, a metal piece with Vedic and holy
symbols is blessed in the Homan and are normally
placed at the home alter or at the entrance of houses
to wade off evil.
Aucklanders to be enchanted to Pt Ronu Majumdar’s Bansuri
Aucklanders must be a blessed lot. The Indian
music scene is slowly but steadily increasing
in Auckland with the advent of some fantastic
classical musicians gracing the shores of New
Zealand. In the last six months we have seen
Taufeeq Quereshi , Pt Vikash Maharaj, Prabhash
Maharaj, Adrian McNeil visiting NZ and the in-
creasing crowds are a sign of growing popular-
ity of the Indian classical music scene in New
Zealand.
In continuing with this tradition, Lotus
foreign exchange and Sargam School of Music,
are bringing in one of the finest flautist India
has produced. Pandit Ranendranath Majumdar,
popularly known as Ronu Majumdar, will be
performing in Auckland on 6th of March 2010
at the Dorothy Winston Theatre. Panditji started
learning Bansuri at an early age under the guid-
ance of his father Dr Bhanu Manjumdar. He later
had the privilege of learning under the guidance
of late Pandit Lakshman Prasad Jaipurwale and
finally the revered Pt. Vijay Raghav Rao. He was
also fortunate to receive training from his grand
guru Pt. Ravi Shankar. Ronu Majumdar is firmly
rooted in the Maihar gharana which is represent-
ed by musical giants like Pt. Ravi Shankar and
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
Pt. Majumdar is a major innovator with New
Age Music by having introduced a completely
new Aesthetic in Indian Music through his ep-
och-making album “Song of Nature/ A Travel-
ler’s Tale”.  Ronu ji  is also a Grammy Nominee
for his work with the Banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck
in the album “Tabula Rasa” {1996}. He has per-
formed and composed for the Hollywood movie
“Primary Colours” and collaborated with top
artists like George Harrison, Ry Cooder, John
Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
The Homan was conducted by Auckland’s
celebrated Chief Priest of Auckland Sri Ganesh
Temple, Chandru. Five Brahmans also accompa-
nied the Chief Priest in chanting vedic mantras and
in conducting the human.
Devotees were overwhelmed by the Homan and
the chanting of the vedic verses. It is reported that
devotees came as far away as Christchurch, Auck-
land and Hamilton.
Dr. Satish the Chairperson of the Trust gave a
brief talk and thanked all the devotees in coming
forth for the Homan and thanked all volunteers
and Trustees in organising this prayer. He wel-
comed and urged all devotees to come forth with
cash donations to realise the building of the Sri
Balaji Temple in Hamilton. He also made mention
of Tripathi Devasthanam’s pledge to help in the
building costs and a figure of $350,000.00 has been
pledged.. This was promised in his recent visit to
India.
- Indian Weekender news desk
Hassels, Lary Coryell and Indian maestros like
Pt. Ravi Shankar, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Pt. Jasraj
and Kishori Amonkar.
The flute (Bansuri) is considered to be the
most ancient and natural musical instrument.
The idea of fashioning this instrument occurred
while listening to the sweet notes generated by
the blowing of wind through the holes carved on
the bamboo sticks by pests & insects. For centu-
ries together, the flute was the principal pastoral
instrument. It was left to the genius of late Pandit
Pannalal Ghosh to elevate it to the status of a
concert instrument. Pt Ronuji carries this status
further.
Pt Ronuji has performed in Auckland two
years ago to packed crowds. Noted for his wide
repertoire of music, he is equally at ease with
Hindustani, Carnatic as well as fusion music.
He however warns the youngsters to be firmly
rooted in classical music before experimenting
with fusion. In an interview to the Indian paper
“The Hindu” he says “Indian fusion is not about
stomping out the listener with voluminous sound
ending in a deafening crescendo but is a meeting
of minds where two artists respect and under-
stand each other”.
He dreams of inspiring the younger genera-
tion to the appreciation of finer nuances, beauty
and the greatness of Indian classical music. His
penchant for experimentation and exploration
has led to an innovation in Bansuri. He calls it
“Shankh Bansuri” or a conch basuri as it sounds
like a conch, which he plays at the end of his con-
certs! So don’t miss the opportunity to listen to
this maestro at:
Community
Nikhil’s a real spy master
Carly Tawhiao
Mt Roskill teenager Nikhil Mahashabde received
a trophy and $2000 for his SpyNik invention that
came first in the computer science category of the
Taiwan International Science Fair. photo: Jason
Oxenham
A phone call from billionaire computer baron
Bill Gates could be one step closer for 17-year-
old Nikhil Mahashabde.
The Mt Roskill resident has created an award-
winning internet spy device that allows computer
users to monitor websites accessed from another
computer.
This month his invention came first in the
computer science category of the Taiwan In-
ternational Science Fair - an honour that took
Nikhil completely by surprise.
“After looking at the competition I thought,
‘There’s no way I’m going to win, I’m here to
enjoy it’. I didn’t expect anything at all,” he says.
“It was a wonderful experience. Words can’t
describe how amazing it was.”
Nikhil spent the past year building his inven-
tion as a school project, after asking around for
ideas from family and friends.
“Often parents worry about what their chil-
dren have been accessing on the computer. My
device SpyNik allows parents who are using
another computer located at another site to
observe what website their child has been using,”
he says. The Royal Society of New Zealand organised
“If foul play is observed and they don’t close for Nikhil and another student from Wellington
the page as per their instructions, the parent has to attend the six-day event, as the result of their
the option of disconnecting the internet from nominations for Realise the Dream, based on
their work station.” their inventions for Bright Sparks.
Nikhil says despite knowing first hand the The annual New Zealand competition sees
lengths teenagers will go to conceal the websites students develop a project using engineering,
they visit, he had a real urge to crack the problem. programming or electronic elements.
“There are ways to prevent children from ac- Royal Society organiser Debbie Woodhall
cessing a website but nothing that allows parents says because the pair were up against 250 other
to keep tabs on what their children are accessing international competitors, Nikhil’s win shines a
online. This device lets parents have control.” spotlight on the calibre of New Zealand’s school
Unless serious offers come flooding in, students.
Nikhil says has no plans to commercialise his “The work these students produce is really
award-winning device because he’s about to start innovative. To be selected is a real achievement
a five-year electrical engineering and commerce because all the entries are of a very high stan-
degree at the University of New South Wales. dard, with students completing some outstanding
“I did it for school really. It’s not a fully func- projects.”
tioning product. It’s more of a working proto- - From the Central Leader
type.”
Personal Tax Seminar
and Redundancy Tax
Credits
Understanding personal tax sum-
maries, tax returns, Working with
Family tax credits, KiwiSaver and
more.
Time: 9.30am – 12.30pm, Satur-
day 20th February 2010
Venue: Auckland Regional
Migrant Services, 532 Mt Albert
Road, Three Kings, Auckland
Water Safe in Auckland
Date: 6th March 2010
Learn how to be water safe this
Venue: Dorothy Winston Centre (Auckland summer from Auckland Re-
Girls Grammar), 16 Howe Street, Newton, gional Council’s Park Rangers at
Auckland. Muriwai Beach. For migrants and
Time: 7.00 pm refugees only.
Tickets: $25 & $40 (VIP)
Tickets available at: all branches of LOTUS Date: 27th February 2010,
FOREIGN EXCHANGE, Yogiji’s Food Mart (mt 9.00am – 3.00pm
roskill) or www.ticketdirect.co.nz For more information, contact
Further information: Deepak (021 026 43739) or Auckland Regional Migrant Ser-
Basant (021 035 7954).
Panditji will be accompanied by our very own
vices on 09 625 2440 or recep-
Basant Madhur on Tabla. tion@arms-mrc.org.nz.
- Prashant Belwalkar
17
Indian
Community

Fund raising film night Early bird offer for Amit Kumar show
Amit Kumar fans in Auckland will be able to witness the show at very affordable price which

for orphanage in India

watch the May 1 show at discounted rates – if
they buy their tickets early.
Show organizer Gopal Bhatia told the Indian
Weekender that discounted rates were being
offered to “earlybird” buyers who would be able
to get the best seats cheaper if they bought their
tickets by March 31 at the latest.
Gopal, who is also a prominent singer and
Radio Tarana presenter, said the earlybird dis-
count was offered only up to March 31, which
was $5 off on any ticket you bought.
“So $35 becomes $30 (reserved) and $30
becomes $25 (general), and VIP $50 becomes
$45.
“I have always been striving to offer the best
of best in respect of any shows either on Radio
Tarana or my live international shows to my lis-
teners, supporters and all music lovers.
“The above discounts have been offered to
facilitate and encourage people to come and
is always a concern for families. Therefore, I
would request one and all to avail of this discount
as per the given dates.”
Amit Kumar, son of legendary Kishore
Kumar, will perform in a one-off concert –
called Yeh Zameen Ga Rahi Hai - at the Logan
Campbell Centre on May 1.
Gopal, who will also be singing on the
same programme, said the show was titled such
because that was the theme – a celebration of
Amit Kumar and R D Burman’s music.
Yeh Zameen Ga Rahi Hai is from the hit 80s
movie Teri Kasam, starring Kumar Gaurav who
is pictured singing the lilting number on a misty
mountain top.
Tickets can be booked by calling 09 624-
6330, and tickets must be picked up between
March 20 and March 31 only, tickets picked up
after this date will not qualify for any discount.

Community Cricket semi-finalist decided

A film from acclaimed Auckland-based screen-
writer Shuchi Kothari is to form the centrepiece
of fundraising efforts for an Indian girls orphan-
age in April.
Firaaq, the latest award-winning film from
Kothari who also co-wrote Apron Strings, will
screen as part of an event to raise funds to house
and educate destitute Indian children at Akaash
Ganga, an orphanage in Gujarat. Akaash Ganga
is a home for 30 abandoned and destitute chil-
dren between ages 5 and 16 in Kutch. The leader
is Dhanraj Malik who runs a local safari camp
called Desert Coursers.
The April 7 event, at Hollywood Cinema, will
also feature an auction of original artworks from
Bro Town and Auckland artist Flox of Cut Col-
lective, put under the hammer by guest auction-
eer and local actress Madeleine Sami.
The orphanage has a strong Kiwi connec-
tion, with Kothari a lifelong friend of orphanage
leader Dhanraj Malik. And the initial stories for
the film – which includes a haunting story about
an orphaned child – were debated by Kothari,
and the renowned Indian actress and director of
Firaaq, Nandita Das, while staying at the safari
camp (also run by Malik) near the orphanage.
Kothari says organisations like Malik’s are
desperately needed. “The kind of work he has
done for destitute children through Akaash
Ganga reaffirms my faith in humanity. I visit
India every year, and each time I go to Akaash
Gaanga, not just to visit a dear friend, but
because the love I get given by the children is a
deeply humbling experience,” Kothari says.
The orphanage was opened to respond to the
hostile conditions of salt workers in the area of
Gujarat who live below the poverty line, working
18 hour days. The orphanage could house up to
80 children but lack of funds means children are
being turned away almost daily.
At a cost of $NZ1.50 a day per child, Akaash
Ganga offers a stable living environment, food
and education to abandoned local children, who
have all experienced some sort of trauma, the
death of a brother or sister or parental suicide.
At Akaash Ganga they are taught trades such as
sewing, and repairing mobile phones and com-
puters.
Cathy Pope, fundraising coordinator, says all
profits from the Hollywood Cinema night will
go to the orphanage. After visiting the orphan-
age in January this year, Cathy was inspired to
help ensure more children got a better chance of
a future.
“When I saw how happy these children were
after having such a difficult start to their lives, I
felt inspired to do something to help. Teaching
a sewing class and seeing how enthusiastic and
thirsty they were for knowledge was the most re-
warding part of my trip to India.”
Tickets to the film night and auction cost $25
and are available at www.cathypope.co.nz All
tickets also go in the draw to win a gift basket
including cosmetics, Trade Aid products, an aro-
matherapy massage, and dinner at Little India
restaurant.
Migrant Cricket has flourished for
the past 11 years in Auckland. This
year is the 12th edition of the Migrant
Community Cricket now known as
‘Friends of Cricket’ trophy. This
year’s edition has 9 teams participat-
ing in this annual tournament which
runs from January to March and has
huge fan following. This year the
tournament consists of Probasee
Bengalee, Kannada Koota, Tamil
Christians, Tamil Punjabi Pythons,
Muthamil Sangham, Dravidians,
Deccans, Indianz 30+ and TUF XI,
as they vie for the trophy. Tamil
Christians are the current holders
of the trophy which they would like
to retain. However, a professionally
charged up runners up Muthamil
Sangham is looking as the team to
beat!
The road to semi-final has been a
real tough one for teams as they had
to be consistent over the 10 week
period and keep winning on each
Sunday. This has been admirably
achieved by Muthamil Sangham
and Tamil Christians as the top 2
seeds of the tournament. However,
the remaining two positions were
hotly contested and Indian 30+ and
Probasee filled in those gaps after
hard fought round robins. The 4th
position fight went into the last day
of the round robin when Probasee
and Kannada Koota played against
They fought tooth and nail with no
quarters given to reach the semi-
finals. Probasee came on tops this
time and squeezed into the semi-
finals.
On Sunday 28th Feb, it will be an
interesting semi-final line between
Tamil Christians , Probasee and
Muthamil Sangham , Indian 30+.
Perhaps the strongest bowling line
up of the tournament is boated by
Muthamil Sangham, but a more con-
sistent batting form by Tamil Chris-
tians has seen them sail through.
So who will reach the finals and who
will have to settle for the 3rd spot
playoffs? Come in numbers to watch
this oldest community cricket tourna-
ment in Auckland at Ti Rakau Re-
serve off William Robertson Avenue
(Off Reeves Road) Pakuranga. The
matches start at 10.30 am.
There will be awards for a) best bats-
men, b) best bowler, c) player of the
tournament and d) fair play awards.
Muthamil Sangam has been the
major force in getting sponsorship
for this tournament and has been
hosted successfully by Tamil Chris-
tians. The spirit of the game has
been impeccable and all the teams,
their captains and associations
deserve a big round of applause for
making this tournament successful
and enjoyable.

Bura na Maano HOLI Hai... each other.

-Prashant Belwalkar

Hello Everyone, get ready to get messy ...

For the first time, please be invited to the Holi the arrival of spring in the Indian subconti-
Festival by the Indian Student Association nent and celebrations include playing with
@ AUT in the AUT campus...Its the ultimate coloured powders, spraying coloured water
Rain Dance Experience just like in India... and of course tasty snacks. Feel free to bring
We invite you to one of the biggest Holi along your family and friends too!
Celebrations in Auckland – Rang Barse
Rangoli. Featuring - Live Music by DJ, Dhol When: 11am, Sunday (28th Feb 2010)
and Complimentary Colors & Extraordinary
Rain dance!!! 
 Where: AUT Quad, Wellesley Street!!
Indian Student Association @ AUT would
like to invite you personally to join us in our What : Holi, Rain Dance, Music, Dhol
Holi celebrations. We will recreate the magic
and Yummy Food!
with a Live DJ, lots of colors and a DHOL. Let
us get lost in “Holi Ke Rang”
This event is sponsored by Bikanerwala,
Get ready to be submerged in a deluge
The National Bank, Relianz Forex, Indian
of colours & water on Sunday 28th Febru-
Weekender & Radio Tarana
ary 2010, as we celebrate Holi - the Festival
of Colours - at the AUT Quad! Holi marks

18 Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian
Bollywood
Aamir Khan resigns over copyright row Bollywood beauties march against domestic violence
Mumbai: Here is yet another Aamir Khan controversy. The Bollywood perfectionist has stepped
down from a panel of the government to recommend amendments to the Copyright Act after a spat
with lyricist Javed Akhtar.  
According to reports, the actor picked up an argument with  Javed Akhtar on the issue at a meeting
and sent his resignation to Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal, who had convened
the meeting.
The duo quarrelled over royalties and credit to the writers with Javed Akhtar reportedly alleging
that Aamir was trying to deny the writer his/her due. Aamir allegedly said artists like songwriters
should also get the credit and royalty of a popular song since they make the songs popular.
Khan in his resignation letter said:  “I feel I have a lot to contribute to the ongoing debate but
I cannot make any meaningful contribution in this atmosphere. Aggression of this type leaves me
feeling very disillusioned and sad and I am unable to function.”
“Therefore I request you to accept my resignation from this committee and please appoint another
person in my place. I believe that amendments to the Copyright Act are long overdue,” read his state-
ment on NDTV. 
The committee is reviewing the Copyright Act and it is mooted that royalties would be provided
to artists like music directors and composers.
The Union Cabinet approved the suggestions and the new Act is expected to be introduced in the
next session of Parliament, according to media reports.

Sheetal is my strength and weakness: Kailash Kher

Seems Sufiana Kailash Kher is totally smitten by
his wife Sheetal.
Not only he gives credit of all his achieve-
ments to her; Kailash goes to the extent saying
she is his strength and weakness.
Kailash Kher  recently celebrated his first
marriage anniversary with wife Sheetal and
baby Kabir. Holding his newborn Kabir, an ec-
static Kailash said, “Whatever I’ve achieved so
far is because of my family and  Sheetal. They
are my strength and weakness and I’m nothing
without them.”
Set by the beach, the night was made more
special as a troupe of traditional Rajasthani folk
singers and dancers gave a mesmerising stage
performance hardly seen in any Bollywood
parties.
Glitterati at the party included Anupam
Kher, the  gorgeous Poonam  Dhillon,  Quiz
Master  Siddhartha Basu along with wife Anita
Kaul Basu,  Anu Malik,  Prasoon Joshi,  Raju
Srivastava,  Shaan with wife Radhika,  Vasund-
hara Das, duo composers Salim – Suleman Mer-
chant with wives.
Members of Kailash Kher’s band Paresh and
Naresh,  Prakash Jha,  Bhajan Samraat  Anup
Jalota with wife Medha,  Jagmohan
Mundhra,  Singer  Richa Sharma,  among others
were also present.
The party went on till wee hours and ended
with the infectious sound of Kailash Kher, who
sang his popular number “Kaise Bataoon” from
film “Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani”.
Having delegated a strong message at a press initiative of raising their voice against domestic
conference held with the likes of the most cel- violence.
ebrated faces coming together,  Pearl’s WAVE With balloons in their hands they will covered
ventured out on a journey to spread the message a significant distance  and the end of the march
of curbing domestic violence far and wide. the beauties waved off the balloons to flag off the
They took the road quite literally as women journey an initiative like WAVE has taken.
from all walks of life and social strata came to- Each one of them came forward and put forth
gether to march and sent out a message loud and their personal take on a topic like this and got the
clear. crowd geared up and charged them to do the best
On February 16  renowned personalities like they can to help themselves and others. 
Minisha Lamba, Mugdha Godse, Neha Dhupia
and Hard Kaur came together to support the very
Zee Rishtey Awards to celebrate relationships
Zee TV launched ‘Zee Rishtey Awards 2010
(ZRA 2010) -  Desh ko Rishton mein bandha-
ta....’, a platform to celebrate the golden moments
in the channel’s history and to acknowledge the
viewers’ active participation.
‘Zee Rishtey Awards 2010’ will felicitate the
various new relationships that the characters
have established with the viewers and award
those who have been the most popular in playing

Manasi Scott their role the best.

The final celebration of the event would see
all Zee TV stars coming together at a gala event

is Artistaloud’s in Mumbai and giving their best performances

on the stage.
The awards night would witness an enthusias-

chosen one!
Artistaloud. com, a digital platform that pro-
vides an opportunity for independent artists to
release their new content online, has nominated
Manasi Scott as the ‘Artist of the week’
Artsitaloud has around 40 artists on board
already within one month of its launch. 
Few of them being Roop Kumar  and Sunali
Rathod, Milind Deora, Suneeta Rao, Hema
Sardesai, Mansi Scott, and Suraj Jagan of
‘Dream Out Aloud’. 
‘Artist of the week’ is a section on the home
page on Artistaloud that selects and chooses the
most popular artist of the week.  Bachchan household gets spicier every da
Mansi Scott has been chosen as the artist of
this week starting February 15.
Manasi scott is the only singer in the Indian
Music scene who has built a name for herself by
performing live way before she even released
an album. She is a singer, songwriter, com-
poser, professional MC and now also an actress
working on her debut film.
She has two Australian and one Indipop
album(s) to her credit and has done playback
singing down south. She has now turned com-
poser-singer and featured in Sanjay Gupta’s
‘Acid Factory’ as well as sung for the soon to
be released ‘Loot’ and ‘Tom Dick and Harry
Rocks Again’.
tic participation from all those who have been an
important part of the Zee TV family, right from
The days of ‘Tara’, ‘Astitva – Ek prem kahani’ to
today’s ‘Choti Bahu’ and ‘Dance India Dance’.
Viewers will also get an opportunity to meet
their favorite stars and witness there off-screen
lives.
The event would be telecast on Feb 28.
Usha Nadkarni in Pavitra Rishta
Big B to fight for Ash till last breath!
Mumbai, Feb 19 (IBNS) The saga at the is true!!” Bachchan wrote in his latest blog.
“I am the head of my family. Aishwarya is
While the dailies continue to fill not my daughter - in - law, she is my daugh-
their pages with ‘yellow’ news from the ter, a woman, a lady in my house and home.
Bachchans, Amitabh seems to have found a If anyone will speak derogatorily about her,
perfect timepass in lashing out at the media I shall fight for her till my last breath. If you
in his blog. have something to say to the men in the
A leading Mumbai daily had published an house, Abhishek or me, I shall bear it. BUT ..
article which said Aishwarya Rai Bachchan if you shall make injudicious remarks on the
has been undergoing treatment for stomach women in my home, I shall not tolerate it !!!”
tuberculosis and hence her pregnancy plans his blog read.
have been delayed. Now, it’s surprising that even after being
As far as media reports suggests, the in the tinsel town for so long, Mr Bachchan
‘news’ is a false one. doesn’t know how to handle rumours!
But the way Big B reacted to the news, is
something really dramatic.
“I am too incensed and angered by the
contents!! Not a single portion of the article

Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 19

Indian
Bollywood
Esha Deol launches jewel boutique New show: Do Saheliyan…Kismat Ki Kathputliyan
In the golden sands of picturesque Jaisalmer, a Payal Nair, Eva Grover, Mouni Roy and Ravi
Bollywood actor Esha Deol Saturday friendship blooms. Gosain amongst others. 
launched the first designer showroom of Two girls, innocent and oblivious of the Nitin Vaidya,  Business Head- Zee TV and
Razwada Jewels, manufacturers of Polki worldly considerations of caste and class and the COO,  Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd  said,
Jadau and Diamond jewelry, at Bandra petty politics of prejudice, find joy and happi- “With ‘Do Saheliyan: Kismat Ki Kathputliyan’,
here. ness in each other’s company. Zee TV brings its viewers the rustic charm of
“I really love all their collec- With a class divide straining against the Rajasthan. With a cast of stalwarts and some re-
tions. Hence I agreed to come here,” fabric of their friendship and  the history of a freshing new talent, ‘Do Saheliyan: Kismat ki
said Esha after the inauguration. nasty family feud, will the two survive the odds Kathputliyan’ is a simple story of a friendship
Her mother Hema Malini was also to ac- and emerge  stronger as friends? Will fate con- between two girls, the challenges this friendship
company her; but got hold up with her stantly  put this beautiful friendship  through must face and how destiny finds their paths con-
dance show practice. tests, trials and tribulations?  stantly intersecting in the most unusual ways.”    
“Esha was shooting for a movie in Ra- Zee TV’s ‘Do Saheliyan: Kismat Ki Kath- The production house for the show is Chota
jasthan for a film where we met her and putliyan’ follows the two inseparable friends as Ganpati Telecreations that has co-produced the
invited her to inaugurate our showroom. they wade through the sandstorms of their lives. film Tum Bin and a host of music videos featur-
She readily agreed without showing any The show stars newcomers Ankita Shrivas- ing the most prominent pop stars on the scene.
star tantrums. We are really fond of her,” tava as Bhawri and Sulagna Panigrahi as Mai- The show premiers on March 1 at  10:30
said Shiv Kumar Soni, owner of Razwada thili. PM on Zee TV.
Jewels. The other cast includes Akshay Anand,
Even after the inauguration, Esha hung Sakshi Tanwar, Suhasini Mulay, Jatin Shah,
out at store for hours.

Vidya promotes Kolkata Marathon Raipur-girl crowned Femina Miss India East
Bollywood actor Vidya Balan Saturday
breezed into the city to promote Airtel
Kolkata Marathon to be held Sunday (Feb
21).
Vidya Balan  would be flagging off the
groups for the  Airtel Kolkata Marathon
2010 with Deepak Srivastava, CEO, Bharti
Airtel Limited from Red Road (Opposite
West Bengal Basket Ball Courts) starting 7
am onwards on Sunday.
Bangla  Band ‘Lakhicharra’ will perform
at the venue, while Tollywood celebrities
Rituparna Sengupta, Locket Chatterjee,
Arindam Sil and Sabyasachi Chakraborty
will add to the glitz.

Preity turns chef in Kolkata

Of the 12 stunning beauties who made it to the
Finale stage, Unnati Davara from West Bengal’s
Raipur district was crowned the Winner of the
Pantaloons Femina Miss India (PFMI) East
2010, Friday night.
Rohini Mukherjee  and  Eram Karim  from
Kolkata were crowned the First and Second
Runner-Ups respectively.
The winner gets a direct entry in top 10 of
Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2010.  Khanna and GK Suresh – Head of Brands and
The winner was crowned by Pooja
Chopra  (PFMI East Winner 2009 and PFMI
World 2009 ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ title
winner), while the first runner up by Karish-
ma Karnik  (First runner-up, PFMI East
2009)  and  the Second runner up by  Tulip
Bhattacharya  (Second runner-up, PFMI
East 2009), first runner up by Karishma
Karnik  (First runner-up, PFMI East 2009).
  The panel of judges comprised of actors
Arpita Chatterjee,  Reshmi Ghosh  and  Koena
Mitra,  fashion designer  Anamika
Business Development with the Personal Care
Products Business of ITC Limited.

Actor Nirmal Pandey dies at 46

Bollywood actor Preity Zinta Saturday
donned an apron and a chef’s cap as she
launched Emami Group’s edible oil brand
‘Healthy and Tasty’ in Kolkata.
Emami has roped in cricketer M S
Dhoni and Preity, as the ambassadors for
the brand.
“I am thrilled to become the ambassa-
dor for Emami’s edible oil brand,  Healthy
& Tasty. As I had the opportunity to use
the oil, I am fully convinced that Healthy
& Tasty will break the myth that health and
taste cannot go hand-in-hand in food. On
the contrary, maintaining a healthy lifestyle
even by consuming tasty food will now be
a certainty with the Healthy & Tasty brand.
The brand will help any food sparkle with
both health and taste,” said Preity.
Meanwhile, Dhoni and Zinta have
teamed up to do a TVC for the brand and
the ad-film has been directed and con-
ceived by Prahlad Kakkar and Adi Pocha.
“I had a wonderful experience to work
for the ad-film of the brand along with M S
Dhoni,” said Preity.
Actor Nirmal Pandey, who shot to fame with
his performances in ‘Bandit Queen’ and
‘Godmother’ died of cardiac arrest Thursday
afternoon here, said media reports.
According to media reports, the actor was
not keeping well for the past few days.
He suffered a severe heart attack and
died on his way to Holy Spirit Hospital at
Andheri at around 2.30 pm, said sources.
 He is survived by his wife Archana Sharma.
Pandey was known for his role Vikram
Mallah in  Shekhar Kapur’s  Bandit
Queen  (1994), for portrayal of a  transves-
tite in Daayraa (1996) for which he won a Best
Actress Valenti award in France, and  God-
mother (1999).

20 Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

 Indian
Bollywood

Acting is not cakewalk:

Amruta Patki
Former Miss India Earth 2006 Amruta Patki has finally
entered Bollywood and will be shortly seen in the film
Hide & Seek.  A tete-a-tete with the model-turned-actor

LAUNCHING Music

Btown gossip

How did you bag this role?

Apoorva Lakhia (producer)was audition-
9
Dialy soaps

ing a dozen new girls for this film and I got

lucky. India’s best
 
Movies entertainment

125
So what’s the character of Gunita Sodhi
in Hide & Seek?
I’m playing the character of Gunita who be-
longs to a filthy rich family which eventually
$
makes her a snob (Laughs). Nothing else
matters to this girl until, of course she falls Reality shows
in love with Om Jaiswal (Purab Kohli). This
makes an interesting love triangle with me,
Purab Kohli and Mrinalini Sharma who is
playing Jyotika and Om’s love interest. So
along with this love triangle, Hide & Seek is
a suspense flick which is based on 6 best
friends whose terrible past catches up with
them due to a fun game they played as
kids called Hide & Seek on a X’mas night.
 
Is it true that you fainted during the
shoot of Hide & Seek?                                                                                        
Well, I’ll tell you something, acting in a film
is not a cakewalk! We were shooting in
Ahmedabad for Hide & Seek and the tem-
perature touched a 50 degree Celsius so
the heat caught on to me and I fainted. *
So how was the experience to work in a
film for the first time?
As I said it was not a cake walk but it
wasn’t that bad either because in every
field, one has to struggle in some way or
the other. Anyway I love watching sus-
pense films and I’m more than glad to be a
part of one.

What kind of films do you want to do in

future?
As a debutant, I’ve no limitations on what
genres of films I would like to do as this
is a learning phase. I want to grow as an I got a lot of support from both Apoorva
actress instead of being a celebrity and Lakhia and Shawn and the rest 6 of us had
do all kinds of films like comedy, romance, a lot of fun during our shoots. It will be a
serious etc. memorable experience forever.
 
Tell us about your experience with the What do you do in your free time?
cast and crew of Hide & Seek? I like listening to good music and reading
books.

Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 21

Indian

22 Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian
Bollywood

Kitchen is my gym’ Hrithik, Deepika cheer

Preity Zinta breezed in Kolkata to launch Emami Group’s ed- Mirchi Music Awards
ible oil brand ‘Healthy and Tasty’. The actor chats up with India
Blooms correspondent Sreya Basu on food and fitness
It’s hard to see Preity Zinta as a brand Indian. I am extremely health conscious and so
ambassador of edible oil. What makes is my family. We actors lead a hectic lifestyle
you to endorse an oil brand now? and have little or no time to hit the gym regu-
Don’t sound so rude yaar (smile)! It’s not that I larly. The only way we can stay fit is by eating
am endorsing a regular oil brand with loads of healthy. But then, it doesn’t mean that I don’t
cholesterol and unhealthy stuffs. work out at all. I do that whenever I get time.

Have you used this oil yourself? Can you cook?

Of course, yes! As I had the opportunity to use
the oil, I am fully convinced that Healthy &
Tasty will break the myth that health and taste
cannot go hand-in-hand in food. On the con-
trary, maintaining a healthy lifestyle even by
consuming tasty food will now be a certainty
with the Healthy & Tasty brand. The brand
will help any food sparkle with both health and
taste,
Are you a foodie?
I love food. But I believe in quality not quan-
tity.
What is your kind of food?
I swear by Indian food. Idli-dosas, chaat, chhola
bhatura, kadhi chawal…you name it and I am
ready to gorge on them. And also rasgullas…
you can’t resist them especially when you are
in Kolkata. And I prefer homemade food than
that served in plush restaurants. Surprised!
Yes. A bit. But then, how do you man-
age to stay so fit…hours in the gym?
Kitchen is my gym. And so is for almost every
Oh yes! I am a very very good cook. Ask
anyone who has tried my dishes and you will
know.
What are the dishes you can cook?
I can cook almost everything. Anyone who
savours good food and has a taste for different
kinds of cruisine will invariably turn out to be
a good hand in the kitchen.
Are you keeping your fingers crossed
for your team Kings XI Punjab at IPL 3?
We are discussing food and from where does
IPL drop in here? Anyway, no IPL and film
queries please.
Okay. If not Yuvraj Singh, then tell us
about Dhoni ?
What!
Yes. He is doing a TV-ad with you for
this oil brand; isn’t it?
Oh yes! That way. (Smiles). I had a blast
playing superhero with Dhoni in the ad. It was
a wonderful experience. He is fun.
The second  Airtel Mirchi Music Awards
2009,  the Grammys of India,  held recently in
Mumbai, was a musical night to remember.
The best talents, connoisseurs and veter-
ans from the music industry, came together to
cheer and applaud the winners who contrib-
uted to some of the outstanding songs of the
year. Radio Mirchi’s biggest music awards
night recognized and awarded some of the
finest music talent from the Hindi film industry.
The music awards night saw some of the biggest
names from Bollywood -- Hrithik Roshan,
Akshay Kumar, Anil Kapoor, Deepika Padu-
kone, Farhan Akthar, Vidya Balan, Riteish
Deshmukh, Rakesh Roshan, Javed Akthar,
Prasoon Joshi, Imitiaz Ali, among others, who
graced the occasion.
While the winners came up and received
their awards amidst loud cheering and huge ap-
plause from the entire music industry, Sundhi
Chauhan, Himesh Reshammiya, Usha Uthup,
KK, Rekha Bharadwaj, enthralled the audiences
with their melodious singing.
Joining them were Shahid Kapoor and
Katrina Kaif who literally had the stage on fire
with their scintillating performances to some of
the popular numbers of the year.
Anchored by Jaaved Jaffery and Sandhya
Mridul,  Airtel Mirchi Music Awards 2009  ac-
knowledged and recognized talents from the
music industry.
The Airtel Mirchi Music Awards 2009, will
be telecast on Sunday (February 21), at 10 pm on
Sony Entertainment Television.

Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 23

Indian
What colour is your ‘HOLI’-day?
ram lingam
India as we all know is colourful with her people,
festivals including the very geography. India has
greenery, snow, different shades of soils, land-
scapes, deserts, rivers, seasons, people and the
whole atmosphere is so full of colour. Add to that
our colourful festival of HOLI where colours are
literally used to show the spirit of the mind.
A website has even included Holi as one of the
craziest and the messiest holidays of the world,
but little do they know that almost all festivals in
India are not without a spiritual message. Holi is
primarily a Hindu spring celebration and origi-
nally it was an agricultural festival celebrating
the arrival of spring – vasant ritu (spring season)
and also a festival of fertility and harvest. It is
also said to have originated from Hindu legends
which gives spiritual reasons for the celebra-
tions.
‘Holi’ is said come from the root word ‘Hola’
- meaning prayer to the Mother Nature for a
good harvest. The ‘Holi’ festival is a very fun-
filled and popular occasion in the northern part
of India. It is an occasion when people smear
each other with bright coloured powders, which
are known as Gulaal, and coloured water. This
festival is celebrated around early March each
year. It can be said that ‘Holi’ festival is called a
bright festival as a wide range of bright colours
is used during it. The people believe that the
bright colours represent energy, life, and joy.
The origin of Holi
Some Hindu legends provide some of the
ingredients for the celebrations of Holi. The
popular legend that is associated with the
origins of the ‘Holi’ festival is the story of the
wicked King Hiranyakashipu and his prince son
Prahlad. Prahlad, who was very holy and often
prayed to Lord Vishnu, infuriated his powerful
24
A 16th century panel sculpted in a temple at Hampi,
capital of Vijayanagar, shows a joyous scene depicting
Holi where a prince and his princess are standing
amidst maids waiting with syringes to drench the royal
couple in coloured water.
father.
One day the king asked him “Who is the
greatest, God or I?” “God is,” said the son,
“you are only a king.” The king was furious
and decided to slay his son. One day out of
frustration, the wicked king ordered his sister,
the demon Holika, to kill his son. The demon
Holika, who was immune to fire, captured
prince Prahlad and entered a fire furnace to kill
Prahlad. However Holika herself burnt to ashes.
The story goes that before the demon aunt died,
she begged for prince Prahlad’s forgiveness
and the prince forgave her and announced that
her name would be remembered once a year.
Thus the festival ‘Holi’ was created and Holika
became the bornfire where all evil is burnt. In
many parts of India, a dummy of Holika is burnt
on the fire.
Is Holi an ancient festival? Well it certainly
has been celebrated since ancient times. Holi
is one of the oldest among Hindu festivals and
we Indians have been celebrating this festival
for thousand of years. In a 7th century sanskrit
drama ‘Ratnavali’ the author captures the Holi
spirit when he says “Witness the beauty of the
great cupid festival which excites curiosity as
the townsfolk are dancing at the touch of brown-
ish water thrown from squirt-guns. They are
seized by pretty women while all along the roads
the air is filled with singing and drum-beating.
Everything is coloured yellowish red and ren-
dered dusty by the heaps of scented powder
blown all over.”
Various references are found in the sculp-
tures on walls of old temples and also paint-
ings especially the ones associated with Lord
Krishna and his Gopi devotees. A 16th century
panel sculpted in a temple at Hampi, capital
of Vijayanagar, shows a joyous scene depict-
ing Holi where a prince and his princess are
standing amidst maids waiting with syringes to
drench the royal couple in coloured water.
Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Heritage
The 16th century paintings of Ahmednagar
demonstrating Vasant Ragini (spring music).
The royal couple is sitting on a garden swing
and a maiden playing music is seen on one side
and other maidens spraying water at the pair are
seen on the other.
A 17th century painting of Mewār shows the
king with his courtiers and distributing some
gifts to the people; beautiful dance is going on in
the background and there is a tank filled with co-
loured water. There are also some other Rājput
paintings which show royal Holi celebrations.
Another 18th century painting at Bundi
shows Rādhā and Krishna in the middle and the
gopis on either side. The gopis are with drums,
veena, colours and syringes. The sky is clear
blue and the grass, lush green.
In modern times Bollywood has taken to
Holi. There are so many songs on Holi. Almost
all Indian radios around the world play the
beautiful and famous song ‘Rang Barse’ from
the movie Silsilā by none other than Amitabh
Bachchan.
Talking about the colours we use in this fes-
tival the supreme colour is the ‘pink’ gulaal. Did
you know that ‘gulal’, in the medieval times was
made at home, from the flowers of the ‘tesu’ or
‘palash’ tree.
Lastly the colours of Holi carry the message
of love, brotherhood, and truth. So whenever we
splash Holi colours on somebody, you give him
a promise of being truthful towards him always,
maintain brotherhood with him lifelong and
shower him with all the possible love through-
out your life.
Holi is the day to express love with colours
and show affection.
Indian
Days of mortgage interest rate
discounts, fee waiver numbered
RAVI MEHTA
Over the period of 12 months or so, the banks have
been reluctant to give discounts on interest rates,
fees and sanction generous legal fee contribution to
home mortgage clients. No mortgage price war has
taken place over the last many months.
There was a time when the banks used to
compete aggressively for new mortgage business.
The loan processing fee, the Low Equity Premium/
Lenders Mortgage Insurance was discounted, even
waived; the interest rates were discounted sharply
to win over the business. Some of the banks used to
run campaigns like free house and contents insur-
ance for 12 months or so if you take housing loan
from those institutions, etc. At that time, the banks
were operating on very thin margins and were thriv-
ing on higher volumes.
After the onset of financial crisis, these promo-
tions and aggressiveness to win over new business
has disappeared. The primary reason is shortage
of funding available from international markets at
competitive pricing.
Also the Reserve Bank of New Zealand has
asked for certain Loan/ Deposit ratios to be met
within certain time frame.
RBNZ wants the banks to have maximum of
their lending financed by local deposits and long
term offshore borrowings. This is the reason, the
term deposit rates offered by different banks are
very attractive and these days the war is on deposit
front and the banks are competing to get more and
more deposits.
In the long run, these measures will boost the
strength of New Zealand banks and these will be
able to absorb financial storms more easily.
But, in the short run, the lending will become
stricter, the banks will tighten their lending criteria
Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
As the banks are not
lending aggressively
and their asset growth
is sluggish...
and home mortgage lending will further dry up.
As the banks are not lending aggressively and
their asset growth is sluggish, these are trying
to shore up their profitability by charging higher
margins on the loans they are advancing.
Some of the banks have already stopped waiving
off loan re fix fee, which was a usual practice over
the last few years.
Very soon, the banks may start charging loan
processing fee, loan re-fix fee, will stop offering
legal fee contribution altogether. The customers
will have to be content with carded rates offered
by banks, the discounts will disappear. High loan
to value ration loans may be charged even higher
LMIs and LEPs.
Mortgage payers should become prepared for
the same and adapt to new changes at the earliest.
This trend may last for many months, may be for
years.
- Ravi Mehta is an Auckland based Financial
Advisor and can be contacted on ravi.mehta@pfsl.
co.nz. A disclosure statement as required under
Securities Act 1988 is freely available on request.
Don’t Let your new home
slip through your fingers
Oliver Pereira
Buying a new home is a major step forward in life. It’s the big-
gest investment you’re are likely to make – and it’s a commit-
ment that can affect not only you, but your family too.
So it pays to play it safe and protect your-
self for all eventualities. And that includes
making sure you have adequate mortgage
protection. This might be available as simple
life cover or a more comprehensive package
of benefits, including disability income pro-
tection, total permanent disablement and re-
dundancy cover.
If you were to die, would you leave enough
resources to pay off your home loan, and
safeguard your family’s future?
If serious illness, disability or redundancy
were to stop you from working, would you
have enough money in reserve to meet your
loan repayments?
The last thing you want to see is your
home slip out of your hands, should you be
unable to meet your loan repayments.
Did you know?
It is estimated that there is one death every
16 minutes and 38 seconds in New Zealand.
Source: Statistics New Zealand, June 2009
Cancer is the second leading cause of
death in New Zealand(29%). There are about
18,500 new registrations of cancer each year,
with the highest rates in the middle and older
age groups.
Source: Ministry of Health website,2009
Column
Accidents or injuries are the most common
cause of disability for adults aged 15 to 44
years (31% of people with a disability) and for
adults aged 45 to 64 years (34%)
Source: Statistics New Zealand , disability
survey 2006.
You may want to review your needs with
a Insurance adviser about a package that’s
right for you. Basic life insurance to cover the
mortgage in the event of death is a popular
and affordable option.
The cost of your insurance is based on
your age, the mortgage amount you apply for
and whether or not you smoke.
The above information has been provided
to serve only as a guideline to assist in evalu-
ating your insurance needs.
You are encouraged to do your own re-
search before arriving at any decisions.
- For further information,
please contact:
Oliver Pereira –
OPM Insurance Services Ltd.
Ph. 0800 66 77 92,
Faxmail. 021 551 669,
Mobile. 021 66 77 92
Email. oliver.pereira@xtra.co.nz
25
Indian
Column

Rewarding effort Minister Pansy Wong

and hard work reassures community
The senseless and brutal killing of Mr Hiren
Prime Minister Hon John Key
Monini is unacceptable.
When I opened Parliament last week, I outlined the Government’s programme for the coming
year, including measures for a step-change in our economy. In 2010, we’re focussing on growing
the economy and ensuring our tax system is consistent with our founding principles; that it At a meeting called by the New Zealand as early as 2006 with the beating of a taxi
rewards effort, encourages savings, and helps families to get ahead. Central Indian Association in Auckland on driver in Dunedin. Opinion on taxi securi-
Our current tax system relies heavily on taxes that are harmful to growth. It taxes labour Sunday, I outlined the Government’s im- ty has been divided within the taxi indus-
and investment income at relatively high rates and taxes consumption at a relatively low rate. In mediate and longer-term responses to this try, even after the fatal attack of Christ-
Budget 2010, we will start reforming our tax system towards a fairer system that rewards hard tragedy. church driver Abdulrahman Ikhtiari in
work. First, our thoughts are with the family, December 2008. This made a Government
National is committed to reducing personal income tax and changing the way property is especially when we reflect on the anguish decision difficult to progress.
taxed. To offset this, the Government is considering a modest increase in GST to no more than of Mr Mohini’s widow, elderly mother, and However, the death of Mr Mohini has
15 percent. However, we will also ensure that low to middle income earners are compensated for two young daughters. seen a noticeable change in mood. The taxi
any increase in GST. My colleague, Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi industry has come together and the Min-
Lower personal income taxes will ensure that hard work is rewarded. A modest increase in MP, visited the family to convey our con- ister of Transport Hon Steven Joyce has
GST will encourage taxpayers to save their tax cuts rather than spend them, while providing for dolences. I also visited the family with moved to make a decision by mid-March.
freedom of choice. Dr Jackie Blue, National list MP, based The merits of security screens versus se-
The Government is also committed to cutting red tape in order to make it easier for private in Mount Roskill, as soon as I was able to curity cameras are still being debated,
enterprise to grow, invest, and create jobs. We plan to amend the Holidays Act, following the return to Auckland. Two ACC staff visited however his officials will report their
report from the Advisory Group set up to examine this area. the family shortly after the funeral to recommendations and a decision will be
We will ensure that other labour laws do not impose excessive costs on the country or hold assure them that they will receive appro- made.
back opportunities to create jobs. priate entitlements from ACC and other This Government is not in denial over
And we also share the concerns of many business owners about the fairness of personal griev- relevant agencies. the problem of crime, especially violent
ance decisions, and will be releasing a discussion document on this topic later in the year. We Throughout this tragedy I was moved crime. One killing is one too many.
want to see a greater return on the investment than many New Zealanders make in their busi- by the support from Auckland Co-Op That is why our Prime Minister has
nesses. Taxis and their family-oriented work en- declared war on drugs and the gangs who
National also wants to make it easier for New Zealanders to sell their goods overseas so that vironment. A trust fund was established push the drug trade.
more jobs can be created back home. In 2009, we signed free trade agreements with Malaysia and by Auckland Co-op Taxis to look after the That is why the Government has
with the 10 countries of the ASEAN block. family, and we learned that Mr Mohini acted on a range of law and order legis-
This year we will be signing agreements with Hong Kong, and with the economies of the Gulf wanted his daughters to grow up in New lation including the Bail Amendment Act
Cooperation Council. The Government will also press ahead with important trade negotiations Zealand. His wish will be respected. 2008; the Sentencing (Offender Levy) Act
with India and Korea. New Zealand’s future economic prosperity depends on these. Secondly, the killer must be appre- 2009; the Domestic Violence (Enhancing
National is relentlessly focused on growing the economy and a fairer tax system. We will hended. The Police team working on this Safety) Bill; and the Sentencing and Parole
secure a brighter future for all New Zealanders if we stay true to our principles of individual case has been increased to 50-strong and Reform Bill. This last legislation includes
responsibility, private enterprise, and reward for individual effort and hard work.

The Government’s Fresh Start programme

CHE 015

Bring this in and proposes far-reaching changes to the way

receive $5.00 off
we deal with young offenders, including
the purchase of a
military-style activity camps to deal with
regular size cake
until 28 March 2010 the most troubled offenders. Other Fresh
Start programmes include mentoring, drug
Must be original advertisement,
no copies.Conditions apply.
and alcohol counselling, and compulsory

a ke
M omeone’s d ay ! parenting courses.

s
every method is being employed to find the the Three Strikes policy, which removes
offender, including billboard advertising eligibility for parole for the worst repeat
and television appeals. violent offenders.
Every speaker at Sunday’s meeting The Government’s Fresh Start pro-
praised the good work of the police. gramme proposes far-reaching changes
Speakers also expressed a sentiment that I to the way we deal with young offenders,
have often heard from the general public; including military-style activity camps
the police do a great job, but the law needs to deal with the most troubled offenders.
to be tougher. Historically there have been Other Fresh Start programmes include
concerns that the Police were too stretched mentoring, drug and alcohol counselling,
to attend emergencies. and compulsory parenting courses.
This attitude is turning around with the We also have a strong concern for
National Government working towards victims. Following the release of the con-
fulfilling our election promise of increas- sultation document on victims’ rights in
ing the police force nationally by 600 by December last year, the Government is
2011 and by 300 in Counties-Manukau by considering a range of measures, includ-
the end of this year. We already have 165 ing a Victims’ Services Centre; a code of
OPEN 9am to 7pm - 7 days police on the beat in Counties-Manukau
and this is reflected in the 9% reduction in
practice that outlines agencies’ obligations
to victims; a Victims of Crime Complaints
www.thecheesecakeshop.co.nz
nz reported crime in South Auckland in the Officer; and allowing victims the right to
Birkenhead Henderson Milford Mt Wellington
ngton New Lynn
L last three months of 2009. say more in their Victim Impact Statement
70 Mokoia Rd 253 Lincoln Rd 79 Kitchener Rd 42 Mt Wellington 3041 Great North Rd Thirdly, we are concerned for the safety and to read their statement to the court.
of all taxi drivers. The General Manager of The Prime Minister has made safer
419-2715 838-1579 486-1997 Highway - 527-3961 827-3015
Auckland Co-Op Taxis, Barrie White, told communities a priority for this Govern-
Sunday’s meeting that drivers are reluc- ment.
Takanini Northcross Pakuranga Papatoetoe Waitakere tant to work the late shift. No one should
230 Great South Rd 178 Carlisle Rd 284 Ti Rakau Drive 21 East Tamaki Rd Mega Centre be surprised by this. - Pansy Wong is Minister
Southgate - 299-3204 478-7950 272-8644 277-9986 838-5012 Calls for increased taxi security started for Ethnic Affairs

26 Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 27

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28 Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 29

Indian
I can still last 50 overs,
says Tendulkar
Gwalior (IBNS): Batting maestro Sachin Ten-
dulkar said that having carried his bat through
the innings to score a record unbeaten 200 here
Wednesday was a good sign that at the age of 36
he was good enough to last 50 overs.
“It feels good that I lasted for 50 overs, a good
test of my fitness. I’d like to bat another 50 overs
at some stage and see that the fitness level doesn’t
drop. I’m enjoying my cricket,” he said.
“I have always played the way I felt was the
right way to play, always done what I felt was
good for the team. There have been times when
I’ve made some bad decisions as a batsman, but
as long as in my heart I know that whatever I’m
doing for the team at that moment, I’m going to
go ahead with that,” said Tendulkar after India
won the second ODI against South Africa by 153
runs.
Asked about his extra-ordinary feat Ten-
dulkar said: “I don’t know how to react to this. I
was striking the ball and timing the ball well, it
was coming on to the bat nicely.”
“Yusuf (Pathan) came and changed the mo-
mentum and MS (Dhoni) really struck the ball
well; it was due to their big hitting that we were
able to put up such a big score. It was only when I
got closer to the score that I realised that I had an
opportunity and I could take the singles to give
MS the strike.”
Skipper Dhoni had special words for Yusuf
who hit an important 36 off 23 balls.
“Once Viru got out it was important to get
some runs. Dinesh and Sachin batted really
well. We were eyeing 350 when they were going
strong.”
“But Sachin batted through the innings and
he played really well, using the pace of the ball
when he got tired. Yusuf was sent up the order
WEEKENDCUISINE
BBQ CAULIFLOWER
A real hit for those vegans who want to enjoy a barbeque
Recipe by Ruby Dhillon
Ingredients:
• 1- whole Cauliflower
• ½cup- Curd
• 1/4cup- Cream
• 2tbs- Gram flour ( Besan)
• 1tsp- Ginger paste
• 2tsp- Tandoori masala
• 1/2tsp- Red chilli powder
• 1tsp- Salt
• 1- Lemon cut into wedges
• Chaat masala
• Skewers
30
Sports
and with the talent he’s got, he can be a great
asset to the side. I have changed my batting, but
the situation demanded that kind (attacking) of
innings. The ground is a small one, and we were
a bit worried about the dew factor. But once they
lost 3-4 early wickets, it was difficult for them to
get back into the game,” he said.
South Africa captain Jacques Kallis said that
his boys didn’t get their act right from the start.
“The toss was quite vital. Our basics were just
weren’t good enough today. We were outplayed.
We lost wickets at crucial stages, or basics let us
down. A fantastic innings by Sachin; he took ad-
vantage of some good conditions and he played
superbly. We let us down in some areas,” he said.
The Gwalior Division Cricket Association
gifted Tendulkar with a silver bat, a Rs 1 million
cheque and a pavilion will be named in his
honour.
Method:
• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl except
lemon and chaat masala .
• Separate the whole cauliflower into
medium size florets.
• Marinate Cauliflower florets with the
mixture and keep it aside for 1 hour.
• Skewer the Cauliflower or just place the
marinated florets directly on the barbeque
grill and cook all sides till it acquires a light
golden brown colour.
• Tip : If using wooden skewers on
barbeque, please soak them in water
before putting on the florets as this will
prevent the wooden skewers from burning
or being too hot to handle.
• Serve with chaat masala on it and a dash
of lemon.
Stones, Twitter and Box-office
While the Shiv Sena rage in Mumbai over My Name is Khan
(MNIK) finally favoured the film’s makers, Shahrukh Khan rub-
bished that it was a calculated publicity gimmick. “I want to en-
joy my film everywhere, I want to enjoy it within myself and to
sickos who think this is for publicity, I have two words – SHUT
UP” tweeted Shahrukh to clear his stand. Shoma A. Chat-
terji tracks back to similar controversies raising questions on
films that smell strongly of having resorted to marketing strate-
gies stage-managed to look like controversies.
Every passing day, top stars of Bollywood
are tearing their hair out to reach out to their
target audience – India first and then the
world out there. One such strategy they dis-
covered two years ago was blogging. Amitabh
Bachchan set the ball rolling. He blogged
about everything from game shows to losing
his luggage at Toronto airport to his anger
against the 26/11 tragedy. Amir Khan used
his blog to take potshots at rival Shahrukh
Khan. But this did not have the desired effect,
so everyone decided to go back to mainstream
ways of promoting their films.
Ghajini and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi are two
very good examples that did not try either
controversy or strategised product place-
ments by corporate firms to plug the films
and yet had neat openings. Blogging is now
replaced by tweeting on Twitter or ‘facing’ on
Facebook, two blog-friendly sites Bollywood
celebrities love. They can even direct readers
to the controversy about their film/role/etc
going on centre stage as Shahrukh has done
about the controversy over the release of My
Name is Khan.
Khan has always been open about his
brazen marketing and promotional strate-
gies. This makes it difficult to link him to a
cooked up controversy staged with the con-
nivance of one of the most notorious politi-
cal parties in Maharashtra. For Om Shanti
Om, his marketing strategy was a precisely
planned exercise that offered a model lesson
in mainstream marketing – non-stop televi-
sion promotions, tie-ups with news channels
and popular online websites, birthdays cel-
ebrated with the media, his six-pack tagline
created for the film, cricket matches and the
Om Shanti Om clothesline. The result: in
spite of the storyline borrowed from earlier
films of Bollywood and Hollywood, in spite
of a weak script, crowded by paper-thin char-
acters and average acting, the film went on to
become a super duper box office hit.
Pre-release controversies are not new. No
one really knows whether these are stage-
managed or coincidences or genuine contro-
versies. The media in print, on television news
channels and on the Internet, ever hungry to
pounce on such controversies, go ga-ga over
these and the actor/producer/distributor/ex-
hibitor laughs all the way to the box office.
“Controversies create awareness, but there
is no guarantee,” says Mahesh Bhatt who
plugged a couple of his films to his link-up
with Parveen Babi.
On the eve of the release of Vashu Bhag-
nani’s Kal Kissne Dekha, director Vivek
Sharma went public with his problems with
Bhagnani during the making of the film. One
story, denied vehemently by both Bhagnani
and Sharma is that Bhagnani had slapped
Sharma. The more believable one concerned
payment. Sharma insisted that Bhagnani had
paid him just 30% of the money agreed upon
for his earlier film Bhootnath. Bhagnani
claims he is innocent. Sharma then said that
though he directed KKD, he was not allowed
to see the entire film because Bhagnani had
re-edited it to focus on his son Jackky who
was making his debut. Sharma was about to
take Bhagnani to court when the Bhatt broth-
ers intervened, requesting him to opt for an
out-of-court settlement. We do not know if
this controversy was genuine or not. All we
know that it did nothing to boost up the box
office stakes of KKD.
Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz
Entertainment
Karan Razdan’s low brow Girlfriend,
released a few years ago, gained at the box
office after a tame start. Touted as a film on a
lesbian relationship between two young girls,
it created protests by political parties and
generated a lot of discussion in the media.
The film made on a budget of Rs.20 million
(approximately), finished it first week with
an improved collection of 50% which would
never have happened minus the protests
and the media hype created not by publicity
posters and advertising inserts, but by news
stories. “The post-release controversy and the
hype generated seem to have helped the first
week’s performance of Girlfriend remark-
ably,” said film writer and industry analyst
Taran Adarsh.
Actress Monisha Koirala took filmmaker
Shashilal Nair to court. She claimed that he
had used a body double in a negative way
in Ek Chhotisi Love Story, plagiarized from
Kieslowski’s A Short Film About Love. A po-
litical party blocked the screening of the film
in metro theatres. Trade journals insist that
this controversy turned out to be a windfall
for the producer who reaped unexpected reve-
nues from its run. But Nair says that the court
case lightened his pocket by Rs. 5 million and
the controversy actually backfired.
A staged controversy can act like manna
from heaven in the hands of a strategic manip-
ulator. If used by the wrong group of people
in the wrong place at the wrong time, it can
equally become the most lethal weapon that
can kill a film. Non-cooperation from stars,
sudden changes in scripts, casting, techni-
cal team, etc. rumoured romances and splits,
publicity posters – anything and everything is
being used as an important ingredient for cre-
ating and then solving controversies to ensure
the commercial success of a film.
Every producer, actor, financier, distribu-
tor, exhibitor and director involved in each of
the 1000 films released every year fight the
same war – success at the box office which
is a rather fickle master. In an ambience
dominated by elite multiplex theatres with up
market, sophisticated infrastructure, to resort
to any strategy, ethical or unethical, direct or
subversive, is mandatory to ensure that the
audience must feel that this is a not-to-be-
missed film in order to win in the cut-throat
competition where a film like 3 Idiots rules
the roost with its very unconventional mar-
keting strategy. This makes it problematic for
its successors to race it to the winning post.
The media, in such cases, is mere putty in the
hands of these manipulators-that-be.
A Bengali television channel moderator
turned filmmaker, Aniket Chatterjee, said
that the controversy over My Name is Khan
(MNIK) will make it to front page headlines
in the national press on Saturday morning, the
day after its released on Feb 12.
He could not have been more correct. He
added that 70+ men and women who followed
the controversy on television or in the papers,
who hated Hindi films and never went to the
theatres, would surely want to watch this film
just to find out what the controversy was all
about. Shahrukh Khan may still say “SHUT
UP” since the MNIK controversy stemmed
from his harmless comment on Pakistani
players, but film industry has always been
controversy’s favourite child.
Indian
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Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz 31

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32 Indian Weekender | February 26, 2010 | www.iwk.co.nz