Indian Weekender 18 March 2016

18 March, 2016 Vol. 7 Issue 50 www.iwk.co.
nz
NZs first Kiwi-Indian weekly newspaper
The pulse of Kiwi-Indians
K IW
I I NDI A
2015
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KI
N
W I I DI A
KI
N
W I I DI A
2015
Established 2013
NEW ZEALAND
18 March 2016 | www.iwk.co.nz
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www.iwk.co.nz | 18 March 2016
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Amongst many firsts, ITA

was the first to host the newlyappointed High Commissioner
of India at his first ever public
engagement in the Country.
Another first was the coming
together of the two High
Commissioners.
IWK BUREAU
ndia Trade Alliance organised a unique

event hosting the High Commissioner
of New Zealand in India and his Indian
counterpart in New Zealand in Auckland
this week.
Grahame
Morton,
NZ
High
Commissioner to India and Sanjiv
Kohli, Indias newly-appointed High
Commissioner to New Zealand addressed
a gathering of businesspeople at the
PwC Towers on Quay Street on Tuesday,
March 15.
High Commissioner Morton, who began
his tenure during the 2014 Indian elections,
spoke admiringly of the countrys democratic
process and the complex logistics of holding
elections in the worlds largest democracy
of sub-continental proportions. He said the
present Indian government had brought in
greater transparency in a number of areas
especially in the energy, infrastructure and
telecommunications sector clearing up
many of the legacy systems that had given
rise to allegations of widespread corruption
and favouritism. He said this augured well
for international investors investing in
India and that the world needed to look at
Indian investment with a fresh set of eyes.
New Zealand, he said, was still a small
player in the Make in India programme,
which was mainly about the large industry,
infrastructure and mega investment
projects, beyond the league of New
Clockwise from above: The newly-appointed NZ High

Commissioner to New Zealand, Sanjiv Kohli, addresses the
audience; (from left to right) ITA Chairman Giri Gupta, Sanjiv
Kohli, NZ High Commissioner to India Grahame Morton and ITA
General Secretary Sunil Kaushal; Grahame Morton addressing
the attendees
Zealands scale. However, he said that as

time passes the Make in India programme
would look at the smaller more specialist
ideas that New Zealand had to offer and
said that long term, India and New Zealand
had much to gain from building the already
longstanding and strong relationship.
Continued on page 4
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High Commissioner Kohli, whose real

life role as a diplomat during the Yemen
crisiswhich resulted in one of the biggest
evacuations in human historyhas been
celebrated in a film on the subject titled
Airlift. Only two weeks old in his new
assignment, Mr Kohli said that the India
New Zealand relationship was strong and
one that rested on many pillarscultural,
business, scientific and sporting among
others. He said that the relationship needed
to be strengthened with more interaction at
different levels.
Answering a question he revealed that
a new approach to Indias external affairs
ministry encouraged external investors
and businesspeople to approach states
directly for projects. This is a departure
from a previously centralised mechanism
for approval of projects. This federalist
thinking was the present Governments
approach to economic development in
many areas, Mr Kohli said.
Red
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ITA delegationwalking
the talk
elcoming
the
two
High
Commissioners and the audience,
ITA Chairman Giriraj Gupta outlined
the highlights of his recent visit to
India. Mr Gupta and ITA General
Secretary Sunil Kaushal were invitees
of the Chief Minister of Haryana at
the Happening Haryana event earlier
this month.
While at Happening Haryana, ITA also
signed a MoU to further strengthen the
Business to Business bonds with the state
of Haryana businesses, with the Federation
of Indian Industriesan APEX body, which
has been created to cater for Haryana
business. The MoU, which was signed in the
presence of Haryana Agriculture Minister,
Clockwise from above: (from left to right) Giri Gupta, Amitabh Kant, MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi and Sunil Kaushal; (from left to
right) MP Sadashiv Lokhande, Sunil Kaushal, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi and Giri Gupta at Happening
Haryana; Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi and Sunil Kaushal with Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj
Renewable Energy Minister, Child Welfare

Development Minister and NZ Member of
Parliament Mr Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi. The
ITA delegation also had a private audience
with the Chief Minister of Haryana, Mr
Mohan Lal Khattar where they discussed
various sectors in detail and collaborative
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approach needed to grow these sectors

in the two countries. Besides meeting the
Chief Minister of Haryana, the ITA officials
met Minister of External Affairs Sushma
Swaraj and senior politician Sharad Pawar
as well as Amitabh Kant, the architect
and the mastermind behind projects such

as Make in India and Incredible India,
who is also the head of Niti Ayog, the new
organisation that has replaced Indias
erstwhile Planning Commission, which
sets out future milestones for Indias
economic and social development and
general progress.
Needless to say, ITA remains focused
on delivering results for its members and
promises an eventful year ahead, if the
recent efforts and events are anything to
go by.
To know more about the new Indian High Commissioner turn to page 30
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IWK BUREAU
ementing its place as the leading

national organisation in India
NZ Trade, INZBC launched its
Wellington Chapter in the presence of more
than 100 key stakeholders. Her Worship
Celia Wade-Brown, Mayor of Wellington,
congratulated INZBC for the relaunch of
the chapter and has extended all support to
the organisation for further enhancing the
relationship with India.
She was appreciative of the Indian
businesses in Wellington and also the
organisations that are doing business with
India. She was pleased to welcome the new
Indian High Commissioner designate and
pleased to know the presence of MFAT,
NZTE, Members of Parliament including
Dr Parmjeet Parmar and other government
organisation, attending the event.
The new Indian High Commissioner
designate, Mr Sanjiv Kohli, was also
felicitated by the Mayor and the INZBC
team and was happy that his tenure is
starting with an academic programme
on the India-NZ relations. He further
expressed his desire and happiness to work
with INZBC, which is a credible 26-yearold organisation.He acknowledged
the good work being done by INZBC
in this field and said the full support of
the High Commission will be given to
INZBCs activities
About the new chapter
NZBC Chair, Robert Barker, while giving

his opening remarks, introduced the
new chapter head, Jay Changlani and gave
outlines of the way it will work.
Jay is a Chartered Accountant and
a Director of Accounts Icon, Chartered
Accounting firm based in Wellington. Jay
has more than 10 years of Accounting,
forensic accounting and tax experience.
Some of his previous roles include Tax
Manager at Grant Thornton and Crowe
Horwath (WHK), Tax Investigator at the
IRD, Forensic Accountant at McDonald
Vague, and Financial Accountant at
Flight Centre.
On the relaunch, Jay commented,
Relaunch of Wellington INZBC Chapter
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was a great success. It was well attended

by Govt. officials and local businesses.
Personally, I am thankful to INZBC
executive team for showing trust in me to
Head the Wellington Chapter.
The Victoria University of Wellington
(VUW) had partnered with INZBC to host
this event.
Dr Revti Raman, Senior Lecturer
International Business, had given a
presentation on INDIA-NZ Institutional
Distance,
Challenges
and
Mindset
Adaptation. This was based on a recent
study he had conducted.
VUW achieves its strategic themeto
enable NZ as an Asia-Pacific trading
nationby producing high-quality research,
employing strategic staff in the Asia
business research arena and contributing
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expertise on advisory panels and institutes.

One of their key employees in this space
Siah Hwee Ang (the Bank of New Zealand
Chair in Business in Asia) explains:
India is a key part of Victoria University
of Wellingtons strategic theme to enable
NZ as an Asia-Pacific trading nation. In
my role, I also engage with NZ businesses
seeking advice on business interactions in
and with India. India must not be left out
of our sights.
When we consider New Zealand India
business dynamics Siah explains the
relevance of Revti Ramans work for the
India New Zealand Education Council:
While sharing historical ties, India
and NZ businesses continue to face
cross-border institutional environment
challenges in their engagements. This
project enhances our understanding in this
arena, and reflects on Victoria University of
Wellingtons strategic theme to enable New
Zealand as an Asia-Pacific trading nation.
Mr Anthony also announced some new
initiatives taken by INZBC, more details
of which will be announced later, which
include MOUs with Field Days and the
Haryana government entity HSIIDC.
On receiving feedback from the industry,
INZBC along with NZTE are launching
The India Unplugged series with AJ
Park leading patent attorneys, starting on
March 30, which will be inaugurated by the
Ex-Foreign Affairs Minister of Government
of India.
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NEW ZEALAND
NZs top mortgage adviser

th
celebrates 17 anniversary
Red
Swati Sharma
ew Zealands numero
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and
insurance
advisers,
Global
Financial
Solutions,
recently completed 17 years of
excellence in customer service and
dedicated their success to their
customers and supporters.
GFS
was
founded
on
March 5, 1999. With the support
of the Indian community in New
Zealand, GFShas been ranked
as the number one mortgage
broker in New Zealand for the
last two years. It marked its 17th
anniversary by arranging $825
million in mortgages in the last
12 months (until February 2016).
It is possibly the highest value of
mortgages arranged in a year by a
mortgage adviser in the country,
as claimed by GFS to the best of
their knowledge.
Ajay
Kumar,
Managing
Director of GFS says that their
core value is based on Mahatma
Gandhis philosophy: a customer
is the most important person on
our premises We are not doing
a favour by serving him. He is
doing us a favour by giving us an
opportunity to do so.
By devotedly following this
philosophy, GFS became the first
GFS Making history

17 Years
29 Awards
$3.8 Billions in mortgage
$2.5 Billions in insurance
$825 Millions in the last 12 months
Read our next issue to find out more about GFSs future plans
and their complete story of success.
and only mortgage broker to win

the Westpac Auckland Business
Award for customer service
in 2015.
So far, GFS has won more than

29 awards including top and best
financial adviser awards, which is
the maximum for any mortgage
broker in the country. Ajay Kumar

adds, Today, there are more than
4,000 mortgage advisors in the
country and theres no such body
that keeps the record of all the
Black
Orange
advisors, but the banks. We have

won the top broker awards from
all the major banks in the country
including ASB, ANZ, Customer
Service Award from Westpac and
the BNZ sponsored Best Financial
Adviser Award at INIBA awards,
which makes GFS the top broker
in the country. The figures and the
data itself speak for our success.
I am grateful to our customers,
especially the Indian community,
our supporters and the ethnic
media. It was only with their
support that we have been able to
reach a new milestone one after
another. We are also lucky to have
such a great team at GFS that is
always ready to give their best.
For the last two years, GFS has
been named as the top broker
in New Zealand in the single
advisor category by the famous
TMM magazine (the NZ mortgage
mag). GFS has to date arranged
approximately $3.8 billion in
mortgages and $2.5 billion in
insurance cover. This compares to
$12 billion of mortgages claimed
by its competitors.
With their maximum customer
base from the Kiwi-Indian
community, GFS now plans to
extend their business by opening a
branch in West Auckland.
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Standing for working

people and employers
Red
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Sunny Kaushal
abour has registered another

political victory this week by putting
an end to zero hour contracts in
New Zealand. Labour Party promised
to get rid of unfair and exploitative zero
hour contracts. Together with the unions
campaigning to end zero hours they have
managed to change the law.
Just a few weeks ago, the National
Government was planning on entrenching
them in law, making it easier for bad
employers to exploit zero hour workers. But
together with the 56,500 New Zealanders
who joined the campaign to scrap zero
hour contracts, they achieved this.
This will be a welcome news for all the
workers who have been forced to sit by the
phone and sometimes left with no work to
show for it. Employers, including Business
New Zealand, have told Parliament there is
no need for zero hour contracts.
Payroll issues
National Government has been caught
once again buried itsheadin thesand,
its inaction and failure over the last eight
years to fix payroll issues has not only
affected the workers but it could also be a
huge pain for employers. This is a serious
management issue from the government.
Revelation of a $30 million botch up in
miscalculation to NZ Police besides 3,000
MBIE staff paid the wrong amount in
holiday entitlements could be a tip of the
iceberg. Interpretation of complex holiday

pay laws and multiple ways left open to
calculate holiday pay has only worsen the
issue. The calculations can be based on
either ordinary weekly pay at the beginning
of the holiday or average weekly earnings
over the previous 12 months, whichever is
the greater.
Employers are urged to check that their
payroll systems are choosing the way that
gives the greater amount of holiday pay.
The legal obligation is to pay the higher
amount capable of being calculated.
The workers who feel they may have
been wrongly or underpaid should
speak up. It is a fundamental part of any
organisation to be able to pay its staff
properly. The workers need to be able
to have confidence in their pay packet.
TheMinistry of Business, Innovation and
Employment(MBIE)is responsible for
this aspect of the law. If they cannot pay
their people properly, how can anyone else
in wider New Zealand be expected to pay
theirs. It is a huge embarrassment for the
ministry in charge of employment law and
wants an inquiry. Labour has demanded the
government must take full responsibility
and a full independent inquiry is needed so
we know what happened and when.
Sunny Kaushal is one of the senior
activists and an active member in Kiwi
Indian community. He was the Labour
Party Candidate in General Election
2011 and 2014.
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NEW ZEALAND
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Black
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CIA showcases India at Culture Galore

Gaurav Sharma
performedGanesha stutifollowed by
a Thillanaa dance act performed in
praise of Lord Shiva. It was a curtain raiser
sort of for our upcoming seventh annual
dance recital in April, said Ambalavanar.
In any case, music and dance have
stablished in 1935 by the secondever Indian to arrive in Christchurch,

Vallabh Chiabba, one of the
oldest Indian community organisations
in the countrythe Christchurch Indian
Association (CIA)showcased India at the
2016 Culture Galore last weekend.
Headed by 63-year-old Ramesh Bhana,
Chiabbas grandson, the CIA has more than
300 members, with the majority hailing
from the Navsari region of Gujarat. Every
year, for the last 15 years, we come to this
event to share with all the Christchurchs
residents and the wider community, our
rich Indian heritage. While the younger
members always put up a music and
dance performance, the older ones
get together to serve various Indian
delicacies. This year our theme was Indian
street food withbhel puribeing the mostsought-after dish on offer, said Bhana.
Similar sentiments were expressed by
Henry Jaiswal, General Manager of the
Christchurch Migrant Centre. Jaiswal noted,
With almost 80 cultures represented here,
the event is a wonderful opportunity for all
migrants as well as Kiwis to get to know
each others culture and cuisine.
Surinder Tandon, President of the
Christchurch Multicultural Council, added,
With time, I have seen Christchurch
grow more and more diverse, and
truly moving towards becoming multi-
universal appeal. And this applies all the

more to an ancient dance form such as
Bharatanatyam. A reflection of that is in
my students who come from India, Sri
Lanka, Fiji, and even some local Kiwis,
she concluded.
Christchurchs most multi-cultural event
cultural. Even the Culture Galore has

improved a lot in its decade-and-a-half
old history.
Bangladesh Club of Christchurch
The Bangladesh Club of Christchurch
especially had set-up a stall selling various
Bengali dishes. We have been participating
in the Culture Galore for the last 15 years
and its always a wonderful experience.
Where else can we find Russian, Serbian,
Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, Venezuelan
and African food under one roof, noted
the President of the Club,Mesbahuddin
Chowdhury, also a lecturer at the University
of Canterbury.
Bharatanatyam Group of
Christchurch
Established 11 years ago by Sri Lankan
Tamil
Anuradha
Ambalavanar,
the
Bharatanatyam Group of Christchurch
the only dance school in the city teaching
the classical dance form that originated
in Tamil Nadualso participated in the
Culture Galore. Our intermediate students
rganised by the Christchurch

City Council as part of its
Summer Times programme,
and ably supported by Plains FM
Canterburysonly community access
radio stationand Fendalton-Waimairi
and
Riccarton-Wigram
Community
Boards, the 16thedition of Culture Galore
(an annual free outdoor multicultural
festival) was held on March 12 at the Ray
Blank Park. Easily the most multi-cultural
event in the citys social calendar, it
featured music, dance, food and arts
and crafts from more than 80 cultures
around the world. The event kicked off
with Kapa Haka performed by the Hornby
High School. Later, Mundi African dance,
Chinese Lion dance, Scottish Country
dance, and Japanese Takumi drumming
mesmerised the audience. For those
wishing to try their hands at various artforms, parallel workshops were organised
including the ones by Chinese Square
Dancing group of the Christchurch
Migrant Centre, Indang Dance by the
Canterbury Indonesia Society, and Wushu

martial arts by Master Song Shaolin.
NorWest Arch Morris Dancers and the
Macedonian Cultural Group participated
as well.
But the most popular section of the
Galore was the multi-national cuisine on
offer. Igor and his wife, who immigrated to
New Zealand six years ago from Ukraine,
had a stall serving Russian home-baked
products. Scott, originally from the US and
in Christchurch since 2008, was selling
Thai ice-cream. Sitti from Singapore
was selling the Lion-Citys delicacies in
celebrations of her countrys 50 years
of independence from Malaysia. Emily
from Germany, with help from her Kiwi
partner Jonathan, had set-up their Little
German Kitchen.
A team from Plains FM, who were
the emcee at the event, summed up the
afternoon rather nicely: Today is the
day to learn a new language, make a new
friend or try a new cuisine. Thats what
Christchurchs Culture Galore is all about.
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NEW ZEALAND
Vaisakhi Mela rocks

the Garden City
Red
Black
Orange
Gaurav Sharma
t was a mix of melody and trendy. It

was a mix of established veterans and
upcoming stars.
In recognition of the growing Indian
population in Christchurch, mainly from
the northern part of India, two city-based
event management companiesRevel
Events and Friendz Eventsjoined hands
to present the first-ever Vaisakhi Mela in
the South Island on March 12at theAurora
Centre of Performing Arts in Christchurch.
The evening started withJenny Johal
whom Punjabi media has hailed as the
next big thing in Bhangrasetting the
stage with her tune-with-the-times trendy
Punjabi songs.
It ended with Ranjit Bawa, a household
name in the Punjabi music scene,
enthralling the crowd with his more
traditional numbers.
In between, the floor was rocked by
Melbourne-based singerGagan Kokri. Few
local artists includingDeep Moud Gill,
Bhav KaranandGurinder Mannpresented
some items too.
Lucky Jassal, one of the organisers
informed, These three singersRanjit,
Jenny and Gaganare on a monthlong tour of New Zealand and Australia.
Christchurchs was their first performance
in the country, which would be followed by
the one in Auckland.
While majority participation in the
sold-out show was from Christchurch, we
Top: (from right) Gagan Kokri, Ranjit Bawa, and Jenny Johal
(in orange suit)
Above: The 750-strong audience at Aurora Centre of
Performing Arts
also had families coming from Ashburton,

Timaru and Rangiora. This shows how fast
diversity is spreading in the South Island,
he added.
Hitesh Sharma, another co-organiser
concluded, With the success and support
we have received, we plan to make this
Vaisakhi Mela an annual affair and the
most sought-after event in the Punjabi
community in Christchurch.
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NEW ZEALAND
Red
Students on track to better

target ahead of time
rojections showing students are

on track to surpass challenging
educational targets almost
two years ahead of schedule have
been hailed by Education Minister
Hekia Parata.
In todays world kids need
meaningful qualifications to make the
most of their talents and opportunities,
says Ms Parata. These figures show
more young New Zealanders than ever
before are entering adulthood with the
skills and tools they need to succeed.
The projections are based on
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This is a massive achievement for
our kids, parents, teachers and the
wider community, says Ms Parata.
When we took office in 2008 just 68
per cent of 18-years had NCEA Level
2 or an equivalent. The 24 percent
increase in achievement since 2008

means 7600 more young people are
equipped to succeed this year than
seven years ago.
The provisional data shows the
largest gains have been made by Mori
and Pasifika students up 62 per cent
DR PARMJEET PARMAR
NATIONAL LIST MP BASED
IN MOUNT ROSKILL
MOUNT ROSKILL OFFICE:

A: 1/165 Stoddard Road, Mount Roskill
P: 09 620 6707
E: Parmjeet.Parmar@Parliament.govt.nz
www.parmjeetparmar.co.nz
facebook.com/DrParmjeetParmarMP
Funded by the Parliamentary Service and authorised by
Dr Parmjeet Parmar MP, Parliament Buildings Wellington
www.national.org.nz
and 54 per cent to 72.3 per cent and

79.1 per cent respectively since 2008.
However, because Mori and Pasifika
students started from a lower base
they have further to go to achieve the
Governments target of 85 per cent
achievement by 2017.
Black
Orange
Minister of
Health Volunteer
Awards open
ealth Minister Jonathan Coleman says

nominations are now open for the 2016
Minister of Health Volunteer Awards.
These awards help to recognise the thousands of
unsung heroes who support New Zealands health and
disability services, says Dr Coleman.
Last years award recipients ranged from helping
people to navigate their way around hospitals and
health services, to visiting isolated older people in
their homes.
Health volunteers make life better for New
Zealanders in many ways, often without seeking any
recognition.If you know an individual or team of
volunteers who deserve to be recognised, I encourage
you to nominate them.
Last year, the overall winner of the Health
Volunteer Awards was Cancer Core, a group of Otago
University students.
Their inaugural University Relay for Life, the first
run by any New Zealand university, attracted more
than 1,000 students and raised more than $60,000 for
the Cancer Societys Otago and Southland Division.
Nominations close on April 8. The awards will be
presented during National Volunteer Week, from June
19 to 25.
Red
Black
Orange
Council cracks down on

irresponsible liquor outlet
n investigation, carried out last

month by councils licensing
inspectors and accompanied by
the Police, has resulted in an application
to have Southmall Liquor Bargains
license cancelled.
This is the first such application in New
Zealand under the new Sale and Supply
of Alcohol Act 2012 and comes after
Southmall Liquor Bargain sold alcohol
to a minor for the third time in just over
two years.
Rob Abbott, Manager Alcohol Licensing
said altogether 23 licensed premises in
Manurewa and the surrounding area were
tested in a controlled purchased operation,
four of which failed by selling alcohol

to the minor. While were pleased that
the majority of operators we tested are
responsible license holders it shows us
theres still work to be done. A controlled
purchase operation is where a person
under the age of 18 is sent in to try and
buy alcohol.
Chair of the Regulatory and Bylaws
Committee, Calum Penrose says, The sale
of alcohol to minors is something we take
very seriously.
Its our job to protect our young people
from the harm alcohol can cause and its only
appropriate that irresponsible premises
have their licenses revoked.
NEW ZEALAND
11
12
NEW ZEALAND
Red
Black
Orange
Better services improving the lives of New Zealanders

Kanwaljit Bakshi
National List MP
ere committed to meaningful

improvements in areas that
really matter to Kiwis.
Each year, we spend 70 billion taxpayer
dollars on public services.
This includes vital spending on
health, education, infrastructure, justice,
and welfare. Its important we target
this spending carefully at services that
are effective.
We have a high standard of living here
in New Zealand. According to the OECD
Better Life Index we rank top in health
status compared with all other OECD
countries. We also rank above average
for well-being, education and skills,
personal security, environmental quality,

civic engagement, housing, and jobs
and earnings.
Were not perfect though. Here in
New Zealand we still grapple with some
of the complex systemic issues that are
challenging governments around the world.
Nearly four years ago, Prime Minister
John Key made a commitment to addressing
these difficult issues and announced 10
clear, measurable goals, which we refer to
as the Better Public Services targets.
These goals cover issues in longterm welfare dependency, vulnerable
children, skills, crime, and interaction with
government. Were the first administration
to set public targets to be measured against,
and our progress is reported every six
months. These results belong to us all.
Behind the numbers are real New Zealand
families living better lives.
The latest results show the proportion of
immunised eight-month olds has increased
from 82 to 93.7 per cent and the number of
first time rheumatic fever hospitalisations

has dropped a massive 45 per cent.
The trend in the number of children and
young people experiencing substantiated
physical abuse has flattened, after
previously being on an upward trajectory.
These results mean happier, healthier
children that are better prepared for life.
Families and businesses benefitting from

modernising ACC services
Parmjeet Parmar
National List MP
his government has been focused

on delivering public services that
are easy to use and meet the needs
of Kiwi families.
ACC has begun rolling out a $450 million
programme to transform ACCs people,
processes, technology, and information
over the next five years. The programme

will ensure ACC is delivering services that
are more customer focused and are meeting
the needs of their most vulnerable clients.
Enhanced technology is a key part of
the programme.Paper-based processes
will be replaced and technology will enable
faster, more transparent decisions, and
better sharing of and access to information
for clients, health professionals, and
businesses alike.
These changes will free up staff to
spend more time with people who have
complex needs so that ACC can make a
real difference. It means better services for
injured people and for health providers and

levy payers too. This is just the first stage
of the programme, which also includes
improvements for business customers. One
of the first changes will be improved levy
invoices, which have long been a source of
dissatisfaction for the more than 500,000
businesses invoiced each year by ACC.
Business customers will have choice and
control over how they pay their levies to
suit their business needstheyll also have
visibility over and can plan for the likely
levy amount and timing.Theyll also have
a much clearer understanding of how their
levies have been calculated.
More young New Zealanders than ever

before are entering adulthood with the skills
and tools they need to succeed. Provisional
2015 NCEA Level 2 achievement results
show the proportion of 18-year-olds who
achieve a NCEA Level 2 qualification has
increased to 84.4 per cent, from 74.3 per
cent in 2011. This result is almost two years
ahead of target.
The number of benefit recipients has
decreased by 7,245 in a year largely driven
by decreases in Sole Parent Support.
This represents parents moving into
work and training to make a better life for
their family.
Our targets encourage the public service
sector to find long-term solutions by
working with vulnerable people to find out
what really makes a real difference.
The latest update confirms our
approach is working. Were making real
progress on challenging issues and will
continue to deliver more effective and
productive services.
The changes come after $450 million

of levy cuts happening this year, including
an 11 per cent reduction to average work
levies paid by employers. These cuts take
total ACC levy cuts overall to $2 billion
since 2012.
ACC has come a long way since 2008
09 when it posted a yearly deficit of $4.8
billion. Since then, the schemes assets
have grown from $10 billion to $33 billion,
thanks to its world class investment team.
Thats good news for our families and
businesses. Were continuing to deliver
better public services for the people who
use them and those who pay for them.
Govt arrogant over manipulation of Hindi language

Winston Peters
NZ First leader
he governments flippant disregard

for New Zealand Firsts concerns
over a deliberate manipulation of
the flag referendum voting papers shows
their arrogance.
New Zealand First MP Mahesh Bindra
read the voting instructions for Hindi
speaking people on the information
pamphlet accompanying the ballot papers
titled How to Vote.
He was shocked to find the wording
was not just wrong but that it attempted
to manipulate voters towards the Prime
Ministers flag.
The wording was supposed to read
tick the flag you want to be the New
Zealand flag However, the Hindi words

saidtick the flag you want to be the NEW
New Zealand flag.
Mr Bindra, who was a trustee and
founder of the Hindi Language Culture
Trust of NZ,had others to support him.
The wording on the pamphlet can only
be seen as a blatant attempt to manipulate
80,000 Hindi speaking voters.
Because of this farce we have called for
these votes to be nullified.
When the Electoral Commission was
advised of the manipulative text they said
the wording was correct and they would
not change it. Mr Bindra raised the matter
in parliament where Deputy Prime Minister
Bill English took no responsibility. Mr

Bindra asked Mr English why he was
treating the matter in such a cavalier
fashion when Hindi language experts
were suggesting legal action to stop such a
subversion of democracy and distortion of
their original language.
Mr English, who by his broad grin
seemed amused by the matter, said anyone
who was an expert on Hindi was free to take
the Electoral Commission to court.
New Zealand First intends to do that.
This Hindi language issue is just another
example of how the public have been
influenced and manipulated so the prime
ministers dream of changing the New
Zealand flag can be achieved. The prochange lobby in the National government
have been unrelenting in their campaign:
They shoulder-tapped the countrys top
sports stars and other prominent people
to speak out in favour of a new flag; the
alternative flag was sent to councils and
other organisations around the country to
be flown next to our current national flag.
This was done under the pretence of
comparing the two flags but it was a blatant
attempt to promote the prime ministers
flag and to manipulate the flag debate.
The prime minister also took every
opportunity to promote his flag even to the
point of blatantly wearing it as a lapel badge
at major events where he was representing
New Zealand.
Fortunately, the flag decision rests with
the New Zealand publicthey are wise to
this government and its manipulative and
unfair methods.
NEW ZEALAND
13
Time to stand up for the

rule of law
Red
Black
Orange
Phil Goff
Labour MP
ur claim to be a civilised society

depends on upholding the rule of
law. All of us should have the right
to go about our business without threat to
our safety. We expect those who breach the
law to be held to account.
That, however, does not appear to reflect
the reality of life in our community at the
moment. Just a week or so ago, in Manurewa,
a liquor store owner was stabbed outside his
shop. He was hospitalised but fortunately
survived. He said he was reluctant to go back
to his shop where he no longer felt secure.
He could easily have been killed, like Arun
Kumar who was stabbed to death in his
Henderson shop in 2014 by a 13-year-old.
Just last weekend, 10 teenagers went
into the Red Hill Superette owned by Indy
Purewal. You can see on Facebook the
incident, which was recorded by CCTV.
In broad daylight on a Sunday afternoon,
the youths just took what they wanted from
the shop as if they were entitled to it. It
was the brazen nature of the theft that was
so shocking. There was no attempt to even
disguise their identities. They just went in
and helped themselves to what didnt belong
to them. It was as if there was no law or it
didnt matter.
They seemed confident they would get
away with it and never face the consequences.
That should worry all of us and so too
should the apparent inability of the Police to
respond. When Red Hill Superette worker,

Maninda Singh, had rung the Police on the
previous Friday night when there was an
attempted break in to the shop, he was told
they were too busy to deal with it.
On the Sunday he resorted to telling the
Police he had a gun and a knife and was going
to sort out those who were raiding the shop,
the Police turned up at once, but he should
not have had to resort to that to get the
Police there.
Owner, Indy Purewal, is at the end of
his tether. The store has now been robbed
around 18 or 19 times. No family or business
should have to put up with that.
The figures I revealed last month in my
column in the Weekender gives none of us
any cause for confidence that the rule of law is
being upheld. When 93 per cent of burglars in
Auckland get away with their crimes, there is
no disincentive for criminals to stop breaking
the law. They remain out in the community
going on committing crimes against people
who are working hard trying to support their
families. As a former Minister of Justice, I
toughened the law on bail, sentencing and
parole. But making the law stronger doesnt
work as a deterrent if the law is not upheld.
For six years now, police stations have
been closed, police numbers frozen and the
Police budget cut in real terms, while the
population has increased rapidly.
The Police Commissioner himself
admitted to Parliaments Law and Order
Committee, on which I sit, that he had had
to absorb $300 million in increased costs
because there was no budget to meet them.
Ensuring our safety is a fundamental
responsibility of Government, which they
are not currently upholding. The public will
increasingly demand that they do.
www.donha.co.nz
Top One Real Estate Limited
12 Osterley Way, Manukau 261 2555
1 Arranmore Dr, Botany 265 0318
Licensed (REAA 2008)
14
FIJI
Red
AG meets Indian
Minister for
External Affairs
Orange
NZ to assist Fiji restore

electricity
he Honourable AttorneyGeneral and Minister for

Finance, Mr Aiyaz SayedKhaiyum (AG) met with the Indian
Minister for External Affairs Ms.
Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi on
Friday, March 11.
The AG informed Minister
Swaraj about the devastation left
behind by tropical cyclone Winston
and the relief efforts by government.
He also acknowledged and thanked
the Indian Government for the
financial assistance and relief
supplies provided to Fiji, noting Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, with Minister for Finance, Aiyaz
that India was one of the first Sayed-Khaiyum
countries to provide direct budget support
The Indian Minister is expected to visit
to the Fijian Government.
Fiji in the next few months. The AG was in
The AG and Minister Swaraj also
New Delhi to attend the IMF Conference,
discussed other areas of Indian assistance
and collaboration including reconstruction Advancing Asia from March 11 to 13.
He will be part of a high-level panel
efforts, agricultural support particularly in
providing seeds suitable for the climatic discussion on the challenges of Climate
conditions in Fiji and SME development. Change and Economic Resilience.
Electorate Office:
7 Fulton Cres, Otara
09 274 9231 or 09 278 9972
jenny.salesa@parliament.govt.nz
Papatoetoe:
YouthLine Building,
145 St George Street,
Friday mornings
9.30am to 12pm
Otahuhu:
Otahuhu Town Hall,
10 -12 High Street
Monday mornings
9am to 12pm
Authorised by Jenny Salesa,
Parliamentary Buildings, Wellington
20151006 - Salesa ad 125x170.indd 1
Black
06/10/15 11:24
ew Zealand is supporting the

restoration of electricity on
Viti Levu.
New Zealands High Commissioner
to Fiji Mark Ramsden says NZ has
committed $1.42m to help restore
electricity infrastructure, including reerecting fallen power poles, restringing
power lines and reinstalling fallen
transformers and other overhead electricity
distribution equipment.
Two companies, Top Energy and Unison,
have been engaged by the New Zealand
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to
send personnel to Fiji.
Discussions are continuing with other
companies that may also be able to provide
support. Fiji Electricity Authority has

estimated it will cost around $20 million
to repair damage to electricity equipment
caused by the cyclone.
The first of New Zealands line
mechanics arrived in Fiji over the
weekend and commenced work alongside
FEA counterparts.
Rations distribution costs $9.7m
total of $9.7 million has

been used by the National
Disaster Management Office
for the distribution of relief rations,
says National Disaster Management
Office director Akapusi Tuifagalele.
The
continuation
on
the
distribution of relief rations to the
affected areas following Tropical
Cyclone Winston will depend on the
ground assessment, he said.
The government is working on
the 30 days period, where we assure
that all the rations are distributed evenly to
all the affected areas. After the one month
declaration period, then the Government
will have to decide on whether to continue
with the distribution.
Mr Tuifagalele said the NDMO was
now speeding its recovery work as only
seven days of the declared state of Natural
Disaster period was left.
Statistics released by the NDMO:

Death toll44

Total number of evacuation centres
still opened291

Number of schools still used as
evacuation centres11
Total number of evacuees8,098
Damage assessment

Total number of fully destroyed
houses9,173

Total number of partly destroyed
houses28,998
Recent donations
Canada$1.6 million
Thailand$10,000 to
Relief Fund
the
PMs
Recent private assistance

Development
Bank
Fiji
(FDB)$50,000
Secretary to Parliament$11,150
USA Sanatan Organisation$17,630
NZ Defence Force personnel currently in Fiji

fixing 3 schools and a hospital in Vanuabalavu
he New Zealand Defence Force

personnel currently in Fiji are
fixing three schools and a hospital
in Vanuabalavu.
Commanding Engineer HMNZS Major
Chris Wilson said they are focusing on
Mualevu District School, Lomaloma
Secondary School and Mavana District
School in Vanuabalavu. Major Wilson said
they hope to get the schools ready in the next
two weeks. He said they will be in Yacata
later this week to rebuild a school on the
island which was severely damaged during
Cyclone Winston.
Major Wilson said they have also
distributed a number of tarpaulins.
Meanwhile, Commanding Officer of
HMNZS Canterbury Simon Rooke said they
will be taking 15 tonnes of construction
materials and about nine tonnes of food
to Yacata and Vanuabalavu. Rooke said
Commanding Engineer HMNZS Major Chris Wilson
they have been providing the basic needs

to the affected villagers. Rooke also said
offshore patrol vessel HMNZS Wellington
is also operating in northern Lau and has
delivered boxes of tinned food, crackers,
bottled water and vaccines and bales of tree
saplings to affected communities on Yacata
and other islands in the area.
According to Rooke almost 300 combat
engineers and naval personnel, assisted
by 13 members from the New Zealand Fire
Services Urban Search and Rescue team,
are supporting the rebuilding at Lomaloma.
FIJI
15
NZ defence chief appraises relief work being undertaken
Red
Black
he head of New Zealands

military
says
the
devastation of Severe
Tropical Cyclone Winston in Fiji
is comparable to that of Tropical
Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu a
year ago.
Commander Joint Forces New
Zealand Major General Tim Gall
said for the NZDF their area of
operations at Vanuabalavu was
similar to that of the remote Epi
island in Vanuatu.
Fiji has probably a more robust
infrastructure overall so theres
Orange
kind of more to get destroyed in

some respects, but fairly similar
levels of destruction, Maj-Gen
Gall said.
I think the difference was that
in Fiji there were more permanent
type buildings anyway, so you
know all of these things these
natural disasters in the Pacific
you know its a long slow road
to recovery.
Meanwhile,
NZ
High
Commissioner to Fiji Mark
Ramsden said New Zealand
engineers were providing as
A-G discusses energy

sector resilience
help after Winston
with Indian energy
minister
ttorney-General Aiyaz SayedKhaiyum with Indian Minister for

State with Independent Charge for
Power, Coal, New and renewable Energy
Shri Piyush Goyal.
Fijis energy needs in the wake of TC
Winston have been the subject of talks
in New Delhi between the Honourable
Attorney-General and Minister for Finance,
Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum (A-G) and the Indian
Minister of State with Independent Charge
for Power, Coal, New and Renewable
Energy, Shri Piyush Goyal.
The meeting covered the impact of the
cyclone on the Fijian energy sector, in
particular the interruption to the electricity
supply and the need to protect the energy
sector from wide-spread damage in
the future.
Minister Goyal recommended a robust
and holistic approach to sustainable power
generation through the use of solar, wind
and hydro energy to enable cost effective,
24-hour supply of electricity to all homes in
Fiji. Minister Goyal also offered to deploy
a specialised Indian team to assist with
the restoration of electricity and to carry
out an assessment of the long-term overall
energy needs of Fiji to identify a mix of cost
effective renewable energy sources tailored
to Fijis climate.
much assistance as they could.

He said engineers finished
repairs to a school in Fulaga and
also worked at a school at Silana
Village, Tailevu.
Its a mix of temporary repairs
and permanent repairs where they
are possible so out on Tailevu the
team has worked on Silana school
and that is, as the general says,
pretty much complete in terms of
what the engineers were able to
do at the moment, Mr Ramsden
said. We are now working on a
school at Dawasamu (Tailevu).
He said the focus changed from

response to rehabilitation. We
have a request from the Fijian
Government to work with the FEA
to help restore electricity, he said.
FEA has done a marvellous
job restoring power in the main
centres, but theres a huge amount
of work to do up around northern
Viti Levu to help over the next
month or so to restore power.
From this weekend you are
going to see the first of 50 New
Zealand line mechanics come in to
work with FEA.
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Queen donates
er Majesty Queen Elizabeth

II has made a generous
private donation to various
charities to help victims in the wake of
Cyclone Winston.
A statement from Royal Commonwealth
Society welcomed the donation by the Head
of the Commonwealth. The Queen sent the
following message to the people of Fiji:
As the people of Fiji recover from the
devastating impact of Tropical Cyclone
Winston, I send my sincere condolences to
those who have lost loved ones.
My thoughts are also with those who
have seen their homes and property
ruined and are starting the hard work
of rebuilding. I know how resilient and
resourceful the people of Fiji are.
Director of the Royal Commonwealth
Society, Michael Lake, CBE said: Its
in times of natural disaster such as that
caused by Cyclone Winston that its so
important that the Commonwealth comes
together to offer support.
As Head of the Commonwealth, Her
Majestys best wishes and donation will be
most gratefully received.
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INDIANEW ZEALAND
Thought of the week
After silence, that which comes nearest to

expressing the inexpressible is music.
Aldous Huxley
Editorial
From the desk of the

Managing Editor
JThe answer to this question may lie in DeskTime, a software application

that meticulously tracks employees time use throughout the day. When the
makers of this software looked at the most productive 10 per cent of their
36,000-employee user base, they made some surprising discoveries. What the most
productive people have in common is an ability to take effective breaks. These elite
10 per-cent work for 52 minutes at a time, then take a 17-minute break before diving
back into their work.
According to Julia Gifford, who works with DeskTime and wrote the report, the
reason this pattern helps productivity is that the top 10 percent treat the periods of
working time like a sprint. They make the most of those 52 minutes by working with
intense purpose, but then rest up to be ready for the next burst, Gifford wrote. She
also noted that during the 17 minutes of break, the group was more likely to go for a
walk or tune out rather than checking email or Facebook.
~Tom Rath from Are You Fully Charged?
More and more of us now work at our desks, with the world becoming digitised and
at our fingertips. Even some meetings can now be had on Skype, etc., directly from
our desks. However, sometimes working at the same desk can become monotonous
and we begin to drift away or lose attention and productivity. I was impressed with
the research quoted above. I find this is rather true. If big projects or a huge day of
work is broken down to short sprints, interspersed with short power breaks (as I like
to call them), the overall productivity of the day can be improved and you end up
achieving a lot more. I think it is important that more and more people delve into the
way they do things. It is only when we change and learn and try out new things that
development and growth occurs and that is key to achieving in life.
Talking about achievements, it is indeed one that the Black Caps have never lost a
T20 to India and India always loses to the Black Caps. Kicking off the T20s in style,
the Black Caps are poised to take on the tournament. Needless to say, we cheer for
both teams and it becomes rather difficult to take sides.
The new Indian High Commissioner His Excellency Mr Sanjiv Kohli is now
well and truly in office. On behalf of the IWK family, I would like to extend a warm
welcome to him and hope he has a very successful innings at the helm in Wellington.
We caught up with him in a candid personal interview and bring you details of that,
so you may know him a bit better.
We are now proud to announce that the nominations for the Kiwi Indian Young
Achiever and the Kiwi Indian Unsung Hero are open along with the nominations for
the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame. We would like to encourage everyone to participate
in this nomination process actively and make sure that the people you want to be
recognised, get their recognition.
Pick of the week
Set against the backdrop of Lake Tekapo this could quite possibly be the most beautiful little church in
the world #onlyinNZ Photo by Adam Osborn.
Hope you enjoy this issue. Until next time.

Giri Gupta
Indian Weekender : Volume 7 Issue 50

Publisher: Kiwi Media Group Limited
Managing Editor: Giri Gupta | girigupta@xtra.co.nz
Editor: Annu Sharma | editor@indianweekender.co.nz
Chief Reporter: Swati Sharma | reporter@indianweekender.co.nz
Reporter: Rizwan Mohammad | iwk.rizwan@gmail.com
Reporter: Esha Chanda | iwk.eshac@gmail.com
Reporter: Kumar Suresh | iwk.kumar@gmail.com
Chief Technical Officer: Rohan Desouza | rohan@indianweekender.co.nz
Sr Graphics and Layout Designer: Mahesh Kumar | mahesh@indianweekender.co.nz
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Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher
is not responsible for advertisers claims as appearing in the publication
Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent
the views of the team at the Indian Weekender
Indian Weekender is published by Kiwi Media Group, 98 Great South Road, Auckland
Printed at Horton Media, Auckland
Copyright 2015. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.
Phrase: Go bush
Meaning: To abandon city amenities and live rough
Usage: I think that guy who escaped from prison will be going bush
Tip from the trenches

Save your money spent on cups
of coffee every day by brewing a
cup at home instead
Avoid eating outside. Buying
weekly groceries is cheaper than
paying for takeouts every night.
Avoid taking the car out for small
distances such as running errands
Go from billing to postpaid on
your smartphone to avoid excess
phone bills
Set up an automatic payment in
your bank account that will deduct
a certain amount every week
OPINION/EDITORIAL
17
BJP is far from winning the ideological war
Red
Black
Orange
Amulya Ganguli
n the day Finance Minister Arun

Jaitley claimed the BJP had
won the ideological war in the
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) battle
because student leader, Kanhaiya Kumar,
had waved the national flag and said Jai
Hind, a group of saffron activists vandalised
a church in Raipur in Chhattisgarh.
They were chanting not Jai Hind while
attacking women and children and tearing
up copies of the Bible, but Jai Shri Ram,
the battle cry of the Hindutva brigade since
the early 1990s. According to a spokesman
of the Christians, this was the sixth attack in
as many weeks in the state.
Jaitley was speaking at a convention
of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha
(BJYM), one of whose members has been
expelled for threatening to cut off Kanhaiya
Kumars tongue. Another saffronite has
been arrested for putting up posters in
Delhi, offering a reward of Rs.11 lakh for
decapitating the student union president.
Considering that goons among the
pro-BJP lawyers had beaten up Kanhaiya
Kumar at the Patiala House Court, and a
BJP MLA of Delhi, O.P. Sharma, had said
that he would have shot him if he had a gun,
it is clear that the BJP interprets ideological
victory more in terms of what takes place at
the physical level than in the mind.
It is noteworthy that the BJPs muscular
approach to the Left-Right divide has made
even the Shiv Sena say that such tactics
have turned the student leader into a hero.
Since the Sena is an outfit, which knows a
thing or two about thuggery, its views have
to be taken seriously.
That there are a few among the BJPs

supporters who also believe that aggression
does not pay is evident from Anupam Khers
observation at a Kolkata function in favour
of evicting the combative Yogis and Sadhvis
from the party.
The politically naive actor is apparently
unaware of the value of belligerent stormtroopers at election time. He was probably
only thinking of how their antics detracted
from his claim that there was no intolerance
in the country. For the BJP, however, it will
not be enough for one minister to declare
the partys ideological victory and another
to dub Kanhaiya Kumar as an aberration.
Nor will the denial of visas to an
American team put an end to a growing
sense of worldwide unease over the current
events in India.
What the BJP will have to ensure in
order to score an ideological as well as
electoral victory in the coming weeks is to
not only demonstrate its commitment to

the rule of law but also to act with a sense of
compassion (as the closet saffronite, Sri Sri
Ravi Shankar, has advocated) with regard
to the law on sedition.
The BJPs failing in these respects is due
to its self-belief about being vested with
the responsibility of protecting the nation
against ungodly aliens while flaunting
its Hindu ethos, which is reflected in a
prime minister who wears a tilak, as BJP
president Amit Shah has said.
Since a Hindu-oriented xenophobia does
not suit a democracy, the BJP runs the
danger of losing the ideological war even
before it has begun. Kanhaiya Kumar and
his Leftist supporters do have their faults
as Prof. Makarand Paranjape pointed out
how the JNU had been converted into
a hegemonic space of the Left or how
millions killed by Stalin were brushed
under the carpet by them.
Evidently, the battle has been really and

truly joined not only between the Left and
the Right but also between the Left and
the Centre.
How it pans out will depend on the
performance of the BJP and its opponents
in the forthcoming elections, especially in
Assam, Kerala and West Bengal.
If the Left wins in Kerala, as is likely,
and improves its tally in West Bengal with
Kanhaiya Kumar addressing a few rallies in
the two states, the JNU crowd will consider
it as their victory. On the other hand, if the
BJP pips the Congress at the post in Assam,
the party can look forward with some hope
to next years UP elections.
The danger, however, is that in the
event of the Assam outcome not going the
BJPs way because of the uncertainty over
its alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad,
there is a possibility of the hardliners in the
saffron camp becoming even more hawkish.
Some of their belligerence can be
explained by their inability to score brownie
points in their confrontation with students
because their follies do not attract the same
condemnation as those of the grown-ups.
Moreover, the militancy of the extreme
Right reflected in the threat to cut off
Kanhaiya Kumars head embarrasses the
BJP and is bound to be exploited by its
opponents during the election campaign.
The governments mistake was its highpitched response to the sedition charge
in the JNU. Ever since Kanhaiya Kumars
release from jail, however, it is finding it
difficult to retain the high ground, which
it claimed to have occupied and is not too
certain, therefore, of having won the battle
of ideas.
Digital inequality warning sounded for urban India

By Devanik Saha
ecent indications that Indias

Internet use is low and not reflected
in the numbers of mobile phone
connections and growth are buttressed by a
new study that points to digital inequality
in urban areas.
Carried out in Pune, a rapidly growing
metropolis of 5.92 million people, its
economy driven in large part by information
technology, the study found:
revealed. Pune has grown rapidly over the

last two decades to become the eighthlargest urban agglomeration in India. In
2015, Pune ranked second only to Bengaluru
in software exports from India. The city
has as many as 3.6 million Internet users
(a 34% year-on-year growth), according to
Internet in India
2014a report
f r o m
82 per cent of people surveyed in
low-income
neighbourhoods
dont
use Internet
56 per cent of households have no
Internet users at all
41 per cent of non-users have never
heard of the Internet
43 per cent of people between 16 and 25
years of age do not use Internet
The results are likely to be similar in
more prosperous cities, such as Bengaluru
and Delhi, worse in poorer cities.
Although Internet users in India are
increasing rapidly, and the country is
Asia-Pacifics fastest growing smartphone
market, only 22 per cent of the adult
population in India uses the Internet,
compared to the global median of 67 per
cent, according to this survey by Pew
Research Center, a US research institute.
In absolute numbers, India likely
overtook the US and became the country
with the worlds second-largest Internet
market, with 402 million active Internet
users in December 2015. These figures
clearly hide great variations, the Pune study
Internet
and
Mobile
Association of India.
These are the six main observations the
study made about Punes digital inequality:
I. Eighty-four per cent of women do not
use Internet compared to 42 per cent men.
There are several stereotypical beliefs that
augment this gender digital inequality,
according to the CCDS study.
For instance, it is primarily men in the
household who acquire smartphones,
while women are handed down older, basic
phones without data access, or feature
phones that allow only limited Internet
applications. Boosting Internet access for

women has the potential to boost their
participation in the labour force, according
to this Mckinsey study. Recently, several
villages in Gujarat banned mobile phones
for girls and single women, a confirmation
of widespread patriarchal norms hindering
gender equality.
II. Better education increases chances
of Internet access. As many as 56 per cent
of households with at least one member
with a class 10 education or enrolled
currently were connected, meaning at
least one Internet user, as compared to 14
per cent of households without anyone with
similar education.
The
number
of
non-Internet
users decreases with increasing
education levels. Of those who
never attended school/had any
primary education, only three per
cent access the Internet, compared to
83 per cent of those who are graduates
and above.
III. Wealthier households are more
likely to use Internet. Only 29.4 per cent
of households in the first wealth quintile
(poorest) were connected, compared to
62.8 per cent of households in the fifth
quintile (richest).
IV. Younger people are more connected
to the Internet. 53.5 per cent of all Internet
users were between 16 and 20 years of age.
The percentage decreased with age, as the
chart below shows.
V. Occupation plays a significant role in
increasing access. 46.5 per cent of Internet
users were students, while 26.2 per cent
were in the service sector, establishing a
link between occupation and access.
VI. Having a smartphone increases

chances of Internet use. As many as 77
per cent of households with a smartphone
accessed the Internet, compared to 30 per
cent in households without a smartphone.
Smartphone users are leading Indias
Internet growth, said this recent report
from Google India. Only 17 per cent of
Indian adults own a smartphone, according
to the survey by Pew Research. Only seven
per cent of adults in low-income families
own a smartphone. Other key findings:
As many as 27.5 per cent of non-users
reported that lack of understanding

of the Internet and how to use it was a
major reason for not going online
Men are eight times more likely to use
the Internet than women
As many as 21 per cent of non-users
believe that the Internet is not useful
for women
The number was 32 per cent for
Internet users
As many as 35 per cent of male users
and 24 per cent of female users felt the
Internet had increased their confidence
and enhanced their personality
Only eight per cent of users said they
found the Internet useful in finding out
about government benefits
The CCDS field research was spread
across six low-income settlements, 1,634
households and 5,999 citizens in Ambedkar
Nagar, Janata Vasahat, Laxmi Nagar and
Patil Estate in Pune Municipal Corporation
areas and Anand Nagar, Mahatma Phule
Nagar in the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal
Corporation area.
18
INDIA
Red
Black
Orange
Week-long Festival of Innovations

kicks off at Rashtrapati Bhavan T
NCRB launches FICN

compilation system portal
n a bid to boost the grass rootslevel innovations across the country,

President Pranab Mukherjee on
Saturday, March 12 inaugurated the
second edition of the week-long Festival
Innovation at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The festival, to be celebrated from
March 12 to 19, has been organised by the
Presidents Office in collaboration with the
National Innovation Foundation (NIF).
The festival was kicked off with
the inauguration of an Exhibition of
Innovations at the world-famous Mughal
Gardens that will remain open to the public
till March 19.
Innovation is an idea whose time has
come. The budget for this festival has gone
up 600 per cent as compared to last year,
Ashutosh Sharma, secretary, Department
of Science & Technology, told media. Our
idea is to reach out to the students from
class six to 12 for innovative ideas across
the country.
From there, one lakh ideas will be
selected and each of them will be given
Rs.5,000 to convert the idea into an
innovation, he added.
Later on, 10,000 innovations will be
selected and showcased at state-level. Out
of the 10,000 innovations, 1,000 will be
showcased at the national level.
The final 60 innovations will be
showcased at the Rashtrapati Bhavan,
President of India, Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated an exhibition of grass roots innovations in Rashtrapati Bhavan kicking off
thereby a week-long Festival of Innovations from March 12 to 19
Sharma noted.The president also released

a book titled Festival of Innovation2015
authored by Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister of
Science and Technology, at the event.
The exhibition showcases several
innovations including a tractor-driven
onion transplanter, multi-crop thresher,
foot operated page-turning device for
differently-able and posture correcting
chair, among others.
The most noticeable products among the
65 eye-catching grass root innovations are
anti-molestation device for women worn on
wrist and alert switch in bus/auto rickshaw
for the safety of women.
Besides the above, the festival will have

three exhibitions, two workshops, four
group discussions, two award presentation
ceremonies and roundtable on different
topics during the week.
Some highlights of the festival were a
keynote address by Nobel laureate K ailash
Satyarthi on March 13 and presentation of
Visitors Award on March 14.
The NIF, set up in 2000 by the
Department of Science and Technology,
has taken major initiatives to serve the
knowledge-rich, economically poor people
of the country.
he National Crime Record Bureau

(NCRB) on March 11 launched a
web portal as a tool in its armoury
to easily compile the precise data of Fake
Indian Currency Notes (FICN) circulated
across the country.
Fake Indian Currency Note (FICN)
compilation system portal will help the
NCRB in acquiring data from all states and
other agencies to have a complete picture
about the circulation of counterfeit notes in
the country.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs
Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary launched
the web portal on the occasion of the 31st
Inception Day of the NCRB.
On the occasion, Chaudhary also
launched a mobile application Vahan
Samanvaya to help police and public in
tracing stolen vehicles from database.
The NCRBmandated to empower
the Indian Police with information
technology (IT) and is responsible for
collecting, analysing the crime data of the
countryfacilitates Investigating Officers
with updated IT tools and information in
investigation of crimes.
The scheme envisages connecting
all the police stations through their
computerisation.At present, of the 16,000
police stations and offices in the country,
10,000 police stations and offices have
already been connected through this
system.In the future roadmap of the
government, CCTNS will become one of the
major components of integrated criminal
justice system.
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INDIA
Lok Sabha passes

Appropriations Bill
Red
Black
Orange
ok Sabha passed the Appropriation

Bill, completing the first phase
of the budgetary exercise for
201617, with Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley saying that his government will
find a lasting solution to banks financial
stress by addressing issues at the core of
the problemover-borrowing by longtroubled sectors like steel, sugar, power
and highways.
In his reply in the Lok Sabha to the
debate on the Union Budget 201617,
he said banks stress on account of fraud,
where defaulters have wilfully declined to
repay loans, will be dealt with legally.
But there are also some other issues
due to which non-performing assets (NPAs)
have added up in the banking system, he
said, adding that some genuine economic
reasons for the delays in repayments to
banks were required to be addressed.
In steel, he said, it was dumping by
China. In sugar, it was low global prices,
while in power, it was indiscriminate moves
by some states to sell electricity below cost,
forcing distribution companies to resort to
borrowing. In highways, it was poor policy
implementation that had crippled the
sector, Jaitley said.
But all these are being tackled with
appropriate policy action, he said.
There is no point in pushing dirt under
the carpet and saying the room is clean,
he added.
Jaitley listed the steps taken by his
government such as the anti-dumping
duty and high minimum import price of

steel, high customs duty on sugar and the
Uday discoms debt restructure package for
power utilities.
The NPAs of public sector banks (PSBs)
have increased by close to Rs.1 lakh crore in
the first nine months of the current fiscal,
parliament was told last week.
Jaitley also rejected demands for
rollback of one per cent excise duty on
jewellery saying it was in preparation for
unveiling of the Goods and Services Tax,
which hopefully will come soon.
19
Hindus, Muslims settle

25-year-old land dispute
indus and Muslims in the

Madhya Pradesh district have in
a precedent-setting act resolved
through mutual agreement a land dispute
that had evaded a judicial solution for the
past 25 years.
The dispute related to a plot of vacant
land lying between a Hindu temple
and an Imambara (congregation hall
for
commemoration
ceremonies
of
Shia Muslims) of the Lakhera Muslim
community in Betma town in Indore
district, a police officer said.
Both the Hindu and the Muslim
communities were claiming the vacant land
as their own, said Rajkumar Yadav, station
house officer (SHO) of Betma police station.
For 25 years, the dispute had remained
unresolved and currently lay pending with
the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh
High Court, he said.
Tired of the lengthy judicial process and
no immediate resolution in sight, the two
communities finally decided to sit together
and thrash out a solution to the vexed
problem.The matter was settled within a
matter of days after the two communities
decided to meet across the table and sort
out the contentious issues with mutual
understanding and accommodation. The
Hindu community was represented by
Dharmvir Singh Chauhan, also president of
the town council, and the Lakhera Muslim
community by Haji Faqeer Mohammad
Sheikhboth met twice before making way
for other community leaders to reach the
much desired consensus.
According to the agreement reached
between the two communities on Saturday,
March 12, 1,395 sq.ft. of the 2,160 sq.ft.

vacant land would be turned over to the
Sheetala Mata temple and the remainder
to the Imambara of the Lakhera Muslim
community, said Yadav.
The temple is currently built on 450
sq.ft. of land while the Imambara occupies
630 sq.ft. Following the resolution, the two
communities decided to withdraw the court
case, get the land registered in accordance
with the agreement, and also despatched
letters to the authorities, including SHO
Yadav, conveying the agreed upon points of
the settlement.
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20
INDIA
Cant compare Indian Railways to

Chinese: Prabhu
ailway Minister Suresh Prabhu

asserted that Indian Railways
cant be compared to those of
China and developed countries.
What the Chinese have invested into
railways is a mind boggling number.
From 2009, they have put in more than
two per cent of their GDP whereas our
share was 0.4 per cent of our GDP.
The Chinese economy, which is
the second largest in the world, is
worth $10 trillion, whereas ours is
around $2 trillion. So there cannot be
a comparison, but yes, we need more
investment and we are finding out
resources for that, Prabhu said while
replying to a discussion in the Rajya
Sabha on the railway budget.
German railway had a debt of $16
billion while Chinese railways, before
it was corporatised, had a debt of $428
billion, which roughly makes 25 per
cent of our entire GDP.
Thus we are not able to do what
Chinese railways managed to do. Even
Japanese railways when it was worth
$72 billion had a debt of $32 billion,
he said, insisting that Indian Railways
must not be compared to railways of
developed countries.
PPP in railway is an old idea. The
UPA government had approved it in
2006. We would need investment from
outside the normal revenue stream
Red
Black
Orange
T
as investing money is important,
Prabhu said, asserting that even then
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had
recommended private investments to
finance railway projects.
The railway minister termed the Pay
Commission as another hindrance in
managing railway finances.
Railway was passing through testing
times economically in the past one year
and there was a pay commission.
Every time when pay commission
comes, the operating ratio drops
dramatically but this is the first time it
has not gone down, he told the house,
accepting that the railways had a big
problem in paying its employees.
It (new pay commission) came into
operation from January 1 this year.
Despite that we managed to keep a

decent operating ratio.
We had a problem on the income
side and we faced problem while
paying in terms of pay commission and
bonuses as we had accepted a bonus act
in this house where we had removed the
minimum sealing.
Railway had to bear the brunt and
of course we were complaining later,
he said. Cleanliness has improved
substantially in all parts of railway. It has
improved inside the coaches. We have
launched an SMS service named Clean
my coach which has been launched on
all India basis. We have already started
implementing the programmes which
were announced during the budget,
he said.
Action plan to handhold new entrepreneurs: Sitharaman
he government has prepared

an action plan for 22 sectors
under Make in India initiative
to promote new entrepreneurs in the
country, parliament was told.
An investor facilitation cell has been
created in Invest India to assist and
handhold investors, Commerce and
Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
told the Lok Sabha in a written
reply.She also said that the central
government rolled out a start-up action
plan to create a conducive environment
for budding entrepreneurs (start-ups)
in the country. The start-up action plan
includes simple compliance regime for
Frame rules and

regulations for
child adoption,
says SC
them based on their self-certification. A

mobile app and portal for compliance
and
information
exchange
was
also launched.
Sitharaman said that a Start-up
India Hub was set up to handhold
new entrepreneurs during various
phases of their development along
with legal support and fast-tracking
patent examination at reduced costs.
The government relaxed norms of
public procurement and faster exit for
start-ups.The minister said start-ups
would be provided funding support
through a fund of funds with a corpus
of Rs.10,000 crore. Tax exemption will
also be allowed on capital gains invested

in fund of funds. She also said there
will be credit guarantee fund available
for start-ups and they will be allowed to
enjoy tax exemption for three years.
Apart from this, the central
government will be organising startup fests to showcase innovations and
providing collaboration platforms, the
minister said.The commerce minister
also sought harnessing private sector
expertise for setting up incubators.
Seven new research parks modelled on
the Research Park at IIT Madras have
been set up, she said.
NEW ZEALAND FIRST LIST MP
MAHESH
BINDRA
BASED IN AUCKLAND
Contact
Auckland Office
Level 1, 21 East Tamaki Rd, Papatoetoe, Manukau 2025

Ph: 0800 BINDRA (246372)
mahesh.bindra@parliament.govt.nz
Authorised by Mahesh Bindra,

Parliament Buildings, Wellington
he Supreme Court on March 14 asked the

central and state governments to frame
required rules and regulations governing incountry and inter-country adoption of children under
the existing laws.
While noting that during the pendency of the
petition, the legislation has been enacted, the
court said, The interest of children, whether it is
intra-country or inter-country adoptions, has to
be protected. The process of adoption has to be
transparent. It should ensure welfare of the child.
It asked CARA to frame regulation under section
68 of the act, under which the agency is mandated to
regulate in-country and inter-country adoptions and
to facilitate inter-state adoptions in co-ordination
with the state agency, and to carry out the functions of
the Central Authority under the Hague Convention on
Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of
inter-country Adoption.
Besides several other aspects, section 110 provides
for the manner of inquiry that would be conducted
in respect of missing children or run away children
whose parents cant be traced, responsibilities of the
child welfare officer attached to a Childrens Home
and the process of restoration of abandoned or lost
children to their families.
While refusing to keep the PIL by NGO Adavit
Foundation on board and disposing it off, the apex
court permitted it to make representation before the
central government and CARA on the framing of rules
and regulations and the same would be considered by
them while framing the model rules and regulations.
While declining to pass a general order for a
Central Bureau of Investigation probe into alleged
malpractices in the adoption process as sought by the
NGO, the bench allowed it to move the court pointing
to the specific instance of wrong doings in intercountry and in-country adoption.
Karnataka sets
up anti-corruption
bureau
he Karnataka government on March 14 set

up an Anti-Corruption Bureau to provide a
transparent and efficient administration.
Although Karnataka was the first state to set
up an anti-corruption watchdogthe Lokayukta
(ombudsman) in 1984 under the Karnataka Lokayukta
Act (KLA), there is also the Prevention of Corruption
Act empowers police to investigate graft charge
against officials.
The KLA and PC Act are different legislations, as
the former empowers the quasi-judicial Lokayukta to
only inquire into complaints against public servants
but does not allow criminal investigation against them
and others accused of seeking or taking bribe, an
official statement said.
Although the state government entrusted the
investigation powers into corruption charges to the
police wing of the state Lokayukta, the Supreme Court
in the C. Rangaswamaiah versus Karnataka Lokayukta
case in 1988 held that police officers probing cases
under the PC Act were autonomous.
The state government has decided to separate the
two roles by forming the Anti Corruption Bureau
(ACB) on the lines of the central government.
The ACB will be a statutory authority to investigate
graft offences, while the ombudsmans police wing
will assist Lokayukta and Upa Lokayuktas in carrying
their duties under the KLA, the statement said.
The state government has also decided to set
up vigilance wings in its departments, boards and
corporations with vigilance officers, as directed by the
high court on February 2.
Red
Black
INDIA ABROAD
Orange
Indian American boy in

fray for $100,000 Child
Genius prize
n
Indian
American
boy, with his terrific
memory
skills
and
mathematical abilities, is all set to
lock horns with two other finalists
in the second season of Lifetime
Televisions competition Child
Genius: Battle of the Brightest, a
media report said.
Nine-year-old Arnav Krishna
from New York stands a chance
to win a whopping $100,000
college fund and the title of
Child Genius 2016, the American
Bazaar reported.
Arnavs
mother,
Seema
Krishna, is a marketing executive,
and father, Vijay Krishna, works
as a financial services executive.
The Lifetime Television cited
Arnav as someone with an
eye to becoming an architect
and a mathematician when
he is older and as one who is

always inquisitive and bears a
researchers instinct.
Arnav is off to a good start with
successive rankings in national
math competitions, Lifetime

Television was quoted as saying.
In addition to his academic
prowess, Arnav is also good at
playing tennis. He loves piano,
swimming and chess.
The second edition of the
competition, which premiered
on January 7 this year, featured
some of the most extraordinary
and talented children in the US as
they braced for the ultimate battle
of the brains.
The competition, created in
cooperation with the American
Mensaa
standardised
intelligence test, takes place over
ten weeks and tests the nations
brightest young minds on their
knowledge in categories such as
math, spelling, geography, and
current events.
westernunion.co.nz
21
22
KIDS ZONE
Easter Patterns 1
Red
Black
Orange
Complete the pattern by drawing or sticking the picture in the box.
1.
2.
3.
Here's a lovely Easter doodle colouring page for older children
(or
maybe an adult or two!) featuring an Easter egg and the Easter
bunny - and lots of intricate patterns for you to colour in.
4.
www.ActivityVillage.co.uk - Keeping Kids Busy
Easter Egg Match Up
Ac tiv it y
v i l la g e
Match the pairs of Easter eggs to find the odd one out.
Ac tiv it y
v i l la g e
Label the Easter Words
Ea___e__
e__g
__unn__
l__m__
c__ic__
b__nn__t
bas__e__
h____t
Dont change
Dont listen to people
Be yourself
Glow like you used to
You are not a light bulb
You cant turn-off
Or turn on
Your natural glow is
What I want
pa__a___
s__r___g
da___odi__
___oc__late
Ac tiv it y
v i l la g e
Send us stories, drawings, poems and other

contributions by your little ones along with
their photographs for this page. E-mail us at
editor@indianweekender.co.nz
SPORTS
Red
Black
23
Orange
New Zealand beats India in World T20

opener
ew Zealand defeated India by 47

runs in the opening match of the
World Twenty20 at the Vidarbha
Cricket Association Stadium on Tuesday,
March 15.
The Kiwis, who have never lost to
India in the shortest version of the game,
maintained their perfect record.
Chasing a modest 127-run target on a
spin-friendly track, the Indian batsmen
never really got into the groove and could
only manage to crawl their way to 79 before
being all out.
In-form batsman Virat Kohli (23) and
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (30)
fought bravely as wickets fell at the other
end, but could not rescue the hosts.
Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner
claimed a four-wicket haul for New Zealand
with superb figures of 4/11 in his four overs.
This was the best figures by a spinner
against India in the 20-over format.
Indian origin leg-spinner Inderbir Singh
Sodhi also tormented the Indian batsmen
for figures of 3/18 while Nathan McCullum

(2/15) and fast bowler Adam Milne (1/8)
also bowled well.
India lost nine wickets to spinners,
which equalled the T20 record.
Earlier, a combination of below par
batting and quality bowling saw New
Zealand restricted to a low total of 126/7 in
Vijender continues winning

spree in professional boxing
tar Indian boxer Vijender Singh

continued his winning spree in the
professional arena with an easy win
over Alexander Horvath of Hungary at the
Liverpool Echo last week.
As with his previous professional
bouts, the Indian dominated the fight. The
Hungarian forced to retire around one
minute into the third round after a powerful
punch from Vijender hit his
left shoulder.
This was Vijenders fourth
win in a row in professional
boxing in the middleweight
(75kg) categoryall of them
by knockout or technical
knockout. In his debut bout,
Vijender defeated English boxer
Sony Whiting by technical
knockout in the third
round. In his second
bout, Dean Gillen, also
of England, did not
even last for one full
round as the Haryana
boxer knocked him out
in the last minute of
the opening period.
Bulgarias
Samet
Hyuseinov went down
in the second round
of the third fight as
Vijender
registered
another
technical knockout.
Saturdays
bout
was
important, as it is the last before
Vijender appears in his first
pro bout in India in July. The
bout was scheduled around
a month earlier, but it was
postponed due to some
technical reasons. Horvath
was the more aggressive
boxer to start with, while Vijender was a

bit tentative. As the opening round wore
on, the Indian seemed to get the measure
of his opponents strategy, easily ducking
the punches while landing some powerful
blows of his own.
Although Horvath showed more
urgency, he was unable to pierce Vijenders
defence and in his efforts to force the
pace, often walked into the Indians
counter punches.
In the closing stages of the first
round, the Indian landed a powerpacked shot, which knocked out
the Hungarians gumshield.
Surprisingly, Horvath seemed a
bit exhausted in the second round.
Vijender also adopted a
cautious approach as
the bout became a bit
of a slow affair, much
to the displeasure
of the extremely
vocal
Indian
supporters
in
the arena.
Most
of
Horvaths
punches were
a bit aimless
while Vijender
was more composed and
better with his accuracy.
Both boxers came out
swinging at the start of
the third round. But
a right from Vijender
caught Horvath on the
left shoulder, forcing
the Hungarian onto
his knees.
their 20 overs. All-rounder Corey Anderson

was the only Kiwi batsman who managed to
tackle the Indian bowling with a patient 34
off 42 deliveries.
Among the Indian bowlers, veteran
pacer Ashish Nehra (1/6) continued his
recent good form with another economical
performance, while Jasprit Bumrah (1/15),
Suresh Raina (1/15), Ravindra Jadeja (1/18)

and Ravichandran Ashwin (1/32) were also
among the wickets.
Pakistan cricketers get more love in India than

back home: Afridi
appy with the reception, Pakistan

skipper Shahid Afridi, on Sunday,
March 13, said his countrys
cricketers get more love from the fans in
India than from those back home.
We get lot of love from fans here, even
more than the love we get from fans in
Pakistan, Afridi told the media at the Eden
Gardens, a day after their arrival to take
part in the World Twenty20.
The 36-year-old all-rounder recalled
that he has been coming to India for
two decades during his long career, and
asserted that cricket has always brought the
two countries together.
Cricket is a sport which has brought
the two countries together. Can there be
anything better than politics and cricket to
bring the two countries together? he said.
However, Afridi disagreed with a media
person that the fact that none of the Pakistan
players opted out of the tournament after
their authorities gave them a choice to
travel or not to travel to India showed that
they disagreed with their governments
apprehensions about their security in India.
It is not a question of disagreement.
Whatever decision the government takes,
we back it. We are not politicians, he said.
Pakistan were scheduled to arrive

earlier but that got delayed as the countrys
government wasnt happy with the security
arrangements in India. Finally after an
assurance from Home Minister Rajnath
Singh, the team finally arrived on March 12.
Afridi turned a tad sentimental as
he profusely praised the Eden Gardens,
particularly its boisterous crowd, where
Pakistan would be playing a warm-up game
as also two Super Ten group B fixtures
including the high-voltage clash against
India on March 19.
When you play here, this plays at
the back of your mind. These things are
also there in the back of your mind when
you make a game plan. You take lot of
these things into consideration, and your
body language changes, Afridi said.
Recognition by Hockey India will

motivate us: Ritu Rani
aving qualified for the 2016

Olympics after a wait of 36 years
since the 1980 Moscow Games
when womens hockey was introduced,
the Indian team and support staff will
be felicitated.
In recognition of this achievement,
Hockey India (HI) will give a cash prize of
Rs.1 lakh each to all team members and
support staff at the HI awards to held here
on March 26. Its a very big achievement
for womens hockey in India. Till now, the

gold in the 2002 Commonwealth Games
in Manchester was the most celebrated
moment for womens hockey, but by
qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics, we
have managed to push the bar higher, said
India skipper Ritu Rani.
A good performance in the Olympics
will help to take womens hockey in India a
long way ahead. This recognition by HI will
further motivate us to put up a good show.
24
ASTROLOGY
Red
Black
Orange
Weekly forecast: March 18 to March 24

ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
CANCER
Luck favours you, so expect

something good to happen. Good
planning will make things go smoothly
at work. Too much information on
investment might make it difficult for
you to choose the right investment on
the financial front. You will achieve a
great sense of achievement by giving
a break to someone in the job market.
Dont be too positive of lover doing
your bidding; things may not shape
up the way you expect them to.
You will manage to impress those

who matter on the professional front.
Success is foretold in your academic
line that you are presently pursuing. A
retail outlet promises to keep the cash
register ringing. Good savings will
allow you to think of buying a major
item. Always being available for the
family is likely to keep the members
happy and contented. Romance
blossoms as you manage to catch the
eye of the one you like.
This is an auspicious period for you

on both, personal and professional
fronts. Money comes your way and
fill your coffers to the brim. A new
energy is infused in you, as you
bring some positive changes in your
lifestyle. Major works on your house
may be underway, giving expression
to your ideas. You will be able to keep
pace with others in a competitive
environment. Someones good turn
on the academic front will benefit
you immensely.
Lucky No.: 5
Lucky Colour: Sea green
Lucky No.: 18
Lucky Colour: Cream
You will need to sharpen your

professional skills to get a better hold
on things at work. Health concerns
worrying you will disappear. You will
be able to find a fitness regime that
suits your lifestyle. Things may be
made difficult by someone on the
professional front, but this will not
discourage you. On the contrary,
you will do your bit to set things
right. A minor job at work may get
complicated and eat away your
working hours.
LEO
VIRGO
LIBRA
SCORPIO
You will need to drive a hard bargain

if you want something on your terms.
Much praise is in store for you on the
professional front. Team under your
guidance will achieve what it had set
out for. You may have to be a bit strict
regarding a family members habit
of impulsive shopping in order to
stabilise the financial front. Efforts on
the fitness front will bear good results
and help bring you back in shape.
Someone may impinge upon your

personal time at work, but take it
in your stride. If job satisfaction is
the sole aim of doing what you are
involved in at present, then promising
time lies ahead. You will be able to
make good money through your
talents. Those in a creative field are
likely to enjoy recognition. You will
need to give a long-lasting solution to
a domestic problem that will appeal
to all.
You will need to be on your toes to

get something accomplished on the
home front. Some of you may plan
to add to your property. You may be
pulled towards spirituality and may
even plan a pilgrimage. Travelling
north will be auspicious and fulfil your
desires. You will have to remain in
sync with someone at work to make
your effort worthwhile. Open up a bit
to feel loved and cared for by
the family.
There is a chance of meeting

someone you have not met in years.
Commuting may become a problem
for those wanting to go some place
urgently. You may feel your authority
getting undermined by someone
in the family. These are changing
equations and are inevitable, so go
with the flow. There is no point in
continuing in a dud job that drains
you mentally and physically, so take
your call. A family youngster needs
your moral support, so be available.
Lucky No.: 1
Lucky Colour: Orange
Lucky No.: 9
Lucky Colour: Lemon
Lucky No.: 18
Lucky Colour: Coffee
Lucky No.: 3
Lucky Colour: Red
(March 21-April 20)
(April 21-May 20)
(July 23-August 23)
(August 24-Sep 23)
SAGITTARIUS
CAPRICORN
(Nov 23-December 11)

Cost cutting measures implemented
by you may begin to show results.
You have painted yourself in a corner
and are finding it difficult to wriggle
out of it. Eschew hypocrisy and call a
spade a spade if you want to restore
your social image. There is not much
demand for your field of expertise,
so grab whatever comes your way,
if you are looking for a job. A fresh
beginning may be made on the
health front.
Lucky No.: 2
Lucky Colour: Lavender
(Dec 22-January 21)

You can expect all the help you need
on the home front. Those trying for
a job switch will find a lucrative offer,
which fits their qualification. Beating
competition on the academic front will
become easy now, as you manage to
catch up with the leaders. Someones
absence that was worrying you will
be set at rest, as he or she returns.
You may not be able to express it, but
being near a loved one is satisfying.
Lucky No.: 11
Lucky Colour: Peach
(May 21-June 21)
Lucky No.: 5
Lucky Colour: Turquoise
(Sep 24-October 23)
AQUARIUS
(Jan 22-February 19)
(June 22-July 20)
Lucky No.: 17
Lucky Colour: Parrot green
(Oct 24-November 22)
PISCES
(Feb 20-March 20)
You will get a good opportunity

to implement your ideas at work.
Someone may seek your advice on
a property matter and gain from it.
You will shake a leg to meet people
and refresh old associations. A new
beginning is likely to be made on the
academic front. You will be able to get
rid of small irritants on the home front
that keep you on the boil. Travelling to
a fun place is indicated.
You will be able to firm in on the

professional front. An added source
of income is likely to appear on the
horizon. You may get involved in
organising something major on the
social front. It will be easy to maintain
your pace on the health front to
come back in shape. You may get the
support on the academic front that
was eluding you till now. Advice of
spouse is likely to benefit you on the
professional front.
Lucky No.: 4
Lucky Colour: Dark blue
Lucky No.: 3
Lucky Colour: Saffron
By Manisha Koushik
Manisha Koushik is the talented daughter and associate of world renowned celebrity astrologer Dr Prem Kumar Sharma. She is gifted with strong intuitions
and clairvoyance right from the childhood. A practicing astrologer, tarot card reader, numerologist, vastu and fengshui consultant is based in India but
maintains a global presence through the online channels. She is available for consultations online as well. Reach out to her to explore what the future holds
for you. Let her tarot cards do the magic and numbers make you understand which choices in life will be best for you!
E-mail: support@askmanisha.com | Website: www.askmanisha.com
Contact: +91-11-26449898, 26489899 | Mobile/Whatsapp: +919015607139
HALL OF FAME
Inviting nominations for

Kiwi Indian Honours 2016
Red
Black
Orange
K IW
I I NDI A
The guidelines, which need to be adhered to, for

nominations, are as follows:
Established 2013
The Indian Weekender calls upon nominations for those who have built a road to glory for themselves
and left a path for the coming generations to tread on; who have touched the lives of thousands and
enriched the society with their being; whove brought fame and respect to New Zealand and the KiwiIndian community. The Indian Weekender invites nominations for such personalities from
the community for getting inducted into the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame 2016. We also invite
nominations for Kiwi Indian Young Achiever of the Year and Kiwi Indian Unsung Hero of
the Year 2016.
Nominate Online : http://bit.ly/1QZJcTO
Entry Form: Form for nominating candidates for Kiwi Indian Honours 2016
Nominator Details
Nominee Details
Name of the Nominator
Name of the Nominee
25
1. He/she needs to have an undisputable recognition

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

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

Please state your reasons for nominating the above person. You may mention the
achievements of the Nominee in his/her profession.
Address & Contact number of Nominee *
How according to you has the Nominee brought fame and respect to the Kiwi-Indian
community?
Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame

Kiwi Indian Young Achiever of the year (16 to 35 years only)
Kiwi Indian Unsung Hero of the year
Declaration by Nominator
I have received confirmation from
the Nominee for this application.
Nominee has accepted to appear in person

for the ceremony, if he/she gets accepted
for the induction to Hall of Fame 2016.
Yes
No
Yes
No
I hereby declare that the above information is true to the best of my knowledge. I also allow
Indian Weekender and the Jury to use the information provided for background checks
and to contact either me or the Nominee for the purpose of getting any more information.
Signed:
What to do next?
Please take a print out of this form, sign and
send to us at:
Jury Panel, Kiwi Indian Honours 2015
98, Great South Road, Epsom, Auckland
(Add extra pages to this form if required.)

For details contact Indian Weekender on
09-2137335 or go to:
www.indianweekender.co.nz
26
FEATURE
Red
Going coco for coconut

Maya Shivam
urprise, surprise! Coconut oil is now

being recognised as a superfood.
Because of its unique combination
of fatty acids, coconut oil has a profound
positive effect on health, including fat
loss, better brain function and various
other benefits.
Here are the top health benefits of
coconut oil that have been confirmed
experimentally.
Unique combination of fatty
acids and its powerful
medicinal properties
Coconut oil has been put down in the
past because it contains saturated fat. In
fact, coconut oil is one of the richest sources
of saturated fat known to man, with almost
90% of the fatty acids in it being saturated.
However, new data shows that saturated
fats are harmless. These studies also are
a myth buster for the whole arteryclogging idea.
Coconut-based health is
amongst the healthiest
People who eat coconut-based diets are
among the healthiest people on the planet
Even though coconut may be considered
exotic by the western world and eaten
mainly by health conscious people, the
fact remains that populations such as
Tokelauans or Kitavans who eat coconut as
staple diets are amongst the healthiest in
the world with no evidence of heart disease.
Coconut oil increases your
energy expenditure
This basically helps you burn more
fat. Obesity is currently one of the biggest
health issues facing the world, including
New Zealand.
The medium chain triglycerides in
coconut oil have been shown to increase 24
hour energy expenditure by as much as five
per cent, potentially leading to significant
weight loss over the long term.
Coconut oil can kill
bacteria, viruses and fungi
Coconut oil contains lauric acid that
can help ward off infections. Also, when
coconut oil is enzymatically digested, it
forms a monoglyceride called monolaurin,
which is also known to kill pathogens.
Coconut oil kills hunger
The fatty acids in coconut oil can
significantly reduce appetite, making you
eat less without even trying, which may
positively affect body weight over the
long term.
Coconut oil lowers your risk
of heart disease
Coconut oil is loaded with saturated
fats, which do not harm the blood lipid
profile like previously thought. Studies in
both humans and rats show that coconut
oil improves important risk factors such as

Total, LDL and HDL cholesterol, which may
translate to a reduced risk of heart disease.
Coconut oil can protect hair
and skin
Studies on individuals with dry skin show
that coconut oil can improve the moisture
and lipid content of the skin. Coconut oil
can be applied topically and is effective as a
skin moisturizer and to protect against hair
damage. It can also be used as a mild form
of sunscreen and as a mouthwash.
The fatty acids in coconut
oil boost brain function in
Alzheimers patients
Coconut oil can increase the ketone body

levels in the blood, supplying energy for
the brain cells of Alzheimers patients and
relieving symptoms.
ere are some simple and quick recipes

that can help include coconut in your
diets. We are rather fortunate living in a
Pacific country such as New Zealand where
we get fresh coconut easily. Also widely
available now is coconut oil. Incidentally,
coconut oil also handles heat very well
without breaking down and, therefore, can
be used for frying foodstuffs.
No cookberry cream pie

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
For the crust
3/4 cup crushed pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup dried unsweetened shredded
coconut
For the filling
2 cups fresh strawberries/ blueberries/
Raspberries
1 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Coconut flour lemon

Waffles
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
6 eggs, separated
3/4 cup applesauce
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Method:
Preheat waffle iron to low heat.
Separate eggs, placing the yolks in a
bowl and the whites in another.
Use a hand blender to whip egg whites
until soft peaks begin to form. Set aside.
Peaches and cream

smoothie
Preparation time: Under 10 minutes

Ingredients
1 whole peach, large
1 cup coconut milk* or other dairy
free milk
1/4 cup frozen fruit of your choice
1 tablespoon coconut cream
1/2 cup raw honey

1 pinch salt
1 cup coconut oil, melted
Method:
Grind crust ingredients in food
processor and press into bottom of a
nine-inch pie plate, building up the
sides slightly.
Place all filling ingredients into a blender
and blend until smooth and creamy
Carefully pour on top of crust and
refrigerate for three hours.
Combine applesauce, lemon zest,
juice, vanilla and melted butter, mixing
together with the egg yolks.
Sift in coconut flour and baking soda.
Fold in egg whites with the rest of
the waffle batter being careful to not
completely flatten the egg whites.
Generously grease waffle iron with
coconut oil or butter and drop a large
spoonful of batter into the centre. Do
not fill iron completely with batter.
Carefully remove waffles when they are
done and repeat with remaining batter.
(These waffles are very light so I suggest
removing them carefully with a flat
spatula).
Serve with a scoop of whipped cream
or drizzle with maple syrup and your
favourite fruit.
concentrate
2 tbsp. fresh ground nuts
1 tbsp. dried coconut flakes
1 tbsp. honey & 4 ice cubes
Method:
Cut a washed and peeled peach into
quarters. Place peach and all remaining
ingredients in the blender and puree
until smooth. Enjoy!
Black
Orange
FEATURE
27
Navroz mubarak : Celebrating the Persian New Year
Red
Black
Orange
Esha Chanda
amshed-e-Navrozthe dawn of
the new year for Zoroastriansis
observed on the first day of the
Zoroastrian calendar. The age-old tradition
can be traced back to the first celebration
to commemorate the coronation of the
great Iranian King Jamshed. A feast was
organised, where the kingdom was treated
to wine, food and music.
Today, 3,000 years later, the tradition
continues to live in the hearts of the many
Zoroastrians who observe this day on March
21. The festivities begin with cleaning
the house, at least, a month before the
celebration. Ten days before Navroz, wheat,
barley, lentils, and other vegetable seeds are
soaked. On the day of vernal equinox, Parsis
dress in new clothes with gold and silver
kushti (sacred thread) and sudreh (sacred
girdle), and pay a visit to the Fire Temple to
offer special prayers, known as Jashan, and
sandalwood sticks to the fire.
Evenings are spent setting up the Navroz
table. A white cloth is laid, which represents
purity. The table has a copy of Gathas (the
sacred book), a picture of Zarathushtra and
seven food items beginning with sh (in
Persian), which may include shir (milk),
sib (apple), sabzi (vegetables), shama
(candle), sharab (wine), shakker (sugar),
shikeh (coin), somagh (sumac) and shisheh
(glass). Each of the food items placed on
the table has a symbolic representation,
such as the sib (apple) signifies health,
somagh (sumac) is a symbol of patience
and shikeh (coin) is a symbol of wealth.

Other items placed on the table include
a mirror, rosewater and a bowl of water
with goldfish.
Celebrations in New Zealand
The Zoroastrian community in New
Zealand celebrates the festival with the
same fervour seen back home. There is
no difference with the celebrations, says
Benifer Irani, who has been living in New
Zealand for almost two decades. We
celebrate our Parsi New Year (in August)
and Jamshed-e-Navroz (March 21) by
conducting the Jashan ceremony (prayers
performed by priests) and by attending
the Fire Temple. In the evening, we have a
feast. On certain
festive seasons,
we also go to
Parsi theatrical
plays.
For
Daliah Kermani,
the
celebrations
start by decorating
the home with garlands
and rangoli. Kermani, who has been in
New Zealand for 14 years, says that an
important part of the celebrations is the
get-together with friends and family. She
says, With the dawn of the new year,
everything new should come our way. We
decorate the entrance with garlands of
flowers and a rangoli, which is considered
to be very auspicious. And, of course, all

Parsi festivals are incomplete without the
grand feast. Kermani adds, Back home,
we visit the Agiary (Fire Temple) first thing
in the morning to pay our respects to the
Almighty. Families and friends visit home
and share sweets and have a grand feast of
home-made delicacies. In the evenings, we
go out together for movies or the traditional
Gujarati natak.
Both Irani and Kermani agree that the
different events by the Zarathushtrian
Association of New Zealand (ZANZ) add to
the spirit of the festivities. I am involved
in organising the events, be it religious,
cultural,
theatrical,
sports,
games,
tournaments, prayer classes or seniors
get-together, says Irani. Kermani
adds, So far, the members
of ZANZ have successfully
organised community events
for festivals including the
young and old. We do have
a lovely bunch of volunteers
who are always ready to step up
for any such cause, and one such
volunteer, who has tirelessly worked
in organising events, is Benifer Irani, a
great inspiration to the community.
Irani thinks more can be done to observe
community festivals in the country. She
says, How the Indians celebrate Diwali,
we as Zoroastrians-Kiwi should do a Parsi
mela or food fair (Parsi Bhonufood is
our forte) or join the Diwali mela with
Parsi cuisine.
28
ENTERTAINMENT
Its not fair to

compare: Arjun
ollywood actor Arjun Kapoor

believes comparing him with others
in the industry is unfair as each
talent is different.
We all are different and its not fair to
compare. That just takes away the USP of
who you are. I am excited to be doing good
work. I have just started and still learning
on the job. It has been one hell of a ride,
Arjun said.
I have done some variety of films
and now TV... I am only thankful to god,
added the actor who is busy promoting his
forthcoming film Ki & Ka.
Directed by R. Balki, the film is slated to
release on April 1 and features Arjun has
Kabir, an IIT graduate and a house husband
who has grown up wanting to be like his
mother and not like his father.
Asked if hosting a stunt-based reality TV
show such as Khatron Ke Khiladi: Kabhi
Peeda, Kabhi Keeda or doing a film such
as Ki & Ka is tougher, he said, Khatron Ke
Khiladi is reality and Ki & Ka is a film. I am
an actor first. I have to be myself on screen
with Khatron Ke Khiladi, so I would say the
show is way tougher than doing a film.
to a national park but lose their way into

the forest. They face real wildlife and real
dangers there.
Jimmy, who plays an important role in
the film, said that it is completely a kids
film and they are the heroes.
The films central theme is based on
environment. It is very important that
children are made aware about issues like
global warming. If we try to teach them
about such issues in a serious way, then
perhaps they might not show that much
interest, he said.
You make an adventurous film with
an enjoyable story and children can relate
to it, and in that, somehow you convey
your thoughts about environment, the
actor noted.
Karan Johar wants to

work with Kangana
ilm-maker Karan Johar says

he cant wait to work with
Kangana Ranaut.
During a live Twitter chat session,
when one user questioned, What about
Kangana? Will you work with her?, the
film-maker expressed his desire to work
with the actress.He responded, Cant
wait to work with her. There is a lot of
Childrens films not

given encouragement
in industry: Jimmy
ctor Jimmy Shergill says the Indian

film industry does not encourage
movies made for children and that
it is important to support such films to help
them relate to important issues.
Im supporting a childrens film. We
need to promote it as much as we can
because we see that usually childrens films
are not given that much encouragement in
our industry, said Jimmy.
People should support such films,
especially a film which gives a very big
message, said the actor who was present
here at a college festival on Friday to
promote his film Shortut Safari.
Shortcut Safari is a non-animated film
featuring kids who set off on a school trip
speculation about Varun Dhawan and Alia

Bhatt-starrer Shuddhi. Clearing the air
around his production, Karan said the film
would go on the floors in September.
The film-maker, who is known for
creating larger than life entertainers with
films such as Student of the Year, Kabhi
Khushi Kabhie Gham... and Kuch Kuch
Hota Hai, also shared that he will soon be
launching new faces in Bollywood.
Its not only the big screen that Karan
has ruled, but the small screen also as the
host of a talk show Koffee with Karan.
While he had earlier announced that a
new season is in the pipeline, this time he
shared that the opening episode has to be
with superstar and his friend Shah Rukh
Khan and no one else.
After getting shortlisted, Sengupta has a good opportunity. But unfortunately I

Orange
got a platform to pitch his idea on the Red
could not commit, Black
as I had already
given
foreign shores, and form a team to make his my commitment to Kapoor & Sons. I only
cinematic vision into a reality.
let any opportunities go when I am aware
This is said to be the fourth Indian film of all the aspects, but I regret it when I have
and the first Bengali film ever selected for to leave an opportunity due to commitment
the programme, which was initiated in issues, which is in the case of PK,
said Fawad.
The Pakistani actor was offered the role of
the Pakistani character in the film, who falls
in love with Anushka Sharmas character.
The role then landed into Sushant Singh
Rajputs lap. The film, starring superstar
Aamir Khan, went on to become the
highest-grossing film in the history of Hindi
cinema, collecting more than Rs.300 crore
at the box office.
Fawads debut film Khoobsurat had
released just three months before PK and
he could have two releases in 2014 if he
had done PK. The gap between Khoobsurat
and Kapoor & Sons wouldnt have seemed
so big, considering he didnt have any
release in 2015. Kapoor & Sons, directed by
2005 by the Festival de Cannes to promote
Shakun Batra and also starring Alia Bhatt
the creation of new, exciting and original
works. It enables filmmakers to gain access and Sidharth Malhotra, is releasing on
to international financing and speed up the March 18.
production process.
Senguptas film is an expression of
his innermost feelings and explores the
constant conflict and tension between him
and a rapidly changing Kolkata.
The feature film, which is an IndoFrench-German co-production, produced
by For FilmsJonaki Bhattacharya and
Vikram Mohinta and renowned French
producer Catherine Dussart, is currently in
development and pre-production.
We are really grateful and humbled at
the same time for being selected for lAtelier
2016. It is a validation of all the preparation
we have put into the project so far. What
interests me most about filmmaking is the
journey and the creative and collaborative
process that goes towards making a film,
Sengupta said in a statement.
Cinefondations Atelier has selected 16
different projects from around the world
this year and will take place from May 13 to
19 in Cannes, France.
He added that a forum such as the
Cannes Film Festivals lAtelier programme
allows us to potentially collaborate with
partners from different backgrounds and
sensibilities from all over the world.
ctress Alia Bhatt, daughter of

Mahesh Bhatt, says a film based on
the life of the veteran filmmakers
daughters will make for an interesting
and great story with a mix of drama
and comedy.
If there was to be a movie of Bhatts, it
would be a great story. We three sisters
me, Shaheen, Poojaare very dynamic
and completely different personalities, so
Refused PK because
of Kapoor & Sons:
Fawad Khan
ctor Fawad Khan says that he had

no choice but to refuse Rajkumar
Hiranis blockbuster PK since
he had already given his commitment to
his upcoming film Kapoor & Sons. When
Indian filmmakers work

chosen for Cannes
Cinfondations
lAtelier
irector Aditya Vikram Sengupta,

known for his award-winning film
Labour of Love, is glad that his
second feature, which is tentatively titled
Memories and My Mother has made it
to Cannes Cinfondations lAtelier 2016,
which promotes new cinematic works.
Movie on Bhatt sisters

would be a great
story: Alia Bhatt
I was approached by the film-maker, I

completely lost my mind because I got such
when combined together, it would be very

interesting. The genre of the movie would
be dramedy, Alia said in a statement.
The actress, who is looking forward
to the release of Kapoor & Sons, opened
up about her family on TV show Yaar
Mera Superstar.
She shared that her family believes in
expressing themselves uninhibitedly.
The Highway actress shared: We
talk very loudly, we are expressive and
opinionated. If we are having a conversation,
it will go through many toneshappiness,
laughter. The conversation goes up
and down and so in that sense, we are
completely schizophrenic.
But at the same time we are very
supportive about each other and passionate
too. If anyone has a problem, the other
person will immediately land to help.
On the professional front, after a not
so Shaandaar response to her last release,
the actress is hoping to hit the jackpot with
Kapoor & Sons, which also stars Sidharth
Malhotra, Fawad Khan and Rishi Kapoor. It
is releasing on March 18.
EVENTS
Red
Black
Orange
Auckland Arts Festival
Date: Wednesday March 2 to Sunday

March 20, 2016
Venue: Various Locations within
Auckland City
For the first time since the 70s our city
is hosting an annual international arts
festival! Bringing theatre, music, cabaret,
dance, circus and visual arts from all over
the world and right here in NZ, next years
Auckland Arts Festival creates 19-days of
moments to make life in Auckland even
sweeter for us all.
Purusha and PrakritiOdissi Dance Recital
Date: Saturday March 19, 2016

Time: 7.30 p.m. onwards
Venue: Raye Freedman Arts Center, on
Silver Road, Newmarket, Auckland
An evening set to transport you to
another world Purusha and Prakriti is
an Odissi Dance Recital by Sam Goraya.
Sam Goraya is an established Australia
based performing artist who works
closely with his partner Zlatko Varenina
to help and support under privileged
children of the world.
The purpose of this
performance is to
raise funds for the
under privileged
Odissi dancers in
Odisha, India. The
net profit generated
through this
performance will be
used to purchase
food for these Odissi dancers and to

bring out one of these Odissi dancers to
perform in New Zealand and Australia in
2017. Ticket costs $22 and can be bought
from www.samgoraya.com
Citizen Advise
Bureau Workshop on
Employment Rights in
New Zealand
29
harassment, bullying and termination of

employment. Presenter: Aroha 0
Aroha
Herewini (Waitemata Community Law
Centre), Morning tea will be provided.
For more information please call Esther
at 489 3873 or email her at settlement.
northshore@cab.org.nz or just
come along.
Date: March 24, 2016

Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Venue: Browns Bay Community 0
Browns Bay Community
Centre, 2 Glen Road, Browns Bay 0630
CAB Northcote will hold a free Information
session on Employment Rights in New
Zealand. Find more about: your basic
rights as an employee, pay and minimum
wage, tax, holidays, public holidays,
sick leave and other leave, rest and
meal break entitlement, problems at
work health and safety, discrimination,
30
NEW ZEALAND
Know your new

High Commissioner
T
An epic musical tribute

from across the Tasman
Red
Black
Orange
IWK Bureau
team of classical musicians from Auckland will soon perform a

short medley of songs in Melbourne as a classical music tribute
to one of Indias greatest storiesThe Ramayanathe story
of Rama.
In the oral history
tradition, the performance
known as Geet Ramayan
is a collection of 56
songs originally played
on All India Radio, long
before the introduction of
television in India.
Auckland-based
classical singer Seema
Rajapurkar has trained
the
team.
Indian
classical music relies From left to right: Aniket Joshi, Chaitanya Rajapurkar, Seema
on epics, myths and Rajapurkar, Leena Naik, Shriya Bhagwat-Chitale and
Aditee Naik
legends
for
stories
and these are set to various ragas or compositions. Geet Ramayan
is a classic, and this year, it completes 60 years since first
being performed. As performers and artists, this is our very humble
tribute, says Ms Rajapurkar.
She has inculcated a love for classical music in many of her students
over the past 10 years. Aucklands classical Indian music scene is thriving
with multiple schools now offering to teach music and instruments.
This performance is an acknowledgement of our very own
thriving Indian classical music scene in Auckland, says Shriya
Bhagwat-Chitale, a performer and art enthusiast. The team includes
two musicians, three singers and one anchorAniket Joshi,
Chaitanya Rajapurkar, Shriya Bhagwat-Chitale, Leena Naik and
Aditee Naik.
Sara Janvekar has been instrumental in forging a relationship
with organisers in Melbourne (Akhil Australia Marathi
Sammelan) to seize this opportunity. She conceptualised,
produced and wrote the tribute to mark the musical finishing
60 years. The team will be performing on March 2 at the Kingston Arts
Centre, Melbourne.
Swati Sharma
he wait is finally over. We have a new High

Commissioner of India in New Zealand.
If you have been curious to know more
about him since the public announcement of his
appointment, heres a close-up of the man of
the moment.
His Excellency MrSanjivKohliis the personwho
played an important role inthe worlds biggest
human evacuation from a war zone, which was
recentlyadaptedinto the super hit Bollywood
filmAirlift.
Indian WeekenderspoketoMrKohliduring his
first public interactionattheITA business meet in
Auckland on March 15to findout more about him.
Swati: Indians living in New Zealand want to

knowmore abouttheir High Commissioner.
Please tell us something about yourself.
High Commissioner:I am anengineer by
education. I did my engineering from Punjab
Engineering College, Chandigarh.
I got married in 1988, the same year when I
joined service (Indian Government).
The New flag or the

New Zealand flag?
Kumar Suresh
I
asthis are ideal for me to get a sense of the state
where our relationship is, what are the expectations
of the businessmen from both sides and how
the embassy can facilitate solutions to what our
businessmen want.
Swati: It is exciting to know that you
are the character Sanjiv Kohli from the
movieAirlift. Tell us about that.
My wifeRumais amedical doctor, a

paediatrician. I have two daughters and a son.My
eldest daughterSakshiis married toEkantand
works in Bangalore. My second daughterRichahas
come with me. Shell probably do a Masters
programmehere. My son Aditya is studying
in Delhi.
Swati:How is your new home treating you?
HC:Ithas been two weeks but I think this place
is absolutely fascinating. Youget such a good feel
when you go out, people are so good. I think theres
a lot to learn from this country and its people.
Swati:How was your experience at the first
public gathering in New Zealand?
HC:I am still in a learning phase and eventssuch
HC: I dont know if I am that character or not

because that character has been givena certain
role. As far as I am concerned, I was a part of the
evacuation exercise. I was posted for two months
at the border between Iraq and Jordan to help in
the evacuation process. We were the first point
of contact for the Indians who were coming from
Kuwait and we were to help them facilitate the
return to India. It was a challenging assignment
but its also a matter of pride that I was part ofan
exercise,which still ranks as the biggest evacuation
exercise from a war zone.
Swati: What
our readers?
would
you
like
to
say
HC: My15days in New Zealand have taught

me that people who are living here are really
blessed.Itss a country with a history of friendship
with India. I think we, especially thediaspora,
represent India here. They [form]a strong bridge
between India and New Zealand. Theyve earned a
name for themselves and I would like them to keep
the Indian flag flying high.
t seems like the controversies around the new flag just refuse to die
down. A new mistake has now been identified in the Hindi ballot
paper, which might jeopardise nearly 80,000 Indian votes.
The mistake, which is now
being alleged as a deliberate
attempt to misguide the
voters, was first spotted by
New Zealand first MP Mahesh
Bindra. Even though at the first
cursory glance, the translation
in Hindi on the flag voting
paper looks fine, when looked
closely, one cant fail to notice
the presence of word new, which is absent in the English version of
the document.
So how much difference does the word,
new make?
It does make a huge difference. Voters get a different impression
from the language. The English version asks the voters to vote for the
flag they want to be the flag of New Zealand but in the Hindi version, the
voters are asked to select the flag, which voters want to be the new New
Zealand flag, argues Mahesh Bindra.
Bindras argument holds good when one tries to understand the
effect the word new might have on the voters with one of the options
being the current flag of New Zealand. Interestingly, the Punjabi version
of the ballot paper does not carry the word new.
The question that arises now is whether this mistake was intentional
to influence the result in favour of flag change. New Zealand First is, in
fact, asking for nullifying all the votes from Hindi-speaking voters.
NZ First leader, Winston Peters said, It cant be a mistake. The fact
of the matter is that this is a deliberate manipulation. Even though the
Hindi voters are totally innocent, we cant surely count this vote now.
The users of the Hindi ballot paper need to realise what they are
actually voting for. As it says in the English version, the vote to be made
is for New Zealands flag and not the new flag.
NEW ZEALAND
Red
Black
Orange
Earlybird Fares
Return fare starting from
Delhi ...................... $1328*

Amritsar ............... $1366*
Hyderabad ........... $1254*
Mumbai ................... $1246*

Kolkata .................... $1254*
Ahmedabad ............ $1358*
*Offer ends on 31st March 2016 unless sold out prior. Advertised fares are all inclusive for travel on the route Auckland-India-Auckland(via Sydney/Melbourne/Delhi), priced as on 29th February 2016 for outbound travel on 17th March 2016 and
inbound travel on 20th April 2016, with 8 kg carry-on luggage and 30 kg check-in baggage. Travel between Auckland and Melbourne/Sydney permitted on our interline partner Air New Zealand (NZ) Virgin Australia (VA), Qantas (QF) only. Outbound
travel is permitted from 16th Feb 16 to 15th June 16 or 06th July 16 to 10th November 16. Travel must be completed within 3 months from the date of departure. Prices are correct as on 29th February 2016 and small variations in prices may occur
as a result of changes in airport taxes or currency fluctuations. Offer is subject to availability and fares are valid on Air India operated flights only. Basic fare and fuel surcharge are non-refundable and change/no-show fees apply. For full terms
and conditions, please visit www.airindia.com or contact your local travel agent or call Air India on (03) 90218720 / (02) 92833370.
Note:-Passengers travelling to Amritsar will be provided with STPC at Delhi airport if the same day connecting flight is not operated.
31

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Indian Weekender 18 March 2016

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18 March, 2016 Vol. 7 Issue 50 www.iwk.co.

NZs first Kiwi-Indian weekly newspaper

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