18JAN2019 | Vol 10 Issue 42

NZ Indian Diaspora in association

with Indian High Commission will
be celebrating Republic Day

Parent Visa: Kangana Ranaut:

Flag Hoisting and Cultural Performances will take
place from 11 am to 2 pm. Delicious snacks will be
made available at reasonable rates.

Government mulling to I would definitely like Mahatma Gandhi Centre

open parent visa in first to do a movie with 145, New North Road, Auckland
Date: Saturday, 26 January 2019

half of 2019 Priyanka Time: 11 am to 2 pm

Pg 10 Pg 29 High Commision of India

Wellington, New Zealand
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FREE PARKING AVAILABLE

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 The Indian Weekender Friday, January 18, 2019
HOW DOES HOUSING MARKET LOOK LIKE IN 2019?
SANDEEP SINGH
F
irst home buyers can have some early
advantage in the current housing market
as investors and sellers, both remain
cautious of varied factors.
However, any advantage that first home
buyers could potentially have in the New
Year because of seeming investor-caution is
neutralized with the reticence of banks and
financial institutions to hand-out easy credit.
If there was one most significant factor that
would rule the roost in early 2019, then it would
be bank’s insistence for responsible lending,
which can potentially raise barriers for securing
easy credit and thus affecting the market.
Thereby, the market at best can be expected
to remain mixed, rather than bullish anytime
soon.
Ideally early January is not the time when
someone would make a move or expect the
market to support their desire of making a move,
within Auckland’s housing market because of
holiday period – however that does not stops us
from anticipating how it would behave in 2019.
First home buyers or investors: Who
will make merry in 2019?
The Auckland market was a buying market in
the last quarter of 2018 (for the first time since
2011), with about 9906 new listings on the
www.realestate.co.nz website, for sale in the
month of October, which was 17% higher than
the same month in the previous year.
Currently, there are 12173 residential
listings for sale on realestate.co.nz, which is
significantly higher than 8679, registered in the
month of January last year.
Clearly, the market is still looking a buyer’s
market, with more number of listings up for sale
and giving buyers, kind of options in selecting
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NEW ZEALAND 3
responsible lending is going to put additional
demands on prospective first home buyers,
especially in terms of the way they manage
their finances and do savings.
Mortgage brokers say banks are taking a
closer look at whether borrowers can afford
to meet home loan repayments, with one bank
now asking for a written declaration that the
lending is responsible.
Although such a requirement was in place
since June 2015, with banks and lenders
required to adhere to the responsible lending
code, things had changed dramatically since
late last year when Australian banks were found
wanting by the Australian Royal Commission
in abiding those rules.
The Australian banks’ lending decisions were
driven by average household spending data,
instead of spending data from the individuals
applying for the loan.
Increasingly, first home buyers could expect
in the New Year to reveal more information
on their spending habits to convince banks for
securing loans.
Investors, although unaffected by bank’s
properties, not seen before for almost a from the first home buyers. newfound insistence for responsible lending,
"Of
decade. “The investors, on the other are holding back because of incoming changes
all the
Prospective first home buyers, hand, are appearing to be a bit in tax, regulation and ring-fencing laws.
interests we are
who are ready (have secured access cautious right now,” Mr Singhal Clearly, the legislative aim of the current
receiving for new
to credit or got pre-approval from properties in the market said. coalition government of dis-incentivising
banks) are better placed in shopping Clearly, first home buyers investors from housing market is making an
almost 45-50% are
around and exploring better options are better enjoying the freedom impact, at least for new prospective investors.
from the first home
(new build houses). made available to them in almost However, it’s too early to predict if the
buyers. "
Mortgage Adviser Manoj Singhal of a decade by thinking of altering changes announced so far in the policies around
Finance Matters told the Indian Weekender, their choices and going for new builds housing, would result in any large scale exodus
“Current Auckland housing market is good for in the market. of investors from the housing market thus
first homebuyers provided they are ready to However, it does not mean that the journey possibly creating a better supply of houses in
climb up the property ladder.” from renting to first home ownership is going the market (preferably for first home buyers).
“Of all the interests we are receiving for new to be anyway easy in 2019.
properties in the market almost 45-50% are In fact, banks increasing insistence for Continued on Page 4
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 4 NEW ZEALAND Friday, January 18, 2019 The Indian Weekender

Government accounts
show books in good order each month, and results can differ slightly from
forecasts due to timing issues. For example,
core Crown expenses in the five months to
November were 1.1 per cent below forecast,
Grant Robertson mainly due to the timing around the spending
Minister of Finance of some appropriations being transferred
to the new Ministry of Housing and Urban

From Page 3
A reputed real estate player in the community
with interests in building projects told the Indian
Weekender on the condition of anonymity, “The
fundamentals of Auckland housing market
remains the same, despite political noise around
the issue.”
“Currently there is a gap in the supply of
housing against the demand.
“Most of the political tweaking in the market
has been around the demand side or availability
of easy credit.”
“Therefore housing prices will start rising
again in 2020 in the absence of tangible increase
in supply,” he said.
It is important to note that despite much
euphoria around KiwiBuild – the government’s
T
This same he latest Crown financial statements
change was released on Wednesday, January 16,
show the Government’s books are in
brought into good order.
Australia, and the result  The Treasury had published the Crown
was that landlords accounts for the five months ended 30
November 2018, showing a surplus of $261
simply increased rents million over the five months. Expenses, revenue
to ensure they were still and net debt were all close to forecast.
getting the benefit of  It’s important that we manage the books well
so we can continue making the investments
being an investor. New Zealand needs, while ensuring we’re
well-placed to face the increasing risks from
“The biggest tax change on the horizon is the the international economy.
ring-fencing of losses which is intended to The Crown financial statements are updated
come into play from April.
Development. This is expected to reverse out in
coming months.
Core Crown tax revenue was within 0.4 per
cent of the Treasury’s forecast. Stronger-than-
expected wage growth saw source deductions
0.8 per cent above forecast. Corporate tax was
2.8 per cent below forecast due to timing issues
which are expected to reverse out over the year.
Corporate tax receipts were up 8.1 per cent
from a year ago, due to the stronger underlying
business fundamentals in the economy.
Core Crown net debt was close to forecast
at 21.3 per cent of GDP at 30 November 2018.
This is down from 23.0 per cent of GDP in
November 2017.  

flagship policy on housing with stated objective
of delivering “affordable” homes - have yet to
make any substantive impact on the supply of
new homes. From the perspective of housing
market, despite current political-capital around
first home buyers, investors hold the balance
and will be significantly important in the latter
half of the year.
What’s in it for renters?
Tenants might see a bump in their rents
around April when the changes in ring-fencing
laws are most likely to be implemented, and
landlords might opt for passing the expenses of
operational and compliance costs.
Venu Chawdrpu, Mortgage Adviser at
Squirrel Mortgages told the Indian Weekender,
UNMATCHED
“The way the rules are at the moment, if
you’re a property investor and you make a loss
(like most Auckland investors) then you can
offset that loss against your other incomes and
get tax relief.
“The new changes basically mean that those
losses can only be offset to income in the same REACH IN PRINT
AND DIGITAL.
asset class – so in other words, only your other
property and not your salary.
“This same change was brought into
Australia, and the result was that landlords
simply increased rents to ensure they were still
getting the benefit of being an investor.
“This lead to the government reneging on
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 The Indian Weekender Friday, January 18, 2019 NEW ZEALAND 5

India-Black Caps cricket series:

Ready to fire-up Kiwi summers
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD Black Caps’ squad for India ODI

T
he upcoming Black Caps series:
versus India One Day Kane Williamson (c), Trent
International and T20 Boult, Doug Bracewell, Colin de
series is going to be a high-octane Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson,
tournament given both the teams Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom
have given a tough ride to their Latham (wk), Colin Munro, Henry
strong opponents in the earlier series. Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Ish
The Black Caps swept all the Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
matches against Sri Lanka in all
formats of the game- Tests, ODIs and SCHEDULE
T20Is between December 2018 and January 23- Wednesday –
January 2019. 1st ODI, McLean Park, Napier
India, on the other hand, created January 26- Saturday –
history by securing their first ever 2nd ODI, Bay Oval, Mt Maunganui
test-series win in Australia or for that
matter first Asian team to achieve January 28- Monday –
this feat. 3rd ODI, Bay Oval, Mt Maunganui
Under the captainship of Virat January 31- Thursday –
Kohli, India so far has brought the 4th ODI, Seddon Park, Hamilton
three-match ODI to a level, the
February 3- Sunday –
decider match to be held on Friday,
5th ODI, Westpac Stadium,
January 18 at Sydney Cricket
Wellington
Ground.
The Indian team had displayed February 6- Wednesday –
some stellar performances on 1st T20I, Westpac Stadium,
Australian grounds and is expected to Wellington
carry the form against the Black Caps February 8- Friday –
with the same spirit and momentum. 2nd T20I, Eden Park, Auckland
India’s Kiwi tour will commence
on Wednesday, January 23 at Napier February 10- Sunday –
3rd T20I, Seddon Park, Hamilton
and ends on Sunday, February 10 in
Hamilton.
and Westpac Stadium in Wellington and Seddon Park in Hamilton. Kiwi- which will be followed by the start of All ODIs starts at 3 p.m. & T20Is
The ODIs will be played at Mclean
and the T20s at Westpac Stadium, Indians are eagerly waiting for this Indian Premium League in India and at 8 p.m. except, Eden Park-
Park in Napier, Bay Oval in Mt
Wellington, Eden Park, Auckland much-anticipated cricketing contest World Cup in England later this year. Auckland match at 7 p.m.
Maunganui, Seddon Park in Hamilton

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 6 NEW ZEALAND
Unruly tourist saga: Time to revisit our
parenting...?
TULIKA SAKLANI
B
Different people had reacted differently
to the outrageous behaviour of the
unruly Irish tourist group in Auckland
that had captivated our collective attention in
the last few days.
Like many others, I was first incensed by
their sheer lack of respect for New Zealand and
New Zealanders.
However, gradually scare took over the
initial feeling of incense, as the gravity of the
video showing seven-eight-year-old boy saying
“I am going to knock your brains out,” to the
eyewitness in Takapuna Beach, began settling
in my mind. For many of us who are parents
sometimes it is a scary thought when we see
such arrogance in little ones like him.
But the question is what gives the eight-year-
old an audacity to become so rude and arrogant
to a stranger...! Was he never taught when and
how to draw a line...!
This incident has opened the whole new
pandora box for people and media to comment
and discuss many angles of this story but for me
its only about thinking deep and reflecting on
today’s parenting.
If we look around then we may not find it
difficult to encounter children around us using
words like “I don’t care, or anybody thinks”. To
me it is not empowering; that’s arrogant …and
that’s a problem.
My friend’s daughter has often been doing
this but last week when my seven-year-old
daughter gave the same I don’t care attitude I
knew it was time to have a dialogue with her
and I realized that constantly telling her that
Food terrorism won’t be tolerated Activating fog canon prevents
an armed robbery in Hamilton
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi
National Party List MP
W
e all saw the news headlines late last
year of strawberries with needles in
them. We watched as Australia was
first targeted, and then we had the same happen
here on our shores.
It’s terrifying to thinking about the impacts
this could have had, the health implications if
one of swallowed, and the economic impacts
on businesses as people stopped buying their
products.
That’s why over the past couple of months,
we’ve worked hard to come up with a Member’s
Bill that backs calls from the food and grocery
sector for tougher penalties for those who
intentionally contaminate our food or threaten to
do so. National is determined to be a constructive
opposition working on new ideas and new
policies.
We’re doing the work now because we don’t
want to be like the current Government, which
didn’t do the work in Opposition and has now set
up more than 200 reviews and working groups
costing $280 million so far to figure out what to
do.
Nathan Guy’s Member’s Bill seeks to achieve
what the Labour-led Government appears
unwilling to do – protect New Zealanders from
those that would threaten our food safety, be they
reckless pranksters or people intent on nothing
less than economic sabotage.
Recent events here in New Zealand and
across the Tasman have identified the need for
she is excellent is perhaps giving her an inflated
view of herself.
A psychological study found that instead
of telling children they are better than others,
parents should tell them they are as good as
anyone else. One psychologist said his research
changed his own parenting style. He said that
in 1990 when he started doing research on self-
esteem and narcissism. He used to believe that
his children should be treated like they were
extra special, but he said now he is careful not
to do that anymore. Dr Eddie Brummelman
from the University of Amsterdam suggested
that parents could be taught to express affection
without telling their children that they are
superior.
It’s fine for a child to be confident but the line
between confidence and arrogance is quite thin.
Some ways to identify are we raising arrogant
children..?
Overconfidence
When an overconfident child is asked to
do something, they feel they can do it better
than everyone else and they take it much more
serious. For him winning is important
Makes a big deal out of it.
Kids often brag, it’s one of the fun ways they
play with their friends but arrogant children
brag to impress others of their own achievement
and capability. A confident child however
would inwardly be proud of their achievement
but would never go around bragging about it.
Can’t take failures
Anytime they fail, arrogant children hide their
failure and feel ashamed instead of accepting
greater sanctions to prevent these sorts of idiotic
behaviours. The food and grocery sector has been
ignored in its calls for tougher laws.
Australia has already acted, passing stricter
laws that seek to deter these criminals who
contaminate food and water sources. New
Zealand now lags behind our near neighbour,
meaning offenders have less to fear if they are
caught. Our food sector is too important to us as
a trading nation not to protect it the best that we
can.
Food tampering is not only economic sabotage
on farmers and growers but also poses significant
risks for consumers and New Zealand’s reputation
as a producer of high quality and safe food.
Parliament should send a strong message to
anyone who considers food tampering. New
Zealand should not be seen as a soft touch, and it
is unacceptable that the Government has ignored
calls from industry for stiffer penalties.
The Crimes (Contamination Offences)
Amendment Bill would help deter this offending
by creating three new offences in the Crimes Act
and will increase those penalties to align them
with the more serious offences of corruption,
espionage, treason and piracy.
This Bill recognises the serious physical,
psychological and economic effects of such
actions. New Zealanders need to know their food
is safe and manufacturers should be protected
from economic loss such offenders can cause.
All parties in Parliament should support what
is a common sense response to threats to our food
safety. New Zealand shouldn’t be held to ransom
by a reckless and foolish few.
National will deliver on the things that are
important to New Zealanders. We will keep
working on plans and proposals that will
make New Zealand safe for our families and
communities.
Friday, January 18, 2019 The Indian Weekender
their fault and working on their imperfection as nonsense. They care less about other people’s
they confident children would. opinion and ideas. They love to pull others
down.
Everything is competition
For arrogant children, everything is Some Tips to Bring Change:
competition, from having a big car, expensive Praise but avoid special treatment: It’s okay
gifts including games that are supposed to be to acknowledge your child’s success but giving
fun as competition them special treatment every time they succeed
can make them proud. Tell them they did well,
Bullies
just like others, don’t make a big deal out of
Arrogant children are often bullies, they
success.
see others as threats and therefore try to pull
Avoid making a big deal of assets you earn:
them down with words or through beating,
As parents we should avoid making a big deal
they are often without compassion. Meanwhile,
of buying a expensive car, vacation , house
confident children treat other kids fairly.
or lifestyle. Children tend to pick up such
No team work behaviour from their parents
Arrogant children always want to take credit Comparing children: Never put down your
and get noticed so instead of working as a team, child, it never brings positive result, most kids
they prefer to work alone so they can stand out. who are treated this way become bullies.
What I say is always right Tulika Saklani is a Kiwi-Indian mum,
Whatever they say is always correct and passionate about various social issues
including parenting. She is a guest writer
they often disregard other people’s views as for the Indian Weekender.
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
A
quick-minded action by a dairy
store worker at the time of an
armed intrusion prevented an armed
robbery and further damages to a dairy store
in Hamilton.
The incident happened on Monday, January
14 around 9:30 a.m. at Knighton Road Dairy
in Hillcrest, Hamilton East.
Five men armed with screwdrivers and
poles entered the dairy store and before they
could do anything- the owner of the store
activated the fog cannon forcing them to
evade the scene and escape in their car.
“As soon as these people [armed robbers]
entered with force into the store- I pushed the
smoke alarm button on the top of my counter Police were called and attending officers
and it filled the place with dense smoke that located a vehicle with the alleged offenders
forced the intruders to run outside and saved inside.
me for the agony of another robbery,” Jaimin
When the vehicle failed to stop, a pursuit
Patel of Knighton Road Dairy in Hillcrest,
was initiated but quickly abandoned due to
Hamilton told The Indian Weekender.
the manner of driving.
“I was vigilant looking at the CCTV live
Police located the vehicle a short time
images on the TV next to my counter, and
later; however, its occupants had fled on foot.
as soon as the offenders entered, I was quick
Five people — four youths and one adult
enough to activate the fog cannon that almost (aged 17) — were located following a
instantly blew a dense white cloud in the
search by officers, the dog section and Eagle
shop. The offenders then ran away from the
helicopter.
shop,” Mr Patel added.
Police are still making enquiries to locate a
Mr Patel installed the fog cannon six
sixth person, seen wearing a dark green long
months ago, and this was the first incident sleeve top, as pictured.
since. Before that Mr Patel had been robbed Anyone with information is urged to
once and lost a sum of amount in both cash contact Constable Ben Boserio at BBCO09@
and stock. police.govt.nz (link sends e-mail) or by
Subsequently, police were able to arrest
calling Hamilton Police on (07) 858 6200,
five men- who were also involved in another
quoting file 190114/4567.
failed robbery attempt later in the day.
“I am glad to know that the offenders have
The same group approached a dairy store
been arrested- it sighs relief,” Mr Patel told
in a similar fashion on Aberdeen Drive in
The Indian Weekender.
Dinsdale later in the day.
 The Indian Weekender Friday, January 18, 2019 NEW ZEALAND 7

RECENT MIGRANTS FACE BIAS, BUT

FEEL SAFE, REVEAL STATS NZ SURVEY
IWK BUREAU

R
ecent migrants to New Zealand are more
likely to feel discriminated against than
people born in New Zealand and long-
term migrants who have been here for five or
more years, Stats NZ revealed on Thursday.
Recent migrants, those who’ve lived here
less than five years, are also less likely to feel
it’s easy to be themselves in New Zealand than
long-term migrants and New Zealand-born
people,” labour market and household statistics
senior manager Jason Attewell said.
According to the 2016 General Social Survey
(GSS), about 26 per cent of recent migrants said
they’d felt discriminated against in the previous
12 months, compared with about 16 per cent
for both long-term migrants, and people born
in New Zealand.
“Newer migrants were more trusting of
other people, and also felt safer than long-term
migrants and New Zealand-born people,” Mr Recent migrants feel safer in their with women born in New Zealand. recent migrants lived in the most deprived areas
Attewell said. neighbourhood than other groups When using public transport at night, 57 per in New Zealand.
On average, recent migrants rated their trust Compared with long-term migrants and cent of recent female migrants said they This compares with 27 per cent of long-term
people born in New Zealand, recent "Recent felt safe or very safe compared with migrants and 29 per cent of New Zealand-born
in most New Zealand people at 7.5 (0–10 scale, migrants
with 0 being ‘no trust at all’). In contrast, this migrants were more likely to feel safe 30 per cent for New Zealand-born people living in these areas.
always felt safer
rating was 7.2 for long-term migrants and 6.7 using or waiting for public transport women. “Recent migrants always felt safer than other
than other people
for people born in New Zealand. at night, and when walking alone in living in the same area, The differences in feeling safe people living in the same area, regardless of
The GSS is the official measure of social their neighbourhood after dark. regardless of how between women and men were how deprived the area was,” Mr Attewell said.
well-being in New Zealand; it asks more than This was particularly the case deprived the area also smaller for recent migrants “This could be because some recent migrants
for people aged 25 to 44 years, was." when compared with people born feel New Zealand is a safer place to live than
8,000 people how they feel about life.
In the 2016 GSS, 30 per cent of people who made up two-thirds of the recent in New Zealand. where they originally came from.”
living in New Zealand were migrants, with migrant group. The type of neighbourhood people This information comes from the GSS we
the balance being born in the country. Five per A significantly larger proportion of recent lived in had a strong association with how safe conducted between 2016 and 2017. Survey
cent of the total New Zealand population were female migrants felt safe using public transport people felt. People from more deprived areas data is progressively released over time, as we
recent migrants. and walking alone after dark when compared were less likely to feel safe; 32 per cent of analyse different aspects.

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 8 NEW ZEALAND
Migrant Community Cricket
tournament in its Super League round
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
T
he Migrant Community Cricket
Tournament 2018-19 has reached
its round 2 or Super League Round
with three teams on each side of Pool A and
B competing to get into the semi-finals and
grand finale.
The Migrant Community Cricket Cup is in
its 22nd year with 12 total teams divided into
Pool A and B. The matches are being played
at Auckland Domain every Sunday since
November 4, 2018, until the finals on March
31, 2019.
The six teams in the pool A of the tournament
are AIS UNITED, ATA Super Strikers, Deccan
Acers, NZKK Gandaberunda, Pak Shaheen,
and TUFXI.
Deccan Rising Stars, Desi Warriors,
Medtech Strikers, Mighty Blues, NZ Telangana
City Boyz, NZ Telugu Tigers are competing
from Pool B.
This year, the tournament has been divided
into three Rounds- Round 1 started on
November 4 and finished on 23 December. Top
three teams from each pool qualify for Round
2 into Super League and the bottom three go
Plate League.
The matches of Round 2 started on January 6
and are set to end on February 23.
AIS topped pool A with 21 points followed
by Deccan Acers and NZKK Gandaberunda.
Mighty Blue topped pool B with 20 points
joined by Desi Warriors and NZ Telangana
City Boyz.
This year the live scores of the matches in
the tournament can be seen on an app specially
developed for this tournament. People can
see the scores on CricClub app that can be
downloaded through App Store or Google Play.
As customary, the prizes for the winner,
Don’t let your guard down – secure FIANZ announces internship program
your property this summer for recent Muslim graduates
IWK BUREAU
C
anterbury Police would like to remind
residents to ensure their properties
aren’t an open invitation to opportunistic
burglars in the warmer weather.
With summer well and truly upon us, many
of us will be keeping doors and windows open
to stay cool, however this can spark the interest
of those looking for an easy way in.
Whether you’re at home or not, you should
continuously think about the security of
your home.
Thieves and burglars will take every chance
they can to get what they are after - this includes
entering your house if they know you are
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runners-up, third place will be given along
with individual awards such as best batsman,
working in the back yard or busy in the garage.
There are some very simple preventative
measures you can take to ensure you deter
burglars as much as possible: Always keep your
front door locked, even while you are at home.
If you have a screen door with a lock, it’s
safer to keep this locked as well.
Secure your windows and use locks and
security latches where possible. Police also urge
anyone who sees any suspicious behaviour, or
people who shouldn’t be where they are, to
contact us immediately by calling 111.
Information can also be provided
anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800
555 111.
Our Office: 20 Lambie Drive,
Manukau, Auckland
www.discoverieseducare.co.nz/sunrise
Friday, January 18, 2019
Supporting
this tournament
gives us an
opportunity to give
back to the community
and we are proud to
be its sponsors
bowler and player of the tournament, once the
tournament ends.
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
T
he Federation of Islamic Association
of New Zealand (FIANZ) on Monday,
January 14 announced introducing
internship programs for recent Muslim
graduates from NZ Universities and Tertiary
Institutes at its head office in Wellington.
Two types of internships will be offered-
Corporate Executive Internship and Community
Service Executive Internship with both having
six positions- three male and three for females
that the young Muslim graduates can take the
benefit from. The objective of the internship
program is to enable recent Muslim graduates
to gain intensive experience and practical
exposure to the realities of the world of work.
It also aims to provide a bridge for those
seeking full-time employment but who do not
have the necessary NZ based experience that
employers seek in a competitive job market.
The Corporate Executive Internship will
cover subjects such as Finance, National and
International Marketing, Research, Project
Management, Government and Private
Sector Liaison, Business Planning, Strategic
Development, Legal Affairs, IT (various
areas) and Entrepreneurship.The Community
www.indianweekender.co.nz
The most visited Indian news
website in New Zealand*
For online advertising options, email at sales@indianweekender.co.nz
The Indian Weekender
“We are very excited with this tournament
which is in its 22nd year and the participation
has grown exponentially over the years. We
have more spectators and community members
who join us as supporters during the matches
on Sundays,” Prashant Belwalker, member of
the managing committee of the tournament told
The Indian Weekender.
The Super League and Plate League matches
are currently held at Auckland Domain, pitches
11-14, near The Grand Stand.
2017-18 years’ champions Probasee Bengali
team are not participating in the tournament
this year- but the number of teams for
this year has still increased from
nine to twelve.
Prashant Belwalkar manages
the tournament, along with
Suhas Shanbhogue, Shovik
Nandi, as members of the
managing committee.
The disciplinary committee
that looks after fair-play of
the tournament is constituted by
including captains from all twelve teams.
The tournament is sponsored and supported
by Relianz Forex who are the Gold Sponsors
and have been associated with this tournament
for the last seven years.
“Supporting this tournament gives us an
opportunity to give back to the community and
we are proud to be its sponsors,” Chairman of
Relianz Group, Giridharan Giri told The Indian
Weekender.
Expressing satisfaction on how the
tournament had grown over the years Mr
Belwalkar said, “This tournament has provided
a platform to many talented sportsmen in
our community to jump-start their career in
cricket.”
Service Executive Internship will cover Public
Relations, Educational Services, Interfaith
Relations, Research, Community Support,
National and International Networking, Elderly
Support Services, Health and Welfare Support,
Publications and Social Media. The one-year
internship program will start from March
1, 2019, based at the FIANZ head office in
Wellington.
Although there is no remuneration for the
interns, the program will cover daily transport,
working day lunches and clothing via a grant
that amounts to a maximum of $3000 for a full
year. Selected interns travelling from outside
Wellington will also be assisted with homestay
and other arrangements and return airfares. This
assistance is provided as an encouragement for
graduates to apply from all over New Zealand.
Interested applicants can send their CV
and Cover Letter addressing to FIANZ
specifying the program they are interested. The
applications can be sent to info@fianz.com by
Sunday, February 10.
 The Indian Weekender Friday, January 18, 2019 NEW ZEALAND 9

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RIZWAN MOHAMMAD

S
hri Ram Mandir, the only Ram temple in New Zealand
started the charity walk ‘Ram-a-thon’ four years ago to
help fund the temple and the community.
The contributions from the community and the immense
success of the drive over the last three years has made Ram-
a-thon an annual event in the calendar of the Ram Mandir that
it plans to host its ‘walkathon’ event on Sunday, February 3 in Nimish Parikh 18B Kirby Street, Glendene,
Registered Financial Adviser
West Auckland. Auckland 0602
“With the first event, we collected just over $10,000 and M. 021 236 7070
P O Box - 69263 , Glendene,
donated the sum to Starship Children’s Hospital. The second it is one on low priority and a major focus on the spiritual up nimish@saffronfinance.co.nz Auckland 0645
event collected just over $16,000 and donated the amount to liftment we can achieve through this event,”, Pravin Kumar,
www.saffronfinance.co.nz
Saint John’s Ambulance,” a temple spokesperson said. Managing Trustee of Shri Ram
The event in February aims to collect a bigger amount and Mandir Charitable Trust, said.
has requested the community to join the walk and contribute Mr Kumar mentions the
their part towards the noble cause. following to be the objectives
The proceeds to be raised from Ram-a-Thon 2019 will be of ’Ram-a-Thon’ 2019:
used to help people needing urgent medical attention in Fiji. To engage with the
The funds collected will be donated to ‘Friends of Fiji’ Health broader community,
Foundation that organises volunteer doctors to help out the including children, youths,
people in Fiji. elders, women and people
“Please reserve the date of Sunday, February 3 as a fun day from all walks to life-
with family to join other like-minded community workers and enhancing diversity, Electorate Office:
sports people for a joyful day of walkathon and family festival teamwork, networking and
multiculturalism. 7 Fulton Cres, Otara
in Henderson,” the spokesperson from Ram Mandir appealed.
The walk this year will be short and limited to 10 kilometres To create awareness of well- 09 274 9231 or 09 278 9972
being, healthy living, walking,
close to the resident and green areas of Henderson, West
exercising and keeping fit.
jenny.salesa@parliament.govt.nz
Auckland.
The walk will start from Shri Ram Mandir on 11 Brick Street Raise much-needed funds
at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, February 3 proceeding towards Sturges for worthy charitable causes Papatoetoe:
Road Train Station, Vintage Drive joining the picturesque and help inculcate the concept
of helping others who are less
YouthLine Building,
cemented walkway of Henderson through beautiful forests,
vineyards, greenery and over and beside Oratia Stream, between fortunate than us 145 St George Street,
Central Park Drive and Henderson Valley Road. Work collaboratively with
other like-minded charitable,
Friday mornings
The walkers will take a break at 359 Henderson Valley Road
Ashram. community and religious 9.30am to 12pm
This year- the walkathon plans to involve more youngsters, organisations
and make it not just a walk event, but a full day of family fun Get corporate and
commercial businesses Otahuhu:
day out.
The organisers have invited young children and families to on board as sponsors. The Otahuhu Town Hall,
organisation had also urged
participate in the walk that will terminate at Henderson Park
religious organisations to
10 -12 High Street
around 11 a.m. where a lot of family and children’s activities is
planned for the day. widen their focus to also Monday mornings
There will be competitive sports activities like women’s helping out the vulnerable
people in our community.
9am to 12pm
volleyball, penalty kicks, men’s 7-a-side soccer & tug-of-war,
senior citizens’ lawn bowling & ball and bucket, marble & People not participating in
spoon, sack race, relay and other fun-filled activities for all age the walk can assemble at the Authorised by Jenny Salesa,

groups. Henderson reserve to support Parliamentary Buildings, Wellington

For the football fans from Fiji, a football competition will the event and contribute
be held teams divided according to ten districts of Fiji such as through their presence at the
Rakiraki, Tavua, Ba, Lautoka, Nadi, Nadroga, Suva, Nasinu, event. To know more about
Rewa, and Labasa. the event, information can
An important aim of this walk is to expand the focus of the be obtained from the Event
people from just religious activities to spiritual exercises. Director Mahendra Sharma
“We have advised from the outset that the priority of this on 027 661 3242 or family_
charity walk was not fundraising, while that is one of the aims, sharma@hotmail.com.

20151006 - Salesa ad 125x170.indd 1 06/10/15 11:24

 10 NEW ZEALAND
GOVT TO SOON DECIDE ON THE FATE OF
PARENT VISA CATEGORY
SANDEEP SINGH
T
he fate of parent category
visa will be determined
in the first half of this
calendar year.
New Zealand Herald reported
on Thursday, January 17, that the
Minister for Immigration Iain
Lees-Galloway had confirmed that
the government will be making a
decision on parent category visa in
the first half of this year.
A spokesman for Mr Lees-
Galloway said he had received
more advice on the visa category
at the end of last year and “that’s
something that still needs to go
before Cabinet”.
“I anticipate that we’ll be making
Telugu Association in Waikato
celebrate Sankranti Sambaralu
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
T
he Telugu community
of Waikato observed the
Sankranti festival or the
harvest festival of India on Sunday,
January 13 at Phoenix Hall,
Hamilton.
The event was hosted by New
Zealand Telugu Association-
Waikato chapter by getting the men,
women and children of the Telugu
community residing in the greater
Waikato region to celebrate the
Sankranti festival.
More than 200 people gathered in
their colourful traditional wears and
danced and sang celebrating the first
big festival of the Indian community
after the New Year.
The stage was decorated with the
life size posters of deities, and village
environment including a small house
and cow to bring the ambience
of the home country alive in the
celebrations.
A big attraction at the event was
the contribution of youngsters
Thiru Subramaniyar temple observes Thai Poosam for Tamil community
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
T
he Tamil Hindu community
is observing the Thaipoosam
festival at Thiru
Subramaniyar Temple in Mangere,
Auckland.
The festival is observed by
conducting special puja for five-days
from Saturday, January 12 to Friday,
January 18 and the observing main
event on Sunday, January 20 from
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Thaipoosam is celebrated every
year according to the Tamil calendar,
on the full moon day of the Thai
month, which usually falls between
January and February.
Thaipoosam is an important
festival for the Tamil Hindu
community living in different parts
of the world. The festival is observed
in Chennai- India, Malaysia,
a decision around that in the first
half of this year,” Mr Lees-Galloway
said.
The popular visa category which
allowed many ethnic migrants,
including Kiwi-Indians, living and
working in New Zealand to bring
their parents was closed by the
previous National government in
late 2016.
The decision to close visa
category was taken to clear the
backlog of applications, and also to
review if there was any substance in
the anecdotes going rounds in public
discourse whereby suggesting that
some incoming parents were being
a burden on the state exchequer.
There were close to 6000 people
who participated in the rangoli
competition - an integral part of the
celebration.
Young children used the parking
space at the venue to showcase
their talents of designing different
patterns.
The Rangoli competition was
Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Africa
and Tamil speaking Hindus living
across the globe.
The festival honours Lord
Murugan, who is also known as
Subramaniyan- the God of War, who
represents youth and virtue. He is
referred to as the son of Shiva, being
in the system at the time temporary
closure of the visa category was
announced.
It was expected that Ministry for
Business, Innovation and Enterprise
(MBIE) would lead an official
review process and report back to
the government by June 2018 while
there was temporary closure on the
visa category.
The popular visa category was
capped at 4000 every two years
(maximum 2000 approvals in one
year) before being closed.
NZ Herald also reported that
National’s spokesperson for
Immigration and former Minister for
Immigration, Michael Woodhouse
speculated that New Zealand First
followed by cultural performances
by groups and solo entertainers.
Another big part of the Pongal
celebration was the kite flying
activity where scores of men and
women with their colourful kites and
string-roles, flew kites in the sunny
skies of Hamilton.
worshipped predominantly in areas
with Tamil influences, often referred
to as the God of Tamils (Tamil
Kadavul).
The festival is a commemoration
of Murugan’s victory over the evil
Soorapadman.
Devotees also observe ‘Paal
Friday, January 18, 2019
was behind the delay in the opening
of the visa category.
“Winston Peters has been heavily
critical of the ability of parents
to come in and stay permanently
Canterbury Tamil Society
celebrate Thaipongal in ChCh
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
T
he Canterbury Tamil
Society last week took the
opportunity of Thai Pongal,
the harvest festival of the Tamil
community- also known as Makar
Sankranti to welcome the families
living in South Island in its new
calendar year.
The event not just hosted a
cultural celebration on this occasion
but also felicitated the students of
CTS Academy of Tamil Language
and Arts.
More than 40 children learn Tamil
language, one of the most spoken
languages in the world following the
syllabus and module provided by an
Australian Tamil school studied in
New Zealand.
The annual prize-giving ceremony
and the cultural event was hosted
at Temple Community Centre on
Saturday, January 12.
The teachers and community
leaders gave prizes to young children
who scored the best in Tamil language
tests- and encouraged them to keep
Kudam’ (carrying milk in an earthen
pot) and ‘Kavada Festival’ (wooden
stick carrying resembled carry
burdens and sins of the devotee) as a
part of the Thaipoosam festival.
The priest at Thiru Subramaniyar
temple conducted special puja and
abhishegam of the idol, and the
temple received over 100 devotees
for the puja during the one-week
observance.
On the final day of Thaipoosam
festival, devotees participating in
the special puja will gather at the
temple by 8:30 a.m. and do the puja
till 9:30 a.m.
The devotees will then carry the
Paal Kudam (milk pot) around the
temple and do the Kavadi dance in
front of the deity as a resemblance
relieving his burden in front of the
deity.
The Indian Weekender
in New Zealand. By whatever
means, he is delaying, deferring or
cancelling the return of that visa
category,” Mr Woodhouse was
quoted by NZ Herald.
the language alive and to thrive away
from home.
A specially themed decoration was
arranged by CTS for the attendees of
the Tamil community to get the feel
and ambience of the harvest festival
back in India.
Children as young as six years old
danced on the stage and entertained
the attendees at the event.
“It is important that our children
witness such events and not just
learn but also bring these learnings
into practice and keep the culture
and language of the Tamilians alive
for the future generations,” Secretary
of Canterbury Tamil Society
Suren Sivalingam told The Indian
Weekender.
The devotees will enter the
temple around 10:30 a.m. and do
the abhishegam with milk from the
pot chanting mantras. By 11:30 a.m.
the small deity will be decorated
and carried around within the
temple premises as a denoting the
procession of a king looking after
the well-being of his subjects.
By 12:30 p.m. the bigger deity
idol will be decorated, and Aarti will
be performed.
Devotees will get coconut water,
rose water, milk, vegetables and
fruits as a part of the whole special
puja offering them as a gift to the
deity.
Mahaprasadam will be served
after the puja in the afternoon, and
the fruits and other eatables will be
distributed amongst the devotees at
the temple.
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 12 NEW ZEALAND Friday, January 18, 2019 The Indian Weekender

BOOK REVIEW: Divyastra is a father-son story,

embellished in sci-fi and mythological fiction genre a renowned physicist, a leader on
SANDEEP SINGH

I
n how many ways one can think
of a father-son story? Probably,
a few, if you are not a gifted
storyteller or writer.
However, for writers, who have
that one single quality that separates
them from ordinary others - their
extra-ordinary imagination - possibly
there could be innumerable ways of
sculpting a father-son story.
One such Kiwi-Indian writer, who
normally works as a digital marketer
in his day-time job, and unleashes
his power of imagination after work,
to embellish a father-son story, in
the genres of fantasy, sci-fi and
mythological-fiction.
Auckland based Nimish Tanna
has come up with his second novel
Divyastra, four years after he
finished his first novel The moments
of truth. Like many first published
novelist, Nimish had then vowed
never to write again – a promise
that that league of writers, including
Nimish - seldom intend to honour at
the first place.
They usually re-embark on another
imaginative journey as soon as they
feel their creative juices have fully
replenished.
The journey of such writers, from
fatigue and self-doubt after finishing
their first published-project, to
starting, and ultimately finishing,
their second project, is always
intriguing and worth exploring.
The Indian Weekender speaks
with Nimish to uncover a similar
journey, and know what readers
should expect from his second novel
Divyastra. Here are the excerpts of
the interview.
Que. Congratulations, Nimish
for completing your second
book Divyastra! How does it feel?
A: Thank you very much. I
am experiencing a concoction of
happiness, anxiety and nervousness.
Although I may have successfully
won a battle of completing the book,
the war is yet to be won - winning the
readers and that is the most important
part.
Que. After completing your
first book ‘The moments of
truth,’ you had said that you
were not sure if you will ever Within 4-5
write a book again. What months of releasing my first novel,
prompted you to say that? Moments of Truth, I had a few story
A: Well, I said that because I
ideas to work on but I was a bit
wasn’t a trained writer when I wrote
conscious about the subject I would
my first book. Apart from some choose to write. It wasn’t long before
teenage poetry and a published I knew I had to tell a father-son story.
article in my college magazine, I A story where a
A as the story of - an ambitious, yet
had never written anything else. So, parent raises
story where
when my first book, their kid
‘Moments of Truth’ got a parent raises their
telling them
published, I merely considered kid telling them how
how special
that as a one-off creative pursuit special they are, how they
they are,
not realising that I was bitten can always achieve their
how they
by the story-bug. It was only a goals and that this
can always
few months later that a new story world is a fair place
achieve their
had started germinating in my mind to live.
goals and that
and the only way I could provide an this world is a fair
outlet to it was - well, writing again.     place to live. Like every writer, I
Que. What motivated you to decided to decode both facets of this
start writing this book again?  relationship, especially the unpopular
A: As clichéd as it sounds, what flip side.
drives me or any writer for that So, I started to develop an
matter is a good story. ambitious character that is unable
Once you know you have cracked to deal with life’s harsh realities
a good story, the story keeps the because his father’s foul conditioning
writer motivated as he lives the would overshadow his own mind. A
world of the story, it’s characters, the character, who blames his father’s
conflicts, all of it. uninspiring genes for his own
failures.
This, at the very core, is where the
story’s central conflict germinated.
Now, I needed to build an interesting
world around this idea.
All I had was just this core
conflict with no layers and no plot.
Eventually, I gave up and stopped
writing.
A year later, I found myself living
in a remote suburb of Melbourne for
about six months where I had no TV
and no social engagements. The only
source of entertainment I had was an
internet connection.
So, when I got bored of staring
at the ceiling for hours, I would
watch reruns of Ramayana and
Mahabharata episodes.
Immediately, YouTube’s
intelligent algorithm got to work and
started suggesting documentaries on
celestial weapons.
I took their suggestions and
started watching all of those videos
one by one, eventually leading
to a documentary that brought
everything together for me –A
documentary on Dr. John Hagelin,
transcendental meditation in the US
and the guy who claimed, although
controversial, astounding similarities
between ‘Unified field theory’ (string
theory)and the ‘Unified theory of
consciousness’.
Immediately, my mind started to
weave a world of celestial weapons,
ancient wisdom and mythological
characters. I attempted to develop a
mythological fictional world around
the father-son relationship. That’s
how the entire story of Divyastra was
born.
Que. How do you manage writ-
ing book along with your day
job? Is it too taxing managing
two things?
A - Frankly speaking, it’s tough
but very much doable. All I needed
to do was sit down and work out a
plan for effective time management.
Que. Your first book was a
romantic thriller, what genre
does this second book Divyas-
tra belong to?
A - Divyastra belongs to a small
mix of genres – fantasy, sci-fi and
mythological fiction.
Que. Tell us about this book,
what is the background of the
story and what should a reader
expect from this book? 
A - I would describe the book
unsuccessful Shankar, who in pursuit
of his identity, is manipulated to
embark on a never-told-before
fantasy tale only to rediscover the
father he never knew and eventually
find his true self. There is one man
stopping him from all this – a mystic
who cannot be traced.
Que. When is the book releas-
ing and where all will it be
available to purchase?
A - The book is currently available
on -http://www.becomeshakespeare.
com/product/divyastra/
And within the next 7-10 days,
will release on global popular
platforms like Amazon, Kindle and
Indian e-commerce platform such as
Flipkart, Snapdeal, infibeam, Rediff
etc.

‘Little Champs’ children’s fun day coming up on Sunday, March 3

RIZWAN MOHAMMAD particular theme. Some of the ideas to get the children excited Districts’ community children.

“
Little Champs” a fun-family event for the
children organised by Rotary Club, on the
occasion of Tuakau’s Children’s Day, is
coming up on Sunday, March 3.
The event is envisaged to be a day of fun
for children and an opportunity to put up their
own stalls and show their business skills.
“It’s all about being out of the box,
innovative and unique. It could be anything
from craft works, vegetable or even cookies &
cakes. We will provide kids with a space to put
up a Little Champ stall for free,” organisers
from the Rotary Club said.
The children’s day celebration this year
focuses on giving an opportunity for parents
to spend quality time with their children as
each year the focus changes to highlight one
This year’s theme ‘Little Champs’ aims
to provide families in Tuakau community
with an opportunity to encourage and praise
children. The only rule is that the parents
must empower the children to set up their own
stalls just like their own business plan all by
themselves and encourage them to showcase
their performance on stage.
“If your child is good in singing, dancing,
playing an instrument or even stand-up
comedy. We will provide Little Champ stage
for performance,” the organisers said.
The children’s day celebration this year
focuses on giving an opportunity for parents
to spend quality time with their children as
each year the focus changes to highlight one
particular theme.
for the Little Champ stalls are to make a list More information about the event can be
with them of items that they would like to sell obtained by contacting the organisers via
at the stalls. email tuakaurotary@gmail.com, PO Box 113
“Once the child is ready, one can register Tuakau, 2342.
their child’s name, the name of their stall and Community members can also reach out to
items of their stall to be sold,” the organisers Richard Gee on 0274720410 and Tulika on
said. 0210682890 for more information.
One can give interesting and creative names Free entertainment includes:
to their stalls to make their sound and look Free stalls
innovative. Free stage
For the Little Champ stage, each child Bouncy castles
will be given a five to ten minutes time slot. Art activities,
Parents can also choose one performance and Kapa haka
register their child’s name for Little Champ Music & dance
Stage performance. Face painting
The event is a collaboration of Tuakau Races, games,
Rotary Club and organised for Tuakau and Free sausage sizzle & drinks
 The Indian Weekender Friday, January 18, 2019 NEW ZEALAND 13

MASJID AT-TAQWA INVITES YOUNG

COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO JOIN YOUTH CAMP

M
asjid at-Taqwa based in Manukau,
South Auckland is organising a four-
day summer camp for the youth of
the community in February.
The youth camp has been organised by the
Islamic organisation for the last 12 years and
has been immensely successful in its initiative.
This year, the organisers are expecting
around 150 participants for the summer- a
significantly higher number from last year. The
male-only camp will be divided into three age
categories- 8-12 years old, 13 to 17 years, and
above 18.
The students in first category will be
accompanied by a guardian.
The summer camp for the female youth was
held on Saturday, January 5 where a number
of activities such as sports, quiz face painting
henna, other team building activities were held.
The summer camp will consist of educational
programmes, talks by learned scholars, team
building exercises, kayak, swimming, water
slide and some more sports activities.
During this summer camp period, plenty
of food and snacks will be provided to
the participants.
“The summer camp is a time to be in an
Islamic environment, bonding with other
brothers and interacting with scholars, time to
relax and lots of activities and fun together,”
Tanzeel Hussain, the camp
"Our organiser from Masjid at-
programmes Taqwa told The Indian
are designed Weekender.
for different age Last year the camp
groups with lots had over 40 students
of activities and enrolled in the 8-12
learning." years old category and
this year too, many new NZ Indian Diaspora in association
with Indian High Commission will
young faces are expected to
join the camp.
“Our programmes are designed for different
age groups with lots of activities and learning,”
Mr Tanzeel added. be celebrating Republic Day
The programmes will be jointly hosted
by different organising team, divided into Flag Hoisting and Cultural Performances will take
administration, sports & kitchen and overall
headed by Youth Leader brother Fauzan. place from 11 am to 2 pm. Delicious snacks will be
The Masjid conducts many events and
activities on a daily and weekly basis, not
made available at reasonable rates.
just inside the masjid premises with learning
classes but also organises sports events to keep
the children and the youth engaged and in-
touch with the masjid.
“We have soccer every Sunday from 4:30
Mahatma Gandhi Centre
p.m., play cricket almost daily and volleyball 145, New North Road, Auckland
on Friday after Maghrib prayers,” Mr
Tanzeel said. Date: Saturday, 26 January 2019
The camp also invites non-muslim youths of Time: 11 am to 2 pm
the community to join the summer camp.
“The summer camp will provide a learning
environment, many father and son moments,
whereby inculcating in them how to be an EVERYONE IS INVITED
abiding citizen and with Islamic values.
The camp has run for the last 12 years under High Commision of India FREE PARKING AVAILABLE
Wellington, New Zealand
the leadership and vision of Professor Shaykh
Anwar Shaib, and the registrations for this are
open for $90 per person.
14 NEW ZEALAND Friday, January 18, 2019 The Indian Weekender

Spirits soar high at Auckland kite festival

RIZWAN MOHAMMAD

T
he decade old Auckland Kite Festival
continued its tradition of bringing out
people in huge numbers to enjoy - kite
flying – a prominent cultural activity prevalent
in Gujarat and parts of Western India to mark
the festival of Makar Sankranti.
The state of Gujarat is gripped in kite
flying on the occasion of maker sankranti and
Vaishnav Parivar NZ Inc had been engaged in
the task of recreating that magical experience
in Auckland for more than a decade.
This year was the 13th edition of the
festival, which has gradually cemented its
position of being the first and biggest Kiwi-
Indian community event immediately after the
Christmas and New Year holidays.
The hot sunny weather of the month of
January, the summer holiday mood and
relatively spare time available in people’s
otherwise busy schedules offers extra
incentives for people to head towards the kite
festival.
The supremely favourable weather of
Sunday, January 13, saw over 8,000 men,
women and children clad in their summer
outfits, with tents and camp chairs spreading
themselves at the Avondale ground and
enjoying the kite-flying.
Festival-goers enjoyed the festival amid
the foot-tapping music played on radio and
food-options available on various stalls at the
festival.
Kite flying enthusiasts bought their kites
from the organisers’ stall who arranged around
3,500 kites this year from India, along with
manja (kite-string).
The morning started warm but as the day
progressed lurking clouds blanketed the skies
with a scattered drizzle and winds took its
job of getting the kites to rise high under the
greyish skies.
By 2:30 p.m. the Avondale Grounds was
flocked with men, women and children giving
a jump to the kites, while others were shouting
‘Kai Po Che’ that loosely translates as ‘cut the
kite’- a phrase used by the kite flyers in the
Gujarati language after cutting the opponent’s
kite.
The event was more than just kite flying as
the organisers arranged face painting, drawing
competitions, henna, bouncing castles and
kids’ bungee to keep the children engaged at
the event.
For the grown-ups and elderly members
of the community, a number of dance and
singing activities were hosted on the stage
that saw different groups of small children
and solo performers entertain the crowd.
The entertainment performance was given
by VPNZ, Lucky Bhangda Group and
Jashu Patel.
As a traditional part of the event seniors,
men and women took space near the stage and
performed the famous garba dance for more
than 20-minutes at a stretch.
This part of the day gets high-pumped with
over 40-60 people dancing at a time on the
loud garba music.
“We have been planning for this event for
over a year as it involves liaising with a lot
of parties to get the event arrangement smooth
for the community,” Manhar Patel, President
of Vaishnav Parivar NZ and coordinator the
event told the Indian Weekender.
“This event involves getting approval from we witnessed thousands more who joined us
the local board, Auckland Council, Avondale during the afternoon.” Mr Patel added. Two cricket souvenir bats supplied by who was also one of the main sponsor of the
College, the ground arrangements, getting The organisers carried several lucky draws NZ Cricket were auctioned at the event- the event.
sponsors, procuring kites from India, getting by selling raffle tickets to the attendees. proceeds of which went to Vaishnav Parivar The bat signed by the players of Black
them ready to fly here, food stalls, chairs, Shyamal Shah won the winner of the grand NZ. Caps team was auctioned for $255 bought by
tents, music, stage etc. prize- which was a four-days free holiday The bat signed by the Indian cricket team attendee Brijesh Sethi.
“We are happy that we have such a huge including accommodation in Gold Coast for was auctioned for $1600 bought by Ajay Vaishnav Parivar NZ has started preparations
turn-out and since the weather improved, two people. Kumar, Director, Global Financial Services, for the 2020 Kite Festival.
 The Indian Weekender Friday, January 18, 2019 FIJI 15

20 HEAD TO INDIA FOR TRAINING AT TOP INSTITUTE

T
wenty employees from the Fiji Sugar
Corporation will undergo training at
the Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI) in
India, sponsored by the Government of India.
They visited the Indian High Commissioner,
Vishvas Sapkal, at the Indian Embassy in
Suva. Mr Sapkal said the workers had a good
opportunity to receive this training.
“Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI) is a
renowned institute and it has basically 150
sugar factories in the region,” he said.
“I am sure you will definitely enhance your
skills after going there and this includes a lot of
site visits including farms and sugar factories
which are nearby Pune.
“The purpose of the training is to enhance the
skills of the participants for delivering modern
technologies in sugarcane farming to end-
users and to educate participants about modern
technology in sugarcane industry. I want to
wish all the very best to you.”
The Vasantdada Sugar Institute in Pune,
Maharashtra, is under the Indian Technical
and Economic Corporation (ITEC) scheme
The employees of the Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) who will undergo ITEC Training in Pune, from India as it is
India, with Indian High Commissioner Vishvas Sapkal at the Indian High Commission in Suva highly regarded as
on January 11, 2019. Photo: Indian High Commission
of the India government. The FSC employees
will be undergoing training in two groups of
10 participants. The first group will undergo
a certificate course in sugar boiling at the
Vasantdada Sugar Institute from January 15 to
February 11. The second group will undergo
enhance the skill levels of its workers.
“This in regards to dealing with farmers
and increasing cane production and upskilling
themselves,” said Mr Prakash.
“Boilers are sugar makers who work in the
factory and they will have an opportunity to
upskill their knowledge and bring it back and
apply it at FSC.
“We can learn from India as it is highly
regarded as the major producers and they have
high yield.
“We want to see what they are doing there,
which will help our sugarcane growers and
"We at the same time the sugar industry.”
can learn Mr Prakash said the Fijian
Government had provided a lot of
support to the farmers.
the major producers “They are backing the industry
a certificate course in sugar cane and they have and it has a firm belief that the
development from January 15 to high yield" sugar industry is here to stay. So, it’s
February 25. a really good opportunity to upgrade
Team leader for Malolo and Qeleloa and our skills and to come back to Fiji to our
District Co-ordinator (FSC) for Nadi, Arun workplace and apply it.”
Prakash, said FSC intended to empower and

Need for more

awareness on
KRISHNA ocean pollution
MAKES T
here is an urgent need to fight plastic
pollution in our oceans, says a non-
government organisation.
Despite the many innovation and community

HYUNDAI
programmes in place for clean-up, Race for
Water Foundation project manager Camille
Rollin said we simply could not stop the tide of

A LEAGUE
plastic entering our oceans.
However, through learning, sharing and
acting, she believes we can reduce the impact
by doing our part.

TEAM OF
“Plastic isn’t just the problem, but it can also
be the solution as Race for Water hopes, through
their innovative technological approach in
converting end of life plastic into energy,” Ms

THE WEEK
Rollin said during a clean-up drive at Wailoaloa
Beach in Denarau, Nadi.
Port Denarau Marina general manager
Cynthia Rasch said: “There has been an
incredible response from the community and
seeing the children is beautiful, they also joined
to clean every inch of the beach.”
The clean-up drive was led by the Minister
for Fisheries, Semi Koroilavesau, who has
been working closely with the Foundation in
Denarau for the past three days.
Mr Koroilavesau was also joined by
Permanent Secretary Craig Strong, staff
Roy Krishna against Wellington Phoenix last week
members from the Ministry of Fisheries and

F
ijian wonder boy Roy Krishna has made
the Hyundai A League Team of the
Week for Round 13 of the competition.
His two goals and an assist against Central
Coast Mariners did not go unnoticed.
Krishna has been in scintillating form
scoring nine goals in 13 appearances so far
this season. Krishna is tied for second on the
top goal scorers list for the season and holds
the record for most goals scored by a Phoenix
player. The Phoenix plays Melbourne Victory
in its next match this Saturday.
members of the Race for Water Foundation,
Ocean Lovers, and the Mamanuca Environment
Society.
The initiative in Denarau was spearheaded
by the Race for water Foundation.

PM’s message: Any dream, big or small, begins with education

I
’d like to wish all of our students well as they head back to
class to start the new Term, and give a special welcome to
all of our Year 1 students around the country who are just
entering Primary School. Any dream, big or small, begins with
education.
And I’ve always believed that funding our children’s education
is the single best investment a Government can make.
That is why I’m proud that this year is a billion-dollar year for
our education system, as our last national budget saw education
become the first sector to ever receive an over one-billion-
dollar allocation. To our students preparing for the start of the
term, I want each of you to know that we your parents, your
grandparents, guardians and friends – are all rooting for your
success. We believe in you, we want you to do well, and we’re
here to support you in every way we can so that you can perform
to the best of your abilities.
As students, when you take responsibility for your education,
you give yourself the opportunity to become the Fijians you want
to be. The type of Fijians your family, friends and community
can count on, and that our nation needs if we are to build on all community that values their education.
of our great progress. Taking responsibility for your education They should be given time to complete
means respecting and listening to your teachers. It means being their homework and reflect on what they’ve
kind to your classmates. It means putting your best foot forward; learned each and every day.
working hard, reading, studying and asking questions. Someone at home should be checking in
And it means thinking seriously about your future. Because, on their progress and encouraging them to
rest assured, no matter where you want to go in life, you will succeed. Someone should always be present
need an education to get there. when required for parent-teacher
I’m also speaking to all the families watching across the meetings.
country. As parents and grandparents, as aunts and uncles, as In a truly knowledge-based
community members, and as patriotic Fijians, you are our single society, every student must have
greatest allies in educating our young people. that foundation of support for
School in Fiji is free. Textbooks are free. If you cannot afford their education. Every Fijian,
your students’ travel to school, we help cover that cost as well. every family, must put their
That wasn’t always the case in our country, but my Government children’s education first.
has finally made that the reality. Don’t let that chance for your Because when our children
children go to waste. Every family, everywhere in our country, know we believe in them,
must make sure their students are attending school every day they will find unimaginable
they are able. Every student in Fiji deserves to come home to a belief in themselves.

Editorial
Children must be taught discipline
of using communication technology
T
here is a general refrain from parents that their
children are spending too much time with their
smart phones -- chatting, SMSing or being
on social media. Besides neglecting their studies,
parents contend the children are being exposed to
bad influences from webosphere.
All of this has happened in the last 10-15
years and is being fuelled by the availability of
communication technology like smart phones and
the internet.
If you ask the children about these issues, they say
that smart phones and the internet allow them to be
in touch with their friends and, in the process, they
feel they know much more about the world than their
parents ever knew.
In their modern, fast-paced society they feel they
have to be up-to-date with information or they will
lose out.
So who is right? I think both the parents and the
children are partially right.
Communication technology, which includes
smart phones, internet, etc., has a powerful hold on
children’s brains.
Their brains, at a young age, have the maximum
power -- which means that they require tremendous
amounts of inputs and information to wire different
neural pathways.
The formation of various neural pathways helps in
satisfying desires and needs. Interactive technology
like smart phones, iPads, internet, etc., allows instant
gratification and hence is very addictive.
This fritters away their time and energy -- they are
unable to focus on the work at hand, resulting in their
attention-deficit behaviour.
Instant gratification also fuels the greed-impulse
and with no discipline to control this, it is the genesis
of the greed exhibited in adulthood.
Thought of the week
“Hardships of ten prepare
ordinary people for an
extraordinary destiny”
- C S Lewis
This greed-impulse has unfortunately resulted in
young children exhibiting unsavoury behaviour --
such as making more money by stealing cellphones,
cameras, etc., and becoming prey of paedophiles and
prostitution gangs.
Too often, parents give their children smart phones
and iPads or deposit them in front of a TV when they
are toddlers.
Part of the reason is that by giving such “toys”,
parents feel that the child will not bother them since
he/she will be entertained and immersed in playing
with the device.
But, by exposing the children to such tools at a very
early age the parents are playing with fire since there
is no mechanism to provide discipline in their use.
This does not mean that we should not expose
children to modern technology. Technology begets
technology.
Without being exposed to technology, children’s
imagination will not be fired and they will not be able
to contribute later to its development.
All great feats of science and technology have
resulted from people who, as children, were inspired
by some aspect of gadgets and technology. For
example, Einstein as a child was inspired by the
magnetic compass.
There are innumerable examples of inventors the
world over who were inspired by technology when
they were children.
However, the old technologies were not very
interactive and so the child had to use tremendous
imagination thinking about it and what could or
would be. That required quite a lot of effort and fired
his/her curiosity.
With today’s “toys” like the internet and smart
phones which provide instant information and
feedback, the result is that curiosity and the desire to
think deeply about a problem is lost.
This is the reason why children today do not apply
themselves too much to solving problems or creating
new inventions but have a tremendous amount of
information at hand.
Also, with such interactive technologies
children seem to be losing the ability to daydream.
Daydreaming is a very powerful mechanism for the
development of imagination and helps in sharpening
the brain.
The biggest challenge for parents and teachers
is how to teach children the discipline of using
communication technology.
It should be used for both fun and learning so that
the tremendous energies which children have can be
channelled for the betterment of society. 
There are already some interesting experiments
being done in the US, where children use smart
phones and the internet to design projects which they
can fabricate using 3-D printing technology.
If hands-on projects can be planned and made
using communication technology, then children can
be weaned away from only chatting, SMSing and
other less-productive use of this technology.
For this the teachers have to work hard to develop
an appropriate curriculum. 
Communication technology for children is not all
bad if used with discipline and if children are guided
and inspired in the right direction. 

Indian Weekender : Volume 10 Issue 42 This week in New Zealand’s history

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the views of the team at the Indian Weekender
Kiwi Media Publishing Limited - 133A, Level 1, Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland.
Printed at Horton Media, Auckland
Copyright 2017. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Hōne Heke cuts down the British flag - again
19 January 1845
T
he first Māori to sign the Treaty of Waitangi, Ngāpuhi chief Hōne Heke Pōkai soon became
disenchanted with the consequences of colonisation. He expressed his outrage by repeatedly
attacking the flagstaff on the hill above Kororāreka (Russell).
Scott Base opens in Antarctica
20 January 1957
C
aptain Harold Ruegg, Administrator for the Ross Dependency, opened Scott Base, New
Zealand’s permanent Antarctic research station, during a ceremony on Ross Island.
Ruegg gave a short speech to a small crowd, which included Sir Edmund Hillary, Admiral George
J. Dufek, and other officers from McMurdo Station, the nearby American logistical support base.
Appropriately, as the base was named after the British explorer Robert Falcon Scott, the New
Zealand flag was then raised on a flagstaff used by Scott at Hut Point in 1903.
Ice comes to Nelson
21 January 1859
E njoying a cold drink on a hot afternoon was not always as simple as adding ice from the freezer
to water from the refrigerator. Once the ice made a much longer journey.
On 22 January 1859, advertisements in the Nelson Examiner proclaimed:
SHERRY COBBLERS, ICED LEMONADE, Soda Water, Ginger Beer, for the first time in the
Settlement. To be had of Robert Disher, Star and Garter Hotel, Richmond.
 The Indian Weekender
INDRA NOOYI UNDER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
CONSIDERATION TO HEAD WORLD BANK
I
ndian-American business leader
Indra Nooyi, who headed the
multinational PepsiCo, is under
consideration for heading the World
Bank, according to multiple media
reports.
If she is nominated by US
President Donald Trump to be the
Bank’s president, she will succeed
Jim Yong Kim, a Korean immigrant
who unexpectedly announced at
the beginning of the year that he is
quitting.
By tradition, the US president
names the head of the global financial
institution and the nomination is
rubber-stamped by the executive
directors.
Nominating Nooyi, an immigrant
woman from a developing country,
could head off the mounting
challenges to the US role in
determining the Bank’s presidency.
She would also fit the bill for
Trump’s preference for the private
sector and for making international
organisations fiscally more efficient.
Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, who is
an admirer of Nooyi and considers
her as a mentor is said to be backing
her for the Bank job, according to the
media reports quoting anonymous
administration sources.
India rising: Investment opportunities
with higher incomes
TAPONEEL MUKHERJEE
A
s per capita incomes in India
move higher and as we
converge towards $2,000
per capita, it would be interesting
to look at the potential investment
opportunities as the next phase of
income growth begins.
With higher incomes, its
“discretionary” component will be a
big determining factor in generating
business opportunities. Investment
opportunities will emerge in a wide
variety of consumption driven
sectors, and the corresponding
supply chains.
Some of the sectors that will
benefit from the consumption boom
triggered by the rise in income are
communication, transportation
and automobiles. Essentially, as
consumers move past demanding
the “basic” goods, the demand for
higher-end consumer services and
products will pick up. 
Perhaps, the Chinese experience
with rising incomes can provide us
with some interesting clues about the
sectors that stand to gain hugely.
In the paper “Consumer Spending
in China: The Past and the Future”,
Jun Nie and Andrew Palmer present
interesting data that as household
spending in China increased three
times (in real terms) in 15 years
since 2000, the expenditure on
transportation and communication
services jumped seven-fold! 
This jump helped boost demand
for products and services across
industries. While we see similar
Friday, January 18, 2019
Nooyi stepped down as
chairwoman of the PepsiCo last
August after leading the international
soft drinks, food and snacks giant for
12 years.
When Nooyi was leaving
Pepsico, Ivanka Trump called her
an inspiration and a mentor and
gushed, “I am deeply grateful for
trends in India, the next leg of income
growth should provide the sectors
with a substantial growth fillip.  communication services ecosystem
The communication services
business we are talking about
encompasses the entire gamut
of telecom and entertainment
ecosystem, including telecom,
smart phones, and the broader
entertainment sector. India for sure
has seen significant business activity
and investments in this industry with
the likes of Reliance Jio and Netflix
entering the market. However, the
next phase of income growth should
further push investments into it.
The demand for higher quality
of product and service will require
the entire ecosystem to evolve,
with the primary driver being the
availability and quality of data. Low-
latency data availability will drive
the telecom tower infrastructure,
your friendship. Thank you for your
passionate engagement on issues that
benefit the people of this country, and
beyond.”
If Nooyi becomes the Bank’s
president, the four top jobs in
international financial policy-making
would be held by women, two of
them by women of Indian descent.
digital initiatives and increase data
consumption. Businesses in the
stand to benefit significantly from the
trend.
The transportation sector that
should gain from the rising per
capita income encompasses travel,
accommodation and tourism. Airline
traffic in India has seen phenomenal
growth. For example, domestic
passenger traffic at Mumbai airport
increased almost six times in two
decades since 1997-1998 to 2017-
2018. Going forward, we should
see more of this growth feeding into
creating attractive transportation
assets to invest into for a wide array
of investors.
The recent decision by the
Indian government to privatise six
airports provides investors with an
opportunity to access such attractive
OPINION/EDITORIAL
This month Gita Gopinath
became the chief economist of the
International Monetary Fund’s
(IMF), which is headed by Managing
Director Christine Lagarde. The
Bank’s chief economist is Pinelopi
Koujianou Goldberg.
Another Indian-American, Nikki
Haley, who stepped down as the US
Permanent Representative to the UN
at the end of last year, is also on the
list of candidates under consideration,
according to The Financial Times.
The former South Carolina
governor was the first Indian-
American to be on the US federal
cabinet and she pushed the UN to cut
its budget and enhance efficiency.
If Nooyi, who headed a
multinational with annual revenue
of $63.5 billion and assets of $79.8
billion, gets Trump’s nod, it will
mark an ideological turnaround from
former President Barack Obama’s
orientation.
Departing from the tradition of
economists or politicians heading
the Bank, Obama appointed Kim,
a medical doctor and academic, to
reinforce the mission of fighting
poverty and promoting what
was considered a more holistic
development.
assets that will surely benefit from the
increased demand for transportation
services.
Besides aviation assets, within
the broader transportation industry,
as the demand for travel picks up,
both outbound tourism and India-
focused tourism hubs (such as the
Buddhist circuit or the Jaipur-Agra-
Delhi Triangle type) should witness
significant demand.
There has been a lot of focus in
recent years on further improving
the tourism infrastructure in India.
Over and above the inflow of foreign
tourists, going forward there will be
significant domestic demand for such
tourism infrastructure.  mostly “discretionary” in nature.
The auto industry in India will
also enjoy greater demand with
both higher number of automobiles
being sold and a larger market
for luxury cars developing with
17
But Kim also advocated greater
cooperation with the private sector
for financing development, which
Nooyi would strengthen if she gets
the job.
During her tenure PepsiCo, Nooyi
led its reorganisation, shedding some
parts of the conglomerate.
The formal process of selecting
the nominee to head the Bank is
being overseen by a panel made up
of Ivanka Trump, Treasury Secretary
Steven Mnuchin and the president’s
acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.
Although Trump has been critical
of international organisations and
called for curtailing their budgets, he
had - at least openly - a close rleation
with Kim and backed increasing the
Bank’s capital by $13 billion.
17
Nooyi had a rocky start in relating
to Trump: after his election she
said that her employees were in
“mourning.’
She, however, drew close
to Trump as he began pushing
business-friendly policies and
firmer ties to business leaders.
Nooyi served on his business
advisory council and has had dinners
with him and other business leaders
at his golf club in New Jersey.
rising incomes. Thus, the entire
auto supply chain should benefit
concomitant to the auto businesses
experiencing a significant surge in
demand. Growing demand across the
supply chain will create investment
opportunities for investors not just
in automobile companies but also in
companies such as those that supply
auto components. 
One must also view the rising
income levels within the framework
of the regulatory changes & policy
targets (such as the percentage
target of electric vehicles) sweeping
through the various industries.
For instance, in the automobile
business, the focus on electric cars
will create opportunities not just
through disrupting the traditional
supply chain but also through new
opportunities such as battery and
charging infrastructure businesses. 
The auto supply chain will have
to realign and create new production
lines that will cater to the electric car
industry in more significant numbers.
This realignment with a new
focus will require both financial
and operational expertise across
the supply chain, thereby creating
opportunities. As income levels rise,
the next phase of growth will create
business opportunities in value-
added services and products that are
Trends seen in other developed
countries such as China provide
us with some clues on the broader
direction the Indian consumption
markets are heading.
 18 INDIA Friday, January 18, 2019 The Indian Weekender

49-DAY KUMBH MELA BEGINS, 1.25 CRORE

DEVOTEES EXPECTED TO TAKE HOLY DIP
R
The stage is set for the commencement of the much-publicised 49-day Kumbh Mela with its first official bathing of Makar Sankranti on Tuesday to be undertaken by about 1.25 crore devotees.
eferring to the theme of ‘Swachch
Kumbh’, to Kumbh Mela officer
Vijay Kiran Anand said over one lakh
toilets had been made functional in the mela
area, 17,000 dustbins were placed at various
points and 25,000 sanitation staff deployed for
maintaining cleanliness.
The stage is set for the commencement of
the much-publicised 49-day Kumbh Mela with
its first official bathing of Makar Sankranti on
Tuesday to be undertaken by about 1.25 crore
devotees.
Heavy security arrangements are in
place with police and paramilitary forces
deployed at strategic places in Kumbh Mela
area and other places in the city. The senior
superintendent of police (SSP) Kumbh KP
Singh said over 20,000 police, paramilitary
and other personnel have been deployed in the
Kumbh Mela area for security of pilgrims.
Mela officials said around 35 lakh devotees
took the holy dip on Monday. Bathing would
take place at 35 bathing ghats roughly stretched
over an area of 5.5 km in the mela area.
Also watch: Prayagraj gets a makeover with
street art ahead of Kumbh
Referring to the theme of ‘Swachch Kumbh’,
to Kumbh Mela officer Vijay Kiran Anand said
over one lakh toilets had been made functional
in the mela area, 17,000 dustbins were placed
at various points and 25,000 sanitation staff
deployed for maintaining cleanliness.
Union minister of state for food processing
industries Niranjan Jyoti anointed as the
“mahamandaleshwar” of the Niranjani akhada.
People visiting the Kumbh Mela 2019 in
Prayagraj can access real-time temperature,
humidity, rainfall and other weather data on
their phones.
The weather prediction for the next three
days will also be available on the ‘Kumbh
Mela Weather Service’ app that can be
downloaded from Google Play Store.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences on Monday
launched the special services for the Mela that
will be held between January and March.
“The real-time location-specific weather
information will not only be very helpful for
the local and state authorities in the efficient
management of the entire event but also
benefit the pilgrims by keeping them abreast
of the latest weather information,” said Dr
Harsh Vardhan, the union minister for science
and technology.
To provide the location-specific data, four
automatic weather stations, in a 10-km radius
, have been set up in the city. In addition,
there will be a mobile van that will collect the
weather data to provide accurate local weather
forecast.

Centre announces Gandhi Peace

Prize awardees for 2015-18
W
hile Vivekananda Kendra,
Kanyakumari, won the
award for 2015, for 2016,
the award has been jointly given
to Akshaya Patra Foundation and
Sulabh International. 2017 award has
been given to Ekai Abhiyan Trust and
2018 award is for WHO Goodwill
Ambassador Yohei Sasakawa
After a gap of four years, the
Centre announced the awardees for

Modi honoured with first-ever

the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize
for 2015 to 2018. last conferred upon the Indian Space
While Vivekananda Kendra, Research Organisation in 2014.

Philip Kotler Presidential award

Kanyakumari, won the award for This is the first time that the
2015 for rural development and awardees of four years have been
education, for 2016, the award has announced together ever since the

P
rime Minister Narendra Modi
on Monday became the first
recipient of the prestigious
Philip Kotler Presidential award.
“The award focuses on the triple
bottom-line of ‘People, Profit
and Planet’ which will be offered
annually to the leader of a nation,”
a Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)
statement said.
According to the citation of
the award, Modi was selected for
his “outstanding leadership for
the nation”.
“His selfless service towards India,
combined with his tireless energy has
resulted in extraordinary economic,
social and technological advances in
the country,” it read.
The citation further added that
under Modi’s leadership, India infrastructure for India.” been jointly given to Akshaya Patra award was instituted in 1995. As
is now identified as the centre The citation mentions initiatives Foundation for providing mid-day per the code of procedure on the
for innovation and value added such as Make in India, Startup India, meals to children across the country Ministry of Culture’s website, the
manufacturing (Make in India), Digital India, and Swachh Bharat and Sulabh International for its work award should ideally be announced
as well as a global hub for "His have positioned India as towards emancipation of manual on Gandhi Jayanti, October 2, each
professional services selfless one of the most lucrative scavengers, the Ministry of Culture year. An official of the Ministry of
such as information service towards manufacturing and announced. Culture, the nodal agency which
t e c h n o l o g y, India, combined with business destinations For 2017, the award has been receives proposals for conferring the
accounting and his tireless energy has in the world. given to Ekai Abhiyan Trust for its award, said nominations were made
finance. resulted in extraordinary Prof. Philip Kotler contribution to education for rural during the last four years for the
The citation economic, social
is a world renowned and tribal children and for 2018, to award, but an approval was awaited.
and technological
also mentions: “His Professor of Marketing WHO Goodwill Ambassador Yohei The International Gandhi
advances in the
visionary leadership has country" at Northwestern Sasakawa for his role in leprosy Peace Prize was instituted by the
also resulted in the Digital University, Kellogg School eradication. government on the 125th birth
Revolution (Digital India), of Management. The Gandhi Peace Prize, which is anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and
including the Unique Identification Owing to his ill-health, Jagdish given to individuals and institutions is open to people of all nationalities.
Number, Aadhaar, for social benefits Sheth of EMORY University, for their contribution towards The award was jointly given in 2000
and financial inclusion. It is enabling Georgia, US, was deputed to confer social, economic and political to Nelson Mandela and Grameen
entrepreneurship, ease of doing the award. transformation through non-violence Bank of Bangladesh.
business, and creating a 21st-century and other Gandhian methods, was
 The Indian Weekender
DEMOCRACY INDIA’S GREATEST NEWS in BRIEF
STRENGTH, MUST BE DEFENDED
AT ANY COST: RAHUL GANDHI “
T
he Congress chief said then
said: "Our democracy is our
greatest strength. We must
defend it at any cost."
He recalled that one day an Afghan
lawmaker, who visited him in his
office, told him that in her country,
the arguments that place in Indian
Parliament, are carried out with guns.
Citing an Afghan lawmaker,
who told him that arguments are
carried out with guns in her country,
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on
Wednesday said that democracy is
India’s greatest strength and it must
be defended at any cost. Gandhi,
while narrating the incident in a
Facebook post, recalled that one
day in Parliament, he saw a group of
MPs from Afghanistan sitting in the
visitors’ gallery.
“And, I was thinking, ‘these MPs
have come from abroad and look
what we are doing: we are shouting
and screaming and yelling. At least
when they are here why can’t this
Ease of India for improved multilateralism
living is my with focus on Indo-Pacific
government's
commitment:
Modi
P
rime Minister Narendra Modi
on Tuesday declared that the
priority of his government
was to provide ease of living to
citizens. After lighting a lamp to
inaugurate a 13-km Kollam by-pass,
along with Chief Minister Pinarayi
Vijayan, Modi said he had always
given high priority for developing
infrastructure in Kerala.
"Ease of living is the commitment
of my government and it was with this
commitment that we gave the final
sanction for this by-pass in January
2015. Now this has been completed.
Several projects are in various stages
of progress in Kerala," he said. Modi
arrived on Tuesday evening and took
a helicopter along with Vijayan and
others to reach Kollam, located about
70 km from the state capital.
Modi pointed out that he every
month meets all the Secretaries and
Chief Secretaries of states to review
projects that are delayed.
"I was surprised to see that there
are projects that have been delayed
for over 20 to 30 years. When we
assumed office, only 56 per cent of
rural habitation was connected to
roads and today 90 per cent have
connectivity. Very soon it will be 100
per cent.
"The last man in the queue is
my priority... We have set aside Rs
7,500 for the fisheries sector besides
launching a cashless insurance
scheme for the poor," added Modi.
"We have launched two special
projects to evelop tourism in heritage
and religious places in Kerala and
sanctioned Rs 550 crore for it."
Friday, January 18, 2019
place be in order?” Gandhi said.
He said that the Afghan MPs later
visited him in his office where he told
them that he was sorry that they were
sitting in the visitors’ gallery and the
lawmakers were not having a nice
debate and sort of arguing.
“And, then, one of the MPs started
crying! I was a bit surprised. I asked
I
ndia has called for a more
multilateral global order keeping
in focus the Indo-Pacific, a
region that has grown in significance
in recent years.
Noting that India was committed
to upholding multilateralism and the
institutions it engenders, External
Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said
on Monday that the world was going
through a particularly disruptive
phase.
"Technology-driven
transformation has further
quickened that pace of change,"
the Minister said while addressing
the First Annual Disarmament
and International Security Affairs
Fellowship Programme organised by
the Ministry.
"Many of these
changes are marked
by rebalancing of
the global economy,
and consequently, of
international politics --
this is especially true of
the Asia Pacific or Indo-
Pacific region, where
India is located"
"Many of these changes are
marked by rebalancing of the
global economy, and consequently,
of international politics -- this is
especially true of the Asia Pacific or
Indo-Pacific region, where India is
located."
India, along with the US, Japan
and Australia, is part of a quad
revived in 2017 that is seeking to
work for peace and prosperity in the
Indo-Pacific, a region that stretches
from the eastern coast of Japan to the
eastern coast of Africa.
This is of special geostrategic
importance given China's increasing
her ‘what happened?’. You know, Mr.
Gandhi,’ she said, ‘in my country,
the arguments that you have in this
building, your Parliament, are carried
out with guns.
The Congress chief said added:
“Our democracy is our greatest
strength. We must defend it at any
cost.”
footprint in the region and its
belligerence in the South China Sea.
"The only way for us to take
advantage of these opportunities
so as to ensure sustainable peace
and security, is to navigate these
disruptions and underlying fault lines
through a pragmatic and constructive
approach, and most importantly, one
that strengthens existing mechanisms
of cooperation and helps to foster new
and forward-looking partnerships,"
the Minister said.
"The challenges we all face today,
and all of us know this, whether they
be the traditional security issues
such as nuclear proliferation, armed
conflict and so on or newer non-
traditional issues such as terrorism,
migration and refugee flows and
environmental degradation - all of
these, in our view, require more, and
not less, multilateralism."
Sushma Swaraj said that India's
vision of engagement in the Indo-
Pacific region will be based on
the values of peace, stability and
prosperity on a free, open, prosperous
and inclusive Indo-Pacific with the
Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (Asean) regional bloc central
to the concept, which serves the
long-term interests of all countries in
the region and of the world at large.
INDIA 19
BJP to win 74 of 80 UP seats: JP Nadda
We knew that it (SP-BSP alliance) is going to
happen...This itself speaks about the strength
of BJP..,” Nadda said.
Claiming that he had anticipated the SP-BSP
alliance, Union Minister and the party’s state
election-in-charge J P Nadda on Wednesday
claimed that the BJP will win 74 of the total 80
Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.
Nadda, who held a poll review meeting in
Lucknow Wednesday, said, “Unka jeewan…
unki rajnaitik sanskriti…jisko lekar age chale hain, commission, corruption,
lawlessness, division, is par adharit hai (The SP-BSP alliance has a political
culture based on commission, corruption, lawlessness, division).”
“We knew that it (SP-BSP alliance) is going to happen…This itself
speaks about the strength of BJP..,” he said, adding that considering the state
government’s four-and-a-half years of work, people are ready to “bless” BJP
with an “a record victory” as it is going to win “74” of the 80 seats.
India needs to be careful about Aadhaar info misuse:
Ex-national security advisor
A
t a seminar on cyber security organized by BCCI and CENERS-K
here, Narayanan said India is listed among top five nations affected
by cyber attacks.
With Aadhaar cards becoming ubiquitous, the country needs to marshal its
defensive and offensive capabilities, former national security adviser M K
Narayanan said on Wednesday.
At a seminar on cyber security organized by BCCI and CENERS-K here,
he said India is listed among top five nations affected by cyber attacks.
“The country is on the threshold of a digital age. And the use of Aadhaar
cards is becoming more ubiquitous every day.
“It is also getting increasingly easier to mask an identity online. Once a
code used in a malware comes into the open market, it could be bought and
repurposed by hackers and nations across the world,” the former West Bengal
governor asserted.
Prime Minister to inaugurate three-day Vibrant Gujarat
summit
P
rime Minister Narendra Modi arrives on Thursday on a three-day
visit to his home state to thrown open his pet biennial Vibrant Gujarat
Global Summit besides other events in the capital and Ahmedabad.
He will first inaugurate the Vibrant Gujarat Trade Show at the Mahatma
Mandir Exhibition and Convention Centre, where over 25 industrial and
business sectors will be showcased.
According to an official release, the Prime Minister, later in the evening
on Thursday, will inaugurate Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Medical
Sciences and Research in Ahmedabad.
Culled from the decades-old Vadilal Sarabhai Hospital, this is a 78-metre
high state of the art super-speciality public hospital built by Ahmedabad
Municipal Corporation and is equipped with all modern amenities, including
an air ambulance. The press release stated that this will be a completely
paperless hospital and is a part of the Ayushman Bharat initiative. Modi will
inspect the facilities at the hospital and address a gathering.
Jaitley diagnosed with rare cancer
F
inance Minister Arun Jaitley, who left for the US for medical treatment,
has been diagnosed with a rare kind of cancer and may not be able to
present this years Interim Budget on February 1, sources said.
Jaitley had left for the US on Sunday for what was believed to be a medical
check-up relating to his kidney ailment. However, sources said he was
diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma, a rare type of cancer, and decided to go
for treatment in New York.
There was no word on when he was likely to return, but some sources said
he was expected back on January 19, but others said it could be later.
Jaitley, 66, had undergone a renal transplant surgery on May 14 last year.
Officials have been tight-lipped about the trip which has come at a time when
the Finance Ministry is busy with the preparations of the vote-on-account
budget to be presented in the Lok Sabha on February 1 -- his sixth and the last
by the BJP-led NDA government in its current term.
Congress not a challenge for AAP: Sanjay Singh
C
alling the Congress an "anti-Sikh" party, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay
Singh on Wednesday said the Congress is not a challenge for his party
in Delhi, irrespective of who its chief is.
Speaking to media, Singh said the presence of Jagdish Tytler at a ceremony
where Sheila Dikshit formally took over as Delhi Congress chief showed that
the party is "anti-Sikh".
"The Congress still doesn't hold people responsible for the killing of so
many Sikhs. While Kamal Nath was made Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh,
Tytler was allowed to sit in the front row in today's event. The party should
make its stand clear if it is with the victims or with the culprits," said Sanjay
Singh. He said the Congress is not a challenge for his party, as the work done
by the AAP in four years is "historic".
 20 INDIAN ABROAD
5,000 register for Indian
diaspora conclave A
O
ver 5,000 people will
participate in this year’s
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
(PBD) -- the Indian diaspora
conclave to be held in Varanasi from
January 21 to 23, Minister of State
for External Affairs V.K. Singh said.
Briefing the media, Singh said
while in the last PBD held in
Bengaluru in 2016 only 500 people
had registered till the time of a media
briefing like the one on Friday, this
time over 5,000 people have already
registered for the event.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Jugnauth as the chief guest.
will inaugurate the conclave with India-origin
Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Parliament -- Himanshu Gulati of
Indians settled abroad get PM Modi’s invite for Kumbh, R-Day
I
ndians living aboard recently got a pleasant
surprise -- a direct invite from prime minister
Narendra Modi to be a part of the world’s
biggest religious congregation – Kumbh at
Prayagraj– commencing from January 15.
The invite from the Prime Miniser has been sent
to the people of Indian origin through ministry
of external affairs to visit Varanasi for Pravasi
Divas on January 21-23 and then Kumbh Mela in
Prayagraj and Republic Day.
City residents whose relatives are settled
oversees are elated as the PM’s invite will give
them an opportunity to get united with their loved
ones. Sardar Patel resident, Nandni Mehrotra
told the media, “My bua (aunty) is settled in
Arizona in USA, she is planning a trip to Varanasi
and Prayagraj after she received an email from
ministery of external affairs wherein the prime
minister Narendra Modi had invited them to
attend Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas at Varanasi from
January 21 to 23 and Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj
to witness the culture and tradition of the country.
The PM’s letter reads, “Dear friends, wishing
your family a happy new year 2019. Hope this
New Year would help to take you New height
and success. I am writing this letter in connection
with Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas. This year, Pravasi
Bharatiya Diwas is being organised at Varanasi
from Jan 21 to 23. Being Prime Minister, I would
be inaugurating the event as well as being the
MP of Varanasi, I have an opportunity to
welcome you.
The letter also says, “This time, the Pravasi
Diwas is also associated with two more occasions
including Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj and Republic
Day on January 26.
In all, the Pravasi Diwas would be more unique
as well as different from other occasions. You
would witness a new India apart from rich cultural
Trump assures ‘certainty’ path to citizenship for H1-B visa-holders
U
S President Donald Trump said Friday that
he will change the H1-B visa system for
professionals to ensure “certainty” and a
path to citizenship for those on the visa.
Trump said in an early morning tweet: “H1-B
holders in the US can rest assured that changes are
soon coming which will bring both simplicity and
certainty to your stay, including a potential path
to citizenship. We want to encourage talented and
highly skilled people to pursue career options in
the US.”
Indians are the biggest beneficiaries of the
temporary H1-B visas, 76 percent of which went
to professionals from India last year, according to
government statistics.
Caught in a controversy over his plans to stop
illegal immigration that has been made to appear he
is anti-immigrant, Trump appeared to be sending
a message that he supports legal immigrants and
opposes only those coming in illegally.
Friday, January 18, 2019
Landmark project headed by Indian
American to study blood clots
team led by an Indian
American researcher has
received a grant for studying
thrombosis – a life threatening
Norway and Kanwaljit Bakshi of
condition of blood clots being formed
New Zealand – will be the guests of in the veins and arteries.
honour. Sriram Krishnaswamy, a human diseases. Krishnaswamy, who
The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman researcher at Children’s Hospital
will be conferred on 30 individuals of Philadelphia and professor of
for their achievements and Paediatrics at the Perelman School
accomplishments in different fields, of Medicine of University of
according to Singh. Pennsylvania, will be leading the
After the conclusion of event on team for the study, The American
January 23, the participants will be Bazaar reported on Wednesday.
taken to Prayagraj on January 24 The team will receive the five-year
where they will participate in the grant for the project “Hemstasis and
Kumbh Mela. Thrombosis: Chemistry, Biology
From there, they will be brought and Physiology” from the National
in special trains to New Delhi where Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Members of they will witness the Republic Day (NHLBI), which is part of the
on January 26, he added. National Institutes of Health (NIH)
heritage and traditions.” be part of it,” added Nandini.
The PM has also requested Pravasi Indians Nandini said that NRIs have been appealed by
to encourage their friends and relatives settled the ministry to register themselves which would
aboard to be part of Pravasi Diwas in Varanasi help them to participate in all events including
who have earlier not god an opportunity for the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas, Kumbh and then
same. This Republic Day.
Nandini, meanwhile, said, “After time, the Not only Nandini, Uma Dwivedi,
receiving letter from the PM, my Pravasi Diwas is whose daughter Shikha is settled
relatives are quite excited and also associated with in US, has too received letter from
have decided to make necessary two more occasions the ministry of external affairs
arrangements as they would be including Kumbh Mela and is chalking out plan to visit
coming to India after a long time to see at Prayagraj and Kumbh Mela.
the Kumbh which they had witnessed in Republic Day on Dwivedi said, “It is a good
their childhood days. January 26 opportunity for the family members
“When I talked to my aunty, she exchanged to be part of Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas and
memories of old Ardh Kumbh and Kumbh Kumbh Mela”.
festivals attended by her during childhood days,” She claimed, “Kumbh Mela has made its
said Nandini adding “but when I told her this time, reach worldwide and people settled in different
Kumbh is being organised in a grand manner and countries are being invited for the first time by the
in a new colour, she too expressed willingness to Prime Minister through external affair ministry.”
Since it was only a tweet, there were no details
about how he would go about making the changes.
Trump announces many plans and ideas through
tweets but not all of them get implemented.
Trump’s tweet came the morning after his visit
to the US-Mexico border on Thursday to promote
his plan for building the wall to prevent illegal
immigration, crime and drug-smuggling.
The border wall or barrier is opposed by
Democrats, who have refused to allocate funds for
it in the budget.
This has led to a standoff with Trump, who has
refused to accept a budget without funding for
Limiting H1-B visas has been a matter of the wall and as a result there has been a partial
concern for India and New Delhi has taken it up shutdown of non-essential parts of the federal
with Washington. government now in its 20th day.
Major US companies have also said that the The media, the Democrats and activists blur the
limiting of H1-B visas and the long waits for distinction between illegal and legal immigrants
permanent residence seriously affect their ability and assert that Trump is anti-immigrant, which his
to get and retain talented staff. tweet appears to aim to dispel.
The Indian Weekender
under the US Department of Health.
Krishnaswamy and his team
will be looking at the mechanisms
of clotting to understand how to
modulate it in a better way and find
new approaches for the treatment of
grew up in India, moved to England
after completing his early education
at Lawrence School, Lovedale, Tamil
Nadu. Following his graduation from
Denstone College Staffordshire, he
came to the US for graduate studies
in biology and biochemistry at
Syracuse University, New York. He
then joined the University of Vermont
for his post-doctoral fellowship.
Though thrombosis is widely
understood to be an old man’s
disease, it is limited to that segment
of the population.
With Gopinath as IMF chief
economist, 4 women now
at apex of world economy
F
our women will dominate
the global economic policy
sphere with eminent
academic Gita Gopinath becoming
the International Monetary Fund’s
(IMF) chief economist.
In a sign of growing women
power, she along with her boss
and IMF’s Managing Director
Christine Lagarde, World Bank’s
chief economist Pinelopi Koujianou
Goldberg, and Kristalina Georgieva,
the Bank’s CEO who will become
its interim President next month,
will have the leading role in guiding
international financial policy as the
world economy faces its severest
stress in more than a decade.
They confront the confluence of
a retreat from globalization, a trade
war between China and the US,
uncertainties in Europe over Brexit,
weakening of several currencies
against the dollar, shifts in foreign
direct investments and the growing
inequalities between nations and
within countries.
Gopinath, who became the first
woman to become the IMF’s chief
economist, succeeded Maurice
Obstfeld, who left the organization at
the end of last year.
When Lagarde announced in
October Gopinath’s appointment
with the formal title of Economic
Counsellor and Director of the
Research Department, she called
her “one of the world’s outstanding
economists, with impeccable
academic credentials, a proven track
record of intellectual leadership and
extensive international experience”.
“All this makes her exceptionally
well-placed to lead our Research
Department at this important
juncture. I am delighted to name
such a talented figure as our Chief
Economist,” Lagarde said.
Before coming to the IMF,
Gopinath was professor of
International Studies and Economics
at Harvard University.
She was concurrently appointed in
2016 as the economic adviser to the
Kerala Chief Minister with the rank
of principal secretary. She has also
served as a member of the Eminent
Persons Advisory Group on G-20
Matters for the Indian Ministry of
Finance.
 The Indian Weekender Friday, January 18, 2019 WORLD 21

Most Indian-origin MPs to vote against

Brexit deal in House of Commons
T
here are 12 Indian-origin MPs in the
current House of Commons and most
of them are likely to vote against the
EU withdrawal agreement that will be put to
vote on Tuesday evening – albeit, for differing
reasons.
The cohort of 12 elected in the 2017 mid-
term elections represents the largest number
of Indian-origin MPs to be elected in British
parliamentary history: seven from Labour and
five from the ruling Conservative party.
While Labour has announced its intention
to vote against the agreement, it will also be
opposed by Indian-origin Conservative MPs,
going by their postures and statement since the
2016 referendum on the UK’s membership of
the EU.
The seven Labour MPs are: Virendra Sharma,
Keith Vaz, Lisa Nandy, Seema Malhotra,
Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Preet Kaur Gill and
Valerie Vaz. The five Conservative MPs are:
Priti Patel, Alok Sharma, Rishi Sunak, Suella
Braverman and Shailesh Vara.
A leading Brexiteer, Patel has strongly
opposed the agreement: “We should not be
frightened to reject the deal agreed by the
EU and UK. We should instead fully prepare,
pursue a renegotiation and get Britain ready to
make a success of the opportunities that come
with Brexit.”
Vara, who resigned as minister in the
A handout photograph released by the UK Parliament shows Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May
attending the weekly Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons in London in January
Northern Ireland Office in November when the
draft agreement was published, wrote to May:
“With respect Prime Minister, this Agreement
does not provide for the United Kingdom being
a sovereign, independent country leaving the
shackles of the EU, however it is worded”.
“We are a proud nation and it is a sad day
when we are reduced to obeying rules made by
other countries who have shown that they do
not have our best interests at heart. We can and
must do better than this. The people of the UK
deserve better. That is why I cannot support this
Minister should cooperate across parliament to
find a better Brexit deal.
“The collapse of support for the Prime
Minister’s deal is indicative of her refusal to
work across Parliament and with the opposition
party. It doesn’t have support in Parliament or
across the country.”
“That is why it is time for Theresa May to
step down and call a General Election or to hold
a People’s Vote on the country’s support for her
half-baked, growth destroying and bad deal,”
Sharma added.
Industrialist Swraj Paul, member of the
House of Lords who will vote on the agreement
if and when it comes to the House, said he
did not remember such a “logjam” in British
politics as the current impasse over Brexit.
He said: “While remaining very pro-
European, I am a very strong believer in
agreement.”
democracy and my view is plain and simple.
Braverman, another leading Brexiteer
If the people have voted in a referendum, that
who was a minister in Brexit department,
decision must be implemented. We cannot have
also resigned the day the draft agreement
a referendum after a referendum because some
was published in November, following other
people don’t like it.”
ministers in the May government who resigned
“Parliament at the moment is very divided
on the issue.
because they are not looking at the issues,
Sharma reiterated Labour’s position that
the issue is a decision to implement what has
May should resign and call a general election.
been decided by the country. It should happen
“I campaigned against leaving the EU, I voted
and I think still it will happen. It will be very
against the triggering of Article 50 when I felt
unfortunate if it doesn’t. To have another
it was premature and counselled that the Prime
referendum is a joke.”

Mars Ahoy! Elon Musk After alleged abuse, Saudi teen refugee
shows off prototype of in Canada wants to fight for women
A
Saudi teen who caused an

rocket bound to red planet international sensation by

defying her family and
seeking asylum abroad on Tuesday
Elon Musk posted pictures
vowed to fight for women’s freedoms
on Twitter late Thursday in her first public address since she
of the Starship Hopper was taken in by Canada.
prototype, which awaits its Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun
first flight test in Texas in captured the world’s attention with a
trail of tweets from her hotel room at
the coming weeks.

S
paceX CEO Elon Musk has
unveiled the first pictures of
a retro-looking, steely rocket
called Starship that may one day
carry people to the Moon and Mars.
Musk posted pictures on Twitter
late Thursday of the Starship Hopper
prototype, which awaits its first flight
test in Texas in the coming weeks.
“Starship test flight rocket just
finished assembly at the @SpaceX
Texas launch site.
"This is an actual picture, not a
rendering,” he wrote.
The prototype built in Boca
Chica, along the Gulf Coast of
Texas, is nine yards (eight meters)
in diameter -- like the future rocket
will be -- but is shorter. Its first test
flights -- suborbital “hops” reaching
several miles (kilometers) in the air
before landing back on Earth -- could
come in March or April. An orbital
prototype is expected in June. That
version will be paired with a massive
rocket booster known as the Super
Heavy.
SpaceX has said the duo could
one day transport people from city
to city on Earth, as well as propel
passengers around the Moon, to the
lunar surface, and even to Mars and
back.
SpaceX currently launches regular
supply missions to the astronauts
living at the International Space
Station, using its Falcon 9 rocket and
Dragon cargo capsule.
The company is working on a
new Dragon crew capsule that could
start carrying people to the orbiting
outpost later this year.
SpaceX to lay off about 10% of its
workforce
Elon Musk’s SpaceX will lay off
about 10% of its more than 6,000
employees, a source familiar with the
matter said on Friday.
The company did not comment
on the number of layoffs but said
in emailed comments that it needs
to become a “leaner” organization
for which it would “part ways” with
some of its workforce.
“To continue delivering for
our customers and to succeed in
developing interplanetary spacecraft
and a global space-based Internet,
SpaceX must become a leaner
company,” a SpaceX spokesman
said.
Bangkok’s airport, where she holed
up after Thai authorities initially
barred her from travelling on to
Australia.
Her emotional social media posts
ignited a #SaveRahaf movement as Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, an 18-year-old Saudi woman who fled her family,
she fled what she said was physical speaks at the COSTI Corvetti Education Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
and psychological abuse from her
family in ultra-conservative Saudi allegations. Reflecting on her own living in Canada,” she said.
Arabia -- and prompted quick action. experience, she said: “I was not Shortly after her arrival in Toronto,
Also watch:  Saudi woman who treated respectfully by my family Qunun went shopping for some
fled to Canada: ‘More women will and not allowed to be myself and warm clothes and connected with
follow’ who I want to be.” local acquaintances.
She was granted refugee status and “In Saudi Arabia, this is the case Costi executive director Mario
was welcomed by Canada’s Foreign for all Saudi women except for those Calla said the agency is helping her
Minister Chrystia Freeland after that have understanding parents. find long-term accommodations,
landing in Toronto on Saturday. They can’t be independent open a bank account, obtain
“Today and for years to come, I "She and need approval of Canadian documents, and enroll in
will work in support of freedom feels safe their male guardian English classes, as well as showing
for women around the world, because she knows for everything.” her how to get around and teaching
her “about life in Canada.”
the same freedom that I she is in a safe country. Rights groups
experienced on the first day I The people (here) have have said she He noted concerns about her
arrived in Canada,” she told a her best interest at heart has renounced safety, citing online threats and
press conference, reading from Islam, risking saying guards have been posted at
and are trying to help
a prepared statement in Arabic. prosecution in her temporary home.
her.
Standing in front of a large her home country. “She feels safe because she knows
Canadian flag at the Toronto offices - Making ‘own she is in a safe country. The people
of refugee resettling agency Costi, decisions’ - (here) have her best interest at heart
Qunun denounced Saudi Arabia’s Upon learning of Canada’s asylum and are trying to help her. She has
strict male guardianship rules, offer, Qunun said her stress “melted seen the outpouring of support,”
saying: “I am one of the lucky ones.” away.” Calla said.
“I know there are unlucky women Now, she said, she can make her Qunun has admitted that threats
that disappeared after escaping and “own decisions,” including about posted on social media “scare her,”
could not do anything to change their travel and marriage. he added.
reality,” she said through a translator. “I would like to start living a When she reads those posts, “her
Her family has denied the abuse normal life, like any young woman emotions go back and forth.”
 22 SPORTS Friday, January 18, 2019 The Indian Weekender

NEWS in BRIEF
India lose to Bahrain, crash out of Asian Cup
I ndia lost 0-1 to Bahrain in their
last Group A match to crash
out of the Asian Cup football
tournament on Monday.
Jamal Rashed (90+1) converted
a penalty in second-half added
time as Bahrain managed to break
India’s dogged defence after
90 minutes of grim battle.India
finished at the bottom of the group with three points from as many matches.
With hosts, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) being held 1-1 by Thailand in
the other Group A match of the night, both teams entered the next stage with

INDIA’S MARY KOM BECOMES

Bahrain qualifying as the third-best team.
The UAE finished the group stage with five points, while Thailand and
Bahrain managed four points each.

WORLD’S TOP WOMAN BOXER South Africa secure 3-0 sweep as Pakistan crumble
P akistan lost seven wickets inside the first session on day four to slip
from 153/3 to 273 all out in a chase of 381, ceding a series whitewash

I
ndia’s Mary Kom rose to the top
of the boxing world rankings
Thursday, two months after
becoming the first female boxer to
win six world championships.
The 36-year-old mother-of-three
was ranked number one by the
International Boxing Association
(AIBA) in the Light Fly 45-48
kilogramme category, scoring
1700 points.
Kom capped her 2018 campaign
with her sixth world championship
title after defeating Ukraine’s Hanna
Okhota by 5-0 in Delhi.
Okhota is ranked number two in
the world, with 1100 points.
That victory took her past Ireland’s
Katie Taylor, and level with the men’s
record held by Cuban legend Felix
Savon as the most successful pugilist
ever at the world championships.
She also won gold medals at the
2018 Commonwealth Games and the
Silesian Open Boxing Tournament
in Poland. She bagged a silver at the
Strandja Memorial in Bulgaria.
Kom won a silver at the inaugural
women’s world championships in
2001, kick starting her international
career.
She went on to win gold in each of
the next five world championships.
Kom, who was the subject of a
Bollywood film in 2014, won bronze
at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
She is likely to miss the 2020 Tokyo
Olympics as her 48-kg category is
not included in the Games roaster.
INDIAN WOMEN IN AIBA
RANKINGS
1. Among other Indians, Pinki
Jangra is placed eighth in the
51kg category list. Asian silver-
medallist Manisha Maun holds the
same position in the 54kg category.
2. Former world silver-medallist
Sonia Lather was placed at the
second spot in the 57kg division
despite enduring a disappointing
2018, during which she finished
medal-less at the Asian Games.
3. World bronze-medallist Simranjit
Kaur (64kg), who was crowned
the national champion a few days
back, took the fourth position in
her weight category.
4. Following her was former world
champion L Sarita Devi at the 16th
spot.
5. India Open gold-medallist and
world bronze-winner Lovlina
Borgohain took the fifth position
in the 69kg category.
to a dominant South Africa.
Coming into the fourth day of the final Test at 153/3, Pakistan would
have entertained thoughts of giving South Africa a run for their money. But
a tame batting display meant they succumbed to a 107-run defeat in the
morning session on Monday, 14 January. The carnage began soon: Duanne
Olivier, who has been phenomenal throughout the series, took two wickets
off consecutive balls to remove Babar Azam and Sarfaraz Ahmed.
Azam departed for 21 – an addition of just four to his overnight total –
when he was bounced out by a rising beauty. Sarfaraz, who was expecting
another steepler, lost his off stump next ball, failing to adjust his stance to
counter the good length ball.
Australian Open 2019: Rafael Nadal, Maria
Sharapova blaze through to the second round
F ormer champion Rafael Nadal showed no signs of discomfort from his
thigh strain as he sailed through to the second round of the Australian
Open with a 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 win over local hope James Duckworth.
The first meeting between the 17-times Grand Slam champion, a winner
at Melbourne Park in 2009, and Australian wildcard Duckworth, who is
ranked 238 in the world, always had the potential to be an uneven contest.
The second-seeded Spaniard had pulled out of the Brisbane warm-up with
a thigh strain to raise doubts about his campaign but he allayed those fears
on Rod Laver Arena against an error-prone opponent.

Shubman, Vijay to replace Hardik, Rahul

Shakil Ahmed sets world record in Indoor Rowing
A sian Cup gold medalist and noted oarsman Shakil Ahmed added one

W
hile Shankar will join
the team before the start
of the second One Day
International (ODI) in Adelaide
and will be a part of the squad for
the ODI series in Australia and the
tour to New Zealand, Gill has been
picked only for the ODI and T20I
series in New Zealand.
“With K.L. Rahul and Hardik
Pandya set to return from Australia,
the All-India Senior Selection
Committee has decided to send all-
rounder Vijay Shankar and batsman
Shubman Gill as replacements,” a
Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI) statement said.
The BCCI had earlier suspended
and sent Rahul and Pandya back
home from Australia after their
alleged “sexist” comments in a
television chat show.
On Saturday, India went down by
34 runs in the first of the three ODIs
against Australia.
The second and third ODIs
will be played on Tuesday and
Friday at Adelaide and Melbourne,
respectively.
more feather in his cap when he set up a world record by completing
100,000 (one lakh) metres of indoor rowing in the 40-years-and-above
category here.
FISA level one coach, Shakil, who has twenty six international medals
during his rowing career so far, began his record setting indoor rowing feat
in Salt Lake stadium complex at 8 a.m on Sunday morning.
He achieved the rare feat of covering 100,000 metre of simulated distance
after ten hours in presence of Secretary of West Bengal Rowing Association
(WBRA) Secretary Souvik Ghosh and another WBRA committee member
Aniruddha Mukherjee. The event was broadcast online throughout the world
during the entire period. Ghosh and Mukherjee said that they would now
certify the feat to the authorities of Limca Book of Records.

Bracewell, bowlers power New Zealand to 35-run win

L
ate resurgence, with both bat and ball, helped New Zealand
to an exciting win in the lone Twenty20 International
against Sri Lanka.
First New Zealand lifted themselves to 179/7 after stumbling
to 55/5 at the halfway mark. Then Sri Lanka looked like they
were bossing the chase at 94/3 in under 10 overs before New
Zealand’s bowlers made a roaring comeback for a 35-run win in
Auckland on Friday, 11 January.
Doug Bracewell smashed five sixes and a four in his 26-ball 44
to give New Zealand late impetus (Image: ICC)
The chase hadn’t begun too well for Sri Lanka, with Lockie
Ferguson castling Sadeera Samarawickrama for a golden duck
in the very first over. Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Perera then
added 30 quick runs, but were dismissed in the space of five balls.
Debutant Scott Kuggeleijn, who had earlier made an impact
with the bat, had Kusal for a 12-ball 23, cramping him with a
yorker. With his very first ball, Doug Bracewell, who had top-
scored with 44, sent back Dickwella, who perished for 18 in
trying to heave a wide ball.
Coming into the game in sizzling form from the preceding
ODIs, Thisara Perera looked good again. He raised a fine 49-run
stand with Kusal Mendis to put Sri Lanka back in charge.
But when Tim Southee got Mendis caught at mid-off with a
deceptive leg-cutter for 17, things turned drastically. Thisara and
Dhananjaya de Silva were dismissed in the 13th over by the raw
pace of Ferguson, leaving the visitors at a tricky 119/6.
Sri Lanka’s lower order were unable to muster up a fight as
spinners Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner did the clean-up job to
bowl them out for 144.
Earlier, New Zealand were in hot water at 27/4, and their
comeback from there was rather remarkable. Lasith Malinga and
Kasun Rajitha extracted an element of awkward bounce from
the pitch, the New Zealand top-order batsmen failing to contend
with what they were dishing out.
Lasith Malinga and Kasun Rajitha led the early charge against
the hosts with two quick wickets apiece Lasith Malinga and
Kasun Rajitha led the early charge against the hosts with two
quick wickets apiece.
Malinga accounted for Martin Guptill in the very first over
when the opener miscued a pull shot for just one. Tim Seifert fell
the next over to Rajitha when he got a leading edge to cover as
he looked to turn one to the on side.
Henry Nicholls tried to play a booming drive off a Malinga in-
swinger and ended up chopping on. Opener Munro showed some
promise with a seven-ball 16, but his stint was cut short when
he was rushed on by a short ball from Rajitha. When Mitchell
Santner miscued a heave to long-off to fall for 13, New Zealand
had slipped to 55/5 at the end of 10 overs.
Ross Taylor too looked uncomfortable early on in his innings,
but was able to battle through for a steadying 33 off 37 balls. He
started playing some aggressive shots in the end until he was
caught by the keeper off Thisara Perera’s bowling as he edged a
massive heave.
Doug Bracewell smashed five sixes and a four in his 26-ball
44 to give New Zealand late impetus Doug Bracewell smashed
five sixes and a four in his 26-ball 44 to give New Zealand late
impetus
The real fightback came from Bracewell and Kuggeleijn. The
duo added 41 rapid runs together for the seventh wicket before
Southee joined in to lay the finishing touches.
In his 26-ball stay at the crease, Bracewell smashed five sixes
and a four to race to 44 before falling prey to a cleverly disguised
slower ball from Rajitha.
 The Indian Weekender Friday, January 18, 2019 FEATURES 23

Honor 10 Lite
with dewdrop
notch display
H
uawei's sub-brand Honor on
Tuesday launched the Honor 10
Lite with its home-grown Kirin 710
processor and a dewdrop notch display in
India at a starting price of Rs 13,999.

These are the best smartwatches for

everything from fashion to fitness
T
he smartwatch phenomenon began in earnest in 2015, but now it’s in full swing. The latest-
and-greatest smartwatches are a big improvement over their unsightly first- and second- Anyone who wants a smaller smartwatch.
generation counterparts. Now we have a number of attractive options from tech companies
TAG HEUER CONNECTED
and fashion brands alike. There is a model for everyone on this list of the best smartwatches —
whether you’re a man, woman, or child. We’ve also included a variety of smartwatch operating
MODULAR 41
systems on this list, so you can find the watch that works best with your phone. The best smartwatch from
a Swiss watchmaker
Best smartwatches of 2018 It’s the best smartwatch if you own Why should you buy
• Apple Watch Series 4: Best overall an Android phone. Stylish, easy to use, with this:
smartwatch an intuitive interface, the Galaxy Watch can do You want a
• Samsung Galaxy Watch: Best smartwatch it all watch that’s made
for Android Who is it for? by a company The smartphone would be available in a
• Fossil Sport: Best Wear OS smartwatch Anyone who values a great user interface on that understands configuration of 4GB RAM + 64GB storage
• Garmin Forerunner 645 Music: Best a slick smartwatch watches and is and 6GB RAM +64GB storage for Rs 17,999
smartwatch for fitness addicts
FOSSIL SPORT keeping up with in sapphire blue, sky blue and midnight black
• Montblanc Summit 2: Best smartwatch by a
The best Wear OS smartwatch technology. Want to colours only on Flipkart.
fashion brand
Why should you buy this? swap out your Wear OS "Following our devotion in photography
• Kate Spade Scallop: Best Wear OS
It packs the latest technology into an smartwatch for a Swiss and design in the Lite series the Honor 10
smartwatch for women
extremely good-looking smartwatch. The watch? The Connected Lite also sports a range of high-end features,"
• Tag Heuer Connected Modular 41: Best
Fossil Sport packs the latest tech into a sleek Modular 41 makes it very Suhail Tariq, Chief Marketing Officer,
smartwatch from a Swiss watchmaker
smartwatch, all for a great price. easy. Huawei Consumer Business Group, said.
• Fossil Q Commuter/Fossil Q Neely: Best
Who’s it for? Who is it for: The Honor 10 Lite has a dual camera set-
hybrid smartwatch
Anyone who wants a sleek, sporty Watch fans who don’t mind spending more up at the back, including a 13MP primary
APPLE WATCH SERIES 4 smartwatch that’ll work on iOS or Android. on a smartwatch lens and a 2MP secondary sensor.
The best FOSSIL Q COMMUTER The smartphone packs in a 24MP Artificial
It's simply the best, by far. There's no
GARMIN FORERUNNER 645 MUSIC Intelligence (AI) selfie camera, a dewdrop
The best smartwatch for fitness addicts The best hybrid smartwatch
comparison at the moment. display and a shimmering gradient back.
Why should you buy this: Why should you buy this:
It’s a different beast from the The device is powered by Kirin 710 chipset
It has a genuine smartwatch looks and It’s a classic Fossil watch made with high-
Series 3 is a few ways, the coupled with LPDDR4X RAM for improved
functionality, with all the right quality materials. The Fossil Q Commuter uses
biggest being an performance. This is the first Honor phone to
fitness features. its stunning looks to hide a plethora of smart
increase in case size have GPU Turbo 2.0 which helps reduce lags
It looks like a features.
— it’s now 40mm and frame drops, the company added.
smartwatch, Who’s it for:
and 44mm, over Honor 10 Lite is also the first phone from
d e l i v e r s Men or women who like traditionally styled
38mm and 42mm the company to run the latest EMUI 9.0
notifications like watches, but want to try out a smartwatch.
— as well as a operating system (OS) out of the box.
considerably larger a smartwatch, Should you buy a smartwatch?
but also covers
Google creating publishing
viewing area on the So you think you want a smartwatch? Are
all your fitness- you sure? After all, unlike a smartphone, no- platform for local news publishers

T
OLED screen. The
WatchOS 5 software tracking needs. one really needs a smartwatch. o help small newsrooms overcome
makes great use of the Who’s it for: However, because manufacturers are finally challenges in their strive to go digital,
extra space, with more iPhone or Android coming round to the realization a smartwatch Google is creating a new publishing
users who want needs to look good if we’re to buy one, they’re platform for local news publishers.
detailed notifications, and
smartwatch looks with a lot more tempting than they once were. One- Google News Initiative has partnered with
new watch faces with more complications.
tons of fitness-specific day battery life and a touchscreen on a watch is web development company, Automattic and
Larger buttons make interacting with the Apple
features still hard to swallow for some people, but that’s WordPress.com – home to 30 per cent of
Watch Series 4 easier, too.
why hybrid smartwatches were invented. the world's websites – and has invested $1.2
Who’s it for: MONTBLANC SUMMIT 2 The Apple Watch Series 4 works without
Anyone with an iPhone who wants a million in its effort to create "Newspack".
The best smartwatch by a fashion brand a phone, to a degree, and Wear OS is a "Newspack" is a fast, secure, low-cost
smartwatch. Why should you buy this? considerably better wearable operating system
publishing system tailor-made to the needs of
SAMSUNG GALAXY WATCH The Montblanc Summit 2 is a classic, elegant than it once was. The choice of styles, for both
small newsrooms, Google said.
timepiece that offers the latest technology. men and women, is far greater than it was a
The best smartwatch for Android The new publishing tool will be made
Montblanc’s Summit 2 is the luxury smartwatch year ago.
The watch itself is Samsung’s most available to publishers globally later in the
to buy. Many big-name fashion brands are adding
stylish yet, and its full touchscreen smartwatches to their ranges, year.
most watch-like too. I t Who’s it for? "Newspapers with long histories have had
Men or women seeking a traditional, classic bringing considerable kudos with them. We’re
moves away from also seeing improvements as the next generation to cut back on staff and reduce coverage
the sporty style look. and reporters who try to start new digital
of Wear OS watches, using Qualcomm’s
adopted for the KATE SPADE SCALLOP updated Snapdragon 3100 chip, emerges. Now publications face an interminable struggle
Gear S3 and is a great time to get into smartwatches. with technical and business problems," said
The best Wear OS smartwatch
the Gear Sport. However, if you’re not ready to commit to a Jim Albrecht, Product Management Director,
for women
Samsung has touchscreen smartwatch, but still want to try Google Search.
Why should you buy this?
also dropped the out some smart features, the huge choice of "Journalists should be writing stories and
It’s the best-looking
Gear name for hybrid watches has got you covered. covering their communities, not worrying
smartwatch if you have
the Galaxy Watch, They often cost half of what you’ll pay about designing websites, configuring CMSs,
smaller wrists. Stylish
and introduced two for the cheapest Apple Watch, link with or building commerce systems."
and slim, the Kate Spade
case sizes and plenty any smartphone, and provide traditional While "Newspack" publishers will have
Scallop is a smartwatch
of straps and colors. We like watch looks matched with a connected smart access to all the plugins created by the
designed by a company that experience. If you’re tempted by a smartwatch,
the 46mm version which only comes in silver, WordPress developer community, the core
knows fashion and tech. we say go for it.
while the 42mm version comes in black or gold. product is not trying to be all things to all
Who’s it for"
Why should you buy this? publishers.
24 FEATURES
Quick and easy Makar Sankranti recipes
T
he beginning of the year
calls for celebrations. And
when it comes to Hindu
galore! January 14 marks the
T
traditions, the country is celebrations
celebration of Makar Sankranti
which is also known as Pongal or
Lohri, depending on which region
you belong. It observes the day from
when the days grow longer - the
onset of spring and then summer.  festival.
Coconut Burfi
A
classic and delicious dessert,
this one is popular in regions of
Kerala as it involves coconuts and is
easy to make.  • Curry leaves
Ingredients
• 2 cups of grated coconut
• 3 cups of sugar
• Half a cup of white almond
powder
• Quarter spoon cardamom powder
Method
• Add the coconut and sugar in
anon stick pan and keep stirring
until the sugar melts and starts to
bubble.  and then add the sugar, salt and
• Add the almond and cinnamon
powder slowly and stir till it
becomes a soft dough.  golden brown.  rice and mix well.  • This can be consumed both hot
• Turn off the gas and pour this
Your Lohri is incomplete without yummy food
Here are some must-haves on
Lohri and the recipes on how to
create them.
Ganne ki kheer
Ingredients
• 1 liter sugarcane juice
• 100g basmati rice
Method:  100 grams sugar
• Boil the sugarcane juice in a pan.  3 litres milk
• Wash the rice and add it to the
juice. Let it cook on a low flame.  Ingredients
• Once the rice is cooked, mix the
items well until it forms a thick
consistency.  Method:
• Once it cools down, refrigerate it
and serve once it is cold.  • Add rice to it and stir well until it
dough into a greased plate while
it is still piping hot.  hot, pour it into another plate
• Press it firmly to make it equal
on top and then cut it into smaller
pieces. Once it has cooled down,
pop a piece in your mouth and
relish!
Peanut Chikki
T his tastes almost like candy,
and a plus point, it is home-
made!
Ingredients 
• 1 cup of shelled, unsalted and
raw peanuts
• 1 cup sugar
• Quarter spoon salt
• 2 spoons butter or ghee
Method
• Roast the peanuts by placing
it in another pan and stirring
continuously until brown.  cooker is cooled, open it and set
• Once it has cooled down, remove
the peanuts from the pan and rub
them in your hands so the skin
peels off.  and add the mustard seeds and
• In another pan, melt the butter
a touch of ginger to it. Keep
stirring until it the mixture turns
• Add the peanuts to the mixture
Atta Laddoo
Ingredients
• 30 grams pure ghee
• 200 grams jaggery
• 250 grams atta (flour)
Method:
• In a pan, roast the atta well, on a
low flame.  Method:
• Grate the jaggery and add it to the
roasted atta and mix well.  the mustard and spinach to it.
• Add ghee to this mixture and
Kheer
Ingredients
(saffron and elaichi)
let it be on a low flame until the
jaggery melts and can hold itself.  • 2 red chillies
Friday, January 18, 2019 The Indian Weekender
Til Barfi
Ingredients 
• 1 cup til (sesame seeds)
• 2 spoons white butter
• 2 cups milk powder
• 1 cup jaggery
• 1 cup condensed milk
Method: 
• Roast the til in a pan and then including the ground sesame seeds
grind it well in a blender.  together. 
• Pour the jaggery into a pan and heat it • Microwave this mixture for around
until it melts completely.  2 minutes and stir well again
• Pick out a large tray and grease it till it forms a thick consistency. 
with butter and leave it aside to sit.  Spread this on the tray and allow it
• Mix all the other ingredients to cool down. Cut it in squares and
serve. 
and stir quickly. While it is still entire batter is made into vadas.  Coconut milk and stewed
• Serve it hot with sambar or dal Payasam
greased with butter or oil.  chutney for a delicious meal. 
• Once it has cooled down, cut it
into smaller pieces. 
Seasoned curd rice
his sweet dish is nutritious and
can be served at parties or even
be consumed as a snack!
Medu Vada
M
 Ingredients
ade from Urad Dal, this is • 200ml coconut milk
the perfect South Indian
• 300ml milk
breakfast that is also served on the • 2 spoons channa daal
• Quarter cup moong daal
• 2 spoons grated coconut
T
Ingredients
his is one of the staple foods • Half cup jaggery
• 1 cup Urad Dal (soaked for 2
of South India and is served at • 6 cashew nuts
hours
every event, religious or not.  • 1 spoon cardamom powder
• 1 inch Ginger
• 1 green chilli Ingredients • 2 spoons ghee
• Finely chopped coriander leaves • 2 cups of cooked rice
Method:
• 1.5 cups of curd
• A quarter cup of pomegranate
seeds
• 1 green chilli
• Salt
• Half a spoon of mustard seeds
• 1 spoon Urad Daal
• Heat the ghee in a pan and add
• 1 spoon cooking oil cashew nuts and roast it until
Method:
• Blend the daal and ginger in a Method: brown and crisp. 
mixer. Keep adding a little water • Mix the cooked rice with the • In a pressure cooker, add the
to ensure it forms a smoothbatter.  curd, in a large bowl or container.  channa daal and moong daal and
cook for 4 whistles. Once the
• In another bowl, add the green • Add the green chillis,
chillies, coriander and then the pomegranate seeds and a hint of
salt.  the daal aside. 
batter and stir well. Cover it and
• To make the seasoning, pour • Put both the daals in a pan, add
store, in the meantime pour oil
the teaspoon of oil into a pan coconut milk, milk, jaggery and
into a pan and wait till it is hot
cardamom powder. 
enough. 
urad daal. Wait till it crackles • Let it simmer on a low flame
• With the batter, make a thick
and then mix it well. Add the until the jaggery dissolves. 
ring and then drop into the oil. 
curry leaves to this mixture.  • Add the roasted cashews and
Deep fry this until it is evenly
• Pour this seasoning over the curd serve.
brown and crisp on all sides. 
Follow the same process until the or cold. 
• Once it is warm enough, mash forms a thick consistency.  • Minced garlic
• Allow this mixture to cool. When • Minced ginger
it reaches room temperature, add • 2 spoons gram flour
the saffron and sugar to it and • 1 spoon butter
mix well until all the sugar is • 2 green chillies
melted and is a bright colour. • Ghee
• A d d • Salt to taste
almonds and cardomom powder
 
• Pour water into a pan and add
the mixture to create small balls.  Boil them well until cooked and
discard the extra water.
• Pour four spoons of ghee in
a pan and add garlic, ginger,
100 grams rice red chillies and green chillies
to this and sautee until it
to top it off is deep brown. 
Pinch of saffron and cardamom • Add the gram flour and some
Sarson da Saag water to this mixture and
Cut up almonds stir well on a low flame for
2 spoons water • 1 kg finely chopped mustard around half an hour. Mix the
• Quarter kg finely chopped cooked ingredients with this
spinach and add some butter on top. 
• Boil the milk so it doesn’t spoil. 
Serve this hot with rotis.
 The Indian Weekender
CROSSWORD NO: 2
SUDOKU NO: 2
HITORI NO: 2
Hitori – a logic puzzle with very simple
rules and challenging solutions. Can
you eliminate numbers until there are
no duplicates in any row or column?
Objective / Rules
¡¡ Eliminate numbers until there are
no duplicates in any row or column.
Friday, January 18, 2019 TIME OUT 25
QUIZ QUESTIONS NO: 2 ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S QUESTIONS
1. What is the name given to wooden
carving?
2. Intelligence agency of UK?
3. Name the nuclear plant that closed
for ever in Ukrain.
4. What is the basic principle of Miss
Universe Competition?
5. What is Heliport?
6. Haiti is an independent country of this
seashore. Name the seashore.
7. Which ex-president of America had
given the leadership in the peace
activities of Haiti in 1994?
8. Name the Indonesian president who
formed the movement called West
Pacific Forum?
9. Which section of United Nations
Organization stands against the
pollution? 
10. How many countries had sign in
UNEP?
11. Who came into power in Canada
continuously for the third time?
12. Which country’s capital is Ottawa?
13. A city of one mile width and two
miles length as 177 canals of 28 miles
length. Name the city.
14. Fianna Fail is a political party. Name
the country where it belongs.
15. In which day ‘Good Friday
Agreement’ was signed?
16. The force which forms under the earth
region causes earthquake. Name this
earth region?
17. According to the laws of Israel, if
a Prime Minister resigns his post,
within which period a new Prime
Minister should be appointed?
18. Write the scientific name of lie
detector which uses by the police for
proving lies?
19. What is the name of military
intelligence organization of Israel?
20. Which president of Pakistan did issue
the order of exilement of Nawaz
Sharif?
21. A military group of Chile killed 73
political prisoners in 1973. This
incident is known as _?
22. Which democratic republic has given
the right for ‘mercy killing’?
23. Which planet has the feeling that sun
rises in the west?
24. Which scientist got a record of patents
for his discoveries?
25. Which virus causes bleeding in the
body due to the destruction of blood
vessels?
Thomas Alva Edison. 25. Ebola virus.
Tarar. 21. Caravan of Death. 22. Netherlands.23.Venus. 24.
17. 60 days. 18. Polygraph.19.Mossad. 20. Muhammad Rafiq
13. Venice. 14. Ireland. 15. April 10, 1998. 16. Hypocentre.
Programme (UNEP). 10. 120. 11. Jean Chretien. 12. Canada.
Carter. 8. Abdurrahman Wahid. 9. United Nations Environment
brains. 5. Airport of Helicopter. 6. Caribbean sea. 7. Jimmy
Answer: 1. Xylography. 2.MI5. 3. Chernobyl. 4. Beauty with
Send us stories, drawings, poems and
other contributions by your little ones
along with their photographs for this page.
E-mail us at reporter@indianweekender.
co.nz
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE NO: 2
See how many differences you can find in the right or left photo.
¡¡ Eliminate numbers by marking
them in Black.
¡¡ You are not allowed to have two
Black squares touching horizontally or
vertically (diagonally is ok).
¡¡ Any White square can be reached
from any other (i.e. they are connected).
 26 FEATURES
Metallics, dramatic sleeves, heavy jewellery:
Fashion trends to watch out for in 2019
L
iving coral, metallics and sequins,
athleisure, heavy jewellery, cowgirl
boots: hear it from the experts on what
fashion trends to expect in 2019.
While last year saw the rise of the ‘ultra-
violet’ colour, this year, ‘living coral’ is
expected to enjoy the limelight. Metallics and
sequins will continue to rule the fashion world
and so will power suits and athleisure wear.
Sequins and metallics
Shilpa Shetty wore a metallic Amit Aggarwal
ensemble at the ICW 2018.
S equins and metallics dominated the whole
of 2018 and ace Indian designer Rocky S
believes it will continue to rule. “Metallics will
always stay in style”, he says. And Aishwarya
Rai Bachchan’s stylist Aastha Sharma
confirms, “glitters and sequins will make for
one of the top trends of 2019.”
Statement sleeves
Bold shoulders and statement sleeves have
been the ‘it’ thing in 2018 and with the new
year, the trend will just go to a whole new
level. Right from cape sleeves, mutton sleeves
to bell sleeves, they are here to stay.
“Exaggerated sleeves of all kinds are in!
Bell-shaped, ultra long, oversized — this trend
is going to rock 2019,” says Rocky S.
Matching athleisure
“Street style has become just as major as
the runway shows themselves! The athleisure
look is always going to stay as it’s a brilliant
combination of style with comfort,” says
Rocky S. Aastha Sharma explains, “because
it’s a comfort trend and looks cool and works
really well for travel and street style, I think
this trend will be even more accentuated in
2019.”
Pantone colour of the year: living coral
Manisha Koushik is a practicing astrologer, tarot card reader, numerologist, vastu and fengshui
consultant based in India with a global presence through the online channels. She is available for
consultations online as well. E-mail her at support@askmanisha.com or contact
at +91-11-26449898 Mobile/Whatsapp: +91-9716145644 • www.askmanisha.com
Rocky S says, “Living coral is a very
youthful and energising colour. It can be paired
easily with shades of blacks as well as whites.
This shade suits everyone, even a small clutch
or a beautiful top of this colour can enhance the
whole look!”
Suit it up
T
ailored and colourful suits can be seen
everywhere. Right from sequin blazer-
flared trousers combo, striped powersuits and
skirt-blazer combo, suits will continue to rule.
Janhvi Kapoor took us back to the ’90s.
(Source: Varinder Chawla)
Heavy jewellery
J ewellery designer Akanksha Chowdhry of
Nayirah explains, “2019 is most definitely
a year for the bold and the beautiful. Preference
for bigger, chunkier statement pieces is a trend
that has picked up a lot in the past year and is
here to stay. Women are keen on experimenting
with different abstract patterns and textures
instead of the usual kundans and dabkas.”
Footwear
L aksheeta Govil, founder of Fizzy Goblet
says, “This year will see the increase in
popularity of comfort footwear. The wave
of athleisure will stick around with a few
diversification. Sneaker juttis and sliders will
be big in the summer months.”
Cowboy boots
L ast year, during the fall runway shows,
top brands like Calvin Klein, Fendi and
Isabel Marant showcased the cowboy boots in
their collections and ever since, the trend has
become popular.
Devki Bhatt says, “Cowboy boots are here
to stay. Keep an eye out for a good one and
grab them before they are huge! I would love
to experiment with the cowgirl chic trend that
mirrors the aesthetics of Isabel Marant and
Alberta Ferretti. That edgy ‘Wild West’ look
with a punch of femininity.”
Friday, January 18, 2019 The Indian Weekender
18 January to 24 January | By Manisha Koushik
ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 20)
You may delve deeper into spirituality and make it a part of your daily routine. Supervision
may be required to see a task to completion at work. Rising costs may begin to affect your
quality of life. Those forced to live away can face administrative difficulties. Travelling,
especially by train, may not be as comfortable as expected. Those seeking love need to be
at their impressive best! New arrival is set to bring happiness on the domestic front. Lucky
Number: 11 / Lucky Colour: Light Blue
TAURUS (Apr 21-May 20)
You may remain mentally disturbed for something that had happened in the past. It may
become difficult for you to let bygones be bygones. On the financial front, earning from
immovable assets is the only way to bail out from a tight situation. Shooting your mouth
off at an inappropriate time can harm your image, so keep a low profile at work. Romance
is set to enter the life of those seeking love. Health remains satisfactory, despite minor
ailments. Lucky Number: 1 / Lucky Colour: Bottle Green
GEMINI (May 21-Jun 21)
Get involved totally in whatever you are doing should be your mantra. Half-measures
can leave you ignorant about important aspects of your work. Your ideas require an
outlet, but this may not come about without outside assistance. Taking help of someone
knowledgeable on the academic front is quite in order. An investment opportunity needs to
be weighed properly, before going in for it. You need to salvage your romantic relationship
going downhill by being proactive. Lucky Number: 9 / Lucky Colour: Peach
CANCER (Jun 22-Jul 20)
Some of you may plan an overseas journey to be with your dear ones. A promising week
for professionals is foreseen, as you bag a lucrative deal. Changes sought on the home front
needs everybody’s consent, especially in a joint family set up. Judicious spending is the
key to a healthy bank balance. If there are any differences with spouse, this is the week to
kiss and make up. Adopt a wait and watch policy in a property deal. Lucky Number: 18 /
Lucky Colour: Golden Brown
LEO (JuL21-Aug 20)
Take whatever comes your way on the professional front and make the most of it. A lot of
hard work is foreseen for those trying to make their mark in a totally different field. Your
expenditure may be much more than what you manage to earn in this week, so keep a close
tab on spending. Your neutral stance on an issue may be resented, but it is the right course
of action for you. Lucky Number: 9 / Lucky Colour: Chocolate
VIRGO (Aug 23-Sep 23)
Dividing time between personal errands and work may fatigue you, but little you can do
about it. Difficulties faced on the family front are likely to get resolved by not stoking the
fire. A close associate may become a great source of encouragement for attaining your goal.
Your considered approach will help you in judging a tricky situation and take the right
decisions. You are now in a position to earn well and party hard, so why waste time! Lucky
Number: 6 / Lucky Colour: Cream
LIBRA (Sep 24-Oct 23)
You may remain in two minds for going ahead with something that matters to someone close.
Taking positive steps in a situation will set things right, even if they are presently going
wrong. A not-to-be-missed earning opportunity comes your way, so gear up for it. Higher
studies may beckon some, but cost may become a deterrent factor. Domestic harmony is
assured for those wanting to spend time by themselves at home. A short vacation affords
togetherness and much else! Lucky Number: 8 / Lucky Colour: Grey
SCORPIO (Oct 24-Nov 22)
Sometimes it is better to give in, than project yourself in a bad light. A rebellious child may
make you see red by not toeing your line. Financial powers of those in authority may get
curtailed. Someone’s workload may shift on your shoulders at work. Plans may be afoot
for complete home makeover. Your correct judgement and decisiveness is likely to salvage
an irretrievable situation on the family front. This is an excellent time to develop or own
property. Lucky Number: 15 / Lucky Colour: Golden Brown
SAGITTARIUS (NOV 23-DEC 21)
Getting to know someone better may distract you from work, as you seek his or her
company. You are likely to take positive steps in bettering your performance on the
academic front. A family member will give you the helping hand you so desperately need,
but are hesitant in asking. Love and passion are likely to dominate your mind and make
you crave for exclusive time with lover. Don’t take people for granted, even those you
know well. Lucky Number: 22 / Lucky Colour: Light Blue
CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 21)
It is time you got out of your comfort zone and got involved in giving shape to your ideas.
You may find it difficult to retain someone indispensable to your organisation. Guidance
may be needed by those preparing for competitive exams. A new property may be acquired
and add to your assets. A new workout regime will serve your purpose excellently on the
health front. Better understanding with lover is likely to enrich your romantic relationship.
Lucky Number: 2 / Lucky Colour: Purple
AQUARIUS (Jan 22-Feb 19)
You will enjoy your time this week with like-minded people. Your initiative on the romantic
front is set to make the evening exciting. A pat on the back is in store for those working
in hospitality segment. You will manage to kick a bad habit by sheer will power. Those
passing through a bad phase in their personal life can hope to be guided by divine light.
Prioritising work on the academic front is important to cover everything. Lucky Number:
9 / Lucky Colour: Peach
PISCES (Feb 20-Mar 20)
Sidestepping into a totally alien field is indicated for some entrepreneurs. Someone who is
acting impossible on the professional front needs to be dealt with patience. Tread carefully
at work, as your performance may be watched. A lucrative investment opportunity can
tempt you, but take the suggestions of experts before committing. Your academic efforts
are likely to give positive results. You may take up an exercise regimen and bring changes
to your lifestyle just to remain fit and healthy. Lucky Number: 7 / Lucky Colour: Cyan
 The Indian Weekender Friday, January 18, 2019
Travel Special Feature
Seven can’t-miss
experiences in Gujarat
T
hough many travellers pass it by en route to
Mumbai or Rajasthan, Gujarat is a terrific all-
rounder: Ahmedabad draws you in with its
remarkable architecture and dining scene, national
parks shelter unique populations of Asiatic lions and
wild asses, and tribal villages in the remote countryside
practise their centuries-old crafts of weaving and
embroidery. There’s a spiritual aspect to Gujarat as
well: Gandhi’s legacy is powerful here, while sacred
Jain and Hindu pilgrimage sites attract streams of the
devout.
The Jama Masjid at Ahmedabad is one of the largest
mosques in the Indian subcontinent. It was built in 1
Ahmedabad
T he intense, bustling capital of Ahmedabad, India’s
first Unesco heritage city, is likely to be your
first port of call in Gujarat. A little overwhelming at
first, it blows you away with its wealth of centuries-
old mosques, mausoleums and temples and wins you
over with its excellent museums and its terrific dining
scene. The best way to tackle it is to stay in its historic
heart, preferably in a characterful hotel, such as the
Deewanji Ni Haveli, House of MG or French Haveli.
Craft villages of Kachchh
F or centuries, the craftsmen and craftswomen
of Kachchh – one of India’s richest areas for
handicrafts – have perfected their craft, creating
remarkably fine textiles of superb quality. But that’s
not all. Kachchh village communities, scattered around
the arid province, also specialise in wood carving,
block printing, pottery, bell making and more. Using
the capital of Bhuj as your springboard, you can
engage the services of a knowledgeable local guide,
such as Salim Wazir or Kuldip Gadhvi, who can tailor
your visit to the villages of Kachchh according to your
interests.
A feast of festivals
Gujarati cuisine is famous across India for its lavish
spices and flavours, and chefs and street-food vendors
go into overdrive for the state’s many festivals.
During the Navratri festival in September or October,
Hindu devotees perform mass dances to honour the
nine incarnations of the goddess Durga, swapping
the standard Gujarati menu for special dishes made
without meat or grains.
Champaner & Pavagadh
F
ew sights in Gujarat make such an indelible
impression as this Unesco Heritage Site. Even if
you’re not a pilgrim looking to pay your respects to the
evil-destroying goddess Kali at the Kalikamata Temple
atop the sacred volcanic hill of Pavanar, it’s well worth
tackling the three-hour pilgrim trail and ropeway for
the all-encompassing views from the top.
Gir National Park
T his hilly, forested, 1412-sq-km sanctuary between
Veraval and Junagadh is the last refuge of the
Asiatic lion, best spotted between December and April.
In terms of conservation, Gir is a massive success
story, with lion numbers doubling since the 1960s, so
big cat sightings are pretty much guaranteed. The only
access to the park is via authorised safari, booked in
advance; when you’re driven through the thick forests
at dawn, if you’re lucky, you may spot agile chinkaras
(gazelles), dainty chital (spotted deer), nilgais (large
antelopes) and elusive jaguars.
Shatrunjaya
M ost days, you see a stream of pilgrims dressed
in their finery, snaking their slow way up
Shatrunjaya hill – one of the holiest Jainism sites.
Most walk barefoot. Older pilgrims are carried by
porters. Join the pilgrims, and it’ll take you less
than two hours to tackle the 3300 steps leading to
the spectacular temple complex at the summit of the
hill, where Adinath, the founder of Jainism, is said
to have meditated beneath the rayan tree. Don’t miss
the wonderfully detailed carvings inside the splendid
Adinath Temple; then just allow yourself to get lost
in the narrow walkways and drink in the atmosphere.
Wild Ass Sanctuary
I
f you come out onto the barrel plains of the Little
Rann of Kachchh at dawn, they seem to sparkle like
hoarfrost, with the sun’s rays bouncing off the salty
crust. Walk on it, and it crunches underfoot like snow.
One of the harshest corners of Gujarat, Little Rann
comprises the Wild Ass Sanctuary, home to the last
remaining population of the chestnut-coloured khur,
the Indian wild ass; they feed on the grassy hillocks
that rise up from the salt flats. The monsoon season
between November and March attracts a vast birdlife
population, including flamingos.
H E A LT H
Researchers study
patterns of back pain
R
esearchers have examined the
patterns of back pain over time
and patient characteristics in
relation to the disability.
In addition, they have identified the
extent of healthcare and medication
use (including opioids) associated with
different patterns. Back pain is among
the most frequently reported health
problems in the world.
For the study, researchers from the
University Health Network’s Krembil
Research Institute in Toronto, Canada
studied 12,782 participants for 16 years.
They provided data on factors
including comorbidities, pain, disability,
opioid and other medication use, and
healthcare visits. The results showed
that almost half (45.6 per cent) of the
participants reported back pain at least
once. The study included four groups of
pain: persistent (18 per cent), developing
(28.1 per cent), recovery (20.5 per cent),
and occasional (33.4 per cent).
The findings, published in Arthritis
Care and Research, showed that the
persistent and developing groups tended
to have more pain and disability, as well
as more healthcare visits and medication
use than those in the recovery and
occasional trajectory groups. In
addition, the recovery trajectory
group increased the use of opioids and
antidepressants over time.
“The good news is that one in five
people with back pain recovered.
However, they continued to use opioids
and antidepressants, suggesting that
people recovering from back pain
need ongoing monitoring,” said lead
author Mayilee Canizares, postdoctoral
candidate from the varsity.
The bad news is that one in five
experienced persistent back pain,
said Canizares. People with back
pain are a heterogeneous group
that may benefit from different
approaches to management rather than
a traditional one size fits all approach.
Women less sensitive to pain than
men: Study
Women tend to forget pain that
they suffered more quickly than men,
confirmed a new study in mice and
humans, challenging the widely held
belief that the fairer sex are more
sensitive to pain than men.
The study, by researchers from
Canada’s University of Toronto
Mississauga (UTM), showed that men
and women remembered earlier painful
experiences differently. While men (and
male mice) remembered earlier painful
experiences clearly, women (and female
mice) did not seem to forget. When
experiencing pain again, men seemed
to be stressed and hypersensitive in
remembering, but women were not
stressed by their earlier experiences of
pain. “If remembered pain is a driving
force for chronic pain and we understand
how pain is remembered, we may be
able to help some sufferers by treating
the mechanisms behind the memories
directly,” said lead author Loren Martin,
Assistant Professor at the UTM.
“What was even more surprising was
that men reacted more, because it is
well known that women are both more
sensitive to pain than men, and that they
are also generally more stressed out,”
Martin added.
FEATURES 27
Protect yourself from ‘unfore-
seen’ contaminants
The year has just begun, and its a good
time to take a more diligent approach to
your everyday hygiene.
Consider your average day: All the
places you travel to and the people you
interact with. Now think for a moment
of all the things your hands come in
contact with, during the day. There is a
plethora of invisible germs and bacteria
on every surface your hands touch.
These germs can be one of the major
causes of infections, cold, flu, and other
respiratory diseases.
Dr. Hariprasad, Ayurveda Expert
at The Himalaya Drug Company,
highlights some of the most unexpected
germ carriers, and a simple method to
prevent contraction of these germs.
• Purses and Wallets
Purses are rarely disinfected, so germs
on every surface that your purse comes
into contact with, come home with you.
Purses are left on the countertops in
bathrooms, the seats of public transport,
and many other surfaces that are teeming
with germs. Wallets contain the most
bacteria-infested item of all - money.
Notes travel from one dirty hand to the
other, and there’s no way of preventing
the transfer of germs to your hands.
• Television Remote Control
The television remote control may
seem like an odd addition to this list, but
is hardly ever disinfected, and comes
into contact with hands every day. Hotel
remotes are even more contaminated. As
hotels have guests from different places,
there is an increased risk of viruses or
contaminants being present on these
remote controls.
• Cell Phones
Your cell phone is never far from your
reach, which means that this essential
communication device is a carrier of
germs and infections. This subsequently
gets transferred to your hands and face.
Every time you use your phone, you
may be transferring bacteria straight to
your face.
• Sponges and hand towels
With as many as 10 million bacteria
per square inch, dish sponges are
probably one of the most germ-infested
items in your house. Hand towels are
also riddled with germs and bacteria.
Since towels absorb water, it makes
them the perfect host for bacteria, which
grow best in warm and moist conditions.
• Banisters and Escalators
Holding the banister when you walk
down the stairs is a safety precaution but
it can also lead to contracting diseases
from the germs present on the surface.
Escalators in malls, airports, and other
public places are also full of germs
from all the people who previously
used them. As per a study by Kimberly-
Clark, 43 per cent of escalators surveyed
had high-enough contamination levels
to spread illnesses.
• ATM keypads
The next time you visit the ATM
to withdraw cash, think twice about
touching the keypad directly. It is
estimated that 41 per cent of ATMs have
enough germs to cause an infection or
disease. There might not be much you
can do about handling currency notes.
However, you can use a hand sanitiser
to clean your hands immediately after
withdrawing money.
 28 ENTERTAINMENT Friday, January 18, 2019 The Indian Weekender

RAJKUMAR HIRANI SEXUAL ASSAULT

CASE: DIA MIRZA, SHARMAN JOSHI,
VINTA NANDA AND OTHERS REACT
R
ajkumar Hirani is the latest B-town star who
has been accused of sexually assaulting a
woman during the making of Sanju in 2018.
While the filmmaker has denied all allegations,
Dia Mirza, Vinta Nanda and others from the
industry have expressed shock. Rajkumar
Hirani has been accused of sexual
assault by a woman who worked with
the filmmaker on Sanju. After the
accusation came to light on Sunday,
Hirani issued a statement rubbishing
the allegation.
“I was completely shocked
when these allegations were
brought to my notice about two
months back. I had suggested
immediately that it is essential to
take this matter to any committee
or any legal body.
The complainant has chosen to
go to the media instead. I want to
very strongly state that this is a
false malicious and mischievous
story being spread with the
sole intention of destroying my
reputation,” Hirani said.
Here is how Bollywood stars
are reacting to the allegation
against Rajkumar Hirani:
Dia Mirza
Dia Mirza, who has collaborated with
Hirani in Lage Raho Munna Bhai and
Sanju, told PTI that she is deeply
distressed by the news. “As someone
who has known and respects Raju Sir for
15 years I can only hope that a due official
enquiry is conducted. He is one of the most
decent human beings I have ever worked with and I think
it would be grossly unjust on my part to speak on this as I
do not know the details,” the actor said.
Sharman Joshi
Sharman, whose Raju Rastogi in Hirani’s
3 idiots became immensely popular, hoped
the phase the director is going through
currently will pass. “Raju Sir, is a man
of immense integrity, character, honour,
compassion and truthfulness, all the virtues
one would imagine are non existent in people today,
someone I am absolutely inspired by and have learnt from
and because of whom I believe I have gone onto being
a better person. “All I want to say is that this too shall
pass and I can imagine how demeaning it might be to even
stand up for yourself in a situation such as this.”
Vinta Nanda
Without taking any names, Vinta Nanda
tweeted, “The latest on #MeToo is so
disturbing. Who is it that women can trust?
Can’t deal with these words anymore –
“At the outset, our client states that the
allegations made against him are false, mischievous,
scandalous, motivated and defamatory.” The latest on
#MeToo is so disturbing. Who is it that women can trust?
Can’t deal with these words anymore “ “At the outset, our
client states that the allegations made against him are false,
mischievous, scandalous, motivated and defamatory,”
Amardeep Jha
Veteran actor Amardeep Jha, who was
seen playing Sharman Joshi’s mother in
3 Idiots and Anushka Sharma’s mother in
PK, told Bollywood Life, “I’m shocked.
I cannot even believe this. He was a man
whom I used to look up to. On the sets, he
used to be like a walking angel. After hearing the news, I
have lost my mental peace. This is something that will be
running in my head for so long.”
She further added, “I cannot pass any judgement on the
girl but I strongly believe he cannot do this. But I really
hope and pray that whosoever is the innocent his/her truth
should be out and should get justice.”
Arshad Warsi
Arshad has been a part of Rajkumar
Hirani’s most loved film, Munnabhai
MBBS and Lage Raho Munnabhai and
his role of Circuit is still one of the most
memorable performances of all times.
He is also in talks with Hirani for the third
instalment of the franchise. However, amidst the news
where Rajkumar Hirani’s assistant accused him of sexual
misconduct with her, all seem to be on hold.

Emraan Hashmi’s son

declared cancer-free
A A
ctor Emraan
Hashmi’s
e i g h t - y e a r-
old son Ayaan has
been declared cancer-
free five years after he
was diagnosed with
the disease. The actor
announced the news
to his fans via social media on Monday.
“Today, five years after his diagnosis, Ayaan
has been declared cancer free. It has been quite
a journey. Thank you for all your prayers and
wishes. Love and prayers for all the cancer
fighters out there. Hope and belief goes a long
way. You can win this battle,” he wrote.
He also uploaded a few photographs of his
son along with the heartfelt post.
Born in February 2010, Ayaan, the first child
of Emraan and wife Parveen Shahani, was
diagnosed with first stage cancer at the age of
four in early 2014.
In 2016, Emraan also wrote a book titled The
Kiss Of Life on Ayaan’s battle with cancer. On
the work front, the 39-year-old is gearing up for
the release of his forthcoming film Why Cheat
India.  relevant, Karisma said: “There is no recipe...
You’re my role model, Karisma tells Kareena
ctress Karisma Kapoor, who believes
in moving with the times, considers
her younger sister Kareena Kapoor
Khan her role model.
The glamorous sisters sat down for a tete-a-
tete with each other for Kareena’s radio show,
Ishq 104.8 FM’s ‘What Women Want with
Kareena Kapoor Khan’. 
During the chat, Karisma spoke about
staying relevant, how she manages to be
radiant, her role model and the pressure of
making a comeback in the industry, said a
statement.
When asked who her role model was,
Karisma told Kareena: “Today, you are
my role model. We are in the same It’s all about moving with the times. I Pagal Hai, Biwi No. 1, Zubeidaa and Fiza, has
"Today,
profession, and the kind of have spent 27 years in the industry. been missing from the big screen for a while.
you are my
strength we offer to each other The formula for me is to keep up She finds it unfair that there’s a “comeback
role model. We are
is amazing. Apart from you, our in the same profession, with the times and attempting pressure” actresses face, especially after
mom has been an inspiration and the kind of strength different things which further helps motherhood.
who single-handedly raised us we offer to each other to stay relevant.” “I don’t get this comeback term as it isn’t
so well.” is amazing." She credited her used or said in other industry when women
The daughters of veteran radiance to the genes. have rejoined their workplace.
actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita, “And, I guess it’s the inner positivity “We have an added pressure because we are
Karisma and Kareena are six years apart. which reflects on my face,” said Karisma, a from the entertainment industry. But, I am glad
When questioned about the recipe of staying mother of two. The actress, who has featured that game is changing and people have become
in films Raja Hindustani, Raja Babu, Dil To so open-minded.”

Manisha: Was painful to revisit cancer phase for my book

B
ollywood actor Manisha Koirala was diagnosed to finish writing it. I often thought that it was a bad idea, On Tuesday, news broke that
with ovarian cancer in 2012. She has been cancer that I shouldn’t attempt writing,” Manisha told reporters. veteran actor-director Rakesh
free since 2013. Several of Manisha’s friends from the industry turned Roshan has been diagnosed
Manisha Koirala has said it was “painful” to revisit up to support the actor, including Rekha, Anupam Kher, with throat cancer and
her cancer phase while writing her book Healed, which Jackie Shroff, Bhagyashree, Mahesh Bhatt, Imtiaz Ali Manisha hopes he will
chronicles her battle against the disease. The actor and Dia Mirza. The book is co-written by Neelam Kumar emerge a winner.
was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012 which and published by Penguin Random House India. Manisha “I am sure there is a way
she successfully overcame. She has been cancer free said what kept her going was the zeal to tell her story to out. Don’t lose hope. All of
since 2013. “I the world so that it inspired people who have been this can be treated today,
“It was indeed very painful to revisit the had shut diagnosed with cancer. though it’s scary, but it can
phase for the book. To be able to remember the book several “I guess I just wanted to tell the story and I be dealt with. I am sure he
everything in detail, revisit and stay with times as I thought I wanted to encourage myself as well as other will come out as a winner
that, it was really painful.I had shut the book wouldn’t be able to cancer patients who have been diagnosed. and I pray to God for the
several times as I thought I wouldn’t be able finish writing it That whole thing kept me going.” same,” she said.
 The Indian Weekender Friday, January 18, 2019
KANGANA RANAUT
ON PRIYANKA:
"I would definitely like to do
a movie with her again"
M
anikarnika actor Kangana Ranaut, who has worked with
Priyanka Chopra in Krrish 3 and Fashion, recently said
in an interview that she would like to work with the
international star again.
Kangana Ranaut has been busy promoting her upcoming project
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi. The actor, who is going to play the
titular character in the film, expressed her wish to work with Priyanka
Chopra again in a recent interview with Pinkvilla.
Referring to Priyanka as a tough girl who can “kick butts”, Kangana
said, “I would definitely like to do (a movie with Priyanka). We have
done a film called Krrish 3 together where she was playing a homely
girl but I think if we both are like supergirls or something, that would
work. Me and Priyanka can kick some butts. Essentially she is very
like that person, she can kick butts, she is quite tough.”
The actors had previously shared screen space in Hrithik
Roshan starrer Krrish 3 and in the Madhur Bhandarkar
directorial Fashion.
Meanwhile, Kangana is gearing up for the release of her
upcoming film Manikarnika, which also marks her debut as
a director.
The film is set to clash with Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s
Thackeray. On the clash, Kanagana
said,”We are very happy that we have a
sort of a big window, there is a vacation.
It’s a kind of a festive release. So, two
films can easily come.
So far, nobody has pressured us.
It will be wrong to say that someone
has approached us or pressured us into
doing something that we don’t want to
do.”
Manikarnika also stars Ankita
Lokhande, Suresh Oberoi, Danny
Denzongpa and Atul Kulkarni in
pivotal roles. Its script has been
penned by Vijayendra Prasad of
Baahubali fame, while the dialogues
have been written by Prasoon Joshi.
The film will release on January 25.
Young writers should pen characters
for older women: Farida Jalal
T
elevision and film veteran Farida Jalal, who limit mat karo (at least give a chance, don't limit the
will soon be seen in the upcoming web series
"Parchayee: Ghost Stories by Ruskin Bond",
performer)," she exclaimed in her signature style.
The show "Parchayee: Ghost Stories by Ruskin
says there aren't many roles written for older actresses
in the Indian entertainment scenario.
Bond" is based on the writer's ghost stories. The first
four episodes will be based on four stories -- "Wind on
On her desire to explore versatility as an actress, Haunted Hill", "The Ghost in the Garden", "Wilson's
Farida, 69, said: "People really do not write roles for Bridge" and "The Overcoat".
women of our age. Those are really few and far between. Giving an insight into her character in the show, she
Women of our age are only offered the roles of a mother. said: "I am playing a grandmother of a little boy who
As an actor, how much variety can I bring to the table if has a curious mind and keeps asking questions on the
the character is not written with more elements?" existence of ghosts. The grandmother tries to avoid
The actress has regaled audiences for years in films answers to those questions as he is too
like "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge", "Raja Hindustani", young to understand things." Has
"Dil To Pagal Hai" and "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai", to name she ever experienced ghosts?
a few. She said: "Of course, the mother of 'Dilwale...' is "No, never! I think I am
different from 'Kuch Kuch...', but at the end of the day, I really well protected by my
am playing a mother. Allah. I have heard of spooky
Yes, people are saying that more meaty roles are places and I have visited some
being written for women these days in our films, and of them, but honestly I did
that is possibly true for young actresses. not feel scared ever. That
"But for us, not that the scene has changed greatly. is why at times I make
So I would really appreciate it if young writers write fun of people who get
characters for women of our age, because this phase of scared," the actress
our life is no less interesting... There is a lot that can be replied with a
"So
explored." laugh. I would
Asked about the kind of roles she wants to work According really appreciate it
on, she said: "I want to play an out-and-out negative to the actress, if young writers write
characters for women
character. the digital
That will be a challenging thing for me to work on as world has of our age, because this
a performer. Whenever I say this, filmmakers say that led creative phase of our life is no
less interesting... There
the audience will never relate to me as a dark character people do
is a lot that can be
because I am a pretty looking woman and such a role a marvelous
explored."
does not go with my image. job in terms of
storytelling.
"Arrey bhai, karwaake toh dekho na, performer ko
ENTERTAINMENT 29
Acting is like investigative
work: Radhika Apte
A
ctress Radhika Apte has
said that acting is like an
investigative work as it helps
to explore different things in life.
"I always take up interesting and
inspiring work. In a way, it's like an
investigative work because we get
to explore so many things in our life
while acting so, I really like being on
the sets of films," Radhika said while
interacting with the media here on
Tuesday to promote an upcoming film
"Bombairiya".
"Bombairiyaa", which will be
released by SPE Films India, is an
independent film which traces life of
all characters for just one day. Talking about nature and basic
The film, that stars Radhika in premise of the film, Pia said, "It's a
the lead role, along with Siddhanth comedy-mystery film. It's very funny
Kapoor, Akshay Oberoi, Adil Hussain, and chaotic story. All these three
Shilpa Shukla, Ajinkya Deo and Ravi character gets connected with each
Kishan, revolves around the theme of other with one incident and how it
witness protection. It is directed by Pia becomes a much larger story that's
Sukanya. what the whole film is actually about."
Vishal Bhardwaj points out glitch in
national anthem in theatres, rectified
A
technical glitch pointed out by
filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj in
the national anthem played at
movie theatres has been rectified. He
has appreciated the authorities for their
quick and efficient work.
In a tweet put out on October 29,
2018, Bhardwaj -- who also composes
music -- said he had heard the national
anthem produced by the Films Division
and the Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting during the Mumbai Film
Festival. concerned people.
"There is a technical glitch at 'Gahe And on Tuesday, the filmmaker was
Tav Jai Gaatha'. It seems to be a sound happy to share: "The national anthem
transfer issue. Goes off tune and in the theatres has been rectified. Many
hurts ear and soul. Can Ministry of thanks to Films Division, Ministry
Information and Broadcasting please of Information and Broadcasting
get this rectified?" Bhardwaj wrote.
In a follow up tweet a month later, he
and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore
for facilitating this so quickly and
hoped it had come to the notice of the efficiently."
Richa Chadha says she is excited
to play a lawyer for the first time
in Section 375
A
ctor Richa Chadha will next be
seen in Section 375, which also
stars Akshaye Khanna.
Actor Richa Chadha, who will be
seen sharing screen space with actor
Akshaye Khanna in the upcoming
courtroom drama Section 375, says she
is excited to play a lawyer on screen for
the first time.
“I am excited to play a lawyer on
screen for the first time. Everyone I
am working with on this project, I
have been a fan of,” Richa said in a
statement.
The actress started shooting for
women can be misused. Richa reached
Section 375 on Monday here. The first
out to fans via Instagram, urging them
leg of the schedule will be shot here.
to wish her luck for the new film’s
Talking about her co-star Akshaye, she
beginning.
said: “I love Akshaye Khanna as an
She thanked the film’s team for the
actor and his last few outings have been
warm welcome and for “being so cool
amazing. I am happy to collaborate
and supportive”. As the title suggests,
with director Ajay Behl too. I loved
the film will speak about the particular
how nuanced BA Pass was... This is a
section as defined in the Indian Penal
great start to 2019 and I feel blessed to
Code. The project is backed by Bhushan
take on this firebrand character”.
Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Kumar Mangat
The film Section 375 highlights how
and Abhishek Pathak.
a critical law meant for the safety of
30 FEATURES Friday, January 18, 2019 The Indian Weekender

Auckland International
Buskers Festival 2019
Date: Friday, January 25- Sunday, February 28
Time: 12 p.m. onwards
Venue: Auckland CBD, Waterfront
Hosted by Auckland International Buskers
Festival & SkCity Live
World Class Talent will be hitting the streets of Auckland, New
Zealand for the Nineteenth time over Auckland Anniversary
Weekend 2019. Acrobats, magicians, comedies, unicycle
champions and more will rendezvous around Auckland’s CBD
and waterfront to create the electrifying atmosphere that is the
Auckland International Buskers Festival!
Holi 2K19
Date: Sunday, February 10
Time: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Venue: Hare Krishna Temple, 1229
Coatesville-Riverhead Highway, Kumeu,
Auckland
NZ’s largest Holi Festival. See details on our FB page / event
and website www.holi.org.nz
Auckland Lantern Festival
Date: Thursday, February 14- Sunday,
February 17
Time: 7 p.m. onwards
Venue: Auckland Domain, Hosted by What’s
On in Auckland
The Lantern Festival is back, celebrating 20 years! Come and
enjoy New Zealand’s largest Chinese festival, celebrating the
year of the pig, from Thursday 14 – Sunday 17 February, in the
Auckland Domain. Be entertained and dazzled by hundreds of
handmade Chinese lanterns, music and dance performances,
martial arts demonstrations, traditional Chinese art and craft –
there’s a range of activities for all ages. Plus, it’s free to attend!
If you’re all about the lanterns and less about the crowds, be
sure to head to the Domain on 14 February for the lantern
appreciation night (there will be no stalls, live entertainment
or food on this night). Keep an eye out for the full festival
programme, available in 2019. For more information on the
Auckland Lantern Festival, visit www.aucklandnz.com/lantern,
and follow What’s on in Auckland Facebook page!
Takapuna Food, Wine &
Music Festival 2019
Date: Saturday, February 16
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Venue: Smales Farm, 72 Taharoto Road
Takapuna, Auckland
The Takapuna Food, Wine & Music Festival returns to Smales
Farm on Auckland’s North Shore Saturday February 16th 2019!
This boutique urban festival is set to provide another amazing
experience presenting a collaboration of some of the best
international and local acts, New Zealand wineries and craft
breweries, popular eateries and food vendors, creative artists,
spectacular performers and more. All tickets include a souvenir
Festival cup and are on sale now from www.takapunafestival.
co.nz. Event hosted by Highlife Entertainment.
Laneway Festival New
Zealand - 2019
Date: Monday, January 28
Time: 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Venue: Albert Park, Princess Street, Auckland
Featuring the most talked about, critically-acclaimed and best
live acts in the world right now, the 2019 Laneway Festival - our
tenth birthday! - is gonna be the hottest ticket in town. In a very
special nod to our 10th Anniversary celebrations, the incredible
FLORENCE + THE MACHINE return to Laneway 2019, after
performing on the first ever Auckland Laneway in 2010. Happy
birthday to us indeed! Tickets: www.moshtix.co.nz
New Zealand’s
International Yoga
Festival 2019
Date: Friday, February 21- Monday, Feb 24
Time: 10 a.m. & 10 p.m.
Venue: Kawai purapura, 14 MIlls lane,
Auckland
Tune in to Yoga, Meditation, Music, Dance | Over 100
entertaining, inspiring and thought provoking workshops &
activities| Pop up Temple | Live music and performances on
two great stages | Vegan food and fully catered experience
| Accommodation available. Rejuvenate yourself, refine
your practice and reset your clock for the year ahead in New
Zealand’s most complete Yoga retreat in 20 acres of unspoiled
native bush intriguingly hidden yet close to road and public
transport on Auckland’s North Shore. Buy your ticket now and
pay later!
We are now accepting Genoapay. You pay over 10 weeks. No
interest. No fees.
Photo Laundry 2019
Date: Saturday, January 26
Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Venue: Silo Park, Auckland CBD
Public event, hosted by Photo Laundry
Auckland and Silo Park.
Photo Laundry is an international outdoor photography
exhibition first started in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 2010
by Andrei Kezin. More than 90,000 people from 40 cities
across 7 countries have participated in the project in the last
nine years. Photo Laundry debuted in Auckland in 2014. The
concept of the event is simple: photographers of all skill level
are welcome to showcase their work in the improvised gallery
made of washing lines using pegs. In return for displaying their
works participants are free to take prints that took their fancy
with them.

Sikh Youth New Zealand summer

camp starts next week

RIZWAN MOHAMMAD Malaysia, Thailand, Canada, U.K., Australia

S
ikh Youth NZ, a community organisation
of, and by, the youth of the Sikh
community in Auckland, is hosting
their annual summer camp from January 25 to
January 28.
Sikh Youth is known for conducting several
youth activities and workshops in the country
including the Auckland Turban Day, Youth
Diwan, Interfaith activities, blood donation
camps, Guru Nanak Free Kitchen Langar
services in different parts of the city that gained
immense attention of the community.
The four-day outdoor family camp will be
held at YMCA Camp Adair in Hanua, Auckland
where children from as young as eight years old
can participate.
Sikh Youth NZ (SYNZ) is a youth-led charity
that aims to educate, empower,
serve, and connect young Sikh New
Zealanders, the wider Sikh community and the
New Zealand public.
The goal of the camp is to develop an
understanding of the Sikh religion, values and
heritage amongst young Sikh New Zealanders,
and to build leadership skills among them.
These camps have been supported by
renowned international facilitators from
and India.
Each camp is uniquely crafted around
a specific Gurbani theme and catered for
local New Zealand children and youth. The
participants learn about Sikhism in interesting
ways and delve deeper into their personal
spiritual journeys. The sessions include
history, kirtan, lectures and activities in a safe
atmosphere of positivity and encouragement.
The theme for 2019 Summer Camp is
‘Shabad’ and the objective to ground oneself
with the Sikh teachings and practices.
The summer camp also aims to teach young
Sikhs leadership skills, empower the parents
in guiding their children to make safe, positive
and healthy life choices and to connect with
the broader community and understand the
importance of Sadh Sangat.
The facilitators for 2019 are Veer Davinder
Singh from Thailand, L-Fresh The Lion
(Sukhdeep Singh) from Australia, who is a
world-renowned artist who does inspire live-
shows and thought-provoking lyricism.
Registrations for the Summer Camp are
open now, and one can contact SYNZ members
Gurjot Singh at 022-4070235 and Amrita Kaur
at 021-2346885 for any enquiries.
 LONDON

NEW DELHI

New Delhi NZ$

1,310 Chennai NZ$
1,413
Kochi NZ$
1,415 Bengaluru NZ$
1,421
Mumbai NZ$
1,437 Kolkata NZ$
1,444
Hyderabad NZ$
1,456 Ahmedabad NZ$
1,458

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total Bars Masters_Primary_4C
amount, capped at NZD70, appliesUncoated.indd
per ticket1 when using a Singapore Airlines accepted credit card. Singapore Airlines reserves the right to alter or extend this offer without notice. Advertised Economy Class fares to India are for travel commencing18/12/17 12:09 PM
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18/02/2019 to 09/04/2019, 22/04/2019 to 20/06/2019, 16/07/2019 to 20/09/2019 and 07/10/2019 to 30/11/2019. Blackout periods, inbound restrictions and maximum stay restrictions apply. For full terms and conditions, ticket change, refund policy and to book, please
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