The Indian Down Under E Paper October 2012

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Happy
Festive
Season!
Ritu Ghai from New Delhi on
global trends in Indian fashion
- Page 16
Sydney dresses up for festivities
- Page 17
Prime Minister Julia Gillard visits
India from October 15 for a 3-
day visit followed by NSW
Premier Barry OFarrell in India
from October 27.
- Page 9
02 THE INDIAN DOWN UNDER September - October 2012
October - November 2012 THE INDIAN DOWN UNDER 03
04 THE INDIAN DOWN UNDER October - November 2012
October 2012 THE INDIAN DOWN UNDER 05
Editor's Letter
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EDITORIAL
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WRITERS
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N
ever having tuned in to
Alan Jones, except dur-
ing occasional flicking
between stations, (to exercise
freedom of choice) an opinion
on his programme may be based
on hearsay. But with an abun-
dance of opinions available
about this controversial charac-
ter it is rather easy to comment,
especially when he shows little
restraint to denigrate someone
who is unable to defend himself,
disrespects someone who is not
alive, that too, father of a per-
son who at least demands some
level of dignity being at the
helm of the nation.
The people have voiced their
opinion of disgust; his masters
have listened and now he calls it
bullying when the tables have
turned, when he receives his
own dose of medicine he has put
down the throat of his gullible
listeners unrestrained. For
decades he has incited hatred
with his toxic rhetoric; his
involvement to spread commu-
nal hatred during Cronulla riots
of 2005 is on record; he has
been biased in his analysis and
has no misgivings to promote
products and services he gets
recompensed without public dis-
closure. He is no intellectual,
not a man of wisdom, as Mike
Carlton points out in his week-
end column in the SMH: The
claim on the 2GB website that
Jones is an Oxford graduate is a
typical piece of deceit. He did a
short teaching diploma there,
not PPE at Balliol. He (Jones)
is a crackpot muddle of preju-
dice and ignorance, Carlton
says.
So why not simply switch
him off.
Freedom of speech and
expression comes with a lot of
responsibilities. It is very easy
to damage a society, to create
disharmony, but difficult to con-
struct a social fabric that is con-
ducive to mutual understanding
and tolerance for our individual
differences. A recent case in
point was when a small Islamic
group protested in Sydney to
voice their opinion against a
third rate film made in the US
that denigrated Prophet
Mohammad. It was their right to
protest as it hurt their sensitivi-
ties. There has been a similar
protest by the Indian community
when Daily Telegraph published
a cartoon of Lord Ganesha that
they thought was disrespectful.
These idols and symbols mean a
lot to the people who have been
brought up in a culture of
extreme respect for their beliefs.
There should be understanding,
respect and tolerance for their
beliefs.
While voicing an opinion is
an individuals right, if the
protest follows up with violence,
disrespectful of the laws of the
land, it is transgression of the
bounds of freedom.
Tolerance is not a one-way
street. Those who demand this
must also offer it to others when
there is need. In 2001, the
Buddhas of Bamiyan that were
built in the sixth century were
destroyed in Afghanistan by
extremist Taliban in a violent
expression of intolerant rage.
The statues were pieces of art, a
heritage that has now been
destroyed forever by some igno-
rant individuals who have no
real understanding of the con-
cept of God, that its first and
foremost teaching is universal
love.
U
niversal love is a crying
need in Indian politics,
too. The situation is in a
state of flux riddled by episodes
of corruption all around.
Everyday a new story emerges.
There were rumours of a split in
the Anna team, mainly between
Kejriwal and Anna in their quest
for reckoning as a significant
political force. Their rallies have
been lacklustre of late, the origi-
nal enthusiasm having subsided
as rightly predicted by the
Congress and other major par-
ties.
Kejriwal has launched a new
party and Anna has given his
blessing to the venture. This
may have benefit as it provides
multi-cornered alternatives to the
Anna team. On the other hand,
the political party may not gain
significant seats in the election
whereas, as individuals, they
may have had more clout to
influence results of their choice.
Kejriwal, right at the start,
has chosen a soft target of Sonia
Gandhis son-in-law Robert
Vadra alleging nthat he had been
unduly handed land and property
deals worth crores of rupees by
real estate developer DLF.
Kejriwal has promised to bring
to light more issues of corrup-
tion at regular intervals. Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh has
stated that 'Mindless negativity'
over corruption charges dam-
ages the countrys image. But
that is the ostrich position.
Corruption charges and end-
less stream of scams have con-
siderably dented the image of
the Manmohan Singh govern-
ment. Now the new crisis is that
after his governments move to
open India to multi-retail FDI,
opening up the insurance sector
and removing subsidies on
petroleum products, Mamata
Banerjees Trinamool party
withdrew its support in protest,
putting majority of the UPA
coalition in jeopardy. Congress,
the major partner, is scrambling
to secure support of Mayawati
now.
Overall, the political situa-
tion in India is dire and one
would wish a swift end to it by
an early general election.
Social media registers its clout
For decades Alan Jones has incited hatred with his toxic rhet-
oric, but the radio host reached his nadir when he made the
preposterous remark that PM Gillards father died of shame
because she was a liar. Widespread protests against the
unwarranted comment have made him apologise.
Anna Hazares right hand man for long,
Arvind Kejriwal has launched his own political
party and promised to expose corruption
scams, starting with one involving Vadra.
Robert Vadra, Priyanka Gandhis
businessman husband,
has been put in the dock by
Arvind Kejriwal.
Analysis
By Dilip Mahanty
O
f late there has been a huge hue and
cry about the benefits or otherwise
of major international retail chains
bringing in their millions and setting up
shops in India. The Indian Government is
actively pursuing this and has allowed 49
per cent ownership of such ventures to be in
the hands of overseas retailers. It is also
talking up the benefits of such investments
to the Indian economy in terms of growth to
the GDP and employment opportunities for
hundreds of thousands Indians.
The Government seems to be in a real
hurry for this to happen. There are many
proponents of this idea being touted as a
panacea to solve many of Indias economic
woes, apart from providing quality branded
products to increasing number of brand con-
scious middle and upper class consumers
with considerable disposable income.
On the other side of the spectrum the
critics of the Government and the small
traders have registered strident opposition to
this initiative stating that this will affect the
business of small kirana shops throughout
India, who currently provide livelihood to
millions of people. They also see in this
Government initiative a smoke screen
designed to take away public attention from
the myriad of scams the current Government
is mired in and divert public discussion in a
different direction.
The arguments put forth by both sides
about the pros and cons tend to gloss over
various issues and do not adequately articu-
late if Indian retail industry is really ready
for such an image makeover given its exist-
ing facilities and infrastructure.
Here is a SWOT analysis to consider the
whole issue of FDI in retail:
STRENGTHS
Quality - well packaged international
brands will be available to Indian consumers
in major cities of the country (cities with
population of 1 million or more).
Retail service quality overall will be
raised to international levels.
Many new job opportunities, especially
for the youth, will be created in urban areas
Will uplift the standard of products,
packaging and services of local retailers to
remain competitive and in business.
There will be up skilling of employees
through use of latest technologies from pro-
curement of goods to point of sale in multi-
national retail outlets.
Resources available will be efficiently
employed and not wasted.
Overseas tourists will spend more in
India through availability of known brands
at cheaper prices.
Economic growth will be enhanced.
A feel good sense will be generated
among the consumers.
WEAKNESSES
Only cities with one million people or
more will be serviced by such outlets.
Thousands of kirana stores in such
cities could be forced to close down, unable
to match the quality and price offered
through bulk purchases. Many of these
stores hire local employees and provide
livelihood to them. Re-employing them in
similar business would be a problem.
Many of the manufactured products
come from China and these will be import-
ed and supplied by the retailers to their out-
lets in India. Local manufacturers may not
be able to match the prices as Chinese man-
ufacturers have known to flaunt anti-dump-
ing laws of importing countries through
sheer arm twisting, resulting out of huge
trade volumes with them.
In the area of fresh food supply there are
a lot of weaknesses:
Indian farm holdings are tiny compared
to countries like US, Canada, Russia and
Australia. Individual supply contracts are
not feasible because of this and the retailer
has to depend on consolidators to purchase
from myriads of small farmers and supply in
bulk to it. Due to this the poor farmers are
hardly likely to get reasonable farm gate
price for their toil - as advocated by the
Government. Most of the benefits will pass
on to these consolidators.
Supply contract with a consolidator
could be legally binding and the farmers
would not have freedom to supply to any
other buyer even if the off take is inadequate
due to low demand or there is over supply
due to bumper crops.
Current Indian infrastructure, especially
storage facilities and road/rail transport, is
woefully inadequate. Big retailers transport
goods in huge quantities using semi trailers
to cart 40ft containers from ports to various
outlets. Who will build these infrastruc-
tures, especially wide roads for this?
Certainly not the retailers. Imagine big con-
tainers going through narrow dusty roads to
smaller cities where the outlets have been
established.
There has been a hue and cry in Europe
that GM seeds (produced by Monsanto)
used for edible crops could be a source of
cancer. Many of the fruit /vegetables /eggs
/chicken /meat sourced from overseas could
have been produced through utilisation of
GM seeds to grow either the plants or used
as stock feed for animals. There will be no
control over this once they come into India.
Big retailers chemically treat fruit and
vegetables to increase shelf life. Wax coated
fruit and veggies abound overseas and these
do not scrub off easily. People often peel off
the skins of certain fruits like apple before
eating them. Chemical preservatives can
never be healthy for the consumer. Is India
ready to embrace this in the name of eco-
nomic progress?
OPPORTUNITIES
India is a vast market with a large mid-
dle class, almost the size of US population.
This class is growing rapidly. Since they are
educated, upwardly mobile and have size-
able disposable income it craves for finer
things in life among which are international-
ly recognised brands stretching from
clothes, watches, toiletries, electronic prod-
ucts to packaged food and drink. This large
market is eyed by every international retail-
er as it is assured of large volume of sale.
Profitability from such retail outlets
promises to be higher due to lower local
costs of operation and availability of skilled
local labour.
The vast market ensures the supplying
country of regular manufacturing growth
with accompanying benefits and offers a
buttress against market fluctuations in other
parts of the world.
Since India has already established a
reputation in IT and ITES including call
centres, BPOs, KPOs etc, the retailers can
set up international service centres here to
develop various systems and service their
clients in other countries.
THREATS
a) Things are not as simple as they are
reflected in political statements. While the
big retailers might be charting out exciting
growth trajectories based on Government
pronouncements, things on the ground
maybe different. There are problems galore
everywhere from acquiring land to building
huge storage warehouses, getting basic
amenities, establishing communication net-
works, transport logistics, getting State and
Central Government clearances on various
restrictive rules etc.
b) Since most big retailers plan in
advance and project their costs/profitability
based on fixed time lines, establishing their
outlets in India within those time lines may
not be feasible given the lackadaisical atti-
tudes of people entrusted with clearing these
projects. Considerable cost blowouts have
been experienced in the past by other over-
seas based businesses in India, necessitating
much lower margins of profit than previous-
ly anticipated.
c) Local Indian businesses are very
canny when faced with competition. They
try every trick in the book to create obsta-
cles so that their businesses dont go down.
With their ability to mobilise popular and
political opposition to overseas ventures
they can delay projects indefinitely and cre-
ate frustration among overseas investors.
With the current political system in a filthy
quagmire this aspect assumes great signifi-
cance.
d) It is not necessary that once the retail
chains are established, large volumes of
sales will automatically follow. Initially the
curiosity factor will lead customers to these
stores. Once a few purchases are made the
customers will assess the cost/benefit aspect
before they step into such stores again.
Indian consumers, especially the older gen-
eration, are generally frugal given that they
have had to make sacrifices in the past to
establish themselves financially and they are
not about to throw money around if they can
find a better deal elsewhere. Though the
younger generation is more liberal in spend-
ing, it still ensures saving a percentage of its
income for the rainy day unlike the West
where the safety net of the Governments
supports the unemployed. Net savvy
younger generation also searches for good
deals around the world to make online pur-
chases.
e) Some local retailers like Reliance
Stores, Big Bazaar etc started off with a
bang and had customers rushing in droves
initially. But over time customer numbers
have started dwindling as they are seeking
alternative supply sources which offer better
prices and facilities.
f) Retailers have to be extremely flexible
to cater to Indian buyers and cannot take
them for granted. There is the case of KFC
rushing into India with big plans to expand
and grow because it thought it had a unique
product and customers exposed to its prod-
ucts would frequent the established outlets.
However, it soon discovered that the hum-
ble tandoori chicken offered a better and
healthier option. The KFC stores in India
can be found in only a handful of cities far
removed from what KFC had anticipated in
the beginning. MacDonalds, which has a
bigger base in India than KFC, had to make
considerable alteration to its standard prod-
ucts by introducing lamb patties in the ham-
burgers (instead of beef) and also create a
vegie burger in its menu as many Indians are
vegetarians. Now it has a number of other
vegetarian options in its menu unheard of in
the West.
The purpose of making this analysis is
to counter the gloss being projected by the
Government that FDI in retail will get rid of
many of Indias economic woes. With things
in shambles, as these are currently, invest-
ment in retail will only come in gradually.
The projected growth with creation of mil-
lions of jobs as the Government of India is
propagating through these investments will
not happen in a hurry.
Similarly the dire prediction of the
Opposition that all the kirana shops will
close with the cancerous tentacles of big
retailers grabbing every opportunity avail-
able around them is also an exaggeration.
Setting shop in India is a long and painful
process, with millions of by-laws involving
Central and State Governments, and would
need a lot of patience and perseverance on
the part of the investors. Do these investors,
used to quick decisions in more pragmatic
markets, have the stomach for a long drawn
out battle?
FDI has got India divided
The pros and cons suggested by both sides tend to gloss over various issues
and do not adequately articulate if Indian retail industry is ready for such a
sea change given its existing facilities and infrastructure.
Julia Gillard on the comeback trail
By Rekha Bhattacharjee
J
ulia Gillard is on a recovery road and
is firmly in the saddle with mid-
September News poll showing lead
over her Coalition counterpart in most of
the survey findings. This is a scenario not
many political pundits and commentators
had envisaged even a few months back.
Many of the Australian political lumi-
naries had, in fact, suggested the demise
of the Labor Government when the
toxic Carbon Tax unleashed the doom
scenario post July 1 as predicted by a cho-
rus of doomsayers led by Tony Abbott.
Once again, we have been reminded
that it may be tempting to predict in poli-
tics but it is fraught with danger of ending
up with egg on the face.
It has been three months since Carbon
Tax was introduced on July 1 but Whyalla
is not, as predicted by Tony Abbott,
showing any signs of turning into a ghost
town. Whyalla has stoically defied the
Mad Monk negativity and has, thus, come
to symbolise the shallowness of the
Coalitions political strategy and a lack of
ethics as well.
Julia Gillard has ducked another of the
Opposition Leaders maneuvers to grab
the keys of the Lodge by any means.
The above-mentioned survey in mid-
September has shown a sharp decline in
the Coalition's primary vote, a correspon-
ding increase in Labor's, a personal lead
for Julia Gillard over Tony Abbott as the
preferred Prime Minister and, even, a
restoration of the Green support for
Labor.
The turnaround has come after Labor
returning the fire from the coalition ranks.
Julia Gillard and her comrades seem to
have taken a leaf out of the pugilistic
politicians book of no-holds-barred brawl-
ing as they attack the Opposition leader
and his (lack of) policies relentlessly.
Murdoch Press columnists like Dennis
Shanahan may attribute the Julia Gillard
recovery to a ruthless political brutality
displayed by the Prime Minister and her
team but there is much more to it.
Above all, of the reasons responsible
for Julia Gillards comeback, as many
political pundits would argue, is the
admirable resilience shown by the Federal
Member for Labor in Victoria.
There were many media commentators
and Labor luminaries who had advised our
first woman Prime Minister to capitulate,
like Kevin Rudd, on Carbon Tax. As the
News poll and other media sample surveys
gave the Labor supporters demoralising
findings of the voters sentiments, there
were calls for Julia Gillard to resign and
hand over the baton back to Kevin Rudd.
The media savvy Labor veteran
Graham Richardson was leading the
charge of skeptics from within the party
ranks as he wrote "the carbon tax is a
deeply unpopular tax" and it ought to be
dropped.
"The debate", Richo wrote, "has
already been lost."
"She is now so deeply unpopular that
the electorate's trust in her will never be
restored," Graham Richardson pro-
claimed.
It would be interesting to find out what
the Labor guru thinks about the scenario
where our Julia is gaining momentum
with every move she makes, both domesti-
cally and on the international diplomacy
circuit as well.
Graham Richardson was not alone in
his opposition of the Carbon Tax as a sec-
tion of the Australian media almost made
it a cornerstone of their editorial policy to
savage everything Labor under Julia
Gillard did.
Julia Gillard decided to stick to her
guns and adopted whatever it takes
approach in the introduction of carbon and
mining Tax.
It is ironical to note that the same sec-
tion of media is now in a mode to pro-
tect the Liberal leader Tony Abbott who
is known for his no-holds-barred attacks
on Julia Gillard and her Labor team.
After all, Tony Abbott has never made
even a faint attempt to camouflage his
brand of politics which is loaded, like his
approach to so many other politico-social
issues, with negativity.
Julia Gillard decided to stick to her
guns and adopted whatever it takes
approach in the introduction of carbon and
mining Tax.
Her resolve is not only yielding posi-
tive voter sentiment for Labor but also
exposed the bankruptcy of policies on the
other side of the political fence.
Judging from some recent statements
by Tony Abbott, the Liberals have
realised the futility of bagging carbon Tax
and are also moving away from the debate
on the toxic issue.
Though it is not a prediction, the
resurgence in Gillard fortunes also means
curtains for the aspirations Kevin Rudd
may have to get the tenancy rights of the
Lodge once more.
If Gillard successfully leads the Labor
in the 2012 elections for the Federal
Parliament, she would most likely pass on
the baton to the union poster boy Bill
Shorten who is being seen as PM material.
The voters also seem to be sick of
Tony Abbott and co. savaging Gillard
Government ad nauseam. The fact that
Australia is currently enjoying an econom-
ic boom at a time when OECD countries
like Greece and Spain are surviving to
maintain economic sovereignty is slowly
dawning on the Australian battlers. The
question Tony Abbott needs to answer is
how would he improve the best economy
in the world. If he has no answer to this
query and he cannot show from where he
would generate revenue when he manages
to repeal carbon and mining taxes, the
Mad Monk would have to concede defeat
in this bout for the Australian Government
power reins.
The turnaround has come after
Labor returning the fire from the
Coalition ranks. Julia Gillard and
her comrades have taken a leaf out of the
pugilistic politicians book of
no-holds-barred brawling as they
attack the Opposition leader Tony Abbott
and his (lack of) policies relentlessly.
If Gillard successfully leads the Labor in the
2012 elections for the Federal Parliament,
she would most likely pass on the baton to
the union poster boy Bill Shorten who is
being seen as PM material.
The Third Eye by Rekha Bhattacharjee
Analysis
PM Julia Gillard to
visit India
Prime Minister Julia Gillard is
scheduled to pay a 3-day visit to
India from 15 October. India and
Australia are likely to strengthen
bilateral ties further by discussing
a uranium safeguards agreement.
The pact, which would have
requirements on the safe use of
the uranium, would pave way for
the supply of nuclear fuel to India.
India
Reforms will boost private investment in India: US
New Delhi: The economic
reforms announced by the Indian
government recently are "very
significant" and would boost pri-
vate investment and growth in the
country, US Treasury Secretary
Timothy Geithner said Oct 9.
"India has achieved remark-
able economic achievement in the
last 15 years... The reforms out-
lined by the government of India
recently offer a very promising
path to improving growth,"
Geithner said while addressing a
joint press conference with Indian
Finance Minister P.
Chidambaram here.
The Manmohan Singh-led
government recently announced a
series of reform measures,
including allowing foreign direct
investments in multi-brand retail
and cutting subsidies on petrole-
um products.
The federal cabinet has also
approved the proposal to hike
FDI limit in insurance sector.
Geithner, who is on a two-day
official visit to India, said such
measures would boost private
investment and overall economic
growth in India.
The two leaders addressed the
media after the third meeting of
Indo-US Economic and Financial
Partnership.
Giethner said during the meet-
ing India and US discussed the
ways to lower trade and invest-
ment barriers.
"Both countries are committed
to pursuing close cooperation,"
said Chidambaram.
Chidambaram said the crisis
in Eurozone and US was affect-
ing emerging economies like
India.
"We have a deep interest in
Eurozone crisis being resolved
because it has affected our econo-
my. The crisis is affecting all
emerging markets, including
India," he said.
Indias Finance Minister P. Chidambaram speaking with US
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner who was on India visit.
'Mindless negativity' over graft
damages nation's image: PM
BJP likely to win Gujarat poll
New Delhi: Indirectly rapping the anti-cor-
ruption movement in the country, Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh said Oct 10 that
"mindless negativity" would do no good and
weaken executive morale, even as he prom-
ised to include corporate failure to prevent
bribery within the ambit of existing the anti-
graft law.
"Mindless atmosphere of negativity and
pessimism that is sought to be created over
the issue of corruption can do us no good. It
can only damage the nation's image and hit
the morale of the executive," Singh said at
the 19th conference of the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) and State Anti-
Corruption Bureau here.
He said the "government stands firm in
its commitment to do everything possible to
ensure probity, transparency and accounta-
bility in the work of public authorities".
The remarks come against the backdrop
of the government's image taking a beating
in recent years over corruption charges in
2G spectrum allocation, Commonwealth
Games and the allotment of coal blocks.
The latest salvo against the Manmohan
Singh government came from India Against
Corruption member Arvind Kejriwal, who
has suggested a quid pro quo in business
deals between Congress president Sonia
Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra and a pri-
vate realty major.The prime minister said
experience had also shown that big ticket
corruption was mostly related to operations
by commercial entities.
"It is, therefore, proposed to include cor-
porate failure to prevent bribery as a new
offence on the supply side," he said.
New Delhi: The Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) is expect-
ed to sweep 50 percent of all
votes and win 133 of the
182 seats in the upcoming
elections in Gujarat, a sur-
vey of voters released early
October said.
In contrast, the Congress
would maintain its 38 per-
cent vote share but get only
43 seats, a drop of 16 from
its 2007 tally, the
LensOnNews survey said.
The findings follow a survey of 7,294
voters across 52 constituencies across the
state. The BJP's projected seats would be a
gain of one percent in vote share but would
give it 16 more seats as compared to 2007,
it said.
The Congress is slated to maintain its 38
percent vote share but get only 43 seats.
It said the phenomenon of a small swing
of vote share resulting in a disproportionate
benefit to the BJP in terms of seats was
dominantly due to the delimitation exercise.
Of the 16 more seats
projected to be gained by
the BJP since 2007, a
substantial number of 10
seats are to be attributed
to an increase in the
number of urban seats, it
said.
The Congress, the
survey said, was handi-
capped as it lacked a state
leader to match the
stature of Chief Minister
Narendra Modi.
"This has played into Modi's hands, and
he has converted the election into a battle
between the 'six crore people of Gujarat'
and the 'Delhi Sultanate' of Sonia and Rahul
Gandhi."
It said former BJP chief minister
Keshubhai Patel's attempts to rally his Leuva
Patel community to undercut Modi had
failed to make a dent in the BJP's vote
share. The LenOnNews Poll was conducted
between Sep 2 and 28. The results are sub-
ject to a margin of error of 3 percent.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra
Modis charisma still working
Congress distances itself from
Vadra put in dock by Kejriwal
New Delhi: After social activist
Arvind Kejriwals frontal attack
on Congress president Sonia
Gandhis son-in-law on
Tuesday televised live on
most channels the party has
decided to distance itself from
the matter, reversing an earlier
decision of full-throated
defence of Robert Vadra. Even
though this was the second ver-
bal assault on Mr. Vadra in
five days, party members at the
Congress headquarters were
taken by surprise at the ferocity
of Mr. Kejriwals accusations
that forced even the principal
opposition party, the Bharatiya
Janata Party to shed its ambiva-
lence on the issue.
Party spokesperson Rashid
Alvis responses to questions posed by jour-
nalists were feeble: questioning the veracity
of the documents that Mr. Kejriwal had pro-
duced, he sought to dismiss him as a public-
ity-seeker. Mr. Alvi once again repeated
that he could always go to court if he had
anything substantial against Mr. Vadra.
Asked whether a defamation suit was in the
offing, he dodged the question, instead say-
ing that if any questions needed to be
responded to, the Haryana government
would do so: on Tuesday, Mr. Kejriwal had
focussed on the nexus between the Haryana
government and real estate giant DLF and
the business dealings between the realty
major and Mr. Vadra.
For the Congress, the attack on Mr.
Vadra is of great concern: a party func-
tionary said, When the first charges of cor-
ruption came in two years ago, we said
those responsible were our allies. When
Coalgate happened, we said it was the gov-
ernment. Now this has brought the charges
right to 10, Janpath. He said it mattered
very little whether the charges against Mr.
Vadra were ever proved: In politics, it is
not legality, it is perception.
In fact, there was a sense on Tuesday at
the party headquarters that Congress leaders
should not have gone out on a limb for Mr.
Vadra last Friday, when a host of Ministers
and party spokespersons outdid each other
defending him.
Indeed, as the Congress hunted for a
way out, party sources said the focus could
shift to Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder
Hooda, already under fire for the deteriorat-
ing law and order situation in the State. Of
course, the Haryana government was quick
to respond to Mr. Kejriwals accusations,
saying no favour was granted to DLF.
All permissions have been given
according to rules. No land has been
released in the last 10 years. No favour has
been granted to DLF, a State government
spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, Union Corporate Affairs
Minister M. Veerappa Moily sought to give
a clean chit to the business deals between
Mr. Vadra and DLF: We have verified the
accounts of the six companies [where Mr
Vadra has a stake], and no violations or
irregularities are found under the Companies
Act, he told journalists after the Economic
Editors Conference here, adding that there
was no question of an investigation as
there was no violation.
Arvind Kejriwal with his team members Manish Sisodia
(left) and Kumar Vishwas (right) on their way to hold a
press meet in New Delhi on Oct 9 on his allegations
agains Robert Vadra, Priynaka Gandhis husband.
UPA anti-people, but will
support it for now: Mayawati
Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party
(BSP) chief Mayawati
Wednesday once again rapped
the Manmohan Singh-led UPA 2
but stopped short of spelling out
whether she is snapping her rela-
tions with the union government.
After a two-hour long meet-
ing of her party's Parliamentary
Party Board preceded by the
extensive national executive
meet late Tuesday, the BSP
supremo labelled the UPA gov-
ernment "anti-poor, anti-farmer
and pro-corporate".
Addressing a press confer-
ence at the state party headquar-
ters, the former Uttar Pradesh
chief minister avoided saying
whether she is withdrawing sup-
port to such a government, but
added the party's two top bodies
have authorised her to take a
decision and that she would soon
take an appropriate decision.
She also told the media that
the UPA government was unsta-
ble and its future uncertain. She
repeated that she was of the
view that snap polls for the Lok
Sabha could take place anytime
now. She made it amply clear
that her party's patience was
running out.
The BSP has 21 members in
the Lok Sabha.
Mayawati said the party
would emerge as "a balance of
power" as and when the next
parliamentary elections are held.
India does not figure in foreign
policy of Obama challenger
Washington: While President Barack
Obama has described US-India relationship
as one of the defining partnerships of the
21st century, his Republican challenger
Mitt Romney made no reference to India
in a major foreign policy speech.
Accusing Obama of failing to provide
global leadership expected by the rest of
the world, especially key allies such as
Israel, Romney Monday promised to
restore US foreign policy to its post world
war role based on exerting global influ-
ence through military and economic
power.
In an address at the Virginia Military
Institute, he cited recent protests and vio-
lence in Arab countries, including the
attack on the US consulate Benghazi in
Libya that killed the American ambassador
Christopher Stevens and three others, as
examples of failure of Obama's foreign
policy.
"It is our responsibility and the respon-
sibility of our president to use America's
great power to shape history - not to lead
from behind, leaving our destiny at the
mercy of events," Romney said,
"Unfortunately, this president's policies
have not been equal to our best examples
of world leadership and nowhere is this
more evident than in the Middle East," he
said noting, "Hope is not a strategy".
"There is a longing for American lead-
ership in the Middle East-and it is not
unique to that region," Romney said. "It is
broadly felt by America's friends and
allies in other parts of the world as well,"
he said listing world's various troubled
spots. Romney, however, grudgingly
acknowledged Obama administration's suc-
cess in hunting down Osama bin Laden in
his hideout in Pakistan "America can take
pride in the blows that our military and
intelligence professionals have inflicted on
Al-Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan,
including the killing of Osama bin Laden.
These are real achievements won at a high
cost," he said.
On Afghanistan, Romney said he
wouldn't let politics dictate policy but said
he would also "pursue a real and success-
ful transition to Afghan security forces by
the end of 2014", the same deadline
Obama has given.
On Iran, Romney said he would contin-
ue and escalate the Obama administration's
economic sanctions and pledged to move
two carrier groups within striking distance
should Tehran develop a nuclear weapon
anew.
Mitt Romney, who has caught up with
Obama in US presidential race
Australia, India likely to ink uranium
deal during Julia Gillard's visit
Melbourne: Australia is close to
finalise a uranium safeguards agreement
with India that would allow it to sell
the yellowcake to the Asian giant,
Foreign Minister Bob Carr said
recently.
His comments came ahead of Prime
Minister Julia Gillard's maiden visit to
India in mid October.
"Yes we are, and the Indians are
happy with the progress on this. And
we always - where there's a sale of
Australian uranium, we always have a
treaty that governs it and puts in place
all the safeguards we'd require, IAEA
and the rest, non-proliferation refer-
ences," Carr said when asked to com-
ment whether Canberra was close to
ink a deal with New Delhi on the sale
of uranium.
"The relationship's in good working
order and the thing the Indians wanted
out of us most was a decision to sell
them uranium for the peaceful develop-
ment of nuclear power which is a major
strategic goal for them and I think an
environmental plus for the planet," the
minister told a local TV channel.
However, he refrained to comment
if the deal was part of Gillard's visit
due on October 15.
"I'm not in a position to announce
what the Prime Minister's going to
announce. But the relationship is in
quite good working order," he said,
adding "The Prime Minister's headed
there, let's leave it to that."
Indian High Commissioner to
Australia Biren Nanda also said, "I can
confirm that a civil nuclear cooperation
deal was on the agenda of cooperation
between the two sides."
India
Asha Bhosles daughter commits suicide
Mumbai: The last rites of legendary play-
back singer Asha Bhosle`s daughter Varsha,
who committed suicide, were performed on
Oct 9. The 56-year-old singer and columnist,
who was reportedly suffering from depres-
sion, ended her life yesterday by shooting
herself in the temple at her residence on posh
Peddar Road in South Mumbai.
Asha, who was away in Singapore to
attend the closing ceremony of the Marathi
International Film and Theatre Awards
(MIFTA), rushed back to India for the cre-
mation.
Varsha Bhosle with her mother
and legendary singer Asha Bhosle.
Travel
By Vijay Badhwar
O
h, the sight of shimmering luxury
liners in the Sydney Harbour, the
bridge in the background and in
view of the adjacent Opera House sails that
alluringly replicate the open seas beyond,
the excited passengers tugging their bags
behind them on the shores in a hurry. You
wish!
And then it happens. It needed some ini-
tiative and persuasion by an old friend
Sharvan Sehgal to ready everyone together
for a ten-day vacation along the east coast of
Australia that we all had heard about and
always longed to reconnoitre but for the
long distances involved.
Sharvan had been on a cruise earlier and
had been so infatuated with the time spent
on board that he made sure that he booked
for another before he had even left the ship.
But we were not so sure and needed a lot of
convincing and cajoling that we wont be
sea sick all the time and the ship will not be
transporting some captives stuck in the dun-
geons in the folds of the sea where even the
light did not penetrate.
Its been several weeks now that we
came back from our holidays along the
coast. But all ten of us who went on that
vacation havent stopped talking about it, so
memorable was the experience.
P&Os Pacific Pearl was anchored at
Barangaroo for boarding (a late change of
plan) and it looked massive, all of its 14
storeyes in gleaming white, although par-
tially hidden from view by temporary mar-
quees serving as huge departure lounges.
The check-in was easy as it was only a pre-
tend international travel (with the ship
entering into international waters but not
stopping).
Sydney Harbour must be among the
most beautiful in the world. Everyone says
that about their own lands. But this fact is
without exaggeration as one passes in the
distance, one by one, the city landmarks
Centrepoint Tower, Harry Siedlers
Grosvenor Place, Sir Norman Fosters
Deutsche Bank, Renzo Pianos Aurora
Place and, of course, the best in the world
Utzons Opera House. Everyone raised
their champagne glasses, and the cameras,
as the ship took sail around the sails before
entering the open seas.
It took some time to get used to the long
corridors to find your own room. A little
card unlocked the doors to open a neat and
tidy place with a comfortable bed, TV,
chairs, a desk and an en suite. The move-
ment in the ship was next to negligible; it
even seemed still most of the time.
The little P&O card became the lifeline
on the ship as it not only allowed entry to
your room, but it also enabled any purchase
on board and an identification (with an
embedded photo) when leaving or entering a
port. There was no need for cheques or cash
as everything got charged to the card to be
billed at the end.
We just sat at the deck all day, from
watching the rising sun until the evening,
indoor or outdoor depending on the winds,
but in view of the open seas, watching the
whirling waters the ship left in its wake or
the blue waves in the distance, and, of
course, an occasional whale when big
crowds stood on one little corner of the deck
enamoured by the giants showing-off their
antics, aware that they were being watched.
All ten of us - Sehgals, Kanwars,
Aroras, Guptas (Haldiram fame) and us
Badhwars have been friends for decades but
have never known each other like we got to
on the cruise as there was so much idle time
and nothing else to deflect our attention
away from one another. The phones did not
work, neither did Internet. No body spent
more time in their rooms than necessary
without attracting sardonic glances from the
rest; even a book or a magazine turned out
to be an unwelcome distraction.
Nearly four days at the sea before we
reached the first port of call at Whitsundays
Island was a long stretch of free time we
ever had in our busy lifestyles. There was
no cooking required, nor washing, cleaning
and whatever else. Even the beds were
made twice a day, an attendant never far
away if we needed anything.
There was a huge choice of dishes for
breakfast, lunch and dinner several types
of hot and cold selections for breakfast, var-
ious meats and salads for lunch and dinner
that we felt guilty of being gluttonous and
decadent. But then, we can leave the noble
thoughts for some other time.
Besides the buffet bar at the deck level,
there were several fine dining restaurants
for a la carte choices. This we availed at
Continued on page 36....
Its ok to indulge when on a cruise
Aboard P&Os Pacific Pearl-- Standing: Kamal Kanwar, Mukesh Gupta, Vijay Badhwar, Shravan Sehgal and Rajesh arora.
Sitting: Kuki Kanwar, Lata Gupta, Neena Badhwar, Kusum Sehgal and Renu Arora
Pacfic Pearl passing the Sydney Harbour.
Joe Andrews, head chef with his team at the Plantation Restaurant on Deck 12. Says
Joe, a Keralite, All what we offer are our own recipes which the team laboriously
cooks in the galley including baking variety of breads. There are no short cuts to the
gourmet dishes which are rotated every 7 days or so.
Bollywood
By Neena Badhwar
P
arramasala, South Asian Arts
Festival, with its third edition
to be held from November 8 -
11, is action packed as it will start
with a Bollywood night Party and
end with free open air screening of
the classic hit Sholay. It is just
before Diwali which falls on
November 13 so it is time when
people want to get out, eat, enjoy,
dress and see the lighted Townhall
Square and Chruch Street Mall full
of activities, foodstalls and Indian
wares.
TIDU talks to Phillip Rolfe,
Parramasalas Artistic Director.
Says he, This year it is a very con-
centrated festival over four days
designed for people to take part in
events and shows with bigger
Masala markets, lot more well cho-
sen food stalls, fashion, art and
craft with amazing performances
lined up live on outdoor stage.
How has the three-year journey
been in terms of his own evolution,
has Phillip been able to achieve
what he set out to achieve and dis-
cover new artists, new ideas for
himself? Replies Phillip, There
are ticketed events at Riverside
Theatre and Jubilee Hall.
Parramasala has become very much
a permanent feature with great
response as he sees now large
crowds who make up a happy and
an enthusiastic audience.
Most important is that we have
made sure that it is of highest qual-
ity as this year we have classical
artist Hari Prasad Chaurasia and
our Film in Focus has some new
films from different parts of
Australia, New Zealand, South Asia
showing content by new independ-
ent film makers who provide an
interesting perspective and depth of
film making.
It has been a great pleasure to
continually discover things that are
never ending and you need to
refresh yourself every time and
present it to the public. I am still
discovering just how many good
artists are out there working so
many music and dance groups exist.
We are always in constant search of
finding new ways, new artists just
in the South Asian art. Parramasala
is concentrated on this region and
now with Burma opening up to the
world I would like to explore and
present art forms from there too and
the Burmese diaspora.
What about theatre, literature?
Phillip says, It will really be good
to have literature, visual art and the-
atre as we grow. This years
Parramasala is all indication of a
bigger and better festival and a
promise of a permanent fixture of
Parramatta region though we have
taken care in adding artists and pro-
grams that have broader appeal for
wider Sydney audience.
Phillip invites all from the
Indian community to join in the fun
come out in groups, families,
children and explore possibilities of
multicultural art from the region
which provides them with a unique
opportunity of what human beings
happen to create. I think everyone
should come and participate and
witness what is available free as
well as ticketed , as he invites the
local Indian subcontinent communi-
ty to become a part of Parramasala
starting with the great Bollywood
night party for the opening night on
November 8. TIDU is sure as many
have already been exchanging
emails and talking of meeting to see
Sholay, which will be screened free
outdoor on November 11. Do visit:
www.parramasala.com to check out
programs and activities.
Some
Parramasala
highlights:
Masala Markets: Nov 8 -11:
Parramatta Town Hall Square with
over 30 stalls and free entertainment
The Bombay Royale will take its
place as Parramasalas house band,
performing a totally unique brand of
intoxicating rhythms and seductive
lyrics over three flamboyant festival
nights. Pakistans reigning prince of
qawwali music, Asif Ali Khan will
inspire audiences with sufi vocals
and energetic rhythms accompanied
by his nine member ensemble from
Lahore. On other days and nights,
artist and performers include
Sydneys premiere Sri Lankan
dance and music group Sankha
Ridma, multi-talented electronica
group Tablatronics, Melbournes
Fine Blue Thread, Sydneys
Mahmood Khan, Western Sydneys
emerging hip hop star El Fresh and
cross-cultural music collaborators
Nafas. Closing night sees a screen-
ing on the Outdoor Stage of Sholay,
one of Indias most famous and
most popular Bollywood action
films from the 1970s.
November 8: A Bollywood
Block Party featuring special guest
MC, the legendary Australian
music icon Kamahl, kicks off the
Parramasala festival, taking over
Town Hall Square on 8 November.
With inspired beats, mass choreo-
graphed dance and adrenaline-
charged drumming it will be a
colourful spectacle for all ages.
Performance: Pt Hari Prasad
Chaurasia 6pm, 11 November,
Riverside Theatre. Tickets $45 - $55.
South Asian Film In Focus
9-11 November, Riverside
Theatres, Parramatta. It is curat-
ed by Ravi Kambhoj. Parramasala
presents a feast of dynamic South
Asian cinema as part of an inde-
pendent film program showcasing
the incredible generation of new
filmmakers of South Asia.
Held over three days, eight film
sessions are full of eye-opening,
moving, inspirational and cutting
edge experiences. Each feature is an
Australian film premiere, contains
English subtitles (where necessary)
and is screened with a short film.
Sunshine and Shade: Indian
Students in Australia - the full
story: Director - Ana Tiwary.
Country Australia. 9 November
8.15pm OPENING NIGHT
FILM.
This world premiere documen-
tary explores the myriad issues fac-
ing Indian students in Australia, not
just good and bad or black and
white, but the many shades of grey.
This screening is preceded by a per-
formance from slam poet Amna
Bilgrami and is followed by an
expert panel discussion.
Mr Singh Wants PR :
Director - Fahad Sher Hussain.
Country - New Zealand. 10
November 2pm. Bollywood meets
Kiwiland! This is a black comedy
about a struggling international stu-
dent who falls in love and makes his
money selling cannabis jalebis.
Bardsongs: Director - Sander
Francken. Countries -
India/Mali/The Netherlands.
Language
Hindi/Ladakhi/Bambara. 10
November 5pm. Three dramatic
interwoven stories set within a
frame of war, rural life and a jour-
ney across the Himalayas.
Noor: Directors - Cagla
Zencirci and Guillaume Giovanetti.
Country Pakistan. Language -
Urdu/Punjabi. 10 November 8pm.
Noor breaks away from Pakistans
transgender community, the khus-
ras. He wants to be accepted as a
man and his quest for love drasti-
cally changes his life.
Shuttlecock Boys Director -
Hemant Gaba. Country India.
Language Hindi Sunday 11
November 3pm. Shuttlecock Boys
revolves around the lives, successes
and failures of four friends who hail
from lower middle class back-
grounds in Delhi. The one thing that
unites them is their common love
for badminton.
Act of Dishonour: Director -
Nelofer Pazira. Country
Afghanistan. Language Farsi. 11
November 8pm. Mena, a young,
beautiful bride-to-be, lives in a
remote village in northern
Afghanistan. Respecting the deeply
conservative local customs, she and
her future husband have little con-
tact yet cherish a special bond. Her
developing friendship with a mem-
ber of a Canadian film crew briefly
opens a door to a new world for
Mena, but should she step away
from convention and into a tantalis-
ing and dangerous world?
Lennox at Riverside Theatres:
Opening night film $20. All other
films $10. Special price: $50 for
all sessions apart from the
Opening night film.
Parramasala screens Sholay outdoors
Artistic Director Phillip Rolfe with singer Kamahl at the
Parramasala launch party.
Sholay, one of Indias most popular Bollywood action films from the 1970s,
will be screened outdoors free.
Famous flautist Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia will perform at the
South Asian Arts Festival.
Music
By Neeru Saluja
Dont be a star in your

own garage. Go out there
and play for people that
dont know you.
With stars in his eyes and a
song in his heart, a Sydney
born Indian boy moved to Los
Angeles a few years ago. To
realize his dream of pursuing
music and show the world his
talent, he left his comfy IT job
and landed in the big city with
no contacts. Today, Tushar
Apte owns his company The
Dualists and their recent single
Shotgun was used in a series
of Apple commercials in the
London 2012 Olympic Games.
Brought up in Sydney, he
studied journalism and commu-
nication and ended up working
in IT. He was playing gigs in
the bars around Sydney, when
he left his career and went to
LA on a one year work visa.
Though he hails from a family
of musicians (his dad is a clas-
sical singer and mum a kathak
dancer), he wanted to do some-
thing different. Success didnt
come easy as for the first ten
months he was playing gigs,
didnt have much money and
was living the musician life.
But those were my happi-
est days. I had enough money
to cover rent and bills, and in
the meantime I did production
stuff. I got connected in July
2011 when I was doing a
Halloween gig in the Orange
County. I got in contact with a
well known film composer and
producer from UK, who did the
music for the TV show Heroes.
He let me score some trailers
for different short films for the
Cannes film festival. He really
liked my work, but I didnt
hear from him for about a
month.
I was in New York visiting
a friend when I got a call for
co-producing a song for Adam
Levine from Maroon 5. I
couldnt believe I was getting
an offer from the biggest selling
artist in the States! We ended
up doing a promo remix of
Heavy by PJ Morton and
Adam Levine.
Tushar never looked back
after that. He decided to form a
production team called
Dualists. Inside the industry
we have built a name for our-
selves after working with Adam
Levine. We have done radio
ads, worked with famous music
producers, R&B artists and are
presently working on an
upcoming massive Hollywood
production that has a few
Bollywood names associated
with it. Im also writing a
song for White Ribbon Day
(against domestic violence)
which is quite exciting. It
seems as if Im back to charity
and it gives me a wonderful
feeling.
Tushar is not only a music
composer, but also a song
writer and music producer. I
wanted to be a Stevie Wonder.
It would be a dream come true
to do a complete project with
AR Rahman and also work with
my favourite composers Trent
Reznor and Scorsese Martin.
The way Tushar has found
success, it may not be long
before he fulfills his dreams.
But as mentioned before, the
music industry is tough to get
in. It is no doubt a struggle. If
you dont have the right
strength of mind, you have to
be prepared to make sacrifices.
Its high risk, high reward. For
an Indian growing up in
Australia, for all the opportuni-
ties you get, its a shame one
should not give it a go. In my
case, my family was very sup-
portive.
As a message to upcoming
singers, Tushar adds, Your
relationships with friends or
partners do change, but that
is the result of being in
this industry. You have
to be 24/7 doing it.
That is the only way
to make it. A lot of
this business is
really about who
you know. You
have to allocate
50% of your
time in net-
working. In
music it is all
about deliv-
ering, you
just need to
be ready
for your
moment .
Its also
i mp o r -
tant to
g i v e
back to
the music
communi-
ty.
Its hard yakka to get into music
Catching up with
Sydney boy Tushar Apte
creating waves in LA
Forming a
production team
called Dualists,
Tushar Apte has
worked with famous
music producers,
R&B artists and is
currently working on
a Hollywood produc-
tion that has a few
Bollywood names
associated with it.
Photo: Sidd Rishi
Fashion
By Ritu Ghai
T
he recent years have wit-
nessed a spurt in royal gar-
ments being revived with
contemporary patterns for a more
global appeal. Heritage inspired
and reminiscent of a regal era,
they are rich in colours and intri-
cate in patterns. The gold and sil-
ver work on saris and lehengas,
the intricacy of embroidery, the
sparkle of fine embroidery and the
caress of muslin, silks and
diaphanous chiffons, royal gar-
ments are hand crafted to perfec-
tion. They make a rare collec-
tors item that captures the
essence of an era not really gone
by.
Although these royal ensem-
bles are a choice for all seasons
and all occasions, their visibility
gets more heightened during wed-
ding seasons when brides-to-be
trace the annals of history to get
themselves designed something
similar. Grooms also serenade the
saga of that era and walk down
the aisle, looking majestic in
band-gala, Jodhpuris and sherwa-
nis complete with safas and juttis.
Depicting the blue blood in
every design, these sheer relics
attract people from all over the
globe. And why not? How can
one resist the signature Parsi gara
embroidery depicted on textiles,
many designs like peacock with a
trailing tail, birds, butterflies,
blossoms detailed beautifully and
profusely embroidered on the out-
fits. The satin stitch of the
embroidery is minutely done with
a certain slant to infuse fluidity in
the motif.
Equally endearing is the
Zardozi, brocade and Chikankari
accents on fine silks, velvets and
other sheer fabrics for a sparkling
effect. Offset by heirlooms of
splendid diamonds, precious
stones, glittering solitaires or
even the Nav Ratan necklace,
these fables of Indian royals are
an indulgent extravagance.
Their whole purpose is to
make a woman look beautiful in
styles that flatter her figure and
highlight her complexion, yet
make it easy for her to wear it on
her shoulder.
So, if its rich deep hues that
you are looking out for with the
most intricate embroidery then
this blue bloodied collection is all
yours to pick from. See how it
feels to be a princess for a day.
Contemporary looks for this
regal collection is achieved with
French chiffons and European
flower prints, enhanced with
Swarovski crystals. Women are
also sporting gowns for pre-wed-
ding functions, to throw in a
splash of modernity into the tradi-
tional event. An entire range of
silk and satin gowns in burgundy,
pink, berry and purples hues
embellished with Indian elements
and western twists are in for the
Cinderella of today.
At home with HandSpun
Hand-spun looms of India
have found a global appeal and
designers like Neeru Kumar are
deep rooted in contemporizing the
craft tradition and weaving. Her
collection speaks volumes about
the timeless Indian textiles and
she showcases her Indian fabrics
all over the globe at prestigious
stores and exhibitions.
The hand-woven woollen
stoles and scarf collection is a
rage in Europe with its magical
feel and appeal. The fashion coor-
dinates well with the western
dresses and the cold climate of the
countries.
Embellishments of kantha
work in bandhini shawls, Paithani
stoles and quilted silk jackets,
unusually woven jamdani sarees
are the spectacular collection of
Neeru Kumar that salutes the tra-
dition of India and the modernity
of its lifestyle. Colours are either
subtle or multi hued but efferves-
cent - mustard yellow, sunset yel-
low, charcoal black, earth
colours, delicate pinks, cool mints
and avocado greens.
Textured tussar' is another
fabric she indulges in. Contrasting
patterns woven into the fabric has
an international buzz. The attrac-
tive play of colour and washing
machine friendly character
appeals to every person in any
Its reigning Royal this season
Fashion in India has always intrigued people - sometimes with its traditional richness
and sometimes with its bold experiments. And today it is bursting at the seams with a
rich cauldron of colours, fabric, patterns and designs. Market is galore with garments
that possess a global appeal yet also define a royal era.
Katrina Kaif sporting a printed saree: what Bollywood
stars wear on or off-screen gets copied
The gold and silver work on saris and lehengas, the intricacy of embroidery, and the caress of muslin,
silks and diaphanous chiffons, garments hand crafted to perfection are all the rage.
Evolving saree on global catwalk: The six yards has
gone through many variations
Fashion
country. Even wool, mostly tex-
tured and blended, has a global
demand for the warmth and com-
plements with every design.
Neeru Kumar also collects
antique and traditional fabrics
from all over the country, includ-
ing rare 50-year-old Banjara tex-
tiles from Andhra Pradesh and
tribal fabric from Karnataka. Her
ikkats and jamdanis have made a
style statement with celebrities as
well. Her line of shibori silhou-
ettes, an ancient form of Japanese
art of tie and dye, is very popular
globally.
Talking about hand-spun, how
can one forget the fabric of
Mahatma Gandhi - Khadi. Lifted
from being the fabric of the com-
mon man, it is now making an
elite statement and global
impact. Eco friendly and flexible,
minimalistic and elegant, Khadi
remains warm in winters and cool
in summers. International tourists
fall in love with the kurtis and
waistcoats, skirts, scarves, stoles
and shawls. Known earlier for its
limited colour and design range,
khadi has surprised many with its
colour range and design patterns.
Easy to wash and drape,
Khadi commands respect and
depicts the story of India in every
weave.
Sari magic and Embroidery
Gleaming silk saris, concept
based saris with intricate zari
work, hand-woven Banarasi beau-
ties, Maheshwari, rich silks from
the south with a rhythm of their
own, Bandhni from Jaipur, Ikats
from Hyderabad and Orissa and
weaves from Varanasi have been
revived from the annals of histo-
ry.
The six yards has gone
through many variations like sari
draped over frilled petticoat, worn
in layering pattern or simply
adorned on you in a traditional
way to create an ethereal impact.
Brightened with equally intriguing
works of mukesh, gota, resham,
zardozi and Swarovski, these saris
are a chronicle of our rich her-
itage and classical Indian beauty.
Lehengas are created in bro-
cades, silks, georgettes, velvet
and net in a vibrant colour palette
of fuchsias, greens, fiery reds,
earthy browns and beige,
turquoise, electric blues offset
with heavy work on the dupatta
and teamed with a lavishly
embroidered velvet or brocade
choli.
Filmy looks
Indian fashion fads are usually
dictated by Bollywood trends.
There can be a retro look com-
plete with flowing anarkalis or
tight Mumtaz churidar suits that
take you to a trip down nostalgia
lane or the heavy Indian outfits,
deeply rooted in tradition that
dominate the movies of Sanjay
Leela Bhansali. Capturing the
fancy of the audience are
Madhuris choli and Sonam
Kapoors elegant dresses. A
Kareena style of tee-shirts worn
over patiala salwar in Jab we Met
and Deepika Padokones casual
looks in every flick, evoke the
quirky sensibilities of the young
generation.
The dapper looks of Shah
Rukh Khan, cool quotient of
Akshay Kumar, topless Salman
Khan and a youthful Aamir Khan
influence the mind of many young
boys who wear what their
heroes sport on-screen and
off-screen as well.
Setting trends and influencing
minds, Bollywood fashion indus-
try has always been a trendsetter.
There is a burst of colours and a
flood of styles, frame after frame,
as the divas of Indian cinema
excite your senses right from
Waheeda Rehman, Nargis and
Saira Banu in their elegant saris to
the chutzpah shown by
Madhubala in a couple of films
and Meena Kumari in her timeless
lehengas in Pakeeza.
Fashion is not defined by any
boundaries. It is effervescent and
all compassing. It is a document
in itself that unravels the story of
every period and captures the
fancy of people in every age.
Today, fashion is global and tar-
geted at the well-travelled buyer
who considers fashion as more of
a lifestyle statement than just an
addition in his or her wardrobe.
By Neena Badhwar
F
estivals are the time when
hardworking people
unleash themselves in the
name of God. Festive celebrations
among all communities across the
globe spell indulgence in food and
clothes. Indian festivals in
Australia align with spring and
summer season as everyone looks
forward after the winters sniffling
away cold and flu infections
resigned to bed, to a time of cele-
bration, fun and warmth as wed-
dings also abound in this season.
As summers approach one is
ready to get out of that winter
slumber and get into colourful fes-
tive mood showing off the latest
fashion at garbas, pujas, navratri
as Sydney sizzles with riots of
Indian colours all around the
town. Facebook is a witness to it
all as girls in beautiful saris turn
up at parties as well as temple
functions and weddings. Dandia
dances are full of colour with peo-
ple shimmering away accentuating
the evening with an upswing
mood.
Indian festival sarees are
bright designed to reflect the
flamboyant mind and mood pre-
vailing during festive occasions.
Materials like brocade, silk and
satin are prevalent in these types
of sarees. Certain festivals like
Onam (Kerala), Nabobarsho
(West Bengal) have traditional
festive sarees in which chances
for innovation is rather minimal.
Bandhini sarees look beautiful in
their own special way.
Indian festival sarees are
enhanced multifold when they are
accompanied by appropriate jew-
elry. Traditional weaving commu-
nities have mastered the art of
making festive sarees and employ
their creativity to enhance the
same by blending fabrics and
incorporating different types of
embroidery patterns keeping the
aesthetic appeal intact.
Says Aruna Chandrala,
President of Global women
Network, We all have come
from our motherland India and
made Australia our adopted home.
Indian culture is very rich with
festivals like Pongal, Holi,
Ganesh Chaturdhi, Dassera and
Diwali. As a member of Diwali
festival committee I feel proud
that Diwali is celebrated by NSW
Government in Parliament house.
Indian women like to wear tradi-
tional clothes and jewellery on
festivals. I particularly like to
wear Kanchipuram, Benares and
Uppada Silk sarees. I source them
from two upcoming designers
from Andhra Pradesh: Lakshmi
Motamarri, Hyderabad and
Lakshmi Marni, Rajahmundry.
Says Neelu Anand, who loves
wearing sarees, Im pleased that
now we can also buy some quali-
ty Indian outfits in Australia itself.
The beautiful colours and latest
designs are so tempting that one
cannot stop shopping. I love
bright colours in Sarees &
Churidaars, they are perfect for
spring.
Its nice if you can co-ordi-
nate matching bangles, bindi &
jewellery. I buy my sarees from
Neelu Maharaj & Pooja of Saree
Haven from Sydney and also from
Melbourne in Dandenong which is
full of Indian fashion shops with
the latest. They have great
colours, latest styles and great
accessories to match with the out-
fit. My daughter Neha is now
into sarees and also enjoys wear-
ing lehanga choli. The great thing
about Indian fashion is various
options and new styles. Whenever
I see something new in the shops
its exciting and I just have to buy
it!!
Spring sizzles with festival colours in Oz
Sydneysider Aruna Chandrala
buys from designers in
Hyderabad.
Saree tradition carries
on - Neha with mum
Neelu Anand.
Boys in splash of colours with long coats, cowled pants and pagdis
The royal look is offset by heirlooms of splendid diamonds, precious stones, glittering solitaires or even
the Nav Ratan necklace.
Art
By Kaushik Prakash
A
ccolades for the Kerala born
artist Raja Ravi Varma are
aplenty. And nothing I say
about him will seem new.
Everything except the fact that in
1874 a post office had to be opened
in his town of Kilimanoor to handle
the rush of letters with requests of
his paintings that arrived from all
over the world. Such was his popu-
larity in an age and time that was
devoid of Internet, television, and
radio.
Raja Ravi Varma was born Ravi
Varma Koil Thampuran on April
29, 1848, in the town of
Kilimanoor, near Trivandrum, in
erstwhile Travancore, which is the
southern half of the present day
Indian state of Kerala. As a child,
he was a self-taught artist who
drew, with charcoal, scenes from
everyday life on the walls of his
home. The King of Kilimanoor,
Ayilyam Thirunal Maharaja,
noticed this budding artist and nur-
tured his talent by sending him to
train under the Travancore Palaces
royal painter, Rama Swamy Naidu.
It is in this palace that Ravi Varma
had the good fortune of training
under European painter Theodore
Jenson. Jenson taught him the intri-
cacies of western styles of painting.
And over the next few years Ravi
Varma blossomed into a mature
painter with a unique ability to fuse
Indian classical art with European
academic art.
My exposure to Ravi Varmas
paintings goes back to the formative
years of my childhood. His paint-
ings were ubiquitous in our home. I
grew up in a vintage household that
was very classily decorated by my
great-grandfather with Brazilian
rosewood furniture, velvet and lace
linen from Europe, Chinese vases
and Indonesian wood sculptures.
But for the walls of our rooms and
halls he only used painting of Raja
Ravi Varma.
I vividly recall the painting
Lady with the Lamp which hung
in the family room. It was the first
thing the eye met when one walked
into the house. The image of a
divinely beautiful Indian woman
dressed in a simple white sari carry-
ing a nilavilakku (Kerala style oil
lamp) while using the palm of her
hand to gently guard the tender
flame from a breeze. The painting is
almost brought to life with her bril-
liant red eyes that are shone so
brightly from the reflection of the
flame. The painting in many ways
was symbolic to the culture and tra-
dition of our home; it meant that the
lady of the house welcomed her
guests and showed them the way
inside with the light from the lamp.
Like many of his masterpieces,
Ravi Varma has used contrasting
colour tones in this oil painting to
signify the depth of field, which is
quite remarkable. The silhouette of
the woman, depicted in a nymphet-
like fashion, was clearly outlined
within the tender glow of the light
that she was carrying. The realism
is there for everyone to see and feel.
A majority of Ravi Varmas
paintings are depictions of scenes
from the Indian epics, Ramayana
and Mahabharata. But his work
stood out because for the first time
ever an artist was using European
realism while depicting Indian Gods
and other mystical characters.
Unlike his predecessors and other
contemporaries, Ravi Varmas
paintings were largely set in the nat-
ural surroundings of Earth. It is said
that while working on any of his
paintings, Ravi Varma would seek
inspiration and creativity by listen-
ing to music, or watching
kathakali (traditional dance form
of Kerala), or by even listening to
dramatic interpretations of epics.
All his portraits carried a heavy
influence of Tanjore style of paint-
ing, more often using antique-ism,
which were characterized with sub-
tle colours and sober backgrounds.
Most of his paintings convey deli-
cate lines with intricate brush
strokes and a graceful delineation of
figures with the use of light in the
background and foreground. He
used a technique of thick application
of oil paints to generate feels of lus-
trous, impasted jewellery, brocaded
textures and shades of complexion.
Professor of Fine Arts in Mahatma
Gandhi University in Cochin Aritra
Menon says, The eloquence of
subjects painted by Varma are truly
masterful. He did some ground-
breaking work by adopting Indo-
European fusion style in his works.
One doesnt need to be a scholar of
art to appreciate his paintings. The
beauty is in the charm, innocence
and grace of his work and appeals to
just about anyone regardless of
age.
One of the reasons why Ravi
Varmas paintings are so popular in
India and abroad is because he was
the first one to mass-produce his
paintings through oleographs. In
1894 he set up a oleograph press,
Ravi Varma Pictures Depot, in col-
laboration with none other than the
grand old man of Indian cinema,
Dadasaheb Phalke, who was an
expert engraver and printer in those
days.
His paintings started reaching
far and wide after the pictures depot
started oleographic mass produc-
tions. Pictures of Gods and
Goddesses, and other mystical char-
acters began to adorn and beautify
the walls of people from not only
India but also all across the world.
In India, his paintings were synony-
mous with calendar art, and reli-
gious art. It would hardly be a falla-
cy to claim that to the average
Indian, especially in the Southern
states, the mental image that he
holds in his minds eye while offer-
ing prayers is that of the Ravi
Varmas paintings of Ganesha,
Shiva, Krishna, Lakshmi, Saraswati
or Parvati. Frame shops and poster
shops all over the country were sell-
ing his paintings and people did not
hesitate to embrace these to bless
their homes and find a prominent
place in prayer rooms.
The subject of a majority of
Raja Ravi Varmas paintings was
women, primarily the women of
India. He took immense pride in
celebrating the ethereal and subdued
elegance of the Indian woman. His
paintings captured subjects in their
everyday routines, in very subtle
and graceful demeanours. Be it a
woman adorning her hair with flow-
ers, a mother feeding a playful
child, or a tribal girl carrying a pot
of water, he always managed to
convey a feeling of purity and inno-
cence of the subject to the viewer.
Any story on Ravi Varma would
be incomplete without throwing
focus on his depiction of women
from his own state of Kerala. He
took pride in portraying the tradi-
tional attire of the Malayalee
women, the traditional white or
cream cotton saree called a
Mundum. In his painting,
Shakuntala, Varma essayed the
protagonist stealing a glimpse, on
the sly, of her beau, Dushyant, in a
garden, with her companions.
Shakuntala is masterfully rendered
with a poise of tasteful simplicity.
With the pallu of her saree tucked
into her waist, her hair in a neat bun
decorated with flowers, she is pre-
tending to pluck out a thorn from
her foot as she tries to catch a
glimpse of Dushyant.
Raja Ravi Varmas paintings are
very popular with Generation Z.
The Internet has hundreds of blog
sites and websites dedicated to his
work.
Rahul Rao, of OyeBazaar.com,
an Indian website that sells art prints
and posters, claims that reprints of
several of Ravi Varmas master-
pieces are among the best sellers on
Oyebazaar.com. He says, It never
ceases to amaze me that a young
professional or even a college stu-
dent who buys a Manchester
United, or a Dark Knight poster
from us also places an order for a
canvas print of the great artists
Yashoda and Krishna, Menaka
and Shakuntala, or Ganga
Vatram. The great artists rele-
vance in todays world is quite
remarkable, he adds.
India never had a dearth of
good artists. In the proud history of
India, we have constantly excelled
at it. Be it the cave paintings in
Ajanta and Ellora dating back to
2nd century BCE, or to the master-
pieces of M.F. Husain, Indians
have accomplished remarkable feats
that has made the world take notice.
The Mughals, Rajputs, Malwas,
Madhubans, Tanjores and a pletho-
ra of other styles and forms have,
from time to time, graced the world
of art with masterpieces from the
far corners of India. And with such
a rich heritage of art, our future is
one that is colourful. Great art lives
forever, and generations will be
born that will appreciate it a lot
more.
Raja Ravi Varma
The undying light of Indian art
The nineteenth century painters work stood out because
for the first time ever an Indian artist was using European
realism while depicting Indian gods and laypeople.
Raja Ravi Varma's
Lady with Fruit Tray
With the pallu of her saree tucked into her waist, her hair in a
neat bun decorated with flowers, Shakuntala is pretending to
pluck out a thorn from her foot as she tries to catch a glimpse of
her beau, Dushyant.
Bollywood
By Neeru Saluja
E
very year around this time
he surprises me. With his
charms, he always creates
magic. Sometimes as an innocent
singer, a heartless playboy, a
salesman or a rebellious rockstar.
But the biggest surprise came
with his latest movie. Who could
ever imagine, that without saying
a word, he would win everyones
heart!
He is not the muscle-toting
actor after whom the girls run
shrieking like the rest of the
heroes of our film industry. In
Barfi he is dumb, mute and relies
on facial expressions, antics and
sheer will and naivety borne out
of disability, a sincere struggle to
survive and love life and people
around him. No one, I say that
again, no one could play this dif-
ficult role but only him, our
households darling actor that
even my five-year-old daughter is
really fond of.
We are talking about Murphy,
aka Sid, aka Jordan aka Ranbir
Kapoor. Despite playing many
roles, the Kapoor Khandaans
shining gem has ruled everyones
hearts with his innocent and play-
ful portrayal of Murphy in the lat-
est release Barfi. A superhit with-
in three days, the film has also
been nominated for the Oscars.
When I interviewed him in
2007 for his debut film
Saawariya, little did I know the
cute looking towel clad lad had
so much potential. A year later,
he came to Sydney for the shoot-
ing of his second film Bachna Ae
Haseeno. But I missed a chance
to meet him as he was too busy
romancing his co-star Deepika
Padukone. And now after a string
of hits, he is working on his next
film Besharam with our very
own Australian actress Pallavi
Sharda.
Born to actors Rishi Kapoor
and Neetu Singh, Ranbir Kapoor
has acting running in his blood.
But he started his career as an
assistant to director Sanjay Leela
Bhansali. As he showed more
interest in acting, Bhansali select-
ed him for his film Saawariya.
Though his debut film failed at
the box office, his performance
and his good looks were noticed.
He went on signing films like
Bachna Ae Haseeno, Wake Up
Sid, Rajneeti, Ajab Prem ki gazab
kahaani and Rocket Singh. As a
young performer, he eased into
every role that came his way and
earned brownie points from the
critics.
A winning catch was last year
when he played the role of a
rebellious rockstar Jordan in
Rockstar. From a simpleton to a
rebel, Ranbir transformed himself
into a star far above our expecta-
tions. Within three hours, the
small town innocent boy became
a rugged looking rebel. As a
rockstar he loved his music, but
more than that he loved his lady.
The film was worth a watch for
Ranbir filled the film with high
tension and passionate romance.
His performance won him many
awards, including the Best Actor
Award at the recently held IIFA
in Singapore.
But the real winner came with
his film Barfi. As Ranbirs most
challenging performance of his
career, we are left dumbstruck.
Without any words Ranbir shows
us his heart of gold as Murphy.
His innocent looks are as appeal-
ing as his playful pranks and his
actions leave us in tears. Ranbir
acts himself as the charmer. But
without hearing or speaking any-
thing to his leading ladies
Priyanka Chopra and Ileana
DCruz his acting says it all and
touches our hearts. Barfi not only
is Ranbirs movie, it has Priyanka
and Ileana vying with their excel-
lent performance.
Along with his films, Ranbir
has always created news with his
playboy image. He dated co-
actress Deepika Padukone for a
year but was also linked to
Katrina Kaif and Anushka
Sharma. He is quite close to his
mum Neetu Singh and is often
referred to as a mummys boy.
With his charming smile and
innocent looks, Ranbir is definite-
ly one of the favourite ladies
man. The cute Libran recently
turned thirty, and he is no doubt
flirty at thirty! Dont forget the
Kapoor khandaan tag that makes
him the most eligible Bollywood
bachelor.
Ranbir once said in an inter-
view, At some point I want peo-
ple to say, Raj Kapoor is
Ranbirs grandfather. If Barfi
wins an Oscar, Ranbirs wish will
become reality. After many
years, a well-deserved film has
been selected for the Oscars.
Lets wish the rising king of
Bollywood Ranbir Kapoor the
best of luck in his journey to star-
dom!
Ranbir shines in and as Barfi
Ranbir once said in an interview, At some point I want people to say, Raj Kapoor is
Ranbirs grandfather. If Barfi wins an Oscar, Ranbirs wish may become reality.
It is Ranbirs most challenging performance of his career, and we
are left dumbstruck. Without any words he shows us
his heart of gold as Murphy/Barfi.
And now after a string of hits, Ranbir Kapoor is working on his
next film Besharam with our very own Indian Australian actress
Pallavi Sharda.
Community
By Neeru Saluja
To celebrate Hindi Diwas,
Hindi poet Rekha Rajvanshi has
been organising Kavi Sammelans
since 2008. But this time she
wanted to do something more
appealing for poetry lovers. So
with the brainwave from our very
own editor Neena Badhwar, they
worked out a different concept
Hindi poetry in Bollywood films.
Thus an event called Kavi ke
Udgar, Sangeet ki Jhankar was
advertised on Facebook. And to
everyones surprise it got booked
out in five days!
On September 15, at Epping
Leisure Centre, the event was
attended by 90 poetry lovers. The
singers sang Kabir, Mira, Amir
Khusro and Ghalibs poetry, and
Sydney based poets recited their
poems in between. Some of the
budding poets were actually
Facebook finds!
The program was started by
Rekha Rajvanshi and the audi-
ence was enthralled by poetry
from poets Asmita Pant, Garima
Trivedi, Sonu Sarda, Rajpal
Sandhu, Ritu Bhamra, Manju
Mittal, Ajoy Gosh, Anu Chhabra
and Sukhpreet Dhamoon. Singer
Lalit sang Aamir Khusros chap
tilak sab chini and Kabeer, singer
Pushpaji sang Meeras mere to
girdhar gopal and Kaifi Azmis
popular number Waqt ne kiya
kya haseen sitam, while singer
Vinod ji entertained us with Sahir
Ludhianavis Maine Chand aur
sitaron ki Tamanna ki and Kaifi
Azmis Ye Mana meri jaan
qawaali. The romantic duet from
Javed Akhtars film Chalte Chalte
Tauba tumhare ye ishare from
singers Vinod and Pushpa was a
big hit! Singer Shobha
Ingleshwar also lent her voice for
poet Neerajs Megha Chhaye
Aadhi raat.
At the end of the event, all the
poets and singers were called on
stage and thanked for their wor-
thy contribution to the world of
poetry and music. Food and
drinks were also served where the
guests mingled and shared their
poetic experiences.
For the last two years Rekha
has been organising this event
with IABBV Hindi School. It is a
free event and she acknowledges
it is impossible without the sup-
port of the sponsors for the Hindi
Mela. Amongst them were the
Consulate General of India in
Sydney, Shiv Sharma of Uneek
Conveyancing, Commonwealth
Bank of India, Mrs Sheba
Nandkeolyar of Multicall,
Sanjeev Garga, Mandeep Rana of
Curry House, Mr Amitav
Goswami of Project Vision and
Geetika Verma from Whipped
Cakes and Chocolates.
Besides being a Hindi poet,
Rekha has also published a col-
lection of her poems in a book
called Kangarooyon ke desh
mein which was released on the
day. She is also the founder mem-
ber of the National level literary
and art society - Indian Literary
and Art Society of Australia
(ILASA) Inc. In a years time,
ILASA Inc. has organised 12
events including Brisbane &
Adelaide chapters which are
active now.
It was amazing to hear young
poets participating in kavi sam-
melans where ones only expects
elderly to contribute. Rekha
Rajvanshi said, I feel Hindi
poetry is very close to our heart
and it is important to maintain
our traditions and pass them on to
the younger generation. With the
technological advancement, poet-
ry has become accessible on
internet. I would like to encour-
age them to read and listen to fine
Hindi and English poetry, so that
they get to know about the mod-
ern trends and changing fashion
in poetry writing.
They can go to YouTube and
listen to Gulzar, Javed Akhtar,
Bashir Badra, Neeraj, Ashok
Chakradhar and many more
poets. Budding poets need to
know various styles of poetry
writing. Knowledge of Matras
and Chhands are important, if
they are writing a rhyming poetry.
Blank verse poems have no
boundaries, but they also need to
match somewhere in the end.
This knowledge is available on
internet in various Hindi websites
and online magazines.
Kavi ke Udgar, Sangeet ki Jhankar
IABBV celebrates Hindi
Divas with poetry and plays
Indo Aus Bal Bharti Hindi School is now in its 25th year
having established in 1987. Children who have passed out
20 -25 years ago are still in contact as proud alumnis of
the school as it strives to bring up new crop of young
children learning Hindi with teachers who they lovingly
refer to as Aunties. Hindi Divas organised by IABBV
had teachers train children recite poems, act in their
mother tongue working hard for weeks. Dignitaries who
attended Hindi Divas were Hon. Phillip Ruddock, Victor
Dominello, Minister for Citizenship and Communities
NSW, Dr Phil Lambert, Regional Director Sydney Region,
NSW Department of Education and Training, Consul
General Arun Goel, Singer Kamahl, Councillor Gurdeep
Singh, Mr Nihal Agar, HCA and Santram Bajaj, President
AHIA. Mala Mehta, Co-Ordinator IAABV proudly intro-
duced teachers and children as every one witnessed their
performance in the classrooms at Thornleigh West Public
School on September 16.
IABBV kids with Aunty Mala Mehta and Hon. Victor Dominello
Community
Sydney in September set the mood for celebration and sum-
mer as IABBV & ILASAs Hindi Divas celebrated Hindi lan-
guage in Australia with Kavi Sammelan (top) children stag-
ing Kabuliwalah (above) in an excellent performance and
three plays by adults and children demonstrated local acting
talent in plays - Ek Adbhut Kahani directed by Saba Abdi
and Kittys gone missing and Mera Pushpak Vimaan
directed by Rekha Rajvanshi. Below: Falgunis concert
brought colourful garba girls of Sydney into festive mood
while Karunya Prasad daughter of Ambika and Tadipati
Prasad tied the knot in India with Aditya. Seen below the
newly wed couple at the reception organised by parents in
Sydney with friends and community at the Ryde Civic Hall
Shiv Sharma and Kulwinder in
Kittys Gone Missing. Mrs Santosh
Verma acted as grandmother and
Vanshika Virmanai and Aryan Jani as
grand kids
Saba Abdi introduces cast of Ek Adbhut Kahani - Pankaj Yadav, Satish Mathur,
Hemant Malik, Samarjeet Dey & Sidharth Bhattacharjee
Rekha (extreme right)
with cast of Mera
Pushpak Vimaan -
Sanmeet Anand,
Sandeep Verma,
Dheeraj and Preet
Thadani -
Poets and singers of Sydney
Community
Deepavali Fair kickstarts
with celebration Oct 31
AIM for Seva presents
Dance Drama Kavyam
H
CA has been organising the
biggest Indian festival,
Deepavali Fair, the festival
of lights in Sydney, Australia since
1999. The fair in previous years has
attracted a large number of people
from various cultural backgrounds.
The Hindu Council tirelessly works
towards improving and bringing the
best every year to showcase art and
culture from local and overseas tal-
ent.
This year the festival will start
with the celebration in Martin Place,
the heart of Sydney City on
October 31, 2012 to give a taste of
things to come on the biggest
Deepavali Fair to be held on Sunday
November 4, 2012 at Athletics
Centre, Sydney Olympic Park.
The aim of the event is to attract
and spread the message of
Deepavali, "Cultural tolerance,
peace and harmony among all" to
Australian as well as Indian popu-
lace. The HCA expects people from
all walks of life to get a taste of
Indian culture on the day and wel-
comes all office workers in the city
to come and join in a memorable
showcase of cutltural items, food
and fun.
This years HCAs Deepvali
Fair highlights include:
Martin Place, Sydney City:
Celebration starts at 11am with
dances, Ramleela characters, food
Indian Heritage exhibition
from USA
Indian Heritage Heroes
Special cultural performers
from India
First time Multicultural pro-
grams from other communities with
cultural items and multicultural food
on offer.
Unique Puppet show from
Gypsies who claim their heritage as
Indian
Ramleela (to be confirmed)
and RAMAYAN CHARACTERS
Various interesting
Competitions, i.e; saree and pagri
tying, face painting and many more
Decorated mandaps, Henna,
bindi, yoga and astrology readings.
Raavan Spectacular
Fireworks
Free giveaways
The HCA team of volunteers
intend to showcase the best of home
grown and international stars and
work towards bringing many dance
and musical performances from var-
ious parts of India, Art and culture
and a full day of entertainment
extravaganza, children activities,
various corporate and food stalls
that will provide taste of exotic
India.
HCA is a nonprofit that aims to
bring together various communities
and organisations in Australia to
promote cultural tolerance, peace
and harmony. The Hindu Council
organizes, throughout the year, sev-
eral community events such as
Interfaith forums, Harmony day cel-
ebration and sponsored padyatra
2012. It also promotes art and cul-
ture and Radio Mangalam in
Australia.
HCA looks forward to your sup-
port and active participation and
invites volunteers and participants
for this important Hindu event
which promotes harmony and good-
will and sends out a message of
victory over evil by lighting lamps
of awareness and helping to shed
darkness from our lives. Visit:
www.deepavali.com.au and
info@deepavali.com.au
S
rimati Hamsa
Venkatraman and her
gifted team, well
known for talent and disci-
pline in creation and presen-
tation of Indian classical
dances/songs extravaganza,
are presenting a programme
Kavyam comprising per-
formances from Panchatantra
to Gita Govinda to the
Chandalika and more. Based
on the compositions of
Indias greats e.g. Purandara
Dasa, Vishnu Sarma
(Panchatantra stories),
Jayadeva (Gita Govindam),
Tagore(Chandalika) , Adi
Sankara, and Tulsi Das et al,
the colorful dances and
music will be accompanied
by a multimedia presentation
commenting on the life and
works of these poets music.
The songs and dances
related to the poets they are
doing are:
Purandara dasa,
Bharathoyar, Vishnu Sarma
(Panchatantra stories) ,
Jayadeva (Gita Govindam),
Tagore (Chandalika) , Adi
Sankara, and Tulsi Das. Very
brief introductions of these
great poets are as follows:
Purandara Dsa is one of
the most prominent com-
posers of Carnatic music and
is widely regarded as
"Naradaavatari" and the
"father of Carnatic Music".
Chinnaswami
Subramanya Bharathi was a
Tamil writer, poet, journal-
ist, Indian independence
activist and social reformer
from Tamil Nadu, India.
Popularly known as
Mahakavi Bharathiyar, he is
a pioneer of modern Tamil
poetry.
Vishnu Sharman was an
Indian scholar and author
who is believed to have writ-
ten the Panchatantra collec-
tion of fables. The exact
period of the composition of
the Panchatantra is uncer-
tain, and estimates vary
from 1200 BCE to 300 CE.
Jayadeva was a Sanskrit
poet circa 1200 AD. He is
most known for his composi-
tion, the epic poem Gita
Govinda, which depicts the
divine love of Krishna and
his consort Radha, and it is
mentioned that Radha is
greater than Hari, and is
considered an important text
in the Bhakti movement of
Hinduism.
Rabindranath Tagore
(1861-1941) was a major
voice of awakening in the
Indian Renaissance. Besides
being a prolific poet, novel-
ist, playwright, journalist,
musician, and mystic,
Tagore was an innovative
educator. In Chandalika,
Tagore interfaces Love's
manifold forms creating a
conflict verging on violence.
The characters' names -
Prakriti, Mother and Ananda
- are unmistakable symbols
unraveling the action of the
play.
Adi Shankara (789 CE ),
also known as akara
Bhagavatpdcrya and di
akarcrya was an Indian
philosopher from Kaladi in
present day Eranakulam
Goswami Tulsidas
(15321623) was a poet-
saint, reformer and philoso-
pher renowned for his devo-
tion for the god Rama.
Venue: The Science
Theatre, University of New
South Wales 13 Oct 2012,
6PM.
T
he Indian Down Under covered
a detailed story on local
Council elections in its last
issue interviewing many candidates
who worked hard day and night for
months with a view and commitment
to making life better at local level and
also serve their community better.
TIDU congratulates three candidates
who made it as councillors. They are:
Raj Datta from Strathfield council,
Susai Benjamin from Blacktown coun-
cil and Gurdeep Singh from Hornsby
council.
As the community grows so does
the presence of Indians in local poli-
tics. Well done all!
Raj Datta won a seat in
Strathfield council
Susai Benjamin was winner for
Blacktown council
Gurdeep Singh to sit in
Hornsby council
Wishing that you celebrate Diwali with sparkling fun and crackling laughter Hindu Council of Australia
Council election winners
Community
Raju Srivastav made Sydney laugh out loud
By Manju Mittal
W
hen it comes to making
people laugh and laugh
out loud, Raju Srivastav
needs no introduction. In a world
that is full of sadness and pes-
simism at times there are a few
who make it their profession to
make other people laugh and at
least momentarily make them for-
get their worries and pain of life
through laughter. Raju Srivastav is
one such man. He has been award-
ed not only for his talent but also
for his generosity as a human
being.
Raju Srivastav was born in
Kanpur. His father is poet
Rameshchandra Srivastav. Being a
good mimic, Raju pursued the
dream of becoming a comedian
since childhood. In his school
years he used to imitate his teach-
ers. Though they may have boxed
his ears it did not stop him from
making merry in front of the class
and school. He got the attention
and laughs from his fellow stu-
dents, family and friends. Soon he
became known as he gained initial
recognition as an Amitabh
Bachchan impressionist.
Raju Srivastav has done stage
shows in India and abroad. His big
break came with the comedy talent
show - The Great Laughter
Challenge. As a great Indian laugh-
ter challenge champion Raju won
the title of king of comedy. Raju
Srivastav is considered as one of
the best comedians in India and his
imaginary characters Gajodhar
and Manohar are a hit.
On August 31 , Raju Srivastav
comedy show was held at Sydney
C 3 Centre Silverwater. MC Nitin
Madan and Charming Indu
Thakkar welcomed the audience
with performances by Farahs
dance group Road2 Bollywood.
Local singer Anand Arora enter-
tained the audience with his beauti-
ful songs even as the audience
eagerly waited for the Comedy
King Raju Srivastav. Rajus per-
formance started at 8.30 pm but
when he took the stage, the audi-
ence were falling off their chairs
with laughter for most of the night.
Raju is truly a genius who can per-
form such amazing mimicry and
keep the audience entertained with
genuinely funny jokes. His Sholay
mimicry was utterly hilarious. The
audience was constantly laughing
and we all hated as the show
ended. Irfan Malik and Ali Hasan
were good but their comedy was a
little dragged on.
It was an exciting experience
meeting Raju Srivastav in person. I
was impressed by his humour, per-
sonality and his genuine love and
appreciation of his fans. Organisers
of the show Hidayath Syed and
Vinayak Kolape gave Sydney a
fantastic show. It was a pleasure to
get such a talented celebrity again
in Australia. The show was sup-
ported by the most active, well
known and pioneer of shows and
events in Maxine Salma from
Road2 Bollywood. Nitin Madan as
the host has an uncanny ability to
capture the attention of the audi-
ence. And to present Raju
Srivastav you need a capable host
like Nitin equally to handle his
clever comedy. Well done!
By Manju Mittal
O
ne singer you cannot
compare with anyone
is Gurdas Maan. He is
a Punjabi singer, song writer,
choreographer and an actor.
And I must say, he is extreme-
ly handsome too with pure
Punjabi blood running through
his veins. He is considered one
of the most notable figures in
the world of Punjabi music.
His voice has won the hearts
of millions of listeners across
the world. Winner of numer-
ous awards, Gurdas Maans
ability to sing, write his own
lyrics, compose songs and per-
form on stage has made him
one of the most versatile and
successful artist ever. His
stage shows are packed with
energy and his music, whilst
infused with eastern and west-
ern flavours, Gurdas remains
quintessentially Punjabi and
Punjabi folk it is.
It was indeed a treat for the
music connoisseurs when
Maan performed live in
Sydney Hills Centre on
September 22, 2012, yet
another unforgettable concert.
Gurdas Maans entry was
absolutely amazing. He was
received by the audience with
a standing ovation. Gurdas
Maan is known to be the leg-
end of Punjabi folk music and
bhangra as he wooed the eager
audience with his versatility.
The show started with a spiri-
tual song and he performed his
hit numbers such as Dil da
mamla, Challa, Apna Punjab
and continued with many more
making the entire audience
rocking to his voice and melo-
dious and hypnotic music.
It was a rare opportunity to
witness the liveliest show full
of energy. My favourite
moment was when he brought
a little girl on stage from the
audience and sang Kudi song
which he dedicated to all
daughters. I liked the way he
interacted with the audience. It
was as if time stood still. The
key to Maans continuing suc-
cess is his ability to create
music that is both entertaining
and meaningful. I have been to
many concerts in my life, but
this was the most memorable
one. Good lighting and perfect
sound system made his per-
formance electric.
Organisers of the event
Nillo Duggal and Vicky did an
excellent job as the show
seemed most organised and
well disciplined. Rohit Duggal
and Patel Brothers supported
the event as sponsors. Master
of Ceremonies Harleen Kaur
kept every one engaged
throughout the night.
Gurdas Maan sings Apna Punjab
Gurdas Maan with show organiser Nillo Duggal
Manju Mittal with Raju Srivastav
Legend Gurdas Maan rocks the city
Community
Wanted Indian owners of money held by Office of State Revenue
T
he Minister for Finance
and Services Greg Pearce
has revealed $118 million
is being held in trust by the NSW
Government waiting to be
claimed by its rightful owners.
Mr Pearce said the unclaimed
money is being held at the Office
of State Revenue with outstand-
ing payments ranging from $20
to $518,000.
This money could be from
deceased estates, dividends, trust
accounts, superannuation pay-
ments, proceeds of sales or a
range of other sources, he said.
Its been deposited by gov-
ernment agencies, superannua-
tion funds, local councils, state
trustees and other bodies because
they have not been able to locate
or return the money to the own-
ers.
Obviously, the rightful
owner must then be able to prove
their identity before the money is
released.
Mr Pearce said in the last
financial year, more than $9.2
million was returned to 4,641
claimants.
The Indian Down Under
found many Indian names in the
list who were owed money.
The simplest way to find out
if you are owed any of this
money is to go to the Office of
State Revenue website
www.osr.nsw.gov.au.
The website is free and easy
to navigate and shows the name
of the unclaimed money owner,
the type and source of the funds,
and in some cases, the owners
last address.
Pallavi Sinha appointed co-ordinator of ISSIG
In setting up ISSIG, MIA recognises the Indian subcontinent as a significant
and growing region of origin of migrants to Australia.
S
ydneys young lawyer and TIDU
writer Pallavi Sinha has been
appointed as a co-ordinator of ISSIG
Indian Subcontinent Special Interest
Group to provide MIA (Migration Institute
of Australia) members with the opportuni-
ty to exchange knowledge, information and
experiences of issues related to dealing
with clients from the Indian subcontinent
and / or Departmental offices in those
areas. Here MIA talks to TIDU about
MIAs Migration forum 2012 held in mid-
September on migration policy where over
40 presenters spoke on migration policy
development and about professionalism in
registered migration agents.
Can you tell us about the MIA
Migration Conference 2012?
MIA: The Migration Institute of
Australia (MIA) is the apex body for
migration advice professionals, represent-
ing more than 2200 Registered Migration
Agents (RMAs) and education agents
across Australia and overseas. It has a sig-
nificant role in migration policy develop-
ment and the professional development of
registered migration agents.
From 13 15 September 2012, the
MIA organised the largest migration forum
in the southern hemisphere at the Menzies
Sydney Hotel. Migration 2012 Conference
consisted of a full program line up of more
than 40 presenters participating in keynote
addresses, panel discussions, streamed ses-
sions and roundtable discussions. High
level speakers from government, academia
and industry spoke at the Conference,
including Senator Kate Lundy Minister for
Multicultural Affairs, Scott Morrison MP
Shadow Minister for Immigration and
Citizenship, and Steve Ronson Executive
Director for Dispute Resolution, Fair
Work Ombudsman, Fair Work and
Immigration.
The NSW Deputy Premier and
Nationals leader and Minister for Trade
and Investment, Andrew Stoner, officially
opened the Migration Conference. Calling
out the previous regime that thought
Sydney was full and wasnt too interested
in migrants, the Minister for Trade and
Investment talked up the States plan to
fund infrastructure projects by directing
prospective applicants of the new, $5 mil-
lion Significant Investor visa to be intro-
duced in November to invest in Waratah
Bonds, and its efforts to increase invest-
ment from and engagement with Asia.
Overseas migrants, foreign students
and visitors to Australia bring immense
value to help us to establish sustainable
international relationships to support our
cultural and economic growth, Minister
Stoner said. Our cultural diversity, lan-
guage skills, strong trade links with Asia
and stable trading environment position
Sydney and New South Wales as the first
place to study, work and do business.
What issues specific to the Indian
subcontinent were discussed at the
Conference?
MIA: Mr Ronson spoke about the Fair
Work Ombudsman Overseas Worker
team. He said that 44% of overseas work-
er complainants are from China, UK,
South Korea or India. He also cited a case
of an Indian employee on a subclass 457
visa who was underpaid by his employer (a
restaurant). The employer also kept inade-
quate records.
Claire Fields, CEO of Australian
Council Private Education and Training,
indicated that international student enrol-
ments are declining, but it is still a signifi-
cant export earner for Australia. She indi-
cated that international education is the sec-
ond highest export earner in NSW. Ms
Fields further stated that India is the second
highest nationality of students studying in
Australia.
There was also a constructive MIA
Indian Subcontinent Special Interest Group
(ISSIG) lunchtime meeting. The Members
of the ISSIG come from all over Australia
and it was a good opportunity for them to
meet face-to-face and discuss important
issues.
Can you tell us about MIAs ISSIG?
What does the ISSIG aim to achieve?
MIA: The MIA recognises the
Subcontinent (including countries such as
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and
Nepal) as a significant and growing coun-
try of origin of migrants to Australia.
The MIA has established an Indian
Subcontinent Special Interest Group
(ISSIG) to provide MIA Members with the
opportunity to exchange knowledge, infor-
mation and experiences of issues related to
dealing with clients from the Indian sub-
continent and / or Departmental offices in
those areas.
The ISSIG is coordinated by MIA
Executive Officer, Pallavi Sinha. The
ISSIG organised an event a few months ago
with Louise Smith, former Regional
Director South Asia, and Minister-
Counsellor Immigration of the Australian
High Commission, New Delhi (AHC) as a
guest speaker, which was highly informa-
tive and well-attended by MIA Members.
The ISSIG is planning a further event later
this year with a prominent Indian guest
speaker.
Following the appointment of MIA
Executive Officer, Pallavi Sinha, as a liai-
son with the Australian High Commission,
New Delhi (AHC), a regular teleconfer-
ence dialogue was established every two
months between the Principal Migration
Officer at the AHC, Pallavi and the
Steering Committee of the ISSIG. The aim
of the bimonthly dialogue is to exchange
information and discuss strategic and logis-
tical issues that are of mutual interest and
benefit. The first meeting via teleconfer-
ence took place on 10 July 2012. The meet-
ing was highly productive and provided an
opportunity to raise important issues and to
receive valuable information from the
AHC. Examples of issues discussed
include: long visa processing times (partic-
ularly for partner visas) and communica-
tion problems with the AHC. The next tele-
conference with the AHC on 25 September
2012 discussed issues relating to student
visas and visitor visas.
For more information about the MIA,
please contact the National Office on (02)
9249 9000 or visit the MIA website
www.mia.org.au
Maurene Horder, CEO, Migration Institute of Australia, Christine Sykes, CEO, Migration Agents Registration
Authority (MARA), Pallavi Sinha, Executive Officer Migration Institute of Australia and Neil Arora Assistant Director,
Professional Standards & Integrity Section MARA
An interview
t s a
o d e
By Neena Badhwar
As part of the "Year of India",
Indian artist Nikhil Chopra has
commenced a roving visual arts
residency, commencing at
Carriageworks in Sydney before
moving on to Asialink in
Melbourne and then the Fremantle
Arts Centre in Western Australia.
Working between the mediums of
theatre, performance, painting,
photography and sculpture,
Nikhils journey started when he
went from Baroda to the US to do
his Masters and lived in New York
for two years. My decision to
move back to India was the best
decision I made as just at that time
Bombay and India was surging in
terms of art and culture and we
became part of that change and
shift as lots of international muse-
ums were looking at India. I had
fears thinking what will I do ki
chhota sa design business shuru
karoonga or will try my luck at
teaching but the work that I
was doing was slightly experimen-
tal and my performance got a lot
of attention from big time art gal-
leries such as Pompidou and
Serpentine. And since then I have
not looked back
Art to me is a journey like a
pilgrimage, of someone who has
taken a vow of silence, with total
purity in thought and action he
pursues his goal. It's an internal
journey of oneself to find ones
own identity, history. So for me
every performance is a journey of
finding and exploring the me in
me why am I an artist. The clue
came to me when I visited my
grandfathers home where I had
spent my childhood days. My
grandfather Yograj was a fine
painter. I saw that in those paint-
ings my childhood was encased
and I was sure then that I want to
be a painter like my grandfather.
For me art is not some piece
of sculpture or a painting. Art is
ever changing cycles as nature
imparts colours, moving lights as
days and seasons pass. 20th centu-
ry France was where the artists
came out into the open from their
studios with easel and paint brush-
es to paint shifting and moving
lights as they saw that the sky was
constantly changing and artists in
their pursuit to capture the natures
colours for ever is how the sense
of art evolved there. That nature is
always performing and so also art
and the artist. For me art became a
performance where I went on a
journey, a pilgrimage of sorts to
discover myself, my identity, my
existence, why am I here, for what
purpose. The vedantic philosophy
of impermanence dawned on me
that it's all an illusion maya
expressing through the body.
When your concentration is high
you transcend to that spiritual state
the so called ethereal plane
Taking these ideas on a huge
40 to 50 foot canvass the painter
is painting foreveras hours
pass72 hours, 99 hours. The
artist lives, eats and works in that
space as the gallery sets up a bed,
dining table, food and it becomes a
sacred place of work, worship
whatever you may want to call it.
People come, watch you but you're
oblivious of the world around you,
creating, creating forever. It's hard
at the start when I think why I got
into it... but then as time passes
you start to enjoy the process as it
transports you into a different
realm, it expands you, enlightens
you and heightens your senses. It's
not you at that time as you tap into
some unknown universal plane and
express. At the end of it I am real-
ly into it and enjoy what I create.
And lo and behold! As its over
you wake up into the real world,
with its traffic jams, noise, bills to
pay..
Art to me is confrontation
of my fears, my anxieties, my real-
ity. That life is a gift and is to be
cherished as it is precious. Art
gives value to life lived.
It's not easy being an artist,
people say yeh tau bevda hai
jab marzi aati hai khata hai, lazy
hai" but art gives me freedom to
disconnect as I go into my zone, in
silence, void space without any
inhibition, without any fearsand
that fearlessness is transferred to
audience who come and watch me
work.
I find Australia a place beset
with fear ideology. I see signs of
caution every where, at train sta-
tions mind the gap and what
not. Everywhere theres caution as
if the natural instincts of safety
have been totally disregarded or
suppressed. For me terrorism is not
about bombs and explosions,
rather the fear of explosion. A
terrorist succeeds when he has
implanted fear. How do you fight
terrorism? By not fearing it, not
being afraid to look, cast your eyes
on my body, clothed or naked.
Here people avoid looking as if
they are afraid to look you in the
eye. I ask do you have the guts to
look Indians that way are differ-
ent. They look, they are curious
and where as here it can be consid-
ered rude. A different set of social
condition, different culture I sup-
pose..
Talking about India, it's
changing fast though the youth
have not taken to this experimen-
tal, avant garde new form of art.
The youth are actively consuming,
becoming quite self absorbed, self
indulgent buying cars, flats, holi-
days why not? They did not
have all this before, this affluence.
They want to enjoy. Yet we artists
will carry on the tradition and
evolve art which is more experi-
mental, riskier yet in line with tra-
dition while creating new ideas,
new forms of art.
It was enlightening to talk to
Nikhil Chopra who came to
Sydney, is in Melbourne and on
his way to Western Australia and
see the world the way he perceives
it.
See his performance lecture
undertaken at the Victorian
College of the Arts here:
https://vimeo.com/51110273
Art to me is confrontation of my fears, my
anxieties, my reality. That life is a gift and is to
be cherished as it is precious. Art gives value to
life lived. - Nikhil Chopra
Community
By Kersi Meher-Homji
T
he musical night Ye
Shaam Mastaani organ-
ised by India Club at the
Epping Centre in September lived
up to its title. When paying musi-
cal tributes to Dev Anand and
Rajesh Khanna, the signers Vinod
Rajput, Manjiri Kulkarni, Suhas
Mahajan and Reena Mehta kept
the listeners on their toes.
Reena personalised the mas-
taani theme with her lilting voice,
both magical and mischievous.
Though she did not sing my
favourite Mera naam Chin Chin
choo that night, she had the lis-
teners pulse-beats in her fingers.
No wonder, she is a doctor, a
singing medico no less. She came
to Australia in 1998 after her
medical degrees except for
Diploma in Counselling and
Management which she earned
here.
Genetic engineering and diag-
nostics have been here specialties.
She works for the Westmead
Hospital.
It was as much delight listen-
ing to her as it was interviewing
her.
At what age did you start
singing? And singing profes-
sionally?
Reena: The only song I sang
when in school was 'Mera Naam
Chin Chin Choo' at age 13.
Professionally my first show was
Mehefil-e-Shaam with Suhas
Mahajan, Pushpa Jagdish and
Vinod Rajput a few months ago.
From the age of 13 until 2010 I
really did not know that I could
sing.
Any music in your family?
Reena: My mother is a classi-
cal and ghazal singer. She was a
TV artist singing in Shaam-e-
Ghazal. She sang for Bhojpuri
films. So, music was always
there. My childhood has been
spent among popular Bollywood
icons like Hasrat Jaipuri uncle,
Ravindra Jain uncle just to name a
few close friends of my parents. I
have never learnt music or
singing from anyone. It may be
inherited genes.
Who/what inspired you to
sing?
Reena: Two years ago at a
friends home I happened to sing
'Zameen se humme aasmaan par'
supported with keyboard played
by Dr Francis John. Suhas
Mahajan heard me sing this,
appreciated my vocals and
encouraged me to sing. He got me
into the singing world in Sydney
after some training. I am still a
beginner and have to improve a
lot to be even known as a profes-
sional singer.
You are too modest, Reena.
Who are your favourite singers
-- apart from Asha Bhonsle?
Reena: Old and new, I like all
singers. I enjoy listening to
Arabic and Western music. I am
also fond of Indian classical
music, Ghazals and of course
Bollywood.
Does your husband also
enjoy music / singing / playing
instruments?
Reena: Initially, when I
turned on music he would turn it
off. When he discovered that I
could sing, he supported my
singing and now he loves to sing
himself though with his croaked
voice! These days he enjoys lis-
tening to songs much more than
me and takes a lot of interest in
setting up the sound system.
Do you feel nervous before a
concert?
Reena: Yes, I do tremble
before the concert starts, my heart
goes lub dub very fast and my
palms get cold. My first song is
always a warming up song with
trembling voice, hahaha...
Anything else you would
like to add?
Reena: Singing is one of my
favourite hobbies. Its very relax-
ing and a kind of meditation for
me.
Reenas melodies are full of panache and mischief
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Community
Timeless, peerless Avijit
Avijits students will, in years to come, proudly flaunt his name
and his academy as a gharana and the tradition Avijit created in Sydney.
By Neena Badhwar
A
vijit Sarkar is a well known
name in Sydney. People
follow his singing as devo-
tees follow a guru with utter devo-
tion. If one wants to measure his
following one can see that an
Avijits Sai Bhajan concert on
YouTube had 121,324 views. That
is the extent of Avijits followers
and fans around the world. While
he humbly sings and entertains us
all in Sydney sitting so far away
from India, Avijit has not only been
able to raise the bar for music and
musicians but also has been able to
create an excellent team of talented
singers in Sydney.
And thats not just the end. This
multi talented multi skilled singer
has not only sung but has also used
his art form to fruitfully collect
funds for charities in Australia and
India. In September he commemo-
rated 35 years of his singing career
with a Milestone concert for
AHIA Australian Hindi Indian
Association and helped them with
much needed funds. And if Avijits
career spans 35 years with over
1700 concerts with most of them
devoted to charities one can just
imagine how he has steered his art
and skill into doing good to the
community while creating a follow-
ing not only of he himself but also
of fellow singers and some of his
students who are showing their
colours under his impeccable train-
ing. Avijit works hard for himself
and makes his students work harder
till he brings out excellence in
them. He is the guru of sangeet in
the style of old fashion gharanas of
India. Avijits students will, in
years to come, proudly flaunt his
name and his academy as a gharana
and the tradition Avijit created in
Sydney as one can see how well
groomed they are to be invited by
Avijit to come on stage to sing
along with him.
On the night Avijit paid tribute
to the audience saying that without
them he could not be what he is
today as an artist. He sang beautiful
selection of songs, some of the best
picked songs from Indian films
sung by him, Pushpa Jagdish,
Rachna Bhatnagar, Rucha Lange,
Srijani Dan, Anjali Derasari, Sadiq
Rehmani, Dilip Bhave and Vinod
Rajput. It was not Avijits journey
of 35 years, rather it was a journey
of all the people around him, with
him and the way he influenced
them.
Avijit celebrated it with his
family, his wife Palu and daughter
and son-in-law, his dear friends and
talented handpicked students and
fellow singers from the Sydney
scene. When Avijit walks he does
not walk alone, he walks with a
family of talent, skill which was
witnessed on the night with excel-
lent choice of singers and songs.
The timeless numbers were sung
with audience asking for an encore
from Avijit. Thats the magic Avijit
creates.
They all heaped praise on him
with Rachna Bhatnagar singing
couplets in praise of Avijit on the
night. Bashir Badrs poems one
line says it all for Avijit: abhi
tujhase milta julata koi dusara
kahan hai. TIDU salutes you and is
a witness to your journey too, not
just another milestone but an ongo-
ing pursuit and contribution to
music excellence forever!
Avijit Sarkar (sitting, middle) with his team of singers and students and Jazba band.
Mahaa Vishnu Sahasranaama
Laksharchana for the welfare of community
By Sushyanth Subramanian
O
n September 29, 2012, the Vedic
Cultural Centre of Australia
(VCCA) organised the event Mahaa
Vishnu Sahasranaama Laksharchana at the
community centre in the North Western
Sydney suburb of Quakers Hill. This event
was held to promote the to-be-established
Vedic Centre in the suburb of Greystanes as
well as gather enough donations and spon-
sors. The Vedic Centre is planning on host-
ing many such Hindu cultural activities for
the fast growing Hindu community in
Sydney and Australia. The event was
attended by more than 150 families, making
this a successful event for the VCCA.
The Mahaa Vishnu Sahasranaama is
performed to ensure the welfare of the per-
son and his/her family and also general
welfare and prosperity of everyone in the
community. Each Naama that is chanted by
the people has the power to vibrate across
the cosmos and galaxies to eventually
remove all negativities. In this event, over
100,000 Naamas were chanted across 2
batches, with an average of 55 people par-
ticipating in each batch. This was then fol-
lowed by a Sri Lakshmi Sahasranaamavali
that had over 60 women participating. The
Lakshmi Sahasranaama is performed by
women as this is in tribute and devotion to
the Goddess Lakshmi, who is believed to
bring wealth, prosperity, fortune, beauty
and also protection of people from misery.
The Priest Shri Venkatraman from the
Minto Shiv Mandir chanted the Namaavalis
that were repeated by the participants who
also offered flowers whilst chanting. The
flowers offered by the devotees were col-
lected at the end and offered to the main
deity on the stage.
The pooja started at 9.00 am and went
on until 1.00 pm. Then the prasadam was
distributed. Numerous volunteers helped to
make the event a grand success.Shri
Ramarathinam, Shri Subramanian, Shri
Varadarajan and Shri Ramakrishnan assist-
ed Shri Venkatraman on the stage to per-
form the pooja. Smt and Shri Prem Aroras
family, Smt Subhashree family, Smt Usha
,Smt Kavitha and their team prepared
prasadam and delicious lunch for the over
200+ attendees. Smt Kala, Shri Divakar
and Shri Venkatesh Prasad were at the
reception to welcome the participants and to
guide them into the hall.
Shri Rajesh and HYA youth volunteers
helped out with the seating arrangements
and offering other assistance needed by the
participants. Smt Jayanthi Narayanan and
Smt Uma Rajesh were responsible for set-
ting up the alankaram for the laksharchana.
Smt Rani Sundar, Smt Yogam and Smt
Bhavani made beautiful garlands for the
Bhagwan.
The Mahaa Vishnu Sahasranaama was followed by a Sri Lakshmi Sahasranaamavali
that had over 60 women participating.
October - November 2012THE INDIAN DOWN UNDER 31
Community
Mukti Gupteshwar Mandir
Is Crgan|s|ng A 1hree Day Sp|r|tua| Iest|va| Dur|ng Navratras 2012
Cn the Cccas|on of the launch of the Bo|y 8ook: Sh|v Dharm Maha Shastra
1he rroqromme will lnclude
vblc M4n4 Y4GY4 Ol.
1. Nov Groh Yoqyo
2. 1ri 5hokti Yoqyo
l. Moho Mrityunjooy Yoqyo
208 Lagleview 8d Minto neights nSW 2266 Australia
lhone 02 9820 8751, 0418 18 9000, 0422 22 67 24
Lmail: infomuktiguteshwar.org Web: www.muktiguteshwar.org
Saturday: 20
th
October
Sunday: 21
st
October
Monday: 22
nd
October
kudrobhishek on lyotirlinqom {with lull kudrom kecitol)
On 20
th
21
st
ond 22
nd
October
Pl Book for all or any of the above poojas through
Email: info@muktigupteshwar.org or
Contact: Rama on 0422 22 67 24 or Sharda on 0411 10 33 99
Iu elni o( l4e mn4n 84nlrn nnd l4e ynqyn nre Avnin0e on l4e we0ile
Pene reerve your coy o( l4e mn4n4nlrn 0y rinqinq 0v22 22 6I 2v or 0vII I0 JJ 99
By Sukhpreet Dhamoon
L
anguage is the most beautiful form of
communication for it is just words that
work magic and cast an indelible
impression on our minds. The process of
communication becomes more wonderful
when diverse languages of disparate cultures
unite together on a platform and connect one
being with the other.
The Abhinay School of Performing Arts,
touted Sydneys premier institution for art,
theatre and cultural events, is that bridge that
offers a unique platform to aspiring and estab-
lished performers. Its artistic programs reflect
the Indian-Australian connection that strive to
expand the sub-continental cultures expres-
sive range, fostering its stylistic evolution in
Australia. This year Abhinay School got an
opportunity to be a part of the Sydney Fringe
Festival 2012 (September 7-30) as it cele-
brates every year under its auspices visual
arts, film, digital arts, comedy, music, the-
atre, musical theatre, physical theatre, dance,
cabaret, books, kids and family shows, poet-
ry and special events.
Hindi Diwas is a significant occasion on
the Indian calendar marking the day
(September 14, 1949) India adopted Hindi as
its National language in the Indian constitu-
tion. Aishveryaa proudly showcased this
beautiful language at Rang Mahotsav as part
of the 2012 Sydney Fringe Festival. In this
60-minute solo act performance, artist, pro-
ducer and director Aishveryaa Nidhi read
unread chapters of a womans life who
embraced darkness with open arms. Gandhari
speaks her heart out for the first time. She
assumes centre-stage and tells Mahabharata
from her perspective- a perspective which is
unheard of. Subtitles for a foreign audience
sufficed and conveyed the intended message
embedded in the play. The relevance of the
play in the contemporary world is it highlights
the anti-war theme and the role of women,
especially the mother in educating the society
to give up violence. Aishveryaa gave a very
moving performance. One person playing
multiple roles is always a tough proposition
for any artist but Aishveryaa's rendition of
every character was distinct and neat. From
representing the conceited Bheeshma, tranquil
Lord Krishna, disobedient Kauravas and help-
less Pandavas to returning back to the vic-
timised Gandhari, Aishveryaa fared extreme-
ly well in the transition. It was an act worthy
of standing ovation and she got it with lots of
applause. The chief guest for the evening was
Honourable Phillip Ruddock, ex-Attorney
General and ex-Immigration minister of
Australia.
On September 16, 2012, Abhinay held
Indradhanush a Festival of plays in Hindi
involving more than 30 actors. Plays included
Alex Brouns Cate Blanchett wants to be my
friend on Facebook, Auckland and
Australia is tree growing in a garden in
Chennai, Jasbir Singh Ahluwalias
Nazdekee Dooriyan, Sukhpreet Dhamoons
Dhalti Parchayian (Waning Shadows) - a
play that won the Best Play as well as
Audience Choice award during
Indradhanush Hindi Diwas 2011 , Arvind
Shuklas Enjoying to the max and a special
performance of Sepy Baghaeis award win-
ning play Something to be done by Gabriel
McCarthy.
Celebrating Hindi Diwas amid an Australian audience
Abhinay's writers, cast and crew of Rang Mahotsav
Aishverya Nidhi in and as Gandhari
Community
S
ri Om Foundation launched
the first stage of Project
Prathama on 29th
September 2012 at Crowne Plaza
Norwest. The evening featured a
capacity crowd supporter and
appreciative of the work Sri Om
has done to date and provided
their inputs on the organsations
proposal for retirement living.
Project Prathama is an initiative
of retirement living options for
elderly people from an Indian and
South Asian background, with
culture-specific services with the
desire to belong to a community
of like-minded individuals, and
enjoy the social contact, interac-
tion, companionship. Physical and
emotional security that such a
community can provide is the key
driver for this project.
Chairman, HH Sri Om
Adisakthiyendra Swamigal attend-
ed the event and lighted the lamp
to commence the auspicious
event.
There were delegates from
various community organisations
and government who praised Sri
Om Cares activities and commit-
ted to assisting the project and
take it to the next stage. The spe-
cial guests included: Hon. Ms
Michelle Rowland, Federal MP
for Greenway representing Hon.
Mark Butler, Minister for Ageing
and Disability; Hon. Peter
Primrose former minister for age-
ing, representing Mr. John
Robertson, the leader of the oppo-
sition; Mr. David Elliot, Member
for Baulkham Hills; Mr. Jess
Diaz, Councilor for Blacktown;
Mr. Raj Datta, Councilor for
Strathfield.
The evening began with
entrees being served for our
guests followed by warm words
from Ms. Michelle Rowland and
Hon. Peter Primrose. Both digni-
taries spoke about the importance
of health care and their commit-
ment to Sri Om. President, HH
Sri Om Gnanasakthiyendra
Swamigal, spoke about Sri Om's
next stage and gave an overview
of the plans for retirement living
project.
Our Chairman, HH Sri Om
Adisakthiyendra Swamigal provid-
ed us with an inspirational speech
as to why humanitarian services
was crucial and encouraged every-
one to help where possible.
Following the speeches, the
young volunteers of Sri Om
Foundation provided an informa-
tive and entertaining 15 minute
interactive screen cast on Project
Prathama. The screen cast illus-
trated the motivation behind the
proposal, and concrete steps as to
how it could be implemented. It
opened the opportunity for our
community to get involved in the
retirement living project, and
asked them for their input.
An open forum question and
answer session followed the pres-
entation, where guests were invit-
ed to voice their opinion and
encouraged to provide their valu-
able input and contribution. The
45 minute question and answer
session helped clear many doubts
in the minds of the public and
showed Sri Om's professional
approach to providing new excit-
ing services to the public.
A buffet style dinner and
dessert was served at the conclu-
sion of the question and answer
session. The guests exited the
event with confidence and a reas-
suring feeling that Sri Om is
working towards retirement strate-
gies for the near future.
For further information on this
project and how to get involved
contact Jay Raman 0410759906 or
Girish Mathur 0439499343. You
can also learn more about Si Om
Foundation on our website at
http://www.sriomcare.org.au or
e-mail us at
info@sriomcare.org.au
Sri Om Care Foundation launches retirement living project
B
altrang 2012 was a youth
function held on October
7 at Bowman Hall in
Blacktown to raise funds for
Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation,
Australia. This is a well-aimed
charity that works to provide
education to underprivileged
children in India and deservedly
attracted a houseful of support-
ers on the evening.
Sonali and Akash articulated
the Ekal cause that in Australia
the young generation took pro-
vision of education as granted,
but in India things were differ-
ent. A lot of external support is
required in spite of Government
initiatives in India. The youth
were ready to join in the cause
that was initiated by well-mean-
ing community leaders in 2004.
Dr Bala related how
impressed he was with the edu-
cation programme that he
donated for ten schools the very
instant he knew about the Ekal
background.
The variety programme that
followed comprised dances and
skits presented by tiny-tots and
teenagers. The sight of colour-
ful costumes dominated the
stage as the audience watched
in awe, especially the young
performers.
After a DVD presentation
about Ekal Foundations work
in India, there were dance-
drama short skits Vo Krishna
Hai, Jhansi ki Rani that was
well choreographed and pre-
sented by Ankur Saini, Mayur
Dance Academy, Rabindranath
Tagore by Gitanjali School of
Dances in which a little girl,
Nisha Chaudhary, enthralled
the audience with her confi-
dence and mudras. We have a
budding star among us in
Nisha.
After interval there was a
short play, Unsung Heroes a
housewife, soldier and a
teacher, beautifully played by
the teenagers, and Kathak per-
formances followed at the end
by a Bhangra.
Baltrang was a well put
together variety programme.
Ekal will go a long way with
participation and commitment
from our young GenY.
GenY keen to join Ekal cause
Hon. Peter Primrose, Dr. (Prof) Nihal Agar, Hon David Elliott, Hon. Michelle Rowland, Hon. Mark
Butler, Minister for Ageing and Disability, Mr Bipen Sharma, Mr Jay Raman, Mr. Mnhas Zulfiqar,
Managing Director, Hotel Crowne Plaza Norwest. Mr Bipen Sharma of Sharmas Kitchen has donated a
bus to Sri Om Foundation for helping them to move sick and frail aged and seniors sick.
Perofrmances from
Baltrang 2012, a youth
function held to raise
funds for Ekal Vidyalaya
Foundation, Australia.
October - November 2012THE INDIAN DOWN UNDER 35
Childrens Corner
Children's Corner
By Esther
Chaudhry-Lyons
T
he approximate extent of
'ryvarta' is highlighted
ryvarta (Sanskrit: "abode
of the Aryans") is a name for
Northern India in classical Sanskrit
literature. The Manu Smriti (2.22)
gives the name to "the tract
between the Himalaya and the
Vindhya ranges, from the eastern
to the Western Sea".
T
here was a lion who
feared nothing except the
crowing of cocks. A chill
would go down his spine when-
ever he heard a cock crowing.
One day he confessed his fear
to the elephant, who was greatly
amused.
How can the crowing of a
cock hurt you? he asked the
lion. Think about it!
Just then a mosquito began
circling the elephants head,
frightening him out of his wits.
If it gets into my ear Im
doomed! he shrieked, flailing at
the insect with his trunk.
Now it was the lions turn to
feel amused.
Moral: If we could see our
fears as others see them we
would realise that most of our
fears make no sense!
ryvarta
FEAR
The Miserly Beggar
T
he king was to pass by a beggar's hut and the
man was beside himself with excitement, not
because he was about to see the king but
because the king was known to part with expensive
jewels and huge sums of money when moved by
compassion.
He saw the king's chariot just as a kindly man
was filling his begging bowl with uncooked rice.
Pushing the man aside, he ran into the street, shout-
ing praises of the king and the royal family.
The chariot stopped and the king beckoned to the
beggar.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"One of the most unfortunate of your subjects,"
said the beggar. "Poverty sits on my doorstep and
follows me about like a dog. I haven't eaten since
yesterday afternoon!"
"Have you nothing for your king except a tale of
woe?" said the ruler, putting out his hand. "Give me
something."
The beggar, astonished, carefully picked up 5
grains of rice from his bowl and laid them on the
king's outstretched palm.
The king drove away. The beggar's disappoint-
ment was great. He raved and ranted and cursed the
king again and again for his miserliness. Finally, his
anger spent, he went on his rounds.
When he returned home in the evening he found
a bag of rice on the floor.
"Some generous soul has been here," he thought
and took out a handful of rice from the bag. To his
astonishment there was a small piece of gold in it.
He realised then that the bag had been sent by the
king. He emptied the rice on the floor, feeling sure
there would be more gold pieces in it, and he was
right. He found 5, one for each grain of rice he had
given the king.
"It is not the king who has been miserly,"
thought the man, sadly. "If I had been generous and
given him the whole bowl of rice, I would have been
a rich man today."
Aryans arrival in India
T
he Aryans were tall and
fair people with prominent
sharp noses. They spread
over the whole of Europe and the
Middle East. The Aryans came
to India in several waves. The
earliest wave is represented by
the Rig Vedic people who
appeared in the subcontinent in
about 1500 BC. They came into
conflict with the indigenous
inhabitants called the Dravidians
mentioned as dasa or dasyus in
Rig Veda. These were the first
people seem to have reached
India from Africa. At first they
were hunters and gatherers, like
other people around the world at
this time. But by around 4000
BC, these people had begun
farming and by 2500 BC settled
in the Indus river valley where
they began to live in cities and
use irrigation to water their
fields. This is a little later than in
West Asia, probably because
India was not as crowded as
West Asia at this time. A lot of
people think that the reason they
began to farm, and then build
cities was that a gradual warming
trend was making it harder to get
water, and harder to find wild
plants to eat, every year. So
every year more and more people
moved into the Indus river val-
ley, where there was still plenty
of water. When it got really
crowded there, people began to
build cities.
There were two main cities
that we know of, Harappa and
Mohenjo-Daro, about 400 kilo-
meters (250 miles) away. Both
are in modern Pakistan. The peo-
ple of these cities lived in stone
houses two and three stories
high, and had sewage systems.
They used bronze tools. They
may have learned to make bronze
from the Sumerians. The
Harappa people used an early
form of writing based on hiero-
glyphs, like the Egyptians. But
we can't read it, because there
isn't very much left of it. The
Rig Veda mentions the defeat of
Sambara by Divodasa, who
belonged to the Bharata clan.
Possibly the dasyus in the Rig
Veda represent the original
inhabitants of the country, and an
Aryan chief who overpowered
them was called Trasadvasyu.
The Aryan chief was soft
towards the dasas, but strongly
hostile to the dasyus. The term
dasyuhatya, slaughter of the
dasyus, is repeatedly mentioned
in the Rig Veda.
The Aryans settled in the
Indo-Gangetic plain s of north
India. They were highly civilized
and warrior class. They started
the class system for the division
of labour and better functioning
of their society which later
became the rigid caste system
amongst the Hindus in India.
Aryavarta was later refered to
as Hindustan by the Persians.
Hindustan is a Urdu word which
means the land between the Indus
or Hind Mahasagar. Agra and
Delhi were the capitals of
Hindustan. When British took
over India they called the country
India and to be able to rule well
they divided the country into
states or provinces. They ruled
the whole of India and they let
the Christian missionaries into
the country to spread Christian
religion.
Continued from page 13
dinner time as three among us were
vegetarians. There were many
Indians among the catering staff:
the head chef Joe was from Kerala
and asked us everyday what we
would like for dinner in the
evening.
For nearly 1800 passengers
there was 727 staff, most among
them from the Philippines but near-
ly one third from India. They were
on 11-month contracts and worked
hard on the ship, always courteous
to the passengers, ever helpful.
Can you imagine that they cook
36,000 eggs during the 10-day
cruise, 2,500 kg of fish and 2,800
kg of chicken. For providing the
round-the clock tea facility, 7,500
tea bags and 375 kg of coffee are
used. In the wash are 12,500 plates,
10,000 glasses and 15,000 items of
cutlery.
The passengers are kept busy all
day and until late at night. Not only
there is a casino and several rounds
of Bingo, there are international
celebrities performing in music and
stage shows.
We looked forward to being on
land at Whitsundays after four days
on sea, but there was more time on
water as we changed to a smaller
boat for a day at the Barrier Reef.
The day tour, an extra for $219 a
head, included a ride in a submarine
and a glass-bottom boat to be in
close proximity of the corals and the
colourful fish. It was an amazing
site to see corals in the shape of
cauliflowers and mushrooms, and
ones in the form of bird nests and
flowers. The tour operators provid-
ed scuba diving suits for the daring
and a sumptuous lunch for the
relaxed.
On the way back the captain
stopped the boat mid sea as a whale
and her calf performed for the audi-
ence playfully. They jumped out of
the water, splashed their fins, twist-
ed and turned as they liked atten-
tion, we were told, as we watched
them in awe.
The next day was another stop
in Cairns and we took tours of the
rainforest in Skyrail Cableway, vis-
ited Kuranda Village and journeyed
back in the heritage railways.
The tours were all blocked
together over four days as we sailed
into Port Douglas the next morning.
Being a bus load ourselves, it was
easy to organise our own tour of the
Daintree River in the company of
crocodiles and a walk in the
Mossman Gorge in true nature. The
water at the beach was warm and so
comforting that even the sight of
our anchored ship in the distant
horizon would not allure us back.
Our journey back was not until
we had been through international
waters. So we went around Willis
Island, a weather monitoring sta-
tion, to complete the ritual. Two
days later we were in Brisbane to
spend a day in the city, to go for a
shopping spree if we wanted. But
who likes to be in a concrete jungle
after being in the midst of so beau-
tiful nature.
It was blue moon on the last
night when we headed towards
Sydney. The sea was rough and
choppy; the first time we experi-
enced drunken walking in the aisles
and rolling in the bed. This was pay
back time for our 10-day-long
indulgences.
There was no celebration, no
champagne glasses this time as we
entered Sydney Harbour on a chilly
Sunday morning. We were all a bit
sad to part from dreamtime to face
real life over again.
Its ok to indulge
when on a cruise
Searching for an Avatar....
By Santram Bajaj
A
n ad hoc crisis meet-
ing was going on
between Lord Vishnu,
Goddess Lakshmi, Brahma ji
and the eternal sage, Narada
in Vaikunth loka- the abode
of Lord Vishnu.
Narada had just come from
Mrityu loka( the Earth)
where he was approached by a
great number of concerned cit-
izens about the deteriorating
state of affairs in Bharat. They
begged him to act as their lob-
byist and seek Lord Vishnus
divine intervention.
Its time for you to appear
in human form as the 10th
Avatar, as promised in the
Bhagvad Gita, said Narada to
the Lord.
Narad ji, what is this all
about?
Oh Narayan, Lord all
Merciful! The people from
Bharat, now known as India,
are crying. The prices are
going up and up. There are
daylight robberies, kidnap-
pings, rapes and murders.
They are getting sick of the
ghotalas (scams) and corrup-
tion.
The Radio tapes have
shown the nexus between the
politicians and big business.
More than half the elected
members of state assemblies
are charge-sheeted criminals.
The pitcher of their sins is
now full.
But according to the
reports received by me, every-
one seems to be happy; even
the jhuggi dwellers are enjoy-
ing saas-bahu serials on
their colour TVs. There are
queues of people outside
McDonalds, KFCs , Pizza
Huts and cinemas. So many
weddings are taking place that
people are converting farm
lands into farm houses for
wedding receptions. There is
not enough evidence that
unbearable conditions exist.
The pitcher is not full of sins
of the rulers, as you say,
rather it is full of gold and
cash and that is Devi
Lakshmis department and we
would not like to interfere in
that. It is her prerogative to
distribute dhan(riches) to
anyone she pleases.
But Sire, this dhan
could not be sanctioned by
Lakshmi ji. It is ill-gotten
wealth, collected by some
very corrupt and evil politi-
cians and bureaucrats and
stashed away in Swiss banks.
Lakshmi ji was horrified
that her gupatchars (spies)
were so slack in their duties.
In fact they had out-sourced
the job to the Indian CBI and
did not inform her of all these
misappropriation of public
money. She was very sympa-
thetic but was not very keen
to let Vishnu ji go down to
Earth as yet.
And furthermore, the
incarnation has to be
planned, she told Narada.
Remember, how much trou-
ble He had to go through
when born as Rama. He had
to go through 14 years of ban-
baas (banishment into jun-
gles), suffer the indignity my
kidnapping by the demon king
Ravana. And, as the 9th
Avatar of Krishna it was no
better. Seven of his brothers
before him and a girl who
substituted for him, had to be
sacrificed, objected Lakshmi
ji.
O.K. point taken, but this
time, He can take birth in
Gandhi family; no step-mother
Kekai or uncle Kansa-
But the problem is, Rahul is
not married yet.
How about the Bachchan
family?
No, a lot of glamour and
publicity will hinder the
work.
The other alternative is
one of the Ambani brothers.
But that will start a war
between Mukesh and Anil.
Even Narad ji was wor-
ried as the process of taking
birth was rather too time con-
suming and people cant wait
that long.
No Sire, you have to go
as an instant and full-
fledged Avatar. There is no
other way, implored Narada.
Brahmaji suggested a mid-
dle path to Lord Vishnu.
Why dont you go incog-
nito on a fact- finding mission
and then decide?
Finally, Lord Vishnu was
convinced to descend to the
Earth under cover. It was
decided that He will suddenly
appear in an Ashram as a
sadhu and explore the situa-
tion very quietly.
Lord Vishnu was horrified
when he saw the extent of
corruption, lawlessness and
utter disregard for authority.
Some rishi-munies (god-
men) were duping the inno-
cent people and living like
kings. Even some were
involved in sex scandals.
Lord Vishnu soon estab-
lished contacts with Brahma ji
via SMS, email, Twitter,
Facebook etc.. They started
planning to redress the griev-
ances of the citizens. It was
agreed that some drastic steps
had to be taken very soon
against the guilty to bring
back ram raj on earth. A list
was prepared.
But Vishnu ji had underes-
timated the resources of these
criminals. They hacked into
his mobile and his computer
and blew his cover. They
struck fast, declared Lord
Vishnu, a foreign spy and
implicated him in an Ashram
Ghotala. An arrest warrant
was issued against him.
Lord Vishnu was caught
unawares and had to beat a
hasty retreat by disappearing
suddenly that night.
The next days Breaking
News was Mandir ghotala.
Acres of public land grabbed
by a Miracle Baba. The
police raid the Ashram. The
main accused is absconding.
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Community
Indian leather goods
B2B meet held in
Sydney Oct 4-5
T
he Sydney Buyer
Seller Meet by the
Council of Leather
Exports took place on
October 4-5 at the Marriott
Hotel, Sydney. The two day
BSM event also had an ele-
ment of a VIP luncheon and
speeches by some key gov-
ernment and trade officials.
The luncheon was attended
by members of the commu-
nity, local press, government
officials including a few key
buyers and all of the
exhibitors. Event partners
for Sydney were the
Australian Retailers
Association, Australia India
Business Council and
Consulate General of India,
Sydney.
The event was directed
and executed by Sonia Sadiq
of GoWyld Events and was
attended by Raj Natarajan,
Director Oz Indian, TVS;
Dipin Rughani, National
Chairman, Australia Indian
Business Council; Peter
OBryne, Vice Chair, AIBC
and former CEO Austrade;
Kartik Mohandas Director
Zee TV Asia Pacific; Arun
Goel, Consul General,
Consulate General of India,
Sydney; Vivek Kumar,
Deputy Consul General;
Donald Cooper, President,
Donald Cooper Corporation;
Surya Patel, Director
JetOver Tours; Lesley
Mathews, Managing
Director, Lesley Mathews
Pty Ltd; Aruna Chandrala,
President, Global Womens
Network; Shri Vijay Kumar,
Former Indian Ambassador;
Vish Vishwanathan, ex
President FAIA; Amarinder
Bajwa, President, United
Indian Association; O P
Panday, Regional Director,
CLE India; D. Salaai
Maraan, Executive Director,
CLE India and Sonia Sadiq,
Director, GoWyld Events.
Consul General Arun
Goel gave detailed statistics
on the leather industry and
Peter O Bryne, Vice Chair,
welcomed all exhibitors to
the wonderful city of Sydney
and reiterated the need for
an annual event as such.
Mr. Maraan, executive
director from CLE India,
gave a presentation on the
future growth strategy for
CLE that was extremely
insightful. He said that
India is the second largest
producer of footwear and
leather garments in the
world. With an annual
turnover of over US$7.5 bil-
lion, the export of Indian
leather and leather products
has increased manifold over
the past decades and touched
US$ 3.84 billion in 2010-11,
recording a cumulative annu-
al growth rate of about
5.87% in the last 5 years.
CLE is the single largest
apex trade promotion not for
profit organisation of the
strong and rapidly growing
From L to R: Sonia Sadiq, PeterOBryne, D. Salaai Maraan
Executive Director CLE, Indian Consul General in Sydney Mr.
Arun Goel, Vijay Kumar, Dipen Rughani, Kartik Mohandas,
Amarinder Bajwa and Aruna Chandrala.
Indian leather & leather products industry
and works under the aegis of Indian
Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
Sheba Nandkeolyar, President, AIBC
also visited the trade show and gave a
comprehensive overview of how to align
CLEs future growth strategy with
Australia and reiterated the need for the
exhibitors to come back annually in big-
ger numbers.
There were 136 buyers registered with
head buyers from companies such as
David Jones, Myers, Rivers, Target and
Kmart to name a few.
The two day B2B Trade display event
in Sydney and Auckland aimed to bring
together Indian Sellers of Leather
Products & Footwear seeking to establish
business relations with Buyers, Importers
and Brands in Australia & New Zealand.
Community
By Neena Badhwar
T
he first tray of mangoes of the sea-
son goes for an auction for a char-
ity in Australia. In this years auc-
tion attended by NSW Premier Barry
OFarrell and Primary Industry Minister
Katrina Hodgkinson, the mango tray
fetched $50,000, the highest bidder being
the Green Grocers brothers.
Mango is a delightful and favourite
fruit of every Indian household. They
always try to grow it in their homes but in
Sydney it is seldom successful as a crop.
Although some western suburbs in Sydney
have mangoes growing, the fruit loves
warm and temperate climate.
Mango is woven into Indian fabric
with stories about this fruit in our folk-
lores, cooking, religious activities and
motifs which are embroidered on saris and
dresses. Indians simply love their man-
goes and consider it as the King of
Fruits.
India produces about a third of the
world crop of mangoes at about 16.5 thou-
sand tonnes. There are over a thousand
cultivated varieties of mangoes. Among
them are Alphonsos and Kesar in the
south and Dussehari, Chausa, Langra in
the north. Other varieties of mangoes
available in India are Malgova, Peethar,
Rumani, Bangalura, Rasalu, Thothapari,
Neelam, Sindhoora, and Salem.
UK has Tommy Atkins with its fibrous
flesh. Growers worldwide have embraced
this variety for its exceptional productivi-
ty and disease resistance, shelf-life, trans-
portability, size and appealing color.
Australia produces mangoes in its far
north - in Cairns, Port Douglas and
Mareeba where a variety of mangoes
called Kingston Smith grow in abundance.
The temperate climate there suits the trees
which abound on roadsides laden with
fruit.
Mango is the national fruit of India,
Pakistan and the Philippines. It is also the
national tree of Bangladesh. Indians incor-
porate it in many dishes. Chutney, pick-
les, dals cooked with mango and mango
powder is an essential ingredient of Indian
cooking. Mango Lassi, Aam Panna in the
summers are the delights every Indian rel-
ishes.
In Hinduism, the perfectly ripe mango
is often held by Lord Ganesha as a sym-
bol of attainment, regarding the devotees
potential for perfection. The story goes
that God once witnessed a contest between
the two celestial brothers - Ganesh and
Subramaniya, popularly known as
Kartikeya. Their parents Shiva and
Parvati announced that the one to race
round the world and emerge the first
would receive a wonderful gift.
While Subramaniya set off on this
arduous race, Ganesh, the shrewd and cal-
culating one, did some clever thinking. He
circled around his parents, suggesting that
they were world to him, and won the fab-
ulous prize - a luscious mango!
In Tamil Nadu, the mango is consid-
ered, along with banana and jackfruit, as
one of the three royal fruits (Mukkani)
occupying first place in terms of sweet-
ness and flavor. In Tamil Brahmin homes
mango is an ingredient for making vadai
paruppu on Sri Rama Navami day (Lord
Ram's Birth Day) and also in preparation
of Pachchadi on Tamil New Year's Day.
No religious ceremony augmenting a new-
born, a new house, a couple tying the knot
in a religious Hindu marriage or a yagna
or homam can be conducted without
mango leaves. The kalash is decorated
with mango leaves as coconut is placed on
it.
Mango blossoms are also used in the
worship of Goddess Saraswati. No
Telugu/Kannada New Year's Day called
Ugadi passes without eating Ugadi
Pacchadi made with mango pieces as one
of the ingredients.
The Jain Goddess Ambika is tradition-
ally represented as sitting under a mango
tree. An image of Ambika under a mango
tree is carved in Cave 34 of the Ellora
Caves.
Mango leaves are used to decorate
archways and doors in Indian houses and
during weddings and celebrations like
Ganesh Chaturthi. Mango motifs and pais-
leys are widely used in different Indian
embroidery styles, and are found in
Kashmiri shawls, Kanchipuram silk
sarees, etc. Paisleys are also common to
Iranian art, because of its pre-Islamic
Zoroastrian past.
Famous Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib was
very fond of mangoes. There are many
anecdotes concerning his love for man-
goes. One day during the mango season,
Emperor Bahadur Shah was strolling with
some companions in a garden full of man-
goes. From time to time Mirza looked
attentively at a mango. The king asked,
Mirza, what are you looking at so atten-
tively? Mirza replied with folded hands:
My Lord and Guide, some poet has said
that every fruit has written on it the name
of its destined eater and his ancestors. Im
looking to see whether my and my ances-
tors names are written on any of the
fruit. The king smiled, and that same day
sent a bagful of very fine mangoes to
Mirza.
Rabindranath Tagore was fond of
mangoes and has written poems about its
flowers- aamer monjori.
In the West Indies, the expression "to
go mango walk" means to steal another
person's mango fruits. This is celebrated
in the famous song, The Mango Walk.
The Classical Sanskrit poet Kalidasa
sang the praises of mangoes. Historical
records mention Mughal emperor Akbar
ordering the planting of 100,000 mango
trees.
In mango fruit pulp, the antioxidant
vitamins A and C, Vitamin B6 (pyridox-
ine), folate, other B vitamins and essential
nutrients, such as potassium, copper and
amino acids, are present.
Though this fruit is quite heavenly in
taste it has been the most common source
of plant dermatitis in Hawai. Mango peel
and sap contain urushiol, the chemical in
poison ivy and poison sumac that can
cause urushiol-induced contact dermatitis
in susceptible people.
Here comes the mango season
India produces about a third of the world crop of mangoes at about 16.5 thousand tonnes.
Mango is the national fruit of not only India but Pakistan and the Philippines as well. Australia
produces mangoes in its far north - in Cairns, etc, where the temperate climate suits the tree.
From L to R: Hon Katrina Hodgkinson MP, Minister for Primary Industries and Minister for Small Business with owners of Your
Local Greengrocer and Premier Barry OFarrell. The first tray of mangoes of the season was bought at the auction for $50,000 by
the Green Grocers brothers.
Tribute
By K. Raman
M
ans dream to walk on the moon
became a reality on July 21,
1969 at 12.55 p.m., (Australian
Eastern Standard Time). Astronaut Neil
Armstrong stepped on the lunar surface
first, followed by Edwin Aldrin 20 min-
utes later. He said these historic words:
One small step for (a) man, one giant
leap for mankind.
That great man who walked (Kangaroo
hopped) on moon for the best part of three
hours is no more. On 25 August 2012,
aged 82 years, he did not recover from a
heart bypass due to acute complications.
Decades ago I shook his hand and he
signed his photo for me, which, though
faded badly, is a treasured piece I keep.
Hindu mythology says that Pon thin-
gal kala (crescent of moon) ornaments
Sivas massive Jada (hair mass on head).
For one to go there is something unique,
unbelievable and very special.
We reminisce now on the event 43
years after it happened and that unique
achievement of mankind has become very
magnificent in the light of extreme techni-
cal advancement achieved in the past four
decades. For people of my vintage the
moon landing episode is still crystal clear.
Working in a Newspaper institution in
India then, the excitement was very much
intense as we were the first to hear the
news.
It was a wish of JFK, but he did not
live to see it. The wish cost US $24 bil-
lion. Even the simple space suit the astro-
nauts wore cost $US 100,000 each. The
interest in this achievement was so intense
that the historic landing was watched by a
worldwide audience of 500 million view-
ers but people in remote areas missing out
on this marvelous achievement, including
some 700 million people of Communist
China who were kept in dark due to polit-
ical reasons.
Things were different then. Every step
of the journey was shrouded with risks of
unimaginable kinds. At any second after
the take off the project could have ended
in a disaster through the failure of one of
a million vital parts of the space ship or
the system failure. Moreover, the crew
was located atop of tons of fuel needed for
the long journey to moon and back.
The capsule the astronauts occupied
was so tiny and cumbersome that on this
travel the two of them were squashed in a
seat similar to a baby VW car seat. Their
computer facility was so primitive that the
modern hand held PC is more sophisticat-
ed and functionally powerful than the one
they had at their disposal.
The giant Saturn5 that carried the pay-
load was built in three stages. The first
stage burned a Kerosene-Oxygen mixture;
the second and third stage used a mixture
of liquid Hydrogen and liquid Oxygen.
When the first stage burned off, the sec-
ond stage fired off automatically. These
two stages accelerated the space craft to
15,000 miles per hour. When the third
stage fired briefly, it put the space vehicle
in orbit.
Due to Spacecrafts inertia and the
Earths gravitational pull the vehicle
moved in a circular path around earth
then. During the third stage the rocket
speed accelerated to 24,500 miles to
escape earths gravity pull to set a suitable
course for the moon.
The mother module with Mike Collins
in command circled the moon until the
Lunar module with Armstrong, Aldrin
and the cargo made their way down, on
the Lunar module Eagle. Once the lunar
assignment was completed they returned
to dock with the Mother ship. They did
install communication equipments, plant-
ed the US flag (which, incidentally, was
blown away when the Eagle took off), did
the Moon walk, collected soil and rock
samples.
Once inside the Lunar module, they
tried to get into the orbital path of the
Mother module. The descend stage of the
Lunar Module (Eagle) became the launch
pad for the ascend stage. By application of
thrust based on information from the
Space Centre, the Eagle crew brought
their craft nose to nose with Collin com-
manding the Mother ship.
Opening the latch after coupling, the
lunar visitors re-entered the Mother ship
(Columbia). The Eagle was jettisoned and
the Columbia began the return journey.
The module was literally a fireball as it
flashed through the atmosphere develop-
ing a temperature of 5000 degrees
Fahrenheit. On splash down the capsule
with Astronauts was picked by Navy ves-
sels positioned there.
Following is some interesting infor-
mation on the historic trip.
Three thousand tons of hardware
left Cape Kennedy to Moon, but only five
tons of hardware returned to earth, the
rest were discarded, burned off fuels and
left off space junk in atmosphere.
Though they had cramped seating
the food they ate was picked from a range
of 70 dishes. They had even a Snack
Pantry. Their meals were freeze dehy-
drated.
The space suit with their vital gear
weighed 180 pounds each. But it weighed
only a fraction of it in space.
Though they carried the most
sophisticated Hazel bland camera, there
exists only one B&W photo of Neil while
all the other photos are of Aldrin, obvi-
ously taken by Neil.
When the Eagle landed Neil had
only just a precarious fuel reserve for 20
seconds duration. The re-ignition switch
was accidently broken by Aldrin and Neil
had the ingenuity to use a Biro in place of
the broken switch.
Aldrin was the first person to pee
on lunar surface. He collected his lunar
leak in a bag inside his space suit.
The pair left the moon boots and
urine bags accidently or purposely, on
lunar surface, we are not sure.
It is said that the command module
and its interior smelled very fruity after
the trip.
Mans Moon trip was not well
received by all. There were many who
thought that such huge sums of money
could have been spent wisely to help
starving humanity. A small group said
that the whole story was a fake, and
filmed in some studios in US to claim sci-
entific superiority over communist Russia.
Neil Armstrong got his engineering
degree from Purdue University and a
Masters degree from the University of
Southern California. He took his first
space flight abroad Gemini 8. Later he
received the Presidential Medal for his
services to the nation.
After Neil Armstrongs return from
the trip, he worked as a Professor of
Aerospace in Cincinnati University. He
later retired to a modest house in a remote
and isolated outback area called Indian
Hill with hardly any human contact for
him. The local barber, pharmacist, gas
station attendant and even the next door
neighbors pretended as if they did not
know him as he was extremely private by
nature.
Neil, you were a world citizen, the
man of the century and a silent achiever.
When on a cloudless sky you see a beam-
ing moon, just think of the great Neil who
visited the heavenly planet first. May you
rest in peace.
Look for Neil, next time you look at the Moon
Decades ago I shook Neil Armstrongs hand and he signed his photo for
me, which, though faded badly, is a treasured piece I keep.
--K. Raman
Mans first moon trip was not well
received by all at the time. Some thought
that such huge sums of money could
have been spent wisely to help starving
humanity. A small group said that the
whole story was a fake and filmed in
some studio in US to claim scientific
superiority over communist Russia.
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Columns
N
avratri (nine nights) is one of the
most auspicious periods in Indian
Calendar. For the first seven days,
many people observe fasting. The eighth day
is known as Asthmi and some persons have
fast on that day as well. The ninth day is the
celebration day and is called Navmi.
The Navratri fasting period has some re-
strictions on the type of food, vegetables and
spices. No cereal, egg, fish, meat, onion or
garlic can be used by the fasting persons and
some families will not even cook them at
home.
However there is good news. Despite the
above restrictions, delicious meals can be
prepared that will suit all fasting members
and even tempt the rest of family members.
Although designed primarily for this holy
period, you can always use them when look-
ing for some different dishes.
I like to share these recipes with my read-
ers.
Muthia
Ingredients for Base
1 cup grated pumpkin
cup Kuttu ka Atta
1 tsp ginger paste
2 green chili finely chopped
tsp salt
Water as needed
Ingredients for Seasoning
1 tabs ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 to 3 dry red chili (whole or sabut)
Place all the ingredients for the base and
mix them. Add water in small quantity at a
time and mix. Prepare dough that is of
medium consistency (i.e. not too soft or not
too hard). Divide the dough into 3 parts.
Make a long roll of each portion about
inch (2 cm) diameter. Boil some water in a
steamer pot. Place the 3 rolls over the sieve
and cover. Steam cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
Test by inserting a thin knife and see if it
comes out clean. When this test is ok, re-
move from heat and let it cool. Cut into
inch (2 cm) long pieces and keep aside.
Place a pan on the stove and add the 1
tabs ghee. When it is melts, add cumin seeds
and fry till they pop and give a very sweet
and strong aroma. Then add the dry red chili
(whole) and fry for 1 more minute. Add all
the Muthia pieces and mix well. Serve with
tooth picks fitted to each piece.
Jimikand Pattie
Ingredients
kilo Jimikand (Yam) cut into small
pieces
4 potatoes cut into small pieces
3 tabs oil
tsp black pepper freshly ground
cup fresh coriander leaves finely
chopped
2 tsp lemon juice
cup chopped seedless grapes
Salt to taste
Heat oil in a heavy base pan. Add
Jimikand and potatoes. Fry for 3 to 4 min-
utes and then place cover over them. Reduce
heat and let it cook for another 12 to 15 min-
utes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Place the Jimikand and potatoes into a
mixing bowl and mash the cooked vegeta-
bles. Add the lemon juice, freshly ground
black pepper, green chili, coriander leaves
and salt. Mix well. Divide the mixture into
12 to 16 equal portions and make a round
Pattie of each portion stuffing chopped
grapes.
Shallow fry these till golden brown on
both sides. Serve with chutney.
Paneer Pasanda
Ingredients
250 grams paneer, cut into 1-1/2 inch
x 1-1/2 inch square (4 cm x 4 cm) pieces
about inch (1.25 cm thick) thick.
cup natural yoghurt
1 tsp green chili paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp Kuttu ka Atta
1 tsp jeera (Cumin Seeds) powder
2 tabs oil
tsp to tsp salt (to taste)
Hari Chutney
Add the ginger, jeera, Kuttu ka Atta,
green chili paste and salt to the yoghurt. Mix
well to make a thick batter.
Apply a layer of Hari chutney between 2
paneer pieces and then dip this pair in the yo-
ghurt batter. Shallow fry these till golden
brown on both sides. Serve hot.
Kuttu Idli
Ingredients
2 cup Kuttu ka Atta
2 cup natural yoghurt
cup grated carrots
cup frozen peas
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda bi carb
cup water
For Serving with
Coconut chutney
Mix all the ingredients together and keep
aside for about hour.
Place small portions of this batter in an
Idli Steamer. Cover and cook for 10 to 12
minutes. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
Serve with coconut chutney.
Paneer and Kela Balls
Ingredients
125 grams of grated cheese
1 un-ripe (raw) banana
cup Kuttu ka Atta
1 tsp green chili paste
1 tsp ginger paste
cup roasted and coarsely ground
peanuts
cup fresh coriander leaves finely
chopped
tsp salt
Oil for frying
Pressure cook the raw banana with skin
in water till 3 to 4 whistles. Remove from
heat and allow to cool. Peel off the skin and
mash the banana. Mix in the grated paneer,
Kuttu ka atta, ginger paste, green chili paste,
peanuts, coriander leaves and salt together to
make a stiff dough.
Divide the dough into several portions.
Shape each portion a ball and deep fry these
balls till golden brown all around.
By Ritu Ghai
C
hange the world by changing
the way you live and look.
Make a commitment with
yourself to seek the best beauty
methods for a seamless glow on
your face.
Beauty is skin deep, all right, yet
we all must care for our skin that
suffers the most in meeting dead-
lines and finding time for oneself.
Splashes of creams and lotions can
help but ultimately you have to ro-
mance the purest hue of beauty and
bring alive natures bounty to fall in
love with yourself, once again.
The market is replete with
Cleansers, Toners, Day Cream,
Night Cream, sun protective lotions
of SPF 15 & 30 to save you from the
blaze, scrubs, masks, serums to ex-
otic Jewel Scrubs, face sculpting lo-
tions, age recovery creams, Indul-
gent and flavored facials like
Chocowine, Mango Moist or Fresh
Fruit or all skin types.
Dr. Varun Katyal, International-
ly acclaimed consultant Dermatolo-
gist & Cosmetologist, has a few tips
for a beautiful skin:
* Cleanse your face and neck
every morning and evening before
you go to bed. Use a gentle, pH-bal-
anced facial cleanser as per your
skin type and skin concerns twice
daily followed by an appropriate
toner.
* Dont get into the habit of
cleansing too often because cleans-
ing too often can break down the
skins protective barrier, causing
excessive dryness and irritation, and
may also cause breakouts.
* Remember that oil produc-
tion is the body's way of protecting
the skin, so never use anything
harsh and never over dry the skin.
* People with oily to normal
skins may use a gentle cleansing
wash that makes their skin feel
fresh.
* People with excessively dry
or mature skins may use a cleansing
milk, oil or balm that provides a
deep clean without over-cleansing.
* A good make up remover
should be definitely used to remove
make up properly.
The Compact touch
Make-up, the best and handiest
tool to enhance our best features and
camouflage the not-so-impressive
spots, is galore with a market range
of multiple shades and never-seen-
before effects. Right from the time
Cleopatra highlighted her own
panache for cosmetics, make-up has
been a powerful mean to make a
statement.
The woman of today is sponta-
neous and mischievous. She is bold,
confident, sure of her place in the
society. She loves to experiment and
the market caters to her spirit. Its no
longer a red lipstick, tan face pow-
der, blue eye shadow and a black
liner for her. She is wooed by an in-
vigorating range of shades and hues.
Mineral rich cosmetics, Shim-
mer Smudgers, powder with a mul-
ti-iridescent light reflective glitter
for the face, age defying make-up,
water proof, suntan proof and cos-
metics with fruit extracts.
Metallic plums, greens, blues,
bronzes and greys to crazy riot of
light blue, silver mauve or silver
and coppers and old.
It's best to stay within the realm
of your natural skin tone and en-
hance it slightly by applying subtle
shades and neutral highlights.
A fair skin can wear lots of
nudes to neutral colours. It's best to
avoid garish and bright colors.
For the wheatish skin color a
mix of brown, yellow and beige pig-
ments look best. Eye colour in green
to ocean, green and hazel can add a
certain glamour.
For dusky to dark complexion
deep metal pink or brown or else, a
deeper red with a hint of brown.
Even bronze, gold, copper and ma-
roon would suit this skin type.
From a plain Jane to a ravishing
beauty, its time to Gloss, Glitter
and Shimmer with a few tips by
Beauty & makeup Expert, Shikha
Taneja.
Sun n sultry weather can
lead to your make up melting
halfway down your face so start
with mattifying an oil free primer or
any water based foundation for
longer stay.
Set the foundation with oil
absorbing powder to avoid a cakey
look;
Avoid any cream based
make up and use powders or make
up setting spray
It best to stay away from
too much shimmer or glitter as this
would make your face look more
shiny or oily. Matte bronzers are
flattering;
Always use water proof
eyeliner and mascara set these with
black eye shadow on top of the lin-
er especially in humid weather
Beauty Buzz
Navratri Dishes
Feel Good and Look Beautiful
By Promila Gupta
Body-Mind-Spirit
O
f the diverse forms of wor-
shipping of God prevalent in
India from time immemorial,
the worship of God as Divine Mother
has a place of singular significance.
This idea of addressing God as
Mother is found in the Vedas and the
Upanishads and even in the pre-vedic
culture of Harappa and Mohendajaro.
It is a unique contribution of Hindu
thought to the ancient religious cul-
ture of the world, though some of the
other religions later developed the
worship of the Divine as Mother.
According to Vedanta, the form-
less and attributeless Supreme
Brahman projected Himself as power
of Maya, who created the entire uni-
verse. Divine Mother is the first man-
ifestation of Divine Energy, which is
omnipotent and omnipresent in the
universe. In India, personal God is
worshipped in various forms and
names. Aspirants address the deities
as father or mother, according to
their temperaments. Sri Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa always referred to God
as Mother.
God cannot be conceived by
human mind or by human intellect.
The Divine power of God that mani-
fests, sustains and transforms the uni-
verse, is referred to as Devi or Sakti,
which means the presuppositions of
all forms of existential powers.
These powers are glorious attributes
of One God, appearing in many
names. God creates this world
through His energy - sakti (creative
power), preserves it through sthithi
(sustaining power), and transforms it
through samhara or laya (destructive
power). God and Sakti are one and
the same, like fire and its heat that
are inseparable. Devi or sakti wor-
ship is nothing but the worship of
Gods glory. It is worshipped in its
manifested form as Saraswati,
Lakshmi and Durga. These are not
three different Devis or Goddesses,
but represent one formless God,
whose energy is worshipped in three
forms.
The festival of Navaratri or
Dassehra, is one of the important fes-
tivals for all the Hindus all over the
world. During this festival, all the
Hindus adore and worship the three
facets of Sakti of the Divine Mother.
On the first three nights, Durga, as
the destroyer of negative and evil
forces and the transforming aspect of
the Mother is worshipped. On suc-
ceeding three nights, the creative
aspect of Mother as Lakshmi is wor-
shipped. On the last three nights, the
knowledge aspect of Mother is
invoked and worshipped as
Saraswati. There is a special signifi-
cance in this order of worship. As
Durga, Mother destroys the evil
propensities of the mind of the aspi-
rant. As Lakshmi, She provides all
the wealth needed to sustain and
enjoy the material prosperity and
implants therein the positive forces
and the divine qualities in the mind
that are conducive to spiritual unfold-
ment. Finally, as Saraswati, who is
cosmic intelligence, cosmic con-
sciousness and cosmic knowledge,
bestows real knowledge, which ulti-
mately takes us into the path of liber-
ation, (moksha) which is the goal of
all human existence. Thus the wor-
ship of Devi or Sakti in all her facets
provides the entire process of spiritu-
al unfoldment.
If the world is viewed with intel-
lect, it may be seen as changing of
forms of the Divine manifestation.
Power and pleasure, the first two are
facets of the perfection of God. Man
is easily attracted to both power and
pleasure. But too much power or
adherence to pleasure leads to addic-
tion and is injurious to mans spiritu-
al progress in the long run. Religious
teachers and scriptures warn of this
danger and stress the importance of
knowledge as the third facet. The
three facets power, pleasure and
knowledge are bestowed by Durga,
Lakshmi and Saraswati respectively.
The realized souls, the great rishis
of ancient India, have experienced
Brahman in three aspects sat (exis-
tence), chit (consciousness) and anan-
da (bliss). Because of our ignorance,
we cannot understand the true nature
of the Divine. The true understand-
ing and the right knowledge for
enlightenment is possible only by the
grace isof Devi Saraswati.
Literally Saraswati means the
flowing one. In the Rigveda she
represents a river and also a deity
presiding over it. There are a few
other names describing her: Sarada,
Vagisvari, Brahmani, Mahavidya,
Vani, Veena and so on. The flowing
one can represent speech also in an
allegorical sense.
Saraswati is the personification of
all knowledge, including arts, sci-
ences, crafts and skills. Knowledge
is the opposite of ignorance, which is
bright and white. Hence, she is
depicted in pure white colour. The
lotus and the swans signify purity and
supreme knowledge. She is extraordi-
narily beautiful and graceful. Clad in
a spotless white apparel, seated on a
lotus seat signify that she is rooted in
Reality and Supreme Knowledge. She
holds in her four hands a veena,
akshamala (rosary), padma (lotus),
and a book. Though this is the most
common picture, there are several
variations.
Some of the other objects shown
are: pasa (noose), ankusa (goad),
padma (lotus), trisula (trident),
sankha (conch), chakra (discus) and
so on. Occasionally, she is shown
with five faces or with eight hands.
In this portrayal, she is
Mahasaraswati aspect of Durga and
Lakshmi. Saraswati playing on the
veena signifies that the seeker of wis-
dom and knowledge must tune his
mind and intellect to live in harmo-
ny. The harmonious music from the
veena vibrates the Om that reverber-
ated at beginning of creation
Though hamsa or swan is the
vehicle of Brahma, it is usually asso-
ciated with His consort, Saraswati.
In popular mythological literature and
pictures, a peacock is also shown as
her carrier vehicle.
The peacock with its beautiful
plumage stands for the attraction of
this world with all its glory. Since
the attractions of the world lead the
spiritual aspirant astray, the peacock
may be taken to symbolise spiritual
ignorance. On the other hand, the
swan which is supposed to possess
the peculiar power of separating milk
from water, stands for viveka (wis-
dom, discrimination) and vidya (spir-
itual enlightenmrnt). It is true that
vidya or paravidya (spiritual illumi-
nation) alone can give moksa (libera-
tion), avidya signifying secular
knowledge, it need not be and should
not be neglected. As Isavasya
Upanisad puts it, the hunger and
thirst are transcended through the
secular sciences and then alone
immortality can be obtained through
spiritual sciences. It is to teach this
great truth, Goddess Saraswati has
chosen the two carrier vehicles, the
swan and the peacock.
There are very few temples dedi-
cated to the worship of Goddess
Saraswati. The Sharada Temple in
Sringeri in Karnataka and Gnana
Saraswati Temple in Basar in Andhra
Pradesh are well known temples. The
Goddess Saraswati is also worshipped
in Jainism and she is the guardian
deity in Buddhism. She is also wor-
shipped in Burma, Thailand. China
and Japan, though She is addressed
by different names.
D
E
V
I

S
A
R
A
S
W
A
T
I
God and Sakti are one and the same, like fire and its heat that are inseparable. Devi or
sakti worship is nothing but the worship of Gods glory. It is worshipped in its manifested
form as Saraswati, Lakshmi and Durga. These are not three different Devis or Goddesses,
but represent one formless God, whose energy is worshipped in three forms. During
Navaratri, Hindus adore and worship all three facets of Sakti of the Divine Mother,
with three days devoted to each of the three goddesses.
By Kanaka Ramakrishna
yaa Devi sarva bhuteshu sakti rupena samsthitha
namasthasyai namasthasyai namasthasyai namo
namaha
yaa Devi sarva bhuteshu Lakshmi rupena smasthitha
namasthasyai namasthasyai namasthasyai namo
namaha
yaa Devi sarva bhuthshu vidya rupena smasthitha
namsthasyai namsthasyai namsthasyai namo namaha.
Body-Mind-Spirit
By Anil Sharma
Meditation is your true state...now.
There are always other thoughts distracting
you. When these thoughts are dispelled,
you remain alone, in meditation. When the
practice becomes firm, the real nature
shows itself.
-Sage Sri Ramana Maharshi
O
ne who has learnt the secret of cre-
ating new habits, will be able to con-
trol that which controls life. We are
slaves of our habits. When habits become
our slaves, we evolve towards perfection - to
be united, to vibrate in harmony with the
absolute, the divine. This is meditation.
Whatever we do, read, write, there is
something which guides us constantly, a hid-
den power that accompanies us all the time.
Meditation is that something which shows us
our spiritual path, which lights up our spiri-
tual path, which guides us on the way to
becoming one with the absolute. That which
helps to realise the common purpose for
which all beings are on Earth is meditation.
It is like a teacher who gently holds us by the
hand and guides us along the path of spiritu-
al enlightenment. Meditation unlocks the
latent spiritual powers lying dormant within
us. This leads to realisation of the absolute
which leads to the breaking of the cycle of
Birth-Life-Death, at the same time resulting
in freeing the incarnated soul from the body-
mind trap.
Astronomy, the study of heavenly bod-
ies, tells us that our Earth, our Sun, our
solar system is part of galaxy, and this
galaxy consists of about 10,000 million
stars. A galaxy consists of many thousands
of millions of stars, held together by gravi-
tation, and separated from other systems by
great areas of space. Astronomy has
revealed the existence of millions of galaxies
which form our universe. Our universe is
one of many, many..... multiverses which
we may call as the cosmos. Like you are the
ruler, the king of your physical, mental and
spiritual personality, the absolute, the divine
soul is the ruler of the cosmos.
The only way to transcend this and other
universes, to be united with the absolute, is
by means of our soul. Meditation is the
means to communicate with our soul. We
may sit in a space ship, go to the moon, and
explore our universe. All this will improve
the standard of human life on Earth, but sit-
ting in a space ship will not take us across all
those universes and unite us with the
absolute soul. We have to sit in the space
ship provided by meditation to achieve the
goal of our spiritual purpose. Meditation
prepares us and guides us on the path of our
spiritual journey.
Our thinking is as miniscule as our phys-
ical size compared to the size of the cosmos.
Material and personal gains have made us so
blind that we have become totally ignorant
of the real purpose of our existence. Until
we understand this law, we will, forever, be
tossed to and fro in the world of dissatisfac-
tion.
Meditation can change all this. The first
direct effect meditation has is a change of
thinking, a change that will dispel the veil of
darkness, the veil of ignorance, the veil of
suffering surrounding us. We will be guided
by a higher wisdom, a higher knowledge,
the wisdom and knowledge of the incarnated
soul. Thanks to the spiritual enlightenment
brought about by meditation that these indi-
viduals will bring peace, harmony, bliss and
happiness among others.
Meditation helps us to observe and inter-
pret at a spiritual level, as perceived by our
soul, rather than living at a physical or men-
tal level. Being at a spiritual level it is true
and pure, whereas at a physical or mental
level it is usually in the form of a reaction.
It gradually leads to a realisation, a confir-
mation - the glorious beauty of the absolute
which words can not describe.
Within each of us there is a vast source
of spiritual knowledge. This knowledge can
be tapped using meditation. In the begin-
ning, you are in your physical environment
surrounded by a chain of thoughts. You
replace these distractions by single-minded-
ness, by focussing on a point of light or on
your breath.
Gradually, you reach a state when you
think of the absolute, the divine soul. The
creator actually talks to you, guides you. In
this state, you tune to a higher state of con-
sciousness. In this state all thoughts sub-
side, a silence is achieved, and in this silence
you are in communication with the universal
soul. Beings must meditate to know the
truth, once when the truth is known, every-
thing will be known.
When you go into a dark room you can-
not see anything. The moment you switch on
the light everything can be seen. So, too,
when you meditate. Meditation is similar to
this switch - you switch on to your spiritual
self where you are able to sort out the prob-
lems of your physical and mental world.
When you switch off, you come back into
the physical world to carry on with your day
to day work.
The practice usually involves sitting in a
comfortable posture on your mat, preferably
cross legged, hands folded or unfolded rest-
ing on the thighs but keeping your chest,
spinal cord, neck and head erect. Close
your eyes and repeat silently for about two
minutes in your mind the name of the
absolute - Allah, Om, Christ or by whatever
name that has been given to the absolute by
your religion.
Recite the name when breathing out-
wards, close your lips and gently breathe in,
repeat the process. After this with the eyes
closed in the same posture, relax in silence
for about three minutes. During the process
you will find a stream of pulsations, call
them cosmic pulsations will travel through
you (particularly in the area of the fore-
head), complete bliss will take over your
entire being and you will vibrate in unison in
harmony with the universal soul.
Meditate on God, meditate on the
absolute - anytime, anywhere. Whatever
you may be doing, reading a book, working
in your office, taking a nap and so on, spare
a few minutes. During these few minutes try
and forget whatever you are doing, relax and
empty your brain of all thoughts and desires.
Now silently repeat the name of the absolute
in your mind. Whenever possible draw a
symbol or write the name of the absolute like
\ is the symbol of OM, or just write Allah
or Christ or Lord or use the symbol U of
Jesus Christ-- use whatever draws you clos-
er to the absolute. Look at the symbol and
silently in your mind repeat the name of the
absolute for a few minutes. Focus your
attention on the name and symbol as a lens
focuses the rays of the Sun onto a single
spot.
Before you start to practice meditation,
there are some preconditions: you have to be
pure in your thoughts, pure in your actions,
pure in whatever you do. Buddha chose
lotus as the symbol and is always shown sit-
ting in the centre of the Lotus. From
Botany, the science of plants, we know that
the Lotus never become crossed with other
species. It always retains its purity.
Similarly, you try and become as pure as the
Lotus.
Religions are like winds from various
directions impinging on a mountain. It does
not matter from which direction the wind is
blowing towards the sloping mountain, it
will touch the mountain. If the sloping
mountain is the creator, no matter from
which directions the winds come, they will
still reach the creator.
MEDITATION
Meditation is similar to the light switch which brings light to a dark room.
When you switch on to your spiritual self, you are able to sort out the problems
of your physical and mental world. When you switch off, you come back
into the physical world to carry on with your day to day work.
Body-Mind-Spirit
I
n the early 1960s, the first two
LPs I bought were Dylans,
The Times They Are A-
Changin and Phillis Dillers
Laughs.
Dillers self-deprecating wit at
times was hilarious. She made
disparaging jokes about her looks,
her domestic skills and her nonex-
istent husband Fang. She blazed a
path for female comedians like
Joan Rivers. She died recently
aged 95. Here are some of her
most famous one liners:
My husband was lazy, she
once joked. On our wedding day,
his mother told me, I'm not los-
ing a son, you're gaining a
couch.
I have so many liver spots
they should come with a bowl of
fried onions.
I'm in my 14th year of a
ten-day beauty plan.
House work won't kill
you, but why take the chance.
Never go to bed mad.
Stay up and fight.
I do dinner in three phas-
es: serve the food, clear the table,
bury the dead.
My cooking is so bad my
kids thought Thanksgiving was to
commemorate Pearl Harbour.
Old age is when the liver
spots show through you gloves.
Always be nice to your
kids because they're the ones
picking out your nursing home.
I buried a lot of ironing in
the back yard.
There's a new medical
crisis. Doctors say many men are
having an allergic reaction to latex
condoms. They say they cause
severe swelling. So what's the
problem.
I've been asked to say a
few words about my husband,
Fang. How about short and cheap.
I admit I have tremendous
sex drive. My boyfriend lives
forty miles away.
Tranquilizers only work if
you follow the advice on the bot-
tle - Keep away from children.
I want my children to
have all the things I couldn't
afford. Then I want to move in
with them.
My mother-in-law had
pain beneath her left breast.
Turned out to be a trick knee.
Phyllis Diller let it all hang out
Inner Space
By Faith Harper
Why have puja for graha parvesham
H
ouse warming ceremony
is an important aspect of
Vasthu Sastra for dwellers
to observe before they move into
a property. The ancient ceremony
when performed bestows the
dwellers health, happiness, pros-
perity and peace on the occupants
of an abode
According to Vasthu Sastra,
apart from the arrangement of a
space to create harmony, prayers
to purify spaces that had been left
vacant should be conducted.
It doesnt matter what faith
you follow as any sort of
approach to invoke the blessing of
the Almighty will be effective in
clearing out negative energy that
tends to collect in empty spaces
and in allowing a flow of positive
energy into that space.
I was invited to witness a
house warming ceremony, now
rarely-performed, in Darwin on
September 27.
Santhana Krishnan
Sinanchalam, a businessman,
chose to perform the Garaha
Pravesham, a Hindu sacrament
that dates back several thousand
years. The elaborate ceremony
was participated by his wife
Vijaya Kanni Kanny, daughter
Ashwina and son Aishwar.
The climax of the colourful
ceremony was the bathing of the
entire family with blessed water
by holy men and elders outside
the house.
I followed Vasthu specifica-
tions close to 100 per cent in my
north-west facing house and I did
not want to compromise on the
house warming ceremony, he
said.
Santhana flew in two priests
from Kuala Lumpur to Darwin to
conduct the four-hour ceremony
which saw recital of the mantras
before a homa, a consecrated fire
ritual offering.
In India, the house warming
ritual is compulsory and regarded
as second in importance only to
the marriage ceremony.
I feel contented now and Im
also enjoying the bliss from the
sacred rites and Vasthu friendly
space, Santhana, said, adding
that since he moved into the
house he has been able to feel the
positive vibrations.
The function began with a
pooja (worship) of Lord Ganesha,
the main deity and breaking of a
coconut outside the house
entrance to clear all obstacles in
the way of the auspicious event.
Santhana, wearing the tradi-
tional dhoti, his family members
all dressed in traditional cloths,
sat before an altar created in
garage.
The ceremony went on in
stages and it was conducted by
Sri R. Murali Gurukkal from the
Arulmigu Sri Maha Mariamman
Temple in Section 7, Shah Alam,
Malaysia.
Chanting mantras in Sanskrit,
the priest rang a small bell regu-
larly and set alight incense and
camphor. Nine saffron coated
coconuts, signifying deities from
the nine planets, were then placed
on top of small containers filled
with water.
The priest then performed a
purification ceremony by circling
incense smoke and camphor fire
over the deities. This was done
to seek permission to cleanse the
premises.
Sandalwood, mango tree
branches, herbs, spices and roots
were reduced to ashes in a
makeshift fireplace so that pun-
gent smoke filled the air. An
elder was then called on to cut a
pumpkin and limes, denoting a
sacrifice to demons.
The pumpkin was cut into
eight pieces and coated with
kumkum (red powder), symbolis-
ing blood; the pieces were placed
at the eight cardinal compass
points north, south, east, west,
north-east, south-east, north-west
and south-west within the com-
pound.
Following this, Santhana and
his wife were asked to sit in the
garden facing east while the priest
poured nine pots of blessed water
over them. The water cleansing
ceremony was also performed by
his father in law Kanny
Supramaniam and wife Jaya
Tangasamy. This was done to
cleanse and harmonise them and
also ensure both the house and
their occupant energies are in bal-
ance.
According to Vasthu beliefs, a
house and the human body are
comparable both are made up of
vibrating energy. Vasthu says the
energies of both must vibrate in
harmony for a house-owner to
enjoy health, wealth, happiness,
peace and prosperity.
After changing into new
clothes, the couple returned to the
altar and a special prayer for the
deity of wealth, Lakshmi, was
offered. According to the priest,
this is a must to ensure that
Lakshmis blessings will be with
the family always.
Vijaya, carrying a pot of milk,
then walked into the house and
later boiled the milk in a new pot
on a new stove. She allowed the
milk to boil over, signifying an
overflow of wealth into the
house.
The entire ceremony was
accompanied by devotional music
and songs. Milk, which signifies
purity and long life, was later
served as the first meal in the new
house.
The lengthy event finished
with Santhana treating his rela-
tives and friends to a sumptuous
vegetarian lunch. An hour before
this ceremony, Santhana had con-
ducted another fascinating event
a 20cm deep hole was bored at
the portal of the house.
It was filled with pieces of
nine gem stones and a piece of
Vasthu wood and macham yantra
(mystical diagram). Following a
brief ceremony, the hole was then
cemented over.
This was done to deflect nega-
tive energies that might otherwise
flow into the property through the
entrance.
T. Selva is the author of the
bestseller book titled Vasthu
Sastra Guide for peace, happi-
ness, health and prosperity. To
get a copy, call Devi at
0412623017. He can be contacted
at tselvas@pd.jaring.my Website:
www.vasthusastra.com
VasthuSastra
By T. Selva
Phyllis Diller who blazed a path for female comedians like Joan
Rivers, died recently aged 95.
Priest R. Murali Gurukkal from the Arulmigu Sri Maha Mariamman
Temple in Malaysia pouring blessed water on Santhana and his family
at the house warming ceremony
Santhana and his family performing the house warming ceremony in
his Vasthu friendly house in Darwin
September Mat 1, 2012: Seeking
a Hindu girl, vegetarian, preferably
Gujarati, with good family values, for
my son. He is 36, divorced, no children,
fair, 58, well-built, non-smoker, light
drinks. He is an Australian citizen,
works as a tax consultant and lives with
his parents. His two sisters live sepa-
rately. We have lived in Sydney for 19
years. Contact 0423 328 800 or
sydau714@hotmail.com.
September Mat 2, 2012. Seeking
a well qualified Hindu male, aged
between 49 54, for a very fair, young
looking Hindu lady, aged 54 and an
Australian citizen. He should be a non
smoker and should have strong moral
values. Caste no bar. She is an eggetari-
an, divorced and has a 19 year old
daughter living with her. Contact
lifepartner@hotmail.com.au.
suitable professional match for beauti-
ful, slim, fair, cultured Indian Hindu
Brahmin girl 30 years (1981/166cm).
Educated in Australia, Australian citi-
zen, Lawyer, currently working abroad,
from a well settled family in Sydney for
29 years. Family orientated. Divorcee,
innocent, issueless, very brief marriage.
Serious inquiries only. Email with all
details
September Mat 4, 2012. Hindu
Punjabi business parents invite alliance
from a beautiful educated girl for their
highly qualified son 30/6'3", a very well
placed financial consultant with a lead-
ing multinational company in UK. Will
be in Australia in July, Caste no bar.
Send BHP to ukshaadi@hotmail.com
September 5, 2012. . Well settled
family in Australia inviting alliance for
27 year old, 5"11, Sood Punjabi boy,
B.Software Engineer(honors) and is
working as a senior IT Consultant for
the Australian government on high
income. Seeking Indian girl, caste no
bar. Please call 0414-518-312. Email
aumohindra@gmail.com
compatible well educated, employed
professional/ business match, with
Indian background, broad minded/
mature outlook, independent, divorcee,
age 47 years onward, For caring, honest,
friendly, Indian Christian divorcee
Australian citizen, 48 yrs 5'3" tall, much
younger looking than age, attractive,
graceful looking graduate nurse,
employed. Caste no bar. Email details to
emily.lotus@hotmail.com
September Mat 7, 2012. April
Mat Seeking suitable match ( from
Australia ) never married, for Hindu
Girl 34 yrs, Chartered Accountant (Non
veg) living in Australia over 25 yrs with
eastern and western family values..
Please email with all details on
ganesh2011v@gmail.com
September Mat 8., 2012. Seeking
match for my brother, Hindu, Gujarati -
Patel , 31, 6 ft, vegetarian, Masters in
Computing Studies, working and living
in USA (American citizen). Looking for
a loving Gujarati girl, caring with good
family values, well cultured settled or
trying to settle in USA or Australia,
preferably with a PR/Citizenship.
Email: bluepools2012@gmail.com
September Mat 9. Male, Age 27,
(Cleanshaven Sikh), caste no bar, either
the Girl is Hindu or Sikh as long as
Indian background.He is Australian
born, Educated in UK with Msc. in
Finance, working in Sydney for a lead-
ing bank, seeking a suitable Soul mate.
Kindly please reply to his Parents in
Sydney Email: tejpadam@gmail.com. .
Matrimonials
MATRIMONIALS
Columns
By Karam Ramrakha
Karam C Ramrakha analyses Fiji situa-
tion as confused with contradictory signals
coming with Chinas recent 200 million soft
loan. He also ponders over 2GB broadcast-
er Alan Jones loud mouth jibe directed at
Julia Gillard which has boomeranged back
on him with a vengeance
I
t would appear that all is fair in love
and war (and politics). Two matters pre-
occupied me recently. One was Fiji, of
course.
Did you know the Commonwealth of
Nations is a voluntary organisation of some
54 countries, some owing allegiance to and
others merely regarding the Queen as Head
of the Commonwealth.
Fiji has been suspended from that
organisation and sanctions were put in place
notably by Australia and New Zealand.
Today's most dominant country in the
world, China, has been quick to fill that
vacuum. As relations between Fiji and the
rest of the Western world thaw with a new
Constitutional Committee headed by Dr
Yash Ghai tours the country, China made a
dramatic trip to Fiji last month.
A delegation of some 15 members head-
ed by Wu Bangguo, No 2 in China, landed
at Nadi Airport in Jumbo 747. Not since
the CIA flights during Rabuka's 1987 coup
which brought in the soldiers who stormed
the Parliament, did such a flight create so
much attention and stir. Wu was unusually
blunt and derided regional bullying of Fiji.
He left a 200 million soft loan to Fiji.
At last some measure of freedom of
speech is being offered to Fiji's people.
Too long suppressed, many are now reluc-
tant and fearful of taking advantage of the
Regime's offer to hear views freely.
The major political parties are: Fiji
Labour Party (largely Indian), the once
dominant National Federation Party (Indian
but defunct with total electoral wipeouts in
two elections) and finally SDL United Fiji
Party which is a i-taukei (indigenous) party
which advocates discrimination, and domi-
nation. The genesis of the latest coup was
to prevent their leader Qarase's Qoloqli
(Fishing) Bill which sought to entrench the
ownership of seas and seashore in indige-
nous hands.
Fiji today is in a state of flux. After
some six years of hibernation the country
comes to life and hopefully 2014 will her-
ald a new era.
The other matter that stirred me was
calling Julia Gillard a liar. True, she did
say that there would be no carbon tax dur-
ing the lifetime of a government she led.
She has broken her word, her pledge. John
Howard spoke of the never-ever GST
which is alive and flourishing and no one
savaged John Howard as a liar. Prime
Minister Menzies came under suspicion as a
liar during the Petrov Commission but the
scale of attack on Julia Gillard is so savage,
so unprecedented that there has never been
anything like it.
Abbotts trumpeter Alan Jones came out
in true colours when he said at a Liberal
Students meet at Sydney University that
Gillard's father died of shame because his
daughter was a liar.
In my 79 years I have never heard of
such nonsense and spite. Of course, Jones
remarks, duly recorded, have gone feral
and you can hear them on the internet.
Liberal students, characterised as holier-
than-thou and feral campaigners, lauded
Jones's Speech. A Liberal MP who was
there claimed he did not hear it.
Gillard maintains an elevated silence.
Jones' apology was more concerned at his
being sorry he got caught out rather than he
did say the offensive remarks. But the Liar
Brigade maintains a tight lipped silence.
The irascible Jones is waiting for the
whole thing to blow over but in defaming
the dead he has made the cardinal sin. We
all know we will die one day and we would
not like to be spoken ill of when we cannot
answer from the grave.
Karam C Ramrakha ex Fiji M.P, twice
President of Fiji Law Society and president
of Teachers Union for seven years, is a
practicing lawyer. He may be contacted on
(02) 98082760 or email: karamcram-
rakha@gmail.com.
Dirty politics, more so with the likes of Jones
Obama Leads Romney or does he?
By Melvin Durai
A
national Gallup/USA Today/Levitra
Poll shows President Barack Obama
with a 49 percent to 44 percent lead
over Republican challenger Mitt Romney,
with four percent of voters calling them-
selves undecided and three percent saying
they are undecided about being undecided.
The undecideds could swing the election
in favor of Romney, but only about 30 per-
cent of them say they will likely cast their
votes on Nov. 6 the rest are undecided
about that too.
The pollsters questioned 2,469 potential
voters by phone, email, Facebook and
Twitter, collecting information that showed
voting preferences across an array of popu-
lation segments. Its perhaps the most com-
prehensive poll ever, said Gallup
spokesman John Canter. We even found
out that President Obama has a five-point
lead over Gov. Romney among young
women whove had their tongues and eye-
brows pierced. But his lead drops to just two
points among young women whove had
their eyebrows pierced, but not their
tongues.
Romney is in a dead heat with Obama
among men in general, but Obama enjoys a
comfortable eight-point lead among women,
as well as an impressive 20-point lead
among undecideds those who havent
made a decision about their gender. If I
feel like a woman on Nov. 6, Im voting for
Obama, one eligible voter said. If I feel
like a man, well all bets are off.
Romney has a two-point lead among men
who wear boxer shorts, but Obama has a
one-point lead among men who wear briefs
and a 25-point lead among men who wear
thongs. Unfortunately for Obama, only eight
respondents admitted wearing thong under-
wear, including three who offered to post
pics on Facebook as proof.
This is an important finding, Canter
said. Everybody thought that Romney
would have a brief campaign, but hes
turned out to be quite the boxer.
Among women aged 18 to 30, Obama
enjoys a 10-point lead over Romney. About
50 percent of young women who plan to
vote for Obama said they strongly agree
with the statement: I believe that President
Obama, over the next four years, will create
millions of jobs for Americans and look cute
while doing it.
Men aged 50 to 64 favored Romney over
Obama by a six-point margin, with 54 per-
cent of them saying hes better for the envi-
ronment, 60 percent saying hes better for
the economy, and 99 percent saying hes
better for the 1 percent.
Among welfare recipients, Obama has a
60-point lead over Romney, with only 12
percent of them saying they will vote for the
Republican candidate, though 7 percent say
they might switch to Romney if Obama
creates too many jobs.
Romney has a 40-point lead among vot-
ers who believe Obama was born in Kenya,
a 55-point lead among voters who believe
Osama bin Laden is still alive, and a 66-
point lead among voters who believe Donald
Trumps hair is real.
Obama enjoys a 15-point lead among
hyphenated Americans, including a 58-point
cushion among Indian-Americans, a 56-point
cushion among Pakistani-Americans, and a
57-point cushion among Indo-Pak-
Americans.
Asked about the cushion, an Indian-
American storekeeper in Jackson Heights,
New York, said, If President Obama wants
a cushion, he can always come to us. We
have sofa cushions, chair cushions, floor
cushions all types of cushions imported
from India!
THE HUMOR OF MELVIN DURAI
As Fiji has been suspended from the Commonwealth, China has been quick to fill the
vacuum. Wu Bangguo, No 2 in China, landed at Nadi Airport in Jumbo 747.
Romney has a 40-point lead among voters who believe
Obama was born in Kenya, a 55-point lead among voters who
believe Osama bin Laden is still alive, and a 66-point lead
among voters who believe Donald Trumps hair is real.
The Dilip Mahanty Column
Where does Indian cricket go from here?
India has plenty of talent for right selection. It will be in Indias interest to have
specialist players for each form of the game, supported by a couple of them
who can fit all formats. Secondly, like Pakistan, India too has to experiment
with unknown newcomers instead of going back to the same tired lot.
By Dilip Mahanty
W
est Indies are the T20 World
Champions having defeated
Sri Lanka by 36 runs in the
final in Colombo. Earlier, India was
eliminated from the World Cup and arch
rival Pakistan took its place in the semi-
finals, although on equal points but due
to a better run-rate.
On top of the disastrous tours of
England and Australia this latest showing
reveals that not all is well with the team
and its morale. The consolation victories
against NZ in both Tests and the ODIs
cannot be a yardstick for progress as NZ
is a comparatively weak team and did not
provide the kind of tough opposition
which England and Australia will pro-
vide later this year when they visit India.
After the annihilation in both England
and Australia in 2011-2012 it was
expected that BCCI would do some seri-
ous soul searching and revamp the team
for future encounters. Instead, it adopted
an ostrich like head in the sand attitude
hoping that the problems will automati-
cally go away. While some effort has
been made to revamp the Ranji and
Duleep Trophy matches to force national
players to play domestic cricket, there is
still a muddled approach to selecting
players for the different formats of the
game. This was reflected in the T20
squad chosen to play in the World Cup in
Sri Lanka.
T20 is a format which needs a differ-
ent mindset and approach. It needs
youthful legs, aggressive mental
approach in batting and containment skill
among bowlers. The idea is to score as
many runs in the allotted 20 overs as pos-
sible and defend with skilful yet accurate
bowling backed up by sharp and agile
fielding. In all these aspects the squad
selected for the T20 World Cup in SL
lacked logic.
Both Sehwag and Gambhir failed to
give good start in every match, falling to
old habits of chasing balls outside their
off stumps. Sehwag, especially, never
took his batting seriously and often
played to the gallery. Gambhir seemed
transfixed when the ball swung around
his off stump and played with an angled
bat time and again perishing in the
process. When he was not chasing he
was edging the ball on to his stumps.
Obviously, these technical faults needed
ironing out fast and playing in the
domestic leagues would have helped him
get over them and also regain some con-
fidence.
Gambhir and Sehwag shouldnt have
been selected for this format in the first
place. Youngsters like Unmukt Chand,
Rahane, Rayudu could have been tried
instead.
Kohlis brilliance often gave India
victory in this tournament and the middle
order rotated around him. But once he
was out, Indian batting lost confidence.
Rohit Sharma is an enigma. When he
comes off, he smells like a rose as he can
exude an almost fragrant charm with his
scintillating stroke play. But his inconsis-
tency is difficult to accept given the
many chances accorded to him to play
for India. He should be earmarked for
the Test arena (in which he has never
been tried) and then be judged whether
he has the right frame of mind to repre-
sent the country in any format.
Poor Manoj Tiwary has never been a
favourite of Dhoni and as such gets only
rare opportunities to don the countrys
colours. He has made a success of his
appearances whenever given an opportu-
nity. Yet he languishes in the wings. His
brilliant fielding makes him an asset in
the field populated by too many slow
moving feet leaking runs.
Many of the cricketing nations have a
large set of players who can seamlessly
transit from one form of the game to the
other as they have the versatility to adjust
to any form. India, these days, faces a
paucity of such players. Kohli, Dhoni
and Ashwin seem to be the only ones to
make the transition these days. Zaheer is
unfit and needs to be preserved for Tests
only. Pathan and Balaji are not penetra-
tive enough for Tests.
Gambhir and Sehwag have not been
giving good starts in any form of the
game. Weaknesses in their techniques
outside the off stump have become glar-
ing. Raina & Yuvraj have suspect tech-
niques against pace and can only be con-
sidered for ODIs & T20s.
It will be in Indias interest to have
specialist players for each form of the
game, supported by the above named
three players who can fit all formats. The
Test team needs orthodoxy to some
extent and batsmen like Pujara, Manoj
Tiwary, Murli Vijay, Mukund, Rahane,
Bist, Dhawan, Rayudu and even Rohit
Sharma could be groomed for this.
Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Dinda
and Varun Aaron who have pace and
bounce should be carefully nurtured for
the Test scene and not wasted in ODIs &
T20s as there are chances of physical
breakdown with excess playing. Instead,
bowlers like Vinay Kumar, Irfan,
Praveen Kumar and Balaji should be per-
sisted with. Again, spinners Rahul
Sharma, R. Jadeja and Yusuf Pathan
could be added to this.
An under 19 player who impressed
everybody with his swing with the new
ball in Australia recently, Sandeep
Sharma, would be quite handy in the
shorter forms.
A few of the other stars of the victo-
rious under19 World Cup team should be
given chances in domestic cricket to
mark their slots in the Indian team.
Unmukt Chand, Harmeet Singh, Baba
Aparajith and wicket keeper U Patel
come readily to mind. These talented
youngsters should be thrown in the deep
end and tested whether they have the
skill and resilience to represent the coun-
try.
Pakistan has experimented with a
number of unknown newcomers and has
succeeded and India has to chart the
same path instead of going back to the
same tired lot. With Sachin Tendulkar
already thinking of retirement in not too
distant future the Indian middle order,
deprived already of Rahul Dravid and
VVS Laxman, needs considerable bol-
stering as it is not easy to replace, possi-
bly, the greatest middle order in history
of cricket. Unless replacements are tried
urgently this gap will become like a
chasm.
Gambhir and Sehwag shouldnt have been selected for T20 format in the first place.
Youngsters like Unmukt Chand, Rahane, Rayudu could have been tried instead.
Rohit Sharma is an enigma. When he
comes off, he smells like a rose. But his
inconsistency is difficult to accept given
the many chances.
Quickies like Ishant Sharma who have
pace and bounce should be carefully
nurtured for the Test scene and not
wasted in ODIs & T20s.
Many of the cricketing nations have
a large set of versatile players who
can seamlessly transit from one
form of the game to the other. India,
these days, faces a paucity of such
players. Kohli, Dhoni and Ashwin
seem to be the only ones to make
the transition these days.
Book Review
W
ell-known for creating human
drama behind the game, Kersi
is a well-respected cricket
author, journalist, statistician and biog-
rapher. He has written over 3000 arti-
cles in The Sydney Morning Herald,
The Sun-Herald, Cricketer, World of
Cricket, Inside Cricket, Inside Sport,
The Indian Down Under (Australia),
Wisden Cricket Monthly (UK), The
Times of India, Sportsweek, Mid-Day
(India), New Zealand Sports Digest
among many other publications. He is
an expert cricket commentator on the
sports website The Roar.
Kersi has published 13 cricket books
including bestsellers The Waugh Twins,
Crickets Great All-Rounders, Nervous
Nineties and Six Appeal.
Writes the legendary Greg
Chappell, I assume that one of the rea-
sons that Kersi asked me to write this
Foreword is that directly, or indirectly,
I have been pretty close to a number of
the controversies that he has included in
this very readable book
In this volume, Kersi has captured
some of the more interesting conflicts
and controversies that have interspersed
the rich landscape of the game. This
book helps to make the game more
interesting -- and a touch more human in
that it shows how emotions can some-
times boil over. I am certain that you
will enjoy it as much as I have.
Cricket Conflicts and Controversies
is a fantastic insight into the scandals of
cricket: match-fixing, chucking, ball-
tampering, bribery, drug-taking and
heated on-field clashes. Author and
cricket enthusiast Kersi exposes the rock
star underbelly of cricket from pre-
Bodyline series of 1932-33 to the post-
Bollyline series of 2007-08.
Chapters include the Flaming
Bombay Test, Snow-storm in Sydney,
World Series Cricket revolution, the
rebel tours to South Africa and the dis-
mantling of the apartheid policy, under-
arm episode on the MCG and terrorism
in a team bus in Lahore which could
have killed most Sri Lankan Test crick-
eters in 2009.
Not forgotten are IPLs highs and
lows, the Lillee-Miandad on-field clash,
World Cup riot in Kolkata, chucking
row between Murali and umpire Hair,
Bill Lawry v. Indian photographers, the
walk off by Gavaskar in Melbourne,
Tendulkar accused of ball-tampering in
Port Elizabeth, Atherton caught with
dirt in pocket, Holding kicking stumps
in New Zealand, on-field altercation
between Steve Waugh and Ambrose,
headline hunters Shane Warne and
Shoaib Akhtar, spot-fixing at Lords
putting three Pakistani Test players in
jail among other spicy episodes.
The highlight of the book is the
involvement of Test icons Hansie
Cronje, Azharuddin, Salim Malik and
others in bribery and match-fixing. No
wonder the 1990s was called the
naughty nineties.
The most poignant chapter is Death
Comes as the end detailing the unfortu-
nate deaths (murder/suicide/accident) of
three mega cricketing personalities;
David Hookes, Bob Woolmer and Peter
Roebuck.
The chapter which will involve max-
imum and noisiest debate in Australia
and India is the monkey-gate incident
involving Harbhajan Singh and Andrew
Symonds in the 2008 Sydney Test.
Was Harbhajan calling Symonds a
monkey or teri ma ki (a swear word
in Hindi)? Was it a racist comment or a
sledge? The author presents both sides
of the story.
Apart from bitter controversies and
fiery conflicts Kersi narrates humorous
anecdotes:
Bishan Bedi is a complex character
-- likeable, obstinate and funny.
Mushtaq Ali, the attacking Indian bats-
man (the Errol Flynn of Indian cricket,
according to Keith Miller), had toured
England in 1936, hitting a spectacular
century in the Manchester Test. When
he revisited England sixty years later he
was shocked to see the changes. He told
Bedi, Englishmen are not wearing hats
these days. Wisecracked Bedi: Thats
nothing, Mushtaq bhai. These days dur-
ing summer on the beaches, some
women dont wear their bikini tops
either!
Greg Chappell is admired for his
elegant on-drives and brilliant fielding.
He also has a sense of humour. At a
Primary Club charity function in Sydney
in 1990s, he recalled an incident which
brought the house down. He was very
nervous before giving a talk on a previ-
ous occasion but bravely went ahead as
the function was for charity. The talk
went well and Greg was delighted till a
person approached him later and after
some ers and ums told him that it
was the worst talk he had heard. When
a disheartened Greg revealed this to the
President, he set his mind at ease by
saying, Dont you worry about him. He
has no brains. He does not think for
himself but repeats what everyone else
is whispering!
The well-researched book starts
from 1876, before Test cricket was
inaugurated when an English cricketer
Ted Pooley was imprisoned for gam-
bling and ends with three Pakistani
cricketers jailed in 2011.
The take home message is: More
things change, more they remain the
same.
Cricket Conflicts and Controversies
Kersi Meher-Homjis well-researched book starts from 1876, before Test cricket
was inaugurated when an English cricketer Ted Pooley was imprisoned for
gambling and ends with three Pakistani cricketers jailed in 2011.
The chapter which will involve maximum and noisiest debate in Australia and
India is the monkey-gate incident involving Harbhajan Singh and Andrew
Symonds in the 2008 Sydney Test.
Not forgotten are IPLs highs and lows such as the Lillee-Miandad on-field clash.
Cricket Conflicts and Controversies By
TIDUs Kersi Meher-Homji. Published by
New Holland Publishers, simultaneously
in Australia, UK, South Africa and New
Zealand. Price: A$29.95. 240 pages
including colour illustrations.
Kersi is well-known for creating human
drama behind the game of cricket.
The Kersi Meher-Homji column
After winning the inaugural ICC World T20 in 2007 by beating Pakistan by five runs, Indians went crazy
on T20s. However, since then Indias performance in subsequent World T20s has been disappointing.
Pakistan won the next Cup in 2009 in England and England won in 2010 in Barbados. West Indies is the
winner in the fourth edition held in Sri Lanka.
Best book on Sachin
India out of World T20
Sanga, Dhoni and Kohli among ICC winners
D
espite defeating South Africa in a
thriller on Mahatma Gandhi
Jayanti (2 October) by one run,
India is eliminated from ICC World
Twenty 20 staged in Sri Lanka. A few days
ago they had beaten Pakistan convincingly.
What a paradox! Pakistan (who India
thrashed by 8 wickets) is in the semi-final
and India is not. By defeating Australia a
few hours before the India-South Africa
match, Pakistan improved her net run rate
(NRR). Pakistan finished with a NRR of
+0.273 and India with a poor NRR of -
0.274.
Why, oh why, was Virender Sehwag, a
match-winner in any form of cricket,
dropped in the vital match against
Australia? It will always remain a mystery
to me. Skipper Dhoni explained that it is
Horses for courses and included three
spinners and dropped slogger Sehwag.
Instead fast-medium bowler Irfan Pathan
was used as an opening batsman. It was a
mistake on Dhonis part.
Virat Kohli was the outstanding bats-
man for India, scoring 185 runs at 46.25,
highest score 78 not out. Harbhajan bowled
splendidly against England with figures of
4 for 12. Medium-pacer Lakshmipathy
Balaji was the most successful among
Indian bowlers taking 9 wickets at 9.77.
Full credit must go to Yuvraj Singh
who beat cancer to return to the Indian
team and took 8 wickets at 10.12.
But this was not enough to take India in
the semi-final and recover the Trophy they
had won in the inaugural ICC World T20
in 2007 by beating Pakistan by five runs.
This made Indians go crazy on T20s.
However, since then Indias performances
in subsequent World T20s have been dis-
appointing.
Pakistan won the next Cup in 2009 in
England and England won in 2010 in
Barbados.
V
irat Kohli, who was the
outstanding batsman for
India in the recent T20
World Cup in Sri Lanka, scoring
185 runs at 46.25, has received
the ODI Cricketer of the Year
award. Dhoni is Captain of the
year.
Sri Lankas colourful batsman-
wicket keeper Kumar Sangakkara
was a triple prize winner at the
ICC 2012 Awards Nite held in
Colombo, Sri Lanka this month.
He was voted Cricketer of the
Year, Test Cricketer of the Year
and also Peoples Choice winner.
In my opinion South Africas
bearded batsman Hashim Amla
deserved to be the Cricketer of the
Year for his marvelous perform-
ances in all forms of the game.
Indias vivacious batsman Virat
Kohli was voted the ODI Cricketer
of the Year and MS Dhoni the
Captain of the Year, respectively
South Africas Richard Levi
won ICCs Twenty20 Performer of
the Year after his unbeaten 117 off
51 balls against New Zealand at
Auckland this February. This
innings broke West Indian Chris
Gayles record for fastest century
in T20 internationals. Levi reached
his 100 in only 45 balls with 13
sixes; most in an innings in T20
internationals.
S
o many books have
been written on
Sachin Tendulkar
after his 100th internation-
al century this March that
it is difficult to judge as to
which is the best. My per-
sonal favourite is
SACHIN The Story of
the Worlds Greatest
Batsman by Gulu Ezekiel,
Penguin Books, 2012, 434
pages.
The book traces
Tendulkars cricket career
from a talented school boy
to a titan and elder states-
man without losing his
love and dedication of the
game he has adorned.
Author Ezekiel recon-
structs the crucial matches
and events that reveal the
mantra of a megastar whom
Englands Wisden Cricket
Monthly described as bigger
than Jesus.
Tendulkar was at his best
against Australia. No wonder
Shane Warne ranks him as the
best batsman he has bowled to.
Ezekiel also quotes Aussie great
Steve Waugh: You take Sir
Donald [Bradman] away and he
[Tendulkar] is next up, I reck-
on.
Coming from two iconic
Australians, it is a huge tribute.
The book is not just a col-
lection of tributes to Tendulkar.
There are thought-provoking
chapters too: Match-fixing and
CBI and Year of Controversies.
The book ends with 29
pages of vital statistics on
Sachin by internationally recog-
nized statistician Mohandas
Menon.
Autographed copy of the
book retails at A $20 (including
postage) in Australia. To pur-
chase, contact author Gulu
Ezekiel on
gefeatures99@gmail.com
Full credit must go to Yuvraj Singh who beat cancer to return to the Indian team and took 8 wickets at 10.12 in the T20 World Cup.
Virat Kohli, who was the outstanding batsman for India in the recent T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, scoring
185 runs at 46.25, has received the ODI Cricketer of the Year award. Dhoni is Captain of the year.
The Kersi Meher-Homji column
Unmukt Chand represents the
future of Indian cricket
Should Sachin call it a day?
S
unday 26 August was a day to remem-
ber for Indians around the world. India
routed New Zealand by an innings and
115 runs in the first Test in Hyderabad. On
the same day India won the 2012 Under-19
World Cup by defeating the reigning champs
Australia by 6 wickets in the Final in
Townsville, Australia.
The scene of excitement among the U-19
Indians was reminiscent of Indias victory in
the 2011 World Cup. The hero of Indias win
in the Under-19 World Cup was their captain
Unmukt Chand who scored an unbeaten 111
with 7 fours and 6 colossal sixes. The result
of the Final was in doubt till Smit Patel (62
not out) joined Chand and they took India to
a heart-warming victory. Skipper Unmukt
Chand has the potential to be a Test cricketer.
The teenager has a unique record, having
scored centuries in three successive Finals for
India. One wishes writers do not start com-
paring him with teenaged Sachin Tendulkar.
The unfair comparisons will retard Unmukts
progress. He has already represented Delhi in
Ranji Trophy and scored a century in his
fourth match. He will be playing IPL next
season but one hopes he is not auctioned for
huge sums of money which may hinder his
development.
Recently Unmukts coach Bharat Arun
told Cricket Countrys correspondent Nishad
Pal Vaidya:
The bigger the game, the better he gets.
And that is the hallmark of a true champion.
Unmukt Chand has done that on three consec-
utive occasions. A striking feature of his bat-
ting is that he rallies the others around him.
At such a young age, he showed the maturity
and that was a big bonus for the team. It was
exactly the role of a captain, something he fits
in to perfection.
Unmukt will soon tour New Zealand with
India A team. Team mate Harmeet has been
picked for the Irani Trophy. Other members
of the U-19 team -- Sandeep Sharma and Baba
Aparajith -- have been selected for the
Challenger Trophy.
They will know where they stand once
they play at the higher level and need to work
towards getting better, Arun added. Once
they are given exposure, it would give them
an idea as to what are their strengths and
weaknesses the areas they would have to
work upon.
We hope Unmukt Chand, Smit Patel,
Harmeet, Sandeep Sharma and Baba
Aparajith climb the ladder to Test fame as
Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Cheteshwar
Pujara, Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan
Ojha did a few years ago. They are the faces
of future Indian cricket.Unmukt is an inter-
esting person. He keeps a regular diary and
reads dictionaries when not on the field.
Reads dictionaries??? How excruciatingly
boring! His batting, on the other hand, is
refreshingly exciting.
I
find it difficult to believe that I am
writing this column, being a great
admirer of this magnificent batsman
for over two decades.
Statistically and ecstatically, Sachin
Tendulkar is one of the finest batsmen in
the history of the game. He has scored
most runs and most centuries in interna-
tional cricket both in Tests and in One-
day Internationals (ODIs).
I wont bore you with his stats, you
know it. I very much doubt that any bats-
man in future will come even close to his
many-splendoured achievements on and
off the field, especially his run-making
skill and his modest demeanour.
I have seen great batsmen but no one
has his timing; just a gentle forward push
to cover or mid-off and the next second
we see the ball racing to the boundary.
He is both an artist and a scientist of the
game. Besides, success has not gone to
his head.
But age has taken its toll. He is over
39 and it seems over the hill. He gets
clean-bowled quite often these days, an
early sign of his not having 20/20 vision.
After his 80 in the Sydney Test early this
January, he has struggled with the bat in
Tests and ODIs. After a year of pain and
frustrations he went from his 99th to his
100th century on 16 March this year.
And that too against Bangladesh in Asia
Cup.
I do hope Sachin proves me wrong by
making big scores against England.
Tendulkar is over 39 and it seems over the hill. He gets clean-bowled quite
often these days, an early sign of his not having 20/20 vision.
Unmukt Chand, hero of Indias 2012 Under-19 World Cup triumph, is being compared
to Sachin Tendulkar.
September - October 2012 THE INDIAN DOWN UNDER 59

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