Indian Weekender 3 April 2015

3 April, 2015 Vol. 7 Issue 2 | www.iwk.co.
nz
New Zealands first Kiwi-Indian weekly newspaper
The Pulse of Kiwi-Indians
Auckland Christchurch Wellington Hamilton Palmerston North Hastings Invercargill
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2015
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YOUNG ACHIEVER
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UNSUNG HERO
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CONTENTS
3 April 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz
INSIDE
Pg 4
Pg 25
CRICKET WORLD
CUP WRAP-UP
RAZZMATAZZ
Red
Pg 8
Pg 29
Black
CULTURAL
FESTIVAL
Pg 22
SPORTS
BOLLYWOOD
Pg 30
FACE OF
THE WEEK
Orange
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COVER STORY
www.iwk.co.nz | 3 April 2015
Red
Black
Orange
The Black Caps get a Maharajas welcome in Auckland

Rizwan Mohammad
t was 31st March 2015, 6pm

on a Tuesday night and the
Queens Wharf in Auckland
was buzzing with excitement.
Proud Kiwis walked around
flaunting their blue and black
jerseys. Yes, they were awaiting
their heroes. The countdown of
10 seconds started and the Black
Caps alighted from their bus,
Brendon McCullum leading the
team followed by Vettori, Guptill,
Elliot, Boult and so on.
The fans in Auckland welcomed
the men in black to celebrate
their return home after a 47-day
World Cup journey. The word had
spread like wild fire during the
day that the worlds now favourite
team was going to grace its fans at
The Cloud, and more than 1000
enthusiastic fans appeared at the
venue in support of their men in
black, holding up the silver fern
and Kiwi flags. People had turned
up with their cameras, some had
cricket bats, bowls and autograph
books to capture a moment with
their heroes personally.
The long trail guarded by ICC

volunteers and fences led the
team to the podium, after the

powerful Hakka performance in
honour of their return. The team

made themselves comfortable on
the stage while an official of the
New Zealand Cricket Board made
the presentations and called the
coach to share his journey.
The dais then acknowledged
Trent Boult and Tim Southee,
but Grant Elliots name garnered
huge round of applause for his
sportsmanship that has won
hearts all over the world. The
last in the list to be called on the
stage was the skipper Brendon
McCullum who expressed his
gratitude to the fans saying,
Even though we werent able to

lift the cup... you all still managed
to show up, It shows how great
the people in this country are.
The players obliged its fans by
signing autographs, also signing
their T-shirts, bats and flags. The
Kiwis though suffered defeat at
the hands of the Kangaroos, but
their sportsmanship was lauded
by millions of fans, media and
the cricketing fraternity around
the globe. They are undeniably
the new favourites of the cricket
world.
COVER STORY
Wrapping up World Cup 2015
Red
Swati Sharma
Orange
everything of how the New

Zealand v South Africa semifinal game was played, how it
should be played in general, and
of the character of those who
contributed to a memorable
occasion.
Daniel Vettoris catch at
third man to dismiss Marlon
Samuels in the Wellington
quarter-final. He had just been
whacked for 21 in his first
over; his body is supposed to
be creaking. Yet he produced
he 2015 World Cup

concluded last week with
Australia clinching the
World Cup title for the fifth time.
It also became the second nation
after India to win the trophy in
their home-country.
In the CWC Final on March 29,
Australia defeated New Zealand
by 7 wicket, which seemed to be
almost one-sided match when the
top batting order of NZ fall down
really quick.
For his impressive spell in the
batting powerplay in the AUSNZ encounter, James Faulkner
of Australia was awarded the
Man of the Match while Mitchell
Starc was awarded the Man
of the Tournament for being
a wicket machine and some
excellent bowling throughout the
tournament.
Fittingly Michael Clarke of
Australia signs off his ODI career
with an individual milestone and
the ultimate team prize. Brad
Haddin (AUS), Daniel Vittori
(NZ), Kumar Sangakkara (SL),
Mahela
Jayawardene
(SL),
Shahid Afridi (PAK), Misbah-ulHaq (Pak) have played their last
world cup this year as they all
have announced retirement too.
Lets wrap up this 44 days long
trip of adventure and excitement.
Each time CWC witnesses, new
records, observes new talents,
experiences
nerve-freezing
moments. So here we bring you,
Black
most extraordinary, intoxicating

sporting events one would ever
seethe The atmosphere for the
match seemed electric. South
Africa batted splendidly, but
McCullums
blink-and-youllmiss-it 59 was the inspiration
behind one of the great run chases.
Grant Elliotts Cool-Hand-Luke
84 applied the finishing touches
as South Africa lost their nerve.
some of those records and special

moments from Cricket World
Cup 2015.
Best player
Brendon McCullum. It
would be easy to pick a batsman
such as Kumar Sangakkara or
AB de Villiers; or a bowler like
Mitchell Starc or Trent Boult.
But McCullum has inspired not
just his team but a nation to a
level that had to be experienced
to be appreciated. He is a
captain of tactical genius, sets
an inspirational example in the
field, and in the semi-final his
assault on the finest fast bowler of
his generation reduced a difficult
Best moment
target to a manageable one.
Best match
The semi-final in Auckland
between New Zealand and
South Africa was one of the
Elliott, in his moment of

triumph, understanding the
despair of the vanquished and
the thin line he had trodden, and
offering a hand to a disconsolate
Dale Steyn. It encapsulated
a career best leap, stuck up his

hand and even retained a touch
of quiet nonchalance when he
realised that somehow the ball
had lodged there.
Best fans
For numbers, noise, colour
and slightly scary cricket-related
contact lenses, Indias supporters
had all the other non-hosts beat.
Also the Kiwis with the

sponsored orange Tui shirts who would
career through hell and high water in order
Red
Black
Orange
to try and catch those
six hits in one
hand.
Five players who re-discovered
their strengths
While there were quite a few players who
were at their usual best and playingthe
way they always do, some players seemed
to have re-discovered their talents and
strengths. These players, who have looked
to be struggling in the past, raised their
game in the biggest tournament of the
cricket.
Lets take a look at 5 such
players:(Courtesy: Sportskeeda)
#5 Mohammad Shami- India
Mohammad Shami picked up 17 wickets
at an average of 17.29 and an economy rate
of 4.82 in the World Cup. In almost every
game, he made early inroads with the new

ball and set the game up nicely for the
slower bowlers. He consistently bowled at
a speed in excess of 140 KPH and swung
the ball as well.
#4 Mahmudullah- Bangladesh
Mahmudullahs form with the bat was
COVER STORY
one of the major reasons why Bangladesh

made it to the knockout stages of the World
Cup. In 6 games, he scored 365 runs at an
excellent average of 73 and a strike rate
of 81.84. In the game against England,
he created history by becoming the first
Bangladeshi batsman to score a World Cup
hundred. He followed it up with another
brilliant ton in the next game against New
Zealand.
#3 Ravichandran Ashwin- India
Ravichandran Ashwin picked up 13
wickets in the World Cup at an average of
25.38 and an economy rate of 4.29. Though
he wasnt the leading wicket taker for
India, he was Indias most lethal weapon in
the tournament.
#2 Mitchell Starc- Australia
With 22 wickets at an average of 10.18
and an economy rate of 3.50, Mitchell Starc
finished as the leading wicket taker of the
recently concluded World Cup. However,

only a few months back, Shane Warne had
described him as being too soft.
#1 Imran Tahir- South Africa
Imran Tahir picked up 15 wickets in the
World Cup at an average of 21.53 and an
economy rate of 4.23. Along with Daniel
Vettori, he was the leading wicket taker
among spinners in the tournament.
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COVER STORY
ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP 2015

SNAPSHOT
Red
Black
Orange
NEW ZEALAND
Red
Black
Orange
Stay safe, Net safe!

Paula Ray
ith the Easter school holidays

here, it is time to take some
precautions with your mobile
device. Disasters usually strike when
you are on road trips or away from home
travelling.
The national cybersafety organisation,
NetSafe, has recorded more than $1m lost
to online scams during March and is seeing
smartphones and tablets increasingly
targeted.
Over the last month, New Zealanders
have reported competition scams that
arrive by txt and insist you install an app to
enter and free apps that then charge your
credit card a monthly subscription fee.
We know children often spend more
time online during the school holidays
playing games and using apps so its
important that families take steps to secure
and safeguard those devices too, says Chris
Hails, NetSafes Digital Project Manager.
In 2014, we recorded $8m lost to a wide
variety of online challenges, says Hails.
This month people continue to lose money
to investment and romance scams, suffer
ransomware infections on their PCs and
report widespread phishing attacks but its
important to protect your mobile devices
too.
The physical loss of an expensive gadget is
the most common concern for smartphone
and tablet owners. However, families also

need to consider carefully what apps they
and their children are downloading, the
information they are sharing and any costs
that could be incurred through in-app
purchases or sneaky terms and conditions.
Tips to protect your mobile device, both
smartphones and tablets:
Be cautious about what apps you install
Ask yourself Is it wise to enter credit

card details to get a free trial? Stick with
the official marketplaces to avoid installing
malicious software and be cautious about
what permissions are requested during the
app installation process.
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Offer valid only 01/04/2015 ~ 30/04/2015
TIRAMISU LOG CAKE
Be alert to your device behaving oddly
Think twice before installing apps to

enter a competition that is marketed by
spam txt messages. Check your account
regularly to see if text messages especially
to premium rate or overseas numbers
are being sent without you realising. High
unexplained data usage may also signify a
problem with an app you have installed.
Normally $24
More cakes are available for

Birthday, Wedding and special occasions
Keep your Android or iOS operating
system up to date
Patching security vulnerabilities on
smartphones and tablets helps protect
them from malware threats. Using the
latest operating system also gives you more
options for setting up parental controls and
preventing repeat in-app purchases.
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Liquor Shop in Prime Location
Licensed Indian Restaurant in
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NEW ZEALAND
A fusion of cultures at Auckland International

Cultural Festival
Daylight
Saving ends
on April 5th
Red
Rizwan Mohammad
Rain rain go away, Little

Johnny wants to play was
the roar at the Mt Roskill
War Memorial on March 29,
Sunday afternoon at the Auckland
International Cultural Festival.
There has been many events in the
past that have drawn people from
different cultural backgrounds
together to enjoy a show organised
by a single ethnic group, like the
Chinese Lantern festival, the
Pacifika Festival celebration, the
Diwali and Holi celebration etc. but
this one was a little different.
Though there were spectators
from different cultural backgrounds
at the International Cultural
Festival, the dissimilarity in this
one was that there were performers
from different cultures from all over
the world that were not seen in any
of the previous events.
The Auckland International
Festival organised with the support
of Auckland council, witnessed
performers from Turkey, Thailand,
Ethiopia, France, Germany, Hawaii,
Italy, Pacific Islands, Egypt, Libya,
Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Ghana,
Rwanda, Serbia, Mongolia etc.
The festival started with a
performance by a Ukrainian folk
group Singing Nation followed by
Brazilian, Irish and Latin, jazz rock
band performance on the musical
stage.
The War memorial ground was
divided into different sections; one
for sports where different U-20
teams of Ghana, Serbia, Assyria,
Thailand etc. playing which was
called the Cultural Football Festival
Corner. This sports corner was
encouraged to lift the spirit of the
soccer fans since New Zealand is
hosting the U20 FIFA World Cup
2015.
Black
Orange
Swati Sharma
ew Zealand Daylight
Saving will end this
Sunday, 5 April 2015,
when 3.00am becomes 2.00am.
The other four stages were

divided into Music stage, the dance
stage, the French and Latin Stage
and the Percussion and Workshop
stage. Each of these stages had
performers throughout the day and
none of them without a handful of
enthusiastic crowd.
The Music stage had post
noon band performances from
Africa, Latin America, Zimbabwe,
Mongolia, Greek and Caribbean
performers. The music stage had
the biggest crowd all day without a
gap.
The dance stage had almost 30
dance performances from Tamil
community
(India),
Egyptian
and Moroccan dance groups,
Hungarians, the Arab Belly
dancers, the Fijian dancers, the
Romanian and Taiwanese dance
performances.
One of the best performances
of all were the Mixit Group that
performed in the noon time
and garnered the loudest of the

applauds for their show. The Mixit
group (age group 11-20 years old)
started voluntarily in Henderson 9
years back and has been performing
plays, skits and dance all over, often
based on social disparity in the
society and to break the stereotypes.
The last of all the stages was the
Percussion and Workshop corner
that displayed the beautiful musical
instruments from different parts of
Africa, Afghanistan, Middle Eastern
artefacts and food items.
Food items and traditional
clothing shops of all those
participating countries were lined
up and were visited by the crowd.
It might be convenient for

you to put your clocks back by
one hour before going to bed on
Saturday April 4th.
Besides changing the time on
clocks, the end of daylight saving
is an opportunity for people to
check their household emergency
plans, survival items and smoke
alarms.
The daylight saving period runs
from the last Sunday in September
to the first Sunday in April.
This year daylight saving will
recommence on 27 September.
New Zealand was one of
the first countries in the world
to officially adopt a nationally
observed standard time. New
Zealand Mean Time, adopted
on 2 November 1868, was set
at 11 hours 30 minutes ahead of
Greenwich Mean Time. GMT was
established by British Railways in
the 1840s but was not made Great
Britains standard time until 1880.
His Holiness Sri Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda

Swamiji - visiting Auckland
IWK Bureau
ri Ganapati Sachchidananda
Avadhoota Datta Peetham,
Mysore is the divine abode
of Lord Dattatreya. It is a worldrenowned institution for the social,
moral and spiritual welfare of mankind.
Thousands of people from all
walks of life and from different
corners of the world are attracted to
the ecstatic and spiritually vibrant
music of Sri Swamiji either in the
form of bhajans (devotional singing)
or His playing on the synthesizer
with a team of musicians.
The transmission of spiritual
energy blessedly caused by Sri
Swamiji is spiritually so powerful
that it is taken by listeners as a very
special soul-lifting experience of
their lives. The conceptualization of
Music for Meditation and Healing
stands out as one of the greatest
contributions of Sri Swamiji to the
cause of music in the contemporary

world. Top most distinguished
musicians of India and abroad have
considered it a great privilege when
accompanying Sri Swamiji in His
music concerts for Meditation and
Healing.
Sri Swamiji led a mass chanting
session of Hanuman Chalisa
on 31st January 2015 in Tenali,
Andhrapradesh, India with 128,918

participants singing in union.
This rare congregation was
recognized and entered the Guinness
World Record.
Sri Swamiji is now giving his
blessings and messages globally to
devotees though the use of social
media Puttugam.
A divine encounter with Sri
Swamji and participation in his

programmes are sure to bring in
ones life a new hope, a stronger
degree of confidence and a refreshing
vibration - leading to a memorable
soul-touching life experience - an
experience where one feels the shift
of ones consciousness to the realms
of true knowledge and discovery of
the Self.
Pujya
Sri
Ganapathi
Sachchidananda Swamiji ji is visiting
Auckland in April 2015. Sri Swamijis
Bhajans, Sri Chakra Puja and
Ganapati homa will be performed at
Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan NZ on
11th & 12th respectively.
All are welcome to witness this
rare spiritual experience and seek
the blessings of Pujya Sri Swamiji.
Audience will see themselves in the

story of Beautiful People
Red
Black
Orange
Annual Marathi Associations latest offering, written and performed

by Auckland based cast, is sure to impress
IWK Bureau
ritten by Auckland based

writer and directed as well as
performed by local artists
drawn from the community for
their passion for theatre, Beautiful
People is a labour of love. The
Auckland Marathi Associations
annual play promises to
deliver serious insights in a
light-hearted way. It has been
written by Sara Janvekar.
This has been a very creatively
fulfilling experience for everyone
involved in the effort and I am sure
it will be evident in the final production. The
communitys support and encouragement is
humbling to say the least and I hope everyone
is able to attend the show, Says the plays
director Sagar Janvekar.
The story is of two couples - four characters
with distinct personas. The plot revolves
around one minor altercation that sets off a
series, which escalate into something bigger,
much like falling dominoes. Sometimes
through fast come-backs that each of the well
defined characters throw at one another, or
at other times through monologues; the story
unfolds layers of insight into relationships and
a glimpse into peoples inner selves dormant
below sober exteriors.
It presents a unique challenge for the cast
when each character remains on-stage for the
entire length of the play. The annual play pro-
duced by the Auckland Marathi Association

Inc. it is something that is eagerly looked forward to by not justnative Marathi speakers,
but by Indians who appreciate good quality
theatre and have an understanding of Marathi.
Our Association has a reputation for
staging well produced and organised plays
and I am confident that this year would
be no different. We are very pleased that
we have been able to encourage a writer
from the community and are able to bring
a totally original script to the community,
says Rushikesh Ahinave, President of the
Auckland Marathi Association. Audiences
are sure to walk away happy and entertained
by our Beautiful People.
For event details, see page 30
NEW ZEALAND
10
NEW ZEALAND
A Dance festival like never before
Red
Rizwan Mohammad
platform where you see

diverse range of dance
performances that too
not just from India but also from
different parts of the world, it does
not happen every day. Well this
was witnessed at the Aucklands
first multicultural dance event
held Saturday 28 March at
Maleola Community Centre in
Mangere, Auckland.
The
Auckland
Malayali
Samajam hosted the International
Dance Fest 2015 on the
commemoration of its 15 years of
community service in Auckland.
The show was graced by National
List MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi
along
with
other
eminent
personalities from Auckland.
The event had 150 dancers
showcasing 16 different forms
of dance items from different
subcultures of India like the South
Indian Fusion, the Gujrati Ras
Leela, Punjabi Fusion, Bengali
folk dance, Kathak and the Goan
dance. There were also Chileno
Latino form of dance, the Chinese
Umbrella Dance, Ori Tahiti, Fijian
Meke, Salsa, Indo Spanish fusion,
Belly Dance and the Samoan
cultural dance.
All the performances on the
stage were met by a thunder

of applause but some of those
performances
were
simply
outstanding.
Ori Tahiti which is a traditional
dance form from the island of
Tahiti was an original artistic
expression noted in ancient
traditions. The performers clad in
orange colour tops and bottoms

with hay woven head bands and
garlands displayed some fantastic
dance moves and blew Shankh at
the end of their performance.
The Fijian Meke was a
combination of dance and
story-telling through a song,
the men displayed strong and
virile movements while women

showcased their graceful and
feminine nature. The men face
painted black while women wore
floral garlands with their costume.
On the Indian side of dance
forms, the Gujrati Ras leela was
performed. the performers danced
on the songs from the movie Kai
Po Che and Lagaan depicting the
love story of Lord Krishna and
Radha. Garba and Dandiya were
also the main features of the
Gujrati Ras leela.
When it comes to Indian dance
performances, one can never
forget the Punjabi dance and
the bhangra. The artists wearing
green traditional dress tapped
their feet to the tunes of bhangra
numbers as if it was Lohri or
Black
Orange
Vaisakhi celebrations.
The Bengali folk dance was
another amazement with the
background of Rabindra Sangeet
and the medley of classic and folk
songs. The Bengalis sported white
saris with thick red borders which
is a traditional dress for them at
times of puja or other celebrations.
Salsa and Indo Spanish
fusion was also one of the
most anticipated performances
of the evening, the Salsa did
raise eyebrows because of its
tremendously challenging dance
moves. The song from Zindagi
Milegi Na Dobara was played for
the Indo Spanish performance.
The three hour show ended
with a huge cheer from almost
400 people present that evening.
The event was a huge success
and it was also fund raiser.
Bereavement Fund, A solace in
difficult times, a new community
initiative of the Auckland Malayali
Samajam is dedicated to the
bereaved families as a support in
their difficult times. The proceeds
from the funds raised that evening
will be donated to Bereavement
Fund for the betterment of the
community.
Auckland hosts the spectacular ITU

World Triathlon Series
Rizwan Mohammad
he
Barfoot
&
ThompsonITU World
Triathlon Series Auckland
was a huge success despite a little
distraction of the ICC Cricket
World Cup final on Sunday 29th
Match 2015. Auckland CBD
witnessed two of the most awaited
and highly anticipated events of
the world last week, one being the
CWC final match of Australia vs
New Zealand and the other being
the International Triathlon Union
World Triathlon Series.
Auckland is the 2nd venue after
Abu Dhabi to host the WTS and
8 more cities are still to host the
series in the 2015 World Series
calendar. The Triathlon is one
of the most prestigious sports
competitions in the world and is
the pinnacle of sport creating a
platform to promote a more active
lifestyle.
The event was held with a very
close supervision by n numbers
of cameras at different corners of
the track, mobile cameras on bikes
and a birds view camera on the
chopper that was swirling on the
CBD skies throughout the event.
Aucklands CBD was closed
since
Saturday
evening
in
preparation of the tracks and
putting up the barricades for the
racers. The tracks were divided
into both for sprint (running) and
The Triathlon is one of

the most prestigious
sports competitions
in the world and is
the pinnacle of sport
creating a platform to
promote a more active
lifestyle
cycle paths whereas the swimming

track was made at the channel
between Cooks Wharf and Queens
Wharf.
The triathlon for men started
at 4.40 pm with swimming for 1.5
km with two laps of 750 metres
each laps followed by cycling a
total of 40 km, 8 laps of 5 km and

ending with the sprint of 10km, 4
laps of 2.5 km each.
58 athletes or to be called
appropriately
triathletes
participated in the men category
while 56 triathletes participated
from Women category from
different countries in the world.

The event was one fine example
of a world class sports event with
the crowd being one of the biggest
strengths.
The winners for mens triathlon

were: Jonathan Brownlee from
Great Britain, followed by Javier
Gomez Noya of Spain taking the
2nd place losing by just 15 seconds
and Fernando Alarza taking the
3rd position. For the womens
triathlon the winners were Gwen
Jorgensen from USA taking the
1st position, Katie Zaferes again
from USA being 2nd and Andrea
Hewitt from Aoteora New Zealand
taking the 3rd position.
The winners along with the
other participants will compete
next in Gold Coast, Australia on
11th and 12th April 2015. The
show ended at 6.30 pm with the
prize distribution ceremony and
the crowd dispersed to watch the
CWC Final match being screen at
the Fan Zone nearby.
NEW ZEALAND
Red
Black
Orange
NZ First bill is more

important than ever
11
ur worst fears around the

controversial investment chapter
of the Trans-Pacific Partnership
Agreement (TPPA) have been realised,
says Fletcher Tabuteau, New Zealand First
Commerce and Trade Spokesperson.
The latest information confirms that the
National government has capitulated to United
States demands. This deal will give special
rights to foreign investors who will be able to
sue our government for massive damages if
our laws or court decisions significantly impact
their financial bottom line.
The Prime Minister promised effective
safeguards would be in place around investorstate dispute settlements (ISDS) which will
invariably take New Zealand as a country
through off-shore tribunals and cost New
Zealand taxpayers hundreds of millions of
dollars.
New Zealand First has taken note of the
increasing international rejection of special
rights for foreign investors. The Fighting
Foreign Corporate Control Bill, a New
Zealand First Members Bill drawn last week
in my name, would mean this government
could only sign trade deals that wereof benefit
to New Zealand business and New Zealanders
rather than putting the rights of foreign
corporates ahead of all New Zealand.
High number of
teachers apply for
$10m fund
ducation Minister Hekia Parata

has welcomed the more than 200
applications for the first round of
the $10 million Teacher-led Innovation
Fund.
The new fund is part of the governments
$359 million Investing in Educational
Success Initiative and provides funding for
teachers to develop innovative ideas to be
put into practice and shared across schools.
The fund will act as an incubator for
fresh approaches, at the same time that
communities of schools are getting together
to tackle their achievement challenges so
that kids get the chance to do their very best
at school, says Ms Parata.
Ms Parata says an independent selection
panel is overseeing the annual rounds of
applications over three years. There is $2
million of funding available in the first
round and $4 million in each subsequent
round.
Successful applicants from the first
round will be notified at the end of this
month, with their projects expected to start
in July.
More information can be found on the
website, www.education.govt.nz
$2m for extra

safeguards to
maternity care
ealth Minister Jonathan Coleman

says cases where a woman
becomes seriously unwell during
maternity care will now be audited by a
panel of experts.
It is important that new mothers and
babies receive high quality care across New
Zealand, says Dr Coleman.
The Severe Acute Maternal Morbidity
Audit looks into cases where pregnant
or recently delivered women had been
admitted to ICU and looks for factors that
may have been avoidable.
The reviews are carried out by a multidisciplinary panel of experts, including
obstetricians, midwives, anaesthetists, and
intensive care specialists.
To date over 300 anonymised cases
have been reviewed and the information
gathered fed back to the maternity sector to
inform clinical education and policy.
These
audits
contain
valuable
information which can help us to provide
even better care for the mums of tomorrow,
says Dr Coleman.
Making this worthwhile programme
a permanent part of our maternity quality
and safety activities is a credit to the
clinicians involved and their commitment
to improving care.
The Ministry will invest $2 million
over the next four years into the audit
programme which will sit under the Health
Quality and Safety Commission.
Nationals changes
leave student bodies
in chaos
he chaos created by Nationals

scrapping of compulsory student
association
membership
may
force the 86-year old Union of Students
Association to fold, Labours Tertiary
Education spokesperson David Cunliffe
says.
Nationals 2011 Voluntary Student
Membership Act has left student associations
with no minimum funding.
While some are well set up, many
are underfunded and hamstrung by their
universities. This law change means these
vital independent student bodies depend
on the decisions of institutions for their
funding.
Student associations are such a mess
that the Union of Student Associations has
just 10 members left after major institutions
such as Canterbury and Waikato universities
pulled out several years ago and now Victoria
and Otago are leaving.
Despite representing 400,000 tertiary
students, the union established in 1929 may
have to fold.
Tertiary education has never been more
important to driving our dynamic economy
and building a strong and vibrant New
Zealand. But student life has never been
less affordable and too many young New
Zealanders are being locked out.
Having a strong voice for students is
critical for them and for New Zealand,
David Cunliffe says.
/indianweekender
www.indianweekender.co.nz
12
POWER COLUMN
Red
Black
Orange
Exciting news for first home buyers

Kanwaljit Bakshi
National List MP
ational values home

ownership it brings
security to families
and
enhances
communities.
The Government has a wide
programme of work underway
to improve housing supply and
affordability.
Housing accords are freeing
up more land faster, and we are
cutting building and compliance
costs, reining in development

contributions and improving
sector skills and productivity.
In addition, the Governments
responsible
economic
management is keeping mortgage
interest rates lower for longer,
which is a significant benefit for
first home buyers.
The next step in our plan to
help more New Zealanders into
home ownership is about to come
into effect.
This is exciting news for young
families who need a helping hand
to get on the property ladder.
From 1 April this year,
Nationals package to double
support for first home buyers
and help tens of thousands of

young New Zealanders into home
ownership will kick in.
The KiwiSaver HomeStart
grant is being doubled - up to
$20,000 for a couple purchasing
a newly built home, and up to
$10,000 for a couple purchasing
an existing home.
The number of people receiving
a government grant to buy a first
home is also doubling to 20,000
a year. Buying a home is often the
biggest single purchase a person
makes in their lifetime.
Buyers should be able to use
as much of their own savings as
they need to. Thats why we are
enabling first home buyers to
Police under pressure

Phil Goff
Labour MP
fundamental responsibility of the state is to

ensure the safety of its
citizens. Being safe is one of the
real advantages of living in New
Zealand where we are free from
the conflict that engulfs so many
other countries.
Police
also
report
that
since
the
1990s,
overall
crime has been declining in
New Zealand. That is not much
consolation, however, to the
victims of crime in our country.

Alarmingly, on the Law and
Order Select Committee we found
that crime resolution rates by
Police in what is called volume
crime, burglaries and vehicle
theft, has been getting worse not
better.
If your house is burgled, youve
got just a one in ten chance of the
police catching the offender. If
your vehicle is stolen, its about
one in five. I found that out to
my own disadvantage when my
motorbike was stolen a couple of
weeks ago.
It was taken in the middle
of the day on a high-pedestrian
street, Symonds Street, outside
the university. Both my insurance
company and the Police said
not much could be done and I
probably wouldnt get it back.

Tens of thousands of Kiwis each
year have the same experience
with their homes being burgled or
their cars stolen.
If crime is coming down, how
come fewer and fewer of these
sorts of crimes are being resolved?
The Police Commissioner told
me that Police focus today is on
prevention (instead of catching
the criminals?).
I would have thought that the
best form of prevention is leaving
criminals in little doubt that if
they rip off other peoples property
they have a good chance of being
caught and ending up in prison.
Clearly, with only 11 per cent
of burglars being apprehended
and 18 per cent of vehicle thieves,
criminals take the opposite
access a greater portion of their

KiwiSaver savings to put towards
a house deposit.
First home buyers will be able
to withdraw all of their savings
except the $1000 kick-start this
includes employer contributions
and the members tax credit.
Another part of our package
to assist first home buyers makes
the Welcome Home Loan scheme
more accessible.
More people will be able
to access these governmentguaranteed loans, requiring only
10 per cent deposits, as the house
price caps are being aligned with
the KiwiSaver HomeStart Grant.
Housing New Zealand will
administer
HomeStart
grant
applications.
The
level
of
assistance available to first home
buyers varies depending on how
long and how much they have
been contributing to KiwiSaver,
their income level, and what
region they live in.
As well as helping young
families, this package of assistance
for first home buyers has been
designed to encourage developers
to build more affordable homes.
It complements other work the
Government is doing to address
the housing challenge.
National is working hard to
ensure more New Zealanders are
able to own their own home.
message.
They think they can steal things
and get away with it. The statistics
show that they are right, and that
is not good enough.
One of the problems is that
there is more and more demand
on police services while the money
Government is giving them is
being cut in real terms. Im not
in favour of big taxes but I am in
favour of Police being given the
money to do their jobs properly
and to protect us from crime. Why
then cut real spending year after
year on policing so the Police have
to do more with less? The Police
Association is right to protest
against these Budget cuts.
The Police Commissioner also
acknowledged that the Police have
had, in recent years, to absorb
$300 million in costs out of their

Budget. I believe in efficiency
but when you are not funded to
meet rising costs to that extent,
the Police arent going to be able
to absorb costs without reducing
or putting at risk Police services.
Further evidence of that problem
is reflected in a new Bill before
Parliament called the Policing
(Cost Recovery) Bill, which allows
the Police now to charge the public
for basic Police services.
As long as their Budget keeps
being cut, we will see more and
more services become user
pays, and a decline in Police
effectiveness. Thats exactly what
the Polices own statistics show in
their declining ability to resolve
crime and catch the crooks.
Building a multi-cultural New Zealand

Barry Coates
Green Party
he recent International
Cultural Festival, held
in Mt Roskill, was
a celebration of the cultural
diversity of Auckland.
The music, dancing and
performances from different
ethnic groups living in New
Zealand was stunning, matched
by the variety of food from all
regions of the world.
It is a great reminder that
Auckland is making the transition
towards being an inclusive and

welcoming multi-cultural city.
But problems remain. We
surveyed people about their
priorities on pressing issues at
the Green Party stall during the
Festival.
The issue of child poverty was
of highest concern, followed by
climate change and affordable
housing.
People
from
different
ethnicities explained to me how
these issues were affecting them
and their families, at home and
abroad.
Sadly the government has
done little and achieved even less
to reduce child poverty, tackle
climate change and make housing
affordable.
Despite the warmth of feelings

at an inter-personal level, also
reflected in the recent Asia New
Zealand Foundation survey, there
are still challenges to overcome in
building a society that welcomes
people from all countries,
enables them to use their skills
and experience to contribute to
society, and allows immigrants to
achieve well-being for themselves
and their families.
We face policy choices as New
Zealanders if we want to make
progress towards a multi-cultural
society.
The Green Party is promoting
policies that would address
fundamental issues like child
poverty, climate change and
affordable housing, but also
help build a harmonious multicultural Auckland. We would

improve resettlement services to
help immigrants to settle in New
Zealand, and support English
language training. We would
recognise overseas qualifications
and
help
experienced
professionals
to
contribute
without unnecessary barriers and
hurdles.
We would actively encourage
employers to value the skills and
experience of those from different
ethnicities, whose experience may
be from outside New Zealand.
We would get rid of corruption
and
Ministerial
discretion
in
immigration
processes,
particularly the links between
visas and political donations.
And we would change our foreign

policy, and stop spying on India
and our Asian neighbours as
part of the Five Eyes alliance
of countries with Anglo-Saxon
traditions.
That is not the way to forge a
better future with India and other
Asian countries.
The Green Party is building
stronger links with ethnic
communities across New Zealand.
We encourage you to find out
more about us, our people and our
policies, and to help us in building
a more inclusive, fairer and more
sustainable New Zealand. www.
greens.org.nz
Barry Coates was a candidate
for Mt. Roskill in the election and
is 16th on the Green Party list.
NEW ZEALAND
Mayor meets
Red
Blackand key
Orange
community
stakeholders on Ports
debate
he Mayor last week met with representatives

of Ports of Auckland, key stakeholders and
interested community groups to discuss the
ports debate.
The first step to resolving this debate
is getting all the relevant parties around
the same table, says Len Brown.
It is critical we all work together to
strike a balance that is in the best interests
of Auckland and after todays (March 27)
meeting I can see we are all prepared to
do just that.
The Mayor met with Sir Stephen
Tindall, Andy Anderson and Steve Mair
of the Auckland Yachting and Boating
Association, Julie Stout of Urban Auckland
lobby group and representatives of the
Ports of Auckland (Graeme Hawkins,
Alistair Kirk, Liz Coutts).
In addition, the Mayor has directed the
council to begin work early on a major
study of the economic, environmental and
social impacts of the various options for
the port.
Originally intended to start at the end
of the Unitary Plan process mid-2016,
first steps are now underway for the study.
We are currently working to put
together the best process, so we can carry
out the study thoroughly and thoughtfully
with a wide range of Auckland voices
taking part.
And we will be keeping Aucklanders
updated about its progress.
Support for Cultural

Impact Assessments
re-stated
uckland Council has confirmed its support

for the Cultural Impact Assessment (CIA)
requirements in the Proposed Auckland Unitary
Plan.
Some amendments agreed by the Auckland Development Committee (24 March,
2015) will ensure
the
requirements
only apply in situations where there is
the potential for a
resource consent to
have an adverse impact on the cultural
values of Aucklands
Mana Whenua.
This will be the
councils position
going into mediation
with Aucklanders
who have made submissions on this aspect
of the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan, said
chief planning officer Dr Roger Blakeley.
When the CIA requirements came into
effect in September 2013, concerns were
raised about the difficulty applicants might
have engaging directly with Mana Whenua to
confirm whether or not a CIA is required, and
if so, how one might be prepared.
To address these concerns, the council set
up a facilitation service in March last year
which has dealt with almost 300 applications
in that time. Of those, 36 resulted in Mana
Whenua confirming a CIA is required. This is
from a total of over 10,000 resource consent
applications in roughly the same period.
Mediation on submissions starts this week,
with the hearings scheduled in May.
Design showcase
brings City Rail Link
to life
design showcase for the City Rail Links

three new stations and their public spaces
will bring the project closer to reality for
Aucklanders.
The City Rail Link (CRL) will allow
30,000 people
to travel every
hour
during
peak times. It
will reduce travel
times across the
Auckland
rail
network, double
capacity to allow
more frequent
services,
and
provide
for
future expansion
of
the
rail
network.
The new stations at Karangahape Road
and Aotea, and the redeveloped Mt Eden
station, have been designed in partnership
with mana whenua, who shared their
considerable knowledge of the areas to
provide a unique look and feel to the
stations designs.
We think people will be excited when
they see these new spaces and what theyll
do for the city, says CRL Project Director
Chris Meale.
MAYORALDRIVE
N ew s f ro m t h e Co u n ci l
VisitCity Rail Linkor ourFacebookpage

for more information.
City Rail Link Design Showcase
11-15 April, 10am-4pm daily
13
Crime rate drops

by 2.8 %
riminal offences dropped by 2.8 % in the

2014 calendar year according to figures
released this week on the Statistics New Zealand
website.
There were 350,389 recorded offences in
2014 compared to 360,411 in 2013.
When adjusted for population growth
this means criminal offences per head of
population dropped by 4.2 %.
Acting Deputy Commissioner Grant
Nicholls said that the release is the final
edition of the Recorded and Resolved
Offence Statistics with the new Recorded
Crime Victimisation Statistics (RCVS) now
in operation.
The RCVS are a data-set of crime
statistics with better and more detailed
information about victims, Mr Nicholls
said.
They provide valuable insight into
demographic attributes of victims including
the relationship between victim and
offender. RCVS also creates a more detailed
picture of intimate partner violence, child
assaults (physical & sexual) & elder abuse.
Mr Nicholls said sexual assault and
related offences remains a major concern
with recorded offences rising 3.5% in the
2014 calendar year.
The RCVS began on 1 July 2014 and the
first set of data was released in November
2014.
It is now updated at the end of each
month on the Statistics New Zealand
website.
14
FIJI
Red
Geneva Deal Good For Fiji
he future of Fijian industrial

relations bodes well after
the Government, employers
and Tradeunion officials, signed an
agreement in Geneva.
The
International
Labour
Organisation (ILO) sponsored
tripartite agreement means there
will be no Commission of Inquiry
into Fijis situation. AttorneyGeneral Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum
said: We obviously welcome the
determination of the ILO because
a Commission of Inquiry was
obviously not in the best interests of
Fiji and Fijians.
We have unprecedented and
sustained growth rates in the Fijian
economy and we must not lose this
momentum and must build upon it,
he said.
The Government believes in
adhering to international standards.
It therefore looks forward on a
tripartite basis through the ERAB
mechanism to the implementation
of the core ILO conventions.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum had worked
hard behind the scenes to secure the
agreement which meansjobsecurity
and sustained economic growth for

the country.
Felix Anthony, FTUCs general
secretary said: The FTUC welcomes
the agreement reached. We are
under no illusion that this will
require a great deal of good faith by
all parties.
The FTUC remains committed to
the restoration of workers rights in
Fiji.
The agreement to reinstate
check-off is also positive and will
encourage good faith. We look
forward to the full implementation
of this agreement.
This we hope will mark a new
beginning for industrial relations in
Fiji.
Check-off is union subscription
deductions
that
Government
ceased some years ago. The ILO
has welcomed the agreement
to management relations in the
country. The agreement was signed
by the Minister for Employment,
Productivity
and
Industrial
Relations, Jioji Konrote, the chief
executive of Fijis Commerce &
Employers Federation, Nesbitt D. F.
Hazelman, and Mr Anthony.
Fiji has been the focus of attention
by the ILO Governing Body over the
past years regarding allegations of
breaches of ILO Convention 87 .
ILO
director-general
Guy
Fijis A-G meets with director ITU
The Attorney-General and

Minister for Communications,
Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, met the
director of the Telecommunication
Development Bureau of the
International Telecommunication
Union (ITU), Brahima Sanou on
March 26, 2015.
The A-G took the opportunity
to thank the ITU for its increased
collaboration with the Fijian
Government in various areas
including Fijis move from the
analogue to digital platform.
The ITU director recognised
Fijis progress and congratulated
Fiji on the successful holding of
its first truly democratic elections.
He also sought Fijis support,

given its position as the regional
hub, in telecommunications,
in furthering initiatives such
as using ICT infrastructure in
development.
The director and the A-G

discussed ITUs recent initiative
to provide support for small
and developing states in using
new technologies and systems
to
assist
with
emergency
telecommunication
during
natural disasters.
The A-G expressed keen
interest inthe initiative and stated
that such technologies should be
compatible with the systems of
existing service providers.
He also said that the Fijian
Government
would
closely
partner with ITU on such areas as
it directly affected the region.
Register early, NZ Immigration urges
he
New
Zealand
Immigration Department
has encouraged Fijian
citizens to register early for this
years ballot under the Immigration
New Zealand Pacific Access
Category (PAC).
In a statement, New Zealand
High Commissioner Mark Ramsden
said the immigration instructions
recognised the special relationship
between New Zealand and Fiji,
and each year, up to 250 citizens of
Fiji would be eligible for residence
under the PAC, starting this year.
The
successful
applicants
selected from the ballot process will

have until March 7, 2016 to lodge
their residence visa applications; the
principal applicant must also have
an acceptable job offer from a New
Zealand employer, Mr Ramsden
said.
He said eligible Fijian citizens
must be aged between 18 and 45
years to register under the ballot and
ballot registration applicants were
reminded to make sure they had
the required forms and necessary
documents.
Only one ballot registration
form is needed for each family.
Copies of birth certificates or front

page of passports must also be
provided for everyone named on the
registration form.
From April 1, 2015 these Visa
Application Centres will be open
from 8.30am to 4.00pm Monday to
Friday. registration must be made
by April 30, 2015, he said.
Meanwhile, the fee for new
registration is FJ$129 and for those
who have registered in a previous
year the fee is FJ$69.
The fees can only be paid by
bank cheque/draft made out to
Immigration New Zealand.
Ryder welcomed the agreement,

saying that the joint efforts of the
government, employers and workers
to solve social conflict have proven
their value in more than 90 years
of ILO history I am confident that
the values of such tripartite social
dialogue will alsobenefitFiji now.
The parties agreed that the review
of labour laws conducted under the
Employment Relations Advisory
Board (ERAB) mechanism should
ensure compliance with ILO core
Conventions.
They also agreed that any further
issues and recommendations for
review should be negotiated through
the ERAB mechanism.
Following
the
tripartite
agreement, the ILO Governing
Body in session until March
27 decided to defer the decision
to consider the establishment of a
Commission of Inquiry to its next
session in November.
Mr
Sayed-Khaiyum
said
Government had also agreed to
specific milestones and time frames
to be achieved before the November
session of the ILO governing body.
Black
Orange
Governments
goal homes for
10,000 squatters
overnment will provide

decent housing to more
than 10,000 squatter
families within Suva City, Prime
Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said.
I said at the time I launched
the first phase that this was just
thestartof a mammoth task to
provide proper and decent housing
to more than 10,000 poor or
squatter families in Jittu, Wailea,
Nanuku settlements and other
settlements within Suva City, he
said. He was speaking during the
opening of an additional 44 units
at Lagilagi Housing Project at Jittu
Estate in Suva.
He said it was aworkin progress
that might take time, but reiterated
the Governments commitment
to improving the lives of all Fijian
people. The units were built at a cost
of $4m. There are now 77 units in
total so far at the Lagilagi Housing
Project, with more in the pipeline.
Mr Bainimarama said they could
do much more if the Government
forged more partnerships with
relevant stakeholders.
Govt push to cut big

rice import bill
he
Minister
for
Agriculture, Rural and
Maritime Development
and
National
Disaster
Management, Inia Seruiratu,
says Government is going all out
to revive rice cultivation in the
country in a bid to reduce the
massive rice import bill.
Mr Seruiratu made the comment
while visiting the Rice Irrigation
Sector of Dreketi in Macuata to
personally assess the progress of the
rice revitalisation programme there.
Speaking to ministry staff based
in Dreketi, Minister Seruiratu
highlighted the importance of the
rice sector to Fijis economy.
It is obvious we have
Governments plans on rice and we
want to reduce the high import bill.
We have been trying this so many
years and Government is injecting a
lot into rice farming, he said.

Minister Seruiratu said reducing
Fijis current rice import bill would
allow more funds to be diverted
towards developing more rice
farms in Fiji. Fiji imports more than
$40million worth of rice a year.
If we can spend this money on
our farmers that will have a positive
impact on the local economy, on
the livelihood of the farmers, on the
poverty report of Fiji and the social
and economic issues that people
face, he said.
Minister Seruiratu said more
work needed to be carried out to
realise the full potential of the rice
industry in the North.
He said processes and systems
must be put in place to improve
the output of the rice sectors and
determine whether farmers are
producing enough rice.
FIJI
$17 K for home
Red
Black
ell-known
Suva
street beggar Krishna
Kumari fulfilled a
lifetime dream when she received
the keys to her new two-bedroom
home from Prime Minister Voreqe
Bainimarama last week.
Ms Kumari, who has begged
all her life, saved $19,000. She
contributed $17,000 to pay off her
$25,000 modest property at Lagilagi
Housing, Gittu Estate, Suva, with an
$8000 donation from the Peoples
Community
Network
(PCN).
The PCN is a non-governmental
organisation
(NGO)
helping
Orange
squatters and low-income earners to

get better housing.
Ms Kumari was among the 44
new home owners who received keys
from Mr Bainimarama.
Ms Kumari said: Im happy to
have a new home and now Ill be
enjoying my sleep under a roof.
For years, she said, she had lived
on the streets of Suva, braving the
wet, cold and windy nights.
She said she used part of her
takings to pay for food, andbanked
the rest.
Begging, she said, was not easy
but she had to do it for her survival.
NEWS in BRIEF
Ratu Inoke at MSG
meeting in Vanuatu
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PM walks 10km
Now, she said, she was doing

somesmall businessfor her own
survival. She did not elaborate. PCNs
director Semiti Qalowasa said when
Ms Kumariappliedfor a house, they
asked her if she wasworking.
She told us that she was not
working but had been begging on
the streets for years and could pay
the amount they wanted from her,
he said.
He said she showed them her
bankbook and when they checked
they saw that she had a balance of
$19,000. He said Ms Kumari had
really taught others a good lesson
and that was, to deposit whatever
littlemoneytheyearnfrom their
work and keep it.
Happy Baisakhi
he Minister for Foreign Affairs,

Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, attended
a specialmeetingof the
Melanesian Spearhead Groups Foreign
Ministersmeeting (MSG FMM) in Port
Vila, Vanuatu.
The special meeting is being convened
to co-ordinate the Groups response to the
on-going relief effort to the people and
Government of Vanuatu in the aftermath
of Cyclone Pam. As part of the meeting
programme, Ratu Inoke and the MSG
Foreign Ministers will visit designated
affected areas affected by CyclonePam.
During this one day special meeting,
Ratu Inoke and the rest of the Foreign
Ministers from MSG were briefed by the
Vanuatu National Disaster of Emergency
Office on post CyclonePamsituation.
He also briefed the meeting on the
assistance that Fiji is providing to Vanuatu.
At the moment, there are 58
Government officials in Vanuatu to assist
in the rehabilitation efforts.
hildren as young as four

accompanied their parents last
week to take part in a 10km
walkathon organised by Foundation for
the education of Needy Children (FENC)
Fiji.
The walkathon was organised by FENC
Fiji to assist less fortunate children who
come from very poor families.
The walkathon was officially opened by
the Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama,
with about 50 people taking part in the
walk.
Mr Bainimarama said he was excited
to be part of the charitable event and was
honoured to be the invited guest for the
annual event. He said his Government
would continue to support such initiatives
making sure less fortunate children were
assisted and provided with what they
needed.
Mr Bainimarama said FENCs annual
budgetary allocation was usually about
$200,000. He said this was not his first
time in such an event.
FENC Fiji national co-ordinator Joape
Kuinikoro said they were hoping to raise
about $100,000.
We offer scholarship to the poorest of
the poor families in Fiji and themoneywill
be used by us (FENC) to send these children
to school so they can also have proper and
secure education, Mr Kuinikoro said.
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Thought of the week
Reflect upon your present blessings, of which

every man has many- not on your past
misfortunes, of which all men have some
- Charles Dickens
Editorial
From the desk of the

Managing Editor
Funny bone
s the Cricket World Cup draws to a close I would like to talk about cricket
one more time before we move on from it for a while. Although being an
Indian, its hard for us to detach ourselves from the game. We Indian fans
showed such sportsmanship when after having lost to Australia we promptly picked
ourselves up and went on to support our other team the Black Caps. I know of
numerous Indians from New Zealand who had travelled to Melbourne in support of
the New Zealand Team. The team, in return, did us proud even though they lost
the World Cup, they won peoples hearts all over the world with the goodness and
dignity they conducted themselves with.
The gentlemanly character of the Kiwis stood out even more as the behavior of
the Australian team became apparent. As the World Cup concluded, theAustralian
wicket-keeper Brad Haddin came under fire for giving verbal sprays to New
Zealands batsmen in the final. But according to an Australian newspaper, he had
an intriguing explanation for his behaviour.When asked about his sledging of New
Zealand batsman Grant Elliott at the MCG, Haddin gave a surprising answer: You
know what? They deserved it.
But why? Apparently it was because the Black Caps had been too nice to the
Australians when they were in Auckland for the Eden Park match a few weeks ago.
I said, Im not playing cricket like this. If we get another crack at these guys
in the final, Im letting everything [out]. There has been extensive slamming of
the sledging that was meted out to the New Zealand team on the field that day.
But our Kiwi blokes have continued to respond with their goodness, with their
aggressiveness limited to their game.
Although the first reference to cricket appeared in the 13th century, the game only
gained popularity in the 17th century, when English aristocrats started playing it.
They decreed that cricket would be played in a gentlemanly manner, which means
no sledging, cheating, bodyline bowling , temper tantrums or excessive appealing. If
the batsman knew he was out, he should walk, even if the umpire decided otherwise.
Needless to say, the game has evolved and changed over the years.
The Men in Black received a heroes welcome on their visit back to Auckland and
Indian Weekender was there to welcome them home. We bring you a snippet of the
evening.
Now, to the other exciting happenings. The nomination for the Kiwi-Indian Hall of
Fame has now closed and we are delighted to have received numerous nominations
from Kiwi-Indians to make the cut. I am sure the Jury, like both the previous years,
has a very challenging task in their hands.
The nominations for the other two awards the new entrants The Kiwi-Indian
Young Achiever of the year and the Kiwi-Indian Unsung Hero of the year, are still
open. We would like to encourage, specially the youth, to nominate your friends or
other young people who you know have made significant achievements in their fields
of choice.
We will keep our readers updated on how we are progressing and would like to
thank everyone for their support.
The long weekend is upon us. Please take time out to spend it with your families
and dear ones. May the Easter bunny bring you and your families baskets of good
cheer and happiness!
Giri Gupta
Pick of the week
A 4-year-old Syrian girl surrenders to a photojournalists camera, as she mistakes it for a gun. A heart-breaking moment indeed. Taken at the Atmen refugee
camp on Syria-Turkey border, last December.
Indian Weekender Volume 7 Issue 2

Publisher: Kiwi Media Group Limited
Managing Editor: Giri Gupta | girigupta@xtra.co.nz
Editor: Maya Shivam | editor@indianweekender.co.nz
Associate Editor: Paula Ray | paula@indianweekender.co.nz
Chief Reporter: Swati Sharma | reporter@indianweekender.co.nz
Reporter: Rizwan Mohammad | iwk.rizwan@gmail.com
Chief Technical Officer: Rohan Desouza | rohan@indianweekender.co.nz
Art & Layout Design: Mahesh Kumar | mahesh@indianweekender.co.nz
Graphic Design: Yashmin Chand | designer@indianweekender.co.nz
Sales & Marketing Manager: Leena Pal | M: 022 0151971 | leena@indianweekender.co.nz
Accounts and Admin.: Farah Khan | accounts@indianweekender.co.nz
Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher
is not responsible for advertisers claims as appearing in the publication
Indian Weekender is published by Kiwi Media Group, 98 Great South Road, Auckland
Printed at Guardian Print, Ashburton
Copyright 2015. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.
Yonks
Pronounced: yonks
Meaning: Forever, a long time ago
Usage: I havent seen them in yonks
TIP from the TRENCHES

Apply a thin layer of olive oil to your candle
holders before you use them. Once the candle
has melted the olive oil will allow you to wipe off
the wax and keep it from sticking to the candle
holder.
OPINION / EDITORIAL
17
Modi governments first full budget treading a cautious path
Red
Black
Orange
n
cademic
ccount
he Narendra Modi-led
BJP government has just
presented its first full
budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year.
So at this stage it is pertinent to
ask the question how is it going to
promote economic development
in India, which he has promised
the nation as well as the world.
It is interesting to note that it is
not an economically radical budget
which some economic reformists
and a section of the Indian
corporate sector were expecting
it to be. On the contrary, it is a
politically correct budget trying to
satisfy many constituencies.
It was presented in a very
positive economic environment.
Just weeks before the budget was
presented, the national economic
survey revealed a projected GDP
growth of 7.4% for the fiscal year
2014-15, almost two percentage
points higher than what most were
expecting. And for the next fiscal
year (2015-16) the GDP growth
estimation of around 8% or above
is even more optimistic.
The inflation rate has been
under control due to the
unprecedented fall in global
oil and commodity prices. In
February 2015 it was 5.37% as
Prof Sekhar Bandyopadhyay
Director of New Zealand India Research Institute
opposed to the average of 8.78%

between 2012 and 2015.
And the stock market has
been robust. The economic
environment in India was no
doubt full of optimism.
With such strong fundamentals,
the budget proposed higher public
investment in infrastructure for
accelerating the momentum of
growth in the economy.
But this is not to be achieved
by increasing direct public
investment or borrowing. Tax-free
infrastructure bonds for rail, road
and irrigation projects are expected
to
channelize
considerable
household and corporate savings
into infrastructure financing.
These would be matched by the
funds allocated to the newlycreated National Investment and
Infrastructure Fund.
So far as taxation is concerned,
it has been suggested that a new
Goods and Services Tax will be
introduced by April 2016 and
it will immensely simplify the
internal tax structure in the
country.
The budget also proposed
phased lowering of corporate
income tax from 30% to 25%.
There is also a decision to defer
the General Anti-Avoidance Rules
on corporate taxation for at least

two years, and then to apply
the rules prospectively, and not
retrospectively as the previous
government had proposed.
Prospective investors likely to
respond to Modis Make in India
call will also be happy over the
various fiscal incentives offered
for the scheme, including the tax
pass through, higher investment
and depreciation allowances and
reduction of customs duty on
various essential raw materials,
intermediates and components.
Apart from that,the budget
has its fair share of innovative
structural measures too. But on

the other hand, the budget does
not reduce any of the subsidies.
To placate the farmers, who were
peeved off by the Land Acquisition
Ordinance, special programmes
were announced for irrigation
and watershed development and
agricultural credit.
The budget also announced a
substantial increase in allocation
to the Mahatma Gandhi National
Rural Employment Guarantee Act
and the universal social security
and pension schemes.
The budget thus also shows its
political commitment to the poor.
So, whats your choice?

We want to voice what affects us; we want to be heard. This is our platform to
stand united against all odds
Paula Ray
he world has fragmented

since the day Deepika
Padukones documentary
film for Vogue Empower went
viral. While some have lauded
her enactment of the freedom of
choice, which is every individuals
birth right, others have accused her
of being hypocritically endorsing
contradictory messages.
There isnt perhaps a single
woman of Indian origin who
didnt troll this video on social
media: posted the video, posted
articles or blogs about the video,
commented on it, or even liked a
post about it. I posted the Vogue
video on my Facebook timeline
too and accumulated a few likes
and shares.
But soon, my news feed got
flooded with anti-Vogue and antiDeepika opinion pieces, articles,
blog posts and even Facebook
posts.
Some of the headlines that
went viral were like this:
Dear Deepika, Vogue: Were
not privileged girls who so, like,
hate boys
In this column, I share my

experiences that would
perhaps be familiar to
you too.
If you can relate to them,
please share your thoughts
or similar experiences.
Dear Deepika, great hair and
exposed bra strap are not

empowerment
Dear Vogue and Deepika:
Empowerment is not just a
word to be hurled at men
What most viewers objected
to was the script that Padukone
narrated:
Remember the bindi on my
forehead, the ring on my finger,
adding your surname to my name,
they are all ornaments. They
can be replaced, my love for you
cannot. So treasure that.
To be a size zero or a size fifty.
To use cotton and silk to trap my
soul is to believe you can halt
the expansion of the universe.
You are my choice. I am not your
privilege.
My choices are like my
fingerprints. They make me
unique.
To have sex before marriage,
to have sex outside of marriage.
My choice.
I am the tree. Not the forest.
I am not the snowflake. I am the
snowfall. You are the snowflake. I
am the universe. Infinite in every
direction.
To love temporarily, or lust
forever.
My Body, My Mind, My
Choice.
To have your baby or not - my
choice.
It ends with: I am the universe.
That is my choice.
On the other end of the

spectrum, are male versions of My
Choice bashing up Padukones
enactment. Some are humourous,
while others are masochistic acts
trying to get even with every word
uttered in the video. Perhaps
the best of the follow-ups is the
Respect2Protect
documentary
film released by mensxp.com,
featuring Virat Kohli, Ravi Shastri
and Suresh Raina.
The writers and bloggers and
social media users were critical
of how Deepika moved, what she
wore and how her hair blew up
horizontally! In the midst of all
that criticism, the core message
was lost.
But as pop author Shobhaa De
The budget has satisfied

economists and investors as it has
promised
lower-than-expected
borrowing despite raising the
fiscal deficit target.
Now it remains to be seen if
this positive blending of strong
fundamentals, buoyant optimism
and political correctness leads to
real economic growth and more
importantly, more jobs for the
countrys youth who have made so
much emotional investment in the
Modi government, or some noneconomic issues are allowed to derail its economic agenda.
summed it up: [T]his is Vogue.
It is a high-end global fashion
magazine. Brand Vogue promotes
and projects glamour that blinds.
Period.
She calls it an existential,
experimental video, meant for
highly evolved aesthetes who
speak a different language and live
on another planet.
All thats fine. But lets come
down to the basic question: what
is empowerment? If we go by the
books, it means the right to decide
for yourself and be responsible for
it.
This is Vogues wake up call
to all its readers, irrespective of
whether they are men or women.
This is director Homi Adjanias
aesthetic approach to the cause.
And, it is Deepikas choice to
endorse it.
If you dont agree with the
message, it is your choice to
critique it. But by no means should
you rubbish the cause altogether.
Whatever the outcome, Vogue
did manage to catch a few million
eyeballs with this video, as is
reflected by the number of views.
The best parody, or should I
call recall value, of this video was
projected in the Govinda mash-up
of Meri Marzi.
Yeah right, this is my choice.
Whats yours?
INDIA
18
Red
Black
Orange
India must be wary of Tamil extremism in Sri Lanka

M.R. Narayan Swamy
s
Prime
Minister
Narendra Modi begins to
build a relationship with
Sri Lankas new leadership, the
one thing he needs to be wary of
is the extremist Tamil position in
the island nation.
Modi
made
history
by
becoming the first Indian prime
minister to visit Sri Lanka after
1987 when Rajiv Gandhi went
to Colombo to sign a pact to
end Tamil separatism, which
eventually consumed his life in
1991.
Modi won many hearts by
becoming the first Indian leader
to visit Jaffna, the Tamil heartland
which is also the hub for the
Northern Provincial Council
(NPC) headed by Chief Minister
C.V. Wigneswaran.
This is where Modi came across
an intransigent Wigneswaran.
This is a critical time for
Sri Lanka, which is trying, not
successfully though, to overcome
decades of ethnic strife that
has split the island dominantly
between the Sinhalese, the
majority community, and the
Tamils.
The end of the military conflict

in May 2009 led to boisterous
Sinhalese frenzy and a defeated
Tamil psyche as the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was
crushed.
Further
strains
were
introduced
when
Mahinda
Rajapaksa, after losing the
presidential election in January
this year, blamed the West and specifically - India for his defeat at
the hands of Maithripala Sirisena.
The
presidential
election
outcome was itself a close affair,
showing that Rajapaksa still has
wide support in Sinhalese areas.
Since then, he has been attracting

massive
crowds
at
public
meetings.
It was at such a sensitive
juncture that the NPC, overseen by
Wigneswaran, passed a resolution
in February, just before Sirisena
landed in India on his first trip
abroad,
accusing
successive
Sri Lankan governments of
committing genocide against
the Tamils.
It went on to say that Tamils
have no hope for justice in any
Sri Lankan mechanism, whether
conducted by the Rajapaksa
or Sirisena or any regime, and
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sought international intervention.

Needless to say, the move
hugely embarrassed India. It was
also just what Rajapaksa needed
to show his Sinhalese constituency
that Sirisenas election had
emboldened extremist Tamils.
If
this
want
enough,
Wigneswaran, at the Jaffna
meeting where he received Modi,
called for talks between the Sri
Lankan and Indian governments
as well as the Northern and
Eastern
Provincial
Councils
to resolve Tamil issues in an
innovative and creative manner.
This is akin to the Hurriyat
seeking to involve India, Pakistan
and itself over Jammu and
Kashmir.
Wigneswarans demand in
Modis presence came shortly
after the Indian prime minister
had met leaders of the Tamil
National Alliance, the party to
which the chief minister too
belongs, and called for patience.
It
is
surprising
that
Wigneswaran sought to bypass
his own party by demanding
direct talks between his provincial
council as well as Colombo and
New Delhi.
Indeed,
after
the
NPC
resolution on genocide, friends

of India in Sri Lanka suggested
that it would be best if Modi
avoided a public engagement
involving
Wigneswaran
in
Colombo or Jaffna.
The argument was that
Wigneswaran seemed to be
acting at the behest of the proLTTE Tamil Diaspora in the West
and his words and actions could
only show Tamils as extremists
- and fuel appropriate Sinhalese
backlash.
This is the last thing that India
- and Modi - need now.
As India tries to help join
the disjointed Sri Lanka jigsaw,
which by itself is no easy task,
it has to be borne in mind that
Tamil extremism is essentially
anti-Indian. It has always been so
and will always be so.
India must be wary of
being seen to be supportive of
extremists - of any kind in Sri
Lanka. It is no surprise that
Wigneswaran gets the loudest
cheers from Tamils in the West
opposed to any reconciliation in
Sri Lanka.
M.R. Narayan Swamy is a
long-time Sri Lanka watcher. The
views expressed are personal.
INDIA
Red
Black
19
Orange
President confers Bharat Ratna on

Vajpayee at his home
F
ormer prime minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was
last week conferred with
the Bharat Ratna, Indias highest
civilian honour, by President
Pranab Mukherjee in a brief
ceremony at his home in New
Delhi attended by the countrys
leadership.
The president, in a break from
protocol, arrived at Vajpayees 6,
Krishna Menon Marg residence
in New Delhi to confer the top
honour on the nonagenarian
Bharatiya Janata Party leader who
has been keeping poor health.
The ceremony was attended by
Vice President Hamid Ansari and
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
as well as former prime minister
Manmohan Singh and senior BJP
leader L.K. Advani, among others.
Prime
Minister
Modi,
addressing the media outside,
expressed his gratitude to

President Mukherjee for coming
to Vajpayees home to personally
hand over the award.
He said Vajpayees life was
dedicated to the nation... He
lived for the country... His every
moment was for the country.
There are crores of karyakartas

(BJP workers) like me, for
whom Vajpayee-ji has been an
inspiration and will remain so. His
life will continue to inspire and
guide future generations.
Vajpayee, 90, was the first nonCongress leader to serve India for
Three-nation visit to focus

on economic agenda, job
creation: Modi
rime Minister Narendra Modi said

his tour to France, Germany and
Canada from April 10-16 would
be focused on supporting Indias national
economic agenda through programmes like
Make in India in order to create jobs for the
youth.
In a series of tweets, linked to his
Facebook post, Modi spoke about his
upcoming three-nation tour - his second
overseas visit this year after to the Indian
Ocean countries of Seychelles, Mauritius
and Sri Lanka earlier in March.
My France, Germany and Canada
visit is centred around supporting Indias
economic agenda and creating jobs for our
youth.
Will discuss strengthening India-France
economic co-operation and visit some
high-tech industrial units outside Paris.
In Germany, Chancellor Merkel and I
will jointly inaugurate Hannover Messe
where India is a partner country. Looking
forward to enhancing ties with Canada and
interacting with leaders, captains of industry
and diaspora in Canada, he tweeted.
On France, where he goes on the first
leg, Modi said that he would seek greater
French involvement in our Make in India
Programme, including in the defence
manufacturing sector.
Terming France one of our most
important strategic partners, he said it
has stood with India at difficult moments,
noting its understanding and support

after the Pokhran nuclear tests in 1998 and
was also then prime minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayees first destination for a bilateral
visit thereafter.
In Germany, where he will be From April
12-14, Modi said the main focus would be
to participate in the Hannover Industrial
Trade Fair, which will be inaugurated jointly
by him and German Chancellor Angela
Merkel April 12.
India is the partner country at the
Hannover Trade Fair this year. This gives
India a special place in the trade fair and
a high visibility to our business sector, he
said, adding Indian participation will be on
an unprecedented scale.
One key issue would be German
support in expanding our exports to
European Union and attracting higher level
investments from there, he said.
In Canada, Modi said he will be hosted
by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who has
played a key role in transforming IndiaCanada relations.
We look forward to resuming our civil
nuclear energy cooperation with Canada,
especially for sourcing uranium fuel for our
nuclear power plants, he said.
He said the million-strong Indian
community in Canada represents Indias
rich diversity and is making impressive
contribution in all fields there.
a full five-year term (1999-2004).

His earlier two stints in office
lasted 13 days and 13 months,
respectively.
Always seen as a moderate in
a party where many other leaders
espoused Hindutva ideology,
Vajpayee had stunned the world by
making India a declared nuclear
state in 1998. His popularity came
to match that of Indira Gandhi
and he became the countrys
best known national leader after
Gandhi and her father Jawaharlal
Nehru -- until Modi stole the show
in 2014.
The bachelor politician first
entered parliament in 1962
through the Rajya Sabha. It was
only in 1971 that he won a Lok
Sabha battle. He was elected to the
Lok Sabha seven times in all -- and
to the Rajya Sabha twice.
Vajpayee proved to be an
astute politician, at times seen
as a statesman. He combined
the compulsions of politics with
his BJPs rightwing ideology but
would seldom budge from the
USP of his high ethical pedestal.
When he stepped down in May
2004 after an election that he was
given to believe he would win,
it marked the end of a long and
eventful political career. Almost
since then, Vajpayee has suffered
from frail health.
The
Modi
government
announced the Bharat Ratna to
Vajpayee on December 24 last year,
a day before his 90th birthday,
and to educationist Madan Mohan
Malviya (posthumous).
Various leaders of the country
welcomed the conferment of the
honour.
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20
INDIA
6 March 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz
Rahul to return to action

on April 19: Digvijaya
ongress vice president

Rahul Gandhi is likely to
attend a farmers rally in
New Delhi on April 19, senior party
leader Digvijaya Singh said this
week.
To be addressed by Congress
president Sonia Gandhi, the rally
to protest the Bharatiya Janata
Partys failure to implement its
poll promises will be attended by
all senior leaders of the Congress...
When I say senior leaders, it
includes Rahul Gandhi as well,
Digvijaya Singh told media. Missing
from action for over a month, the
44-year-old vice president has been
on a leave of absence since the
budget session of parliament that
began on February 23.
The party contended Gandhis

absence premised on his need to
chart out partys future course in
isolation.
While posters emerged in Amethi
declaring that the local MP (Rahul
Gandhi) was missing, Sonia
Gandhi assured the constituents of
her sons return very soon.
Digvijaya Singh told media that
the rally will raise issues of land
acquisition bill, non-purchase of
paddy and wheat at minimum
support price by the government),
non-payment of bonus to farmers,
black marketing of fertilizers and
non-payment of compensation
to farmers for the crop damage
caused by unseasonable rainfall and
hailstorm.
Red
Black
Orange
Government will try to ban cow

slaughter: Rajnath
he central government will try to build consensus on banning

cow slaughter, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said last week.
Cow slaughter has always been against the principles of the
Bharatiya Janata Party, and that was why the BJP-led government
will try to discuss the issue with all parties concerned, Rajnath Singh
said during an event organised by the Shwetambar Jain Samaj.
Giving the example of Madhya Pradesh, he said Chief Minister Shivraj
Singh Chouhan had banned cow slaughter in the state a long time back.
Rajnath Singh said Jainism believed in ahimsa, and it has always had
a deep influence on Indias culture. World peace can only be attained and
terrorism vanquished by following the path of ahimsa, he said.
Checks to ensure tobacco ban in

capital
Kejriwal chose perfect victory over

perfect party
M.R. Narayan Swamy
rom the happenings of recent

weeks, it will be tempting to
deduce that Arvind Kejriwal
is a Stalinist who, like all autocrats,
hates democracy and dissension and
loves yes-men. Thats what Prashant
Bhushan will want us to believe. But
the stormy story of the Aam Aadmi
Partys internal crisis is far more
complicated than such a black-andwhite narrative.
The most curious case in the entire
episode is that of Prashant Bhushan,
who now finds himself virtually out of
a party that he and Yogendra Yadav
helped Kejriwal to set up amid trying
circumstances in 2012.When the
Mahabharata for Delhis assembly
was on, Prashant Bhushans father,
Shanti Bhushan, yet another cofounder of AAP, shockingly trashed
Kejriwal, the partys best-known face.
Shanti Bhushan had declared that
his first two choices as Delhis chief
minister would be Kiran Bedi of BJP
and Ajay Maken of Congress (in that
order) -- while Kejriwal would be
his last option. The electorate didnt
agree. That, of course, is another
story. But when the campaign for the
make-or-break Delhi election was on,
Prashant Bhushan was conspicuously
absent. At one point it wasnt clear to
even journalists if he was still in the
AAP or not. For an articulate lawyer
who was so silent during those crucial
days, he became hyper active within
days after Kejriwal, virtually rising
from the dead, became the chief
minister of Delhi. Along with Yadav,
Prashant Bhushan suddenly began
denouncing what he said was the lack
of internal democracy in the AAP.
As he came under fire from Kejriwal
supporters, he became more and
more bitter.
Even if we assume that all the
allegations hurled by Yadav and
NEWS in BRIEF
ealth teams would fan out in the national capital to conduct

surprise checks for ensuring strict implementation of the ban
on all forms of chewable tobacco including gutka, khaini
and zarda -- which came into effect last week, Delhi Health Minister
Satyendra Jain said.
The health teams will be accompanied by Delhi Police personnel
while conducting the raids, Jain said.
Gutka, tobacco, paan-masala are items which are harmful for health.
The ban has been implemented from last week. The teams have been told
to be active in this regard. They will keep a strict vigil, Jain told media.
The ban notification prohibits manufacture, storage, distribution
or sale of tobacco which is either flavoured, scented or mixed with any
additive. Health officials, however, said that no such ban will be enforced
on cigarettes.
The officials said there was a Delhi government notification in
September 2012 which was in pursuance of a series of Supreme Court
directions to ban gutka in the city. But since the ban mentioned the term
gutka, the tobacco retailers had started selling the components of gutka
(betel nut and raw tobacco) in separate pouches.
Winds, rain damage more crops in

Punjab, Haryana
Bhushan against Kejriwal are true, it

defies logic why they were not ready
to give the chief minister even six
months of peace.
Whether one likes it or not, the
fact is no one in Delhi voted for
Manish Sisodia or the Bhushans or
Yadav. It was Kejriwal who defeated
Narendra Modi. The AAP had made
electoral history. No institution (AAP
included) or individual is perfect. But
Kejriwal should have been given a
grace period before taking up issues
related to the party, that too publicly.
Sadly,
Prashant
Bhushan
and Yadav turned out to be the
counterparts of those in the BJP who
have tripped Modi with their loud
talk on Love Jihad, Ghar Wapsi as
well as verbal and other attacks on
minorities. Modi paid a price for
this in Delhi. The AAP may or may
not pay a similar in the elections it
may contest in the months and years
to come. From his revelations at
the National Executive in Delhi on
Saturday, it is evident that Kejriwal
chose to keep quiet all through the
elections. But the volcano burst once
the battle got over.
Kejriwal had only one choice

before him: Lead a Perfect Party to
the liking of Prashant Bhushan and
Yadav or aim for a Perfect Victory in
Delhi so that the AAP rises from the
ashes. He opted for the latter.
Kejriwal, however, has not come
out of this mess unscathed. Rightly or
wrongly, he is being seen as one who
cannot tolerate dissent and who wont
accept people who think differently.
Booting out Bhushan or Yadav
is one thing but easting out former
Indian Navy chief L. Ramdas, the
AAP Lokpal, without even the
courtesy of letting him know that he
is being replaced is another matter.
If the AAP has to do alternate
politics, it cannot treat every dissident
as a foe. If Kejriwal is ready, as he
said at Ramlila Maidan, to consult
Kiran Bedi and Ajay Maken for the
sake of Delhi, surely he must be more
considerate to Ramdas. Courtesy is a
two-way traffic.
M.R. Narayan Swamy is
Executive Editor at IANS. The
views expressed are personal.
s if the fury of recent rains in February and earlier March was

not enough, rainfall and high velocity winds have damaged
more standing crops in various parts of Punjab and Haryana in
the past 24 hours, officials said last week.
Many parts of Punjab have been lashed by high velocity winds and
sharp rain in the past over 24 hours.
The standing wheat crop, which would have been harvested in midApril, has been flattened by the rain and strong winds. The damaged
crop cannot be retrieved. Also, the rainfall will lead to higher moisture
content in the grains even where the crop is still standing, Balbir Singh,
a farmer near Kharar town in Punjab, 30 km from here, told media. At
some places in Punjab and Haryana, trees were uprooted and branches
fell off due to the strong winds.
Met officials said that the rain and strong winds could affect the region
in the next 48 hours also.
Following rain, the maximum temperature dipped at most places on
Sunday by two to four degrees Celsius. Chandigarh and its surrounding
areas were lashed by moderate to heavy rain in the past 12 hours
accompanied by strong winds.
Experts discuss how to control

money power in polls
ontrolling money in elections, bringing buying of votes within the

ambit of law and doing away with corporate donations to political
parties are some of the issues which political experts believe can
change the structure of Indian polity for the better.
At a national consultation on Political Finance and Law Commission
Recommendations, representatives of political parties, former election
commissioners and other experts also favoured transparency in accounts
of parties and candidates, monitoring of third party campaigners and
fast-track courts to try electoral offences.
Inaugurating the seminar, Chief Election Commissioner H.S. Brahma
said India needs a strong law to deal with the issue of political funding
and to usher in good accountability. He said black money and money
power, followed by muscle power create imbalances in electoral process
and are not good for a healthy democracy.
Black money impinges democracy. Black money and muscle power
disturb level playing field... though money cannot guarantee votes, the
one who can spend more has an upper hand, he said.
INDIA ABROAD
www.iwk.co.nz | 6 March 2015
Red
Black
Orange
Cyrus Vandrevala, Jasminder Singh

winners at Asian Business Awards
nvestor Cyrus Vandrevala

and
hotelier
Jasminder
Singh were the prominent
winners at an Asian Business
Awards ceremony in London.
Vandrevala, formerly a resident
of Mumbai and co-founder of
investment company Intrepid
Capital Partners (ICP), received
the Global Investor of the Year
Award at the ceremony last week.
ICP recently announced a
Rs.1,000-crore facility for the
housing and infrastructure sectors
in western India. The company
promises to in due course raise the
lending to Rs5,000 crore.
A spokesman for ICP said: We
are honoured Mr. Vandrevala has
been recognised for his significant
contribution as an investor.
Singh is an Indian origin

emigrant from East Africa and
now chairman of the Radission
Edwardian Group of hotels in

Britain. Radisson Edwardian was
named the Asian Business of the
Year Award.
Both Singh and Vandrevala
figured among the billionaires in
the first ever Global India Rich List
compiled by Londons Raymedia
earlier this month.
A press release from the
organisers of the event quoted G.P.
Hinduja of the Hinduja Group
as saying his company would be
entering the defence production
in India. This follows the present
NDA government permitting 49
percent foreign direct investment
(FDI) in the sector. The Hindujas
own Ashok Leyland and Gulf Oil,
among other assets, in India.
Earlier this month, the Hinduja
brothers featured as the wealthiest
Indians in the Global India Rich
List.
Obama praises Indian-American kids, extols

power of ideas
Arun Kumar
resident Barack Obama

praised the work of young
Indian-Americans
as
he exhorted budding American
scientists to keep exploring...keep
dreaming and use the power of
their ideas to change the world.
Keep asking why. Dont settle
for what you already know, he said
as he welcomed young scientists
and engineers from across
the country to showcase their
inventions, robots, and discoveries
at the 2015 White House Science
Fair last week.
Never stop believing in
the power of your ideas, your
imagination, your hard work to
change the world, said Obama
after personally viewing 12 of the
21
exhibits by more than 100 students

from 30 states.
Earlier checking out the
inventions in the State Dining
Room, the Red Room and the Blue
Room, Obama walked around to
each table, chatted with the young
inventors about their inventions,
and posed for photos.
When Anvita Gupta, 17, of
Scottsdale, Arizona, explained how
she had used an algorithm to help
identify possible new drugs to treat
Ebola, cancer and tuberculosis,
Obama turned to the reporters,
grinned and said, I dont know
what you all have been doing. But
this is what she has been doing.
Inspired
by
the
global
energy crisis, Sahil Doshi,14,
from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
designed an innovative carbon-
dioxide powered battery, reducing

the environmental effects of
pollution.
As part of the Fair, Obama
announced over $240 million in
new private-sector commitments

to inspire and prepare more girls
and boys - especially those from
underrepresented groups - to excel
in the STEM fields.
India to airlift
nationals from
Yemen
ndia said that it would airlift its

nationals from unrest-hit Yemen
and is also sending a large ship to
the Yemeni capital as Saudi Arabialed Arab coalition warplanes
continued airstrikes against the
Shia Houthi rebels for the fourth
consecutive day.
Indian
External
Affairs
Minister last week Sushma
Swaraj tweeted: Today we got
permission to fly from Sanaa for
three hours a day. We will use this
slot for evacuating our citizens
every day. In addition, we are
sending a ship with a capacity of
1,500 passengers.
On Saturday March 28th, 80
Indian nationals were evacuated
from Yemen by air to Djibouti.
They flew by Yemenia Airways to
Djibouti where the Indian mission
was to assist in their journey
home, the external affairs ministry
tweeted. There are around 3,5004,000 Indian nationals currently
in Yemen.
Sushma Swaraj has also urged
the Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC) to persuade Saudi Arabia
to lift the ban on flying through its
air space to help stranded Indians
in Yemen fly home, said a Kerala
minister.
Diaspora Minister K.C. Joseph
told media that Chief Minister
Oommen Chandy was told this
when he had a talka with Sushma
Swaraj.
We are in touch with the
Indian embassy officials in Yemen
and they have said that every day
the airport will be kept open for a
few hours, said Joseph.
There are no exact figures of
the number of Indians, including
Keralites, who are waiting to fly
out from troubled Yemen.
Indian-American Akhil Sharma wins Folio literary prize
ndian-American
writer
Akhil Sharma has won the
second annual Folio prize for
fiction for a novel which charts an
emigrant familys heart-wrenching
search for the American dream,
said a media report.
Sharma said after winning the
40,000-pound (nearly $60,000)
prize that writing the novel, which
took 13 years to complete, was a
frustrating and difficult challenge,
often like chewing stones, with
around nine wasted years when
it did not go well, according to a
Guardian report.
Im glad the book exists, I just
wish I hadnt been the guy who
wrote it, he said.

Sharma won the prize for his
second novel, Family Life, an
autobiographical work, which
tells the story of a young boy, Ajay,
and his family who emigrate from
Delhi to New York in search of a
better life.
Sharma, a former investment
banker, said he was professionally
happy that people were reading
the story of care givers, but
admitted that he thought about
giving up. However, he stuck with
it.
In the end, I feel the book itself
is good, it does certain things that
are artistically impressive. So I
feel good about that.

Parts of the writing process
were fun, he said, but much of it
was not.
Im 43. I started writing this
when I was 30. So I spent my 30s
writing this thing... I really feel
like I shattered my youth.
William Fiennes, who chaired
the panel of judges, praised the
novel, currently a bestseller in
the US, as lucid, compassionate,
quietly funny.
It was chosen from a shortlist of
eight books, which included what
was the bookmakers favourite for
the prize, Ali Smiths novel How
To Be Both.
22
SPORTS
Red
Black
Orange
Saina IS WORLD NO. 1

S
Saina and Srikanth win India Open Superseries titles
aina Nehwal and Kidambi

Srikanth rounded up a
brilliant Sunday for Indian
badminton winning their respective
$275,000 India Open Superseries
titles at the Siri Fort Sports Complex
here.
Womens singles top seed Saina
Nehwal trumped former World
Champion Ratchanok Intanon in
the final to win 21-16, 21-14 in 49
minutes. Later, 22-year-old Srikanth
had a contrasting victory but made
sure that he made it a double for
Indian badminton by defeating
Danish World No.6 Viktor Axelsen
18-21, 21-13, 21-12 in 55 minutes.
With the victory, Saina took a
6-3 lead in career meetings over the
World No.8, who won here in 2013.
This is the Hyderabadis second
title of the year after winning the
India Grand Prix Gold in January in
Lucknow. She had also reached the
All England final earlier this month
where she lost to reigning World
Champion Carolina Marin of Spain.
The 25-year-old Indian was super
confident while taking her shots
against her Thai opponent, making
the third seed run helter-skelter on
the court and forcing her to commit

errors.
In the first game, Saina raced
away to a 12-5 lead with supreme
agility and speed, something
Ratchanok could not match.
Though the 20-year-old tried
closing the game, Saina remained
in command and sealed the game in
her favour.
The second game was more or
less a repetition of the first, seeing
the points flow. The top seed once
again stamped her authority on
Ratchanok, who looked a pale
shadow of her prime.
Saina, assured herself the World
No. 1 spot on her first matchpoint to

close a brilliant week.
Later, World No.4 Srikanth did
not start well in his mens singles
final against the sixth seed, losing
the first game to the Dane.
However, the Guntur-born lad
showed his true colours when he
totally dominated Axelsen to easily
win the second game and push the

match into the decider.
It remained an even contest till
the time Axelsen was leading 12-10.
But Srikanth suddenly found legs
to clinch an incredible 11 successive
points to win the game without
breaking a sweat.
This is second seed Srikanths
second win over Axelsen in as many
meetings after beating the Dane in
the Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold
final earlier this month.
Both Saina and Srikanth took
home $20,625 each for the title wins.
Yuvraj, Zaheer expect Indian team comeback via IPL
oping to make a
comeback into the
Indian cricket team
with stellar showings in the IPL,
new Delhi Daredevils recruits
Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan
said they will make their stint with
the franchise count to revive their
international careers.
Delhi bagged Yuvraj for a record
fee of Rs 16 crore in the February
auctions and the allrounder wants
to make the most of it.
Definitely yes, its been a
couple of hard years for me
since I have come back from my
treatment. I am in good shape, I
have worked very hard and I have
had a good domestic season. I am
confident of doing well and hope
that things get better from here
and I make it back into the team,
Yuvraj said at a team event in New
Delhi.
Zaheer was bought for four
crores by DD this season after the
left-arm pacer pulled out midway
from IPL last year due to an injury
while playing for Mumbai Indians.
Zaheer believes that IPL will be a
step in the right direction.
I am enjoying playing cricket
again. I have been away from
Delhi bagged
Yuvraj for a record fee
of Rs 16 crore in the
February auctions
and the allrounder
wants to make the
most of it.
cricket for a while now, so just

looking forward to get back.
Taking one step at a time and IPL
is definitely the first step, said
Zaheer, who stood beside Yuvraj
and South Africas Albie Morkel
wearing the new DD jersey.

The 36-year-old veteran has
been out of action for a while
after playing his last international
match against New Zealand in
early 2014.
Zaheer is happy to once again

team up with Gary Kirsten, who
joined the DD unit in 2013, after
a successful World Cup campaign
in 2011 with the South African as
Indias coach.
We are up for it. Its a new

challenge. Lot of new faces this
time in DD, so looking forward
to it. We hopefully will be able to
turn this season around for Delhi,
Zaheer said.
Yuvraj, who last played an ODI
for India in 2013, believes its an
important season not only for
his career but also for Delhi, who
ended last in the eight-team event
last year.
The Chandigarh-born Yuvraj,
who has represented India in 293
ODIs and 40 Tests, feels at home
in Delhi and hopes to give all the
love back to the fans.
KIDZONE
Red
Rudras Huia Adventure

Black
Orange
inally the day was here

"Family Camp at Huia. I was
waiting for a long time to go
to this exciting trip. When we were
driving through the windy roads of
the Waitakere ranges, the rain got
worse and worse and I felt I was
under a humungous waterfall. I just
said, "No matter what challenges face
you.you always should know something
beautiful will definitely happen at the
end". I was pleasantly surprised to
see more and more of blue sky as we were about to reach Huia. Our camp
was at the Kiwiana Lodge and the view was
spectacular. As we got down from
the car, we could hear the chants
"Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. We were
welcomed by our fellow Buddhist
members and it was great to see
so many children participating with
their families. I was a bit shy in the
beginning and didn't participate in
the ice-breaker. I wasn't really in the
mood somehow and I was ready to go
back. I reluctantly joined in a activity
of drawing my dream board of what
i want to be when i grow
up. I drew the NZ police logo and shared
that i want to be a New Zealand police officer. As soon as i was finished I
was out of the room and didn't want to
be in the group photo, infact preferred
to be behind the camera. The next game
was Amazing Race where we had to be in
groups and i felt lost and not being a part
of any group. I went away and sat with
my grandma. My parents were persistent
that I should participate and would enjoy.
Well, they were right! I had so much fun in
the end, made friends, played games and
even won a certificate of being the most
SMART.
-Rudra Vir Sharma
Send us stories,
drawings,
poems and other
contributions
by your little ones along
with their photographs
for this page. Email
us at editor@
indianweekender.co.nz
Easter Crossword
Easter Crossword
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23
24
FEATURES
What to look for this Easter?

Debbie Sharma
t is Easter! Good Friday and

Easter Sunday is marked
as a public holiday, in New
Zealand which means it is a part
of the long four day weekend that
most of us look forward to.
As most of us know the
New Testament states that the
resurrection of Jesus, which
Easter celebrates, is a foundation
of the Christian faith. The day
Jesus was crucified was marked
as Good Friday and on the third
day Easter Sunday he rose back
to life.
If you wonder about the
significance of Easter Eggs
Well,according to some eggs
are symbolic of fertility and
birth and In Christianity, easter
eggs symbolise the
empty tomb of
Jesus Christ and
a bird hatching
from the egg,
symbolises that Jesus rose from

his grave. In different countries
the Easter egg tradition is
celebrated in various ways. In
legend, the Easter Bunny, also
called the Easter Hare and the
Spring
Bunny,
brings
baskets
filled
with
colored eggs, candy,
and
sometimes
toys
to
the homes of
children on the
night
before
Easter, in much
the same way as
Santa Claus is
said to deliver
presents
on
Christmas Eve.
The
Easter
Bunny will either
put the baskets
in a designated
place or hide
them somewhere in the house
or garden for the children to
find when they wake up in the
morning, giving rise to the
tradition of the Easter egg hunt.
So
whats
on
these
Easter holidays for our
lovely
childrenA
Red
plethora of events of so much

variety which will keep families
busy I am sure. To mention a few
the following listed will surely
make it exciting for our kids.
The Streets Easter Show at
the ASB showgrounds , which

is a FREE event. They have a
huge variety of entertainment
starting from Zirka Circus, ice
skating rink creating winter
wonderland, big rides and
many moreand not to miss
Fireworks display closing the
event each night.
Easter Hunt in Amazing Maze
is the place to be if you are
looking for an old fashioned
family fun time with your
kiddies. This
is
at
Black
833, Kingseat Road, Karaka.

The Easter bunny will be
running around and hiding
30,000 eggs through the four
day period.
Butterfly Creek, Tom Pearce
Drive, Auckland Airport has
chocolate goodies giveaways
on both days of 4th and 5th
April and not to miss the Daily
Dino hunt on the 6th of April
which will be a fun activity for
children to dig up and find
prizes.
Auckland Zoo has an Eggsplorer activity for the kids,
which is spread out over the
school holidays.
Plan your events and have a
great bonding time with your
family.Happy Easter all of you!
Mt Albert | Lincoln North | Manukau
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Orange
Red
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FEATURES
25
26
FEATURES
From the desk of

Red
Black
Courageous creators of their own destiny

Shilpa Raina
or six years, Anna Marie

Lope lived in constant
fear and depression.
Exhausted
by
continuous
emotional, physical and sexual
abuse, she twice attempted
suicide, only to enrage her
husband who would then doubly
punish her for finding different
ways to escape their marriage.
The trouble was her family
was in continuous denial of what
was happening to her and would
often suggest not to confuse
marital discord with domestic
violence. And her husband
believed he had successfully
caged his wife in his prison
forever.
Little did they know she, with
support from her friends, had
decided to leave the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) for good in a true
Bollywood style thriller with a
meticulous plan in place.
The first time he physically
abused me was in 2007 when he
got to know that I was thinking
of leaving the marriage. And
the punishment for this was 30
minutes of beating during which
he used belts and punches to
teach me a lesson, Lope, who
now lives in south Delhi.
That was also the first time I

attempted suicide and then again
in 2010 because I had no one
to talk to and I had to put up a
happy face whenever I went out
to meet his friends and family.
I was living under his constant
surveillance. I was living a dual
life, recalled Lope who was born
in the UAE and moved to India in
2012.
The 28-year-old now works
as a programme officer in
communications at Maitri, an
organisation that works with
vulnerable population.
Not always is the domestic
violence a trigger to charge your
courage. Women in our society
are still seen as homemakers
who can have conventional jobs
that require them to balance their
professional and domestic life.
But Delhi-based Omkari Devi
always wanted to do something
that was different as she admits
studies were never her cup of
tea. So when she learnt about
driving classes she jumped with
enthusiasm to take on to the road.
However, the hurdles
were many.
My family was completely
against this idea of driving. They
told me that I had gone mad
because it is only men who are
drivers. Auratein yeh kaam nahi
karti (women dont drive) was

the most common statement I
heard from everyone, including
my husband and daughter, says
Omkari Devi.
The 35-year old was in no
mood to give up and worked
extremely hard to prove for the
sake of her happiness.
I knew this was something I
wanted to do. So, during those
8-9 months of training, I would
get up at 4 a.m. to prepare meals
for my family and then head for
training, she said.
This hard work has paid
off as for the past four years,
Omkari Devi has been working
as a commercial driver and her
family has adjusted to her erratic
timings.
The
courage
of
these
women along with a few others
was acknowledged by SRL
Diagnostics, which honoured
them for their achievements.
One of them was Anjina
Rajagopalan who calls herself
a mother of orphaned and
abandoned.
Way back in 1988, on her way
to work, a man was mercilessly
beating a boy. Her heart melted
as she witnessed this incident
and brought this deaf-and-dumb
boy home, much to the chagrin of
her parents.
My friends and family told

me why I was getting involved
in something that was useless.
Bringing this boy right into my
home was not at all welcomed,
but I always knew that I wanted
to do something for the orphans,
says the 61-year-old Rajagopalan.
So she started Sai Kripa,
a home that looks after the
abandoned
and
orphaned
children and gives them shelter,
educates them and even arranges
their marriage.
People will always find ways
to discourage you, especially
if you are a woman. They
would question you and mock
at you, but as women we are
compassionate and courageous
to take bold steps, only if we
believe in ourselves, she said.
Today the shelter houses
60 children and she chose
to remain single to dedicate
all her life to For Lope,
adversaries in life are the
best lesson to prepare you
for a great life ahead, as she
admits she finds it difficult to
trust anyone, especially a man,
but she hasnt given up hope on
marriage.
I completely believe in the
institution of marriage and
companionship.
And
this
phase of life has left me with a
Orange
deep desire to be loved and I am

willing to give marriage another
chance, she concluded.
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FEATURES
27
28
ENTERTAINMENT
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Tickets
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027 222 3278
VVIP TICKETS
INCLUDES
DINNER WITH
ARTISTS
Friday 10th April 2015 at 7.30pm

Victory Convention Centre
98 Beaumont Street, Freemans Bay
Online ticket Partner
www.mangotrip.co.nz
Tickets available at: Yogiji Food Mart - 26 Carr Road, Mt Roskill. Ph 09 624 5757
Valley Fruit & Veges 576 Sandringham Rd, Sandringham. Ph: 09 846 5050
Mango Trip Sangdringham, Ph: 09 8462646 Kiwik Pik 687 Sandringham Rd, corner of Mt Albert Rd
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Gurgaon girl Aditi Arya crowned Miss India
urgaon girl Aditi Arya was crowned

Femina Miss India 2015 at the 52nd
edition of the beauty pageant at Yash
Raj Studio in Mumbai.
Reigning Miss India Koyal Rana last week
enthroned her successor Aditi with the crown
made by PC Jewellers. The first and second
runners-up were Aafreen Rachel Vaz and
Vartika Singh respectively.
The trio was selected from the top five
finalists of the fbb Femina Miss India 2015
that also included Tanya Hope and Deeksha
Kaushal. This year, 21 contestants from across
the country participated in the beauty contest.
The coronation night saw contestants
walking the ramp for the final time. Out of
the 21 contestants, only five made it to the
final question and answer round. The top five
finalists were selected on the basis of judges
score. As a result of securing the top three
spots, Aditi would represent India at Miss
World 2015, Aafreen would participate at Miss
International 2015, while Vartika would take
part at the Miss Grand International beauty
pageants.
Actors Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jacqueline
Fernandez and Shahid Kapoor performed
at the grand finale. Along with them, Balam
Success is becoming
the best version of
yourself: Hrithik
pichkari hitmaker Shalmali Kholgade and

Meet Bros Anjjan also performed live.
Welcome Back team, including Anil
Kapoor, John Abraham and producer Firoz A
Nadiadwala, were on the judging panel for the
finale.
The films director, Anees Bazmee also
attended the coronation night along with

stars Nana Patekar, Paresh Rawal and Shruti
Haasan. The beauty pageant, which will be
telecast on April 5, also saw the attendance of
actresses Shilpa Shetty, Manisha Koirala, Neha
Dhupia, Sonali Bendre, dancer Shiamak Davar
and designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosala.
youre certain enough to say I can do this, if

you manage to have enough variety in your
life, if youre not stuck in a monotonous
everyday journey, that to me is success.
Its not about the money or the fame,
not about working hard, thats all great but
it should come as a consequence of being
the best version of yourself, he added.
Hrithik, 41, whose last Bollywood outing
was Bang Bang!, will next be seen in
Mohenjo Daro.
Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, the
film marks the debut of Pooja Hegde and is
slated to hit theatres on August 12, 2016
fter his memoir And Then One

Day, which has been very wellreceived by the critics and public
alike, veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah is
now all set to do an encore this time an
unflinchingly honest expose of people in the
film industry.
I do think the most interesting phase of
my life has been covered. The rest is smoothsailing. Now what I can do is a treatise on
my experiences in the film industry. I dont
think thats a bad idea, said Naseeruddin.
There are many things that I do want to say
about the film industry. I might write it in
the third-person. Then Id have the right to
be more candid without being diplomatic or
hurting egos, he added.
The 65-year-old says he never expected
the first part to be so well-received.
I thought theyd be extremely skeptical
about an actor trying to write. I never
thought the book would sell as much as it
did in my country, or that the Indian critics
would be anything but condescending
towards it.
I knew that those who cared to
read through my account would like it.
Constructing sentences properly and
writing essays have been my strong points
right from school days. Though I was a
dullard in all other subjects, my English
compositions and essays in class were
always rated the best.
Naseeruddin may pen

tell-all on Bollywood
fter coming out unscathed

through all the struggles in his
life, actor Hrithik Roshan has
nothing but inspiration to offer his fans and
says success to him is becoming the best
version of ones own self.
Success to me doesnt mean fame,
doesnt mean money. Success to me is
becoming the best version of yourself,
Hrithik told IANS.
If youre able to connect with people, if
Doubt Ill play second

lead again: Aditya
ditya Roy Kapur, who took the

plunge into acting with 2009 film
London Dreams that featured
Ajay Devgn and Salman Khan in lead roles,
hopes he doesnt go back to the days when

he used to be cast as second lead.
After his debut film, the 29-yearold went on to share screen space with
Bollywood stars like Hrithik Roshan and
Akshay Kumar. Then in 2013, Aashiqui
2 about a fallen singer Rahul Jaikar,
portrayed by Aditya changed things for
him. I feel so grateful that Aashiqui 2
came to my life and changed things for me...
I doubt Ill play second lead again, Aditya
told IANS.
Right now I am going through a time
where people are offering me good roles
and films. If I continue to be lucky, work
hard and do well, I guess Ill continue doing
this. But Im not setting anything in head. If
Ive an interesting small role in a film with a
director Id love to work with, I might do it,
added the video jockey-turned-actor.
30
FEATURES
Move it like Madhuri!
Red
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Simran, a teacher at Aaja Nachle school of Bollywood dance, talks about her passion for this art form
Paula Ray
imran is a 19-year-old
undergrad
student
at
University of Auckland.
But she also runs a local Bollywood
dance school in Glenfield and the
Roskill area.
Dance has always been my
passion, she says.
What kindled this passion?
Indian children these days are
losing touch with their culture,
many grow up not understanding
their mother tongue and feel
shy when it comes to Indian
festivities. I too was like this
my parents migrated to NZ when
I was very young and I often felt
embarrassed to be different, says
Simran, adding, However I am
fortunate to have been involved in
Indian dance classes throughout
my upbringing. Bollywood dance
has been filtered throughout my
life and through dance I have
learnt to embrace my culture.
The dance classes have helped
Simran refine her understanding
of Hindi, and she has learned to
love the Indian culture and find a
way to express herself as a KiwiIndian.
Simran recalls her earliest
memory of dancing in front of
the TV, trying to impersonate
The dance classes

have helped
Simran refine her
understanding of Hindi,
and she has learned to
love the Indian culture
and find a way to
express herself as
a Kiwi- Indian
Simran
Madhuri at the age of four. Over

the years, she devoted a significant
amount of time and effort to learn
to dance and loved performing
self-taught moves in front of her
family and friends.
It was then when I realised that
taking up dance professionally
was something I was destined to
do, she says.
In 2009, she joined Aaja Nachle
under the tutelage of Jignal Patel
and went on to win the Dancer
of the Year award out of 20

contenders in 2010. Throughout
2010 to 2011, she performed
with the Aaja Nachle troupe at
Waitakere Diwali Competition.
One
of
our
biggest
performances was at the Aotea
Square Diwali in 2011. It was
a great achievement to come
first in the Intermediate Group
Competition for Diwali and all
our hard work paid off, recounts
Simran.
As a result of her hard work

and rising talent, she was given
the opportunity to teach students
at Aaja Nachle in 2013. It was a
great challenge juggling between
work, studies and karate where I
received my black belt in 2013,
says the young achiever.
But how does she manage to
rope in so much? Dancing for
me is therapeutic and its a joy
teaching various age groups,
ranging from 3 to 40+ year olds at
my dance school, she answers.
Many of our kids are truly
inspirational, our pre-schoolers
(aged 3-4) were told at other
dance schools that they are too
young to dance. But here they are
in our classes having lots of fun
and picking up the same steps as
primary school children, says
Simran.
Our junior batch (primary

and
intermediate
children)
enter competitions and shows,
performing against students who
are 18+ and win major prizes,
claims the proud teacher.
The
intermediate
class,
comprising of college students,
are often seen discussing lyrics,
googling the Hindi to English
translations and asking the
teachers deeper questions with
regard to the cultural aspects of
the choreography.
Does Aaja Nachle have
anything to offer to the adults?
We also have an adults class
that is fitness based. Its great to
see the kids pushing their parents
along, says Simran.
Often we feel intimidated to try
a dance form from another culture.
But Simran goes on to tell us about
Sinead, who is of European decent
and loves Bollywood dance. She
is often nabbing lead roles over
the other girls, says Simran.
In fact, this experience changed
Simrans
perspective
about
Bollywood. Its not only focussed
on the Indian community, but it
is now universal. We see a diverse
group of ethnicities enjoying this
dance form, which is influenced
by classical and western dance.
Auckland Marathi Association Inc.
Presents Marathi Play
EASTER EVENTS
The Streets EasterShow
Venue: ASB Showgrounds, 217
Greenlane West, Auckland
Date: Thursday 2 April 2015 Monday 6
April 2015
Time: 10 am- 10 pm
With a massive line-up of entertainment,
circus acts, rides and exhibits, plus an
A&P Show that has been running for
more than 160 years, the Streets Easter
Show has a special place in the hearts
and minds of many New Zealanders. The
2015 Streets Easter Show will have its
very own ice skating rink!
Easter Activities
andPrizes
Venue: Eastridge Shopping Centre, 215

Kepa Road, Auckland
Date: Saturday 4 April 2015
Time: 10:00am 2:00pm
On Easter Saturday, Eastridge Shopping
Centre will play host to all sorts of exciting
activities for the whole family. This will
include an arts and crafts table for the
kids, a real life Easter bunny to pat and
take photos with, and a spinning prize
wheel on which everyone is guaranteed
to win a prize! Best of all, everything is
completely free. Its also an opportunity
for parents to leave the kids with one of
the minders at the arts and crafts table,
and get some shopping done. The kids
are guaranteed to have lots of fun and be
able to walk away with all sorts of cool
Easter-themed crafts while parents

get the chance to do some shopping in
peace!No age restrictions, admission
free.
Cadbury
Eggstravaganza
Date: Saturday 4 April and Sunday 5

April 2015
Time: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Venue: Okahu Bay, Okahu Bay,
Auckland
Noage restrictions, free admission. Head
along to the Cadbury Eggstravaganza
this Easter! A fun filled day for the whole
family. Theres a giant inflatable Easter
Maze, the Cadbury Easter Bunny,
alongside the Cadbury Dairy Milk
Paddock with a huge selection of games
for the whole family. Visit the Candy
Carnival area with a spinning wheel and
Eskimo toss, plus theres Face Painting,
a Balloon twister, a Fairy and a Clown
to entertain kids of all ages. There are
delicious Cadbury Easter Eggs along with
food and drink stalls on site or bring a
picnic for the whole family.
April 19, 2015 @ 5 pm

ITORIUM
GReenbAy HIGH SCHOOL AUD
Auckland
161 Godley Road, Greenbay,
Lights: Kedar Divekar
ic: Chaitanya Rajapurkar
by: Sara Janvekar Mus
tten
Wri
ar
vek
Jan
ar
Directed by: Sag
Tickets: $5 for AMA Members $10 for Non-Members

For tickets Contact:
Rushikesh (027 324 2542 ) Jatin ( 022 699 1125) Aditee (021 112 1194) Prasad ( 021 145 1136)
MEDIA
PARTNERS
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ENTERTAINMENT
31
32
K IW
I I NDI A
Inviting nominations for

Kiwi Indian Honours 2015
Red
Black
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Nominations for Kiwi Indian Young Achievers and Kiwi Indians Unsung
Hero of the year close on 15th April 2015
Established 2013
The Indian Weekender calls upon nominations for those who have built a road to glory for themselves and left a path for the coming generations to tread on.
Touching the lives of thousands and enriching society with their being. Bringing fame and respect to New Zealand and the Kiwi-Indian community. The Indian
Weekender invites nominations for Kiwi Indian Young Achiever of the year and Kiwi Indian Unsung Hero of the year 2015.
NOMINATE ONLINE : http://bit.do/iwk-hof-2015 | NOMINATE OFFLINE : Fill-in the form and post it at the address mentioned below
The guidelines, which need to be adhered to, for nominations, are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
He/she needs to have an undisputable recognition in his or her field of work.

Nominated by a nominator of repute. Further, the nominator has to be in confirmation
with the nominee.
The nominator has to provide their full contact details. No anonymous applications will
be entertained.
All fields of work are welcome. For the purposes of this award, field of work can be
politics, business, sports, art, culture, or any profession.
The definition of Kiwi Indian, for the purposes of this award, hereby, is defined as
follows: any person of Indian origin, from any part of the world, who has settled here in
New Zealand. To be of Indian origin, at least one of the parents of the nominee have to
be Indian, by blood. Thereby making the nominee of Indian lineage.
7. The nominee must have either a Permanent Residency (PR), or Citizenship of New
Zealand to be eligible for consideration.
8. The nominee should have no prior convictions.
9. Age is no bar; for minors, achievers under the age of 18, parental consent will be
required.
10. The successful candidate will be required to attend the ceremony in person. In case a
person is not able to attend, due to any unforeseen circumstances, the jury will use its
discretion.
11. The jurys decision will be final and binding; and cannot be challenged.
Entry Form: Form for nominating candidates for Kiwi Indian Honours 2015
Nominator Details
Nominee Details
Name of the Nominator
Name of the Nominee
About the Nominee

For how long do you know the Nominee?
Professional details of the Nominator
Age of Nominee
Sex
Address & Contact number of Nominator *
Category
Why do you think the nominee qualifies for the honour?

Please enumerate the achievements that the nominee has earned in his / her area
of profession / occupation.
Address & Contact number of Nominee *
Kiwi Indian Young Achiever of the year (16 to 35 years only)
How do you think that the Nominee has contributed and added value to the Kiwi-Indian
community?
Kiwi Indian Unsung Hero of the year
Declaration by Nominator
I have got confirmation from the
Nominee for this application.

Yes
No
Nominee has accepted to appear in person

for the ceremony, if he/she gets accepted.

Yes
No
I hereby declare that the above information is true to the best of my knowledge. I also allow
Indian Weekender and the Jury to use the information provided for background checks
and to contact either me or the Nominee for the purpose of getting any more information.
Signed:
What to do next?
Please take a print out of this form, sign and
send to us at:
Jury Panel, Kiwi Indian Honours 2015
98, Great South Road, Epsom, Auckland
(Add extra pages to this form if required.)

For details contact Indian Weekender on
09-2137335 or go to:
www.indianweekender.co.nz

Indian Weekender 3 April 2015

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3 April, 2015 Vol. 7 Issue 2 | www.iwk.co.

New Zealands first Kiwi-Indian weekly newspaper

The Pulse of Kiwi-Indians

Auckland Christchurch Wellington Hamilton Palmerston North Hastings Invercargill

3 April 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

For all your immigration

0800 JCGlobal (524562)

JCGlobal Services Limited

C: 0211620056 | E: jcgee.services@gmail.com | www.jcglobal.co.nz

www.iwk.co.nz | 3 April 2015

The Black Caps get a Maharajas welcome in Auckland

t was 31st March 2015, 6pm

The long trail guarded by ICC

team to the podium, after the

honour of their return. The team

Even though we werent able to

3 April 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Wrapping up World Cup 2015

everything of how the New

he 2015 World Cup

most extraordinary, intoxicating

some of those records and special

Elliott, in his moment of

a career best leap, stuck up his

www.iwk.co.nz | 3 April 2015

game, he made early inroads with the new

one of the major reasons why Bangladesh

recently concluded World Cup. However,

Indian Weekender 265x180 POST.indd 1

3 April 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP 2015

www.iwk.co.nz | 3 April 2015

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