15FEB2019 | Vol 10 Issue 46

Better fares
& better paid
drivers.*

Government proposes Vicky Kaushal

merging 16 polytechnics "Toiled hard for this
into a single national work pressure"
Pg 02 Pg 10Pg 22 entity Pg 29
www.iwk.co.nz /indianweekender /indianweekender

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 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 15, 2019
ISKCON Holi festival drenches Aucklanders
in colours, spirit of Krishna-Bhakti
¡¡ SANDEEP SINGH
C
olours, water, and a wee bit of Krishna-
Bhakti were scattered all around in
abundance at the Radhe Krishna
temple’s Holi festival, on Sunday, February 10,
in Auckland, thus leaving everyone drenched –
either physically or spiritually.
Auckland’s Radhe Krishna Temple is the
main centre of The International Society for
Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) movement
in New Zealand.
Thousands of people thronged on a bright
sunny Sunday afternoon, in the rather distantly-
located Radhe Krishna temple (40 km from
CBD) on the outskirts of Auckland city in
Kumeu, to immerse themselves in the colours
and water, and experience the magic offered by
traditional Hindu festival of Holi.
With this Holi festival, began what can be
described as the Holi season in Auckland, with
many more traditional public events also lined
up for the following weeks.
A large number of people indulged
themselves in throwing colours and water while
dancing in groups to the tune of music being
played on stage.
The traditional air canons, water guns and
canons with powder and liquid colours so
commonly associated with the festival of Holi
ruled the roost all around.
However, what makes ISKCON Holi
special and slightly different from all other
Holi festivals in New Zealand is the spirit of
devotion and Bhakti of Lord Krishna.
The celebration of Holi has indeed evolved
as one of the most non-religious, of all the
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traditional Hindu festivals, and is fast gaining
a cross-cultural acceptance all around the
world including in New Zealand, yet it will be
inaccurate to miss the spirit of devotion and
Bhakti of Lord Krishna so omnipresent in the
festival.
ISKCON Holi, which holds the envious
recognition of being one of the first public
Holi-festivals of Auckland city and continues to
grow every year, is also unique for drawing its
inspiration directly from the tradition of Bhakti
– meaning love of God.
In Hinduism Bhakti means love of God,
where the primary mode of connection between
the ordinary mortals and the almighty God is
pure love and devotion. Bhakti or fondness
for god in Hinduism, started around the 8th
century CE and gained prominence from the
15th century onwards, developing around
different gods and goddesses. The International
Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)
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movement also traces its origin from the
tradition of Krishna-Bhakti from the ancient
Hinduism.
While traditionally, the festival of Holi finds
a connection with many legends, all signifying
the victory of good over the evil, one having
most relevance for the Hare Krishna Temple
Holi festival is the enduring love between Lord
Krishna (an incarnation of Vishnu) and Radha.
According to legend, the young Krishna
complained to his mother Yashoda about why
Radha was so fair and he so dark. Yashoda
advised him to apply colour on Radha’s face
and see how her complexion would change,
and thereby emphasising the symbolic power of
colour in demolishing all barriers and divisions
keeping humanity divided.
Organisers of the event and dignitaries
attending the event also echoed similar
sentiments in one or the other way.
Open Day
TUESDAY 12 MARCH
We love learning
NEW ZEALAND 3
Carlos, one of the main organisers and
leading teacher at the Hare Krishna temple told
The Indian Weekender, “This is a tradition that
is going on for thousands of years in India, in
a place called Vrindavan, where Krishna first
appeared.
“It was Krishna who created this festival
through his consoles and friends as a festival of
love, enjoyment and celebration.
“It’s a festival where there is no bodily
designation. It’s not like I am black you are
white, he is green, or Christian or Hindu.
“When you put colours you can’t tell. It’s a
colour festival that brings everyone together as
one human race,” Carlos said.
Parliament Under-Secretary and Labour MP
for Mt Roskill Michael Wood said, “This is
the first Holi celebration that I have attended,
and it’s great. Our Prime Minister talks about
kindness to each other, and this event is about
the same spirit of coming together, enjoying
each other’s company and supporting each
other.”
New Zealand Police, Fire Service and St
John’s ambulance was stationed at the venue
mingling with the crowd and throwing colours at
one another. Speaking to The Indian Weekender
Police Inspector Rakesh Naidoo said, “Today I
am out here with family and friends to enjoy
this wonderful festival and support our Police,
Fire and Ambulance services.”
“They are doing a great job of supporting
our communities, especially around festivals
like this, which brings together people from all
ethnicities together in our diverse multicultural
country,” Mr Naidoo said.
A fascinating part of the event besides the
cultural dance performances and water splash
from huge tankers was the traditional Haka
performance by a group also covered in colours.
Girls’ School
REGISTER TO ATTEND
saintkentigern.com
 4 NEW ZEALAND
Pongal celebrated with traditional gaiety
at Auckland Tamil Association event
¡¡ SANDEEP SINGH
A
uckland Tamil Association
celebrated the Tamil harvest
festival of Pongal with
traditional gaiety and enthusiasm
with a gathering of special guests and
the Tamil community on Saturday,
February 9, at the Mt. Eden War
Memorial Hall.
Pongal is a highly revered three
days long festival, dedicated to the
Sun god which according to the
Tamil calendar is usually celebrated
from January 14 to January 17.
Celebrated by Tamil people in
the Indian state of Tamil Nadu
and countries such as Sri Lanka,
Malaysia, Mauritius, South Africa,
Singapore, Canada, the United
States, the United Kingdom, the
festival of Pongal is increasingly
becoming popular in New Zealand in
recent years.
Continuing the long tradition
of celebrating this festival, along
with showcasing elements and
nuances of the Tamil culture to the
wider community, the Auckland
Tamil Association event included
traditional Tamil games like
Pallanguli, Bambaram, Undi Vil, and
Choppu Saaman.
The hall was decorated with
colourful kolams and the centre
stage was beautifully decorated
with Pongal pot to reflect the Pongal
celebration.
Several cultural performances
such as the renowned Karagam or
Karagattam and Kumiattam were
also enacted by enthusiastic artists.
Karagattam is popularly known as
water pot dance and is performed with
decorated pots on the head in praise
of the rain goddess Mariamman to
seek blessings for rain.
Kumiattam – another traditional
Tamil folk dance where women
gather in large circle gently dancing
on rhythmic clapping - was an instant
hit with the audience for giving an
unrestricted opportunity to everyone
for immersing themselves in a joyous
experience
Besides hosting cultural dance and
Friday, February 15, 2019 The Indian Weekender
musical performances, ATA presented concluded with a vote of thanks by
the top three winners of both Kolam Vice President Mr. Velmuruga.
(Rangoli) contest and traditional Speaking to The Indian
food cooking contest with gold studs, Weekender, Mr Ravindran said, “The
silver lamp and a silk sari Notably, purpose of this beautiful cultural
ATA had started Pongal celebrations event in Auckland was to pass on
a week before the main event last supreme rich culture and heritage to
weekend by hosting a special cultural our next generation of children and
event whereby encouraging younger to celebrate the full cultural ethos at
members, especially those born a land away from the home country.”
in NZ to compete with each other Tamil language classes to
in exhibiting their skills about the
start soon in Auckland
selected Tamil-cultural activity.
Labour MP Michael Wood, Hon.
Consul of India Bhav Dhillon and
H owever, the highlight of the
event was the announcement
of launching a Tamil language
National MP Paramjit Parmar were
classes in Auckland.
the chief guests at the event.
“Auckland Tamil Association is
Several prominent community
starting Tamil language classes in
leaders such as Jeet Suchdev from
Auckland from next month with
Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust,
intentions of educating youngsters in
Senthil Kumar from Waikato Tamil
the community, along with promoting
Society, Nilima Venkat from Shanti
one of the longest-surviving classical
Niwas Charitable Trust, Jyoti
languages of the world, in New
Mallikarjun Reddy from Telangana
Zealand,” Mr Ravindran said.
Jagruthi New Zealand, Srilatha
The classes are scheduled to
Magatala from the New Zealand
be held every week, starting from
Telugu Association, and Ray
Saturday, March 2, at the Onehunga
Annamalai of Multicultural New
Community Centre. Anyone keen
Zealand were also in attendance at
to take the opportunity to learn
the event.
the Tamil language should contact
Vai Ravindran, the President of
Auckland Tamil Association directly
ATA gave the welcome speech and
at aucklandtamilassociation@gmail.
honoured chief guests on behalf of
com
the Association, and the evening was
••
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 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 15, 2019
Fun times at the T20
¡¡  MICHAEL WOOD
L
ike cricket fans the length and breadth of
the country, I have been avidly following
the India-NZ series. It has come at a
great time, with a Blackcaps team on the rise,
India ascendant as the dominant international
cricket power, and the World Cup just around
the corner.
 I attended the ODI in Mt Maunganui, but
sadly we Auckland cricket fans have only
had the opportunity to attend one local game,
this being Friday night’s T20 match which
was a sell-out. To ensure that people had the
opportunity to follow the game with other fans
I organised a fundraiser event at the Post Office
Public Bar in Mangere.
It was a great night with people in attendance
from across the Kiwi-Indian community, and
while the game was a very clear victory to India,
there were some great moments along the way.
De Grandhomme and Taylor combined for a
fiery partnership that gave the Blackcaps some
hope of a winning total, while Pant and Sharma
delivered the goods for India with batting that
was explosive at times, but always controlled.
NEW ZEALAND 5
 But the big
takeaway from
this match, and
the series as a
whole was the
quality of the Indian
bowling attack. Indian teams have
always had powerful batting lineups but have
often lacked control and penetration in the
bowling ranks. Not so with this team – Shami,
Yadav, and the rest of the lineup were generally
successful in frustrating a quality NZ batting
card, playing in their own conditions.
 My thanks go to the Labour Indian Origin
Branch for organising the event on Friday
night, and the Post Office Public Bar for hosting
us. The beauty of cricket is that the game can
be appreciated whatever the result for your
favoured team, and we all thoroughly enjoyed
the match. Roll on Bangladesh, and then the
World Cup!
Michael Wood is Labour MP and
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Ethnic
Communities
 6 NEW ZEALAND
Dunedin Tamil Society
celebrates Pongal
¡¡ SANDEEP SINGH
Tamil people living
in Otago region came
together on Sunday,
February 3, to
celebrate traditional
Tamil harvest festival
of Pongal.
D
unedin Tamil Society hosted
its first event of the year in a
much-relaxed environment,
unlike some of their major events
last year, like Diwali celebrations,
which were more formal events,
thus encouraging everyone to be
more engaging in the entire event
right from planning to the day of the
festival.
In the lead up to the event, the
organising committee had put their
minds to encourage maximum
participation from as many members
of the society in the execution of
the event, which included but was
not limited to decorating the venue,
organising meals and organising
entertainment.
One direct outcome of this strategic
thinking was that the responsibility
of catering food for this event was
Accelerating success.
Reach more people - better results faster.
taken up by committee members
and volunteers who decided to cook
food themselves at home rather than
hiring caterers.
“The outcome was a huge success,
with possibly the tastiest food ever
provided in a DTS function. We
continue to receive compliments for
the food served to guests on that day,”
Luxmanan Selvanesan, President
DTS told The Indian Weekender.
“Huge thanks to the chefs Vignesh,
Ruwaiz, Sadhana and Niv for this
stellar effort,” Mr Selvanesan said.
Pattimandram and
Isaiyum kathaiyum
A part from food and normal
cultural performances on the
event day, a major attraction was the
inclusion of a special debate program
called Pattimandram in the event.
Pattimandram is an organised
debate, where two groups come
together to debate a topic of interest
in Tamil. Teams usually consist of
three people a-side, and a judge is
present who would summarise the
various points made by each team
and deliver a verdict on who had the
strongest arguments.
The Pattimandram is usually
streaked with comedy and the judge
plays a significant role in bringing
the comedy to what is usually a
serious topic.
colliers.co.nz
Friday, February 15, 2019 The Indian Weekender
our community as educating them
about Tamil culture and heritage is
an important goal of the DTS,” Mr
Selvanesan said.
Dampened mood due
to an untimely death in
community
H owever, the atmosphere at the
beginning of the event was
sombre due to the sudden death
The topic for this inaugural music, singing and mimicry. of Hareesh Gangadharan, a young
Pattimandram was “Is technology Ruwaiz Mohammed shone with Malayalee community member, a
good for the community?” and the his mimicry performances on the
day before the DTS function.
group that spoke in affirmative took event night, which entertained one
As a mark of respect for Hareesh
the prize home. and all, particularly children.
and his surviving family and the
Another traditional Tamil cultural The event was also a success in
mourning community, DTS cancelled
activity Isaiyum kathaiyum included getting decent participation from the
the main event which would have
in the event was also well received youngsters in the community.
been the showcasing of the making
by the audience. Isaiyum kathaiyum “We always strive to encourage
of the Pongal traditionally.
involves storytelling with words, participation from youngsters in
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 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 15, 2019 NEW
H ZEALAND
E 7

Fiji artists
O X
U CL
SE U
O SIV
F
TR E T

FIJI
A O

interpret country’s
V
EL

multicultural ethos ON SALE

Fijian-origin artists (from left) Luisa Tora, Sangeeta Singh (both Auckland-based) and
Shivanjani Lal from Sydney with Tora and Singh’s sculptures at the opening of Landings.

¡¡ DEV NADKARNI

T
his May, it will be 140 years since the
first shipload of about 500 indentured
labourers from India landed in Fiji
aboard the sailing ship Leonidas in 1879. In FLIGHTS 5 NIGHTS TRANSFERS BREAKFAST
INCLUDED DAILY
subsequent years, until 1916, more than 60,000
INCLUDED INCLUDED

Indians landed in the islands of Fiji in some

87 sailings mainly from Kolkata but also from
Chennai and Mumbai.
Though the troubled, often brutal, story of the
‘girmitiyas’ – as the indentured labourers from T H E N AV I T I R E S O RT, C O R A L C OA ST
India came to be known – is well represented in
literature published over several decades, it is
rarely that one comes across creative responses
to the highly emotive girmit experience through FLIGHTS, 5 NIGHTS KIDS STAY,
other art forms. & TRANSFERS PLAY & EAT

Last weekend, five Fiji-origin artists from
the country’s multiracial milieu came together
to host a month long show, ‘Landings’,at the
Fresh Gallery in the Auckland suburb of Otara.
“The artists explore ideas of loss, removal,
grief and how communities have the capacity to
remake themselves,” is how the artists describe
‘Landings’.
Landings is the artists’ interpretation through
their craft and performance (captured on video)
of the colonial narrative questioning how the
past and current histories are acknowledged.
Shivanjani Lal, Zaiba Khan, Luisa Tora,
Emele Ugavule and Sangeeta Singh are the five
artists who’ve brought their works to Landings.
The show is an eclectic creative enterprise
expressing through diverse media: video,
mixed media and sculpture.
The idea for Landings came from Sydney
based Shivanjani Lal who was at the show’s
inauguration last Saturday. Also present
were Auckland based artists Luisa Tora and
Sangeeta Singh.
Luis and Sangeeta presented a series of sand
and clay sculptures jointly moulded by them as
they pressed the clay with each other’s palms
while in a slow dance in the manner of how
wrestlers lock their palms before a bout. The
action is captured in a video that is looped on
TV screens behind the sculptures displayed on
the floorin front of the screens.The video is
very much a part of the artwork.
It’s innovative performing art producing a
999
Maps stitched with colourful kite threads; from
FREE
$
Detail of one of the clay sculptures (below)
Photos: Dev Nadkarni
pp
share twin in a Garden View Room
flying Air New Zealand.
Travel: 25 Feb - 31 Mar 2019.
More travel dates available, ask in-store
PACKAGE ALSO INCLUDES
Up to 2 kids under 12 years stay,
play & eat FREE & use of all non motorised
water activities, gym and tennis courts
House of Travel Ponsonby have the passion and expertise to
The routes between the Indian ports and their
landing points in Fiji are traced with coloured
make your holiday an amazing experience from the moment we
kite threads, which are also creatively used in start planning your holiday so come in and visit the team now...
her “Yaad Karo” series of photo prints painted Great holidays are made better together.
with turmeric, to create a special meaning for
the subjects in the prints. YOUR IDEAS + OUR KNOWLEDGE = BETTER HOLIDAYS
Melbourne based Zaiba Khan’s artwork
incorporates more than 300 copperplate
etchings on rag paper as the main substrate. The
watercolour illustrations depictglobules and
orb-like shapes reminiscent of heavenly bodies
in the night skies.
Multidisciplinary story teller and B E T T E R TO G E T H E R
videographer EmeleUgavule and ShivanjaniLal
also have videos titled “Keep Going” and “I am 3 4 0 P O N S O N BY R O A D I 0 9 3 6 0 5 7 6 0 I P O N S O N BY@ H O T. C O . N Z
not here” respectively as part of the show.
CONDITIONS: Sale ends 25 Feb 19 • Prices are correct as at 07 Feb 19 • Prices are thereafter subject to change without notice
until time of confirmation. Prices may vary due to a number of factors including tax and surcharge increases, exchange rate

work of plastic art!

WHAT movements and availability • Price is based on the most direct routing but may vary depending on subsequent tax & surcharge
increases • Full payment is required no later than 5 pm 25 Feb 19 • All travel must be commenced and completed as specified

“It’s a metaphorical action showing how
culture and society shape themselves as people
interact over time,” Sangeeta says.
Landings, Art exhibition • Some surcharges, closeouts, flight, routing and accommodation restrictions apply. Bedding configurations may vary • All
packages are based on economy class flying Air New Zealand from Auckland to Nadi • For travel from all other Air New Zealand
WHERE
domestic airports add $160 pp. Travel is via Auckland in both directions. Travel requiring an overnight stay in Auckland to connect
with Airline schedules will be at passengers own expense • An airfare surcharge of $10 per person one way applies for travel on
a Friday, Saturday or Sunday • Min/max stays apply • Advertised prices are per person share twin based on payment by cash

Shivanjani Lal’s series of maps printed on

dull grey board with a distinctly retro feel track
the movement of the ships that brought in the
girmitiyas to their new homeland.
Fresh Gallery, 5/46 Fair Mall, or cheque. Credit card fees will apply • Airfares are non-refundable, non-transferable and name changes are not permitted •
Amendment and cancellation fees apply • Accommodation ratings are based on House of Travel ratings and are a guide only
Otara Town Centre, Auckland to the overall quality of the property. • Packages are subject to availability • Child costs where advertised are based on up to
2 children under 12 years sharing accommodation with 2 adults using existing
WHEN bedding • Where kids eat free, this is from selected restaurants, from selected
menus at set times • Kids club age restrictions apply • Any resort credits that are
9 February-30 March unused are not refundable, transferable & cannot be exchanged for cash • Please
ask your House of Travel consultant for full details. CMPPINZ0219
 8 NEW ZEALAND Friday, February 15, 2019 The Indian Weekender

Dream… Impossible
¡¡ TULIKA SAKLANI

Ram Kishore Lakhera

was 66 years old, when
he decided to chase his
childhood dream of studying
Homeopathy. He got an
opportunity to pursue
a four-year diploma in
Homeopathy from Bay of
Plenty, New Zealand. It
was hard. Not many people
encouraged him. His mentor
asked him to attend the trial
class, but he wasn’t sure
whether he could cope up
with the pressure of studying
all over again. But when he
attended the class all started
falling into place. In 2011 he
took admission in the four-
year course in Homeopathy.
This is aseemingly ordinary story of a man,
with an extraordinary zeal to reinvent himself
at an age when many others prefer to retire
or relax.
According to Ram Kishore Lakhera, it was
quite a new experience for him. He was used to
a rote learning system whereas in New Zealand
One can see a sparkle in his eyes while he
is sharing his experience about Homeopathy.
According to him, in Homeopathy symptoms
are not meant to be suppressed with medication
but used as an indication of what the body
needs in order to heal itself. He believes that
homeopathy considers the wellbeing of the
whole patient –mental, emotional, and physical
–when deciding upon a treatment whereas
conventional doctors only consider the physical
manifestations of an illness and how to treat it.
In 2014, when he received the Diploma in New
Zealand, he also started practicingHomeopathy.
He gives homeopathic treatment free of cost
the importance of homeopathic
medicine.He learnt a lot from
his father. As a child, he always
had a passion for Homeopathy.
The turning point came in Ram
Kishore’s life when his father died.
After his father’s death he started
practicing Homeopathy in India. In
2012 he reached out to Dr Harveen
Kaur, who is also a well known
Homeopathic doctor in Delhi. Under
her supervision he started practicing
Homeopathy.
Apart from his passion from homeopathy he
also got associated with NewZealand Indian
Senior Citizen’s association. In Eighties,
the elderly parents of working people at that
time, felt lonely. From last two years Ram
Kishore Lakhera has become the President of
this organisation and helps in planning and
coordinating events and Indian festivals.
Confucius had once said that “It does not
mean how slowly you go so long as you do not
stop.” This is so apt for Ram Kishore Lakhera.
Today he has set up an example to all those
who believe that It is not possible to pursue

T
his was the turning point for Ram
Kishore Lakhera, who chose a path to
walk alone and pursue his childhood
dream of becoming a qualified Homeopath in
New Zealand.
when he started studying it was more about
finding your own path through research and
reference system. After the course he started
teaching in the same Institute for five years
which he thoroughly enjoyed.
and gives 85% of free homeopathic medicine
to the patients.
Going down memory lane he remembers
that even his father used to never charge fee
from patients so that people can understand
education and follow your passion late in life.
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 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 15, 2019
Smoking and Vaping
in cars with children
to be banned
¡¡ SANDEEP SINGH
T
he Government had announced to
make it illegal to smoke and vape in
vehicles when people younger than
18 were inside.
Police would be able to issue $50 spot fines
to people who broke the new law, which is
likely to be enacted by the end of this year.
  Associate Minister of Health Jenny Salesa
made the announcement on Sunday that
the law change will come into effect by an
amendment to the Smoke-free Environments
Act 1990.
“First and foremost this change is about
protecting children. However, it is also part of
the Government’s commitment to achieving
Smokefree 2025,” Ms Salesa said.
Emphasising that the government’s
intention was to drive the social change rather
than issuing infringement notices Ms Salesa
said, “Ultimately, the focus of this change will
be on education and changing social norms –
not on issuing infringement notices.”
“There is strong support for legislating.
Multiple surveys have shown around 90 per
cent of people support a stop to smoking in
cars with children present.
“New Zealand will join other countries such
as Australia, England, Scotland, Ireland, South
Africa, parts of the United States, and most of
Canada – where smoking in cars with children
is already prohibited,” Mrs Salesa said.
Vaping will also be included in the
prohibition and it will apply to all vehicles both
parked and on the move.
Sanatan Dharm Purohit Brahmin
Maha Sabha NZ completes 25 years
¡¡ SANDEEP SINGH
Auckland based religious
organisation Shree Sanatan
Dharm Purohit Brahmin
Maha Sabha NZ celebrated
its silver-anniversary in a
colourful event on Saturday,
February 3.
“
This year marks 25th anniversary of our
existence in New Zealand – an important
landmark - that we wished to celebrate with
all our members and the wider community,”
Pandit Shradhanand, Secretary of Mahasabha
told The Indian Weekender.
The event started with the traditional singing
of national anthems of three countries, India,
Fiji, and New Zealand, led by Waitakere Hindi
School children, who were part of many cultural
NEW ZEALAND 9
performances, such as enactment of Ramayan,
at the event.
However, a major attraction, and also noted
by the Guest of Honour, Hon. Consul of India, members (and current priests) to recognise their
Bhav Dhillon during his address at the event, contributions in the organisation over the years.
was the skilful use of traditional Indian musical Expressing rejoices and gratitude for
instruments such as tabla, harmonium and
successful completion of twenty years of
dholak, by school children to provide music to the organisation Mahasabha President Arish
the Kiwi national anthem.
“The manner in which our fellow Fiji-Indian
Maharaj told The Indian Weekender, “It was a
landmark occasion for us.
brothers and sisters have preserved Indian
“Therefore we decided to celebrate it together
culture and heritage over the last hundred years
is not only commendable but also gives them a by recognising contributions of every founding
member, right from the very beginning till now,
special place within the broader global Indian
diaspora,” Mr Dhillon said. to acknowledge their efforts in keeping this
“I congratulate President, Secretary and organisation alive and healthy in NZ.”
all members of Shree Sanatan Dharm Purohit The Mahasabha has worked over the years
Brahmin Mahasabha NZ for completing 25 for the maintenance of Sanatan Dharma and
years,” Mr Dhillon said. Hindu spiritual practice as a whole in New
“I would also like to acknowledge the great
Zealand.
work being done by Waitakere Hindi School
Toward the end, a big cake was cut to mark
in educating our younger generation in Hindi
the 25th-anniversary celebrations, followed by
language and Indian culture,” Mr Dhillon said. 
a range of cultural performances and dinner.
Certificates were given to all founding
 10 NEW ZEALAND Friday, February 15, 2019 The Indian Weekender

Government proposes
merging 16 polytechnics
¡¡ SANDEEP SINGH response from the Institute of technologies

T
he government is proposing to merge and the industry organisations planning to go
all 16 polytechnics into one single through the cull.
national entity. The Skills Organisation Chief Executive
This was announced by Education Minister Garry Fissenden told Radio NZ that the system
Chris Hipkins on Wednesday, February is already as simple as possible.
13, while releasing the proposal for public “Nearly 12 months were spent consulting
consultations. with the polytech sector but seven weeks will be
Mr Hipkins said the proposal included spent consulting with a sector that has 145,000
creating a New Zealand Institute of Skills and students and 25,000 firms involved.
Technology that would have a single governing ““It’s actually almost totally disrespectful
council and would manage all 16 institutes’ to the firms that I represent to actually do that
capital and operational budgets, staffing, and in seven weeks,” Mr Fissenden was quoted as
computer systems for managing their courses. saying by Radio NZ.
“The world around us is changing rapidly Sir Tim Shadbolt, Mayor of Invercargill,
and our education system needs to keep up,” criticised the government for the radical move
Chris Hipkins said. saying it will be devastating for the Southern
“At a time when we’re facing critical skill Institute of Technology.
shortages, too many of our polytechnics and The proposals are: and acting on what is appropriate for skill Others have been more circumspect in their
institutes of technology are going broke. • Redefined roles for education providers shortage in their backyard. response to the proposed changes.
“The strong labour market is encouraging and industry bodies (Industry Training “Amalgamation and centralisation on a Ara Institute of Canterbury’s Chief Executive
young people to move directly into the workforce Organisations (ITOs)) to extend the national scale will reduce education and Tony Gray had said while he knew broadly
rather than continue in formal education when leadership role of industry and employers; training opportunities in the regions,” National what upcoming changes may occur, there was
it needs to be smarter and accommodate both. • Bringing together the 16 existing ITPs Spokesperson for Tertiary Education, Skills and a “significant lack of detail”.
And our system isn’t geared up for the future as one entity with the working title of Employment Shane Reti said. Mr Gray was quoted by Stuff news website
economy, where re-training and up-skilling will the New Zealand Institute of Skills & “We understand that 1000 FTEs are at risk saying, “This means that it is important for
be a regular feature of everyone’s working life.
Technology with a robust regional network with the restructure and that their functions will Ara to focus on the day-to-day context of its
“Instead of our institutes of technology
of provision; and be performed centrally. Many student services work for students and colleagues. As always,
retrenching, cutting programmes, and closing
• A unified vocational education funding simply have to be conducted face to face and our focus will be on ensuring a productive and
campuses, we need them to expand their course
delivery in more locations around the country. system. are unsuitable for centralisation,” Mr Reti said. enjoyable year ahead for our students.”
“It’s time to reset the whole system and Public consultation is open until March 27. However, Mr Hipkins disregarded the Employers and Manufacturers Association
fundamentally rethink the way we view National Party had criticised the proposal suggestion saying there was no recent advice and Tertiary Education Union also cautiously
vocational education and training, and how it’s sighting it will result in massive job losses and on how many staff would be affected. welcomed the proposed changes.
delivered, Mr Hipkins said. take power away from the regions for deciding There has been a mixed and cautious ••

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 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 15, 2019 NEW ZEALAND 11

Government Bhartiya Samaj

lets down New seniors felicitate Hon
Zealanders The number of children in benefit dependent Consul of India
households is up, the number of care and ¡¡ SANDEEP SINGH
protection reports is up, the number of family

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi
National party List MP
T
violence referrals for child abuse and neglect he seniors at the
is up, the number of recorded offences against Bhartiya Samaj
children under the age of 15 for serious assault Charitable Trust has
resulting in injury is up, young people not in come together on Saturday,

T
he Government’s ‘no eviction’ policy
and soft stance on criminal and anti-
social behaviour has seen neighbours
forced to put up with unruly Housing New
Zealand tenants.
More and more innocent and law-abiding
people are being forced to uproot their lives
and live elsewhere due to this Government’s
decision not to evict tenants due to anti-social
behaviour.
Just as it may be the Government’s job to
ensure all New Zealander’s have a roof over
their head, it is also the Government’s job
to ensure law-abiding families are able to
continue living their lives without fear of their
neighbours, instead this Government is willing
to protect tenants who are involved in criminal
behaviour and disrupting the entire street.
A home should be a safe haven for families,
not a place of intimidation and fear.
Negligence of law-abiding New Zealanders
is not limited to housing.
The annual Salvation Army State of the
Nation report shows that a Government which
claims to make the wellbeing of children
and families its top priority is failing them
miserably.
education, employment or training (NEETS) is
up, the number of people on jobseeker benefit
is up, household indebtedness is up, the cost of
living has risen faster for low income families
and the number of total ECE enrolments down.
For a Government that claimed that ‘children
are at the heart of everything we do’ the
Salvation Army State of the Nation report
should serve as an eye opener.
I have repeatedly pointed out that this
Government is big on rhetoric that doesn’t
match the reality.
This Labour led coalition Government is
failing New Zealanders on all fronts – from
housing to our children and vulnerable New
Zealanders.
This Government talks about supporting the
most vulnerable and improving wellbeing, but
it’s the results that matter.  India.
National’s social investment approach
which set targets, measured progress and
meant the Government was accountable for the
improvements it was making to peoples’ lives
because it’s improving lives that matters.
Now we have a Government that talks a lot
about aspiration, but this report makes it clear
that good intentions don’t make for good policy,
or good outcomes.
February 9, to felicitate
Bhav Dhillon, Hon. Consul
of India, for receiving
Pravasi Bhartiya Samman.
Mr Dhillon was recently
awarded Pravasi Bhartiya
Samman by President of
India Ram Nath Kobind in a
state ceremony in Varanasi,
India in the category of
excellence in business and services to the
Indian Diaspora.
Felicitating Mr Dhillon, the Chairman of the
Trust Jeet Suchdev said, “It is a great pleasure
for all of us here to honour Mr Dhillon for
receiving the highest award that a person of
Indian origin can get from the Government of
“The Samman speaks itself for the kind of
work Mr Dhillon do for our communities,” Mr
Suchdev said.
Speaking on the occasion Mr Dhillon
shared his experience of being present at the
Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas, which was the biggest
conglomeration of the global Indian diaspora
under the aegis of the Government of India.
Thanking everyone for the felicitation, Mr
Dhillon also acknowledged the work being
done by Bhartiya Samaj over the last couple
of decades.
“I am sincerely thankful for the support
that I constantly receive from our community
organisations like Bhartiya Samaj,” Mr
Dhillon said.
“I sincerely appreciate the vision of your
organisation and the relentless efforts put by
volunteers and members here, year after year, to
make a genuine impact within our community,”
Mr Dhillon said.
The felicitation ceremony was followed by
various entertainment performances and lunch
served to all guests.

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 12 NEW ZEALAND Friday, February 15, 2019 The Indian Weekender

Haldi Kumkum on the beach Tribute

¡¡ DEV NADKARNI
concert to
legendary
A bunch of women friends
and kids from Auckland’s

composer
Maharashtrian community
made the most of the warm,

Shrinivas
sunny weather last Sunday
at their outing on the

Khale
Mission Bay beach.
The group of

I
t was more than just an outing in that ladies on Mission
the ladies also celebrated the traditional Bay beach
Haldi Kunku ceremony traditionally held
between Uttarayan and the day before Vasant
panchami (which augurs the coming of spring).
A tradition that is particularly popular in the
western Indian states of Maharashtra, Goa,
Rajasthan and Gujarat (where it is also the
tradition to fly kites), it is essentially a social
event.
Married women get together and apply
haldi (turmeric) and kumkum (vermillion)
on one another’s foreheads, exchange gifts
and socialise over a light repast that includes
‘Tilgul’, the traditional sweet preparation for Applying
Sankranti. Haldi-
¡¡ DEV NADKARNI
The significance of the ceremony is to wish Kumkum on

one another a long and happy wedded life and
for the wellbeing of their spouses and families.
“Haldi Kunku at Mission Bay turned out to
be a good blend of celebrating our tradition as
well as a fun outing for the kids on a balmy
Auckland Sunday,” Shweta Divekar, one of
the organisers of the event, told The Indian
Weekender.
“The ladies arrived at the planned meeting
point – the fountain – with gifts, flowers, Tilgul,
snacks and lots of enthusiasm.”
The ladies are part of a group that was initially
the beach
formed through kids and parents performing
Marathi dances at various venues in Auckland.
The group gathers every so often to celebrate
traditions like Sankranti Haldi kunku, Chaitri
Haldi kunku, Gudi Padwa, Gauri-Ganpati and
so on, in a bid to keep our traditions alive and
relevant to the next generation.
“It’s a good way to follow our culture – and
if the venue is a nice picnic spot, that makes it
ISO 9001
CERTIFIED
www.marsden.ac.nz
S
war Sadhana Academy of Indian Music
and Mohan Nadkarni Foundation will
jointly host a tribute concert to one of
India’s most talented music composers, the
late Padma Bhushan Shrinivas Khale (1926-
2011).
The tribute concert, titled Shukra Tara after
Shweta one of his best-known compositions, will be
held on Saturday, March16, 6 pm at the Mt
Divekar with
Eden war Memorial Hall, Balmoral, Auckland.
a bowl of
better to entertain children and Entry to the concert is free. However,
sweets
partners,” Mrs Divekar said. registration is required (details will be
publicised through Facebook shortly). The
event is supported by the Auckland Marathi
Association.
Mumbai-based Shrinivas Khale composed songs in
Marathi as well as Hindi that have eventually become famous
in Bengali, Gujarati and Sanskrit languages.
GCS Almost every popular singer has lent their voice to his
compositions including Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle,
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Sudhir Phadke, Suman Kalyanpur,
Anuradha Paudwal, Shankar Mahadevan and Suresh Wadkar.
He was instrumental in moulding the latter two, Shankar
Mahadevan and Suresh Wadkar in their younger years as their

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IT’S ALL ABOUT mentor.
But Shrinivas Khale is most well known for his
compositions of Sant Vani, the abhangs (lyrical devotional

FEES FREE FOR DOMESTIC STUDENTS

AND YOUR verses) of Maharashtra’s historical saint poets, sung by none
other than Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. A similar
Hindi series that the two collaborated on and that became best
FUTURE sellers was “Suno Bhai Sadho” with verses by Hindi saint
poets.
In fact, Santvani as a genre could well be attributed to
PanditKhale.
Swar Sadhana’s Sandhya Rao Badakere herself has had a
long tutelage under Khaleji. “This is my small tribute to his
memory in gratitude for all that he taught me and did for my
musical training,” Sandhyaji says.
Khaleji was conferred dozens of awards – from national
awards like Padma Bhushan and Lata Mangeshkar Award to
Dadasaheb Phalke Award and Best Music Director Award.
He was also awarded the golden disc for 50 years’ service
to music.
Presenting Khaleji’s memorable compositions will be a
range of Auckland’s own talented singers and instrumentalists:
Arun Khotkar, Hemant Shirsat, Bhushan Phalnikar, Vidya
Teke, Shweta Divekar-Shirsat, Guncha Singh, Mayuri Bhole,
Srishaa Iyer, Siddhi Nigudkar, Ekta Kumar, Maitreyee Pande,
Prajakta Pande, Shikha Shetia and Sandhya Badakere.
Arun khotkar on Harmonium, Hemant Thaker on keyboards,
Vivek Anturkar and Aniket Joshi on table and Bhushan
Phalnikar on side rhythms will accompany. Commentary will
be by Dr Nilima Upadhyay and Kaustubh Pethe.

What: Shukra Tara, musical tribute to Padma

BhushanShrinivasKhale
Where: Mt Eden War Memorial Hall, Balmoral,
Auckland
BUSINESS AND BUILDING AND ELECTRICAL COMPUTING When: Saturday, 16 March at 6 pm
MANAGEMENT CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND IT
Entry: FREE
 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 15, 2019 NEW ZEALAND 13

More government funding

NRI Marriage to support wellbeing of
Registration Bill international students
introduced in
“I want every international student who comes
to New Zealand to study to feel welcome, safe
and supported so they get the most out of their
Michael Wood
stay and feel valued for the contribution they

Indian parliament’s
Labour MP and Parliamentary Under-
Secretary for Ethnic Communities make to New Zealand,” says Minister Hipkins.

T
The second International Student Wellbeing
he wellbeing of international students
Strategy funding round has committed the
is hugely important, but was neglected
¡¡ IWK BUREAU money to support 10 projects, with the focus
under the previous government which

I
this round on international student mental
ndia’s External focussed too much on increasing numbers.
Affairs Minister health and/or safety.
The challenges that face International students
Sushma Swaraj on Some of the funded projects are in the areas
who are in a new country, at a young age with
Monday introduced the of provision of legal advice and support by
limited knowledge of language are real, and we
Registration of Marriage and for international students, sexual health
need to ensure that they are not exploited.
of Non-Resident Indians and water safety resources, support to prevent
Bill in the Upper House Unfortunate cases of exploitation, fatal
international student victimisation and mental
of the parliament. accidents, and shattered expectations have
health first aid trainingfor international students
The Bill seeks to arisen in recent years. In addition to our human
provide safeguards to and for staff who work with international
concern for the affected students, such reports,
Indian women who are students.
particularly when amplified in overseas media
trapped in fraudulent marriages with Non- Proposals were selected by a collaborative
Act, 1967 would empower the passport can cause real damage to the industry and New
Resident Indians (NRIs). group consisting of international students,
authorities to impound or cause to be Zealand’s international reputation. 
“Therefore, it is necessary that the marriage sector representatives, community and ethnic
impounded or revoke a passport or travel The Government is taking serious steps to
solemnized or otherwise in India or outside organisations and relevant government
document of a, NRI, if it is brought to his improve the wellbeing of international students
India shall be registered within a period of agencies.
notice that the person has not registered his and Minister of Education Chris Hipkins has
30 days from the date of marriage,” Bill’s The International Student Wellbeing Strategy
objectives state. marriage within a period of 30 days from the
confirmed investment of $531,000 in projects funding is provided through the Export
“It has been decided to bring in legislation date of marriage.
The proposed amendments to the Code of supporting international student wellbeing as Education Levy, which is paid by international
to provide for compulsory registration of education providers as a percentage of
marriage for better enforcement of rights of Criminal Procedure, 1973 would also empower part of its work on the International Education
the courts for the issuance of summons and international tuition fees.
the deserted spouses under various family Strategy.
warrants through the specifically-designated The coalition Government’s approach strikes
laws,” it added. Improving and safeguarding the quality
The Bill also seeks to amend the Passport website of the Ministry of External Affairs. a balance between sustainable growth in the
of our international education sector, and international education sector, currently worth
Act, 1967 and the Code of Criminal It further provides for attachment of the
protecting the wellbeing of students are at $5.1 billion a year to the New Zealand economy,
Procedure, 1973. properties, both movable and immovable,
The proposed amendment to the Passport the centre of New Zealand’s International and making a clear commitment to students’
belonging to a proclaimed offender.
Education Strategy. learning experience and lifting quality.
14 NEW ZEALAND Friday, February 15, 2019 The Indian Weekender

Pics from Krishna Holi 2019, Kumeu

 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 15, 2019 FIJI 15

Wining the
RATU EPELI’S APPOINTMENT AS Sustainable
SPEAKER, AN HONOR SAYS PM Development
Leadership
I ward is a win
n a secret ballot this morning
in Parliament, Ratu Epeli’s
appointment was confirmed with
30 votes in his favour. for developing
Ratu Epeli has previously served in
the Speaker role from 2001 to 2005, states: PM
P
a spur of the moment appointment rime Minister Voreqe
then, after accompanying his wife Bainimarama says him
Adi Koila Mara to be sworn in as a winning the Sustainable
senator. Development Leadership Award is
“So I want to emphasize that, that more than a win for himself or Fiji
I am here as the servant of this house but a win for small and developing
and I look forward to working with states.
you all.” While accepting this years Award
Meanwhile, Prime Minister by The Energy and Resources
Voreqe Bainimarama says Ratu Epeli Institute in India Bainimarama says
was a standout choice. the size of a country does not matter
“It’s good, we are very when it comes to impacting the
"It’s
honoured to have him as world, rather it is the volume of the
good, we are
a Speaker and we all message.
very honoured
know that he’s going Bainimarama could not be in
to have him as a
to do a good job.” Prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau and Biman Prasad Delhi to receive the award as Fiji has
Speaker and we all
It was also know that he’s going nomination. “As you know the National Epeli Nailatikau as the Speaker of parliament sitting from today and
somewhat a bipartisan NFP Leader, Professor Federation Party is a party in Parliament.” sent a video message.
to do a good
choice with the National Biman Prasad says they Opposition. We make our own Opposition Nominee Tanya He thanked the institute and its
job."
Federation Party throwing were simply using their decisions and on this issue, the party Waqanika was defeated having director-general Ajay Mathur for the
their votes behind Ratu Epeli’s prerogative. made a decision to support Ratu attained 21 votes. great honour .
Bainimarama also thanked th

Bainimarama keen on developing Sugar Industry

government of India saying that India
has stood with Fiji from the begining

P
rime Minister Voreqe
Bainimarama says there have
been improvements in the
Sugar Industry since 2006.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday,
Bainimarama says there are avenues
put together by government to bolster
the industry.
He says there are contributing
as a financial backers of COP23
Bainimarama clarifies that a lot of
Presidency and their assistance in
factors need to be considered before
other areas of Fiji’s development
comments are made about the decline
has helped Fiji into the position of
in the industry.
strength and  prosperity that we have
today.
Land Leases which starts
expiring in 1996 and its $234M pumped through
politicization have seen movie production in the
last three years
a reduction in farmlands

factors which led to the decline of the
sugar industry over the years.
“Land Leases which starts
expiring in 1996 and its politicization
have seen a reduction in farmlands
available for Sugar can farming.”
available for Sugar can
farming
The Prime Minister says the
government will do whatever it takes
to assist farmers and at the same time
further implement more development
M
ore than $230million was
directly injected into the
economy through various
programmes. movie productions in the last three
years.
Minister for Economy Aiyaz

Brain drain in the health sector curbed says Dr Waqainabete Sayed-Khaiyum highlighted this in
parliament today saying $43 million

T
he public health sector is going through
a revitalization with attrition rates now
below 10 per cent.
Health Minister, Dr. Ifereimi Waqainabete
explains that a number of factors have made
this possible.
Speaking in Parliament, Dr. Waqainabete notes
that from 1987 to 1999, attrition rates soared to
over 77 percent.
He says doctors and medical staff left Fiji and
the public health sector in droves.
“My graduating class of 1996 of 14, last year
one was employed back into the service. Now
there’s only two, from the 14, only two remain in
the service. The class in the next year, 1997, only
two left in the civil service. The class of 1998, I
believe, I’ve checked around, unless there’s one
left, there’s none left in the service.”
With better retention now, Dr. Waqanaibete says
other than political stability, there are also better
working conditions and salaries.
“The starting salary for doctors now is $45,000
so we’re able to recruit, we’re able to retain. Our
highest paid doctors are paid about $140,000 a
year.”
Meanwhile, the Health Minister also noted that
there are 804 doctors currently working within the
sector with 196 positions vacant.
was pumped into the economy in
2016, $94million in 2017 and $97
million last year.
Sayed-Khaiyum says the Income
Tax Film Making and Audio Visual
Incentives Regulation 2016 stipulates
that overseas production houses need
to engage local staff.
He adds that recent production of
Survivor series had employed 500
locals while a feature film currently
being shot in Fiji has employed 100
locals.
“Because of the number of
productions have been coming to
Fiji some of the locals have actually
now become a bit of an expert. So
in one of the production, one local
crew went to the level of assistant
director. So you see if I get into the
movie industry as a Fijian and if I
go into four or five productions, I
develop a particular knowledge base
so anybody that is coming to shoot

www.indianweekender.co.nz
the movie says go to him because he
knows the stuff. So that is actually
what is happening.”

The most visited Indian news website in New Zealand*

Opposition MP Mikaele Leawere
had questioned about Government
plans to train local participant’s story
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 Thought of the week
"Look up at the stars and not down
at your feet. Try to make sense of
what you see, and wonder about what
makes the universe exist. Be curious."
Editorial – Stephen Hawking
Three needs of Auckland Weather forecast for the week
Indian infrastructure: February 15 – February 21, 2018

Revenues, revenues Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu

& revenues
T
he current discourse on infrastructure focuses on the amount of funding needed for its A p.m. A passing A couple Clouds Mostly Sun and Mostly
creation. While the talk about the need for funding is essential, to indeed create more shower in morning of morning and sun, some clouds sunny
sunny,
funding for infrastructure, the infrastructure ecosystem itself needs to start focusing more place shower showers pleasant pleasant
on “revenues”.
“Revenues” here mean the returns the infrastructure assets will generate to compensate the 27° 25° 24° 25° 28° 25° 222°
investors for the risk undertaken. Essentially, revenue generating mechanisms and greater clarity 18° 18° 17° 18° 18° 19° 19°
amongst investors on the revenue generating mechanisms that will create the cash flows to deliver
investment returns are the keys to unlocking funding.
In finance parlance, the discussion needs to focus both on the quality and the quantity of the cash This week in New Zealand’s history
flows from the infrastructure assets.
To move towards greater clarity on revenue generation, a clear catalogue needs to be created
15 February 1978
where all infrastructure assets required are broadly classified under three categories. NZ beats England in a cricket test for the first time
The first comprises assets that have a revenue-generating capacity to adequately compensate
investors for the risk, e.g., a high-quality airport. Second, assets that have the revenue generating
N ew Zealand suffered many test defeats at the hands of England’s cricketers before finally
winning for the first time at Wellington’s Basin Reserve in February 1978.
capacity, but need subsidies to provide an adequate return to the investors for the risks involved,
e.g., a Metro railway project. 16 February 1986
The third are assets that have economic benefits but do not themselves generate revenues at all, Sinking of the Mikhail Lermontov
e.g., a non-toll road asset.
For assets that generate revenues, the emphasis must be on clear contract design that elucidates A t 5.37 p.m. on 16 February 1986 the Soviet cruise liner Mikhail Lermontov hit rocks off
Cape Jackson in the Marlborough Sounds.
the revenue waterfall for the asset and on the predictability of the cash flows. It is important to
realise that the investors who are looking to invest in Indian infrastructure are mostly managing 17 February 1873
global portfolios across asset classes. 'The Russians are coming!'
Therefore, Indian assets need to compete with other asset classes from both India and abroad to
attract capital. O n 17 February 1873, Aucklanders awoke to the alarming news that a Russian warship had
entered Auckland Harbour undetected and landed troops.
The greater the clarity around revenues and the associated risks, the easier will it be to draw a
more substantial quantum of money for infrastructure, and that too at lower costs. 18 February 1957
Infrastructure financing through improving “revenue visibility” and “revenue predictability” New Zealand's last execution
leads to a virtuous circle whereby greater clarity around revenues leads to both greater quantity and
lower cost funding, which in turn helps more viable projects to take off. The “asset monetisation”
scheme that has been in talks in recent times will get a significant boost if the focus on “revenues”
W alter Bolton, a 68-year-old Whanganui farmer, became the last person executed in New
Zealand. Convicted for the murder of his wife, Beatrice, he was hanged at Mt Eden prison
following a controversial trial.
is built up further.
For assets that require part or full subsidies, the government will need to get greater clarity on 22 February 2011
what component of the budget will finance the much-needed infrastructure. Across infrastructure Christchurch earthquake kills 185
sectors such as water, power evacuation and highways, clear demarcation of fund allocation, usage
and results will be crucial in delivering the much-needed assets.
It is also important to note that there is significant dispersion in the revenue generating capacity
A t 12.51 p.m. on Tuesday 22 February 2011, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake caused severe
damage in Christchurch and Lyttelton, killing 185 people and injuring several thousand.

of assets within the same asset class.

For instance, certain commercially busy stretches of roadways may lead to lucrative toll-road
contracts whereas roads elsewhere might have significant economic benefits such as border roads
but might need subsidies from the government for their financial viability.
The ability to implement flexible policies that consider the variability of financial returns
from various assets within an asset class will help improve “revenue” generating capacity for
infrastructure overall.
For instance, given the variability in the wind energy capacity of various sites, India’s wind
energy policy needs to account for the fact that highly competitive auctions that may work on
the best wind sites may not be conducive to rapid infrastructure creation once the best sites are
exhausted.
Additionally, besides the revenue sources, ensuring investors that contracts will be enforced
without demur or recourse is essential.
In a world with increasing macroeconomic volatility, pricing of revenue streams from
infrastructure assets will vary as the various determinants such as the cost of funding, initial capital
expenditures and foreign exchange rates vary.
Therefore, the better the contract enforcement mechanism, the higher the risk-adjusted revenues
from infrastructure projects, thereby greater the investor interest in Indian infrastructure.
Therefore, though much has been written and said about the opportunity and the challenges that
Indian infrastructure involves, the next step should be a renewed focus on “revenues” that assets
can generate.
We must ensure that measures are taken to improve “revenue” visibility, and to provide
alternative financing solutions when asset revenues are not sufficient.
Indian Weekender : Volume 10 Issue 46
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Kiwi Media Publishing Limited - 133A, Level 1, Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland.
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Copyright 2017. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved.
 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 15, 2019 OPINION/EDITORIAL 17

Will India get a coalition government this summer?

AMULYA GANGULI

I
f the opinion polls are to be believed, India
is heading for another period of coalitions.
The reason is that the next general
election is expected to produce a “hung”
Parliament, where neither of the two major
contenders - the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
and its opponents - will be able to secure a
majority.
Conventional wisdom also points in that
direction because it is difficult to believe that a
ruling party which is palpably far less popular
than what it was even a couple of years ago will
be able to repeat its performance of 2014.
Neither will the combine led by it - the
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) - because
the erosion of the government’s popularity will
drag down its allies as well.
If the NDA cannot cross the halfway mark
of 272 seats in Parliament, neither will its
opponents - not even collectively, let alone
singly. For a start, their hope of fielding one
candidate from among them against the BJP
in every constituency has been dashed by their
failure to act unitedly in several states.
For instance, the Congress could not align
with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in any of
the three recent assembly elections.
Nor was it possible for the Samajwadi Party-
BSP combine to reach an understanding with
the Congress for the 80 parliamentary seats in
UP. These rifts show that the opposition will
approach the general election as a divided
house in nearly all the states except perhaps in
Maharashtra, where the Congress has reached
an understanding with the Nationalist Congress
Party (NCP) for the state’s 48 parliamentary
seats. The BJP will expect this disarray among
its adversaries to benefit it, but the NDA’s own
condition doesn’t give much hope.
For one, some of its allies like the Telugu
Desam and the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party have
already walked into the opposition camp.
For another, the BJP had to bend over
backwards to keep restive partners like the
Janata Dal (United) and the Lok Janashakti
Party in tow. They will become even more
assertive if the NDA doesn’t get a majority and
the BJP becomes more dependent on them.
For a third, there is still no certainty that the
BJP and the Shiv Sena will end their constant
bickering and fight the elections together.
What these ruptures within the two opposing
sides suggest is how difficult it will be for them
to forge a viable unity after the elections in the
event of their falling short of a majority.
True, India hasn’t been a stranger to coalitions
either at the centre or in the states. Ever since
the diminution of the Congress’s pre-eminent
position from the 1960s, coalitions have been
the order of the day.
Some of them. like the Left Democratic Front
and the United Democratic Front in Kerala have
succeeded in maintaining their unity and rule
effectively, usually in alternate five-year terms.
The centre, too, saw successful coalitions
in the post-1990 scenario with Atal Behari
Vajpayee’s mammoth 24-party alliance
providing a sterling example of togetherness.
Will a fractured mandate throw up a similar
example of bonhomie or will it revive the
worst fears about ruling alliances with each
constituent constantly sniping at the others?
The BJP’s current propaganda is based on
depicting such a scenario about its successors
with the party chief, Amit Shah, saying that the
scene will be so chaotic that each day of the
week will see a new Prime Minister.
Among these claimants will be Rahul Gandhi,
whose name has already been proposed by
Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy
and the DMK president, M.K. Stalin.
Conjectures in the political grapevine have
mentioned Mamata Banerjee and Mayawati as
the two others. But much will depend on how
many seats their parties will get.
One of the reasons why the West Bengal
Chief Minister wants her party to contest not
only the 42 seats in the state, but also venture
into 14 other states is to shore up her party’s
numbers, especially in view of the serious
challenge which she is facing from the BJP in
West Bengal.
Similarly, Mayawati’s decision to field her
candidates in 38 seats in UP is based on the
need for numbers. She is also likely to set up
candidates in several other states as well.
Even as the BJP draws some satisfaction
from the generally self-serving strategies of17the
PM wannabes in the “secular” camp, there is
also speculation about the BJP’s future if it fails
to get a majority - notwithstanding its slogan of
“abki baar, 400 par” - since questions are bound
to rise about Narendra Modi’s continuance as
the PM if only because the entire responsibility
for a setback will be attributed to him even
more than to his Man Friday, Amit Shah.
It is in this context that some of Union
Minister Nitin Gadkari’s kinder, gentler
comments have been interpreted as an attempt
to position himself as a successor who can get
along with the allies.
There will be a scramble, therefore, for
partners - cutting across party lines - if there is
a “hung” Parliament.
(Amulya Ganguli is a political analyst.

The Gandhi-Casey talks: The Mahatma’s little-known Australian interlocutor

KAMA MACLEAN 3, Gandhi came to see Casey at Congress and the government) left

R
ichard Gardiner Casey is
well known in Australia
as one of its most eminent
postwar statesmen.
He served as its External Affairs
Minister from 1951-60, forging
Australia’s foreign policy and
later, at the end of his career, as its
Governor-General.
Little is known, however, about
his role as Governor of Bengal from
1944-46. Indeed the announcement
of his appointment in January 1944
was unexpected, for no Australian
had been appointed to such high
office in India.
It was arguably the most difficult
time to be appointed as Governor of
Bengal: the province was in crisis,
deeply unsettled at several levels.
After the fall of Burma in 1941,
Bengal lay exposed to the frontline
of war; in late 1943 Calcutta and
its docks were bombed; and many
feared a Japanese invasion.
More significantly, the province
was still in the grip of a devastating
famine that had hit in 1943, that
would kill an estimated three million
people.
During his time in India, Casey
repeatedly projected himself - to
Indians and Britons alike – as an
Australian; in doing so situating
himself as an engaged intermediary
in the face of an increasingly febrile,
and fractured, nationalist movement
facing impending decolonisation.
Perhaps the clearest example of this
is in his informal meetings with
Mahatma Gandhi in late 1945 and
early 1946 in which Casey acted as
a proxy for Gandhi to communicate
to the Viceroy, Lord Wavell, flying in
the face of protocol.
Gandhi first made contact with
Casey in April 1945 through his
emissary, Sudhir Ghosh.
Gandhi arrived in Calcutta on
December 1, 1945, immediately
initiating a series of evening meetings
with Casey that would last some six
weeks.
This was, technically, a breach
of protocol, for the matters under
discussion - especially those dealing
with the rapidly impending transfer
of power - did not fall under the
purview of the Governor of a single
province, but under that of the
Viceroy.
Given this, Casey was curious that
the Mahatma had chosen to approach
him, and not Wavell directly.
Gandhi and Casey’s discussions
increasingly became concerned with
the politics of the transfer of power
and the degeneration in political
negotiations between the British,
Muslim League and the Congress.
Gandhi said that he was “utterly
distrustful” of British promises,
rattling off a list of British perfidy,
which concluded with the Viceroy’s
to proceed at Simla without the
participation of the Muslim League,
leading to the collapse of the
negotiations.
On one occasion, on December
Government House while he was
observing a day of silence, leaving
the conversation rather one-sided.
The following day, on December 4,
Gandhi suggested that Casey meet
Maulana Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru
and Vallabhbhai Patel when they
arrived in Calcutta for the meetings
of the Congress Working Committee,
to which Casey readily agreed.
Casey’s willingness to meet
with Gandhi and members of the
Congress Working Committee was
significant, in that it opened the path
for a recalibration of the construction
of the Congress leaders as ‘rebels’
after their release from prison.
Public speculation about Casey’s
regular meetings with Gandhi and the
Congress High Command ultimately
pressured Wavell to meet Gandhi too.
Such a meeting had been mooted for
some time, but Wavell had resisted it,
after a failed meeting in Simla in mid
1945. Casey’s meetings in December
made it difficult for Wavell to
continue to refuse to reopen talks.
Unsurprisingly, the meeting between
Wavell and Gandhi - in his secretary
Pyarelal’s words - was a “flop”.
Wavell took the opportunity to re-
state that the British were unwilling to
leave India until all parties - meaning
the Congress and the Muslim League
- were in agreement.
This smacked of the old ‘divide
and rule’ policy, and as Pyarelal
wrote, “Casey’s well-meaning effort
(to reopen dialogue between the
him with burnt fingers”.
At a more fundamental level,
though, Casey maintained that
merely meeting with the leaders
was productive: the medium was the
message. A
private photograph of their
meeting on December 3, 1945, and
kept in Casey’s personal papers
in Melbourne, is revealing. The
Governor sits next to the Mahatma,
inclined toward him. Significantly,
at a later visit on December 6,
Gandhi was asked to autograph the
photograph, and he obliged.
Casey was frequently struck by
imperial posturing of the Britons
around him, remarking on the
adverse effects of this on those they
purported to rule.
When Casey met Gandhi, relations
between the Government of India
and the leaders of the Congress were
embittered.
Sudhir Ghosh concluded that
“Casey, being an Australian and
a politician with a very wide
international political experience,
was very different from the usual
rigid British Governor in India”,
and as such was able to inject a
fresh, if short-lived, dynamic into
preliminary discussions leading into
the high politics of decolonisation.
(Kama Maclean is Associate
Professor of South Asian and
World History at the University
of New South Wales, Sydney.
She can be contacted at kama.
maclean@unsw.edu.au
 18 INDIA Friday, February 15, 2019 The Indian Weekender

INDIA-US DEFENCE SALES AT GST brought

down tax rates
AN ALL-TIME HIGH: PENTAGON for real estate
sector: Modi
P
Admiral Philips Davidson said the inaugural 2+2 Ministerial in New Delhi last September and signing of the COMCASA rime Minister Narendra Modi
in 2018 were pivotal moments in the bilateral relationship on Wednesday said that the

D
efence sales between India
and the US are at an all-time
high and bilateral strategic
partnership continues to advance
at a historic pace, a top Pentagon
commander has said.
Admiral Philips Davidson,
Commander of the US Indo-Pacific
Command (USINDOPACOM)
told members of the Senate Armed
Services Committee, during a
Congressional hearing said the
inaugural 2+2 Ministerial in New
Delhi last September and signing
of the COMCASA in 2018 were
pivotal moments in the bilateral
relationship. Last year, India and
the US signed the COMCASA
(Communications Compatibility and
Security Agreement) to facilitate
interoperability between the two
militaries and sale of high end
technology.
“The US-India strategic
partnership continues to advance
at a historic pace as we continue to
increase our interoperability and
information-sharing capabilities,”
he said. The USINDOPACOM
expects this trajectory to continue
and that 2019 will be a significant
year in bilateral relations, he said
and asserted that the two largest
democracies of the world are natural
partners on a range of political,
economic and security issues.
“With a mutual desire for global
stability, support for the rules-based
international order, and a Free-and-
Open Indo-Pacific region, the United
States and India have an increased
agreement on interests, including
maritime security and maritime
domain awareness, counter-piracy,
counterterrorism, humanitarian
assistance, and coordinated responses
to natural disasters and transnational
threats,” Davidson said.
Over the past year, the United States
and Indian militaries participated in
five major exercises, executed more
than fifty other military exchanges,
and further operationalized the 2016
Logistics Exchange Memorandum of
Agreement (LEMOA), he informed
the lawmakers. “The LEMOA
enables the US Navy to replenish
supplies from Indian navy logistics
platforms,” he said. Davidson said
that the US Indo Pacific Command is
working with the Indian military to
operationalise the COMCASA.
“Defence sales are at an all-time
high, with India operating US sourced
platforms such as P-8s, C-130Js,
C-17s, AH-64s, CH-47s, and M777
howitzers,” the top American
admiral said. “Additionally, India
recently agreed to a $ 2.1-billion
purchase of MH-60R multi-role sea-
based helicopters and is considering
a number of additional US systems
for purchase,” Davidson said.
The US Indo Pacific Command
fully supports the purchase of US
systems, F-16 and F/A-18E aircraft,
a reorder of 12-15 P-8Is, and a
potential purchase of Sea Guardian
UASs, he told members of the US
pacific Command.
Goods and Services Tax
(GST) has brought down tax rates
in the real estate sector along with
easing business operations for both
developers and home buyers.
Addressing the "CREDAI
YouthCon 2019", he said the tax rates
on construction materials have also
gone down since the implementation
of GST regime in 2017.
"GST has eased operations in the
real estate sector, for both developers
and buyers. Earlier construction
sector had to pay 15-18 per cent tax.
The total tax levy went above 30 per
cent including many other purchases,
such as tiles and other components,"
Modi said
"After GST, taxes on houses for
the middle-class (affordable housing)
came down to 8 per cent and on
other buildings, it went down to 12
per cent. Tax rates have also come
down on commercial properties and
construction materials."
There have, however, been
demands from the real estate sector
to bring down the effective GST rates
on both under-construction buildings
and affordable housing segment,

India, Maldives to ease visa norms from March 11

following which the GST Council
constituted a Group of Ministers

I
(GoM) to look into the demands and
ndians are the second largest visas. So, they would go back to
issues in the real estate segment.
expatriate community in the Maldives and re-apply for medical The GoM has recommended 5
Maldives, numbering about visas. “Now, that conversion has per cent GST without input tax
22,000. been allowed in India, and they can credit on under-construction housing
• If a child from Maldives is being bring attendants as well,” said the and 3 per cent GST on affordable
educated in India, his/ her entire source. For Indian professionals housing. The GST Council is likely
family will get dependent visas. and workers, their work permits or to meet on February 20 to discuss the
• For Indian professionals employment visas were not getting recommendations.
applying for employment visa in cleared on a regular basis earlier.
the island country, the employers “Now, with the liberalisation, the
Vote for literate PM this
will pay the fees and will get the prospective employer in Maldives time: Kejriwal

paperwork done within 15 days.
These are part of the visa
liberalisation between India and
Maldives, which will come into effect
from March 11. Officials from both
countries exchanged “diplomatic
notes” for implementation of the
visa facilitation agreement, signed
during Maldives President Ibrahim
Solih’s visit to India on December
17 last year.
For Maldives, India is a preferred
destination for education, medical
treatment, recreation and business.
The number of Maldivians seeking
long term visas for pursuing higher
studies and medical treatment has
shown a sharp increase over the
last two years. Sources said that dependent visas and can stay here
many send their children to study for the duration of the child’s
in India, mostly in and around education. The dependent
Thiruvananthapuram and "Now, visa can be availed not
they will be
Bengaluru. Earlier, parents given dependent only by parents, but also
who wanted to stay in siblings of the child and
visas and can stay
these places while their here for the duration grandparents as well,”
children studied could not of the child’s said a source.
education."
do so, since India did not Similarly, those
grant them dependent visas. seeking medical
This meant that parents would consultation in India would
have to come on a tourist visa, earlier come on a tourist visa-on-
return to Maldives before the 90-day arrival. If, after consulting a doctor,
period expired, and then apply for they needed to stay back for medical
visas again. treatment, they could not convert
“Now, they will be given these tourist visas into medical
will have to do the paperwork,
pay the fees and it will be done in
15 days, either way. The Indian
professionals won’t have to pay the
fees here and wait indefinitely for
the permit. The Maldives authorities
will take a decision within 15 days,”
said the source.
Earlier, Indian businessmen had
to apply for separate business visas,
for which they needed letters of
invitation from a businessman in
Maldives. “Now, they can go and
do business on the visa-on-arrival in
Maldives,” the source said.
Indians are the second largest
expatriate community in the
Maldives, numbering about 22,000.
D
elhi Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal on Wednesday
urged people to vote for a
literate man, unlike the last time
when they voted for a 12th pass.
"The prime minister's post is
very important. The last time you
appointed to it a 12th pass man.
This time, vote for an educated
man. A 12th pass man is not wise
enough. Another problem is that he
doesn't consult anyone. I want to
urge the people to think and vote
for an educated man," Kejriwal said
addressing the "Save Democracy"
rally organised by the Aam Aadmi
Party.
A galaxy of opposition leaders,
including Chief Ministers Mamata

PM Modi to present Swachh Shakti awards,

Banerjee (West Bengal), N.
Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra
Pradesh), former chief ministers

inaugurate National Cancer Institute in Haryana Farooq Abdullah (Jammu and

Kashmir) and Gegong Apang

P
rime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday
will visit Kurukshetra where he will
present the Swachh Shakti awards to
women in recognition of their efforts towards the
Swachh Bharat Mission. Around 15,000 women
are expected to participate in this year’s Swachh
Shakti event.
The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the
National Cancer Institute in Jhajjar and the ESIC
Medical College and Hospital in Faridabad. The
cancer institute was constructed at a cost of around
Rs 2,035 crore and has 710 beds and around 800
(Arunachal Pradesh), Congress
rooms. Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij said that
leader Anand Sharma, Communist
PM Modi would lay the foundation stone of Shri Party of India general secretary
Krishna Ayush University in Kurukshetra. The Sitaram Yechury attended the rally in
project is spread over 94 acres and will be built at a show of strength.
an estimated cost of about Rs 475 crore. PM Modi Kejriwal in his address, recalled
would also lay the foundation stone of Pundit Deen the anti-corruption protests of 2011
Dayal Upadhyaya University of Health in Karnal -- following which his party was
and National Institute of Ayurveda in Panchkula. formed -- and said, "The last time we
Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation gathered here, you voted for a change.
Uma Bharti, Haryana Governor Satyadeo Narain Today will also be remembered in
Arya, and Chief Minister Manohar Lal will also be history as now it is your turn to vote
present at the event. against the Modi government."
 The Indian Weekender
PRIYANKA IN ACTION,
CONGRESS ANNOUNCES
ALLIANCE WITH MAHAN DAL T
T
he Congress on Wednesday
announced an alliance with
a regional outfit, Mahan Dal,
for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in
Uttar Pradesh. The two parties had
fought the 2014 elections in alliance
wherein the Mahan Dal had fielded
candidates from Nagina, Budayun
and Etah. The party had lost all the
three seats.
The announcement of the alliance
was made in the presence of Congress
general secretary Priyanka Gandhi,
Jyotiraditya Scindia and UPCC chief
Raj Babbar.
The regional outfit has some
clout in western UP. Sources say the
Congress is trying to forge similar
alliances with other smaller parties
because its own organisational
structure was in a shambles.
Priyanka Gandhi has been tasked
with looking after 41 seats in eastern
Uttar Pradesh while Scindia has
been assigned 39 parliamentary
constituencies by the Congress
president. The two have been
meeting party's grassroots workers
for the past three days and taking
feedback on the ground realities.
I didn't want to be Prime Minister: Sonia Gandhi
C
hairperson Sonia Gandhi said
that she did not want to be the
Prime Minister.
She made the one-line intervention
in the Lok Sabha when former Prime
Minister and JD(S) member H.D.
Deve Gowda said that she could have
become Prime Minister during the
UPA term between 2004 and 2014.
Making his valedictory speech
in the 16th Lok Sabha, Gowda said
he has watched Sonia Gandhi's
performance.
"Some people are debating her
citizenship. In the last 30 years, this
was not an issue. But some people
have raised the issue that on one
occasion she was unable to become
India, China contribute most
to global greenery: NASA
I
ndia and China are leading the
way in greening lands, thanks
to ambitious tree-planting
programs and intensive agriculture in
both countries, NASA satellite data
has shown.
The world is getting literally
greener than it was 20 years ago, the
study published in the latest edition
in Nature Sustainability said.
It showed that at least 25 per cent
of the global foliage expansion since
the early 2000s came from China,
with India close behind.
This surprising new development
detected by NASA satellites showed
that the two nations with the world's
biggest populations were leading the
way with their ambitious tree planting
programs and intensive agriculture.
In 2017 alone, India broke its own
Friday, February 15, 2019
Founder president of the Maha
Dal, Keshav Dev Maurya, said the
coming together of the two parties
will be a winner combination and
that many backward castes would
support the alliance.
The two sides would soon finalize
seat arrangements, sources said.
After holding marathon meetings
with old party leaders, loyalists
and workers from several districts,
Congress leaders said the contest was
between Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and Congress President Rahul
Gandhi and not Priyanka.
"My focus is on strengthening the
the Prime Minister," he said.
Gandhi interjected: "I did not want
to (be Prime Minister)."
Gowda said: "In a way, you
decided not to become Prime
Minister, but I remember an incident
"Humans
are incredibly
India and China are leading the resilient. That's the study said: "When the
way in greening lands, thanks
what we see in
to ambitious tree-planting
programs and intensive the satellite
agriculture in both countries.
world record for the most trees
planted after volunteers gathered to
plant 66 million saplings in just 12
hours. The greening phenomenon
was first detected in the mid-1990s,
but they did not know whether
human activity was one of its chief,
direct causes, said researchers from
party organisation in the state and
to ensure that we win, the 'muqabla'
is between Rahul and Modi and not
me," she said.
She also made light of the ongoing
questioning of her husband Robert
Vadra by Enforcement Directorate
(ED) and said that such things will
continue and that she was focussing
on the assignment given to her by the
Congress president.
"These things don't affect me,"
she replied with a smile when asked
whether the ongoing investigations
against her husband and mother-in-
law bothered her.
when Vajpayee sat on a day-long
'Prayashchit Satyagrah' near the
Rashtrapati Bhavan."
"On that occasion, I had said in
Bhopal that 'Vajpayee is a great man
but why should he hold a satyagraha
for a day?' Then the press people had
asked me, 'are you asking for his
resignation?'
"I told then, why not? Then they
asked who will be the next Prime
Minister? Why not Madam Sonia
Gandhi who was the Leader of
Opposition? What is the citizenship
issue? I myself raised the issue in
Bhopal. That is what I am saying."
Gandhi then acknowledged
Gowda's clarification.
the Boston University, who found
that the greenery increase in the new
century has been by five per cent
-- an area equivalent to the entire
Amazon rainforest.
Rama Nemani, a research scientist
at NASA's Ames Research
Center and a co-author of
greening of the Earth was
first observed, we thought it
was due to a warmer, wetter
data."
climate and fertilization from
the added carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere."
But with data from NASA's Terra
and Aqua satellites, scientists realised
that humans are also contributing.
"Humans are incredibly resilient.
That's what we see in the satellite
data," said Nemani.
INDIA 19
NEWS in BRIEF
Government undecided on bringing ordinance to
amend Citizenship Bill
he Narendra Modi government is yet to take a decision on bringing
an ordinance to amend the Citizenship bill after the amendment
bill failed to secure parliamentary approval, Parliamentary Affairs
Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Wednesday.
The government, however, is likely to repromulgate the triple talaq
ordinance as it could not get the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on
Marriage) Bill too passed in the upper House, though Tomar refused to
comment on that too.
"I cannot say anything as of now on this matter. We will think over it,"
Tomar said in response to media query whether ordinances will be brought
in place of the said bills. The Citizenship Amendment Bill is being widely
opposed, especially in the northeast where even the BJP's allies in the NDA
have taken a strong exception to the legislation that was passed by the
Lok Sabha last month. Tomar blamed the opposition for non-passage of
the triple talaq bill, saying the opposition's attitude changed as the election
came nearer.
Cabinet okays inking 3 MoUs with Saudi Arabia
T
he Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
on Wednesday approved the signing of three Memorandums
of Understanding (MoUs) with Saudi Arabia for strengthening
cooperation in the fields of tourism, customs and investment.
The MoU would facilitate sharing information and expertise in tourism
development, hotels, resorts and tourist accommodation facilities, tourism
data and statistics, events and other tourism activities.
Saudi Arabia is one of the potential tourist markets for India from Middle
East. Another MoU is on establishing a mechanism for making investment
in infrastructure in India, according to an official release.
The MoU will be a step forward in engaging with the institutions of Saudi
Arabia to attract a potential investment into the infrastructure sector in the
country. It will lead to boosting infrastructure development in the country,
creation of more jobs, growth of ancillary industries/ sectors which will lead
to growth in GDP and overall economic prosperity.
The third MoU pertains to cooperation and mutual assistance in customs
matters, said the release.
Cabinet approves agreement with Morocco on counter-
terrorism
T
he Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved an agreement between
India and Morocco for setting up a Joint Working Group (JWG)
on counter-terrorism. The memorandum of understanding (MoU)
would be the basis for obtaining and exchanging information on terrorist
activities, a statement said.
Amit Shah takes dip at Kumbh, deliberates with saints
T
he Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah on Wednesday
took a dip in the Sangam - the holy confluence of rivers Ganga,
Yamuna and Sarawasti - at Kumbhnagar in Prayagraj.
Accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and a
number of saints, the BJP chief, wrapped till his waist in a saffron robe,
offered prayers to the holy rivers.
Shah later also performed an 'aarti' and went to a fabled Hanuman temple
nearby before visiting the Akbar Fort where he offered prayers at the
Saraswati Koop and Akshayavat tree.
He later interacted with a group of saints at Sector 20 of Kumbhnagar,
listening to their demands for an early start to the construction of the Ram
temple in Ayodhya. During the visit, Shah also praised the efforts of the
Uttar Pradesh government to ensure that the water in the Ganga was clean
and flowing. Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and BJP's
Organisational Secretary Ram Lal also accompanied Shah.
India seeks access to private messages in WhatsApp
crackdown
I
ndia’s government dealt retail giants Amazon.com and Walmart a
devastating blow this year with new policies undermining their growth
plans. Now U.S. social media pioneers Facebook and Twitter are in
danger of suffering similar setbacks in what is perhaps the world’s most
important emerging technology market.
In the latest skirmish, the government is targeting Facebook Inc.’s
WhatsApp, the popular messaging service increasingly important to its
parent’s bottom line. Frustrated that the service has been used to incite
violence and spread pornography, the government is pressing WhatsApp
to allow more official oversight of online discussions, even if that means
giving officials access to protected, or encrypted, messages. Facebook has
refused, risking punitive measures or even the possibility of a shutdown in
its biggest market.
“For six months, we’ve been telling them to bring more accountability to
their platform but what have they done?” said Gopalakrishnan S., a senior
official in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology known
as MEITY. “So pedophiles can go about on WhatsApp fully secure that they
won’t get caught. It is absolutely evil.”
 20 INDIA ABROAD
Faridabad students win Microsoft's
Asia contest, set eyes on US finals T
I
t was an apt moment for the
Indian Tricolour to fly high
as the student team from
Faridabad-based Manav Rachna
Institute of Research and Studies
won the Microsoft Imagine Cup
Asia Regional Semifinals here on
Tuesday, moving one step closer to
win the grand prize of $100,000 at
the world championship in the US.
The three-member team developed
"Caeli" (which means air in Latin)
– a smart automated anti-pollution
and drug delivery mask specifically
designed for asthmatic and chronic
respiratory patients.
"Caeli" implements breakthrough
features to improve the quality of
life for respiratory patients living in
polluted areas like in north India and
especially in the Delhi and National
Capital Region (NCR).
"At a time when air pollution is
a big concern in various countries
including India, we are collecting the
real-time air pollution data that can
be used by relevant stakeholders and
the Indian government.
"They can integrate our application
programme interfaces (APIs)
into their projects and gain more
insights," Aakash Bhadana from the
"Caeli" team said.
Bhadana with Vasu Kaushik and
Bharat Sundal developed the product
under the guidance of Umesh Dutta
and team at Manav Rachna Research
Innovation and Incubation Centre
(MRIIC).
"Our aim is now to collaborate
with right stakeholders and take the
'made in India' products (which also
includes a pocket-sized nebulizer) to
the market," said Bhadana.
The Manav Rachna team received
$15,000 as winner and secured a
spot in the world championship,
UNSW Sydney marks India’s
Martyr’s Day with Gandhi Oration
U
NSW Sydney, one of
Australia›s world-class
universities, joined the
Indian community and business
leaders to commemorate Indias
Martyrs Day - the anniversary of
Mahatma Gandhis assassination
on January 30, 1948 - at the annual
Gandhi Remembrance Ceremony
and Gandhi Oration.
Launched in 2012, the Gandhi
Oration is delivered by a person
whose life work exemplifies the
ideals of Gandhi. The Oration
is preceded by a Remembrance
Ceremony at the Gandhi bust on
the Library Lawn of the 70-year-old
university that has one of the largest
numbers of Indian students. The
ceremony includes the lighting of a
ceremonial lamp, the singing of two
hymns and a minute’s silence before
dignitaries place floral tributes on the
bust of Gandhi.  student exchange. The University
The events signify the close
ties between India and UNSW.
The university is the only higher-
education institution in Australia
to celebrate Martyr’s Day and is
home to one of only two bronze
sculptures of Gandhi in the country.
UNSW also hosts the annual Gandhi
"
Students of Faridabad-based Manav Rachna Institute of Research and Studies, who won the Microsoft Imagine Cup Asia
Regional Semifinals in Sydney. The team developed "Caeli" (meaning air) which is a smart automated anti-pollution and drug
delivery mask specifically designed for asthmatic and chronic respiratory patients.
0ur aim
is now
to collaborate with
right stakeholders
and take the 'made
in India' products
(which also includes
a pocket-sized
nebulizer) to the
market
to be able to win the grand prize of
$100,000 at Microsoft's Redmond-
based headquarters in May, while the
first runners-up received $5,000 and
Jayanti, a celebration of Gandhi’s
birthday on October 2.  During
the commemoration earlier this
week, UNSW President and Vice
Chancellor Professor Ian Jacobs
articulated the University’s role
in continuing Gandhi’s vision
for dismantling injustice, and
championing human rights for all
by bridging geographic and cultural
divides through collaboration and
has identified India as a key strategic
partner in its 2025 Strategy.  be of little use and even a disaster if
“UNSW is delighted that our
partnerships in India are ever-
growing in breadth and depth,”
Professor Jacobs said. “We
acknowledge that we are fortunate
to partner with a country that has
the second runners-up $1,000.
The first runner-up was the "Rail
Nova China" team that built a
Rail Component Inspection Robot
which operates through automatic
positioning and identifies various
defects through multi-sensor fusion
in order to realize the replacement of
workers in a rail inspection project.
The second runner-up was
"USCAid" from the Philippines who
built the Aqua Check app that utilises
Microsoft Azure's Custom Vision
to empower anyone to analyse for
contamination by taking a photo of a
water sample through a microscope.
There were three Indian teams
among the 12 Asia finalists. The
other two teams were from the
Tamil Nadu-based Vellore Institute
held knowledge and learning in high
esteem for millennia.”  will be given the Lifetime
Jacobs continued: “I wanted to
take this opportunity to say how
proud I am that UNSW enjoys such
a harmonious relationship with our
Indian partners - and I look forward
to the successes we will achieve for
our communities because of that.”  Lifetime Achievement Award.
Attendees included Dr Ajay
Gondane, India High Commissioner
to Australia; Chandru Appar, Acting
Consul-General of India in Sydney;
Dr Neville Roach, Patron of the
Australia India Institute; Rajni and
Pawan Luthra, media partners from
India Link; and Vikram Singh, CEO
of Tata Consultancy Services in
Australia and New Zealand.  The Canadian
“Many decades ago before the
technological revolution with iPads,
search engines, Facebook, Twitter
and social media, Gandhi warned
that people might learn to fly like
birds and swim like fish but it would
they forgot how to walk like human
beings,” Costello said.  recognising excellence in Canadian
He implored audience members to
play a role in ensuring a fair and just
society and to remain optimistic that
our world can change for the better.  by India as its official entry for the
Friday, February 15, 2019
of Technology and Bengaluru-based
R.V. College of Engineering.
The team from the Vellore Institute
of Technology designed "Spot"
which allows one to recognise
packaged foods and check if it
contains a certain ingredient or
exhibits a certain character.
R.V. College of Engineering
designed "RVSAFE", a one-stop
solution for effectively handling
any kind of disaster be it be natural
or man-made. Considered as the
"Olympics of Technology", Imagine
Cup is a global annual competition
sponsored and hosted by Microsoft.
Over the past 10 years, more than
1.65 million students from over 190
countries have participated in the
"Imagine Cup".
Deepa Mehta to be feted with
Lifetime Achievement Award
A
cclaimed Indo-Canadian
filmmaker Deepa Mehta
Achievement Award by the Academy
of Canadian Cinema and Television.
A post on the official Twitter
account from The Canadian Academy
read: “We are thrilled to announce
that Deepa Mehta will be given the
"We are proud to recognise
the artistry of Ms. Mehta and
the tremendous impact she has
had on the fabric of Canada’s
entertainment industry.” 
Mehta, best known for her
Elements Trilogy – Fire,
"Thank
Earth and Water –
you so much
replied: “Thank you so
much The Canadian
Academy. You
Academy.
made my day -
You made my day -
hell, my year!"
hell, my year!”
The Canadian Screen
Awards are awards given
annually by the Academy of
Canadian Cinema and Television
film, English-language television,
and digital media productions.  Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic
Mehta’s “Earth” was submitted
The Indian Weekender
Abu Dhabi adds Hindi as
third language in courts
he Abu Dhabi Judicial
Department (ADJD) has
added Hindi as the third
official language to be spoken in the
city›s courts, alongside Arabic and
English.
According to the ADJD, this step
was aimed at helping foreigners to
learn about litigation procedures,
their rights and duties without a
language barrier, in addition to
facilitating registration procedures
via unified forms available through
the Department’s website, The
Khaleej Times reported.
“The adoption of multilingual
interactive forms for claim sheets,
grievances and requests, aims
to promote judicial services and
increase the transparency of litigation
procedures,” Yousef Saeed Al Abri,
undersecretary of the ADJD, said on
Saturday.
“This is in addition to facilitating
registration procedures to the
public through simplified and easy
forms and raising litigants’ legal
awareness via interactive forms of
the statements of claims, to ensure
access to the legal materials related
to the subject of the dispute.”
Al Abri explained that the adoption
of new languages comes as part of
the bilingual litigation system, the
first phase of which was launched
in November 2018, through the
adoption of procedures requiring the
plaintiffs to translate case documents
in civil and commercial lawsuits
into English, if the defendant is a
foreigner. 
Of the United Arab Emirates’
population of over 9 million people,
88.5 per cent are expatriate workers,
according to official figures.
Indians account for 38 per cent of
the population.
Academy Award for Best
Foreign Language Film,
and Water was Canada’s
official entry for Academy
Award for Best Foreign
Language Film.
Earth was the first to receive an
Oscar nomination.
In May 2012, Mehta received
the Governor General’s Performing
Achievement, Canada’s highest
honour in the performing arts.
 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 15, 2019
THAILAND ELECTION:
PRINCESS UBOLRATANA AND
THE PARTY POWER PLAY
Until last Friday, expectations of next month’s general
election in Thailand had been underwhelming
T
he military clique which seized power nearly
five years ago had spent that time crafting a
constitution and electoral system specifically to
ensure its influence extended over future governments
regardless of the outcome of the election.
It also did this to minimise the seats that could be won
by parties allied to its nemesis - former prime minister
Thaksin Shinawatra, who now lives in exile.
Those parties included a new one, Thai Raksa Chart,
which was established in November last year with the aim
of getting around the ceiling on party list seats that can
be won, a ceiling that in particular affects the main pro-
Thaksin party Pheu Thai.
Everyone knew Thai Raksa Chart was just another
vehicle for Mr Thaksin and his allies to try to break the
shackles put on them by the new constitution.
The real question hanging over this, the first election in
eight years, was whether the pro-Thaksin parties would do
well enough to form a government, and what the military
could do to stop them. The stunning announcement
that Princess Ubolratana, elder sister of King Maha
Vajiralongkorn, was Thai Raksa Chart’s sole candidate
for prime minister changed everyone’s calculations in an
instant. The party was exploiting a clause inserted by the
military into the constitution to allow for an unelected
prime minister, a device to allow coup-leader Prayuth
Chan-ocha to stay in office.
It calculated that this could also apply to an unelected
princess, who now describes herself as a commoner,
having given up her titles when she married an American
46 years ago. But in Thailand she is still treated like
royalty. How would it even work, to have a royal,
by custom beyond criticism, take part in competitive
democratic politics?
And surely, it was assumed, she must have had the
king’s approval for such an unprecedented move - which
then suggested he was aligning himself with Mr Thaksin,
often accused of being anti-monarchy, against the ultra-
royalist military and their allies.
Such a scenario radically altered the power dynamics
in Thailand. Within hours the king put a stop to this
manoeuvre, issuing a royal decree stating that Princess
Ubolratana was still treated as a high-ranking member of
the royal family, and involving her in politics was “highly
inappropriate”.
To be on the receiving end of such explicit royal
disapproval would normally be a devastating blow in
Thailand. By Saturday there were rumours the executive
board of Thai Raksa Chart would be detained, though
these were unfounded. By Monday her nomination had
been declared invalid by the Election Commission, which
is now set to ask the Constitutional Court to consider
dissolving the party. If this is done before 9 May, the
deadline for certifying victorious MPs, Thai Raksa Chart
and its politicians will be eliminated from the election.
A reckless gamble?
With its demise, Mr Thaksin’s hopes of his parties
forming the next government would be dashed.
On its own, under the new electoral system, Pheu Thai
has no hope of repeating its success in the 2011 election of
winning an outright majority of seats in the lower house
of parliament. The 250-seat upper house, or senate, is
entirely appointed, its members nearly all expected to vote
for Gen Prayuth to remain in office after the election. Had
Princess Ubolratana remained a candidate, some, maybe
most senators might have switched their loyalty to her.
Royalism has become embedded in Thai society as a
quasi-state religion.
Everyone is required to show fulsome loyalty to the
monarchy, whatever their private beliefs, and many Thais
feel an intense emotional bond to it.
The perceived virtues of the late King Bhumibol -
modest, capable, conscientious – were a constant popular
reference during his long reign to show up the venality
and incompetence of ordinary politicians.
It is a mantra of the royalist creed, and a preamble
of every Thai constitution, that the royal family is kept
Princses Ubolratana is now out of the prime ministerial race
Thaksin Shinawatra still remains a powerful force in
Thailand's political circles
King Vajiralongkorn was quick in putting a stop to his sister's
nomination
above politics, beyond criticism. So what was Mr Thaksin
thinking, involving the king’s elder sister in his party?
People close to the former prime minister have let it be
known that he had a green light from King Vajiralongkorn,
and that the king was persuaded, perhaps by pressure from
other family members, to change his mind. But others
inside the pro-Thaksin camp believe he simply assumed
Princess Ubolratana had her brother’s approval, and took
a reckless gamble. He has form; his decision to push for
a controversial amnesty in 2013, that would have allowed
him to return to Thailand, backfired and started the protest
movement that led to the 2014 coup.
And while some supporters of Thai Raksa Chart and
Pheu Thai were excited by the prospect of having a royal
celebrity on their side, others criticised it as inconsistent
with their long campaign for greater democracy and
equality in Thailand.
WORLD 21
NEWS in BRIEF
NASA declares end of Opportunity
rover's mission on Mars
N ASA announced the end of its Opportunity rover's mission on
Wednesday, 15 years after its arrival on Mars.
The announcement was made at a press conference at the agency's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, following NASA's last
attempt to communicate with the rover on Tuesday night which got no
response, Xinhua reported.
The rover has not been heard from for eight months since a planet-wide
dust storm on the red planet in June last year. Mission team members have
tried to rouse the rover ever since, but failed to set up communication again.
"Saying goodbye is hard, but it comes the time," said John Callas, project
manager for Opportunity. The golf-cart-sized rover far exceeded its planned
90-day mission lifetimes. It has travelled over 45 km on Mars and worked
for nearly 15 years. Opportunity landed on Mars on January 24, 2004. First
among the mission's scientific goals was to search for and characterize a
wide range of rocks and soils for clues to past water activity on Mars.
Resume talks on nuclear arms treaty
with Russia, Gorbachev urges US
F ormer Soviet leader Mikhail S Gorbachev called on Washington and
Moscow to resume nuclear arms talks, warning of dangers of not doing
so after President Donald Trump confirmed the USA plan to leave a key
Cold War-era treaty.
Gorbachev (President of the USSR in 1990-1991) in an article on
Wednesday for Russian newspaper Vedomosti said this after the US decision
to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, he had co-
signed in 1987 with then US President Ronald Reagan.
"I regret that the tough domestic situation, which has been in place in
the US over the recent years, has in fact resulted in disruption of dialogue
between our two countries on all topics, including the nuclear weapons. It is
time to get over the difficulties between the (US) political parties and start a
serious conversation.
Australia to reopen controversial
detention centre
T
he Australian government announced on Wednesday the reopening of a
controversial detention centre on Christmas Island a day after it lost a
vote on a bill to help evacuate critically ill refugees from offshore processing
centres to get treatment in the country.
Tuesday's development was a major blow to Prime Minister Scott
Morrison's minority government's highly controversial immigration policy.
He says the law would weaken the nation's tough border policies and
embolden human traffickers.
Opponents accuse him of spreading fear before an impending election.
The bill facilitating medical evacuations of refugees on Manus and Nauru
to Australia was approved on Tuesday in the Lower House and ratified by
the Senate. Following that, the Prime Minister on Wednesday said that the
government would re-open the Christmas Island centre "to deal with the
prospect of arrivals... and transfers" - arguing both were now more likely,
the BBC reported.
Google adds new right click
options to Gmail
R evamping Gmail, Google has added options like easy label adding,
moving, muting and snooze emails to the right-click context menu of
its emailing platform. The options would enable users to reply to or forward
an email directly from a message while opening multiple emails in multiple
new windows, Google wrote in a G Suite blog post on Monday.
The previous right-click menu only gave the users three options to choose
from – archive, mark as unread, or delete. The new additions come with
options to search for all emails from the same sender or with the same
subjects at once. The feature – which will be "On" by default -- is being
made available to users on all G Suite editions, the post said.
Google has already started rolling out the update to G Suite users with
Rapid Release domains. For the other users, the feature's scheduled release
is on February 22.
Saudi Prince expected to seal multi-
billion dollar deals in Pakistan
S
audi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammad
Bin Salman will travel this weekend to
Pakistan where he is expected to announce multi-
billion dollar investments to help the Kingdom's
traditional ally tide over financial crisis amid
declining foreign exchange reserves.
An official in the Pakistani Foreign Ministry,
requesting anonymity, told Efe news on Tuesday that the Crown Prince will
arrive in Islamabad on Saturday afternoon, accompanied by a 630-member
delegation. He will leave the country on Sunday night. The Prince will meet
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and the two sides will sign economic
agreements worth $20 billion, according to the official, who did not elaborate
in which sectors or projects the investments will be made.
 22 SPORTS
INDIA VS AUSTRALIA: 
‘Never take Aussies for a joke’: Matthew
Hayden warns ahead of T20 series
India are set to play two T20Is and five ODIs against the Aussies in
what is set to be the last set of international games that the boys get
before going into the 2019 World Cup in England, starting May 30
T
he T20 series between India
and Australia is just round
the corner and considering
the history of rivalry between the
two sides, it can be safely said that
the matches will be filled with banter
on both sides.
Former India cricketer Virender
Sehwag fired the proverbial ‘first
shot’ with an advertisement for the
official broadcasters that featured
kids with Australia jerseys in
reference to the ‘babysitter’ comment
made by Tim Paine while sledging
PV Sindhu: Will work hard to break jinx at All
England trophy
O
lympic silver medallist
P V Sindhu said she still
has lots to learn and
needs to add a few more shots
to her repertoire to dominate
world badminton.
With silver medals at all the major
events, including the Olympics,
World Championship, Asian Games
and Commonwealth Games, Sindhu
has been a formidable force in the
world in the last three years.
But the world no 1 tag has eluded
her with Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu
Ying stamping her authority at the
top with 14 title triumphs since 2016.
Asked if she needs to add strokes
and deception to dominate world
badminton, Sindhu said: “Definitely
yes. It is only the starting for me. I
have a lot more to learn. I have good
strokes but I have to keep learning
new strokes everyday.
“But I think only one player can’t
dominate badminton, because the
game is changing right now as a lot
more players are coming up. Also
on a particular day, you have to be
100 percent, can’t be even 1 % here
or there, if you count 1 to 20 in the
world, all are of the same standard,
so have to be focused all the time.”
One of the favourites to claim
the All England trophy next month,
Sindhu said she is working hard to
break India’s 18-year-old title jinx at
Rishabh Pant earlier this year when
Virat Kohli & Co visited Australia.
However, former Australia opener
Matthew Hayden warned Sehwag
against taking Australia too lightly.
“BeWarned Never take Aussie’s for
a joke Viru Boy @virendersehwag @
StarSportsIndia Just remember who’s
baby sitting the #WorldCup trophy,”
Hayden tweeted ahead of the series
which begins on February 24.
India are set to play two T20Is and
five ODIs against the Aussies in what
is set to be the last set of international
"
But I
think
only one player
can’t dominate
badminton,
because the game is
changing right now
as a lot more players
are coming up.
the prestigious tournament.
“After this week, only two weeks
will be left for the All England. I
know Carolina Marin will not be
there (due to injury) but it won’t be
easy, because there are some very
good players and on that day who
gives best will win,” Sindhu said.
“Each round will be comparatively
very tough. Each point is important
for me. I am playing Sung Ji Hyun
in the first round and it would be
games that the boys get before going
into the 2019 World Cup in England,
starting May 30.
While Rishabh Pant is almost
certain to get more game time, it will
be interesting to see if someone like
Ajinkya Rahane gets one last go to
seal a place in the World Cup squad.
In the bowling department too,
Jasprit Bumrah is almost certain to
make a comeback after a well-earned
rest during the New Zealand series.
important for me to focus from the
first round,” added the 23-year-old,
who had reached the semifinals of
the All England Championship.
Asked about ending the title
drought for India, Sindhu said:
“Hopefully yes, I think it will be
really good if someone breaks it
someday and definitely we will work
for that.” Currently in Guwahati for
the National Championship, Sindhu
said: “It is good that we are playing
in different parts of the country and
it is my third time here. It gives a
chance to a lot of youngsters to come
up and succeed.
“Last time, I lost narrowly, it
wasn’t my day. So this time I will
hopefully give my best,” said the
two-time former champion, who
had lost to Saina Nehwal in the final
last year. Talking about Assamese
shuttlers, she said: “There are some
very good players in Assam, they
are doing well like the left-handed
Ashmita Chaliha.”
Friday, February 15, 2019 The Indian Weekender
NEWS in BRIEF
Rituparna, Riya enter pre-quarters
of senior badminton Nationals
F
ormer champion Rituparna
Das of PSPB and top
seed Riya Mookerjee of
the Railways put on a brilliant
display to book their berths in
the pre-quarterfinals of the 83rd
Senior National Badminton
Championships. Also winning on
Day 2 of India's biggest domestic
badminton event was former
champion Sourabh Verma and 2017 runner-up Lakshya Sen, both of whom
made it to the pre-quarters.
World No.57 Das, who was crowned the champion in 2017, needed only
24 minutes to breeze past Namita Pathania 21-10, 21-7.
Riya, placed 114th in the world, staved off some stiff resistance from the
ninth-seeded Gayatri Gopichand to win 21-17, 21-17.
The 14th seeded Sen continued his fine run from the Inter-Zonal
competition with yet another facile 21-10, 21-10 victory over Bengal's top
seed Arintap Dasgupta. Verma, the winner of the Nationals in 2011 and
2017, was equally dominant in his 21-13, 21-14 triumph over Munawer
Mohammed. Harsheel Dani of Maharashtra was made to work hard by
Kartikey. The World No.131 fought back from a game down to register a
16-21, 21-18, 21-8 win in 56 minutes.
Pakistan capable of breaking its
World Cup jinx vs India: Moin Khan
T
hrowing his weight behind the
present "talented" Pakistan team,
former skipper Moin Khan believes
the green brigade is capable of breaking its
World Cup jinx against India when the arch
rivals clash in the upcoming 50-over World
Cup at Old Trafford on June 16.
Of the six times the two sides have
clashed in World Cups till now, India have
always come out victorious against their neighbours.
"This present team is very capable of recording a first win over India in
a World Cup because there is talent, there is depth and variety and Sarfaraz
Ahmed has now gelled the squad well," Moin said on GTV News channel
on Tuesday.
Golfer Chikkarangappa jumps 104
spots in world ranking
C
hikkarangappa S, the Golconda Masters 2019 champion, earned five
world ranking points to take a massive leap of 104 spots and climbed
from 461 to 357 in the new Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR),
said. The fruits of the introduction of OWGR points on the PGTI, starting
from last week, were there to see as the players finishing inside the top-5 at
the season-opening Golconda Masters in Hyderabad, made significant gains
in the rankings. Joint runners-up Aman Raj and M Dharma took 2.50 points
each. While Aman moved up from 930 to 745, Dharma rose from 1010 to
798. Karandeep Kochhar's fourth place finish saw him collect 1.60 points
that pushed him up from 908 to 790.
The trio of Honey Baisoya, Udayan Mane and Priyanshu Singh finished
tied fifth and as a result pocketed 1.20 points each.
Thus Baisoya went up from 887 to 803, Mane shot up from 1095 to 962
and Priyanshu made his first appearance on the rankings at 1558.
The stakes will now be higher at the season's second event, this week's
PGTI Players Championship scheduled to be played at the Classic Golf and
Country Club from Tuesday.
Rodrigues, Mandhana advance in
women's T20I rankings
T
he Indian pair of Jemimah Rodrigues and Smriti Mandhana have
made impressive gains among batters in the ICC Women's Twenty20
player rankings despite their side's 3-0 series loss to New Zealand,
an ICC statement said.
West Indies all-rounder Deandra Dottin grabbed the top spot among all-
rounders in the latest update carried out on Tuesday.
Rodrigues's 132 runs in the three-match series against New Zealand lifted
her four places to second position while Smriti, who grabbed the top spot in
ODIs last week, has gained four spots to reach sixth position after finishing
as the leading run-getter in the series with an aggregate of 180.
The stylish left-hander smashed two half-centuries including a fluent 86 in
the last match in Hamilton that India lost by two runs.
Spinners Radha Yadav, up 18 places to 10th after taking four wickets in
the series, and Deepti Sharma, up five places to 14th, are the India players to
move up among bowlers.
 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 15, 2019
MAHESH KUMAR
Samsung Galaxy S10
S
amsung enthusiasts the world over
are waiting for the next edition of Galaxy- Samsung’s
flagship smartphone. The Internet is abuzz with the rumors
of potential features and advancements of the upcoming phone.
This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the Galaxy series
and it is expected that Samsung will introduce some coolest
technology in the new phone. Most anticipated features include
in-display fingerprint sensor, Snapdragon’s latest 855 processor.
Samsung has not yet succumbed to the ‘notch’ that almost every
other phone is carrying.
The S10 might have a clever solution to the ’notch’ problem
by placing the cameras and sensor drilled discretely without
compromising on the thin bezels or ruining the aesthetics of
the phone. It is yet unknown if the new phone will have a new
design but it can not be denied that this iteration is very crucial
for Samsung and the world will find out by the end of February
when Samsung might unveil the phone during
Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Some analysts have
predicted the Samsung might introduce 3 different sizes to
counter iPhone’s strategy. Another prediction is that the phone
might be one of the first to have 5G network capability.
#9 PlayStation 5
PlayStation 4 was released in 2013. It has been 6 years since
then and a new console is long overdue. According to Sony,
PlayStation 5 might be announced during E3 in Los Angeles to
be held in June this year though it might become available for
buying only in 2020.
A new patent by Sony points to backwards compatibility that
means the future consoles might support all past PlayStation
platforms. So the future hardware will play titles developed for
PS1, PS2, PS3 and PS4.
The PS5 is said to support a custom Zen 2 processor developed
in association with AMD.
#8 Huawei P30
Last year, Huawei hit it out of the park with
P20 and Mate 20 series.
Huawei has seen amazing growth during the last three years.
This year, with P30, the company is expected to take the camera
hardware to a new level by supporting an astonishing five lenses
on the back face.
The phone will also support Huawei’s Kirin 980 microship as
well as 8
GB of RAM. There has also been speculations about the
possibility of 5G technology.
#2 iPhone XS 2018
Of course, Apple every year keeps upping the benchmark with
their yearly iteration to iPhone.
This year, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, are expected to
support an almost borderless design was seen last season with
the iPhone X.
We do not know yet if there will be some major design changes
but it can not be ruled out. This year too, there might be three
models differentiated by size, one of them with OLED screen
technology.
FEATURES 23
Rumors vary about what the phones may be called from
iPhone XS1, iPhone X1, iPhone 9 or iPhone 11.
Another welcome change might be Apple’s embracing USB-C
port in place of the proprietary Lightning connector. A more
powerful processor is also given.
Also the new iPhone XS and XR might be “Made in India”
LG 8K TV
TV Technology just keeps getting more and more ridiculously
detailed. LG has recently announced the 88in 8K OLED panel
TV which is supposedly the largest and highest-resolution
OLED panel ever.
While other details are still unknown, it will obviously be very
expensive and more will be known when the TV is unveiled
globally.
Dell XPS 13 2018 edition
Dell took the curtains off its 2018 edition of XPS 13 laptop
which packs Intel's latest 8th-generation Core i5 or i7 processors,
and comes with a choice of 4GB, 8GB or 16GB RAM and up to
1TB of SSD storage.
The device has a stunning bezel-less display and users can
squeeze a whopping 20-hours of battery life out of it when
running in full HD (dropping to 11 hours in 4k Ultra HD mode).
The XPS 13 2018 edition is also said to offer twice the grunt of
the 2015 model, thanks to better power management.
This is down to the new thermal design of the laptop, which
uses Gore thermal insulation for better heat dissipation.
There's also a 'dynamic power mode' that intelligently delivers
maximum power when needed, while carefully monitoring
system temperatures.
 24 FEATURES Friday, February 15, 2019 The Indian Weekender

• Whisk the batter again vigorously with a spatula to get

some air into it. Whisking will make the batter smooth
and fluffy and will give soft and fluffy bhalla’s ( to test the
bhalla take a bowl filled with water and drop a small drop of
batter in the water, if the batter immediately starts floating on
the top then it’s ready otherwise whisk the batter for some • Chopped

I
n this scorching summer heat, something cold is always more time ). coriander to sprinkle on
preferred. So then why not yoghurt, as I personally feel • Drop 1tablespoon of batter into the oil, using a spoon and fry top
yoghurt is made for summer eating. It is not only delicious 4 to 6 bhalla’s at a time till all the sides become golden brown ASSEMBLE
but also gives a coolant effect to the body. Yoghurt also adds a in colour. • Add yoghurt in a bowl, add cumin powder and sugar then
dose of probiotic beneficial bacteria that keeps your digestive • Fry rest of the bhalla’s in the same way in batches. whisk the yoghurt until smooth. Keep aside.
system running smoothly. • Remove them on the absorbent paper. • Remove bhalla from the water and gently press it between
Yoghurt can be eaten in different variants like raita with food • Add warm water in a big bowl then soak the fried bhalla’s in your palms so that excess water oozes out and place it into a
or fruit yoghurt and also eaten in a different form of chaats, so the water for 15 to 20 minutes. serving plate.
thought of sharing the recipe of dahi bhalla.
¡ MINT CHUTNEY • Add flavoured yoghurt on top of the bhalla, drizzle some mint
Dahi bhalla also know as dahi vada; deep fried dumplings with
chutney and tamarind chutney on top.
the combination of mint chutney and tamarind chutney makes INGREDIENTS;
• 2-3 - green chillies • Sprinkle red chilli powder, chaat masala and cumin powder
truly mouth watering chaat.
• 11/2 cup - mint leaves on the Bhalla.
Mint chutney is a very common thing prepared almost in all
• 1tsp - dry mango • Sprinkle sev and chopped coriander on top.
Indian houses.
powder • Serve chilled.
Mint, is an inexpensive herb and easily available, it keeps your
body temperature cool and also gives a refreshing effect. • 1inch - ginger PAPADI CHAAT
• 1- lemon
¡ DAHI BHALLA
• 1tsp - salt or according to
taste
METHOD
• Wash mint leaves and green chillies and spread them on a
paper towel for the extra water to be absorbed.
• In a blender, blend green chillies, mint leaves, ginger, mango
powder, squeezed lemon and salt.
• While scraping down the sides blend it into a smooth paste.
• Add more lemon if the paste is thick.
TAMARIND CHUTNEY
INGREDIENTS
• 1/2 cup - tamarind

P
seedless
• 1 1/2cups - water apadi a crisp fried crackers, made of a simple wheat
• 1/2tsp- ginger powder dough, rolled thin and fried. It’s the layers of interesting
• 1/4tsp- red chilli powder colours, flavours and textures.
• 1/8tsp - asafoetida Serves; 4
Serves; 6
• 1/2tsp - cumin powder INGREDIENTS
INGREDIENTS • 7-8tbsp - jaggery, cut into small 2 packets of papadi
• 1 cup - urad dal ( split gram lentils ) pieces Mint chutney
• 1tsp - salt • 1tsp - rock salt or black salt Tamarind chutney
• 1tbsp- cumin powder (dry roast the cumin seeds ( jeera ) in a
METHOD 6 cups - yoghurt
flat pan till light brown and fragrant and then grind them into
• Place tamarind into a bowl, cover the tamarind with water and 4tsp - sugar
a smooth powder ).
let it soak for 1 hour. 1tbsp - cumin powder
• 2-3tbsp - water ( for grinding the dal )
• Mash tamarind with your fingers and squeeze the pulp out of 1 - potato
• Oil for deep frying the bhalla
it then punch the pulp through the fine strainer. Black salt to sprinkle
• 6-8 cups - warm water ( to soak the bhalla )
• Heat water in a small heavy bottom pan on a medium heat. Red chilli powder to sprinkle
• Mint chutney
• Add ginger powder, red chilli powder, asafoetida, cumin Cumin powder to sprinkle
• Tamarind chutney
powder to the water and stir well. Chaat masala powder to sprinkle
METHOD • Add the strained tamarind pulp and cook for two to three Sev to sprinkle
• Wash the dal and soak it in the water for overnight or at least minutes. Chopped coriander
for 6 to 8 hours for the fermentation ( after the fermentation • Add jaggery and salt to the tamarind mixture and cook for METHOD
the lentil will swell and increase in size ). another 4-5 minutes or until the jaggery has been dissolved • Boil potato just until tender.
• Drain the dal completely and grind it into a smooth paste in a and the mixture has thickened. • In a bowl cut boiled potato into small pieces; sprinkle chaat
food processor while adding little water at a time, the batter • Cool and store it in an air tight container. masala, red chilli powder and black salt on it. Mix well.
should be without any broken dal pieces in it.
TO ASSEMBLE • Spread the papadi on the plate, pile on 1 tablespoon of the
• The consistency of the batter should be thick, water can be
potatoes.
added more or less according to the quality of the dal and the • 6 cups - yoghurt
• Drizzle chilled yoghurt on the papadi’s.
capacity volume of the grinder. • 4tsp- sugar
• Drop over a few small spoonfuls of the mint chutney and
• Remove the batter into a mixing bowl then add salt and cumin • 1tbsp - cumin powder
tamarind chutney.
powder, mix well and whip it using the spatula for two to Red chilli powder to sprinkle
• Sprinkle red chilli powder, cumin powder, chaat masala and
three minutes. • Chaat masala powder to sprinkle
top it with sev and fresh chopped coriander.
• Cover and leave it for 1 hour. • Cumin powder to sprinkle
• Serve.
• Heat oil in deep frying pan on a medium heat or flame. • Sev to sprinkle on top
 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 15, 2019 FEATURES 25

Low calories dinner recipes

DAHI PURI

Chicken Adobo

C
hicken Adobo is an easy-to-make and mouth-
watering Asian recipe that you can make for
your loved ones on any occasion. Cooked using
minimal spices, this chicken recipe is prepared with soy
sauce and white wine vinegar that adds the flavour in it.
This non-vegetarian recipe is also low in calories, and
is therefore a perfect dish for those who count calories.
Chicken Adobo is traditionally enjoyed best with steamed
rice and can be made on occasions like get-together, kitty
party and even picnic. If you have chicken lovers in your
home, then it's a must try dish at home!
Ingredients
• 600 kilograms chicken boneless
• 70 ml white wine vinegar

P
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
ani puri also known as golgappa’s filled with various spices, chutneys • salt as required the chicken pieces in this sauce over medium flame
and topped with chilled flavoured yoghurt. In summers this dish with • 30 ml soy sauce and bring it to a boil for once, and then lower the heat
chilled yoghurt makes a nice refreshing chaat. • 1 bay leaf and add bay leaf in the pan.
Serves; 4 • 5 cloves minced garlic • Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for about 20
INGREDIENTS • water as required minutes. Flip the chicken pieces to cook on the other
• 2 packets of golgappa’s or pani puri For Garnishing side and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.
• Mint chutney stalk coriander leaves • Uncover the saucepan once the chicken is tender.
• Tamarind chutney Method Season it with salt and let the sauce thicken while
• 6 cups - Yoghurt • To start with, mix the soy sauce, white wine vinegar, uncovered. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves
• 4tsp - sugar garlic and whole black pepper in a saucepan. Braise and enjoy with steamed rice.
• 1tbsp - cumin powder
• 1 - potato Carrot Beans Stir Fry

• Black salt to sprinkle
• Red chilli powder to sprinkle
• Cumin powder to sprinkle
• Chaat masala powder to sprinkle
• Sev to sprinkle
• Chopped coriander
METHOD
• Whisk chilled yoghurt in a bowl with sugar and cumin powder. Keep aside.
• Boil potato just until tender.
• In a bowl cut boiled potato into small pieces; sprinkle chaat masala, red
chilli powder and black salt on it. Mix well and keep aside.
TO ASSEMBLE
• Break a small hole in the top of each pani puri using the handle of a
teaspoon. Add teaspoon of flavoured potatoes.
• Fill with 1/2 teaspoon of tamarind chutney, 1/4 teaspoon of mint chutney.
• Last fill it with yoghurt to the top.
• Sprinkle red chilli powder, cumin powder, chaat masala and top it with sev
and fresh chopped coriander.
• Serve immediately
TIP
Bhalla’s can be made a day before, soak them in the water then gently
squeeze out the water from the bhalla and refrigerate them.
Tamarind and mint chutneys can be made a day before and refrigerated.
While grinding the dal add less water to give the bhalla a nice shape but if
you have added more water then also it’s fine you can spoon the batter into the
oil just make sure to whisk the batter before frying.
Toppings can also be green chillies, julienned Ginger and crunchy Boondi.
Always use chilled yoghurt.
Papadi and golgappa’s can be bought in ready made packets from most
Indian stores.
C
arrot Beans Stir Fry is a delectable side dish
recipe that can surely win your heart. This is an
easy-to-make Continental recipe which you can
prepare for your loved ones on occasions like kitty party,
potluck, and get-together. Cooked using ingredients such
as carrot, green bean, peas, onion, red kidney beans and
a melange of common spices; this vegetarian recipe will
be an ideal dish for all those looking for quick food in
winters! Instead of munching on breads or fried food,
you can chose this easy recipe that's low in carbs and
keeps you full for long. As this dish is prepared using
all the veggies, you do not have to be worried about the
nutrition, as it has all the vitamins and minerals required
daily for a healthy body. This is a quick recipe that can
made in just a few minutes without putting much efforts.
Ingredients
• 4 bean
• 4 carrot beans and green beans in salted water. Once done
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder drain and keep it aside.
• 4 teaspoon refined oil • Now, place a pan over medium flame and heat oil
• 1 yellow bell pepper in it. Once it is heated add mustard seeds. When it
• 1 cup boiled corn starts spluttering add chopped onions and fry until it
• 1 cup red kidney beans becomes translucent.
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered turmeric • Next, add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and
• salt as required coriander powder. Mix them well and fry for 1
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds minute. After that add chopped beans, carrot, yellow
• 1 cup peas bell pepper, red kidney beans, boiled corn and cook
Method for 5 minutes.
• To prepare this easy recipe, wash the vegetables in • Once the mixture becomes tender, turn off the flame.
running water and pat them to dry. Then chop the Your Carrot Beans Stir Fry is ready. Serve warm with
vegetables and keep it aside. Boil carrots, red kidney love.

Moong Dal Stir Fry

M
oong Dal Stir Fry is a delicious North Indian recipe. This stir fry recipe is easy to make and is rich in proteins found in moong
dal. This easy recipe would add a twist to your old regular dal recipe. Moong Dal Stir Fry can be paired with paratha and mango
pickle. This healthy and delicious recipe would be relished by all.
Ingredients Method Remember the dal should not be over
• 200 gm moong dal • Clean the moong dal by washing twice cooked. Drain the excess water, if
• 2 green chilli under running water. Take a bowl, add required.
• 1 pinch asafoetida moong dal and water and soak it for 30 • Place a frying pan on medium heat and
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder minutes. add oil in it. Once the oil is heated, add
• 3/4 tablespoon salt • Wash and chop the green chilies and cumin and asafoetida and saute for 2
• water as required ginger. Keep them aside in separate minutes.
• 2 tablespoon refined oil bowls. • Then add coriander powder, red chili
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin • Put the soaked moong dal and 1 cup of powder, chopped chili and ginger to
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric water in a pressure cooker. Add salt, the mixture. Fry this mixture for 1-2
• 1 pinch red chilli powder turmeric powder and mix well. minutes, add salt and mix well.
• 1 inch ginger • Close the cooker and boil the dal till 1 • Add the boiled dal. Stir fry it for 3-4
For Garnishing whistle goes off. minutes. Turn off the gas and garnish
• 1 lemon • Turn of the heat and let it cool before with lemon juice and coriander leaves.
• 1 tablespoon coriander leaves opening the pressure cooker lid. Serve hot!
26 TIME OUT
CROSSWORD NO: 6
SUDOKU NO: 6
HITORI NO: 6
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. 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).
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE NO: 6
See how many differences you can find in the right or left photo.
Friday, February 15, 2019
ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S QUESTIONS
QUIZ QUESTIONS NO: 6
1. What is the only country with a coastline on both the
Red Sea and the Persian Gulf?
2. Which river flows through Paris?
3. Where in the British isles is Lady Isabella, the world’s
largest working water wheel?
4. What is the capital city of Slovenia, formerly part of
the state of Yugoslavia?
5. Which European country shares its border with the
most neighbours (nine)?
6. Which Asian country is bigger than France, Spain and
Germany combined but has a population of little over
two million?
7. What is Europe’s largest port?
8. Hamilton is the capital of which island in the North
Atlantic Ocean?
9. In which country is the UK’s highest mountain, Ben
Nevis?
10. Mount Vesuvius overlooks which modern Italian city
11. Of which country is Sofia the capital?
12. Which republic lies partly in Europe and partly in
Asia?
13. Which stretch of water separates the Isle of Wights
from mainland Britain?
14. Which country is nicknamed ‘The Cockpit of Europe’
because of the number of battles throughout history
fought on its soil?
30. Port of Shanghai
24. Uruguay 25. Brazil 26.Latvia 27. German 28. Spain 29 Brazil
and other contributions by your little
Mount Etna 20. Queensland 21. Switzerland 22. Israel 23. Brazil
Tripoli 16.Amsterdam 17.Massachusetts 18.Indian Ocean 19
10. Naples 11.Bulgaria 12.Turkey 13.The Solent 14.Belgium 15.
for this page. E-mail us at reporter@
Germany 6. Mongolia 7. Port of Rotterdam 8. Bermuda 9.Scotland
1.Saudi Arabia, 2.River Seine, 3.Isle of Man 4.Ljubljana 5.
The Indian Weekender
15. What is the capital of Libya?
16. Which European capital city is divided by canals into
about 90 islands joined by about 400 bridges?
17. In which US state is the Harvard University?
18. In which ocean are the beautiful islands of Seychelles?
19. What is the highest active volcano in Europe?
20. Brisbane is the capital of which Australian state?
21. Which European country is divided into 26 cantons, six
of which are designated ‘semi-cantons’ but function as
full cantons?
22. A sabra is a native of which country?
23. Which South American country has land borders with
ten other countries?
24. Which country has Montevideo as its capital city?
25. Name the only country through which both the Equator
and the Tropic of Capricorn pass.
26. Riga is the capital city of which European country?
27. Apart from Dutch and French, what is the other official
language of Belgium?
28. In which European country is the cathedral town of
Teruel?
29. Which, by area, is the largest country in South
America?
30. What’s the world’s biggest port?
Send us stories, drawings, poems
ones along with their photographs
indianweekender.co.nz
 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 15, 2019
Health & Beauty
A
dd these tips and trick to your health regime and let the magic work!
Aren’t we all a part of that weary race to get rid of the excess belly fat, the saggy arms,
fat legs and basically every inch that is an excess? The intermittent and never ending diet
plans and fasting are quite popular these days. People usually tend to go to any crazy extend to
get that flattering physique. The ceaseless trial and error game with weight loss can be super tiring
after a point. Try theses 6 TRIED and TESTED tips and tricks to get that healthy yet befitting body.
Cut back on added sugar
I
t is very important to understand the
distinction between added sugars and
sugars that occur naturally in foods like fruits
and vegetables. Added sugar is abundant in
candies, processed foods and baked products
making it one of the most harmful ingredients
in modern day diet. It is one such calorie raisers
with no added nutrients and may damage your
metabolism in the long run. Intake of too much
sugar can result in various health issues; type
2 diabetes, obesity, heart diseases and weight
gain. What is the safe amount of sugar that
can be consumed per day? According to health
experts, the maximum amount of sugar intake
by males shouldn't exceed 37.5gm (150 cal)
and for females, it is 25gm (100 cal). Try
cutting down on added sugar and you’ll see
your inches go down instantly.
Drink Green Tea
D on’t cringe! Many of us cannot stand the
smell or taste of green tea, but among the
benefits it has to offer, weight loss is on the
top. It is loaded with powerful antioxidants
which are believed to work synergistically
with caffeine to enhance fat burning. Drink a
cup every morning which will help cleanse the
toxins in your system, and it also boosts the fat
burning process.
Calorie control
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
Portion control or calorie control, meaning
simply eating less can be very useful. This is
infact one of the most used strategy to lose
weight. Eating less if fine but quality of your
diet matters. Eating 100 calories of spinach
will affect your health differently than 100
calories of fries. Try keeping a food diary or
taking pictures of your meals which can help
you lose weight. You can even try a Calorie In
and Calorie Out challenge.
Chew at a slower pace
A
ccording to studies, if you chew slower,
your calorie intake will go down and
increase the production of hormones linked to
weight loss. Consider chewing thoroughly as
it can also help in reducing the calorie intake
during a meal.
Don’t diet
M ost commonly dieting ends up being a
pattern of losing weight, regaining it and
then dieting again. If anything, people who diet
tend to gain more weight over time, and studies
show that dieting is a consistent predictor of
future weight gain. Instead of going for a diet,
eat healthy and consciously regularly. This
will automatically bring down the chances of
weight gain.
Drink plenty of water
S ince forever, drinking water has been
thought to help with weight loss. Obesity
can be prevented by increasing the intake of
water. As water does not carry any calories,
an increased intake can reduce the risk of
long-term weight gain and obesity, especially
in children. It is a advised to drink at least 2
litres of water per day. If you are not doing this
already, start by adding one cup of water to
your daily water consumption and replace your
other drinks with water.
FEATURES 27
15 February 21 February | By Manisha Koushik
ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 20)
If you find someone difficult to convince, don’t bang your head on the wall over it.
Look at the bigger picture. Be deliberate in whatever you do on the academic front.
Those at the stage of ‘she/he loves me, she/he loves me not’ may get some positive
indications from the opposite camp. Engineers and police personnel may get a chance
to prove their mettle. Money given in good faith to a casual acquaintance will be
returned. Lucky Number: 8 / Lucky Colour: Parrot Green
TAURUS (Apr 21-May 20)
An outsourced project at work may need to be monitored closely. Someone you have
good relations with is likely to prove of immense help on the professional front. A job
well done provides mental solace. Don’t be impulsive in investing money at the first
instance. Students may have to strive harder to make their mark. An unfounded doubt
that has crept into your mind may make you ill at ease. Watch what you eat this week.
Lucky Number:3 / Lucky Colour: Beige
GEMINI (May 21-Jun 21)
Your efforts are likely to get a good amount of publicity. So, get ready to bask in your
glory! You have a style for everything and you will imprint it in the minds of a few
youngsters. Doing things with family members is not exactly in your character, but
this week can be an exception! The financial dark tunnel that you had been travelling
in will certainly have a bright light at the end. Health remains satisfactory. Lucky
Number: 4 / Lucky Colour: Indigo
CANCER (Jun 22-Jul 20)
You will take the centre stage in a wedding or a function. A lot of appreciation is in
store for you on the professional front. Your confidence and meticulous preparation
will see you through. Somebody special is likely to pop up in your life and kick start
a budding romance. You will enjoy the company of friends or cousins. An increase
in pocket money is likely for some children. Your ailment is set to get cured. Lucky
Number: 22 / Lucky Colour: Dark slate grey
LEO (JuL21-Aug 20)
Something that you are spending money on is likely to become a great source of
satisfaction. Learning something new at work may get you all excited. You manage
to tackle the academic front well. A candle light dinner will do wonders in getting
into the mood. Your spendthrift nature, if not checked in time, threatens to empty your
coffers. Pilots, seamen, truck and train drivers need to be alert. Lucky Number: 1 /
Lucky Colour: Yellow
VIRGO (Aug 23-Sep 23)
Prioritise work related issues to handle them better. There is no harm in sharing on the
academic front, but ensure that it is a two-way process. Your sharp wit and sense of
humour promises to win the heart of the one you love. Lonely hearts may take comfort
in the fact that someone is waiting for them in the wings. Curb your tendency to eat
out frequently, if you want your bank balance to remain healthy. Lucky Number: 7
/ Lucky Colour: Magenta
LIBRA (Sep 24-Oct 23)
There is much that needs to be done, but you really don’t know where to start! Slow
and steady will win the race. Distractions may overwhelm you and threaten to waver
your focus on the academic front. A long separation is about to come to an end. So
expect a long and harmonious togetherness! Your suspicion about a colleague will
prove incorrect. Going on a diet may prove difficult. Do everything in moderation to
preserve health. Lucky Number: 9 / Lucky Colour: Lemon
SCORPIO (Oct 24-Nov 22)
Business development personnel will achieve a breakthrough in winning an overseas
contract. Studies or work takes priority over other things at this juncture. You don’t
have to be shy in expressing your love for someone you have a crush on. Take steps
to restore partner’s confidence in continuing a relationship. Good budgeting will find
you in financial happiness. The aches and pains that had been troubling you simply
disappear, making you feel fit as a fiddle. Lucky Number: 2 / Lucky Colour: Purple
SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23-Dec 21)
You will finally make up your mind to do what partner desires and benefit immensely
from it. Worries about an impending important task may keep you occupied. This
is the time to conserve money, so avoid reckless spending on frivolous pursuits.
You will find it difficult to explain your point of view to a family member. Lack of
adequate resources may hinder an ongoing work. An outing or a movie with lover will
be enjoyable.Lucky Number: 8 / Lucky Colour: Parrot Green
CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 21)
If you get the deal, go ahead with it instead of waiting for a better break. A proposal
coming your way may find you at your best. You are likely to double your efforts
on the business front to beat competition. Spouse will be most considerate and may
even do something special for you. Take time off from work to be with lover. Small
scale industry owners are likely to give big companies a run for their money. Lucky
Number: 22 / Lucky Colour: Saffron
AQUARIUS (Jan 22-Feb 19)
You may be overcautious in sealing a deal, but there will be people who can be trusted
blindly. Celebrating an achievement of a child or sibling is on the cards. A piece of
good news is likely to spread happiness in the family. Advice of a good financial
advisor will help recover dues that you had written off. A friend’s advice helps you on
the academic front. Exposing yourself to the elements will have dire consequences.
Lucky Number: 4 / Lucky Colour: Indigo
PISCES (Feb 20-Mar 20)
Manufacturers and retailers may have to deal with stiff competition on the business
front. It is best to share amicably, rather than eye the whole pie. Time may be at
a premium on the academic front, so tighten your belt. This week, it may become
difficult to spare time for partner. Misunderstandings on the romantic front are best
avoided by opening the lines of communication. Salaried will do well to invest in a
safe saving scheme. Lucky Number: 17 / Lucky Colour: Violet
 28 ENTERTAINMENT Friday, February 15, 2019 The Indian Weekender

ANIL KAPOOR ON WORKING

WITH MADHURI DIXIT: ANUPAM KHER
Was like telepathy; universe dedicates award
wanted us to come together
to father
A
nil Kapoor in an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla

V
opened up about reuniting with Madhuri Dixit eteran actor Anupam Kher's
on screen with Total Dhamaal after years. medical drama series bagged
Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit made the country the Outstanding Cast Award
go ‹dhak dhak’ with their chemistry onscreen in the at the SCAD aTVfest 2019. He
movie Beta. The two united yet again after decades for dedicated the award to his late father
the movie Total Dhamaal which releases this month. Pushkarnath Kher on his seventh
While we all wait with bated breath to see the two death anniversary.
back on celluloid together, in an exclusive chat with
Anupam won the award on Sunday
Anil Kapoor, we asked him about what led to this
night in Atlanta.
reunion. To this, the handsome actor, who continues
"Delighted to share that at the
to defy age with each passing day, said that there
SCAD aTVfest the cast of our
couldn’t have been a better film for them to return as
a pair.  series 'New Amsterdam' won the
 “This film I am very happy that we (Madhuri and Outstanding Cast award. And it
I) did together because it is a mainstream commercial being my father's seventh death
hardcore thing which truly wants to entertain and there anniversary today, I dedicate this
is no confusion about it. So, when (director) Indra award to him. He was my best friend for winning Outstanding Cast at the
Kumar came to me with the script, I was thinking and my biggest fan. No matter what I SCAD aTVfest 2019!"
what should we do, an epic love story or something did," Anupam tweeted. Anupam thanked him and replied:
dramatic, then I thought ‘no, this is the right film to "Thank you my dearest friend Anil
do together’ and Indu was very convinced about it. "You just keep soaring higher Kapoor. Your love, warmth and
He was very clear that Madhuri should be a part of and higher Anupam Kher! We're appreciation means so much to me.
this film. I asked him if she would do it. Incidentally, all watching your flight with so You really help me and inspire me to
when they went to Madhuri, she asked if I would do much joy and pride!" give my best."
this film. So, it was like a telepathy.” "Some- Inspired by Bellevue, the oldest
– Anil Kapoor
“Somewhere I think universe wanted us to come where I public hospital in the US, the series
together for this movie. There was no planning as such, think universe To this, his close friend Anil follows the brilliant and charming
it just happened,” he laughed and added, “When we wanted us to come
Kapoor wrote: "You just keep doctor Max Goodwin played by
were on the sets, it did not seem that we are working together for this
soaring higher and higher Anupam actor Ryan Eggold, the institution's
after so many years. We just came and it looked like movie."
Kher! We're all watching your newest medical director who sets
we have been working together all this time.” flight with so much joy and pride! out to shake up the bureaucracy and
Congratulations 'New Amsterdam' provide exceptional care.

Sanjay Dutt wants IRRFAN KHAN IS BACK IN THE COUNTRY;

to help youth get rid Being treated at a hospital in Mumbai?
of drug addiction
A
s per the reports, Irrfan Khan is back in India. The first film starred Saba Qamar along

A
ctor Sanjay Dutt, who has been vocal
about his battle with drug addiction, is
supporting an anti-drug campaign that
aims to eliminate drug addiction.
Sanjay Dutta took to social media to announce
his support to spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi
Shankar's #DrugFreeIndia campaign.
"I always wanted to do something to uproot
drug addiction from India. The #DrugFreeIndia
campaign is a step towards that! Because of my
personal experiences, it's a cause very close to
my heart and I want to help the youth of our
country," he wrote.
Sanjay's struggle with drugs is even captured
in his biopic Sanju, in which actor Ranbir
Kapoor essays his role.
Apart from the Munna Bhai M.B.B.S actor,
celebrities like Sonakshi Sinha, Varun Dhawan,
Kapil Sharma, Parineeti Chopra, Badshah and
Varun Sharma have lent support to the anti-
drug campaign, which will be launched on
February 18.
actor was in London for his treatment for the past with Irrfan and was helmed by Saket
one year. In March last year, Irrfan Khan shared Chaudhary.
with us that he is diagnosed with high-grade cancer. Earlier, there were reports
The actor went to London for his treatment and had that actress Kareena Kapoor
visited India only during Diwali last year. His fans and Khan will also star in Hindi
admirers have been waiting for him to be back in the Medium 2. We can't wait to
country and to see him in films. The actor was last seen in see Irrfan Khan back happy
the film Karwaan alongside Dulquer Salmaan and Mithila and healthy and back in
Palkar. Well, the Blackmail actor is now back in India. As movies again!
reported by Peepingmoon, Irrfan Khan is in Mumbai and
he is currently taking treatment at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai
Ambani Hospital in Mumbai's Andheri area.
The portal also reported that whenever he feels better,
the actor will be making a quick trip to Tonk town outside
Jaipur as he hails from there. The actor will first start
shooting for the sequel of his 2017 superhit film
Hindi Medium.
As reported exclusively by media, the actor
will start shooting for the film this month itself.
A source told us, Hindi Medium 2 is going on
floors on February 22. Costume Designers
have already started looking for Irrfan’s outfits.
The leading lady is yet to be decided." The

Fear losing relevance, not stardom: Bipasha

A
fter being a part of hits such as
Ajnabee, Raaz, No Entry and Bachna
Ae Haseeno, she has been away from
the silver screen for almost four years.
Actress Bipasha Basu, who is now set to
make a comeback with the film Aadat, says she
fears losing relevance.
Asked if she ever feared losing stardom,
Bipasha said over phone from Mumbai: “I have
never been a desperate person. I have been a
lucky girl and I have always lived by my own
rules and not the industry norms, because
when I started off I was called a bohemian
because of the way I was... Fearing losing
stardom, I don’t know, but yeah, fearing losing
relevance definitely.”
She said the fear exists because there is so
much investment involved as a person into it,
and not just as an actor.
“I would have that little fear of losing
relevance, but losing stardom, not so much,
because I am the same person that I am. Right
from the beginning...my wants have been
simple,” said the actress, whose roles in films
like Jism and Raaz stereotyped her as a ‘bold’
actress. Bipasha’s last big screen outing was
the 2015 film Alone. Among her other films
are Footpath, No Entry, Corporate, Omkara,
Dhoom 2, Goal and Race.
The 40-year-old, who married actor Karan
Singh Grover in 2016, says her family life is
always a priority for her over work and career.
Her new film Aadat will reunite her with Karan
on-screen once again after Alone.
What kept her away from the silver screen?
“I have been working since the age of 15,
right after school as a model for the first three
years.
"And from 19 when I started my first film
till now. I have been acting for a very "I
long time. I had very little time to would have
spend with my family and post that little fear of
my wedding was my time that I losing relevance, but
reconnected with my family and I losing stardom, not so
could spend a lot of time with them. much, because I am the
It is essential to spend that much same person that I
quality time with your parents and am."
your entire family,” she said.
 The Indian Weekender Friday, February 15, 2019 ENTERTAINMENT 29

VICKY KAUSHAL: My decisions have always

been mine: Gauahar Khan
Toiled hard for this work pressure
M
odel-actress

A
Gauahar Khan
ctor Vicky Kaushal, who is riding high on success of his last release Uri-The doesn't let anyone
Surgical Strike, says that he has toiled really hard to get this kind of work influence her decisions, and
pressure on his shoulders. says one doesnt need to be
At the launch of United Colours of Benetton's spring-summer collection 2019, apologetic about one's choices.
speaking about his continued success the Manmarziyaan, Sanju and Raazi star said: "I "My decisions have always
have been really waiting to get this kind of pressure on my shoulders. been mine whether it's my
"I have worked really hard to get this pressure. It feels good when you get so career or personal choices. It is
much love and appreciation from audience. You can say to yourself that now but obvious for society to have
you can't take anything for granted. So, I'm just focusing on working hard judgments or form opinions
every day of my life." but that's never deterred me
Was he celebrating Valentine's Day, Vicky said: "I don't believe in to be on the path that I am on.
giving one special day to love as its very beautiful emotion and for that, That's what every girl of today should do," Gauahar said in a
just one day is not enough. So, I guess everyday should be celebrated as statement.
Valentine's Day." As a model, she has walked for various designers, including
"It Vicky debuted with critically acclaimed "Msasaan" Manish Malhotra. She has shown her acting skills in films
feels good and cemented his place in Hindi film industry by like "Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year", Ishaqzaade and
when you get giving power-packed performance in films like Raman Begum Jaan. Gauahar will also be launching the trailer of
so much love and Raghav 2.0, Love per Square Foot, before Raazi, Sanju
MX Original Series Aafat in Lucknow on Tuesday. The series
appreciation from and Manmarziyaan.
is about five girls with five unusual eccentricities and one
audience." But it was his last release Uri... that proved to be the common problem - being stereotyped.
turning point of his career. Since January 11, the film has "Your mistakes or success is your own and one doesn't
collected 212.78 crores at the box office, and has made Vicky need to be apologetic about it and Aafat beautifully gives this
one of the most promising talent in Bollywood. message out and I am delighted to be a part of it," Gauahar
The actor will be next seen in Karan Johar's period drama Takht in 2020 added.
along with Ranveer Singh, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt, Anil Kapoor, The series stars Chitrashi Rawat, Pushtiie Shakti, Nikita
Bhumi Pednekar and Janhvi Kapoor. Dutta, Anshul Chauhan, Neelam Sivia, Sidharth Bhardwaj

I am ordinary, says Amitabh Bachchan

and Seema Pahwa in key roles. It will start streaming on MX
Player from February 20.

M Have not proved myself

egastar Amitabh Bachchan finds inspired by their thoughts.”
it embarrassing to be tagged as The 76-year-old thespian was addressing
the ‘Star Of The Millennium’ the media at actor-turned-author Namdev’s
at all, says Arshad Warsi
H
saying the title came his way due to a book launch titled “Madhukar Shah
e has been in
computer error perhaps, and insists he is Bundela” along with Ram Gopal Bajaj,
the Hindi film
just an “ordinary artiste”. Satish Kaushik and Chandraprakash
industry for
It was in 1999 when the BBC honoured Dwivedi on Thursday.
over two decades now,
him with the title after an online survey, Talking about Namdev, Big B said: “The
but actor Arshad Warsi
but Amitabh recalls it was his co-actor first time, he met me was on a film set he
says that he has much
Govind Namdev, who told him that he was was playing a negative role. Apart from
more to offer as he has
‘Star Of The Millennium’. being a great artist, he is fond of his nation,
still not proved himself
“But I never believed in it... There is one his native Bundelkhand and writing,”
in Bollywood.
secret behind it. he said.
Before making his
"The BBC News, which conferred the Namdev and Amitabh have shared
acting debut, he served
honour on me, conducted an online survey screen space in Sarkar Raj, and when the
as an assistant director
where they asked people to vote for an former contacted him for his book launch,
behind it.” to filmmaker Mahesh
actor whom they thought was the most he could not refuse.
“I feel so embarrassed when people label Bhatt in the 1987 film
popular in last 100 years.  On the silver screen, Amitabh will next
me with these tags. I am an ordinary artist Kaash. Then in 1996,
“And because of that online survey be seen in filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh’s Badla
and people who are sharing this platform Arshad made his acting
thing, some votes came my way and I feel and director Nagraj Manjule’s Jhund.
with me are great as today I am so much debut with Tere Mere
it’s a computer error and there is no truth
Sapne. He later featured

Makers repackage iconic songs for in films such as the Munna Bhai franchise, Hogi Pyaar Ki
Jeet, Hulchul, Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya?, Golmaal franchise

today's generation, says Sonakshi and Ishqiya.

Asked if he feels he has proved himself in Bollywood,

A
ctress Sonakshi Sinha, who has featured in the
video of the recreated version of Mungda song,
says that makers repackage iconic songs for
the current generation.
Her latest dance number Mungda for the film Total
Dhamaal has earned the wrath of the fans of the
original number featuring Helen.
Mungda was originally sung by Usha Mangeshkar
with music by Rajesh Roshan and lyrics by Majrooh
Sultanpuri. The song has been recreated by singers
Jyotica Tangri, Shaan and Subhro Ganguly and music
director duo Gourov-Roshin.
Reacting to the criticism, Sonakshi said: "Even I like
the original better and there is no comparison with that.
When we recreate a song, that time we don't think that
we will make a particular song better than the original
one because when you are recreating an iconic song
then there is no point making comparison with the
recreated song."
"We are only trying to repackage that and give
it to the today's generation who might not listen to
old songs. "For me as an artiste, I have been told by
makers of the film that they wanted me to be a part of
the song as they don't see anybody performing it so,
that was a big deal for me that makers felt that I would
do justice to the song and I am very happy."
Sonakshi was interacting with the media at the fourth
Arshad said: "I have not proved myself at all. There is a lot
edition of Next Brand Vision Awards
in this box. I think there is a lot more that I can do and I am
2019. Talking about her upcoming
capable of doing a lot more. Sooner or later, it might happen
releases, she said: "I am looking
but every time there's a challenge when I read a script..."
forward to every film of mine which
On his journey in the industry, he said: "It has been good.
is coming out this year. Kalank is
When I started before getting into movies I was working really
my next release. It is releasing
hard and was struggling. Since the time I joined movies, till
in April.
now my life has gotten better and better," said Arshad, who
"I am shooting for
has Total Dhamaal and Pagalpanti" in his kitty.
Mission Mangal, which
will release in August. The actor, who is popular as Circuit from Munna Bhai,
We are almost done added that he has absolutely no reason to complain.
with that. I am With films like Golmaal, Dhamaal and Salaam Namaste,
starting Dabangg 3 the 50-year-old has made a name for himself in the comedy
around the end of genre. What about getting typecast?
April." "When a comic actor does a serious role, they start
Asked about looking odd... The serious films that I have done, nobody
the amount said anything... they instead said 'you were good'. In 'Seher',
of fun nobody could believe it was the same guy. I thankfully proved
audiences that I have worked everywhere," he said.
s h o u l d The Jolly LLB actor added that he tries to play all his
"We
expect from characters "very differently".
are only try-
Dabangg 3, ing to repackage "Problem lies when you do the same thing over and over
Sonakshi said: that and give it to the again in every film," he said.
"Double and triple today's generation Asked if there is anything else he aspires to do, he said: "I
of what you saw in who might not can't think like that. I go script by script and film by film...
first two parts." listen to old That's how it is. I hope somebody writes something interesting
songs."
and makes me do that."
30 FEATURES Friday, February 15, 2019
Qualified Tax Accountant, will file all
overdue GST, PAYE and Income
Tax Returns. Will sort out tax debts and
claims with IRD. Free initial review for your
Takapuna Food, Wine &
new business and analysis of financial
Music Festival 2019
records before you invest. Date: Saturday, February 16
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Venue: Smales Farm, 72 Taharoto Road
At 357 Great South Rd, (Upstairs) Otahuhu Town, Auckland Takapuna, Auckland
The Takapuna Food, Wine & Music Festival
For Prompt, Qualified and Professional Service.Contact 09 276 5650 or returns to Smales Farm on Auckland’s North
info@debitandcredit.nz • www.debitandcredit.nz (see online for guides on Shore Saturday February 16th 2019! This
boutique urban festival is set to provide another
new business and tax compliance) amazing experience presenting a collaboration
M T Khan BA (Accounting) 25 Years New Zealand Tax Practice
of some of the best international and local acts,
New Zealand wineries and craft breweries,
popular eateries and food vendors, creative
Call Khan (027) 678 8154 or (021) 255 9893 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.
New Zealand’s
International Yoga Festival
2019
The most visited Indian news
website in New Zealand Date: Friday, February 21- Monday, Feb 24
Time: 10 a.m. & 10 p.m.
For online advertising
Venue: Kawai purapura, 14 MIlls lane,
* Auckland
options, email at
Tune in to Yoga, Meditation, Music, Dance
Over 100 entertaining, inspiring and thought
provoking workshops & activities| Pop up Temple
sales@indianweekender.co.nz
| 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.
Auckland International
Proudly
supported by Buskers Festival 2019
Present
Date: Friday, January 25- Sunday,
February 28
Time: 12 p.m. onwards
Tribute to Padma Bhushan Venue: Auckland CBD, Waterfront
Shri Srinivas Khale
Hosted by Auckland International Buskers
Festival & SkCity Live
World Class Talent will be hitting the streets
of Auckland, New Zealand for the Nineteenth
Free 16th March 2019
time over Auckland Anniversary Weekend
2019. Acrobats, magicians, comedies, unicycle
Event
champions and more will rendezvous around
6.pm Auckland’s CBD and waterfront to create the
electrifying atmosphere that is the Auckland
at Mt. Eden War Memorial Hall International Buskers Festival!.
Singers Auckland Lantern Festival
Arun Khotkar • Hemant Shirsat • Bhushan Phalnikar • Vidya Teke • Shweta Divekar Shirsat
Guncha Singh • Mayuri Bhole • Srishaa Iyer • Siddhi Nigudkar • Ekta Kumar • Maitreyee Pande
Prajakta Pande • Shikha Shethia & Sandhya Rao
Musicians
Arun Khotkar: Harmonium • Hemant Thaker: Keyboard • Vivek Anturkar & Aniket Joshi: Tabla
Bhushan Phalnikar: Side Rhythm
MC’s
Date: Thursday, February 14- Sunday,
Dr.Nilima Upadhay & Kaustubh Pethe February 17
Time: 7 p.m. onwards
Sponsors Photography Media Sponsors 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
The Indian Weekender
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!
Auckland Colour
Festival - Holi
Date: Saturday March 9
Time: 12 PM – 7 PM
Venue: Mt Smart Stadium, 2 Beasley Ave,
Penrose, Auckland, New Zealand 1061
Inviting all ages to Auckland's biggest Colour
Festival at Mt.Smart stadium. This is a free for all
event, but you will need to register for tickets on
this event above.
This is an Alcohol and smoke free event. No food
or drinks to be brought on premises. There will
stalls for food and water available through the
day. New Zealand's best acts to be announced
shortly.
Look after your community! This is an event for
all. Any sleazy or aggressive behaviour will be
dealt strictly. Intoxicated people will not gain
entry. Anyone caught drinking on premise will
be escorted out and details passed onto the
stadium management.
Royal Easter Show 2019
Date: Thursday April 18 to Monday April 22
Time: 12 AM – 12 PM
Venue: ASB Showgrounds, 217 Greenlane
Road West, Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand
1051
At the 2019 Royal Easter Show you can enjoy
the massive line-up of entertainment, circus acts,
carnival rides, sideshows, exhibits and much
more. The Royal Easter Show has a special
place in the hearts and minds of many New
Zealanders.
LIT Cotton Candy will be there with our LED light
products, all food grade! LED light buckets with a
huge variety of flavours to choose from, LED light
candyfloss sticks with any of our 30+ flavours of
candyfloss freshly spun, Helium LED Balloons
and Jumbo 40cm glowsticks. At LIT Cotton
Candy, we offer a new, unique and exciting
flavour to the FUN enjoyed already by thousands
at the Royal Easter Show!
And stick around for our free fireworks display,
lighting up the sky above the ASB Showgrounds
Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening’s blasting
off at 9pm.
The Royal Easter Show is New Zealand's largest
and most loved family show, an annual must-see
for everyone.
 5,000 YEARS OF CIVILISATION REBORN

When was the last time “The 8th wonder of the world!
Go see it to believe it.”
something was so beautiful, —Joe Heard, former White House photographer
it changed your life?
”These beautiful, gifted people

T he breathtakingly beautiful Shen Yun performance

is at once exciting, moving, and inspiring—like
nothing you’ve ever seen. The secret? Shen Yun’s
are expressing something
that’s both pure and good.”
—Philladelphia Weekly
works are steeped in a classical aesthetic and timeless
virtues. Its art transcends the trends and tastes of our
day. Shen Yun is your ticket to the world of classical
“Beautiful… A nimble mastery
Chinese culture that you don’t know. Discover a new of traditional talents.”
realm of divinely inspired beauty and artistic mastery. —Chicago Tribune

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RETURN FARE
$840*RETURN FARE

India $639* Japan

RETURN FARE
$887*
RETURN FARE

Nepal $673* USA

RETURN FARE
$980*
RETURN FARE

Bali $757* Pakistan

RETURN FARE
$994*
RETURN FARE

Dhaka $766* Sri Lanka

RETURN FARE
$1151*RETURN FARE

EXPLORE INDIA'S
Vibrant Cities

Delhi $639*
RETURN FARE
Bengaluru $999* Chennai $1022*
RETURN FARE RETURN FARE

Mumbai $1045*
RETURN FARE
Ahmedabad $1156* Available
(Inclusive of all Taxes*)
RETURN FARE
Until Sold Out,T&C apply*
Departure Dates: April 2019 Onwards