indian weeekender #91

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632 Dominion Rd | 195 New Windsor Rd, Avondale | 541B Sandringham Rd | 32 Queen Street | Unit 19, 185 Great South Road, Manurewa facebook.com/relianz • Money Transfers • Money Exchange • Wire Transfers Email: [email protected] | www.relianzforex.com Keep Watching for Promotions on Our Website Ph: 0508 411111 SAVE ON > MORTGAGE INTEREST > INSURANCE PREMIUM Talk to us & we will show you how... Call now on 255 5500 Indian December 21, 2012 Volume 4, No. 17 FOR FREE DISTRIBUTION www.iwk.co.nz New Zealand’s first Indian weekend magazine Westfield Manukau • BotanyT own Centre Sylvia Park • Westfield St Lukes • LynnMall Shopping Centre WestfieldWest City • Westfield Glenfield Westfield Albany Instant cash for gold! x E change your unwanted, damaged or broken gold jewellery and receive INSTANT CASH TODAY! How it works: Step 1: Locate your nearest store Step 2: Bring any item of gold into one of our stores along with your photo I.D. Step 3: Our buyer will perform a FREE purity test Step 4: on the spot What we buy: Damaged or unwanted gold, silver & platinum • Rings • Earrings • Chains • Bracelets & more! Only one coupon per transaction. Office expires on 31st December 2012 LOCAL LASS IN BOLLYWOOD ROLE Radhika Bangia is all set to conquer Bollywood with ‘Meri Shaadi Karao’, where she will star opposite Punjabi singing sensation Daler Mehendi’s son Gurdeep Singh Mehendi. ... PAGE 2 SHANKAR’S LEGACY CYCLONE HITS FIJI VIDYA HITCHED! 25 21 14 Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year - FROM THE INDIAN WEEKENDER TEAM

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Page 1: Indian Weeekender #91

632 Dominion Rd | 195 New Windsor Rd, Avondale | 541B Sandringham Rd | 32 Queen Street | Unit 19, 185 Great South Road, Manurewafacebook.com/relianz

• Money Transfers • Money Exchange• Wire Transfers

Email: [email protected] | www.relianzforex.comKeep Watching for Promotions on Our Website

Ph: 0508 411111

SAVE

ON > MORTGAGE INTEREST > INSURANCE PREMIUMTalk to us & we will show you how... Call now on 255 5500

Indian December 21, 2012 Volume 4, No. 17

For Free DistributioN

www.iwk.co.nz

New Zealand’s first Indian weekend magazine

• Westfield Manukau • BotanyTown Centre • Sylvia Park •Westfield St Lukes

• LynnMall Shopping Centre •WestfieldWest City •Westfield Glenfield

•WestfieldAlbany

Instant cash for

gold!

xE change yourunwanted,

damaged or broken gold

jewellery and receive INSTANT

CASH TODAY!

How it works:Step 1: Locate your nearest storeStep 2: Bring any item of gold

into one of our stores along with your photo I.D.

Step 3: Our buyer will perform a FREE purity test

Step 4:on the spot

What we buy:Damaged or unwanted gold,

silver & platinum• Rings • Earrings • Chains

• Bracelets & more!

Only one coupon per transaction.Office expires on 31st December 2012

LOCAL LASS IN BOLLYWOOD ROLERadhika Bangia is all set to conquer Bollywood with ‘Meri Shaadi

Karao’, where she will star opposite Punjabi singing sensation Daler Mehendi’s son Gurdeep Singh Mehendi. ... PAGE 2

SHANKAR’S LEGACY

CYCLONE HITS FIJI

VIDYA HITCHED!

25

21

14

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

- FROM THE INDIAN WEEKENDER TEAM

Page 2: Indian Weeekender #91

ArViND KuMAr

www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 NEW ZEALAND

ANZ0777IW\TBWA

If you’re refinancing, buying or renovating, start expanding your dreams. Take out an ANZ Home Loan by 31 January 2013 and you could get $1,000 cash on us, plus up to $1,000 towards legal fees. Conditions apply. You’ll have to take out new lending of at least $100,000, have your main transaction account with us and an ANZ credit card or insurance product.

Talk to our home loan experts today.

Dream m re with up to $2,000 cash, on us.

0800 269 200 anz.co.nz/homeloan visit any branch

ANZ lending criteria, terms, conditions and fees apply. Customer eligible for the offer upon unconditional approval by 31 January 2013. $1,000 cash will be deposited into the customer’s ANZ transaction account upon draw down of home lending. Maximum of $1,000 contribution towards legal fees upon confirmation of legal costs. Insurance cover is subject to underwriting criteria. A copy of terms, conditions, fees and our Reserve Bank Disclosure Statement are available at anz.co.nz or a request for a copy can be made at any ANZ Branch. ANZ Bank New Zealand Limited

Auckland girl goes to Bollywood

Further New Zealand support for cyclone-battered Samoa and Fiji has

been announced, bringing the combined total to $820,000 so far.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully on Tuesday announced additional financial assistance in the aftermath of Cyclone Evan that has ripped through the Pacific nations.

New Zealand will contribute $600,000 to Samoa for relief and recovery efforts.

Five additional New Zealand Red Cross workers to travel to Samoa to support local efforts and further requests for assistance

will be considered, said Mr McCully.New Zealand will also make $50,000

immediately available to Fiji and $170,000 to the Fiji Red Cross which will help to replenish supplies for those in immediate need, he said.

“Tarpaulins, water containers, generators and chainsaw packs are also on the way to Fiji on commercial flights.

“Our thoughts are with the people of Fiji as they respond to Tropical Cyclone Evan,” said Mr McCully.

NZ offers initial assistance

Cyclone Evan in Fiji

2

Page 3: Indian Weeekender #91

3

Meri Shaadi Karao

Director: Syed NoorCast: Gurdeep Singh MehendiProducer: Daler MehendiMusic: Gurdeep Singh MehendiGenre: Romantic Comedy

Auckland girl goes to Bollywood

stills from the movie

An Auckland girl has just finished shooting for a starring role in a

Bollywood feature film set to be released next month.

Radhika Bangia, 22, is leading lady in the movie “Meri Shaadi Karao”, which is also the launch pad for Gurdeep Singh Mehendi, son of singing super star Daler Mehendi.

The movie, entirely shot in Dubai, has also being produced by Daler Mehendi, and directed by Syed Noor.

“We are so thrilled for her,” Radhika’s sister Vasundhra told the Indian Weekender from their home in Botany, Auckland, this

week.Vasundhra, who is making arrangements

to be in Mumbai for the release on January 4, said Radhika had always been keen on being on the big screen.

“She did it all by herself,” a proud Vasundhra said of her kid sister. “She has struggled initially, but now things are coming right for her.”

Radhika has been in India for the past three years, initially to do an acting course at the Kishor Namit Kapoor Acting Institute on a scholarship.

Although this is Radhika’s first feature

Bollywood movie, the former Macleans College (Bucklands Beach) student is no stranger to limelight on the stage.

In 2008, she was crowned Miss Teen NZ, and that same year also picked by the

“Potential Model” title in the Miss IndiaNZ pageant.

Originally from New Delhi, the Bangia family moved to New Zealand in 2003.

Trailers and publicity promos for “Meri Shaadi Karao” have been released and the young stars have begun doing the

PR routines. A Times of India synopsis describes the movies as: “The film is a romantic comedy, which has been shot in the beautiful landscape of Dubai.

“The film speaks about marriage, which is the turning point in everybody’s life as one steps into a new journey of life. Those who are fortunate are successful in this journey and those who are unsuccessful are the few unfortunate. However, it is the climax which leaves a lasting impression of romance and emotions on your mind.”

To view trailers and promos of the movie, do a Google search of “Meri Shaadi Karao”.

“she did it all by herself” - Vasundhra bangia

Vasundhra bangia

www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 NEW ZEALAND

[email protected]

Page 4: Indian Weeekender #91

eco travel

4 Indian Weekender | July 27, 2012 | www.iwk.co.nz

Indian New Zealand

eco travel

When a married couple or couples who have entered into a marriage or a civil union decide to separate, it can be the first step towards dis-solution (divorce) of the marriage or a civil union. There are a lot of things to consider at every stage of this journey. Children should be at the top of the list, then the couple needs to sort out finances, family home, and who gets to keep what.

Family Court in New Zealand provides various services like counselling which can be helpful to the couple. Counselling can help the couple deal with the issues in their rela-tionship. The couple may decide to work on their marriage or civil union together, or may choose to separate and live apart. Whichever option they choose, counselling can make the decisions easier.

Family Court provides 6 free sessions of counselling whereby they appoints a coun-sellor and the couple can discuss their issues with the counsellor.

A separation means the couple is still legally married or in a civil union but have agreed to live separately. The couple can arrange a Separation Agreement or apply to the Family Court for a Separation Order.

A SEPARATION AGREEMENT is an agreement that can help to avoid any misun-derstandings later. It may cover issues such as day-to-day care of and contact with children, division of any property, and record the date of your separation. A separation agreement may be verbal or written down. If the agree-ment deals with how to divide your property, it has to be in writing and a lawyer has to

certify that you have both received individual legal advice

A SEPARATION ORDER is an order made by the Family Court. If the couple has a Sepa-ration Order, they are free of any obligation to live with each other. However, if the couple has children, they both still have legal respon-sibilities as parents.

If the couple agree to separate, a Separa-tion Order is not necessary. However, if one partner wants to separate and other partner does not, one partner can apply to the Family Court for a Separation order.

After you apply for a Separation Order, the Family Court will arrange counselling

for the couple. The couple or one partner may not have to attend counselling if other partner has used violence or the couple has attended counselling in the last 12 months.

The only way to get a divorce is to prove that the marriage has broken down irrec-oncilably and is at an end. The only way of proving that the relationship has broken down irreconcilably is by living apart for two years.

Only then can the Court dissolve the marriage or civil union. The two year period cannot be shortened, even if both the parties agree to the dissolution. Once the couple have been sepa-rated for two years they can contact the Family Court to get a divorce. They then need to apply for dissolution of mar-riage. The couple can apply together with a joint application, or one party can apply alone.

The couple can live together for a total of three months within the two year separation

period if they can satisfy the Court that the main reason for this was to get back together ("reconciliation"). They can get back together more than once, as long as the total time to-gether is not more than three months.

The couple must meet the following crite-ria for divorce:

1. At least one of party must live in New Zealand with the intention to live here in-definitely

2. The couple is living apart3. The couple have been living apart for at

least two years4. The couple agreed to separate at least two

years ago5. The couple’s marriage or civil union has

broken down irreconcilably

If the couple have children who are under 16 years old (or, in special circumstances, 16 years or older) the couple will need to satisfy the Court that they have made arrangements for their day to day care, maintenance, and other aspects of their welfare, or, that there is a good reason why no arrangements have been made. The granting of a dissolution order does not make these arrangements into a Court order or determine what the parenting arrangements will be in the future. The Court does not consider issues of relationship prop-erty when granting a dissolution order.

If you need more information regarding the issue of Separation or Divorce, please contact:RAJ PARDEEP SINGH/ ASHIMA BUDGOOJARBarrister & SolicitorKenton Chambers LawyersPh: +64 9 358 1900Fax: +64 9 358 1903EMAIL: [email protected] / [email protected] www.kentonlaw.co.nz

Divorce or Separation: A Review

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kenton-chambers.pdf 1 8/21/2012 9:57:49 PM

We are proud to announce that our office is expanding and we are

opening our second branch at 125 East Tamaki Road, Papatoetoe, South Auckland in February 2013.IMMIGRATION:

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Citizens and people from Kiribati, Tuvalu and Tonga

f.Appeal & Judicial Review - for people whose application was declinedCRIMINAL LAW

We provide expert advice in the all criminal matter, from drunk driving to domestic violence.COMMERCIAL AND PROPERTY LAW

We have extensive experience in all areas of property transactions and conveyancing, including residential and commercial property, business transactions, commercial

lease and finance. Our lawyers can help and assist in selling and buying houses, commercial buildings, industrial or rural properties and all kinds of general property transactions.CORPORATE & COMMERCIAL

With its expertise in commercial field and many years of experience, we provide high standard and quality legal advice on business transaction, company matters, contracts and agreements, directors and shareholders rights and duties, etc.

Our areas of practice include:■ Contracts■ Company incorporation■ Sales and purchase of company shares ■ Company structuring ■ Director’s duties ■ Sale and purchase of business■ Shareholder disputes ■ Ownership and business structuring ■ Franchising agreements

FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIP LAW During or upon the end of a relationship,

we can help you find practical solutions to the most difficult situation with all the family law requirements. We are trustworthy and committed to your case with our experience.Our areas of practice include:

■ Separation and Dissolution of Marriage■ Day to Day Care, Parenting Agreements

& Parenting orders■ Spousal Maintenance/Child Support■ Relationship Property Negotiations and

Applications

■ Adoption and Guardianship■ Paternity■ Protection Orders■ De Facto & Property Agreements■ Contracting Out Agreements■Miscellaneous Applications

EMPLOYMENT We aim to achieve pragmatic solutions

to employment law issues. We are able to provide constructive advice on a wide range of employment-related matters.Our areas of practice include:

■ Preparation and review of Employment Agreements, contracts and policy manuals

■ Advice on all aspects of employment relationship, including resolving workplace disputes, redundancy and restructuring, dismissals, performance management, health and safety, restraints of trade, confidentiality and intellectual property, privacy, parental leave, human rights issues, Kiwisaver and employment implications of selling/purchasing a business

■ Ensuring compliance with legislation including Employment Relations Act 2000, Holidays Act 2003 and its amendments, other relevant Acts, statutes, regulations, bylaws and other authorities

■ Engaging in dispute resolutions and advocacyESTATE PLANNING, TRUSTS AND WILLS

We assist you in every aspect of your estate planning - how to plan, manage and protect your assets during your lifetime and death. Our lawyers can organise necessary

structures to meet your personal and/or business needs by building close and trusted relationships with clients.

Our areas of practice include:■ Preparation of Wills■ Deceased Estate Administration■ Family Trusts and Gifts■ Powers of Attorney (including

Enduring Powers of Attorney)■ Family Estate Claims■ Wills Interpretation

Why Choose KENTON CHAMBERS LAWYERS?

■ The friendly Ethnic lawyers with NZ-qualifications, experience and expertise in NZ Immigration law and Procedures

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For any further queries, or any employment matter, please contactRAJ PARDEEP SINGH & ASHIMA BUD-GOOJAR Barrister & SolicitorKenton Chambers LawyersPh: +64 9 358 1900Fax: +64 9 358 1903Website: www.kentonlaw.co.nz Level 8, 300 Queen Street, Auckland Central. Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Legal matters with Kenton Lawyers

www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 NEW ZEALAND4

We wish you a Merry X-mas and a happy New

Page 5: Indian Weeekender #91

Canadian based filmmaker Srinivas Krishna, well known for making the

award winning movie, Masala, will be in the country for the Auckland Arts Festival in March.Krishna will be in Auckland during the first week of the festival which is being held from March 6 to March 24. There will be workshops and talks during his visit.

His exhibition “When the Gods Came Down to Earth” will be held at the Aotea Square daily from March 6 to march 24 and at the Mangere Arts Centre from March 8 to April 28.

Krishna, filmmaker and artist, launched his career in 1993 with the international hit Masala, establishing him “as one of the most talented and provocative directors working

in North America today,” according to The Critical Guide to Contemporary Directors published by Wallflower Press, London.

Masala premiered at the Toronto and Sundance Film Festivals, garnered rave reviews and was sold worldwide. In 2002 the British Film Institute voted it among the Top Ten South Asian Diaspora Films of the 20th century and an audience favorite. His second feature, Lulu, had its world premiere in the Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival.

Krishna’s work includes producing, writing and directing television dramas, documentaries, and dance films, creating video art installations, as well as writing stage plays and opera.

In 2009, his first feature documentary, Ganesh, Boy Wonder, premiered in Hot Docs, he Canadian International Documentary Festival, and, in 2010, won Best Documentary at the Indian Film Festival of New York (MIAAC) before receiving its prime time broadcast in Canada on OMNI TV and on the Discovery Channel in India.

Last year, his series of multi-platform short films for Bravo!/CTV, Athletes in Motion, won the Best Drama/Fiction Award at the 2010 European Video and Mobile TV Forum in Paris and was nominated for Best Branded Entertainment at the 2010 Banff International Television Festival.

Driven by a desire to develop new motion picture experiences for audiences, Krishna began to create large scale public video and transmedia art installations. When The Gods Came Down To Earth premiered in Federation Square, Melbourne in 2008 and continues to tour major venues and arts festivals around the world, including the ICC at the ROM, Toronto (2008), the Vancouver Winter Olympics (2010), the Queens Museum of Art in New York (2011), with a comprehensive presentation by the Auckland Arts Festival (2013).

His installation, My Name Is Raj, commissioned by Luminato and TIFF, is inspired by the legacy of pioneering Indian

filmmaker Raj Kapoor and premiered at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto June through August 2011 (mynameisraj.ca) and will tour to the Perth International Arts Festival in February 2013. Krishna is currently developing an augmented reality technology platform and experience product at the Fort York National Historic Site in Toronto, scheduled to launch in April, 2013.

In whatever format or media, at the heart of Krishna’s work lies a passion for making images and telling stories that explore the human condition in ways that are intellectually stimulating, emotionally compelling, and visually stunning.

Masala maker to spice up Auckland fest

A glimpse from Krishna’s exhibition ‘When the Gods Came Down to earth’, and (below) srinivas Krishna

5 www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 NEW ZEALAND

Page 6: Indian Weeekender #91

Becoming a part-time student at one of the most prestigious universities in the world isn’t something

ANZ banker Ramesh Subramaniam would have even imagined three months ago.

The fact was that he was already fully immersed in a busy corporate life in international banking. However, it was part of his career development that made him decide to apply to Oxford University to do a postgraduate course.

“I applied to Oxford University’s business school back in September,” says Ramesh. “I know how tough the selection process is, so I considered it a long-shot.”

“When I received my acceptance, I had to pinch myself. Oxford University has a world-class reputation for academic excellence and to represent ANZ and New Zealand there will be an honour and privilege”

Ramesh will be studying towards a 1-year diploma in Financial Strategy, alongside his work at ANZ, commencing in January 2013.

Ramesh is presently Head of South Asia for ANZ New Zealand’s International Banking Services (IBS) team, which primarily focuses on the banking needs of migrants from India, Philippines and other South East Asian countries.

For those looking to move to New Zealand to study, work or to make it their new home, ANZ’s migrant team has established a pre-arrival account set-up service to make banking here easy and hassle-free. Pre-arrival accounts are set up within 24-48 hours to receive credit funds and when migrants arrive in the country, ANZ will complete the bank identification process, giving them access to more than 300 branches and more than 700 ATMs nationwide.

ANZ has been a strong supporter of the Indian community for many years and recently sponsored a series of Diwali festivals in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The IBS team also has long-standing partnerships with corporates, public institutions and immigration agents here and offshore

to help new migrants and students settle into their new environment quickly.

“From multilingual branch staff to market-leading mortgage rates, ANZ has a wide range of initiatives to help migrants with their banking requirements”. Ramesh is confident that the strategic decision-making skills

acquired at Oxford in 2013 will generate further ideas to create value for ANZ’s customers in future.

ANZ International Banker to study at Oxford“When i received

my acceptance, i had to pinch myself.”

www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 NEW ZEALAND6

ramesh subramaniam

Page 7: Indian Weeekender #91

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When Sunil Kaushal migrated to New Zealand nearly 18 years ago

with a degree from NIIT (National Institute of Information Technology) – one of India’s most coveted educational institutions – his first job in this country was of milking 370 cows. From learning the ropes of farming and loving every bit of it, the man went on to become the pioneer of business exchange between India and New Zealand.

As they say, that’s what success stories

are made of... Sunil’s is definitely one such story. Living by his father’s words: “Everything is negotiable. It may be difficult but not impossible. No is not an option”, this farmer-turned-banker has sure expanded his horizons to make the impossible possible and credits his humble beginnings for whatever he has achieved today.

As the Head of India Relations at ANZ Bank and an executive c o m m i t t e e member of INZBC (India New Zealand Business Council), Sunil is the initiator of the India-NZ business strategy across New Zealand for the bank.

Most importantly, he has created a platform for NZ companies to explore business opportunities in India. In a recent breakthrough, which could well be a historic step in establishing and enhancing trade links between India and NZ; NZ National Fieldays Society has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with The Confederation of Indian Industry – the industry organisation behind Agro Tech, India’s largest agricultural technology trade event.

The memorandum, which is brokered by ANZ, will not only provide the opportunity for collaboration between the

two organisations but also bring together two countries, which have farming and agriculture as their dominant industries.

“Since India and NZ are big on the primary sector, an exchange of practices and knowledge between the two countries will be beneficial for both. While NZ can share its agri technology and expertise, India’s strength lies in the manufacturing department

with tractor and harvesting,” Sunil informs. Helming many more path-breaking initiatives like these through ANZ, this banker has also facilitated living

expenses and tuition fees up to a year for Indian students coming to NZ by creating a Funds Transfer Scheme in collaboration with INZ (Immigration New Zealand). He has also been instrumental in releasing a paper, consisting of an insightfully detailed study on the what, why and how of doing business in India.

“Success in banking is how successful your clients are. I think one’s biggest ambition should be to have a heart to help people succeed. Hence, I see it as an opportunity and challenge rather than a right to do whatever I can in my capacity and position. It’s all about what you do with what you have,” he believes.

Naturally then, Sunil’s commitment towards serving his community doesn’t end

on the professional level. While his middle-class background and experience of starting work on ground level has helped him understand his customers and empathise with them, it’s through his parents that he has learnt to “sow his seed back” and give back to society.

Along with all his professional responsibilities, another priority that rules his already super busy life is “Living Hope”.

It’s been more than 10 years since Sunil has been involved in providing free education to the 151 underprivileged kids in this slum school in Gurgaon, Delhi, which is spearheaded by his mother.

“I believe the best thing you can do for someone is to educate them. So the cause is close to my heart. Besides, my parents have always been involved in social welfare. My mother teaches the slum children at Living Hope while my father is in the process of starting an orphanage in Sangatpura, near Amritsar, soon,” he narrates.

And well, that’s not all for Sunil. When he is not up to serious business or social work, one can catch him spending time with wife Cherie, mucking around with his four children and playing cricket.

“With a Kiwi-European wife, I have got the best of both worlds. Moreover, it helps on the professional front as I get to know how Kiwis think,” he laughs.

Banking on big businessArWA JANJALi

“one’s biggest ambition should be to have a heart to

help people succeed.”

7 www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 NEW ZEALAND

sunil Kaushal

Page 8: Indian Weeekender #91

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A new survey commissioned by AA Tourism confirms that Kiwis’ 2013

domestic holiday plans are more action packed than ever. And it names Auckland and Wellington as two of the top five destinations where New Zealanders want to take holidays in the next six months.

The Mood of the Traveller Survey questioned 1000 New Zealanders

on everything from preferred accommodation types to favoured holiday hot spots. Respondents cited exercising more, improving their health, losing weight and reducing stress as some of their top 10 things to do for 2013 – a trend also reflected in AA Tourism’s recent 101

Must Do’s survey rankings.

GM Marketing AA Tourism, Rebecca Cherry, says the latest Mood of the Traveller findings come as no surprise. “The rationale behind the Mood of the Traveller survey was to explore New Zealand travellers’ psyche and how that relates to their travel decisions. Physical activity is increasingly becoming an integral part of Kiwi’s holiday choices, especially for families looking to add an element

of adventure into their getaways. “You only need to look at the rising popularity of activities like the Otago Rail Trail, the Tongariro Crossing and walking tracks like the walk to Cathedral Cove or the Abel Tasman Coast Track to see evidence of this trend.”

The 101 Must Dos also mirrored the Mood of the Traveller survey in respect to Kiwi’s increased demand for more relaxing, stress free getaways, with Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa and Rotorua’s Polynesian Spa voted number one and two respectively.

“In addition to making the most of the natural resources, destinations like Hanner Springs and Rotorua are perfect for a stress free holiday and after the recent tough economic times, these retreats could be just what the doctor ordered,” says Ms Cherry.

The survey also revealed that 69 percent of Kiwis aspired to travelling more domestically in the next six months than what they’re currently planning to. Other findings in the Mood of the Traveller Survey

include:• Top 10 things New Zealanders are

planning to do in 2013: reduce debt (53%), exercise more (53%), increase savings (52%), improve health (49%), lose weight (44%), reduce stress (40%), have more NZ holidays (36%), have more overseas holidays (30%), get a new job (22%), have children (9%)

• 48 % of New Zealanders are intending to go away this Christmas and New Year period

• 21 % of New Zealanders are expecting to spend more on their domestic holidays this year compared with last year

• Top five destinations Kiwis plan to holiday at over the next six months are: Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Nelson.

• 61% find and book accommodation using an online accommodation booking website

For the full survey results of the latest AA Mood of the traveller survey, visit www.tianz.org.nz/main/mood-of-the-traveller

Auckland, Wellington top holiday spots

Camp at Awana Bay

With a pristine white-sand surf beach, tidal

creeks, wetlands, rolling hills and regenerating kauri forest, Awana Bay is a summer oasis.

Located on the east coast of Great Barrier Island, Awana Bay also features a popular holiday campsite – one of six on the island run by the Department of Conservation.

It is believed Awana was named after Te Pā a Wana, a historic Māori fortress that was situated on the headland overlooking Awana stream and beach. Te Wana was a Māori chief and an ancestor of Ngāti Tai, a Māori tribe that lived in the area until the 17th century.

You can visit Great Barrier Island by plane or ferry, with services departing daily.

Be the adventurer this summer Outdoor fun at Coromandel

The stunning Coromandel Peninsula boasts of being one of New Zealand’s

favourite summertime destinations. With kilometres of coastline, infinite beaches and coves, andcountless bush-clad walkways, the Coromandel is a holiday playground. What would be idealto do here would be to explore the scenic beauty with some outdoor adventure.Horse trekking, mountaineering, cycling and adventure driving are just a few picks. Hear kiwis calling at Tawharanui

Open sanctuary at Tāwharanui regional park provide a pest-free haven for native species and

a place for visitors to swim, camp, mountain bike and snorkel. Campers at Tāwharanui canalso listen out for resident kiwi calling across the valleys.A new predator-proof fence across Omaha Spit provides protection for endangered NewZealand dotterel. You can still visit, but keep a safe distance from nesting birds.

www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 NEW ZEALAND8

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Scuba dive at White Island

With the active volcano just 48 kilometres off the shores of Whakatane in the Bay of

Plenty,White Island (Whakaari) offers the unique experience of diving around a live volcano. It is New Zealand’s most beautiful destination on the North Island and one of the best for scubadiving.Experience the volcanic activity along with a vast variety of marine life.

Walk the world’s longest walkway

Te Araroa is a 3000km walkway stretching the length of New Zealand. It is made up of new

and established tracks that link together to form one of the longest walkways in the world.Its route through Auckland starts in the north at Te Arai, heading to Puhoi and then down the

east coast of the North Shore.It follows the Coast to Coast Walkway through central Auckland, skirts the ManukauHarbour, then heads south-east to Hunua and into Waikato.The Auckland tracks cover a variety of terrain and vary from two to 12 hours’ walking time.Visit www.teararoa.org.nz for a map and description of each track, making it easy to pick a walk that suits you.

A story about a brother in search of his estranged sister has scooped the prestigious David Carson-Parker Embassy Prize in

Scriptwriting. Vinay Choudary, a student at Victoria University’s International

Institute of Modern Letters, won the prize for his script The Bloody Mulligans.Vinay says the prize is a fairy-tale ending.

“I grew up in Bombay (now Mumbai), and after graduating from university in 1998, worked writing soap operas for Indian television. I felt burnt out and under-challenged with this work, and decided to step out of India and explore broader themes and issues in my writing.

“The prize makes the risk I took quitting television to go back to university worth it, and gives me confidence that the decision to explore my horizons was the step in the right direction.”

Vinay chose the IIML because of the intimate class size, the workshop environment and one year course structure. “The IIML has been warm, gentle and nurturing — it’s a great environment to find one’s feet (or voice) as a writer.”

Set in present day New England, The Bloody Mulligans tells the story of a brother in search of his sister. After an unexpected reprieve for the murder of a police officer, Patrick ‘Major’ Mulligan sets out on a search for his estranged sister Maggie — and discovers that someone else has been living Maggie’s life for several years.

Ken Duncum, the IIML’s Michael Hirschfeld Director of Scriptwriting, says that Vinay showed huge commitment — and faith — in coming to New Zealand to do his MA in Scriptwriting.

“Inventive, passionate and heartfelt, The Bloody Mulligans is a story of redemption in a world of shades of grey. Subtle and revealing levels of complexity, it is a rich and rewarding story — testament to the excellenceof Vinay’s craft and art as a filmwriter.”

Funded through the Victoria University Foundation, the David Carson-Parker Embassy Prize in Scriptwriting was established through an endowment by the Embassy Theatre Trust and by arts philanthropist the late David Carson-Parker, and now by Jeremy Commons.

Fairytale ending for Indian scriptwriter

9 www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 NEW ZEALAND

Page 10: Indian Weeekender #91

Carols by Candlelight is the flavour of the season. Head to your nearest park and sink in

the Christmas fever with carols, candles and Santa for company

Christmas being a stone’s throw away, there’s an infectious festive spirit in the air and one venue that seems to be attracting all the crowd are the parks.

If you happen to stroll by at any of the parks at the moment, you’ll know what I mean. I took one in Potters Park at Balmoral Road on Sunday evening and was it a walk to remember! With Santa Claus in a corner accompanied by kiddies and shutterbugs, kettle corn feeding hungry tummies at the other, Christmas themed face painting being the activity for the evening

and music filling up the atmosphere, the park came alive in every sense of the term. And oh, did we mention the delightful magician, who made the kids go berserk with his tricks?

For music lovers, it could just be the enjoyment of singing and listening to carols with a candle in hand, but Carols by Candlelight is actually that ideal relaxed evening out with family or friends. As I saw moms and dads lazing on the grass as their children were busy with the Santa, magician and face painting, and also, group of friends, who chatted away – occasionally humming carols with the singers on stage – I realised how wonderfully Christmas, like most other festivals, brings people together to rejoice and make merry.

Jingle bells at twilightArWA JANJALi

Xmas so far....

Farmers Santa Parade

Southland Santa Parade

Santa Parade at Queen Street

Santa Parade at Queen Street

www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 NEW ZEALAND10

Page 11: Indian Weeekender #91

Like every Friday, I was making shopping list for Saturday’s shopping and as

Christmas is just around the corner, my list was becoming longer and longer. Seeing this, my husband jokingly said, “I am not Santa Claus to fulfill all your wishes. I also jokingly said, “And I am not a child. I know that you are not Santa. I know Santa very well.” “Then, tell me what do you know about Santa?” he asked.Before I could answer, my phone rang. One

of my friends called me to ask if I had ever been to Santa Parade in Queen St, Auckland. I said no as it is very uncommon in India. With great excitement we planned to go to the Santa Parade next morning. While we were waiting for the Parade, I heard sweet voice of a kid. The kid asked her mother: “Mom when is Santa going to come?” Her mother said, “Please wait for

some time my dear.” After few minutes the kid asked: “Who is Santa?” Her mother said, “Santa Claus is a joyous, white – bearded man with spectacles. He wears a red coat with white collar and cuffs. His trousers are of red colour with white cuffs. He also wears black leather belt and boots. The most exciting thing is that he brings gifts for good children like you.” “ I know that mom. I saw Santa in last year’s Parade. I want to know more about Santa.”

“What do you want to know?” asked the mum.“Where does he come from and when is his birthday?”Hundreds of years ago there lived a monk named St. Nicholas, explained the mother. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around 280 AD in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey. He was known for his piety and kindness giving away all his wealth and travelled to help poor and sick. It is also said that he saved three poor sisters from being sold into slavery by their father. He gave money to their father so that they could be married. He made his first inroads into America towards the end of the 18th Century. In December 1773, and again in 1774, a New York newspaper reported that groups of Dutch families had gathered to honour the anniversary of his death. The name Santa Claus evolved from the Dutch nickname, Sinter Klaas, a shortened form of Sint Nikolaas (Dutch for Saint Nicholas). In 1820, stores began to advertise Christmas shopping which featured images of newly popular Santa Claus. The newspapers were also creating separate sections for holiday advertisements with the image of Santa Claus.Since then this image has been maintained and reinforced through song, radio, television, children books and films. The

modern day image of Santa as a stout man is based on Coca-Cola ads from the 1930s.After listening the story of Santa the kid asked her mother, “You mean to say St. Nicholas was Santa Claus.” The mother said, “Yes my dear.” Then the kid with a disappointment asked, “So we can’t see St. Nicholas any more?” The mother said, “Yes but we can see Santa Claus. He is still alive and you can see him giving gifts to children, protecting them and donating money for the welfare of mankind. He is full of life and will live forever to make glad the hearts of children.” “Is this story a real one?” “Well that’s what my mom told me when I was small like you. There are different stories about Santa in different parts of the world. If you want to know more about Santa and want to confirm this story you can go to the library and read books written on Santa Claus.” the mom said.“OK mom. I will find it out today itself.” Then the kid said, “Hey…please look mom … Santa is coming and giving gifts.” After the Parade, Santa came towards us and asked me, “What is your wish?” I said, “I am very happy and don’t want anything.” He removed his white beard and spectacles and I exclaimed, “You! To my surprise that was my husband dressed as Santa. We all had such a good laugh.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Here’s the story of Santa ClausANuJA KotiA

Ken Ring’s weather forecasts have been relied on by Kiwis for over 15

years, and his annual weather almanacs are always eagerly anticipated. September sees the publication of the 2013 Almanac in which Ken suggests that next year will be one of weather surprises.

So what can you expect?hhhhhhhhhhhh• NZers can be prepared for a delightful

December, possible heat waves in January, the late arrival of autumn and a late start to winter.

• The cyclone season should be light and late, with a number of threats that turn to fizzers, with the first real significant scare (but resulting in minimal impact) not until March.

• March heavy rains look likely to bring floods.

• January is often dry and sunny. February is sunny and mild. March may have wet periods. April is warm and

wet and May is sunny and mild. June is stormy and July is cold and snowy. August may be cold but not very wet. September is wet for the South Island but dry for top half of the North Island. October is cloudy and wet. November is sunny but cool. The second and third weeks in December are dry for the North island and Canterbury.

• Most public holidays in 2013, including Waitangi Day and Easter, may be wet.

Ken Ring’s New Zealand Weather Almanac 2013 can allow you to accurately calculate the weather for any day in the year ahead, anywhere in the country. Inside you’ll find day-per-page forecasts, fishing and gardening guides for each day of the year, daily weather maps and short forecasts for every major centre, extreme weather warnings, expected temperatures, sunshine and rainfall for over 50 locations, and much more.

Weather forecast 2013

www.national.org.nz

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11 www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 NEW ZEALAND

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Young Professionals host PM over dinnerMP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi recently hosted PM John Key over an exclusive dinner

with young Indian professionals. It was a golden opportunity for young corporates to come together for an exclusive tete-a-tete with the Prime Minister and discuss everything under the sun along with serious business. A commendable networking initiative, we must say.

www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 NEW ZEALAND12

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Gawan bakshi (m) and Gurinder Puri (r) receiving the Hon PM

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Left: ravi raniga, Ceo, Kiwi institute of training & education with PMright: the guests

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Page 13: Indian Weeekender #91

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Among the many exotic images India invokes, mathematics isn’t usually

one of them.Yet India developed sophisticated and

foundational mathematical concepts, including the place value base ten system and trigonometry functions that we use today.

Surprisingly little is known about the mathematics and related subjects of this rapidly growing international power.

A University of Canterbury (UC) lecturer Dr Clemency Montelle recently received an $800,000 Rutherford Discovery Fellowship grant to look at the benefits of historical mathematics, astronomy and science in India.

She will start her fellowship research early next year. With an intellectual history spreading almost 3000 years, India has produced 30 million manuscripts over this period but very few of these have been identified and fewer still studied in any detail. “Given that this tradition is the direct scientific legacy of over a sixth of the world’s population, rectifying this oversight is long overdue. I intend to remedy this.

“This culture of inquiry produced mathematics in contrasting circumstances

to the West which led to some distinctly different scientific priorities and insights. Recent scholarshave dismissed these achievements because they don’t resemble what they deem to be theexacting standards of western styles of proof and demonstration.”

As New Zealand seeks to strengthen its relations with the India, the ramifications of contributing to its heritage and efforts to preserve and make accessible its historic resources cannot be underestimated.

Sharing knowledge and expertise is a significant way to forge new and lasting relations between nations and enhances mutual understanding and cooperation in many spheres, Dr Montelle said.

“This is a unique opportunity for the University of Canterbury to assume a lead role in such research and I will forge new and important relationships with key Indian tertiary institutions such as IIT-Mumbai and the Chennai Mathematical Institute.’’

Her project is in the spirit of recent governmental strategies to enhance educational links with India. The new NZ-India Research Institute has been welcomed by Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce.

NZ researcher to study Indian scientific history

Corban Revell Lawyers honoured Wenceslaus Anthony who was

recently appointed as a Director to the Board of the Bank of Baroda, New Zealand and also became the first person of Indian Origin to be the Chairperson of the India New Zealand Business Council.

It was also an occasion to celebrate the achievements of Wenceslaus’s contribution to the Indian business community and for promoting business and trade between India and New Zealand.

Wenceslaus is Chairman and Managing Director of the WAML Group, Director of Pact Industries PTY Limited in Australia.

A strong advocate of living and doing business in New Zealand, he aims to foster a synthesis of the wealth of intellectual capital of New Zealand and the financial muscle and market opportunity of India, in the interests of both nations.

Prior to moving to New Zealand, Wenceslaus was the Deputy Director and Secretary to the Board of Studies for Loyola Institute of Business Administration in the well known Jesuit-Loyola College, Chennai, India. He has also worked in corporate organizations such as Godrej and Boyce and Hindustan Computers Ltd.

He is very committed to his faith and care and concern for all human beings. Having previously worked very closely with the late Mother Teresa, he chairs the Mother Teresa Inter Faith Committee established in Auckland in 2010. He is the Chairperson of Conquest Club, working with 11 to 14 year old boys to build and shape their character for being “Leaders for Tomorrow”.

Mr Anthony said he accepted the felicitation for a simple reason: “It’s a day of thanksgiving to God. My first, fundamental belief is that I am just an instrument for the use of God. I am weak, but he is strong,” he said.

He said that his faith comes from his devout parents, the Salesians who taught him, and Young Christian Students (YCS Movement) and his sense of impartiality and justice comes from the Jesuits and the All India Catholic University Federation (AICUF movement).

Wenceslaus Anthony honoured

13 www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 NEW ZEALAND

Lawrence,Wenceslaus,Navin upreti

Page 14: Indian Weeekender #91

Ravi Shankar is the Godfather of World Music. Nothing better sums

up the stature of the sitar maestro perhaps than these words of George Harrison, the late Beatles member whose famous association with the Indian musician is a folklore in the world of music.

While the Beatles member called him the Godfather of World Music, violinist Yehudi Menuhin had compared Ravi Shankar with Mozart.

“Ravi Shankar has brought me a precious gift and through him I have added a new dimension to my experience of music. To me, his genius and his humanity can only be compared to that of Mozart’s” were the words of Yehudi Menuhin who was a pupil too.

Pandit Ravi Shankar, legendary sitar player and brand ambassador of Indian classical music to the world, passed away on December 12 at San Diego in USA at the age of 92. But the musical legacy he left behind enriched generations of Indian classical as well as fusion music practitioners.

But the man who celebrated music, also left behind his philosophy of celebrating life as it comes. So his personal life was as colourful, often controversial, as his musical journey that began in India where he was born in Varanasi on April 7, 1920.

Few are aware that Ravi Shankar recomposed the music for the popular song Sare Jahan Se Achcha at the age of 25. He has authored violin-sitar compositions for Yehudi Menuhin and himself, music for flute virtuoso Jean Pierre Rampal, music for Hosan Yamamoto, master of the Shakuhachi and Musumi Miyashita - Koto virtuoso, and has collaborated with Phillip Glass (Passages).

Harrison produced and participated in two record albums, Shankar Family & Friends and Festival of India, both composed by the maestro.

The Concert for Bangladesh, which was the name for two benefit concerts organised by Harrison and Shankar, on Aug 1, 1971 to raise funds for the relief of Bangladesh war victims, had drawn 40,000 people at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The concerts were followed by a bestselling live album, a boxed three-record set, and Apple Films’ concert documentary, which opened in cinemas in the spring of 1972.

Shankar has also composed for ballets and films across the world. He had worked for films like Charly, Gandhi, and more famously the Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray, another Indian maestro from the world of film making. His musical composition for Tapan Sinha’s Kabuliwala won him the Silver Bear Extraordinary Prize of the Jury at the 1957 Berlin International Film Festival.

He was also famously associated with The Woodstock Festival at which he performed in August 1969.

The musician was also an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and is a member of the United Nations International Rostrum of composers.

Besides a Bharat Ratna in 1999, which India’s highest civilian honour, he got 14 doctorates – the Padma Vibhushan, Desikottam, Padma Bhushan of 1967, the Music Council UNESCO award 1975, the Magsaysay Award from Manila, Grammys, the Fukuoka grand Prize from Japan, the Polar Music Prize of 1998, the Crystal award from Davos, with the title ‘Global Ambassador’ to name some.

Remembering the ‘Godfather of World Music’

Lifetime Achievement Grammy for Panditji

Ravi Shankar was named a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award recipient, a day after his death. The sitar maestro will be honoured along with six other artists at an invitation-only ceremony in Los Angeles Feb 9, just one day before the 55th annual Grammy Awards are to be telecast live from the Staples Centre in Los Angeles.

Ravi Shankar last week was named as one of the Grammy nominees for Best World Music Album. It is a category in which his daughter, sitar virtuoso Anoushka, 31, is also nominated, marking what appears to be the first time that a father and daughter’s albums will be competing for the same honour at the Grammys.

top left: Pandit ravi shankartop right: Pandit ravi shankar with his daughter Anoushka shankar

www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 INDIA14

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also open for lunch for group bookings.

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from just $25 and their cocktail menufrom just $8. You can go to theirwebsite www.bitez.co.nz to see their fullmenu.Venue hire is also available for Christmasfunctions, parties, conferences, where up to150 people can be seated with a choice ofboth menus. They are also open for lunch forgroup bookings.

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You can go to their website:www.bitez.co.nz to see their full menu for Restaurant A la Carte.

$65.99 Christmas Buffet Lunch - Book Now!Fresh Ham, Pork, Turkey, Variety of Salads, Seafood,

Delicious Desserts and more…European, Asian, Pacific buffet selection for Xmas

ALL YOU CAN EAT…You wont be disappointed.

$20.00 free drinks for a group of 10 dining.

There is lots of parking and easy to locate. Onsite motel accommodation available

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BOOK

NOW

In the run-up to the 2012 Gujarat Assembly elections, Narendra Modi becomes the first

Indian politician to make extensive use of the 3D Holographic technology to address the people.

The High-Definition holographic technology is obtained from a British firm Musion through NChant 3D which holds an exclusive license for India. Modi made extensive use of this path breaking technology and initially addressed a meeting at 4 places simultaneously. Buoyed by its success, he addressed the next gathering at 26 different places at one time. The next two gatherings were addressed at 53 places at one time. Each of the 133 3D meetings attracted on an average about 8-10 thousand people.

The Elections in Gujarat were held in two phases on 13th and 17th December. It was marked with an unprecedented voter turnout. Huge queues right from morning to evening were a common sight at most poll booths. According to the Election Commission of India, phase 1 recorded 70.75% voting and phase 2 recorded around 70.2% voting. The elections are considered as the dress-rehearsal for the 2014 General Elections with Modi being propelled as BJP’s PM Candidate if he manages to win Gujarat elections for a third consecutive time.

Historic start for Modi

New Delhi:  Sai Prasad Vishwanathan, India’s first disabled skydiver who has since childhood suffered

a loss of sensation in the lower half of his body, will add another feather to his cap when he goes to Antarctica in 2013.

Sai will become the first Indian with a disability to travel to the icy continent. In his 20s, Sai said he had an extra growth in his spinal cord and a surgery to remove it left him disabled.

He was forced to change many schools as they could not help him due to his disability. But, believing that his “salvation” lay in education, his parents pushed him through different schools. “My disability turned out to be my asset. It gave me many skills of my life,” said Sai.

He later received a scholarship for a degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US. Sai went on to become an engineer. “It was pleasantly shocking at how disabled friendly the US was. Their infrastructure support for the physically-disabled was simply mind-blowing. Every public place, transport, nook and corner was accessible. “It

was like a little heaven, for a person with disability,” he said.His life changed when he spotted a skydiving

advertisement on the university campus, and went for it. Thanks to that, he is now in the Limca Book of Records as the first Indian with a disability to skydive from a height of 14,000 feet.

Sai has won a host of awards, including the Helen Keller Role Model Person Award instituted by the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) in 2011.

He has also been featured in TV programme Satyamev Jayate hosted by Bollywood actor Aamir Khan. With the help of four friends, Sai has started an initiative called Sahasra, which provides scholarships to needy and meritorious students for engineering and higher education.

The initiative has so far helped 50 students for their engineering education, and provided scholarships worth Rs.12 lakh in two years. It was selected as one of the top 10 business plans in a competition conducted by the Hass School of Business, University of California, Berkeley.

Disabled skydiver heads to Antarctica

Left: sai skydiving. right: sai receiving the Heler Keller award from union Minister P. Chidambaram

15 www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 INDIA

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EDITORIAL

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New Zealand, once again, is split in two. The David Bain case has been infamous for being the cause of this. In the past it was guilty/

not guilty. Now, compensation/no compensation.The David Bain case, involving the defendant being tried and convicted

for the murder of his parents and three siblings, came back to the forefront of the media when his team of lawyers managed to successfully appeal his convictions to the Privy Council.

The Privy Council found there to be a miscarriage of justice and quashed his convictions, ordering a retrial. The second trial ended in June 2009 with his acquittal on all charges. During both the first and the second trials, the media coverage was extensive, splitting the country on his status – guilty or not guilty.

Last week, Judith Collins, the Minister of Justice released a report by Justice Binney, previously of the Canadian Supreme Court, who was asked to give the ruling as to whether Bain would receive compensation for the 13-and-a-half years he spent in prison.

The Justice was asked to consider two questions in his findings. One, whether he believed Bain was innocent and two, to report on any “extraordinary circumstances”. Justice Binnie concluded that Bain was innocent on the balance of probabilities and deserved compensation.

Collins, though received this report as early as August 30 this year. This report however, was not given to the Bain team even after many requests made by both his lawyers and Joe Karam, an ex-All Black, and a long standing supporter of the Bain camp. Through a leak, on the 10th of September, the New Zealand Herald reported that Justice Binnie had found Bain to be innocent. And a further leak stated that Dr Robert Fisher, QC, had been asked to review the Binnie report and give his opinion on the two questions put before Justice Binnie.

Collins, last week, publically said that Justice Binnie made “significant errors”, misinterpreted the evidence and went “well beyond” his terms of reference. Binnie has stated that Collins is plainly playing politics and it was unfair that Bain was not allowed to see the report until its release last week.

“Crusher” Collins, as she is often known, made a grave error of judgment here. It was in the spirit of fairness and non-bias that the report was firstly given to a judge that was not involved, nor knew of, the case and the media coverage.

The fact that she did not share this report with the Bain camp was a grievous error and an injustice. Furthermore, the fact that Fisher, QC, was asked to review the report only shows that the Crown is subscribing to double standards. It was decided that the Bain camp would accept the report whether it was favourable towards them or not. The Crown however, is behaving in a manner that implies that they will not rest until they get the result they seek - not to provide compensation.

The question of whether Bain is innocent or guilty is not relevant here. A jury of our peers found the man not guilty on all counts. Upon deciding this, the previously made mistake of convicting him, needs to, somehow, be corrected.

All we can do now is to compensate the man for what we have put him through, 13-and-a-half years in jail, the label of a mass murderer and a liar. In 1997, his life was taken from him in his prime. The least we can do now is compensate him, for our mistake.

- Pooja Sundar is a Law and Arts student at the University of Auckland

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited.”

- PlutarchPriest at the Delphic Oracle (c.45-125 AD)

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK

POOjA SUNDAR

Jacintha Saldanha should not have died

The sad tale of British Indian nurse Jacintha Saldanha taking her life following a prank telephone call by two larrikin Australian radio DJs

seems like something of a bad script from a dark comedy.“Dark” because a woman has ended up taking her life; and “comedy”

because the Australian DJs concerned, Michael Christian and Mel Greig, probably had a hoot and expected their gullible listeners to laugh with them.

Jacintha, 46, a mother of two teenagers, answered the prank call by the DJs to the King Edward VII Hospital, where the pregnant Kate Middleton was admitted with a severe case of morning sickness. The DJs impersonated (quite badly, reports say) the Queen and Prince Charles, while trying to glean information on Kate’s health condition.

Nurse Jacintha believed the callers to be who they said they were, and consequently passed the telephone to a colleague to answer. Days later, she took her life when it was revealed that it was a hoax call she had answered.

While it could be argued that the intentions of the DJs, and the radio station concerned, were not to drive another human being to end their life, the call was obviously to humour themselves and their listeners with unethically gleaned information of someone’s private life – in this case Kate Middleton.

This is not about Jacintha Saldanha because she was of Indian origin, but more about invasion of people’s privacy, and professionalism on the airwaves.

Royalty she may be, and very much a public figure, surely Kate Middleton and her husband Prince William need to keep their private moments just that – private.

That raises the question that to what extent will some radio stations go to gain “exclusives” in order for them retain their audiences in these times of modern media, which has been creating a financial dent in their sides.

You’ve got to draw the line somewhere.Journalistic professionalism, ethics and quality will go a long way in

keeping struggling media bobbing in the long run. - Arvind Kumar

Let’s help Fiji rebuild

It has happened before and will likely happen again – Fiji has again hit by a massive natural disaster following the wrath of Cyclone Evan

which cut across the country this week.And as the people begin to pick up the pieces and try and get back to nor-

mality, they will need all the help they can from those of us living overseas and are in a position to do so.

Cyclone Evan, after devastating Samoa late last week, hit Fiji’s Northern Division on Sunday and then ripped through the Western Division on Mon-day, leaving a trail of destruction not seen in the past 20 years.

It was one of the biggest cyclones to have ever hit the country.Tales of people re-living their terror at the height of the cyclone, and

stories of heroism and resilience are emerging.While the New Zealand Government has announced initial aid to Fiji,

I’m sure local communities are doing the same. The local radio stations have begun fundraising drives, as they have done in the past, and other community groups will be doing the same.

Let’s all lend Fiji a hand in their bid to rebuild. - Arvind Kumar

David Bain report: Let’s give the man what he deserves

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The people of Newtown, Connecticut, are the latest victims in the array of

gunman massacres that have been plaguing the United States in the past few years.

Adam Lanza, 20, shot and killed 20 children and six adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, before fatally turning the gun on himself. That morning Lanza had shot and killed his mother before taking her three semi-automatic firearms and ammunition.

This tragic event has been the final catalyst in activist and public outcry for tougher gun laws in the United States. In 2009, The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported that 66.9 per cent of all homicides in the United States were perpetrated using a firearm. This figure, coupled with the recent massacres and gun violence, seems to point

the way to making firearms illegal for the general public.

This has been the general feeling of most of the nation and often much of the international sphere: To ban guns. To make them illegal for the general public. To make sure that those with harmful agendas do not have access to them. To keep our people safe.

Contrary to the general belief, making guns illegal will not only be ineffective but also

make the problem worse. The illegality of marijuana, in the United

States, is a comparable case study for this situation. The banning of the narcotic only led to a massive black market, making it more accessible and easier to obtain. Previously, one had to be of a certain age to possess the drug; however, the ban has enabled those that are underaged. This is the situation that will arise with the banning of firearms. Currently, in the US, it takes at least seven days to obtain a gun legally, after undergoing tests and checks. This also means that there is an official record of those who possess firearms. Albeit, there are those that, even now, purchase guns illegally - I am only referring to the common man at this time.

If firearms are made illegal, the black

market would prosper, making them more accessible; no test and checks. In the case of Adam Lanza, he applied for a gun licence two days prior to the massacre and was turned down. Had his mother not been a gun enthusiast, he may never have come in possession of the firearms under the current system. This situation would have changed with the black market.

It would have taken Adam Lanza a mere few hours to be in possession of his own gun(s). While this would not have changed event as Lanza managed to access firearms, think of the other Lanzas out there who have been turned down for a firearms licence.

Most of the gun owners know their responsibility and are rigorous in their practices. It is only the small minority of gun owners who abuse this power for whatever reason, be it a vendetta or psychological issues. One should be given the option of carrying protection should they need it. With the rising crime rates all over the word, especially in developed nations - rape and assault in particular, it can be seen why one would fear for their safety.

Don’t get me wrong. While I believe that one should have the right to carry, I believe that gun control laws should definitely be stricter, tougher and more selective in handing out licences.

Robert Wright, a senior editor at The Atlantic and the author, most recently, of The Evolution of God , a New York Times bestseller and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, outlines that a good solution would be to ban guns that allow for more than six bullets. He further states that guns with detachable magazines also be banned.

This would force the owner to load each of the six bullets one by one into the firearm once they have all been fired. This, to me, seems like a good solution. For those who carry guns for protection, they would not need more than six bullets to fight for their safety and situations such as the massacre

would be greatly lessened as Lanza would have been caught trying to reload his gun.

While I agree that this would be immensely difficult to implement, it would have to be phased in over maybe a two-three year period, offering compensation or replacements for those who already owned firearms that would become illegal under the new laws.

While no guns at all in the world would be ideal, we live in a society where we fear for our safety on a daily basis and such a law would allow us to protect ourselves as well as hopefully minimising the number of casualties from those that take advantage of the law.

Banning firearms not the solutionPOOjA SUNDAR

Making guns illegal will not only be ineffective but also make the problem worse

The Test Series between India and England was a much touted ‘Revenge’ series. After India’s emphatic

victory at Ahmedabad, it seemed playing on the spinner friendly pitches in the sub-continent was too huge a task for the touring side.

But Alaister Cook and his men had other plans. They put up a gritty performance in the next three tests which will be cherished by them for a long time. At the end of the series the Indians have a lot of introspection to do. Harsh decisions will need to be taken. It is essential that the BCCI shuns its myopia, atleast for now.

Looking back at the series, Indians do have few positives

and a lot of negatives to dwell on.POSITIVES

1. Pujara & Kohli- While Pujara looked in sublime touch for most of the series, a jaded Kohli fought back after a string of failures to hit a superb century in testing times. Though it is too early to call Pujara as the next Wall, he comes across as the only Indian batsman to regularly show immaculate technique and endless perseverance building his innings. Kohli has yet again shown his hunger to excel in all forms of the game and is often tipped to be the next captain of the Indian team.

2. Ojha & Ashwin- Pragyan Ojha has undoubtedly been the best Indian bowler this series. The left arm spinner, a product of the IPL, has been the lone tormentor of the English batsmen, although his penetration dipped towards the latter part of the series. Ashwin failed to make an impression going into the series as India’s premier spinner but his batting impressed one and all. Ashwin’s flair with the bat often draws parallels with VVS Laxman’s elegance. Ashwin could be a perfect all rounder, if handled with care!NEGATIVES

1. M.S.Dhoni- Dhoni is probably the fastest big-gun cricketer to go from Hero to Zero. He was found lacking on many counts. His over-reliance on spinning pitches and subsequently losing comprehensively on spinning pitches made him a laughing stock in national media. He failed miserably with the bat throughout the series except for a solitary 99. But most importantly, he failed to inspire his players to live up to the challenge.

2. Non-Performing Seniors- With Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh already dropped, the whispers talking about Sachin’s retirement are getting louder. Sachin now looks a meek shadow of himself. Sehwag and Gambhir

are both guilty of converting starts into big knocks. 3. Faulty Selection- It is high time that the national

selectors get serious and start building a team for the future or else the transition period may last longer than a 5 year plan. It is sad to see Ajinkya Rahane and Manoj Tiwary eternally warming the benches. Indian pace bowling department looks very fragile with more bowlers injured than fit. It is amusing to see Piyush Chawla repeatedly getting recalls after under-performing consistently in Ranji Trophy!

4. PR Disaster-Former selector Mohinder Amarnath turns up on national television claiming that the selectors wanted to oust Dhoni and hand the captaincy to Gambhir but the BCCI resisted its move a couple of days back. If that was no enough , the next day reports suggested that Dhoni had made a formal complaint to the BCCI about Gambhir’s attitude.

India’s performance in Tests has been very disheartening. It is therefore imperative for the players and BCCI to get their act together and do some soul-searching.

Indian cricket at a crossroadsNIRAV SHAH

17 www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 COMMENT

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New Delhi: India has won three top tourism awards from the World Travel Awards (WTA), including

for being the world’s best destination.Apart from winning the award for best destination, it

also bagged the award for world’s leading tourist board award for its ‘Incredible India’ campaign and for world’s leading tourist attraction for Taj Mahal, a world heritage site. Accepting the award at an event here, Tourism minister K. Chiranjeevi said the ministry has planned a “multi-pronged strategy to increase India’s share in tourist arrivals”. 

“This includes development of world class infrastructure and manpower and undertaking aggressive promotional and marketing activities,” the minister

said.  He also said the ministry has launched the second phase of the Incredible India campaign where the focus was on destination and products to attract tourists to the country.In 2011, 6.29 million tourists visited India as compared to 5.78 million in 2010. The minister also said that tourism has become an instrument for sustainable development including poverty elimination, environmental regeneration and job creation in countries across the world. 

The World Travel Award, considered to be the biggest awards in the travel industry, was for the first time held in Asia.

India wins ‘world’s best destination’ award

New visa regime between Indo-Pak

New Delhi: A revised visa agreement between india and Pakistan was launched when Pakistan Interior

Minister Rehman Malik arrives on a three-day visit to India, said official sources.

Besides the revised visa agreement, the two countries also discussed counter-terrorism, border management, fake Indian currency notes and cooperation among security and investigation agencies.

Malik called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon, and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj Dec 15, they said.

In brief

India trounce Pakistan in T20 World Cup for blind

Bangalore: In a surcharged atmosphere with all the trappings of any game between the arch-rivals, India

trounced Pakistan by 30 runs in a thrilling final of the T20 World Cup for the blind here on Dec 13.

Delirious fans lifted Indian captain Shekar Naik on their shoulders. A tearful Pakistan skipper Zeeshan Abbasi acknowledged that India deserved to win the World Cup.

Karnataka Rajya Sabha member and Congress general secretary Oscar Fernandes and Sri Lankan legendary batsman Arjuna Ranatunga presented the awards.

Ketan Bhai Patel bagged the Man of the Series award in the fully blind category, Prakash Jayaramaiah in the partially blind category and Ajay Kumar Reddy in the partial vision category.

Lie detector test on Zee journalists dismissed

New Delhi: A Delhi court recently dismissed the police plea to subject two Zee news journalists, arrested for

an alleged Rs.100-crore extortion bid, to a lie detector test, saying the duo cannot be compelled to undergo it without their consent.

However, the court allowed the plea of Zee Group chief Subhash Chandra to undergo a lie detector test after advice of his doctor and in his lawyer’s presence.

Sudhir Chaudhary, head of Zee News, and Samir Ahluwalia, head of Zee Business, both in judicial custody, were accused of demanding Rs.100 crore from the Jindal Group in the form of advertisements to the channel. The journalists told the court that they were opposed to the lie detector test but open to giving samples for voice tests.

The journalists were arrested here Nov 27 on charges of attempting to extort Rs.100 crore from Congress MP Naveen Jindal’s company Jindal Power and Steel Ltd. (JPSL) in exchange for not filing news reports linking the firm to the irregular coal blocks allocation.

No plans to put India on moon

New Delhi: India has no plans to put an astronaut on the moon -- as of now.

So said Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office V. Narayanasamy in the Rajya Sabha Thursday.

The minister also said that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had no plans in the immediate future to launch space labs and manned spaceships or set up space stations.

“However, ISRO has undertaken the development critical technologies required for manned missions in the Earth’s orbit,” he said in a written statement.

ISRO has also initiated studied on Near Earth Objects and deflection strategies for Near Earth Astroids, he added.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh got the 19th po-sition in American magazine Forbes power list, while

United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi was named 12th most powerful person.US President Barack Obama has been named as the world’s most powerful person by American magazine Forbes. Obama, for the second consecutive year, topped the Forbes’ 2012 ranking of the World’s Most Powerful People.German Chancellor Angela Merkel bagged the second po-sition, while Russian President Vladimir Putin is at No 3. Spiritual leader Pope Benedict XVI ranked #5.Others in the list included Apple CEO Tim Cook (#35), LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman (#71), PayPal and Tesla Motors co-founder Elon Musk (#66), ex-US Presi-dent Bill Clinton (#50), Russian Prime Minister Dmitry

Medvedev (#61), Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (#25), Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff (#18), Wal-Mart Stores CEO Michael Duke (#17), world’s richest man Carlos Slim Helu (#11), Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud (#7) and New York Mayor Michael Bloomb-erg (#16).Some prominent people were also dropped from the list.“A number of prominent people fell off the entirely. Last year’s #2, Chinese President Hu Jintao, is on his way out of office; he’s already handed over some of his duties, and will surrender the rest early next year,” said Forbes.“We removed U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton from the list for the same reasons: They’re both not expected to return to their powerful posts for Obama’s second term,” the magazine said.

Sonia beats PM in power list

www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 INDIA18

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London: Australia’s media watchdog launched an inquiry into a radio station’s

prank call to the hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge was admitted, which was followed by the suicide of an Indian-origin nurse.

Jacintha Saldanha, 46, who worked at the King Edward VII Hospital in Marylebone, London, treating the 30-year-old Kate, was found hanging in her accommodation by a colleague and a security guard Dec 7, the Daily Mail reported.

Saldanha was on the reception desk when she took a call from Sydney-based 2Day FM presenters Mel Greig, 30, and Michael Christian, 25, who were pretending to be Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles.

The nurse then passed them onto a second nurse in Kate’s ward, who was duped into giving out details of the duchess’ medical condition.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will examine whether radio station 2Day FM and staff were

in breach of broadcasting licence conditions. The station risks being shut down if it is found to have broken the rules, the daily said.

Although Austereo has repeatedly apologised for the “tragic, regrettable death” of the nurse and has committed at least $500,000 to a memorial fund for her family, the media watchdog has shown its determination to dig deeper into the scandal.

Following Saldanha’s death, the two radio presenters appeared on Australian TV and expressed their sorrow for the tragic consequences of their hoax call.

The watchdog will be referring heavily to the radio broadcasting code, particular a part which states that it is a breach to record a person in conversation, and also air it, without their knowledge.

Austereo also cancelled the 2Day FM’s Christmas party out of respect for Saldanha, and donate the cash to two Australian charities that handle emotional, life threatening problems.

Killer hoax call investigated by Oz watch dog

The blame game

Saldanha reportedly wrote three letters; one expressed deep anger at the radio

presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian and blamed them for her death.

“We just made the phone call and that was it. We don’t get to make those decisions, we don’t get to make those calls, that’s done by other people. Our role is just to record and get the audio and wait to be told whether it’s OK or not OK,” Christian told an Australian news show.

A 2Day FM source last week accused Greig

and Christian of “playing dumb” and that they would have known of the protocols around broadcasting prank calls.

19 www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 INDIA ABROAD

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London: An Indian-origin Sikh is the first person guarding the

Buckingham Palace in his turban after being given the privilege not to wear the mandatory bearskin on ceremonial duties.

Guardsman Jatinderpal Singh Bhullar, 25, who joined the Scots Guards this year, has been given permission to wear a turban when on guard duty outside Buckingham Palace, breaking hundreds of years of tradition, Daily Mail reported.

The regiment traces its origin back to 1642 and its soldiers have worn bearskins on parade since 1832. Bhullar is based at Wellington Barracks in Birdcage Walk. The base is used by soldiers from the Scots Guards’ F Company, who are responsible for public duties and guarding the Queen.

For centuries, Sikhs have worn turbans in battle and fought as part of

the British Army - including Bhullar’s grandfather, who served in World War II. The step, however, has irked some serving non-commissioned officers based at Wellington Barracks, who are furious that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) compromised centuries of history for one soldier.

Traditionalists in the Scots Guards say the allowances made for Bhullar will make the whole company look ridiculous to tourists and onlookers. Bhullar is one of only 20 to 25 British-born Sikhs in the British Army.

A MoD spokeswoman said: “The Army takes great pride in its diversity. Discussions are underway between this unit, the Sikh community and the MoD. The individual will have the full support of the Army and his colleagues.”

London:  Indian-origin Britons are the largest  ethnic minority group  in the

UK, according to a report. Data from the 2011 census show that

the mixed-race population is among the fastest growing in Britain.  The data, which will be released soon, will suggest there are now more than one million people born to parents in interracial relationships. 

But academics believe the true figure could be more than double this, because many of mixed-race are believed to define themselves as a single race on official forms, the Daily Mail reports. 

The latest census results are expected to rank British Indians as the largest ethnic minority group, the paper said.  Islam will also be identified as the fastest-growing faith, with more than two million Muslims, it added. 

According to the 2001 census, 677,177 classified themselves as mixed race, equating to 1.2 per cent of the UK population.  The 2011 census is expected to show that one million Britons are mixed race, which equates to 1.6 per cent of the population, the report said.

UK’s largest ethnic minorityPalace guard’s new headgear

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The bill for the destruction caused by Cyclone Evan is expected to run into

hundreds of millions of dollars.Cyclone Evan tore through the Western

Division on Monday leaving a trail of destruction in its wake, after wreaking havoc in the Northern Division.

The tourism industry, the hardest hit by the Category Five storm, has said the damage bill to the country is expected to be exorbitant.

Fiji Hotels and Tourism Association president Dixon Seeto told the Fiji Times with Samoa’s damage bill tentatively

pegged at $300 million, Fiji’s would be significantly more.

“When you look at the areas that were affected from Rakiraki right through to Nadi, there are a lot of factories and industries situated in these areas. And you also have to factor in the fact that Fiji has more built-up areas,” he said.

A total 8416 evacuees were recorded in 147 evacuation centres around Fiji as of Tuesday afternoon following the widespread devastation caused by Cyclone Evan.

In the Northern Division, 3715 evacuees were recorded 45 centres, 2064 evacuees

in 53 centres in the Western Division, 2144 in 34 centres in the Central Division and 493 in 15 centres in the Eastern Division.

A state of natural disaster was declared Tuesday for the Western and Northern divisions.

National Disaster Management Office director Manasa Tagicakibau announced the declaration by the Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama.

Mr Tagicakibau said this was to allow authorities and stakeholders to speed up rehabilitation works in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Evan.

He said the State of natural disaster would be in effect for 15 days.

Ba and Tavua special administrator Arun Prasad said early warnings had

led to people taking precautionary measures and moving stock to higher ground.

Meanwhile, in Lautoka, the Western operations centre established at Churchill Park had to be relocated after the roof of the iconic stadium was blown off at the height of the cyclone.

Lautoka special administrator Praveen Bala said his team’s focus was clearing debris before moves would be made to address issues with municipal council properties.

“We want to ensure that business is brought back to normal as quickly as

possible and clearing our roads immediately after the storm passes will ensure this happens. Once this has happened we will start fixing our properties,” he said.

When this edition went to press at 10.30pm, gale force winds were still battering the Lautoka coastline, uprooting trees and bringing down both power and telecommunications lines.

Fiji’s biggest sugar mill in Lautoka was not spared the wrath of Cyclone Evan with the roof of one its storage sheds ripped apart, leaving stacks of sugar sacks at the mercy of the elements.

The South Pacific Fertilisers building suffered the same fate as ones at the Fiji Sugar Corporation grounds.

In the Northern Division, people sat through a night of terror on Sunday before Cyclone Evan moved on to wreak havoc in the Western Division.

The clean-up was well underway in Labasa and outlying areas after Cyclone Evan moved on to the Western Division.

Lautoka was like a war zone on Tuesday after Evan had passed through. Debris had spilled onto the city’s main street. Trees had fallen and roofs of some homes blown away.

Residents hung on though as strong wind smashed into the city and waves crashed onto the waterfront.

- additional reporting Fiji Times

Cyclone leaves Fiji batteredARVIND KUMAR

A number of Hindu businesses in the South Pacific region and academics from around the

world have responded positively to the World Hindu Economic Forum (WHEF) scheduled to be held in Fiji in February.

The Hindu business community contributes significantly to trade, commerce and industry in South Pacific countries, especially in New Zealand, Australia and Fiji.

WHEF Pacific Regional Forum will be held at Sheraton Fiji Resort, Denarau Island, Nadi, Fiji on Saturday, February 16, 2013. The theme is “Making the South Pacific community prosperous”.

Key people presenting papers at this Forum include Prof Gautam Sen from the UK, Swami Vigyananand from India, Dr Ganesh Chand and Prof Biman Prasad from Fiji.

Prof Gautam Sen, who has taught “Politics of the World Economy” at the Department of International Relations, London School of Economics, will speak on the pressing need that Hindu economy organises, not only for creating wealth but also for promoting economic equity across the world and help underdeveloped countries, and communities.

An existential principle of the adherents of Hindu Dharma is “Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam” (world is one family), and this principle has often guided Hindu economic activity in the more than 5000 years of Hindu culture.

Swami Vigyananand, the founder of WHEF, will give the background of the movement. The WHEF promotes activities to make society prosperous, primarily through the generation and sharing of material wealth in a manner that does not cause environmental destruction.

In a statement, Swami Vigyananand said, “The primary objectives of WHEF are to promote activities for developing enterprise and entrepreneurship globally; to develop solutions for the most crucial

of the issues confronting the world economy such as sustainable development, education, eradication of poverty, climate change and infrastructure development; and to promote a value based corporate governance system through organising seminars, conferences and research activities.”

Dr Ganesh Chand, vice-chancellor of Fiji National University, will speak on how Hindu businesses could help tertiary institutes through student sponsorships. Dr Chand will also chair a panel of international speakers.

Prof Biman Prasad, chair of the Oceania Development Network and Professor of Economics at the University of South Pacific, will speak on Business environment and opportunities for cooperation in the Pacific region.

“The aim of the Pacific Regional Hindu Economic Forum is to connect well established business-persons of the South Pacific and to facilitate sharing of knowledge through reputed economic thinkers,” said Prof Guna Magesan, the coordinator of this forum.

“The Forum also provides a common platform for strategic and management professionals, industrialists, traders, bankers, investors, technocrats, scientists and economists to share their business knowledge, experience, and expertise with their fellow business people with the aim of generating surplus wealth and contribute to the economy of the Pacific Region countries.”

The conference will also feature group discussion sessions to discuss industry success stories, challenges and opportunities. The number of registrations will be limited to 150.

If you are interested in attending this Forum, and for more information, please email [email protected] or contact Mr Vinod Kumar on (+64) 21 795 721 or Prof Guna Magesan on (+679) 903 9719.

South Pacific community responds positively to Hindu Economic Forum Thousands living in the

Rewa Delta area were evacuated on Monday as the Rewa River burst its banks in the wake of Cyclone Evan which left most of the country devastated.

Thousands of people huddled in evacuation centres overnight as winds sent houses and trees flying through the air.

Fiji’s Ministry of Information said reports pointed to extensive damage to roads, bridges, power lines, houses and community halls. There were no reports of deaths and injuries.

All people living in the Rewa River delta, east of Suva, had been told to move to high

ground before it got dark, as heavy rains from the storm caused the river to flood.

The delta includes the town of Nausori and a major airport.

The Fiji Meteorology Office earlier issued a flood warning for rivers including the Wainimala, Wainibuka, Waidina, Rewa, and the low lying areas of Nausori and Rewa Delta.

Meanwhile, flights to the international airport at Nadi have resumed.

Air New Zealand flights from Auckland to Nadi are departing as scheduled.

Rewa`River burst its banks

About 7000 oral and written submissions have been received by Fiji’s Constitution Commission, according to chairman Professor Yash Ghai.

Ghai said a team had been set up to research and process the submissions using a matrix of about 18 components.

“And at a press of a button, we are able to pull out results on what people said about coups, what people said about the system of government, about land or languages and a series of topics so we are now very well acquainted with what the people told us,” he said.

Prof. Ghai added that contemporary constitutions normally involved very significant participation of citizens.

“A process like this is also very educative, it’s a lesson in democracy, knowledge of the state, how the state institutions work, inter-relate rights of the people, the significance of citizenship… It is a hope and indeed an expectation that when the people of Fiji read our constitution, they will see something of themselves in that constitution,” he said.

7000 submissions received by commission

21 www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 FIJI

Page 22: Indian Weeekender #91

Our Pujya Gurudev, Swami Chinmayanandaji, had once said,

“Everybody exists; It is only the few who LIVE! To live one should have an Ideal” Such Inspiring words! The reality is that there are very few who are able to live based on their ideals. What is their secret?

Many think it is our will-power! Most of us don’t seem to have the will power to back up our own thoughts. Nowadays, we are so scared that we dare not make such promises… how sad! It begs to question, who is the master of our mind, then?

Big Resolutions but little transformation!

Every year, we make New Year’s resolutions based on our ideals we want to live by, for example, “I’ll quit smoking” for longevity of life, or “I’ll start exercising every day” for health, or “I’ll wake up every morning and meditate” for spiritual growth, etc. and then we find it hard to follow it up for longer than one or two days. Why is this so? It’s not like we do not want the result of the resolution, or that we do not understand the benefit of doing the action. Then why do we fail?

Whenever we put a noble thought in our mind for execution it fails, because we do not have enough noble stamina to convert that thought into action. It seems like each time

a noble thought takes off, it gets sabotaged by the other two, either a change of plan (Rajas - distraction) or sheer laziness takes over - (Tamas - indolence)… Hence, there is no chance for the noble thought (resolution) to get to the finish line. This is the common fate of our noble ideals.

How do we then fulfill our resolutions?Well, the solution is build mental strength

in order to carry out our noble thoughts. This is done by strengthening our noble mind. I

remember this simple secret that our beloved Swami Swaroopanandaji’s shared with us during Swamiji’s first talk in 2009 at Chinmaya Nikunj.

Keep encouraging the good and discouraging the bad thoughts;

The secret is… “When it comes to good work or a good thought - in line with our main goal, make sure you are never behind, in other words, never say no to it, fulfill it in the very first opportunity that you get… and conversely, when it comes to self-centered thought or a thought that is distracting us from our main goal, which I know to be wrong DO NOT be eager to do it, postpone it!

So in a nut-shell, never postpone a good thought and try and discourage a negative thought. When we thus make ourselves more

favorable to the good thought within rather than the negative ones, we automatically start developing an unseen strength, which makes us more capable to execute our noble thinking.

Keep the right company Also, another very important factor in the

initial stage is to choose the right company which will strengthen the value I want to build. This will certainly lead to a greater rate of growth within, of those sets of values. However, the true test of growth is always within our own mind.

Seek & follow good counsel as soon as we are weakened in spirit.

Lastly, whenever we feel like we have hit a wall in our growth or conviction, always

seek the counsel of those who have similar values and outlook in life as your own and are on the same path as you but advanced in their pursuit. That serves as a great tonic which re-invigorates our spirit.

Slowly, we will have more time to do what is right and do it… and consequently, less time to do what is against my own better judgment.

Remember, the year(s) gone by is a testament of how time has moulded us, and the year(s) ahead shall reveal how we are going to mould time! Our tools are our past or our conscious choices - our resolutions! Here’s wishing each and every one of us all the best.

On behalf of Chinmaya Mission New Zealand, I would like to wish everyone a very Happy and Fulfilling New Year 2013.

Ritual and spiritual lifebrAMHACHAri ADArsH CHAitANYA

“The reality is that there are very few who are able to

live based on their ideals. What is their

secret?”

Bramhachari Adarsh Chaitanya serves as the Resident Acharya of Chinmaya Mission Auckland and conducts weekly spiritual classes for children, youth and adults.

For more information about the Chinmaya Mission and Bramhachari Adarsh Chaitanya please follow this link: www.chinmaya.org.nz or contact him at 2756954

Someone rightfully quipped, “A New Year’s resolution is something that goes

in one year and out the other.” Hope it is wrong, but we know why it is true.

To avoid this rut, here is a selection of New Year messages that could give a different perspective to what we do every year. The unique thing about these messages is that they are given by those great people who are the pride of India...I mean those mystics whose life and teachings continue to uplift and inspire millions. Here are those messages of modern day mystics who messages are sometimes cutting, most of the times out of the ordinary, anything but mundane and makes us think outside the square...zara hatke thinking

Drop all your resolutions...Someone asked Osho: “if one were to make only one New Year’s resolution, what would you suggest?” Osho said: “This and only this can be the New Year’s resolution: I resolve never to make any resolutions because all resolutions are restrictions for the future. All resolutions are imprisonments. You decide today for tomorrow? You have destroyed tomorrow. Allow the tomorrow to have its own being. Let it come in its own way! Let it bring its own gifts.

Resolution means you will allow only this and you will not allow that. Resolution means you would like the sun to rise in the west and not in the east. If it rises in the east, you will not open your windows; you will keep your windows open to the west. What is resolution? Resolution is struggle. Resolution is ego. Resolution is saying, “I cannot live spontaneously.” And if you cannot live spontaneously, you don’t live at all -- you only pretend. So let only one resolution be there: I will never make any resolutions. Drop all resolutions! Let life be a natural spontaneity. The only golden rule is that there are no golden rules.” - Osho Bhagwan Rajneesh

Buddha truly experienced a ‘Happy New Year’....“Happy New Year. You must have heard this in the last week a thousand times and at least a hundred times you must have said it. “Happy New Year! Happy New Year!” In fact, there is no ‘new’ year. ‘Year’ is but a measurement in a continuous stream of time that we have created for our own convenience. Time is the same – labelled as past, present or future – it is a concept. For our convenience, we have created divisions of days, weeks, months, years, centuries

and millennia. Whether in the 1st or the 2nd century, 20th or even the 21st century, ‘time’ is ever the same. But all that is floating in time and reaching us is constantly changing. ...

The greeting ‘Happy New Year’ is actually a wish that one and all may discover more happiness for themselves in the coming year, by renewing not the year, but oneself. The year cannot be changed! This is a time for renewal. This is the reason so many people make New Year resolutions. Year after year they do it. “I’ll get up early in the morning.” “I must meditate regularly.”...... Not even for three days are they kept.” If the courage to change is absent, no progress is possible. Buddha truly experienced a ‘Happy New Year’ when he became Buddha. One day he decided that he wanted some thing else out of life, and having decided, he worked towards it consistently. Thus Siddhartha blossomed into Sri Buddha” - Shri Swami Chinmayananda

A rich man celebrates each day...A poor man celebrates the New Year once a year. A rich man celebrates each day. But the richest man celebrates every moment. - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Do not waste time speculating over what would happen in the New Year. “Do not waste time speculating over what would happen in the New Year. If your actions are good, your future is bound to be good. The future of the nation depends on your actions. God is a witness; He neither protects nor punishes you. Each one is responsible for their pleasure or pain. In this New Year, develop new and sacred feelings and make everybody happy. Do not struggle for money; strive for love. Once you develop love, there will be no scope for evil qualities like anger, jealousy, etc. If your thoughts and actions are good, your future will be good. Then the whole country, nay, the whole world will prosper. Pray for the peace and prosperity of the entire world. Peace can be attained only through the practice of human values” - Shri Satya Sai Baba

Being deeply involved...“If you are deeply involved with the simplest aspects of your life, you will see every aspect of your life as spectacular” - Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

Zara Hatke Happy New Year everyone.

Zara Hatke resolutions for the New YearrAM LiNGAM

www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 HERITAGE22

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On his 90th birthday, thespian Dilip Kumar, who has regaled scores of fans over decades, recalls his journey full of surprises with satisfaction and a smile.

He says it was his patience and sense of choice that helped him lead a successful career. Excerpts from the interview:

You turn 90 on December 11. Ninety is just a number especially when one considers a life as well-lived as yours. Sir, as you look back what do you feel about the first 90 years of your life?I can look back at my life with a sense of satisfaction and some surprise at certain events that have added the twists and turns to an otherwise normal, serene life.

Dilip saab, in the 90 years which events would you regard as the greatest events and milestones in your astounding life?My entry into the profession of acting which was most unexpected. My marriage to a beautiful girl two score years younger with whom I had declined to co-star because she was too young to be my leading-lady, my decision to challenge myself by switching over to comedy when I was being hailed for my intense tragic roles that had evoked public esteem and adulation.

Every actor wants to be like you. You have defined fine and brilliant acting for six decades. You have spawned generations of admirers from Mr Amitabh Bachchan to Shah Rukh Khan. How do you evaluate your own contribution as an actor?I have seriously pondered over this because the question has been put to me so many times. I guess it is a normal instinct to follow an example if you are drawn to it for whatever attributes you admire in that example. An actor should possess a strong instinct, besides a mind of his own and a striking personality. He should be able to absorb the positive and delete the negative from the influences that are bound to crowd his mind. The mind has to be respected and obeyed when it tells you to accept or reject an influence.

What qualities should an actor cultivate?It is not for me to generalize on the dos and don’ts. Every actor I watched in my formative years had his own individualistic

qualities and assets. I had the discrimination fortunately at that age - I was only 20 - to decide that I had to be patient and pick only those films I liked to work in. There were times in the early phase of my career when I needed the big money that was being offered to me after some of my films became box office hits. But I resisted accepting them because I did not relate to those scripts and propositions.

Dilip saab, you have worked with the most exquisite actresses - from Madhubalaji to Sairaji. Who were your favourites, and why?

I was never the one to choose my co-stars. That prerogative was the producer’s and director’s. When I teamed with Meena Kumari in Azaad, she was also changing gears (from serious roles to comedy). We hit it off in light-hearted acting and it encouraged the makers of Kohinoor to cast us again in lively roles. She made a delightful co-star and we

got along well outside our work because we shared a taste for good Urdu poetry.

And Madhubala?Madhubala was very vivacious as an artist and person. It was in Tarana that our pairing became noticed, though most film lovers cherish her gorgeous screen presence in Mughal-e-Azam. Waheeda Rehman was wonderfully sprightly in Ram Aur Shyam and equally intense in Dil Diya Dard Liya. As for Saira, it was only when we began work in Sagina that I realised how capable Saira was. She handled the dramatic scenes with amazing confidence and with little help from me. It clearly demonstrated her latent potential that had remained untapped in all the romantic musicals she came to be adored for.

Who was your favourite co-star?I have consistently rated Nalini Jaywant as a formidable co-star. She was the only actress who could take me by surprise in the final take if I was not alert enough thanks to the natural spontaneity she possessed.

Happy Birthday Dilip Saab!

“My entry into the profession of acting

which was most unexpected.”

46 years of love and still counting

They have a 22-year age gap but have stood like strong pillars in support of each other through

thick and thin. The Saira Banu-Dilip Kumar love story is what Bollywood films are made of... 46 years of togetherness and getting better with time.

“I fell in love with Dilip saab when I was 12-years-old. Beyond my own romance (with him), I can’t see anything. In real life, he is very loving, very polished and a sophisticated man. Since the day Dilip saab proposed to me, it’s been great... He is the strongest person in my life. He never allowed me to hold his hand in public, but 46 years of our marriage has changed many things. Now we only live for each other.

“I want him to be healthy and happy forever. He is the best person in this world. He is the golden man that god has created. He is my sartaaj... as you all say, he is my ‘pati parmeshwar’. I am a traditional woman by heart and Dilip saab is supreme to me

My effort is to keep him and his family happy,” Saira says.

Dilip Kumar, a.k.a. Mohammed Yusuf Khan, started his memorable Bollywood journey

with the 1944 release Jwar Bhata. Thereafter, he went on to give classics like Madhumati, Shaheed, Devdas, Andaz, Amar, Mughal-E-Azam, Ram Aur Shyam, Karma and Saudagar.

He was crowned the Tragedy King of Bollywood for playing a doomed lover in films like Andaaz, Baabul, Mela, Deedar, and Jogan. His last film was Quila in 1998.

The icon that he is, celebrations for his 90th birthday were planned the world over, says his wife, but he had a sober affair in Mumbai as per his wish. His birthday was also celebrated in Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where he was born before he migrated to India.

23 www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 ENTERTAINMENT

The ‘Tragedy King’ of the Hindi film industry recalls some of the happiest days of his life as he turned 90 on December 11. Subhash K. Jha records the legendary journey of this actor, who has amazed and inspired at every step

Page 24: Indian Weeekender #91

‘Life of Pi’ bags Indian Tourism Awards Recently released feature film

Life of Pi has been given two National Tourism Awards by the Indian Ministry of Tourism, recognizing the impact it has had in promoting India as a tourism destination, especially Puducherry and Munnar (Kerala).

Making this announcement in Delhi recently, Union Tourism Minister Chiranjeevi said these awards would be given to Ang Lee, director of the film Life of Pi and Yann Martel, writer of the book of the same name. The Minister expressed the hope that this will go a long way in encouraging more and more film producers from abroad to shoot their films in India.

Every year, the Ministry of Tourism recognizes various stakeholders, including film makers and writers for their contribution in promoting India Tourism by conferring National Tourism Awards. In February this

year, the Ministry of Tourism signed a MoU with Ministry of Information & Broadcasting as a major initiative to promote the ‘Incredible India’ campaign and Cinemas of India as a sub brand of ‘Incredible India’ at various international film festivals and markets abroad.

The MoU is expected to enhance the reach of ‘Incredible India’ through the Medium of Cinema, develop synergy between tourism and film industry and provide a platform for enabling partnerships between the Indian and global film industry.

The joint participation of the two Ministries would cover the Cannes Film Festival and Market, IFFI Goa including the Film Festival and Film Bazaar and European Film Market at Berlin.

It is expected that this innovative

partnership will facilitate the promotion of India as a filming destination for foreign producers. 21 and 20 permissions for shooting in India were granted during 2010-11 and 2011-12.

Taj’s cinema suite gets a befitting maiden guest

In a wonderful co-incidence, Amitabh Bachchan was the maiden guest at the cinema suite launched by Taj’s 51 Buckingham Gate, London, which

is created to mark 100 years of Hindi Cinema. The suite is designed by acclaimed Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee and hosted Bollywood’s legendary actor on December 6.

With a compelling artistic vision, the suite travels across diverse cultures and eras, and different moods and genres. The interiors take inspiration from works of cinematic legends like Satyajit Ray, Francis Ford Coppola, Bergman, Majidi, Wong Kar-Wai, Almodovar, Marilyn Monroe, Guru Dutt, Merchant Ivory and Bimal Roy.

‘It’s a lifelong dream to work with Shekhar’Actor Hrithik Roshan, who has

reportedly been approached to play the lead in Shekhar Kapur’s ambitious film Paani, says it has been his dream to be directed by the filmmaker.

Asked if he has signed on the dotted line, Hrithik said: “I would just say that working with Shekhar Kapur is a lifelong dream of mine. Paani is a dream and I hope it happens.

“I am looking forward to working with Mr. Shekhar Kapur and apart from work, just being with that man, in his presence, I feel comforted,” the 38-year-old said.

“On a personal equation, Shekhar Kapur is kind of an enlightened soul. So when I am with him, I feel a little enlightened, I feel a little good about myself,” he added.

Hrithik was last seen in Agneepath and is currently working on Krrish 3.

The highly anticipated fifth installment in Hollywood’s

most famous action packed Die Hard franchise, Bruce Willis’ A Good Day To Die Hard will not only release in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telegu but Punjabi as well, a first of its kind for any Hollywood film!

Fox Star Studios will dub the much awaited high octane flick in the Punjabi language and inside sources tell us that the studio is currently in talks with top Punjabi celebrities for voice overs as we speak!

Directed by John Moore and written by Skip Woods, the fifth instalment has Bruce Willis reprise the lead role of John McClane, who finds himself in Moscow, Russia and gets caught up in a terrorist plot with his estranged son. A Good Day To Die Hard is set for release on 22 February 2013.

Bruce Willis - a ‘die hard’ Punjabi

www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 ENTERTAINMENT24

Page 25: Indian Weeekender #91

Frankly Speaking

“I think I am lucky for Aamir (Khan) and Aamir

is also lucky for me.”

- Kareena Kapoor

It’s kind of surprising for me to have a fan following among kids. I hope

they don’t watch my films.- Emraan Hashmi

“The Attacks of 26/11 film has changed me as a person in terms of my

changed understanding of both human nobilities and

also their evils.”

Bollywood’s latest ‘ishqiya kahaani’ entered a new chapter with actress

Vidya Balan and Disney UTV managing director Siddharth Roy Kapur getting married in a quiet ceremony that wove together Tamil and Punjabi rituals.

Vidya, whose roles in films like Ishqiya, Kahaani and The Dirty Picture propelled her into a unique category all her own, is a Tamil. And Siddharth, who incidentally produced Vidya’s acclaimed film No One Killed Jessica, has a Punjabi background.

Thus, both traditions were kept in mind for their exchange of vows in what was a completely private affair, close friends of the couple said. The ceremony, which took place at the Green Gifts bungalow in upscale Bandra, was attended by the couple’s close family and friends. No guests from the film

industry were present. Bride Vidya looked simple but is said to

have changed her wedding attire thrice, a friend said.

Siddharth’s family members were seen wearing pink saafas, and the wedding procession arrived in typical Punjabi style, complete with dhol and ‘balle balles’.

The entire set-up and decoration as well as the food was Tamil style. Vidya and Siddharth’s pre-wedding celebrations kickstarted with a ‘sangeet’ on Dec 11, which was followed by ‘mehndi’, again a private ceremony. Yesteryear diva Rekha was among the close friends of Vidya, who marked her presence.

A wedding reception was reportedly held in Chennai on Dec 15.

Vidya’s wedding steers clear of stars

Are you enjoying your new-found stardom?

Ya, that’s lots of fun and exciting. In fact, I get more excited when I meet people and they try to recognise me. They try to remember my name and I wait for them to remember that, and take pictures with them. Life’s not that different given that I am only one-film-old. But I feel very happy when people recognise me and appreciate my work. And that makes me want to work in more and more films.

How does it feel to suddenly have so many cameras flashing at you post ‘Student Of The Year’ success?

It’s always nice to have so many cameras focusing on me because too many cameras mean they will take too many pictures of me and so many pictures are always good for my profile.

You played a fashionista in ‘Student Of The Year’. How fashion conscious are you in real life?

Alia Bhatt was not fashion conscious before she met Karan Johar (director of Student Of The Year). After meeting him, she has now become a fashionista.

Tell us about your style statement.

As of now I don’t know what’s my style statement, but I wear bright colours depending on the

season. For example, in winter, I wear more subdued colours like black, grey, blue and purple, while in summer, I prefer to wear more whites, yellow, orange and pink.

What do you prefer for make-up?Choosing which make-up I should wear

depends on what time of the day it is. I always believe less is more. But if I have to go out on night events, I always prefer to accentuate my eyes and making them dark because that gives a kind of grungy look which I like.

What’s your biggest asset?I think my eyes. I don’t think I am sexy, so

I don’t know what my sex appeal is.

Who is your youth icon?Ranbir Kapoor.

The Indian edition of Europe’s leading style magazine ‘Grazia’ has chosen you as their cover girl for a party issue. How did it feel?

I was shooting for Grazia for the first time and was very excited the moment I got the theme, which is very close to how I am.

And that is?

Well, I am young, fun, grungy, party type. And I shot for a party issue, which symbolises who I am, what I should ideally be doing as a 19-year-old.

How did the shoot go?

The way I look on the cover is actually beyond my imagination because I never knew I will be able to pull off a tight bun as I always thought my face is very chubby…. I was and am always a chubby chick, you see. Also, to make my eyes extra dark, I had to wear very painful lenses. But it looks good on the cover and I am very happy.

This is not the first time you featured on a magazine cover.

Ya, but I have never launched a cover single-handedly. I have always done that with Siddharth (Malhotra) and Varun (Dhawan) (her

Student Of The Year co-stars). But this time I was on my own and hence, excited.

Media buzz says your elder sister Pooja Bhatt (actress-turned-filmmaker) is planning a film with you. True?

Actually my sister Pooja just mentioned casually once that if she ever remade her film Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin (1991), she would do it with me and Ranbir. But nothing of that sort is happening as of now.

You recently walked the red carpet at the International Film Festival of Marrakech in Morocco. How was the experience?

It was a lot of fun. Being at the Marrakech film festival made me feel how lucky I am to be on the same podium with so many big names of our country. It was a great privilege to be there and that too because of Karan Johar. I could see people like Catherine Deneuve (French actress) and Monica Bellucci (Italian actress) in front of me. And it was pleasantly shocking for me to know how famous Bollywood is internationally.

‘I am a chubby chick’

25 www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 ENTERTAINMENT

Sreya Basu catches up with the latest hottie in tinsel town, Mahesh Bhatt’s 19-year-old daughter Alia Bhatt

Page 26: Indian Weeekender #91

Rarotonga the capital of Cook Islands is just a stunning little Island in the Pacific. With a

popula-tion of just over 13,000 people or so it is an ideal holiday spot for people who are looking for a calming and relaxing holiday. Its unique mountains and white sandy beaches are sure to capture anyone’s heart. Surrounded by coral reef all around the multi-coloured lagoon is a treat to the eye. With so much Kiwi influence it is like a home away from home but on a pacific island surrounded by coconut trees and beautiful beaches. The unique Polynesian culture the locals are very proud of can be clearly seen in their way of life.

I (Juna) have been living on this island for the past year and have completely fallen in love with it. People often ask me if I ever get sick of being surrounded by water to which I say “Never”. How can one be sick when they are surrounded by so much tranquillity and beauty. Sure I do occasion-ally miss shopping in a big city but that’s about it : ) Life is better here in every other way. How-ever I know not everyone has the opportunity or wants to live on a island but I believe that every-one should at least experience it and what better way to do it than in the form of a holiday. So Juna Tours & Travels was born out of this wish to share my experiences of travelling to the Islands and some other exotic countries. So if you haven’t experienced this unique culture it’s time to book your next holiday with Juna Tours &

Travels. We offer escorted group tours and believe that a holiday should be an enriching experience. Keeping in line with this thought I have designed three very special packages to Cook Islands. With five of the most popular tours/activities of Rarotonga included in our packages you will not have to worry about anything else. With us you can be as-sured that you will be looked after very well for all your needs. Even though Cook Islands is a popular holiday destination for many kiwis I find that very few kiwi Indians visit here. Hopefully us being here (doing the tours) and from the same ethnic community will help change that and en-courage more Indians residing in New Zealand to come for a holiday to Rarotonga.

The dates on the packages (check our website for this) are only guidelines. If there are 2 or more adults travelling for at least 5 nights or more we can customize a package to suit you. We cal also organize packages for special occasions, birthdays, weddings, functions etc. So don’t wait? Come and have an adventure with us. Swimming/snorkeling in the amazing beaches, enjoying a feast and island dance at the cultural night show, taking a walk on the beautiful terrains, setting off to the sea for a sunset cruise is bound to rejuvenate you and give you the best island holiday. Please visit www.junatoursandtravels.co.nz for any enquiries and to check out our packages to cook Islands.

Your Island Escape to Rarotonga with Juna

After his debut song Jaane Khuda, which was released in April

this year and shot entirely in Auckland, followed by Dilbara Dilhara; making waves in New Zealand, Pakistan, Australia, India, Fiji, UK and USA, local singer Sibte Hassan Malik is now gearing up for his first full-fledged music album.

As a soulful singer, he believes in incorporating diverse genres in his music and hence, his album will be a blend of everything from Hindi, Punjabi and Hip-Hop to Sufiana type of songs. Malik’s journey as a singer goes back to his growing up years in Lahore, Pakistan. His passion for music, especially soulful singing made him a self-taught singer and musician before he decided to move to Auckland.

Blessed with a distinctively striking voice, he has trained under Ustad Sahir Ali Bagga, who is known for his soulful

composition ‘Main Tenu Samjhawa’ sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan from the Punjabi movie ‘Virsa’, and recently got a BAFTA award for international best music composition for ‘Koi Dil Mein Aa Raha Hai’, from the Pakistani movie ‘Tamanna’, which was also sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Sahir Ali Bagga composed four songs in Saif Ali Khan’s ‘Cocktail’ too.

Whereas his singing ambitions are concerned, Malik aims at turning towards Sufi music as that’s where he believes his passion lies. He completely swears by the phrase ‘follow your dreams as that’s where your heart lies’ and hopes that he will continue receiving as much support and love from his friends, family and fans as he has so far. Here’s wishing this talented singer all the luck. Watch out for his album, which promises to have a lot of soul in it.

Local singer set to release first music album

Malik in his music video

Escape to Cook Islands with Juna

Experience our unique personalized Cook Islands holiday package with top 5 tours/activities of the island included, staying in the largest family friendly resort of the island with daily breakfast and 3 dinners included and most of your trans-portation need already sorted. Come join us and enjoy the unique cultural per-spective of Cook Islands within the settings of a white sandy beach, great sunsets and amazing local people. Check out our website for more details on the pack-ages and what they include.

Phone No: 021 030 3645

Email: [email protected]

www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 LEISURE26

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27 www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 ENTERTAINMENT

Worth the waitThe once film the entire country has waited years

to see is definitely worth the wait. Peter Jackson, once again, pulls an absolutely beautiful

movie out of his hat. His new graphic technology involved the film being shot at 48 frames per second rather than 24, which has been the case for nearly a century. The high frame rate version is only avaible in 3D and would be worth seeing if you were a die-hard

fan. The problem with it however is that the images are so detailed that they show every single nook and crevice making it almost seem like a video game graphic. If you can get over this however and tune your brain to see past it, the results are absolutely brilliant. The movie has already been nominated for an academy award in the Visual Effects category. Fingers crossed!

The director really knows what the is doing and how to

bring the bst out of his characters while still maintaining their natural persona. As a pretty big Martin Freeman fan, I could see elements of the actor and his mannerims in the character of Bilbo. You’d think this would be distracting however, it only added to the performance as depite this I was 100% convinced the man I was seeing on the screen was Bilbo Baggins. The rest of the cast performed exceptionally as well.

Pooja sundar

Many movie goers were disappointed saying htat it was not Peter JAckson’s finest work and that the story seems a tad predictable. To give Jackson credit, he is adapting a story written by the pioneer of fantasy writing, J. R. R Tokein. It is not up to him to change the story as he sees fit. Adjustments and exaggerations for drama’s sake can be expected but any major plot changes would not be faithful to the original text and would enrage Hobbit fans.

For those, like my father, who have avoided the trilogy, even with the constant nagging of a die-hard fan, give it a go. Convince yourself and say that you are trying to join in with the Kiwi culture, the culture and theatre of the world. If that doesn’t work, maybe just go to get away for a few hours, and hey if you don’t enjoy it, the theatre is dark enough for a nap!

Jackson has done what he set out to do with this trilogy. He has showcased New Zealand to its finest, done justice to the book and pushed the boundries of the cinematic experience as we know it. Bring on The Hobbit II and III!

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www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 WHAT’S ON28

Kiwi classic returns at Takapuna

On Christmas Day, Aucklanders once again have the chance to view a free performance from the Kiwi classic The End of the Golden Weather in what is now an established holiday tradition. The scene from Bruce Mason’s play will be performed at Takapuna Beach Reserve, with donations collected for Oxfam. The End of the Golden Weather is set at the fictional Te Parenga beach in the 1930s, where two boys experience the excitement of Christmas Day. It explores the exhilaration and apprehension as they wait for the day, the church service, present-giving and Christmas dinner.Thanks in part to the support from Devon-port-Takapuna Local Board, The End of the Golden Weather will be performed free to

the public. However, donations can be made at the event and gifted to Lovatt’s charity of choice, Oxfam. In the spirit of Christmas giv-ing, Lovatt will also again donate his acting fee to the charity.If weather conditions are unfavourable, the scene will be performed in the nearby War Memorial community hall on The Strand, near the Takapuna Library.

When: 25 December, 10amWhere: Takapuna Beach Reserve, The Strand, Takapuna Wet weather venue: Takapuna WarMemorial Hall, 5 The Strand, TakapunaAdmission: Gold coin donationContact: Mail Roger Hall or call 09 484 0007

Yoga by the beach

When: Every Saturday, 8am to 9am. From 22 December to 26 January. Where: Vellenoweth Green, Tamaki Drive, St Heliers.

Admission: Offerings, donation / koha ac-ceptedContact: Edith Horvath, p: 09 575 1473, m: 0210 821 3462, email: [email protected]

Lighting up ChristmasEvery year, among many houses that lit up during Christmas, this one is decorated with lights too. There’s a live Santa onsite from 10 Dec - 24 Dec along with ‘The Coffee 2 Go-Kart’ and ‘find the peg competition’ on re-quest to keep up the enjoyment quotient. This year, the Christmas lights house will have celebrations accompanied with a cause. There would be a donation bucket onsite to support the Pukekohe Volunteer Fire Brigade. So enjoy the lights display and help support a worthy cause.When: 22 and 23 Dec, 8.30pmWhere: Christmas Lights House, 25 Prospect Terrace, PukekoheAdmission: Free and open to all ages

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The traditional dhol, wedding songs and impromptu dances at home once defined the typical sangeet, a key function in most big fat Indian weddings. Not anymore. The celebrations have just gotten bigger and bolder with brides and grooms signing up for classes to train for a joint performance designed to dazzle.

Be it Bollywood masala or western salsa, young couples are going out of their way to put on their dancing shoes to add that special edge to the revelry.Sometimes the bride can’t dance, or the groom has two left feet; and then there are those families who are conservative and not in favour of their ‘to-be bahus’ shaking a leg on stage. But that’s changing. And that’s where dance instructors step in.

“Couples have preferences in terms of specific songs and often they want to depict their personal story through a dance performance,” Atul Jindal, director, Big Dance Centre in New Delhi, says. “Props and audio visuals are included in sangeet performances to give a spectacular look. Couples usually come to learn dance forms like salsa, freestyle and Bollywood that involve fun and partner work. In these dance forms, couples enjoy dancing with each other,” he added.

Ace choreographer Shiamak Davar agreed there was an upswing in the number of people who come to his institute just to learn how to groove for their special day. And he is all for the trend. “I have so many people who want to dance at their wedding and we encourage them to do so. They love our choreography and we encourage them. They get excited to learn anything new and interesting,” Davar says.

Wedding choreographer Rahul Verma, who runs dance institute Bollywood Nach in New Delhi, specialises in arranging special acts and training couples for weddings. Couples prefer dancing

together rather than giving solo performances.“Some time back, brides and grooms used to

give solo performances, but now families have become quite broad-minded, frank, and couples prefer to present a joint act. To support the couples, dancers are also provided to work as fillers,” Verma said.

“Sometimes we use fillers also. Dancers stand in the background with props and perform while the bride and groom dance in the centre,” he added.

It costs quite a packet - ranging from anything over Rs.2,500 an hour to even packages that go up to Rs.100,000 for choreographing a complete act for the family.“When there are family and friends, we charge Rs.100,000 for 15 days because they are not professionals at dance and want to put up a perfect performance, and enjoy it as well. For couples alone, who want private classes, we charge Rs.5,000 per hour,” said Jindal.

People are more than willing to spend.Swati Chaudhary, an animation designer by profession, and Sanjeet Chahal, who works as a relationship manager with a bank, are tying the knot Dec 7. They have signed up for one such class, and feel it will also help them come closer to each other.

“We are very excited about our special day. Since our marriage is arranged, it was very important for us to know each other better. And what better than learning dance together and spending some quality time with each other,” Chahal said.

“It has given us memorable moments,” he added.

For Swati, dancing with her fiance has also helped her overcome her fear of dancing.

“I always feared dancing, but the idea of spending time with him convinced me to join the dance classes. Now I am enjoying each day and, on the other hand, our bond has strengthened,” she said.

Learn to jig for your wedding gig

Banana Fritters with Ice Cream

Ingredients2cups- flour1/2 tsp- baking powder1 1/2 cup milk1tsp lemon juice4 bananasOil for deep fryingVanilla ice cream

Method1. Mix together all the ingredients except banana. Whisk this flour batter well and keep it aside. Cut bananas into 2 to 3 pieces (Cutting it into 3 sections is more manageable for frying).2. Heat the oil. The oil is ready when a test drop of batter starts bubbling vigorously immediately after being dropped in. The bananas will be greasy if you add them before the oil is hot enough, or if you add too many simultaneously, causing the oil temperature to drop.3. Dip the bananas in the batter and slowly slide into the hot oil. Fry for about 3-4 minutes or until a nice golden brown colour. 4. Put the deep fried bananas on a paper towel, so that extra oil is soaked away.

To serve : in a serving plate or bowl keep one banana fritter with vanilla ice cream on top. Use your own imagination and taste by adding chocolate sauce and cut fruit.

Ruby’s Kitchenby Ruby Dhillon

www.iwk.co.nz | the indian Weekender | December 21, 2012 FEATURE30

Page 31: Indian Weeekender #91

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