16 FEBRUARY2018 | Vol 9 Issue 46

Renuga Veeran Kanwaljit Bakshi Sonam Kapoor

Indian-origin Australian receives Sikh "No point in doing
badminton player wins Achievers Award just entertaining
hearts in NZ in India cinema anymore
Pg 4 Pg 10 Pg 29
www.iwk.nz /indianweekender /indianweekender

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 NEW ZEALAND

Bill English resigns

2 Friday, February 16, 2018 The Indian Weekender

There was no pressure on Bill

English to leave: Dr Parmar
¡¡ SANDEEP SINGH

K
iwi-Indian MP Dr Parmjit Parmar has denied
that there was any pressure within National
Party caucus to resign.
Dr Parmar was sad about Bill English’s
announcement of resignation from the Party
leadership when The Indian Weekender spoke to her
this morning.
Bill English announcing “I am bit sad as Bill English has decided to retire
his resignation from politics.
“We only found out about his decision to retire
"It’s been an enormous from politics just a couple of hours ago. It was a
¡¡ SANDEEP SINGH shock to me because he did win the election. National Party MP Dr Parmjit Parmar

N
ational Party Leader Bill English
has resigned from the parliament
and party leadership on Tuesday
February 13.  But this is his personal decision, and he had made
Speaking to the media in parliament
immediately after returning back from
a two-day caucus meeting in Tauranga,
Mr English expressed his desire to leave
parliament.  financial crisis when he was the Finance Minister.
Mr English says his resignation as
leader will take effect on February 27, and
that he intends to deliver his valedictory
speech on 1 March.
“It’s been an enormous privilege to
serve New Zealanders since being elected
to Parliament in 1990.
“Over 27 years I have been privileged
to work alongside so many people to
improve our country. I am proud of
the innovative work done as a Health
privilege to serve
New Zealanders
since being elected to
Parliament in 1990
Minister in the 90’s, and then as Finance
Minister through the GFC, helping to
stabilise and grow the economy and to
rebuild Christchurch.
“In recent years I enjoyed the
development of social investment and
new ways of the Crown working with
Maori to make a real difference, and I was
honoured to lead New Zealand as Prime
Minister,” Mr English said.  Indeed, in Bill English’s resignation news, and the
The party will be electing its new leader
soon. Mr English has refused to endorse
anyone as potential leader of the party.  politics unfold year after year within the corridors
“It’s another matter that we could not form the
government, and he was performing really well.
“I am sad to see that he has decided to retire.
the decision with his family, and I want to respect
that decision.
“I want to thank him for leading the country to this
stage especially bringing the country out of global
“However, it was our enquiry about any pressure
within the caucus for Mr English to leave ever since
the story was broken by Newstalk ZB political editor
Barry Soper about two weeks ago, which brought
cold denial – something which Barry Soper has
explained as ‘proof of guilt’.”
accurate reveal by Barry Soper, lies some learning
opportunity for high-quality journalism of how
of power.
Barry Soper had written in his column in the NZ
Herald “in politics the proof of guilt is denial, and
there have been denials all round,” suggesting that
every time there is a denial in politics about the
rumours of change in leadership of a Party, it is
likely that it might be condoning the guilt of being
seen as involved in those rumours.
“Caucus has been fully behind him. We wanted
him to stay, but he decided to leave, and we want
to respect that decision,” Dr Parmar told The Indian
Weekender.
However, regardless of the denial being a symbol
of guilt as in Barry Soper’s view of politics, Dr
Parmar has full realisation of the normal vagaries
of politics where leadership change does happen
despite best intentions of those involved in it.
“Those things will happen [electing new leader],
but today I do not want to comment on that as a mark
of respect for Bill English,” Dr Parmar said.
 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 16, 2018 NEW ZEALAND 3

NATIONAL’S LEADERSHIP CONTEST:

WHO HAS GOT THE TIMING RIGHT?
¡¡ SANDEEP SINGH taking a plunge on leadership.
Timing is an

J
Judith Collins, Simon
Bridges, and Amy Adams
have declared their intentions
to be the next leader of the
National Party.
The important question is who
amongst them or any other dark
horse as some commentators are
suggesting, have got their timing
right?
Timing is an important variable,
often critical in the game of politics,
especially when ambitions have to be
laid out open in full public display.
With public display of ambitions
comes relentless scrutiny, of those
ambitions, ability and support among
peers, which are supposedly blowing
those ambitions in the first place.
Given that the timing of Bill
English’s resignation was not perfect,
if the interests of the National party
are concerned, now the next obvious
question that demands attention is
that which contender has got the
timing right to present themselves
as a viable option where members of
the caucus can put their money.
Yes, at the end it will be members
of the caucus who will be putting
their money on each one of them.
And it is completely human to
expect they would be expected to
vote according to their own best
Simon Bridges
interests rather than what respective
solicitors of their vote represent, or
epitomises.
For instance, it will be hard to
comment on who the so-called
‘backbenchers’ would vote for. One
who can promise them ‘something
Amy Adams
meaty’ within the caucus in a future
government or who will have enough
star power and tactic in place to
at least guarantee them back in
parliament in 2020?
Especially the List MPs whose
very existence in parliament could be
important variable,
often critical in the
game of politics,
especially when
ambitions have to
be laid out open
in full public
display
Judith Collins
in jeopardy by a minimal vote swing.
Indeed, not everyone would have
the best timing for their respective
leadership ambitions.
Probably, Paula Bennett and Niki
Kaye had a clear understanding of this
reality and therefore stopped short of
In Paula Bennett’s case, it’s
another matter that if she still
considers herself not ready for the
leadership role, despite being in the
position of deputy leader for quite
some time, then what’s the point of
being in deputy leadership role at the
first place.
After all, a deputy leader in any
organisation is supposed to be
nurtured for future leadership position
whenever an opportunity presents
itself, within that organisation, or
elsewhere.
It seems that normal rules of life
do not apply to the game of politics.
Anyway, for Judith Collins
personally, this is the best time or
the “time of her life”, in Jacinda
Ardern’s words, to stake a claim on
the leadership position, despite being
aware of the fact that she might not
have the numbers as some of her
more socially amiable contenders
might boast.
Probably taking a leaf from
Jacinda Ardern’s famous “campaign
of our lives” quote which she roared
at her own elevation as the Labour
Party Leader, Ms Collins had already
launched a campaign of her life,
launching a full-blown frontal attack
on Ms Ardern.
Not many in the current political
 4 NEW ZEALAND Friday, February 16, 2018 The Indian Weekender

set up would have the political courage to

attack Prime Minister Ms Ardern around her
pregnancy and accompanied well-wishes.
It remains to be seen
what the National caucus INDIAN ORIGIN SHUTTLER FROM
By doing that, she has given an option to
those outside the party, and within the caucus,
would see in Ms Collins
offer, but there is no
AUSTRALIA WINS HEARTS IN NZ
that she is willing to take the battle to Ms ¡¡ SANDEEP SINGH
doubt that personally,

R
Ardern if that’s what the caucus wants in 2020.
In doing so, she has presented herself as a this is the best time for Ms enuga Veeran, an
formidable option, even if not a much likeable Indian origin shuttler
Collins to throw the hat in from Australia, has
one (going by media commentaries doubting
enough numbers behind her).
the ring. won many hearts in New
It remains to be seen what the National Zealand on her road to making
a comeback from retirement
caucus would see in Ms Collins offer, but there remain in politics and achieve what he wants to
in professional Badminton.
is no doubt that personally, this is the best time achieve, otherwise choosing to move on.
Mrs Veeran had played two
for Ms Collins to throw the hat in the ring. It’s important that his fellow caucus
colleagues do not sense that impatience or badminton competitions in
Simon Bridges was widely expected to throw
restlessness as they have to prepare for a long, Auckland and Hamilton in
his hat in the ring – probably he has become too
and possibly worn out battle against Jacinda a week from February 4-11,
predictable in terms of pursuing his ambitions –
winning the first and being a
Mrs Veeran had played two badminton
Ardern’s rising ‘stardust.’
which is not necessarily the best trait in politics. competitions in Auckland and
Amy Adams indeed is the surprise element of runner-up in the latter.
However, regardless of that, his timing this ensuing leadership contest, who has made She partnered with XYZ of Hamilton in a week from February
of staking the claim of leadership is at best a passionate plea to tick all boxes representing ABC to win women’s doubles
questionable, given that he did not have enough rural-urban, and liberal-conservative
4-11, winning the first and being a
at the Yonex North Harbour
support for the deputy leadership role about combination. International, Auckland, held runner-up in the latter
16 months ago when last time National went on Feb 4, and in the next
through a leadership change.
May be too good to be true!
E xcept that she chose to demonstrate a few days again participated
What makes him think that he will have in Victor Oceania Team However, Mrs Veeran is no 2006 at the highest level of
‘power-play’ of getting four fellow caucus
required support this time is not clear. members to stand behind her to publically Championship 2018 in stranger to high performances competition, participating
Is it his unique combination of youth endorse her candidature. at such competitive levels, as in London Olympics 2012,
Hamilton ending up being a
and experience, or his combativeness in the By doing that, she may have broken the she had recently also finished Commonwealth Games 2014
runner-up.
parliament? thumb rule that every caucus tries to enforce runners-up in the women in Glasgow and 2010 in Delhi.
Originally from Malaysia doubles at the 2017 Yonex /
– not projecting a public image of a divided Three years ago, Mrs
Would it be enough to take on (Indo-Malaysian), Mrs Veeran K&D Graphics International
caucus. Veeran decided to take a break
has a Kiwi connection too as Series at Los Angeles, the USA
Jacinda in 2020? Also, it is not clear if the national caucus from the competition to focus
she is married in a Wellington- in December 2017, which was
O r more importantly, will his fellow caucus would choose to take on Jacinda in 2020 under on her new family and is now
based Kiwi-Indian-Malaysian her first competition out of making a comeback from her
member would see him formidable or a leader, though competent, but slightly on the
family. retirement.
dependable enough to take on Jacinda in 2020. edges of National’s core sensitivities.   retirement in view to compete
Her Kiwi connection had Mrs Veeran had played
Probably, he might have done better in 2020, It will be interesting to see who will in the Commonwealth Games
assured her loads of support professional badminton at
given that Labour would have completed the eventually win the race or have got the best 2018 - Gold Coast, Australia.
during the tournaments in the highest level for Australia
first term in the government and it would have timing. So far her journey has been
before her marriage and the
been clearer if Jacinda Ardern’s ‘stardust’ was So far it seems that Judith Collins is blessed Auckland and Hamilton, encouraging, with the New
choice of focussing on family
growing or receding. with better timing than her competitors, even probably propelling her Zealand leg of the journey
life about three years ago.
By not waiting till 2020, probably Mr though she stands devoid of support, as of now. to deliver some robust Mrs Veeran has been being extra special as it
Bridges is showing that he has put some kind of But as they say, one week is a long time performances. representing Australia since brought her back home.
arbitrary deadline in his mind, till when he will in politics.
 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 16, 2018
LIQUOR STOREOWNER HAS
TWO STORES ROBBED IN A DAY
¡¡ RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
T
wo liquor stores robbed in a matter of
just a few hours in Rotorua has raised
concerns about safety in the town.
The first robbery took place at Bottle O
store on Fairy Springs Road at around 7 p.m.
on Saturday, February 10, when a man walked
in and out of the store carrying alcohol and
was chased by the store worked who pulled
him out of the waiting getaway car.
The security footage showed a car waiting
for the sole robber to escape with the alcohol
when the store worker confronted him and got
into a scuffle. The thief, however, managed
to escape and got into the car, the footage
showed.
The second robbery happened at the
Ngongotaha Bottle O store at around 9:30
p.m., just over two hours after the first theft.
Three men walked into the store manned
by one store worker and started taking the
alcohol bottles outside the store. One of the
three offenders cornered the sole store worker
and threatened with intimidation and telling
him that he had a knife.
The offenders got away with the stolen
alcohol bottles but were captured in the
CCTV camera.
Mr Dhillon, who owns five Bottle O stores
in Rotorua and one in Tauranga said that he
is trained in kickboxing and his staff are also
trained with the basics of the sport to protect
themselves but are also instructed to not to
engage with offenders and put themselves
at risk.
“I tell them if someone comes to rob you,
don’t do anything because we have very good
NEW ZEALAND 5
security cameras and they will be found,” Mr
Dhillon told NZ Herald.
Mr Dhillon added that he had spent
thousands on the security systems in his liquor
stores including CCTV that linked all his six
stores and instructed his staff to look out for
one another at adverse situations and call
police if needed.
Rotorua police crime prevention manager
Inspector Brendon Keenan said no one had
been charged yet, but the police’s tactical
unit was looking into the security footage
and acting on information received from the
public.
He said that some of the stores that have
become a frequent target for the robbers in the
past few years might be eligible for the new
government scheme, that would see the store
equipped with the new crime-preventing fog-
canon device.
The stores identified to be at risk will be
selected to have the fog-canon installed at the
government-subsidised cost of $250, which is
otherwise $2000 in the market.
 6 NEW ZEALAND
Devotees chant all night Bhartiya Mandir conducts another
celebrating Maha Shivratri massive Maha Shivratri Puja
at Shri Ram Temple
¡¡ RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
D
evotees from as far as Hamilton,
Whangarei and Waikato towns turned
up for the Maha Shivratri celebrations
at Shri Ram Mandir on Wednesday,
February 14.
Maha Shivratri is one of the biggest religious
festivals of the Hindu community celebrated in
honour of Lord Shiva.
Shri Ram Mandir hosted a Maha Pujan for
the devotees at the temple in Henderson that
saw more than 50 families seated overnight for
the prayer services.
The Puja started after the ‘aarti’ at 7 p.m., and
bhajan at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 14
and was divided into four ‘pahar’, each of two
hours. The first pahar of the puja ended at 10
p.m., and each of the ‘pahar’ had a separate
prayer compiling the whole night.
An important aspect of the prayer is pouring
milk on the Shiv Lingam. The Shiv Lingam
is placed at the holiest place, garbhgriha, in
the temple and it is believed that there is a
tremendous amount of positive energy flowing
all around the Shiv Lingam. The devotees visit
the temples not just to respect Gods but also to
boost themselves with positive energy.
Acharya Dinesh Prasad Semwal, who has
been the head priest of the Ram Mandir since
its inauguration in 2015 conducted the prayer
service for the devotees.
“We arranged a place of seating for every
family who had come for the prayers.
Each family usually comes with at least
four to five members of the family including
children and we had at least 50 families at the
temple on Maha Shivratri,” Acharya Dinesh
Prasad said.
In the first pahar, the Shiv Lingam was bathed
with milk; the second pahar started at 10 p.m.
until 12 a.m. and devotees poured sugar cane
juice on the Shiv Lingam. In the third pahar
that ended at 2 a.m. following a little break,
the devotees poured coconut water and in the
last phase from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. on Thursday;
devotees poured a mix of milk, yoghurt, ghee
and sugar on the Shiv Lingam.
The devotees chanted all night and offered
their prayers along with their families and
friends at the temple.
Shri Ram Mandir was established in June
2015 and is the only Ram temple in New
Zealand. The temple and its management have
hosted many community events and activities
to generate benefit for the entire community.
Friday, February 16, 2018 The Indian Weekender
¡¡ RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
T
he footfall of the devotees at Bhartiya
Mandir has gone up by manifolds over
the time with more people coming in
during special puja events. The temple hosted
very successful Lohri celebrations earlier in
January, and on the occasion of Maha Shivratri,
more than 2500 people turned up during the
whole day.
Devotees started coming to the temple from
the early hours of the morning on Tuesday,
February 13 to complete their Maha Shivratri
puja. By evening, the temple parking and the
adjoining streets flocked with vehicles and a
similar number of devotees were seen doing the
puja inside the temple.
The special puja on the occasion of Maha
Shivratri was conducted in four pahars
(sessions), each of two hours. The first session the Himalayan ranges of Kedarnath in the
started at 8 p.m., and the last pahar ended at 6 state of Uttarakhand, north India. The replica
a.m. on Wednesday morning, February 14. was covered with cotton strings and blue net
The temple made arrangements inside so blanket resembling the snowing mountain and
the Mandakini River in the background of the
each family can station themselves with their
Shiv temple.
puja samaghri (items) such as coconut, rice,
kumkum, milk, fruits, ghee, rudraksha etc. The temple also hosts regular prayer
The puja was conducted by head priest sessions every morning and evening with
Shri Upendra Bhai Joshi and Pt Govind a special Hanuman prayer service every
Prasad Sharma. Tuesday evening.
An integral part of the puja is bathing
the Shiv Lingam with milk and water, and
devotees brought ghee, yoghurt, ghee and
coconut water to bathe the Shiv Lingam
and shower it with flowers.
Like every year, the temple displays
a replica of a monument or temple from
India having religious significance. This
year volunteers made a model of the
Shiv Temple of Kedarnath on Garhwal
 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 16, 2018 NEW ZEALAND 7

Hare Krishna temple’s

food festival a Visitors

massive success at the food

festival at
ISKCON,
Kumeu

¡¡ RIZWAN MOHAMMAD

I
SKCON Auckland (International Society
for Krishna Consciousness) celebrated its
annual food festival on Saturday, January
27 at Sri Sri Radha Giridhari Temple in Kumeu.
The festival started around about 4 p.m. with
over 2000 people participating in the event.
This event witnessed the crowd not just from
the Indian community but from people all other
ethnic backgrounds who came forward and
supported the annual celebration at ISKCON
temple.
“The people not only enjoyed the Hare
Krishna style food with many other varieties
but also enjoyed the positive vibes of the temple
atmosphere which was accompanied by soul
soothing music and dance,” the spokesperson
of ISKCON temple Krishnacandra Das told
The Indian Weekender.
Volunteers at the temple, called ‘Hare
Krishnas’, welcomed their guests by distributing
free bliss balls (sweet) on their entry and temple
tours were also part of the festival organised for
the visitors.
Bouncing castles, face painting, and rides
were arranged for the children to participate
event that starts at 12 in the noon till 5 p.m.
and enjoy at the food festival.
The International Society for Krishna
“The participants left with the most satisfying
Consciousness (ISKCON) was incorporated
food, great friendly service and wonderful
in New York in 1966, and it has established its
atmosphere hoping to attend this food festival
temples in almost every part of the world. Its
again next year,” Mr Das added.
founder, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta
The temple also organised a Rathyatra in
Swami Prabhupada represents a tradition
Whangarei on Saturday, February 3 with more
than 100 devotees participating in the event. tracing back to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the
The next big event for the ISKCON temple is fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. And Chaitanya
the Holi 2018 festival, which will be held in the himself appeared in a succession of teachers
temple grounds in Kumeu on Sunday, February dating back thousands of years in India.
25. The Holi celebrations at the ISKCON This lineage, called the Brahma-Madhva
temple is one of the biggest Holi events in the Gaudiya sampradaya, is one of the four
country with more than 5000 people attending principal traditions of Vaishnavas, those who
with their family and friends. People from worship Lord Krishna or Lord Vishnu as
every community come to celebrate the Holi supreme.

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 8 NEW ZEALAND
National worked for Nationwide spread of NZ
all New Zealanders Tertiary College Health
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi
National Party List MP
A
recent report by the Salvation Army
on the state of New Zealand has
confirmed what we in the National
Party have been saying all along.
The New Zealand National Party’s strong and
pragmatic stewardship of the country ensured
that not just economic but social improvements
were created during our time in Government.
The report, titled State of the Nation takes in
to account a wide range of parameters – jobs,
incomes, housing and benefits.
It was heartening to read about so much
positive improvement in a wide range
of parameters.
More jobs than ever were created, incomes
of New Zealanders increased, and dependency
on benefits
declined.
The icing on the cake for us in the New
Zealand National Party was seeing our actions
lift children out of material deprivation.
Our party and leaderships robust economic
management gave us choices to noticeably
improve people’s lives.
In the past nine years, National increased the
minimum wage from $12 an hour in 2008 to
$15.75 in 2016/17.
When quantified that’s an increase of 31
per cent and accounts more than twice the rate
of inflation.
For families in hardship, we increased
benefits for the first time in 40 years
Encouraging people to work reduced the
number of children living in benefit-dependent
households by 60,000 since 2011.
It is now up to the incumbent government to
show leadership and work without prejudice
or ideological dislikes so that the work that
the New Zealand National Party did over the
past nine years can continue to have a positive
impact for New Zealanders.
Friday, February 16, 2018 The Indian Weekender
and Wellbeing graduates
¡¡ IWK BUREAU by many with healthcare assistants’ core
N
ew Zealand Tertiary College has competencies and skills furthered by the
college’s flexible programs.
capped off a brilliant first year
delivering Health and Wellbeing “NZTC is setting the standard and it is my
prayer that NZTC grow this initiative to the
programmes by celebrating graduates at
point where it becomes the benchmark in New
a ceremony held at the Auckland campus
Zealand by which health and wellbeing services
yesterday.
are delivered to our aged,” said graduate
The college’s inaugural New Zealand
Richard Steveni.
Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Advanced
The college’s programmes equip students
Support) (Level 4) graduates were
with the skills needed to care for others on a
acknowledged alongside New Zealand
professional or personal basis and they are
Certificate in Health and Wellbeing – Health
recognised under the pay equity settlement
Assistance Strand (Level 3) graduates.
agreement, giving healthcare professionals
Although the college has campuses in
Auckland and Christchurch, students are spread upskilling through NZTC the peace of
mind that their qualification will result in
throughout New Zealand as they have flexible
increased pay.
study options and the opportunity to fulfil the
“After years of research and learning from
practical requirements of their programs in the health and wellbeing community, NZTC
their local towns. has been honoured to step in and support
This diversity is illustrated through accessible, flexible and practical programs that
the location of the Academic Excellence meet the needs of a growing care profession.
Award winners including Keona Morton The college is looking forward to welcoming
from Whangarei, Maryanne Painter from students to commence their studies who have
Christchurch, Crystal Magee from Te Aroha a heart and passion to care for others,” said
and Kathryn Heron from Tauranga. NZTC Chief Executive Selena Fox.
Level 4 graduate Crystal Magee commented,
“Coming from the small town of Te Aroha, I
was able to study online and work close by.
There was so much support from NZTC Online
and help was only a phone call away that I
didn’t find there was any barrier to me not
living in a campus city. I felt 100% supported.”
NZTC’s support of the healthcare sector
across New Zealand has been acknowledged
 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 16, 2018
Masjid-at-Taqwa to host summer
youth camp for community
¡¡ RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
M
asjid-at-Taqwa in
Manukau is hosting
its annual international
summer camp with participants
attending from New Zealand, Fiji,
Australia and Malaysia. This is the
twelfth year of the summer camp,
and it will be held in Cambridge
from Friday evening, February 23
to Sunday afternoon, February 25.
Children from the age of eight
can enrol themselves to be a part
of the camp, and they have to be
accompanied by a guardian. Children
above 14 years old can also participate
in the camp.
“There is a great opportunity for fun
and adventure along with learning in
depth about Islam, quality countryside
adventure for fathers and sons together,
great opportunity for bonding and
networking with Muslims and non-
Muslims from outside Auckland,” a
spokesperson for the At-Taqwa Trust told
The Indian Weekender.
The summer camp hosts many
spiritual, physical and group activities
for the participants such as Islamic
educational sessions, group discussions,
lectures from scholars, problem-solving
activities, presentations and Q&A
sessions.
The summer camp also does sports
activities such as football, swimming,
Summer Youth camp of
At-Taqwa 2017
basketball and volleyball, and survivor
challenges like performing tasks,
solving problems using clues in groups
competing with other teams.
The purpose of this camp is to give
youth and the young children a weekend
of learning and as well as performing
new activities, meet new people, make
friends and establish a new bond with
one another.
The activities held at the camp help
the participants try new arts, learn more
about the religion and convey the true
message of Islam to the community.
“The idea behind the summer camp
is that the youth learn as well as have
a little fun at the camp. Such activities
release their stresses of school studies
and give them the opportunity to make
new friends and learn new skills doing
group activities,” a spokesperson for the
summer camp said.
NEW ZEALAND 9
There are volunteers in dawah team camps at Otara Market on every Saturday, put a stall
every department at the at Aotea Square every three months and organise dawah courses
summer camp right from around New Zealand and Fiji.
cleaning to organising
activities, health and
safety and supervision.
“Every step is
thoroughly planned and
managed by organisers
and volunteers under At-
Taqwa Trust. We have
prominent local scholars
and scholars from outside
Auckland to moderate
and host activities
for the children,” the
spokesperson said.
The local community in South
Auckland and the parents help raise
funds, do volunteer works, provide
transportation and help organise run the
camp.
Masjid-at-Taqwa is located on
Grayson Avenue in Manukau, South
Auckland. The Islamic centre hosts five
times daily prayers, Friday congressional
prayers, daily Hadith classes, monthly
and weekly lectures for the community
members.
The Masjid also hosts Islamic classes
or Madrassa for male and female at
the Masjid from Monday to Thursday,
netball practice for females, volleyball
and football for males.
Another important activity of the
Masjid is the ‘dawah’ programme hosted
at the outdoor locations every week. The
 10 NEW ZEALAND
Hawkes Bay Indian Cultural Kanwaljit Bakshi
Centre to host charity dance show gets Sikh Achievers
¡¡ RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
Award
T
he Hawkes Bay Indian Cultural
Centre is hosting its second
charity dance event in March
to help support Kidneys Kids NZ. The
first charity event by HBICC was held
in 2017 called ‘Made for a Cause 2017’
at the MTG, Century Theatre in Napier
which turned out to be a huge success.
Following the event, HBICC set a
new precedent for themselves to help a
community through a dance programme.
Made for a Cause 2017 was able to raise
$1250 from the event and donated the
sum to Hawke’s Bay Cancer Society.
“It was my dream to support a charity
through the dance program, and we
decided to do it by celebrating our
second anniversary on a bigger scale
and to donate a part of the proceeding
to a charitable organisation,” Deepti
Sreejith, classical dance teacher and
an organiser at HBICC told The Indian
Weekender.
The Hawke’s Bay Indian Cultural
Centre (HBICC) was established in
2015 with the aim to promote Indian
arts, particularly Indian classical dance.
This initiative was received positively
by the community and people from all
walks of life and communities came to
join the dance classes.
“We managed to establish classes for
young children aged from four years old
and also for adults,” Ms Sreejith added.
On the first anniversary, the
organisation added teaching Indian
classical music and yoga lessons that
also gave the courses more community
interest. Bollywood actor and musician
Rajan Kapoor started the music class at
the centre.
“As the organiser of the HBICC, I
managed to perform nearly 50 shows
within the Hawke’s Bay region on
different stages and also was invited to
perform at the New Zealand Parliament
on the occasion of the first-ever Baisakhi
celebration in the Parliament in April
2016,” Ms Sreejith said.
The success of the 2017 event
programme led the organisation to look
for a bigger place to host the event
anticipating heavier footfall for 2018.
‘Made for a Cause 2018’ will be held
on Saturday, March 10, with the show
commencing from 4:30 p.m.
“The show will mainly showcase
different types of classical and semi-
classical dance forms performed by the
students of HBICC along with Indian
music. There will be three-course
Indian meal provided to the invitees
before the show. The tickets are $28
each (including service fee) and are
available from the Napier Municipal
Theatre or the “Ticketek” website,” Ms
Sreejith added.
There is a lot of effort taken for
this event by some people who
wholeheartedly love arts such as Jithin
Thomas, who learned Carnatic music
and is leading the music side this
time. Sreedevi Shenoy will handle the
costumes and her hand-painted work
on one of the dance costumes which
will be the highlight of the show, and
Felix Davis, an IT professional from
Wellington will be doing the technical
work for the show.
Dr. Colin Hutchison, who is the Renal
Physician and the Director of Acute
and Medical Services at the Hawke’s
Bay hospital will be talking on the
occasion regarding the awareness of
kidney health.
Hope this will give you an idea and
background on the event.
Friday, February 16, 2018
¡¡ IWK BUREAU
F
our times Kiwi-Indian
MP, Kanwaljit Singh
Bakshi, was honoured
with the Sikh Achievers Award
by the Mumbai-based Sat Sri
Akaal Charitable Trust on
Sunday, February 11, 2018.
The award was constituted
by the Sat Sri Akaal Charitable
Trust to recognise work of
Sikhs from across the globe
that have added value not just
to their lives but to people and
communities around them.
The trust considers men
and women from areas of
entrepreneurship, social-
preneurs, sports achievers
and social service people for
this award.
The Indian Weekender
Sardar Kanwaljit Singh
Bakshi’s profile was considered
unique by the judges. He
migrated to a new country
with no links or networks,
established his means of earning
a living while supporting his
young family and despite all
challenges managed to prove
his ability to be selected as a
candidate for New Zealand’s
Parliament.
Mr Bakshi is the first Indian
origin and Sikh parliamentarian
in New Zealand and is
now in his fourth term as a
parliamentarian.
It is these credentials that
made his profile stand out for
the judges.
 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 16, 2018 NEW ZEALAND 11

Mayor gets tough on

illegal dumping in
Auckland streets
¡¡ SANDEEP SINGH

M
ayor Phil Goff, following from his
recent social media outbursts on the
rising menace of illegal dumping
in Auckland streets, has announced new
measures, including some punitive ones on
Sunday, February 11.
Of late, Mayor Goff has been expressing
his frustrations on the issue of illegal dumping
through his social media posts.
It seems that enough is enough for the Mayor
and he is ready for targeted action to curb the
menace of illegal dumping in Auckland streets.
On Sunday, February 11, Mayor Goff
announced significant new resources to tackle
illegal dumping in Auckland, unveiled as part
of a new mayor-led initiative, including a new
0800 hotline to report dumpers. The Mayor said that
“Illegal roadside rubbish dumping has
to help Council to act,
blighted our city, harmed our environment and
burdened ratepayers with the costs of clean-up. people need to report
“I’m sick and tired of it, Aucklanders are sick illegal dumping and
and tired of it and I’m calling on members of help Council with any
the public to help us tackle the problem,” Mr
Goff said. evidence that may lead to
“Since I started raising the issue over the prosecutions.
summer holidays the public have told me they
want action. That is what we are delivering.”
The Mayor said that to help Council to act,
improved the council website to make it easier
people need to report illegal dumping and help
to find out about inorganic collections.”
Council with any evidence that may lead to
Posters are also being distributed to libraries,
prosecutions.
“We have made it easier for people to report leisure centres and service centres across
illegal dumping by setting up 0800 NODUMP – Auckland  explaining 0800 NODUMP and

a dedicated phone line to simplify the reporting
process.
“I’m calling on our communities not to accept
the irresponsible actions of a few individuals
and cowboy commercial outfits, and to report
illegal dumping.”
Other actions being rolled out include hiring
additional enforcement staff, doubling the
number of surveillance cameras in hotspot
areas and speeding up the process to clean up
dumped material in public areas.
coming soon...
directing people to further information.
Mayor-led initiative on illegal dumping – at
a glance:
 
$200k has been allocated to fund:
¡¡ 0800 NODUMP hotline
¡¡ Doubling the number of surveillance cameras
in dumping hotspots.
¡¡ Hire of three additional enforcement staff,
The premium deal portal for the
bringing the total to nine.
¡¡ Speeding up the process to clean up dumped

Indian community is coming soon.

 Alongside those measures the Mayor material in public areas
said Auckland Council was improving its ¡¡ Funding to proactively respond to all
communications to help better inform the illegal dumping reports and comments on
public about inorganic collections, recycling
For more details and to
social media channels including council,
and ways to reduce their waste.  community and political.
“People have been asking for better ¡¡ Additional contractor resource of $40,000 to
information on what they can do with
their residential waste. We have made
clear backlog in the South
¡¡ Improving
get your business listed,
call Anurag at 020 413 33103
communications around
this material more accessible through recycling, inorganic collections and waste
the makethemostofwaste.co.nz website, and reduction.

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 12 NEW ZEALAND
A peek into Bill English’s social investment legacy
¡¡ SANDEEP SINGH
A
quick peek into Bill English’s social
investment approach is in order given
an emerging consensus that it might
constitute one of his lesser known enduring
legacies in politics.
Obviously, his successful stint as the
country’s Finance Minister for nine years and
navigating through the global financial crisis
has attracted more stardust than the social
investment approach in helping the less-
fortunate amongst us in the recent times.
It was only after Bill English had once again
plunged into the responsibility of leading the
National Party through a high decibel electoral
campaign late last year that the public started to
hear more about this approach.
It was during the election campaign that
the then Prime Minister Bill English emerged
as a leading voice, possibly second only to
then Labour Leader Jacinda Ardern, the most
credible voice within the National Party for the
cause of less-privileged amongst us.
Nonetheless, Mr English’s work on social
investment approach started much before he
took the daunting task of leading the party
through elections, where one is required
incessantly to connect with the masses rather
than working diligently behind numbers as the
Finance Minister.
Speaking at the Institute of Public
Administration as Finance Minister on
February 19, 2015, Mr English explained this
approach as “At its heart, Social Investment
is about understanding what makes the most
difference to people’s lives, and using evidence
to make do more of what works.”
The goal is to support people in difficult
circumstances to improve their lives and
Friday, February 16, 2018
It was only after Bill Too often, success has been defined by how
much is spent on something – usually another
English had once programme to fill the gaps left by all the
again plunged into the previous unsuccessful programmes.
responsibility of leading Although expert opinion is divided, as is
the National Party the political opinion, on the efficacy of social
investment approach in dealing with poverty,
through a high decibel Mr English argued that this approach would
electoral campaign late enable social workers to target in on individual
last year that the public families.
“We are targeting right in on the families that
started to hear more about
need support…we will deal with them one by
this approach one if that is what it takes,” Mr English had said
in the Newshub Leaders Debate, September
3, 2017, explaining how this approach
actually works.
become more independent. “There are two things you need to do, one is
“Good intentions are absolutely necessary, to lift incomes the other is get inside the very
but not sufficient,” Mr English has often said toxic mix of social issues which we know are
advocating for his social investment approach. family violence, criminal offending and long-
The Indian Weekender
term welfare dependency,” Mr English had then
said.
Mr English’s social investment approach
sought to know three basic things
1. To know what we are trying to achieve by
setting clear, measurable goals – like the Better
Public Services targets that were introduced in
2012.
2. To know the individual needs of the
people, we are trying to help.
3. To know which services will help them
best.
The Better Public Services targets which
among other things sought to cut the youth
crime rate by 25 per cent and to reduce
working-age beneficiaries by 25 per cent, had
already been abandoned by the new Labour-led
government on January 23, 2018.
This was even when many experts and
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern herself had
acknowledged the merits of Better Public
Services target.
“While I agree with mechanisms like
that [Better Public Services Target], we are
going to have different priorities than the last
government. Most people would expect that,”
Ms Ardern had said earlier this year while
scrapping it in favour of setting Labour’s
own targets.
Since then the Labour-led government is
taking a different approach to address some
of the most compelling social issues affecting
New Zealand society.
It is important to note that despite the
political divide on the ways of addressing
social issues, Mr English’s legacy of social
investment approach to reducing benefit-
dependency, recidivism and poverty would also
be remembered in good faith.
 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 16, 2018 NEW ZEALAND 13

What is the census?

¡¡ CENSUS 2018 It only happens once
Did you know that every five years, and
it’s how we find out
if you are in New the information
Zealand on 6 March, government, councils
then by law, you need and communities use to
make better-informed
to do the census? decisions

T
he census is a big count of everyone in
the country.
It only happens once every five
years, and it’s how we find out the information
government, councils and communities use to Help us find out
make better-informed decisions – like where
to build the schools, roads and hospitals our by completing
families use and need.
You can do the census online, using an access
your census on or
code that the government will send out to your
letterbox.
before 6 March.
The census is really secure. Your information For now, look out
for your access
is protected, and it’s illegal for anyone
to try and use or share information that identifies
you.
Your access code is arriving soon. Look out code in your
for it, then keep it somewhere safe.
letterbox and keep
it somewhere safe.
You can do the census online, using
an access code that the government will
send out to your letterbox
 14 NEW ZEALAND Friday, February 16, 2018 The Indian Weekender

by Gaurav Sharma
Former CTV
Bhutanese team lifts Tenzing-Hillary Cup 2018 site to honour
The annual football tournament was organised by the Nepal New Zealand Friendship Society of Canterbury bereaved
families’ wishes
T
eam Lhotshampa – comprising members
from the 300-strong Bhutanese Society

of Christchurch (BSC) – has won the
renamed Tenzing-Hillary Cup (THC), organised
by the Nepal New Zealand Friendship Society
of Canterbury (NNZFSC) in the first week of
February at the Christchurch Football Centre.
Known as the Inter Nepalese Football
Tournament till last year, the tournament final
was played between Khukuri Football Club
from Auckland and the Bhutanese team, which
won the final with a 4-0 score.
The other clubs that took part in the annual
tournament were Team NABOP from Bay of
Plenty (Shield Champion), Druk Football Club
from Palmerston North (third place), Bhutanese
Football Club from Nelson (fair play award
winner), and two teams from Christchurch-
based Gorkhali Football Club.
The most valued player award went to Netra
Ghimire from Druk FC, and the tournament’s
best goalkeeper and top-scorer were Nabin
Pieterson Pradhan from the Gorkhali FC and
Manish Karki from NABOP respectively.
The NNZFSC also organised a Nepali
Yuwa Sanjh on the night of February 4, where
Nepalese culture, dances and music was
showcased.
Reflecting on the success of the event,
Saurab Gautam, THC coordinator and joint
secretary at NNZFSC, noted in a Facebook
post, “We believe THC 2018 and Nepali Yuwa
Sanjh was really a great contest. NNZFSC
and THC committee would like to thank all
the participating teams for competitive games
played over the weekend. Thanks to all the
supporters who came all the way from Auckland,
Bay of Plenty, Hamilton, Wellington, Palmerton
North, Nelson, Queenstown, Ashburton, and
from across Canterbury.”
Dr Surinder Tandon, President of
Christchurch Multicultural Council, who
attended the event, also congratulated NNZFSC
for hosting this “special event”.
T
he former site of the Canterbury
Television (CTV) building, where 115
people lost their lives as the building
collapsed in the earthquake of February 22,
2011, will be open to public on February 22,
after a private blessing.
The ceremony will be attended by the
bereaved families, whose feedback played
an important part in design and landscaping
the site. Their wishes had been carefully
incorporated into the design.
Led by the city’s new Crown company -
Ōtākaro Ltd, which began the landscaping work
in October last year, the site of devastation has
been transformed into a peaceful place to sit
and reflect.
Ōtākaro Project Manager Cameron McLean
said, “The landscaping work is a sensitive
balancing act that aims to meet the needs of
everyone involved. A
large part of the original concrete slab

Port Hill fires – one year on

foundation for the building has been retained
on the eastern side of the site and left exposed
as requested by some of the family members.
Christchurch City Council’s massive replanting efforts have seen over “But other areas of the foundations will be
7200 saplings planted over an area of 1.5 hectares in the last one year covered in stone chip for those who do not want

A
year on from the devastating Port
Hills wildfires, reserve areas hard hit
by the smoke and flames are showing
encouraging signs of recovery, and thousands
of young trees and seedlings planted after the
fires are starting to take hold and other plants
are naturally regenerating, this according to
Christchurch City Council Port Hills Ranger Di
Carter, who added, “It’s really encouraging to
see how much regeneration has occurred over
the past 12 months.” The Port Hills wildfires
began on February 13, 2017, and at their height
covered an area of more than 1600 hectares.
Nine homes were lost or five damaged as a
result of the fires, which took 66 days to fully
extinguish. It burnt into reserve areas on the
Port Hills and destroyed 6500 trees that had
been planted by volunteers over the past decade.
Since the fires Christchurch City Council
Park Rangers have spearheaded a massive
replanting effort. With the support of volunteers
they have planted 7200 plants over an area
of 1.5 hectares in Marleys Hill Reserve and
Kennedys Bush Reserve.
“The new plants will require regular
maintenance over the next few years until
they get properly established. And we will be
looking for volunteers to help with this work
in the autumn. In winter, our focus will be
on replanting the Kennedys Bush Reserve
boundaries with less flammable species of
plants. The plan is to put in about 11,200
plants,” Ms Carter said.
to walk over the slab.
"There is an area of lawn with stepping stones
through it and a central grove has been planted
with 14 cherry trees flanked by seven kowhai
trees along with a garden full of native and
exotic plants to provide variety and seasonal
colour.
“Water will trickle over a stone ‘bridge’
feature that connects to the lawn area. And
visitors would be able to touch the water, which
flows into the garden, to ‘cleanse themselves’ if
they wished.”

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 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 16, 2018 NEW ZEALAND 15

The personal is the political – have your

say about what matters to you
PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN, public can have their voices heard is on select
LABOUR PARTY MP committees. This Parliamentary term, there are

L
ife as a Member of Parliament (MP) is
not as glamorous as many think!
The hours are long and the reading
pile, large. However, an MP’s role is a powerful
one because of the propensity for effecting
change. Politics is about people. Those in
Parliament have the power to make laws and
to hold the government account – but it’s
ultimately not about them. It’s about the power
they have to make lives better for so many.
Parliament is where ideas turn into laws – and
members of the public have a significant role to
play shaping that.
This is the second article in a two-part series
that aims to shed some light on Parliament and
how it works. On the campaign trail and since
my election I’ve been asked by many how it
all works and how they can get involved. It is
important to understand the system before you
can participate in it.
The phrase “the personal is the political” is
a commonly used one. It recognises the role
politics plays in day-to-day life. Laws are
important because they set out a framework of
rules that govern our society. They also protect
individual rights and set out what is considered
acceptable in society. For example, some years
back domestic violence was something that
happened behind closed doors and wasn’t
talked about. Legislation that criminalised
domestic violence sent a strong message that
it’s unacceptable.
A democracy works best when people get
involved and have their say about what matters
to them. There are many ways in which you can
do this. One way is to contact an MP and have
your say directly.
In our current political system, Mixed
Member Proportional (MMP), we have two
types of MPs – electorate and list MPs. The
idea that an electorate MP is better than a list
one is an overhang from the days of First Past
the Post. Neither is better than the other, but
their roles are quite different.
Electorate MPs represent a specific
geographical area - their voting district. They
must keep up with local issues, and argue on
behalf of local causes within Parliament, within
their party caucuses, and elsewhere. Electorate
MPs have offices in their electorates where
they make themselves available to deal with
constituent queries.
These may relate to issues about legislation or
government policy or difficulties encountered
with state agencies. They are resourced to
advocate on behalf of individual constituents
and for local causes.
List MPs are not resourced for constituent
case work and not bound to a specific
geographical area. List MPs focus on issues of
national significance. So in my role, I am not
resourced to advocate on behalf of individuals.
However, I can be – and have been - vocal about
issues that disproportionately affect groups of
people, including our Indian community. These
include exploitation, domestic violence, crime
and safety, and the need to increase ethnic
representation at leadership levels. I continue
to invite members of the public to contact me
and talk to me about issues that matter to them.
The other way in which members of the
12 subject select committees. I am a member
of the Justice select committee and Deputy
Chair of the Social Services and Community
select committee. Select committees are often
described as the engine room of Parliament.
They are where we debate the purpose and
details of legislation, conduct inquiries,
recommend large or small changes to the
legislation, question Ministers and officials and
hear submissions on bills by members of the
public.
That’s how you can have your say on bills
before they become law. Each time a bill is
before a select committee, the public will be
provided with an opportunity to submit their
view and suggest changes.
The submission period is always advertised
on the NZ Parliament website and on Twitter.
For example, David Seymour’s End of Life
Choice Bill will be considered by the Justice
select committee and the submission period
is open till 20 Feb 2018 – please have your
say if it’s an issue that matters to you. Tell us
whether you support or not and if you have any
amendments to suggest.
Finally, I believe all MPs have a duty
to engage as widely as possible across
communities. I love the fact that politicians are
accessible in New Zealand, and aspire to do my
bit to maintain that. You’ll find me at as many
events I can get to, on email and various social
media platforms. Please feel free to get in touch
– to have a chat about an issue or to give me
some feedback. I will help if I can and explain
myself if I can’t. At the end of the day, I’m here
to serve and represent you.

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 Thought of the week
"Look at the sky. We are not alone.
The whole universe is friendly to us
and conspires only to give the best to
those who dream and work."
Editorial –A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
National Party to undergo Auckland Weather forecast for the week
Feb 16 – Feb 22, 2018
a metamorphosis unseen Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu
in recent times
T
his is not an ordinary leadership change within the National Party.
It’s nothing like the change of leadership in 2016 when the Party was in
power, polling high numbers, and the outgoing leader – the key architect of that Reriods Cloudy, A Little A little Sunny and Sunshine Partly
of Rain Breezy, afternoon morning pleasant with a Sunny
situation - had openly endorsed the next pair of safe hands in the Party, thus ensuring a pm rain rain shower
that the ship remains steady. shower
To say that there was not much appetite in the caucus to disturb the status quo or
worse, wreck the ship, so hence the result prevailed, and status quo was not disturbed. 26° 24° 24° 24° 25° 23° 23°
The initial show of intent by few aspirants was quickly tempered into a show of 18° 18° 18° 18° 16° 16° 17°
solidarity by all members of the caucus.
It’s also nothing like the previous leadership change which had happened almost a
good decade ago in 2006, against the backdrop of an electoral drubbing and a consistent
This week in New Zealand’s history
media scrutiny about an impending challenge to the Party leadership. New Zealand’s last execution
To say the least, the party was in opposition for three successive terms, and the 18 February 1957
leadership was contested, maybe even besieged, and there was an appetite for a
leadership change. W alter Bolton, a 68-year-old Whanganui farmer, became the last person executed in New
Zealand. Convicted for the murder of his wife, Beatrice, he was hanged at Mt Eden prison
following a controversial trial. Beatrice’s tea had contained traces of arsenic, and, over the best
The change at that time again fulfilled the popular expectation within the caucus and
part of a year, she had consumed enough to kill her. Investigators found traces of arsenic in water
supporters of the Party outside caucus.
on the Boltons’ farm and in Walter and one of his daughters. The defence argued that sheep dip
Nothing of this sort can be said with confidence about the impending change of had accidentally contaminated the farm’s water supply.
leadership in 2018.
The Party is still polling high, but sadly languishing in the opposition. ‘Queen of Crime’ Ngaio Marsh dies
The existing leader of the Party was standing on a moral high for securing a historic 18 February 198
high number of votes for a three-term government and was performing well, or at least
not reasonably bad to invite any public challenge to his position. M arsh, one of the ‘Queens of Crime’ in the 1920s and 1930s, died just weeks after
submitting her 32nd detective novel, Light thickens, to her publishers. She was also an
artist, playwright, actor and director. After suffering a major heart attack in June 1980, Marsh
Media was also not tearing apart into its existing leadership, except of course last
was largely confined to her house in Valley Rd, Cashmere, Christchurch. Here she continued
two weeks of murmurs, which eventually translated into the bombshell decision of
revising her 1966 autobiography; it was republished in 1981.
resignation.
To top it all the outgoing leader has refused to endorse any potential candidate for Christchurch earthquake kills 185
the leadership position. 22 February 2011
How is caucus expected to steady the ship?
By choosing a new leader who claims to belong to a different generation (read A t 12.51 p.m. on Tuesday 22 February 2011, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake caused severe
damage in Christchurch and Lyttelton, killing 185 people and injuring several thousand.
The earthquake’s epicentre was near Lyttelton, just 10 km southeast of Christchurch’s central
younger) but exhibits ‘political and social conservatism’ in action?
business district. It occurred nearly six months after the 4 September 2010 earthquake.
By choosing a potential candidate who is promising generational continuity, hence a
Although not as powerful as the magnitude 7.1 earthquake on 4 September 2010, this
status quo, plus a self-proclaimed “decisive personality” much needed to challenge the earthquake occurred on a shallow fault line that was close to the city, so the shaking was
“stardust” of Labour’s Jacinda Ardern in 2020. particularly destructive. The government declared a national state of emergency the day after the
Or by opting for a hybrid of everything, who is promising to push the edges of quake. Authorities quickly cordoned off Christchurch’s central business district.
National’s core ideologies to captivate the attention of generation X voters who are
largely believed to be out of its radar. Indian Weekender : Volume 9 Issue 46
If that’s the case, then the question arises if there is an appetite in National’s traditional Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited
voter base for accommodating such a push of ideologies. Content Editor: Sandeep Singh | sandeep@indianweekender.co.nz
At least the recent most Newshub-Reid polls showing National Party polling at 44.5 Chief Reporter: Swati Sharma | swati@indianweekender.co.nz
per cent is not reflecting an appetite for any such push beyond the core sensitivities. Reporter: Rizwan Mohammad | rizwan@indianweekender.co.nz
Is caucus prepared to ignore that reading of the latest poll? Chief Reporter—South Island: Gaurav Sharma
Chief Technical Officer: Rohan Desouza | rohan@indianweekender.co.nz
Indeed, generational change or not, what is certain is that a metamorphic
Sr Graphics and Layout Designer: Mahesh Kumar | mahesh@indianweekender.co.nz
transformation awaits the National Party.
Graphic Designer: Yashmin Chand | design@indianweekender.co.nz
None of the three contestants in the race, or for that matter any possible fourth dark Accounts and Admin.: 09-2173623 | accounts@indianweekender.co.nz
horse in next few days, will have a clear sense of direction to take the party. Sales and Distribution: 021 952218 | sales@indianweekender.co.nz
Should they continue with the status quo? Or should they press for a change?
Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher
If change is the chosen recipe, then change of what – personality, policy, generation, is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication
or core ideologies?
Nothing of this is unprecedented, and every political party have to mull over this Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent
the views of the team at the Indian Weekender
challenge at one stage or the other.
Kiwi Media Publishing Limited - 133A, Level 1, Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland.
It’s only that National Party is embarking on a self-exploration journey now.
Printed at Horton Media, Auckland
It will be interesting to see if the next round of change in leadership will have some
longevity or will it precipitate a cycle of short tenures and repetitive leadership change. Copyright 2017. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Either way, a process of metamorphism is on the cards, and like any metamorphic
process should be expected to be painful.
 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 16, 2018
India should tap EU, East Asia to
overcome ‘late convergence stall’
AMIT KAPOOR
T
he usual brouhaha around the Budget
strips the Economic Survey of the
attention it deserves.
The Survey document, especially since
Arvind Subramanian has taken over as the
Chief Economic Advisor, has consistently
pushed the envelope on economic thinking,
providing exciting new insights for the Indian
economy. The latest one, released three days
before the Budget, introduced a new phrase into
economic jargon: The “late convergence stall”.
It is a phenomenon that the Survey fears might
affect the growth process of the developing
world.
The basic argument is this. Economic
convergence, which is the process of low-
income countries catching up with richer ones
in standards of living, has been taking place
over the last few decades at an accelerated
pace; something which economists like to call
“convergence with a vengeance”.
To be precise, countries were on a divergence
path before 1997, a period of convergence from
1998 till the financial crisis in 2008 and an era
of accelerated convergence post-crisis.
However, with changing global economic
scenarios, it might be more and more difficult
for developing countries to narrow the gap.
In other words, the economies that have been
rapidly climbing up the economic ladder might
face a “late convergence stall”.
The threat of a convergence stall might result
from the development of four challenges that
were non-existent during the formative stages
of the developed world.
The first and the most crucial one is the end
of rapid globalisation that benefitted the East
Asian economies and even China. High levels
of export growth rates of these countries have
been drivers of their economic growth stories.
Developing nations that are late to the global
scene cannot expect to achieve such export
India’s infrastructural deficit, key to attract global capital
TAPONEEL MUKHERJEE
C
urrent global macro-economic news has
two key trends that stand out: Monetary
policy tightening and fiscal policy
expansion. Hawkish commentary by global
central banks regarding rate hikes and balance
sheet reduction has started to hit the newswires
with regularity. On the fiscal policy side, tax
cuts in the US have made the news.
Regardless of the result, the main takeaway is
that as monetary policy becomes tighter, fiscal
policy might be used to boost consumption.
India needs to ensure that investment
opportunities in the country remain attractive
-- relative to global opportunities.
Central bank meetings globally, from the US
Federal Reserve to the Bank of England, have
admitted to tight labour markets, wage pressure
to the upside and inflationary concerns. As rate
hikes and balance sheet reductions are priced
in, liquidity will be withdrawn from the system.
Not only will this lead to asset price volatility,
but the market will pay a lot more attention to
the quality of assets.
When money supply gets reduced, assets
globally will have to compete that much harder
to attract capital. India needs to ensure that its
assets remain competitive at a global level on
a relative basis even as global central bank
balance sheets shrink.
The US tax cuts have been a hotly debated
topic. Regardless of the long-term ramifications
for the economy and for the government
levels in the current inward-looking shifts in
trade policy, especially across the developed
world.
Subramanian always remains careful in
stating that it is the era of “hyper-globalisation”
(or rapid globalisation) which has come to an
end, and not globalisation per se. However,
globalisation, if defined as a period when trade
among nations is growing faster than the global
GDP growth, can be seen to be growing rapidly
from 1950 till a few years after the economic
crisis of 2008.
During this period, growth in trade was close
to five per cent while growth in world GDP was
close to four per cent.
After 2010, growth in world trade levels
has fallen below GDP growth, marking an
era of de-globalisation (3.5 per cent economic
growth against global trade growth of 2 per
cent). Therefore, even though the Survey
takes a conservative approach in claiming
that globalisation has come to an end, the data
shows that the world is, in fact, de-globalising.
It can be the case such low levels of trade
debt-to-GDP ratio, the fact of the matter is
that corporate tax rates today are extremely
competitive in the US compared to other
countries.
Germany just reported a public finance surplus
for the year 2017, prompting debate around
tax cuts to pass on some of the government
surpluses to the consumer. As countries
globally adopt and explore expansionary fiscal
policy, it is important for Indian policymakers
to ensure that investment opportunities remain
attractive at a global level, and the country
remains an attractive destination for foreign
capital, especially with a view to bridging the
infrastructure gap.
India has certain fundamental advantages
that stand out. It has an infrastructure deficit
and a growing economy that can use newly-
created infrastructure. Hence there is a natural
might not hold once the world economic
growth is running in full throttle, but the fact
of the matter remains that the developing world
cannot reap the same gains that were received
in the later part of the 20th century.
This could bring about the historical
divergence that world economies had
experienced throughout much of modern
economic history.
This trend was famously evidenced
by Harvard’s Lant Pritchett in his paper
“Divergence, Big Time” in which he showed
that between 1870 and 1990, the richest and
poorest countries have shown considerable
divergence between their per capita incomes.
Therefore, the convergence has only been a
recent phenomenon. It would not be a surprise
if it returned.
To make matters worse, other avenues of
economic development that had been open
earlier are also closing down. While industrial
expansion was the most effective means
of achieving economic successes for poor
economies in the past, high productivity has
demand for an asset in a large economy such as
India. Essentially, India has both the need and
the required market size to deploy large pools
of global capital. But given the “competition”
for the global capital pool, the country needs to
build on the fundamental strengths to attract the
necessary capital.
Any investment at a basic level has a
“financial” attractiveness and a “regulatory”
attractiveness. As global yields head higher and
tax breaks kick in, Indian assets will have to
compete even harder on the “financial” aspect.
However, this is the time to push ahead with
changes that can help boost the “regulatory”
attractiveness of Indian assets.
While the bankruptcy resolution mechanism
under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code
(IBC) has been a step in the right direction,
greater clarity is needed around Public
OPINION/EDITORIAL 17
implied that economies in current times reach
the pinnacle of industrial employment much
earlier on their growth path.
Turkish economist Dani Rodrik, also
from Harvard, calls this “premature
deindustrialisation” and shows how most of the
developing world is affected by it.
Therefore, resources which earlier used
to shift from the low-productivity informal
sector to high-productivity jobs, now usually
shift to sectors that are only marginally more
productive. The economic gains from a shift of
labour across sectors are thus not derived to an
extent that was true for the countries that are
now high up on the income spectrum.
The case for a slowing down of convergence
or divergence is, therefore, quite strong. The
developing world needs to be prepared for any
such restoration of the past economic trend.17The
advent of automation and similar technological
innovations will further accentuate the problem
because the richer countries will be more
capable of deploying them for production on a
mass scale.
It is comforting to realise that the Indian
government is well aware of the threat in
advance, but it remains to be seen if this
awareness is followed up with appropriate
policy action.
The Economic Survey gets it right in
recommending rapid improvements in human
capital to sustain growth at current levels,
but takes a defeatist approach in suggesting
that India can do very little about diminishing
globalisation. On the contrary, there remains
immense scope for the country to play an
enabling role in further integration of the global
economic order.
If the US is currently a lost cause, there
remain other large markets like the EU and East
Asia where India can further the cause of higher
trade openness.
Amit Kapoor is chair, Institute for
Competitiveness, India.
Private Partnership (PPP) agreements, and
irrevocability of offtake agreements such as
Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) is essential
to provide Indian infrastructure investments a
regulatory boost.
PPPs have been used to deliver valuable
projects in India, but in many instances, they
have been mired in problems. We think clarity
at the beginning, and a more detailed analysis
and allocation of risk are essential to ensure that
PPPs are successful.
The PPP model needs attention because a
large part of much-needed infrastructure will
have to come through this route. Irrevocability
of offtake agreements from infrastructure
projects is non-negotiable.
For investors to have faith in the contract
to make capital-intensive, long-dated
investments, offtake agreements such as PPAs
must be respected and honoured. “Bankability”
of infrastructure projects can only go up when
global investors have greater faith in contract
enforceability in the country.
It is thus important for policymakers and
the industry in India to be cognizant of global
changes and macroeconomic moves. Nations
always have, and will rightly continue to,
compete for much-needed capital. India is a
compelling investment opportunity but must
build on its inherent strengths to attract the best
of global capital.
(Taponeel Mukherjee heads Development
Tracks, an infrastructure advisory firm.)
PM assures more aid for
18 FIJI Friday, February 16, 2018 The Indian Weekender

New lighthouses

sugar industry coming

increase safety
of ships
T
he Maritime Safety

P
rime Minister Voreqe
Bainimarama has reassured
sugarcane farmers in
Sigatoka and Nadi that Government
would continue to pump in a lot of
assistance in the sugar industry.
His tour of the Western Division
started from Sigatoka and Nadi. It is
expected to end in Rakiraki.
The Sai Centre in Sigatoka and
Nadi Civic Centre were packed to
capacity with sugarcane farmers and
other people presenting their issues
before the nation’s leader.
Mr Bainimarama said the
Government would continue to
assist the more than 20,000 Fijians
who have passion to revitalise the
sugar industry. The sugar sector, he
said was once the backbone of Fiji’s
economy. To uplift it Government
had put in place the Committee for
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama listen to a concern raised by a
resident of Olosara at the Sai Centre in Sigatoka
Better Utilisation of Land (CBUL)
programme. The initiative, Mr
Bainimarama said was to assist
farmers in the renewal of their
agricultural leases at the same time
provide incentives to landowners.
Authority of Fiji (MSAF) has
1479 land owning-units. It benefited
completed the construction
a total of 138,899 individual land-
of  lighthouses located at Momi Bay,
owning unit members.
Nadi and Lami, funded by the Fijian
Sugar Cane Growers Council chief
Government, increasing ship safety
executive Sundresh Chetty thanked
in Fiji waters.
the Prime Minister for coming  to
“The new leading lights and
the Western Division to hear the
day marks will ensure lighthouse
grievances of sugarcane farmers who
structure is clearly visible to ships
turned out in big numbers.
at all times and safe entry and exit
“This consultation will continue
of foreign and local ships in Suva
till Friday and we are expecting
Passage and Navula Passage, and
"This more growers to join us in
guide them in their approaches to the
consultation Nadi, Lautoka and other
ports and other berthing facilities in
will continue till centres,’’ Mr Chetty
Suva, Denarau and Lautoka,” said
Friday and we are said. He said there were
MSAF chief executive officer, John
expecting more growers around 30,000 active
Tunidau said.
On Tuesday, to join us in Nadi, sugarcane farmers
The new structures replace the
Government released Lautoka and other which included eight
lighthouses that were built in the
a payment of $3.72 as centres." cane growing districts
1950’s during the colonial era which
CBUL payment to the starting from Sigatoka to
sustained damage during Tropical
iTaukei Land Trust Board Rakiraki and two in Labasa.
Cyclone Winston in 2016.
(TLTB) to distribute to a total of – Source: Fiji Sun
The newly built lighthouses fully

Employment minister continues

funded by the Government are fitted
with state of the art solar LED marine
lanterns lights with high operability

with seasonal work tour in NZ

and maintenance free for at least five
years. The Department of Building
and Government Architect under
the Ministry of Infrastructure &

T
he Minister for Employment, Transport designed and conducted
Productivity and Industrial engineering inspection throughout
Relations Jone Usamate the construction stages of the new
will be meeting with Fijian seasonal lighthouses.
workers currently deployed under – Source: Fiji Sun
the New Zealand Recognised
Seasonal Employer (RSE) Work
Scheme.
Minister Bala
During his week-long tour to Confirms New
Medical Vessel
New Zealand, Minister Usamate
will conduct meetings with high-

level stakeholders and meet with the
Fijian seasonal workers.
Minister Usamate is expected
to visit Fijians and employers
in Hawkes Bay, Alexandra and
Blenheim with the objective to
explore opportunities to recruit more
Fijians under the seasonal work
scheme in New Zealand.
Talanoa sessions were held with
the Fijian community in Wellington
at the Taranaki Methodist Parish
Hall this week.
The minister will also visit
Cromwell in Blenheim and the
Centre Park in Auckland on February
17, 2018. Minister Usamate also met
with the New Zealand Minister for
Immigration Iain Lees-Galloway
and Parliamentary Under-Secretary
Fletcher Tabuteau in Wellington
earlier this week. The visit was a
continuation from the Australian leg
last week where he also met with
Fijian seasonal workers.
– Source: Fiji Sun
M
inister for Local
Government, Urban
Development, Housing
and Environment Praveen Bala has
confirmed that a new multi-purpose
medical vessel will arrive in the
country in mid-April from Malaysia.
The 41 metre long vessel has the
capacity of transporting 316 tonnes
of water to drought stricken islands
and can also cart a maximum of 250
tonnes of general cargo.
“The vessel contains a fully
operating room and recovery room
and can carry up to 40 passengers,”
Mr Pala said yesterday

Hindus Remember Lord Shiva

“The new vessel would provide
hospital operation services to support
people during disaster relief and

H
indus around the country
celebrated Maha Shivratri
on Wednesday February 14.
Celebrations took place at various
temples around the country and many
celebrated  in their homes
Maha Shivaratri means the ‘Great
Night of Lord Shiva’.
It is a major festival in Hinduism.
This festival is solemn and
marks “overcoming darkness and
ignorance” in the world.
It is observed by remembering
Shiva and chanting prayers, fasting,
and meditating on ethics and virtues
such as self-restraint, honesty, non-
injury to others, forgiveness, and the
discovery of Shiva.
Medical student at the Fiji National
University Anjeleen Lata, 20, of
Suva, celebrated Maha Shivratri at
the Shiv Temple in Samabula, Suva.
Hindu devotees Vincent Singh and Saroj Singh offer belpatra (Vilva leaf) to Lord
Shiva as Hindus around the world celebrated Shivratri on February
She said that the Maha Shivratri
celebration marked the day Lord
Shiva married Mata Parvaati.
“I believe that during this time of
prayer, if we wish anything from the
heart, it comes true,” Ms Lata said.
Her wish was to complete her
studies with good grades.
Shivanjali, 22, of Koroviri, Labasa,
also an FNU medical student, said
that when women performed the
prayers as it was believed that they
get the desired future husband. But
for her, the focus is on her studies.
I believe that during this
time of prayer, if we wish
anything from the heart,
it comes true
FNU College of Agriculture
student Rajnesh Sahai, of Suva, said
that devotees came from everywhere
to mark the special day of Lord
Shiva. “I came to the temple to ask
god for forgiveness and for my future
well-being,” Mr Sahai said.
Shalwyn Prasad, a devotee,
said that the day is observed by
remembering Shiva and chanting
prayers, fasting, and meditating
on ethics and virtues such as self-
restraint, honesty and forgiveness.
humanitarian operations,” he said.
“The multi-purpose vessel will
provide quick relief response and
basic medical services during and
aftermath of natural disasters,
facilitate medical outreach
programmes and or disease
outbreaks.
“Lessons learned from the events
of natural disasters in the past
years have provided an incentive to
modernise Fiji’s disaster response
capabilities and make disaster
response more proactive rather than
reactive.
“Now doctors will be able to
conduct medical check-up at
maritime islands. Mr Bala said the
vessel will be looked after by his
ministry and the Ministry of Health
and Medical Services.
– Source: Fiji Sun
 The Indian Weekender
Three years into power,
Kejriwal is now a quieter
politician
Friday, February 16, 2018 INDIA 19
Union home minister Rajnath Singh flags off the Jal Mitti
Rath Yatra for Rashtra Raksha Mahayajna at India Gate in
New Delhi on Wednesday

D
elhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal,
whose government completes three
years in office, is now a quieter person
vis-a-vis targeting his bitter political rival –
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Kejriwal, with 13 million followers on
Twitter, has not tweeted the word “Modi”
even once in the past 11 months. His last tweet
mentioning Modi was on March 9, 2017. In
2016, he had mentioned “Modi” 124 times
in his tweets and 33 times in 2017 – mostly
attacking the Prime Minister.
Party leaders and political analysts say
the change from tweeting “Modi declares
emergency in Delhi”, “dictatorial Modi govt”
and “Isn’t Modi govt anti-army” to stopping
all mention of Modi’s name follows AAP’s
election losses – first in Punjab and Goa and
then in Delhi civic polls and a by-election from
Rajouri Garden in 2017.
Also, the AAP chief has never tagged Modi

India wants to be powerful

(@narendramodi) in any of his tweets in
2017 and 2018 so far. In 2016, he tagged the
Prime Minister eight times. Kejriwal

nation for welfare of whole

even refrained from personally
attacking the Prime Minister
when tempers between the

world: Rajnath Singh

central government and Delhi
government ran high over
disqualification of 20 AAP
MLAs in January this year.
The AAP said its lawmakers

were disqualified at the behest
of the BJP government at the Centre.
Party leaders and some political analysts spoke
with said it was more of a strategy than an
accidental quietude.
A senior party leader said the “conscious
decision” was taken in a meeting that Kejriwal
convened after last year’s debacle in Delhi
civic polls in which the AAP emerged a distant
second with 48 seats after the BJP swept the
polls by winning 181 seats.  It was a big blow
for the AAP that swept the Delhi elections in
2015 by winning 67 out of 70 Assembly seats.
Political analyst Neerja Chowdhury agreed
that it “was a definite change in (Kejriwal’s)
strategy” to stop attacking Modi personally.
“It is evident that the AAP has lost the trust of
the middle class and they need to win back the
trust if they have to keep Delhi.”Praveen Rai,
another political analyst with the Centre for
Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), said:
“We have been seeing a much, much more
sober Kejriwal. He is growing as a leader and
is becoming a seasoned politician. But he has a
I
ndia wants to become a powerful nation “If we want to become strong, it is not so family’) has emerged from the land of India
for the “welfare of the whole world” and to strike terror in the hearts of people living and even foreign scholars have praised the
not to intimidate people living in other in other countries. We want to make such a Indian culture.
countries, Union minister Rajnath Singh said prosperous India, a country whose cultural “And, this cultural heritage will remain
on Wednesday. heritage is intact. An India which takes the intact if the nation remains one and unified,”
Waving a saffron flag, the home minister place of Vishwa Guru (world leader),” Singh he said. For the ‘yagya’ in March, soil and
kicked off the rath yatra from the India "The said. water brought from Doklam, where troops of
Gate lawns that would collect soil “We want to keep the country’s India and China were locked in a standoff,
biggest
and water for a week-long Vedic integrity intact not just for the and Poonch, located near the Line of Control
characteristic of
yagya in March. welfare of the people of India, (LoC), and the Wagah border, and the ‘Char
this yatra is that people
Describing it as an will go to the borders of but for the welfare of the entire Dhams’ (four pilgrimage sites), will be used in
“extraordinary rath yatra”, our country and the ‘Char world,” he said. raising the structures.
Singh, also said this event was Dhams’, and bring water Prime Minister Narendra “The biggest characteristic of this yatra is
not to gain any power, but for Modi has also envisaged a that people will go to the borders of our country
and soil for the yagya to
“nation-building” and a fully- ‘New India’ by 2022 that seeks and the ‘Char Dhams’, and bring water and soil
be held in
secured and prosperous India. to end poverty, unemployment, for the yagya to be held in March,” Singh said.
March."
The Rashtriya Raksha Mahayagya raise awareness towards sanitation, BJP MP Maheish Girri said, once again
is slated to be held from March 18-25 on end discrimination on the basis of caste, this event will ensure that the “voice of the
the lawns outside the Red Fort, involving over religion and other factors, he said. The Vedas and the nation will resonate in the same
1,100 priests. He said that the government’s purpose of the event is to see the nation breath”.
aim was not to make India prosperous, solely become “strong, proud, self-reliant and Singh said, “There is always some cosmic
to become a rich or a strong and powerful prosperous” and its cultural heritage remain ruler, governing the world. This is for that
country, adding, “we want to do it for global intact. The minister asserted that the message cosmic ruler. And, people must come forward

India reassures aid for Iraq rebuilding process

long way to go.” welfare”. of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (‘world is one and extend support for this event.”

I
ndia on Wednesday assured its
commitment to help war-torn
Iraq in its rebuilding process
while complimenting the nation for
its victory over the Islamic State (IS)
terror outfit.
“India responded to the need for
humanitarian assistance even while
the war was at its peak in Iraq: among
other things, in August 2016, we
proposed to reconstruct the hospital
in Karbala,” Minister of State for
External Affairs M.J. Akbar said
while speaking at the International
Conference for Reconstruction of
Iraq in Kuwait.
“India responded to the urgent
needs of Iraq for relief and economic
reconstruction both directly and as
part of international efforts under UN
auspices,” Akbar said, adding that on
the UN Secretary General’s urgent
appeal, India contributed $20 million
for assistance to the Iraqi people.
He said that under this pledge,
India provided milk food supplies
through World Food Programme,
false ideology and barbaric terrorism
to become a regional epicentre
of upheaval and violence against
innocent civilians and legitimate
government”.
“We must win both the battle and
the argument,” he said, adding
the answer to terrorism lies
in security, prosperity
and reaffirmation
of sovereignty
and “the three
sustain each other;
any indifference
Destroyed building from previous clashes are seen in Mosul, or complacency
Iraq January 28, 2018. Baghdad says it needs nearly $90 billion towards any side of
to rebuild after a three-year war with the Islamic State group that this triangle will make
devastated homes, schools, hospitals and economic infrastructure
the rehabilitation process
and along with it, provided assistance for investments, reconstruction infructuous”.
to Iraqi school children and Iraqi and development in Iraq.” On behalf of India, Akbar also
refugees in Syria. It also trained Akbar said that the conference also complimented all those nations
Iraqi Foreign Service officers in offered an opportunity for the which, directly or indirectly, came
diplomacy, and other Iraqi officials world to congratulate the people together to defeat the regressive and
in information technology.  and government of Iraq for their extremist forces that spread their
“In addition, India contributed $10 historic victory over a “vicious tentacles far beyond Iraq.
million towards the International contemporary menace” of IS, and its Terming terrorism,
Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq allies, “who used a volatile fusion of fundamentalism and extremism the
scourge of the 21st century, he said:
“We must be united in our defence of
pluralism and civilisation without ifs
and buts. There is no ‘good terrorism’
or ‘bad terrorism’: all terror is an
unmitigated evil.
India has always supported a free,
democratic, pluralistic, federal and
unified Iraq.”
Akbar also appealed to the
international community for early
adoption of the India-initiated
Comprehensive Convention on
International Terrorism (CCIT) in
the UN.
He said India continued to assist
Iraq in capacity building through
training of Iraqi officials under the
Indian Technical and Economic
Cooperation programme and to
broadbase services, also established
a Consulate General office in Erbil.
Welcoming Baghdad’s
announcement that it was now
open for investment, he said
India would play its part with
project-specific proposals.
 20 WORLD Friday, February 16, 2018 The Indian Weekender

ELON MUSK’S TESLA ROADSTER Kids shun

Facebook, more
SPOTTED FLOATING IN SPACE grandparents join
the platform
T
esla Roadster, the car tied to Falcon
Heavy rocket by SpaceX to be inserted
into the Mars orbit, was caught
“zooming” in space by an observatory in
Arizona, US.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s car is being tracked
by the Virtual Telescope Project of Tenagra
Observatory in Arizona as it ventures beyond
the Moon’s orbit, Space.com reported.
The car, with a dummy driver, was originally
intended to be inserted into an orbit that would
fly closer to Mars but the third engine burn of
the Falcon Heavy upper stage “exceeded” that

orbit, sending the car into deep space, Elon
Musk had said earlier this week.
The new observation of the Roadster,
obtained by a robotically controlled telescope,
showed the car moving across the night sky.  firm eMarketer said on Monday.
“In its current orbit around the Sun, the car
will travel between 91.3 million and 161.5
million miles (147 million and 260 million km)
from the star,” Virtual Telescope Project was
quoted as saying.
Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope
Project and Michael Schwartz of the Tenagra
Observatory were able to pinpoint the car’s
location by using data generated by the Solar
Systems Dynamics Laboratory at NASA’s Jet
Propulsion Laboratory.
The project said that Tesla was “quite bright”.  asteroid. The GIF strings together 54 images
It released a GIF showing the Tesla moving
F
acebook is fast losing young users and
two million people under the age of
25 in the US will stop using the social
networking platform this year, global research
Facebook is still adding monthly users but
older age groups are mainly responsible for
this. The number of total Facebook users in the
US will reach 169.5 million this year, up just
under 1 per cent from 2017.
“For the first time, less than half of the US
Internet users ages 12 to 17 will use Facebook
via any device at least once per month,” the
Tesla Roadster, the car tied to Falcon Heavy rocket by SpaceX to be inserted into the Mars orbit, was
caught "zooming" in space by an observatory in Arizona, US. Tesla CEO Elon Musk's car is being tracked eMarketer report added.
by the Virtual Telescope Project of Tenagra Observatory in Arizona as it ventures beyond the Moon's orbit, Meanwhile, Facebook’s proportion of social
Space.com reported.
network users accessing the platform will
across space, looking a lot like a comet or The car, owned by Musk, would eventually continue to decline over the forecast period.
settle into its own orbital path around the Sun Snapchat is set to gain from Facebook’s loss.
“Snapchat could eventually experience
captured by Tenagra, CNET reported. and not end up in pieces on the red planet.

Indian techies waiting for Green Cards see hope in US

more growth in older age groups, since it’s
redesigning its platform to be easier to use,”
Debra Aho Williamson, Principal Analyst at

immigration talks eMarketer said in a statement.

“The question will be whether younger users

N
egotiations got underway in the US
Senate on Monday on an uncertain
but ambitious immigration deal that is
expected to determine the fate of an estimated
1.5 million Indians on H-1B visas waiting for
their Green Cards in a backlog-laden queue.
They expect their case to be a part of the
deal, whose headline components are the
future of 690,000 undocumented immigrants
brought to the US as children and, as demanded
by President Donald Trump, a wall along the
border with Mexico, and end to family-based
chain migration and diversity visa lottery.
The Senate voted 97-1 on Monday to start the
debate that will feature a variety of proposals
put together by senators acting alone or in
groups, with some of them trying for bipartisan
support. One of them was a White House-
backed bill encompassing Trump’s proposals.
There is another bill, introduced in January
by Republican senators Orrin Hatch and Jeff
Flake, called the Immigration Innovation
(“I-Squared”) Act of 2018, which seeks to
address the issue of backlogs by removing
the annual country cap and drastically cut the
Green Card waiting period for Indians.
Republican Senators during a news conference about an immigration bill on Capitol Hill on Monday
The current backlogs could take decades
to clear, upwards of 70 years. Flake has since
gone on to propose a compromise bill that
encompasses Trump’s plan, more or less, and
other issues such as H-1B visas, Green Cards
and removing the country cap.
This sent a wave of excitement coursing
through the Indian H-1B community.
Leon Fresco, an immigration expert who
is advising an advocacy body of Indian H-1B
workers called Immigration Voice, wrote
on Twitter on Tuesday: “good news coming
out soon re: senate compromises hopefully
including removing per country limits.”
Negotiations are expected to continue till
a legislation, any one of the many competing
on the Senate floor, garners the support of at
least 60 of the chamber’s 100 members. It will
then go to the House of Representatives, which
could decide to discuss and vote on an entirely
different bill.
Immigration has been one of most divisive of
political issues in the US and despite the long-
felt need for reforms, Congress has not been
able to legislate it in 30 years.
The last attempt, in 2013, ended with the
House ignoring a comprehensive reform bill
passed with bipartisan support in the Senate.
will still find Snapchat cool if more of their
parents and grandparents are on it. That’s the
predicament Facebook is in,” he added.
In 2018, the number of US Facebook users
ages 11 and younger will decline by 9.3 per
cent. Additionally, the number of users ages 12
to 17 and 18 to 24 will decrease by 5.6 per cent
and 5.8 per cent, respectively.
This is also the first time eMarketer predicted
a decline in the number of US Facebook users
in those age groups.
“Facebook will lose two million users ages
24 and younger this year”, it said.
But not all of those users are migrating to
Instagram. Instagram will add 1.6 million users
ages 24 and younger. “Snapchat, meanwhile,
will add 1.9 million users in that age group.
Snapchat will continue to have more users ages
12 to 24 compared with that of Instagram,” the
report added.
However, Instagram overall is still bigger in
the US than Snapchat. The number of Instagram
users will total 104.7 million in 2018, up 13.1
per cent year over year. Snapchat, meanwhile,
will see its user base increase by 9.3 per cent to
86.5 million, eMarketer said.

'508 Hindu refugees cleared for repatriation to Myanmar'

M
yanmar has said that 508 Hindus
are among around 1,000 refugees
cleared for the first batch to be
repatriated to their homes from Bangladesh.
The list, which also includes 750 Muslims,
has been handed over to Bangladesh authorities
to "expedite" the process of repatriating
refugees now in the neighbouring country,
Myanmar's Permanent Representative Hau
Do Suan told the Security Council on Tuesday
during a briefing on the situation there.
The repatriation process has not yet
started, although he said that it was to have
begun on January 23 under an agreement
with Bangladesh. Myanmar has provided
Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), who
briefed the Security Council on the situation in
Myanmar through video conferencing is seen on
the screen in the Council chamber.
Bangladesh side the resettlement plan covering
livelihood assistance, access to basic services,
and safety arrangement for verified returnees,
he added. The UN High Commissioner for
Refugees, Filippo Grandi, however, told the
Council that the situation in Myanmar was not
yet conducive for the return of refugees.
"An end to violence and destruction of
property and granting humanitarian access
throughout Rakhine State -- as called for by the
Secretary-General (Antonio Guterres) -- were
critical, basic steps," he said.
He acknowledged, though, that the flow
of refugees to Bangladesh was significantly
reduced. Bangladesh's Permanent
Representative Masud Bin Momen disputed
that assertion saying that the flight of Rohingya
fleeing to his country continued unabated and
that 1,500 had come over in the first ten days
of February. The Council session was marked
by sharp divisions with mainly the veto-armed
China and Russia taking a more conciliatory
approach to Myanmar and the Western
countries and Kuwait following a hardline
accusing it of ethnic cleansing, precluding any
action. US Permanent Representative Nikki
Haley, who insisted on referring to Myanmar
as Burma, said, "The Security Council has so
far failed in its responsibility to act in response
to the clear threat to international peace and
security that has resulted from recent events in
northern Rakhine State."

Modi witnesses
The Indian Weekender
temple foundation
stone laying in UAE
P
rime Minister Narendra
Modi on Sunday witnessed
via video-conferencing the
foundation stone laying ceremony of
a temple in the UAE while attending
a community event here.
According to Indian External
Affairs Ministry spokesperson
Raveesh Kumar, Modi witnessed
laying of the foundation stone for
the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar
Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha
(BAPS) temple on the Abu Dhabi-
Dubai highway.
"The first Hindu temple in Abu
Dhabi being built on a generous gift
of land by the Crown Prince of Abu
Dhabi reflects UAE's commitment
to tolerance and harmony," Kumar
tweeted as Modi, along with a large
number of people from the Indian
community watched the event from
the Dubai Opera House.
The first Hindu temple in Abu
Dhabi will come up on 55,000
square metres of land, according to
India's Ambassador to the United
Arab Emirates (UAE) Navdeep Suri.
The temple's construction will
Modi promotes Modicare among Indian diaspora in Oman
I
ndian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi promoted the new National
Health Protection Scheme called
Ayushman Bharat announced in this
year's Union Budget in an address to
the Indian diaspora in Oman.
"In our Budget this year, we did
something that drew the world's
attention," Modi said to thousands
of cheering expatriate Indians at the
Sultan Qaboos Stadium here soon
after his arrival here on the third and
last leg of his three-nation tour of
West Asia and the Gulf.
"For 10 crore poor families of
India, which translates into 40-50
crore beneficiaries, we announced
the Ayushnman Bharat scheme.
"Each family covered under
this scheme will get free medical
treatment worth up to Rs 5 lakh (per
year)," Modi said.
Friday, February 16 2018
Temple Committee members presenting the temple literature to the Crown Prince
of Abu Dhabi and PM Narendra Modi.
be completed by 2020, and open to
people of all religious backgrounds.
It will be the first traditional Hindu
stone temple in the Middle East,
said a spokesperson from the BAPS
that is entrusted with the design,
construction and management
of the temple.
The temple will be hand-
carved by Indian temple
artisans and assembled in
the UAE, said the BAPS Abu Dhabi reflects UAE's gardens, water
spokesperson. commitment to tolerance features, a food
The UAE has two Hindu
Even as he said that people must
be wondering what Ayushman
Bharat was all about, his attention
was drawn by a remark from
somebody in the audience and he
said: "Yes, newspapers in India call
it Modicare."
Today government
officers are knocking
at the doors of poor
people's homes offering
gas connections. Our
government is working
on providing free
electricity to the poor."
Ayushman Bharat is envisaged
as the world's largest government-
funded healthcare programme.
temples which are located in Dubai.
Devotees from Abu Dhabi and other
emirates have to drive to Dubai for
prayers and offerings.
The temple compound will include
a visitors' centre, prayer
The halls, exhibition
first Hindu centre, learning
temple in Abu
areas, sports area
Dhabi being built on
for children and
a generous gift of land
youths, thematic
by the Crown Prince of
and harmony
court, a books and
Modi said that under other similar
schemes, the poor are being given
life insurance at a premium of 90
paise or Re 1 per month.
"As a chaiwala, I know that you
can't even have a cup of tea for 90
paise," he said, adding that around
Rs 2,000 crore have been disbursed
against claims under these schemes.
The Prime Minister said that
though governments have come
gift shop and other facilities.
The UAE is home to around 3.3
million expatriate Indians.
Earlier in the day, Modi paid
tributes at the UAE war memorial
Wahat Al Karama near Abu Dhabi.
After visiting Palestine earlier
on Saturday, Modi arrived in Abu
Dhabi later in the evening on the
second leg of his three-nation tour of
West Asia and the Gulf.
Following delegation-level talks
between Modi and Crown Prince of
Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander
of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh
Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
India and the UAE signed five
agreements on Saturday, including
a historic one on energy cooperation
that awarded a consortium of Indian
oil companies led by ONGC Videsh
a 10 per cent interest in Abu Dhabi's
offshore Lower Zakum concession.
This is Modi's second visit to the
UAE after his visit in 2015.
After completing his engagements
in Dubai, Modi will leave for Oman
on the third and final leg of his tour.
and gone in India, bureaucrats have
remained the same as also the system,
but changes have come to be noticed.
"Today banks cannot chase away
poor people," he said. "Today
government officers are knocking
at the doors of poor people's homes
offering gas connections. Our
government is working on providing
free electricity to the poor."
In a speech that comes ahead of the
INDIA ABROAD
21
Thousands of Indians in
Oman travel to watch Modi
T
housands of Indian expats
in Oman travelled from
different parts of the Gulf
kingdom to listen to visiting Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
Over 20,000 Indian nationals were
expected to attend Modi's speech
at the Sultan Qaboos Stadium in
Bausher, Times Of Oman reported.
Indian Social Club (ISC) Sohar
Executive Committee Member and
General Secretary M. Rajesh said
the excitement among the diaspora in
Salalah, Sohar and Sur was palpable.
Over 1,000 people were coming
down from Sohar alone, he said,
adding that ISC Sohar has arranged
for two buses to ferry people to
and from Muscat for the event at a
nominal sum.
"It's really exciting to be able to
see the Prime Minister. Citizens
want to see him in person. It's a great
atmosphere." Indian Social Club
(ISC) Salalah Chairman Manpreet
Singh said that he along with 75 or
so Indian expats had boarded a flight
to Muscat to listen to the Prime
Minister Modi's speech.
India, UAE to work
together to fulfil Indian
diaspora dreams: Modi
P
rime Minister Narendra
Modi said India-UAE ties
go beyond trade and both
countries will work together to fulfil
the dreams of the Indian diaspora in
the Gulf country.
"I assure you that we will work
together to bring to reality the
dreams you see, here and in India,"
Modi said.
"Our relation with the UAE is not
just that of a buyer and a seller. It has
become much more," Modi said in
his speech in Hindi.
He thanked the Gulf countries –
a home to nearly 3.3 million strong
Indian diaspora – for providing them
"a home away from home".
Modi also witnessed through
video-conferencing the foundation
stone-laying ceremony of the
Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar
Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha
(BAPS) temple on the Abu Dhabi-
Dubai highway. Wooing UAE
businessmen to invest in India, Modi
said India's leap in World Bank's ease
of doing business rankings from 142
to 100 was "unprecedented, but we
are not satisfied".
general elections in India next year,
Modi said that in the last four years
nobody asked "how much did Modi
take away".
"Today, the Opposition, though not
making allegations (of corruption)
against us, are asking 'Modiji, how
much has come in' whereas people
used to ask previously (prior to the
present NDA government) how
much has gone away," he said.
Modi also praised the expatriate
Indians in Oman, numbering over
800,000, for their contributions to its
development. He said that Indian and
Omani authorities are constantly in
touch with each other for addressing
grievances of Indians in the Gulf
country.
He also praised the Omani royal
family for maintaining a close
relationship with India.
 22 SPORTS Friday, February 16, 2018 The Indian Weekender

India take
Sania Mirza 1-0 lead in
confident of women's
T20I series
winning Asian
Games medal,
despite injury

C
aptain Mithali Raj scored
54 not out to give India a
comprehensive seven-wicket
victory over South Africa in the
first of the five women's Twenty20
Internationals (T20Is) on Tuesday.
Chasing 164/4, Mithali got good
support from Veda Krishnamurthy
(37 not out), Jemimah Rodriques
(37) and opener Smriti Mandhana
Sania Mirza is the only Indian women’s tennis player to have won a Grand Slam title. (28) as India overhauled the target
with 1.1 overs and seven wickets to
Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza has won at least one medal at every Asian Games meet since spare.
2006 and hopes this year’s games in Indonesia will be no different Mithali struck her 11th fifty in

I
ndian tennis star Sania Mirza
is confident of continuing
her Asian Games record with
another medal in this year’s event –
if she recovers from injury in time.
Mirza, regarded as India’s best
ever women’s tennis player, has
achieved at least one medal at every
Asiad meet since 2006 and hopes
this year’s games in Indonesia will
be no different.
But the 31-year-old has been
sidelined since October with a knee
injury, and her former number one
doubles ranking -- the first ever for
an Indian in the women’s event – has
slipped to 14.
A person who is five
in the world may win a
slam, or a person you
have never heard of may
win
Mirza said she has every intention
of competing in the Games starting
August, if her knee had recovered.
“I am hoping to be back within a
couple of months,” she told AFP in
an interview in New Delhi.
“I have always come back with a
medal so if I go, then hopefully I will
come back with one again.”
Her last Asiad appearance in South
Korea in 2014 resulted in a gold in
the mixed doubles and bronze in the
doubles event.
Mirza made waves in 2005 as the
first Indian to win a WTA singles
title. She reached the fourth round
of the US Open in the same year,
and by 2007 was among the best
30 women’s players in the world.
But a wrist injury ended her singles
dream and focused her energies into
doubles tennis, where a partnership
with Swiss great Martina Hingis
earned them three Grand Slam titles.
They later split in 2016.
The Indian star rated Serena
Williams the “greatest player” of the
open era, and predicted she would
return top of her game after giving
birth to a girl in September last year.
There was “unbelievable depth” in
the women’s game, she added.
“A person who is five in the world
may win a slam, or a person you have
never heard of may win,” Mirza said.
T20I cricket. Her unbeaten 54 came
from 48 deliveries, out of which six
went for fours and one went over
the rope.
Earlier in the South African
innings, captain Dane van Niekerk
(38), Chloe Tryon (32 not out) and
Mignon du Preez (31) contributed
with crucial knocks. They were
assisted by Nadine de Klerk (23 not
out), Lizelle Lee (19) and Sune Luus
(18). For India, off-spinner Anuja
Patil picked up two wickets, while
medium pacers Shikha Pandey and
Pooja Vastrakar got a wicket each.

Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal Rohit reveals reason for

feast on South Africa’s frailties quite century celebration
S I
pinners Kuldeep Yadav and ndia opener Rohit Sharma Rohit also became the fourth
Yuzvendra Chahal have been revealed the reason for his highest century scorer in ODIs
at the centre of India’s four quite celebration despite having for India, after Sachin Tendulkar
victories in five ODIs against South slammed a century in the fifth One (49), Virat Kohli (34) and Sourav
Africa in this series. Day International match against Ganguly (22). Commenting on his
This ODI series was between the South Africa here. Rohit, who was return to form after series of poor
two top ranked sides in the world, involved in two run outs, that of performances, the Mumbai batsman
but as the final match on Friday skipper Virat Kohli and middle-order said: “I got out in three matches only,
draws near, it is clear that it has batsman Ajinkya Rahane, said two how can you say form is bad after
been a mismatch. South Africa, who batsmen before him was run out so three matches? You guys put people
began the series as the No 1 side and the the pressure had mounted on him in good form after one match, and if
firm favourites, do not deserve to be records suggest that teams with good been the difference in the series. We to deliver and he just wanted to focus somebody doesn’t have three good
spin attacks and batsmen who can got one hundred from our captain on how to carry the same momentum matches, you say he is in bad form,”
among the top-four favourite sides
play spin have won the World Cup or Faf du Plessis in Durban, and we’ve till the end. Rohit said.
for next year’s World Cup.
qualified for the final wherever and not been able to get another hundred “Two guys got run out before me
It also throws light on how
whenever it has been held. since. It’s not that we can’t. so there was nothing to celebrate
irrational these rankings are. India
"In “We let ourselves down Hash (Hashim Amla) has 27 about. It depends on what kind of
are the No 1 Test side, but
every game, with the bat. There’s not hundreds in ODI cricket so he mood you are in. Two of our batsmen
only on the back of victories
one of their top a lot more to say than knows how to do it, but he’s not got run out, so I wanted to carry on
at home. Similarly, South
three has scored a that. It’s something been allowed to either by the way and the celebration was not in my
Africa had been crushing
mind at all,” Rohit said during the
weak opponents like hundred and that’s we have been talking they have bowled or the lack of
post-match press conference.
Bangladesh at home to been the difference about for five games confidence in our batting. You want
in the series." India clinched their maiden ODI
cement their position at the now. We showed at to have a group of players who can
series win on South African soil,
top in ODIs. But once faced the Wanderers that we adapt to certain conditions. We
taking an unbeatable 4-1 lead after
with a quality spin attack, like they can play better than we have know we have those players but they
outclassing the hosts by 73 runs.
did at the Champions Trophy last done, but tonight (Tuesday) was haven’t produced it in this series,
Rohit led the tourists, striking his
year and now here, they floundered. disappointing,” said Gibson after which is disappointing.”
17th ODI century before chinaman
Although Proteas coach Ottis another meek performance at Port JP Duminy was asked if the Indian
Kuldeep Yadav returned figures of
Gibson says spinners won’t have Elizabeth. spinners were actually good or the 4/51 to bowl the Proteas out for 201,
a big role to play in England at the “In every game, one of their top South Africans made them look in their chase of 274.
time the World Cup will be played, three has scored a hundred and that’s unplayable.
The Indian Weekender Friday, February 16, 2018 FEATURES 23

These will be the

biggest fashion trends
in 2018, are you ready?
W
e're always looking a season ahead to find the next It item or
trend. It's part of our DNA as fashion-lovers. If you're like us,
you've been paying close attention to what's been popular on
the streets and runways this past Fashion Month — that's what gives us
a good indication of what to expect in 2018. While we definitely know
glittery boots are "in" right now and so is wearing red, we took things
one step further and predicted the next big need-to-know trends. That
way, you can adequately prepare your shopping list. Read on to
see the 10 major styles we think every fashion girl should
know for next year.

Lavender:
Soft shades of lavender
and lilac popped up in
Spring '18 shows such as
Proenza Schouler and Victoria
Beckham, and we couldn't be
more pleased. The color is a nice
change from millennial pink Check Print: Gucci Fringe
and looks great on every Bag
There's one print
item. Don't believe that's dominating fashion
us? town, and that's checks. You'll
find the design most frequently
on blazers and trousers, but the
detail has graduated from suit sets
to asymmetrical tops and breezy
skirts. It's time to mix the
pattern with your other
favorite: florals.

Zara Shoes

Etoile Isabel
Marant Skirt
Mango
Trousers:
Mango's check-
print trousers
Buckle Shoes are professional
enough for the
office.

ASOS Flat Shoes

Balenciaga Buckle Boot.
For a bit of edge in your outfits,
slip on this Balenciaga boot
 24 FEATURES Friday, February 16, 2018 The Indian Weekender

CROSSWORD NO: 6 QUIZ QUESTIONS NO: 4 ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S QUESTIONS

What is the name of the German
airline? Lufthansa
In which European city can you
find the home of Anne Frank?
Amsterdam
How many stars has the
American flag got? Fifty
How long is the Great Wall of
China? 4000 miles
Who invented Ferrari? Enzo
Ferrari
According to the Bible, who was
the first murderer? Cain
In what year did princess Diana
die? In the year 1997
Which famous British women
murderer of the 19th century
was never arrested? Jack the
Ripper
On which mountain did Jesus
take his last supper? Golgotha
or Calvary
What is the largest number of
five digits? 99999
What is the most fractured
human bone? Clavicle
SUDOKU NO: 5 What is the most famous
university of Paris? Sorbonne
Which animal is on the golden
Flemish flag? Lion
What is the name of the Indian
holy river? Ganges
Which South American
country is named after Venice?
Venezuela
How many stars feature on the
flag of New Zealand? Four stars
What colour to do you get when
you mix red and white? Pink
What is both a French wine
region and a luxury American
automobile? Cadillac
For which narrow sea strait is
Hellespont the ancient name?
Dardanelles

Send us stories,
drawings, poems and
other contributions
by your little ones
along with their
photographs for
this page. E-mail
us at reporter@
indianweekender.
co.nz
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE NO: 1
HITORI NO: 5 See how many differences you can find in the right or left photo.
Hitori – a logic puzzle with very simple them in Black.
rules and challenging solutions. Can You are not allowed to have two
you eliminate numbers until there are Black squares touching horizontally
no duplicates in any row or column? or vertically (diagonally is ok).
Objective / Rules Any White square can be reached
Eliminate numbers until there are from any other (i.e. they are
no duplicates in any row or column. connected).
Eliminate numbers by marking
FUN IN THE
The Indian Weekender Friday, February 16, 2018 FEATURES 25

KITCHEN How
to steep
the perfect
Saag mutton cup of tea?
M
aking tea may seem a simple and flavoured
easy task but to brew the perfect cup, fruit/floral infusions for longer.
A tasty and healthy lamb or goat curry with a green spinach gravy

T
one needs to take care of some key • You can also refrigerate the brew if you
he time for ‘mutton’ to take its
4

details. prefer colder drinks.

rightful place on the meat map of
RECIPES

• The quality and freshness of tea defines a Rishav Kanoi, Tea Expert and Founder at Tea
MUTTON

meat has come. Goat is considered good tea experience. Buying fresh whole Trove also has some tips to share:
to be a healthy and environmentally friendly leaf teas is key to savouring delicate tastes • One shall understand the four different
alternative to beef, lamb and pork, so it’s right and aromas. types of tea: White, Green, Oolong and
on trend. If a food purist would need any • When you’ve acquired the best loose Black.
further convincing, a kilogram of goat meat leaves, then the quality of water plays a • One shall not call it brewed; tea is
has two-thirds the calories of a kilogram of very important role in bringing out the steeped.
beef and half the saturated fat of chicken. In best flavours. Water should be as fresh as • One shall steep tea as per suggested
this recipe, the goodness of greens (saag) adds possible. steeping time of 5 minutes for Black
to the appeal. • Temperature plays a crucial role in and White teas, 2 minutes for Green tea
Preparation Time: 15 Min steeping tea. Use water just when it starts and 4 minutes for Oolong Tea.
Cooking Time: 30 Min India’s Most Wanted Recipies | 127 to boil (around 85 C - 95 C). This will • One shall use filtered or bottled water
to make tea.
Ruby Dhillon

Serve: 8, Taste: Medium effectively bring out all the right flavours
hours or overnight. and curb the unwanted bitterness. • One shall use a proper teaspoon for
• Avoid boiling water. It scalds the leaves every 180 ml of water.
INGREDIENTS: For the spinach purée.
and affects the flavours adversely. • One shall not use a tea bag but shall
For the marinade • Boil spinach with green chillies in the
• A tablespoon (2.5 gms) of leaves is only use loose teas.
• 1kg boneless meat or lamb water for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.
recommended for every cup of water • One shall steep loose tea leaves 2-3 times
• 1/4 cup plain yoghurt Blend into a purée with a hand-blender or
(180ml). by adding hot water and increasing the
• 1 tsp coriander powder in a food processor (chopped spinach can steeping time with each infusion.
• Choose a clean tea-maker/pot, ideally
• 1 tsp cumin powder be added). Cover and keep aside.
porcelain, glazed ceramic, or glass to
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder For the curry.
avoid unwanted peculiarities of taste.
• 1/2 garam masala powder • Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on • Pour hot water over the tea leaves
• 1 tsp ginger paste medium heat. Add the mutton with its and not the other way around. A lot of
• 1 tsp garlic paste marinade, sauté for 6-8 minutes or until people overlook this simple step. Leave
• 1/2 tsp salt to taste light-brown in colour and a little tender. the infusion covered for 2-5 minutes
• 2 Tbsp oil for cooking Cover and keep aside. according to the instructions provided.
• For the spinach puree • Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed pan on Your tea is ready to drink.
• 300g spinich low heat. Add the cardamom and the • For cold brews, you’ll need 1.5 times
• 2-3 green chillies clove; when they start to crackle, add more leaves than a regular hot brew for
• 1 cup water chopped onion and sauté on medium heat every cup of water. Add leaves into a
For the gravy until light-brown in colour. flask/jar and pour cold fresh water over
• 2 Tbsp butter • Add the garlic and ginger paste, sauté, it. Depending on the type of tea let it
• 2 cardomon seeds lower the heat and add all the spices, steep for 4-10 hours. Steep white, Oolong,
green teas for shorter durations and blacks,

Kitchen tips and tricks

• 2 whole cloves mix well. Add yoghurt and cook, stirring
• 2 medium onions, chopped constantly, until the yoghurt is mixed in
• 2 tsp garlic paste well and the butter separates. Add spinach
• 2 tsp ginger paste purée, mix well, cover and cook for 3–4
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder minutes on medium heat, stirring often.
Ginger Peeling and minimizing waste.
• 1 tsp corinder powder • Add mutton and salt to the spinach, add
• 1/2 tsp tumeric powder 1/2 cup of water, mix well, cover and cook Cleaning Microwave

• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1/2 cup plain yoghurt
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 cup warm water as required
METHOD
• Wash and cut the meat into bite sized
pieces, cover and keep aside.
• For the marinade.
• In a bowl, whisk the yoghurt with all the
spices, ginger paste, garlic paste and salt.
Add mutton to the yoghurt marinade, mix
well to coat evenly. Cover and place in
the refrigerator to marinate for at least 6
C
for 14–16 minutes or until the mutton is lean a microwave faster and easier by
cooked and well coated with spinach (you nuking 2 cups water in a microwave safe
can add an extra 1–2 Tbsp warm water if vessel for 2 minutes then wiping down the
you feel the mutton sticking to the bottom insides with a clean cloth. Add a wedge or two
of the pan while stirring it). Serve hot of lemon to the water for some real cleaning
with Naan power!
Ruby's Tip: If you prefer your Spinach
chunky, you can incorporate an amount of
chopped spinach, to your liking. You can
Cleaning Grills
significantly reduce the cooking time by
preparing the marinade and the spinach purée a
night in advance. Keep them refrigerated until
G inger can be tricky to peel with all its
bumps and irregularities. Rather than
using a paring knife or vegetable peeler, reach
I f your grill’s got a little gunk on it and you
can’t find the grill brush, crinkle up a big
sheet of foil then rub it along the grates before
you are ready to make the Saag Mutton. for the spoon. Scrape it against the skin and lighting the grill.
it'll come right off, following every contour
26 FEATURES Friday, February 16, 2018
MEDITATION TIPS
FOR
T
BEGINNERS
he mind is a busy hive of thoughts and we are
jumping from ideas to emotions to memories for
most of our waking hours.  During meditation you
will begin to witness how much movement happens in
the mind and how little you live in the present moment.
You can learn to observe your thoughts and perhaps begin
to change them. Taking a step back and witnessing your
thoughts instead of identifying with them is the key to
meditation.
Find Your Space
Set up a meditation space. Somewhere calm, quiet, and
not too cluttered. Setting up a comfortable atmosphere
will help to create the right mood for meditation and you
can return to the same space to practice
2. Find Time
Choose a time when your mind is calm. As soon as you
wake up in the morning, before looking at your phone,
computer, or talking to anyone would be ideal
3. Establish a Routine
Using the same time and place each day will create a
space and routine. Then you will be able to relax into the
practice more quickly
4. Be Comfortable
Sit comfortably, with your spine tall and your chin
tucked down slightly. Make sure you are warm and
supported by a wall or blanket if you need to
5. Remember to Breathe
Breathe deeply. Regulating your breath will help your
mind and body to relax.
You could start with five minutes deep breathing and
then slow it down
6. Don’t Be Attached
Your mind will wander, thoughts will be jumping in.
Allow them to pass by. Do not attach yourself to the
thoughts. Acknowledge them and allow them to pass by.
If you get anxious that you are thinking too much, then
you will become restless and find it harder to relax
7. Focus
Setting your attention on a point may help you focus.   hips and hamstrings are open, this can help alleviate the
You can use an image or bring your attention to one of
your chakras or even one of your body parts, like your
heart. Keep the eyes closed and focus on your intention,
resting the mind here
8. Observe
Detach yourself from your thoughts. You can
keep the concentration on one point while watching
your mind. See what comes up
9. Meditate
Meditation comes when you reach a state of pure
thought. You are aware of the mind and thus can
witness the self
10. Build Your Practic
You can begin to practice for ten minutes a day,
building up your practice as you get used to it and
find more stillness. Taking ten minutes to meditate
in the morning will give you time, awareness, and
concentration throughout the day. We possess a
source of wisdom, peace, and happiness deep
inside us. With a little practice we can begin to
access it and all the worries that we had begin to
drift away. We are getting to know our true selves,
The Indian Weekender
and that is a beautiful thing!
Yoga Poses to Ease Lower Back Pain
The lower back, or the lumbar region, can be an area
that often gets sensitive for most of us at some point in
our lives. Whether we have to sit a lot during the day, or
whether we move a lot, the lumbar region can get affected.
In any case, pain in the lower back can seriously affect
your mood and your day. Yoga can offer a great relief for
the pain, as well as provide great preventative care for the
future. Here are five yoga poses to ease lower back pain
and relieve that dull ache.
1. Supine Twist
A twist to the spine offers a great tension reliever for
the entire back, as well as the neck. You get to lay down,
relax and let the gravity help you. Lay on your back, bring
your arms to a T-shape on the floor, and bring your knees
towards your chest. Slowly lower both knees to the left,
keeping the neck neutral or turning the gaze away from
the knees. Try to keep both shoulders on the floor, and
if the top knee lifts too much, you can place a block or
a bolster between the knees. Stay anywhere between 1-4
minutes, and repeat on the other side.
2. Sphinx Pose
The Sphinx is a great pose for toning the spine and
stimulating the sacral-lumbar arch. When we sit a lot, the
lower back tends to flatten, which can cause pain. Sphinx
pose promotes the natural curvature of the lower back.
Start by laying on your stomach, feet hip-width apart,
and bring the elbows under the shoulders. If there is too
much pressure on your lower back, you can bring your
elbows slightly forward. If you want a deeper bend, place
a block under the elbows. Hold the pose for 1-3 minutes,
and come out by first lowering your upper body on to the
floor. Relax on the floor as long as needed, and then come
to a child pose for few breaths.
3. Thread the Needle Pose
If the hips are tight, the movement we need tends to
come from the back, which results in back pain. When the
lower back pain as well, since the body has a better and
fuller range of motion. This pose stretches the hips, outer
thighs, lower back and spine. It’s also a milder, modified
version of the Pigeon pose.
To start, lay on the floor, and bring the soles of the feet
on the ground, feet hip-distance apart. Place your right
ankle on the left thigh, and keep the foot flexed throughout
the pose. Take your right arm in between the space of the
legs, and the left arm outside the left thigh.
Interlace the fingers either behind your knee, or on top
of the shin, depending on the space available to you. Keep
the back and shoulders relaxed. Stay anywhere between
1-3 minutes and change sides.
4. Cat and Cow Pose
With this simple movement you are stretching the hips
and the entire spine. Start on your hands and knees. While
inhaling, lift your chest and tailbone towards the ceiling,
and while exhaling, arch your back, pressing through
the shoulder blades and dropping your head. Continue
according to the rhythm of your breath. Feel the muscles
on your back, and take any additional movement that
might feel good for you today.
 FEATURES 27

What exactly is blockchain, and should

The Indian Weekender Friday, February 16, 2018

you adopt its technology?

I
n a market saturated with new and
innovative business strategies, it
can be difficult to decide which
to adopt. On one side you don’t want
to fall behind when it comes to the
latest technology.
On the other, you don’t want to
waste your money on a “cutting-
edge” fluke.
If you’re looking for a new,
efficient way to carry out transactions,
blockchain is a technology that your
company might find helpful. Far
from a short-term trend, blockchain
is a revolutionary approach to
transactions that major companies
are beginning to embrace.
What Blockchain Entails
You might wonder why blockchain
technology seems so cryptic. The
challenge is that it used to be almost
exclusively connected to tech
circles, and was not widely used
by the general public and non-tech
businesses.
This history is part of why it seems
so mysterious today -- it’s relatively
new to most of us, and the way it
works can be difficult to explain
without going into confusing and
complex concepts.
Here’s the very short version of
it: Blockchain is a way to make
transactions and transfers online
without the use of an intermediary.
Instead of trusting a third party to
keep the transaction history safe
and accurate, blockchain lets you
seal “pages” of transactions with
a key code for security. If you’d
like to delve deeper into how this
technology works, check out this
WTF is The Blockchain.
As I mentioned in my article, The
Top 10 Business Trends That Will
Drive Success In 2018, individuals
and businesses use blockchain for a
variety of reasons.
Though some “shady businesses”
might use blockchains to avoid
leaving a paper trail, it’s more
often employed to gain improved
assurance and privacy.
It also allows users to exchange
money without the backing of a
physical currency, which is one of
the qualities that has made Bitcoin
famous and makes it sometimes
controversial.
Speaking of Bitcoin -- although
it’s the most well-known blockchain-
based cryptocurrency right now,
there’s a wide variety of blockchain-
based services on the market.
“Bancor is a decentralized
cryptocurrency exchange that allows
for intermediary-free transactions to
occur and they are processing over
$10 million worth of trades daily,”
says Jeremy Epstein, the CEO of
Never Stop Marketing.
Jeremy is considered by many to
be the world’s leading authority on
the intersection of blockchains and
marketing. He serves as an advisor to
blue chip Crypto projects like Zcash
and OpenBazaar.
Why You Would Adopt
Blockchain
One of the clearest and most
relevant reasons that many
companies are embracing blockchain
technology is efficiency. We can
all understand how exchanges can
become quicker and simpler when
they don’t have to go through a third
party.
It’s also beginning to move
document authentication toward
obsolescence, removing a step in the
transactional process.
Blockchain can also make
companies justifiably feel like their
information is safer and more secure.
In an age where hacking is relatively
common and banks can not always
fend off attempts to invade people’s
financial privacy, blockchain is a way
to feel a greater sense of control over
your transactions.
How Top Companies Are
Using Blockchain
On the most basic level, some
companies are using blockchain
and cryptocurrencies to simply offer
another option for transactions. For
instance, parts of the real estate
market have started to embrace
Bitcoin as a payment option,
especially for foreign buyers or those
who desire a higher level of privacy.
It’s worth evaluating whether
opening this option makes sense for
your business.
If your company happens to rely
heavily on having a secure supply
chain, blockchain technology might
turn out to be an inevitability for you
in the future.
It can offer more privacy than
traditional banks while still being a
collaborative endeavor.
In fact, IBM is currently working
with companies such as Nestlé,
Walmart, and Costco on a blockchain
collaboration to improve global food
supply chain safety.
This could provide the key to
securely tracking the food supply
from farm to table (or at least farm
to store).
Even if you’re unsure whether or
not blockchain technology will be a
fixture of your business, it’s worth
investing in the skills to work with
it in the case that it becomes key to
your field. For instance,
Deloitte and other consulting
firms are investing in blockchain
practice areas and pursuing valuable
blockchain alliances.
It’s Your Turn
Some tech experts regard
blockchain technology as the next
social media in terms of its long-term
importance.
It’s essential to learn about
whether it could become a fixture in
your field, and if so, how
Source: Forbes

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Pad Man
28 ENTERTAINMENT Friday, February 16, 2018 The Indian Weekender

Movie Review

AKANKSHA MEHRA real life story of Arunachalam

PadMan movie cast: Akshay
Kumar, Sonam Kapoor,
Radhika Apte
PadMan movie director: R
Balki
PadMan movie rating: 3 stars
Want to feel empowered?
Follow this 4 step simple guide:
Step 1 - Hold a sanitary napkin.
Step 2 - Take a selfie.
Step 3- Post it on your
Instagram page.
Step 4 - Add a feminist quote
and flaunt your empowered
self.
Muruganantham (played by Akshay
Kumar), who revolutionised
menstrual health for Indian women
by inventing a cheap machine used
to make sanitary pads.
His sensitivity towards women,
intelligence (despite being illiterate)
and diligence shines in real and
reel life.
Akshay’s character, Lakshmikant
Chauhan laments for his wife, sisters
and other community females after
seeing them use dirty rags during
their menstrual cycle.
In order to appeal and reach out
to most common denominator, the
plot is simplistic, overtly explained
and dramatic.
At one point, young boys make
nasty comments and refer to periods

Y
as ‘five-day test matches’. I had never
es, I am taking a dig at
heard that one before but surely there
all those #Bollywood
are many such amateurish epithets
celebrities, posing with a
for menstruating women.  
pad in their hand and promoting
Talking about performances,
#PadMan.
Akshay Kumar deserves a big
While Pad Man’s promotional applause. It is unprecedented to see
campaign is questionable, the movie a Bollywood celeb trying a sanitary
itself stands tall for feminism and pad on a pink underwear and
addresses a crucial social message - squatting several times to ensure it
menstrual hygiene. sits well.
This is Kumar’s second in line Pad Man will surely radiate in
for endorsing a female based social Kumar’s impressive body of work
cause after Toilet: Ek Prem Katha. for a lifetime. Pari, played by Sonam issues
Unlike Toilet, the movie is not as Kapoor is introduced much later versus woman, and addresses
frivolously political or nationalist. in the film. She brings an urban rural versus digital India, intelligence the stigma around
Kudos to director R Balki who flavour but does not add enough to versus literacy. It questions the menstrual cycle
conducts a demanding job of the narrative. notions of virility and the monopoly prevalent in society
upholding entertainment quotient, Especially the love angle between of multinationals amidst exorbitantly across the world. I say ‘world’ This movie doesn’t make for a
spreading awareness and sensitizing Lakshmi and Pari was quite priced basic commodities. confidently after Trump carelessly girl’s night out. It urges all men
people about the issue, all at one go. unconvincing and unnecessary. Overall, Pad Man is a memorable mentioned to Fox’s Megyn Kelly, to come and support a cause so
Balki does well! Balki’s film entails a number of and important film. It raises important “blood coming out of her whatever”. important to the society. Period!
Pad man is based on the under layering subjects such as man
¡¡ Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 23) face a testing time. Take some immediate
initiatives to clear all misunderstandings on the
Troubles fade away as the bright side of your
personality enables to take things in a stride. romantic front.
Your inquisitive & curious mind would enable Lucky Number : 3 / Lucky Colour : Dark Purple
you to get a hand-on-experience to bring quick
February 16 to February 23 | By Manisha Koushik results. For getting success at workplace you ¡¡ Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 21)
will have to be action-oriented and prepare
Manisha Koushik is a practicing astrologer, tarot card reader, numerologist, vastu and yourself to face any kind of challenges squarely. You can only achieve bloom in health on making
fengshui consultant based in India with a global presence through the online channels. She is Mutual fund schemes would help in meeting some personal efforts. At work dominant
financial goals. behaviour of seniors could make you worried.
available for consultations online as well. E-mail her at support@askmanisha.com or contact
However, developing a harmonious relationship
at +91-11-26449898 Mobile/Whatsapp: +919015607139 • www.askmanisha.com Lucky Number : 3 / Lucky Colour : Saffron with them would benefit you. Lucrative incentives
¡¡ Aries (Mar 21-Apr 20) Making compromises for love sake would please ¡¡ Libra (Sep 24-Oct 23) offered by reputed companies for investment
partner. Investing little amount in reputed would attract you. However you need to invest
Friends and relatives would extend a helping A promising week is foreseen as you get
companies shares would be beneficial. Shape only after checking all the details.
hand whenever required. Make sure you put your excellent opportunity to achieve professional
intelligence and management skills on work to your travel plans in such a way that they are not
stressful. goals. Celebrations at home are likely to bring Lucky Number : 1 / Lucky Colour : Golden Brown
achieve business targets. However you need tremendous joy. Combine your personal charm
to set the achievable targets and then work Lucky Number : 15 / Lucky Colour : Parrot Green with positive & powerful thinking to win-over ¡¡ Aquarius (Jan 22-Feb 19)
hard to get them. Your timely action would be your adversaries. If you attempt difficult talks
handsomely rewarded. Appreciate your partner if ¡¡ Cancer (Jun 22-Jul 20) A quarrelsome behaviour would come in the way
or encounter tough situations you are likely to of enjoying romance. It is therefore high time for
you want to invest in your relationship. come out as a winner.
Innovation brings better monetary results you to avoid this to save romantic bond. There
Lucky Number : 22 / Lucky Colour : Blue making your future brighter. Avoid unhealthy Lucky Number : 1 / Lucky Colour : Light Red are chances that some of you might leave your
eating habits to enjoy a perfect health. You are present job and head towards a marketing field,
¡¡ Taurus (Apr 21-May 20) likely to get an opportunity to join the company ¡¡ Scorpio (Oct 24-Nov 22)
which would be best for you. If you are associated
Make changes in your lifestyle to enjoy sound of like-minded people to start a new business. Your plan to own a house is ought to be in the right with foreign ventures and investments you are
health. You are likely to travel to a distance It is time for you to be more serious & open in way. You are likely to get relief from the tensions likely to reap good profits.
place to complete an important assignment. romantic affair. Changing the job would be and strains of life experiencing for long. Keep
People who are planning to join some financial beneficial for some. your positive approach to get successful results Lucky Number : 22 / Lucky Colour : Cream
institutes need to make up their mind. You on the academic front. Computer professionals
need to save yourself from investing in dubious Lucky Number : 17 / Lucky Colour : Saffron ¡¡ Pisces (Feb 20-Mar 20)
would be able to prove their mettle. Vigilant eye
financial schemes. A promising week as far as ¡¡ Leo (Jul 21-Aug 22) and hawks thinking would be needed on your You would easily attract the attention of seniors
love life is concerned on enjoying the company part to invest money. by decent manners and intellectual talk. This
of a true partner. Developing new contacts by attending social
gatherings/parties would augur well for your Lucky Number : 11 / Lucky Colour : Baby Pink would even brighten your chances for promotion.
Lucky Number : 22 / Lucky Colour : Dark future. If you want to enjoy a hassle free trip Misunderstanding the feelings of romantic
Turquoise ¡¡ Sagittarius (Nov 23-Dec 21) partner would create a void in your relations. You
then plan your expenses in advance. Don’t run
¡¡ Gemini (May 21-Jun 21) after speculations chances of losing money are Your strong resilience and fearlessness need to act judiciously to save the relationship.
high. Keep in mind that seriousness is highly would tremendously enhance the power of Heart patients will have to go in the shelter of
An exciting new professional career awaits you required on your part to succeed academically mental faculties. Be careful as your long term exercising.
provided you grab the opportunity. Attractive and professionally. investment plans are going to face some legal
personality brings desired results, as you issues. Journey undertaken for better career Lucky Number : 22 / Lucky Colour : Dark
succeed in attracting the desired attention. Lucky Number : 7 / Lucky Colour : Lemon prospects may materialise. Romantic life could Turquoise
 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 16, 2018 ENTERTAINMENT 29

AUCKLAND’S HOTTEST BOLLYWOOD STATION

Sonam Kapoor: Anupam

No point in doing just
entertaining cinema anymore
A
ctress Sonam Kapoor is
riding high with her lauded
performance in Pad Man.
She says it is important for her
to play roles that reflect the
social conscience in these
“difficult times”.
Excerpts from the
interview:
Q. Congratula-
tions,Sonam. After
Neerja, Pad Man is
another high point in
your career. Girl, you are
evolving fast. So much at such
a young age...
Kher to star
in American
show
Bellevue
play a serial rapist or a child molester just to
be challenged as an actor. Your take?
A. I wouldn’t mind doing a negative role provided
it doesn’t glorify the character or make her negativity
a virtue. As an actor, we are put in a sensitive spot
nowadays. I have to showcase my personal ideology
while at the same time I need to do parts that challenge
me as an actor. My next release Veere Di Wedding has
me having a lot of fun with my female co-stars.
Q. Were you competitive on the sets of this
chick flick with your co-stars Kareena Kapoor
Khan, Swara Bhasker and Shikha Talsania?
A. Not at all. I am not competitive at all. If I was, the
trajectory of my career would be different. No... And it’s
not a chick flick. It’s a dramedy. We girls had a lot of fun
shooting Veere Di Wedding. I was working with Kareena

A. Thank you. But I am not that young any
more... I have only directors like Ram Madhvani
(Neerja) and R.A Balki (Pad Man) to thank for
this. I am a director’s actor.
And I’ve never shied away taking on a role
for its length. Neerja was all mine. But in Bhaag
Milkha Bhaag, I was there for just a brief playing
time.
Now Pad Man is definitely not all mine. But
it’s important for me to be part of cinema that
addresses important social issues. There is no
point in just doing entertaining cinema any more.
That, to me, would be very khokhla (hollow).
There has to be a relevance to it beyond just
having a good time at the movies.
Q. Why do you say that?
A. Because we are going through very
difficult times. It’s a really difficult phase for
us women. Those of us who have a platform
and a voice, must use it to express what we
believe in. Pad Man addresses itself to
the question of menstruation. It’s a huge
issue for a majority of woman in our
country. It didn’t take me long to say
yes to Pad Man. And I am so glad
I did it.
Q. Farhan Akhtar was
telling me he would
not
do
roles
that set the wrong
precedent in today’s
troubled times. He wouldn’t
Kapoor for the first time. I absolutely adore her. She is so
beautiful and just not conscious of her looks.
Q. You are also working with your father Anil
Kapoor for the first time.
A. Yes, in a Yash Raj Films project that I’m shooting
right now. We have done two ads together. But this is
the first time we are actually shooting a feature film
together. All I can tell you at the moment is that it’s a
different person I am shooting with as compared with
my father at home.
Q. Has he let his beard grow grey to look like
your father?
A. Why don’t you ask him? You get to speak to him
more than I do.
Q. In “Pad Man”, your relationship with your
father played by actor Sunil Sinha is very spe-
cial. Did you borrow from your own relation-
ship with your father?
A. No. I didn’t have to. The relationship was so
beautifully written in the script. And my co-star was
such a wonderful actor. I love working with actors who
are more accomplished than me. It’s the only way to
learn on the job.
Q. Your character Pari is the catalyst who pro-
pels the protagonist’s aspirations. Did you ever
realise your role would be so pivotal?
A. I firmly believe there is a woman behind every
man’s success. And why just a woman? Every successful
man or woman has to have a support system.
Q. The menstruation issue
is still kept under wraps
in our home. The film
makes us think about
why we need to be so
secretive and squea-
mish about a natural
bodily function?
A. It is a social conditioning. We are are so used
to talking about these things in hushed tones. We hope to
open up a conversation with this film.
I
ndian actor Anupam Kher has
joined the team of American
medical drama Bellevue.
Anupam, who has starred in
The Big Sick and Silver Linings
Playbook, will be reuniting with his
Sense8 co-star Freema Agyeman for
the show, said.
“I’m excited to be part of this
project. Bellevue is anticipated as
the next big thing in international
television,” Anupam said.
“As an actor it helps me widen
my horizons and also gives me a
opportunity to be a part of world
class talent. Looking forward to the
shoot,” he added.
According to deadline.com, the
show is written by David Schulner.
The “Bellevue” drama is produced
by Eric Manheimer, MD, the former
medical director at New York City’s
Bellevue Hospital and author of the
memoir Twelve Patients: Life and
Death at Bellevue Hospital” which
inspired the series.
The character-driven medical
drama follows the new director of
Bellevue Hospital, whose maverick
approach disrupts the status quo
while always prioritising patient
care. Anupam will be seen essaying
the role of Dr. Anil Kapoor, one of
the oldest doctors at the hospital
in the upcoming NBC series. He
believes the hospital needs to
change but does not feel he needs to
change his ways.

Ramesh Sippy to get inaugural Raj Kapoor Award

V
eteran filmmaker Ramesh Sippy, who directed the classic close reading of history, it is clear that undercurrents in his work release Pad Man, including
blockbuster Sholay and tele-serial Buniyaad, would be often measured the changes, both economic and social, in Indian producer Twinkle Khanna
conferred the first 'Raj Kapoor Award for Excellence in society, she explained. and director R. Balki
Cinema', an official said here on Monday. Sippy, 71, will receive the first Raj Kapoor Award for shall be felicitated at the
Instituted by the Asian Centre for Entertainment Education Excellence in Cinema at the two-day ‘Elevate 2K18’ bi-annual conclave.
(ACEE) with various international organisations like World conclave of ACEE’s programme, The Third Eye in Mumbai, The first trailer of the
Bank, UNICEF, USC Annenberg Normal Lear Cenre, Hollywood she added. upcoming film,“102
Health and Society, Cinepolis Foundation and CMS, the ‘Raj Honoured with a Padma Shri, Sippy has attained legendary Not Out directed by
Kapoor Trophy’ will be unveiled on Wednesday. status with his memorable film Sholay (1975) and later the Umesh Shukla of OMG
“The global awards are being launched in memory of Raj popular serial on Doordarshan, Buniyaad (1987), based on the - Oh My God! fame -
Kapoor, the quintessential ‘Showman of Post-Independent Partition of India. which brings together
India’, who was a rare filmmaker to have placed mainstream and Veteran actors and sons of Raj Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, Rishi industry veterans
popular entertainment which he created in contemporary social Kapoor and Rajiv Kapoor, will take part in a discussion on ‘The Amitabh Bachchan and
contexts,” said ACEE Co-Founder Vinta Nanda. Unparalleled Social Commentator, The Showman Raj Kapoor’, Rishi Kapoor together on
Raj Kapoor was making films from virtually the official birth which will be moderated by journalist Shekhar Gupta. screen after a 25 year gap -
of India onwards, when the violence of Partition marked the Besides the launch of the global award and trophy at the shall be released at the conclave.
translation from British rule to democracy, and even without a ‘Elevate 2K18’, Nanda said the team behind the latest Bollywood
 Aditi Rao Hydari:
30 ENTERTAINMENT Friday, February 16, 2018 The Indian Weekender

I never expected so much

praise for Mehrunisa
A
diti Rao Hydari is dazzled by the
compliments she has received
for her brief yet evocative role as
Mehrunisa in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s epic
drama Padmaavat. The actress says she is
overjoyed by the positive response.
“I never expected so much praise for such
a brief role. But then Sanjay sir had told me
I’d be happy with my role. I am not just
happy. I am overjoyed.
"The response has been tremendous. And
I can see why. My character Mehrunisa
comes across as the only source of positivity
that’s pure and honest in Khilji’s life,” she
said. Aditi played wife to Ranveer Singh’s
character as Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khilji in
the film – which is on its way to cross Rs
250 crore at the box office.  Padmaavat is due to the writing. “You see,
“Ranveer’s Khilji is such a dark evil
character. There’s no light in his life, except
for his wife. Played by me. She is the light
in that deep well of Khilji’s consciousness,”
says Aditi, who is billed as a guest
appearance in the credits of Padmaavat.
The actress added: “That’s Sanjay sir’s
decision to give me that respect
"I
because of the limited
saw the film
footage I had.
what a brilliant
While shooting also
director can do to
I felt I was hardly there
a character even in
since I was hardly called
the limited space
to shoot. I never realised
provided by the
until I saw the film what
plot."
a brilliant director can do to
a character even in the limited
space provided by the plot.”
Aditi feels the impact of her character in
there is so much to Mehrunisa than meets
the eye. She marries the monster knowing
what he’s like. There’s a back story to their
alliance. They’re supposed to be childhood
friends.” What Aditi really loved about her
character was its progressiveness. 
“She knows her husband is a monster.
She knows he is a bi-sexual. But she is not
scared of him.
"She looks into his maniacal eyes
without flinching and she wears the
crown that her father once wore and
which has now been usurped by her
unscrupulous husband, with dignity
even if is too large for her petite head.”
Aditi gives all the credit for the impact
of her role to her director. 
“Sanjay sir made Mehrunisa much more
than just a victim of a sadistic marriage.
She understands her responsibilities as
royalty and fulfils them with great dignity
under pressure.”

My wife is my best friend: Irrfan Nothing is safe in the film industry:

A Ayushmann Khurrana
ctor Irrfan Khan says his wife Sutapa Sikdar, who also produced his
movie Qarib Qarib Singlle, is his best friend.

A
“My wife is my best friend and we discuss everything. We often talk
about my work and she thought producing a film like Qarib Qarib S i n g l l e ctor Ayushmann Khurrana, who has featured in in 2008, became
would be great as the love story was unique,” Irrfan said. films on sperm donation and erectile dysfunction, an actor in 2012
“We studied in the same film school and my wife says being offbeat and experimenting with new and in five years of
has a better understanding of many things than me, roles is always a good idea as nothing is “safe” in the being in the industry,
including performances. She has a lot of creative film industry, and the audience is always looking out for I have seen both
energy, which translated beautifully in this film and its something new. “It’s good to be offbeat. Nothing is safe in highs and lows. I think
story,” he added this industry, (so it is important) to give something which failure only makes you
The movie, directed by Tanuja Chandra and starring is odd which is something off-centre, which is unique to stronger. Success is fickle,
Parvathy, will be showcased on &pictures on February the audience this day because they are always looking for and failure is your friend,
17. It is about two people with opposite personalities and something new,” Ayushmann said.  philosopher and guide. It’s a
sensibilities who meet via an online dating app. “I am glad that I’m getting scripts like Badhai Ho and great teach,” he said.
Irrfan believes love can be found anywhere. getting to work for Sriram Raghavan who is a master of Ayushmann is currently
“Love can happen in the most unexpected thrillers. You need to create a niche for yourself and apne a part of Parachute
ways to people. Some meet their partners talent se love jatao (express love with your talent), that’s Jasmine’s Love
and spouses through friends, an arranged when you will shine in life. Jatao, Shine Jagao
marriage set-up or matrimonial sites. A “I ensure to keep working hard and investing on my campaign, which
dating site is a cool platform to find someone talent and that’s something everybody who aspires to intends to make
who you think you’re compatible with. make their dream come true in life, must do,” said the people realise that
There shouldn’t be any stigma or any taboo actor, whose last two releases Bareilly Ki Barfi and Shubh when you invest in
around it,” he said. Mangal Saavdhan got a thumbs up at the box office. As something and show
However, he has an observation to make an actor, Ayushmann had caught attention with his debut love to it, it shines.
about the young generation that gets into film Vicky Donor, and he also impressed the audience “I completely and
a relationship very fast and the break up with his performance in Dum Laga Ke Haisha. Was there totally relate to the
happens even faster. ever a situation when he felt like giving up? campaign because it is
“Today’s generation is more impulsive “You know I have been rejected a lot of times in the like an opportunity given
"Love auditions even on reality shows, but then of course, I to aspiring artists who have
than what we were. There is no peace can happen in
in their life and most of them are the most unexpected never thought of giving up. The idea is to keep investing no background in films and
impulsive decision makers. With time, ways to people. Some in your talent to shine and succeed in life. Fortunately, music and basically it will create
they will all learn the importance of meet their partners and this is currently the best era of Indian film industry or somebody who is self-made. I was
having that one special person with spouses through friends, music industry because talent is getting promoted in an aspiring singer, an aspiring artist
whom they can spend the rest of an arranged marriage every walks of life.  "The once and what helped me to
set-up or matrimonial “I guess I was well-prepared as I kept working idea is to shine in my life was when
their life.” sites."
Irrfan believes “if you really want to and investing on my talent as far as my acting keep investing in I truly started investing on
know a person, go on a journey” and singing was concerned,” said the actor, who your talent to shine my talent,” said the actor. He
“The masks come off and you can see their real is also a singer. Ayushmann said his failures and succeed in life. also said his father gave him a
nature,” he added. made him stronger.  “I started as a video jockey much-needed push.

Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone to tie the knot in mid-2018?

R
umours are rife that B-Town’s IT are beach bums and you can expect a beach been chosen to make all the arrangements. think about. I try and create a work and life
couple, Deepika Padukone and wedding. In a recent interview, Ranveer balance so as much as I consumed by my work
Ranveer Singh may tie the knot this It will be an intimate affair had dismissed rumors of at the moment, these things are on my mind.
year. though with just close family a beach wedding and But, nothing decisive as of yet.”
The speculations were fuelled further when and friends in attendance.” had neither confirmed When asked if he will get married in the near
reports about their engagement came out. A leading publication's nor denied marriage future, Ranveer said, “Currently, I am a little
Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh got report suggests that the reports. bit consumed with my work.
engaged in Maldives on her birthday, as per lovebirds will be tying He had said, I have got a lineup of films; one that I am
reports. the knot in the next 3-4 “Really, I don’t currently shooting. I am currently in the thick
A source close to the couple had revealed months and preparations know where that’s of Gully Boy, after that I have got Simmba,
to an entertainment portal, “Yes, Ranveer and are on in full swing. A coming from. But, with Rohit Shetty and then 1983 World Cup.
Deepika are getting married this year and it is Delhi-based wedding yes of course, Right now, I am just consumed by these
going to be a destination wedding. They both planning company has these are things I exciting opportunities.”
 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 16, 2018
CAB Eden-Albert
Date: February 27 and February 28
Time:   10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Venue: CAB Eden Albert, 82 St Lukes Road
(adjoining the Library), Auckland 1025  local community. There is entertainment, rides,
CAB Eden-Albert will hold for new migrants free
Find-a-Job Courses. This course will include
two group workshops, two individual coaching
sessions and two follow-up Job Club sessions.
The dates and times for the coaching sessions
and Job Clubs are on the registration form. To
register for this free course, simply call us on 09
846 4023 or email us on project.cabac@cab.
org.nz
Auckland Lantern Festival
2018
Date: March 01 to Sunday, March 04
Time: 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Venue: Auckland Domain, Ther Crescent
Celebrate Chinese New Year at the 2018
Auckland Lantern Festival from Thursday 1 –
Sunday 4 March at the Auckland Domain. Entry
is free, so come along and welcome in the
Year of the Dog with friends and family. Please
note that Thursday is Lantern Appreciation
Night - there won’t be any food or craft stalls or
performances on Thursday evening.
Highlights include:
- Hundreds of spectacular Chinese lanterns
- Delicious food stalls
- Arts & crafts
- Martial arts demonstrations
- Traditional and contemporary Chinese music &
performances
- Fireworks display at 10.15pm on Sunday
evening.Keep an eye out for the full festival
programme and our top tips for the festival,
available in February.
Venue: Garden Pl, Hamilton Central, Hamilton
3204, New Zealand
The best family friendly, free event is back
for 2018! Join us in Garden Place as we
celebrate Children’s Day and our fantastic
bouncy castles, Chalk Fest art competition and
so much more. With dedicated zones for the
under 5’s and the rangatahi we have something
for everyone. Save the date and keep an eye out
for updates.
Waitakere Holi Mela 2018
Date: Saturday, March 4
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Venue: Corban Estate Arts Centre, 2 Mt
Lebanon Lane, Henderson, Auckland
For the 12th year running, Waitakere Indian
Association is once again proud to bring
NZ’s #BIGGEST & *FREE* #family #friendly
#community #WIAHoli event to you.  The
event will feature Live Music, DJ, Cultural Items
for all walks of life- young and old, mouth
watering food and lots of choices of colors.
#BringYourCamera. We are also celebrating
CHILDREN’S DAY - so bring your children.  Date: Sunday, March 18
This is a family friendly event and the colors are
bio degradable ones. We have ordered lots of
color this year.
Christchurch Holi-Festival
of Colours
Date: Saturday, March 17
Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Venue: Hagley Parkl North, Christchurch
Holi is all about celebrating the people of
Christchurch. Cultural-fusion performances will
showcase the many different cultures in our
community, joining together for one big party.
and festive Holi delicacies.
Tips for the day:  Experience sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar,
Wear old clothes as the colour may not wash
out. Wear comfortable flat shoes that you don’t
mind getting stained.  album Land of Gold. A singular figure in the
Bring cash to buy colour and enjoy delicious Holi
food. Parking is limited so plan your trip before
the day. 
*Please do not bring your own colours. Our
colours are corn-flour based, non-toxic and
cosmetic grade. They are safe for children and
adults. Entry to this festival is free* and Holi is
strictly an alcohol and drug free event!
The Color Run Dreams
World Tour - Aucklan
Date: Sunday, March 11
Time: 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Venue: QBE Stadium, Albany, Auckland
WHO LOVES UNICRONS? The original happiest
5k on the planet! Enter a world where anything is
possible, where you can dance through a cloud
of colour, swim through an ocean of dreamy
foam and party the day away with giant unicorns
and more music than ever before!
Anoushka Shankar: Land
of Gold - Auckland Arts
Festival 2018
Time: 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Venue: Silo Park, Wynyard Quarter, 96 Jellicoe
Immigration Translation Centre
Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Urdu, Sinhalese, Arabic, etc.
Accurate, professional, prompt service by accredited translators.
Approved by LTSA/AA/Immigration New Zealand.
FEATURES 31
Drive, Auckland
daughter of the legendary Ravi Shankar,
performing live her spellbinding and magnetic
Indian classical and progressive world-music
scenes, Anoushka Shankar brings a deep
relationship with tradition through her father
and guru, the late great Ravi Shankar. These
exchanges between Indian and Western music
find even greater power in Shankar’s advocacy
for women’s rights and social justice, with her
latest album, Land of Gold, responding to the
humanitarian trauma of displaced people fleeing
conflict and poverty.
MOTAT Military Day
Display
Date: Sunday, March 18
Time: 1 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Venue: Point Chevalier Beach, Auckland
Hosted by RNZAF Black Falcons and Royal New
Zealand Air Force. Come and check us out
at the MOTAT Military Day Display. Our display
will be best viewed over Point Chevalier Beach.
Event details: www.motat.org.nz. We always
love seeing your photos and videos so make
sure you take some as we fly over. IMPORTANT:
timings and display could change due to
weather or operational requirements so please
check our Facebook page on the day for any
changes.

Children’s Day Carnival

Entry to this festival is free*! Holi coinsides with
St Patrick’s Day so watch this space for exciting
Birth/Marriage/Police Clearance Certificates, Diplomas, Letters, etc.
updates! Holi is a day to forget your worries and
2018 connect with family and friends. Throw colours 181 Hobson Street Auckland City 09-3570922, 021-488-525
Date: Saturday, March 03 and dance to music from various DJs. Enjoy
Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. traditional Indian games, cultural performances Email: dsoh@ymail.com
 2018
humming the new tune

RTY TM